DEPLOYANT – Luxury watch reviews & horological lifestyles – Luxury watch reviews & horological lifestyles
Many vintage pieces get rehashed these days, and although it thrills us to see a deserving piece come to life again in perfect condition, it also gets us thinking on what the brands are still able to offer. Such expectations are a fantastic thing to have, especially if you know that an eminent vintage will be reintroduced to allow more collectors to have the chance to own it. But when reality exceeds expectations, the excitement can be overwhelming. The Seiko 62MAS (autoMAtic Selfdater) reissue certainly had great shoes to fill, but the SLA017 has undoubtedly met all of our expectations.
Seiko SLA017 / SBDX019
The Seiko 62MAS reissue – SLA017
(also known as SBDX019 JDM – Japan Domestic Model)
Over the past few weeks, you could hear constant chatter from “Seikoholics” around the world, revelling in the joy of the package arrivals for their 62MAS reissue piece, the SLA017. Officially announced during Baselworld in March 2017, with leaked photographs circulating forums and Facebook groups since January, the hype and exhilaration of the reissue had not dampened over time. After all, this is the first time Seiko is bringing back its first diver watch in 50 years and thus it had easily became the most anticipated Seiko this year. Although the vintage and the reissue look aesthetically identical, the design of the reissue is even more relevant for today, with its clean straight-cut case, stunning sunburst dial and dressy narrow bezel.
Seiko diver watches are probably the most collected category among Seiko fans, thanks to their value-for-money proposition across varying price ranges. The Seiko 62MAS (autoMAtic Selfdater) was first ever diver’s watch from Seiko, and was introduced in 1965. It was designed for reliability and legibility under harsh conditions and was used by the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition from 1966 to 1969. The watch’s significance is far from just meeting the stringent standards set by the Expedition, but it was hugely popular in the leisure diving community and even with a wider public and set Seiko on the path of being the supremo in diving watches.
The 62MAS was originally sold for 13,000 Japanese Yen (approximately S$ 160 in today’s exchange rate) and advertised as a “Skin Diver” for free diving and snorkelling, the first diver watch i.e. the 62MAS is made for depths of only up to 150m. The SLA017 reissue today can be used up to 200m and can be categorised as an “Air Diver” for use with air tanks for scuba diving.
Owning a pristine 62MAS vintage today comes with immense watch bragging rights and it is no different for the reissue as well, as the SLA017 is a highly worthy one. It comes in a more durable case treated with a super-hard coating. Additionally, the dome-shaped sapphire crystal which is better in scratch resistance is an upgrade from the usual Seiko hardlex sapphire. The SLA017 comes with a more robust movement using the 8L35, and it features a screw-down crown this time.
The 200m WR diver features a highly legible dial with contrasting markers.
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Article from: DEPLOYANT – Luxury watch reviews & horological lifestyles, by Chelsey Chen
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