Seiko Prospex

Seiko Prospex is the professional-specification line: the dive watches that descend from Seiko’s first diver of 1965, the 1968 300m hi-beat and the 1975 600m professional, plus the Alpinist and the Speedtimer chronographs. BeepWear lists 24 pre-owned Prospex pieces from $2,800 to $6,800 with a median of $2,900; 14 of them are under $3,000. Each watch is inspected before listing and photographed as the actual piece, and orders ship insured within the United States.

Which Seiko Prospex divers are in stock? Eighteen divers across the heritage families. Six Marinemaster 1965 Heritage Divers (SJE097, SJE099 and two each of SJE117 and SJE119) at $2,800, the modern re-interpretations of the 62MAS. Four Marinemaster 1968 Heritage Divers (two SLA077, two SLA079) at $2,900. Three further re-interpretations at $2,900: the 1965 SLA066, the 1968 SLA073 and the 1970 Naomi Uemura SLA069. A Diver 300m SLA021 at $3,100. Then the larger limited pieces: the 1975 Professional Diver’s 600m re-creation SLA041 at $4,500, the Save the Ocean 200m SLA055 at $4,600 and two 1968 Diver’s 300m 55th Anniversary SLA039 at $6,800. The one non-diver among the heritage pieces is the 1959 Alpinist re-creation SJE085 at $2,900.

Are the Speedtimer chronographs here too? Yes. The five mechanical Speedtimers (SRQ035, SRQ037, SRQ039, SRQ041 and SRQ043, $3,000 to $3,200) are Prospex watches and appear on this page as well as on their own Seiko Speedtimer page, where the differences between them are set out.

What does a pre-owned Seiko Prospex cost? Fourteen pieces sit between $2,800 and $2,900: the Marinemaster 1965 and 1968 Heritage Divers, the three single re-interpretations and the Alpinist. Six are between $3,000 and $3,200: the five Speedtimers and the Diver 300m SLA021. Four are above that: $4,500 for the 1975 600m re-creation, $4,600 for the Save the Ocean SLA055 and $6,800 for each 55th Anniversary SLA039. The spread follows the movement and the edition rather than the case material, since every piece here is steel.

1965, 1968, 1970, 1975: what do the years mean? Each Prospex heritage diver re-interprets a specific Seiko original. 1965 is the 62MAS, Seiko’s first diver, rated to 150m with a slim case and a plain bezel. 1968 is the 300m hi-beat diver with its one-piece case, the ancestor of the Marinemaster. 1970 is the cushion-cased 6105 worn by the explorer Naomi Uemura, which is why his name is on the SLA069. 1975 is the 600m professional saturation diver with the protective outer shroud, the watch collectors call the Tuna. The modern re-interpretations keep the look at a wearable size; the re-creations stay closer to the original dimensions and carry the higher prices.

Marinemaster or re-interpretation: which should you buy? The Marinemaster name marks the top of the Prospex dive range and goes with the higher-grade movements; on this page it appears on the 1965 Heritage pieces at $2,800 and the 1968 Heritage pieces at $2,900. The single re-interpretations (SLA066, SLA069, SLA073) are the same money and trade a little finishing for a specific historical look. If you want the closest thing to the original watch, the 1975 re-creation SLA041 and the 55th Anniversary SLA039 are the two to compare, at $4,500 and $6,800.

What should you check on a used Seiko diver? Three things. The bezel should turn only one way and click cleanly; a bezel that drifts has usually lost its spring. The crown should screw down fully and the gasket should not be dry; after a watch has been opened, a pressure test is the only honest confirmation of its depth rating, so treat the printed 200m or 300m as a design rating, not a guarantee, until it has been tested. And look at the lume under a flashlight: Seiko’s LumiBrite should glow evenly, and a dull or patchy hour marker points to a replaced or damaged dial. Every piece here was inspected before it was listed, and the photographs are of the watch you receive.

How does BeepWear list and ship these? One listing per watch, with the reference in the title, the current price and the actual photographs. Orders ship insured within the United States. The authenticity guarantee, the returns policy and the warranty terms are each set out on their own page. For the wider dive range across brands see the dive watches collection.