Introducing: Seiko Prospex 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT 60th Anniversary Edition SPB519
What We Know
Back in 2023, James Stacey did his quintessential Stacey-est work for A Week On The Wrist with the original Heritage Diver’s GMT in green, ref SPB381. Then, just a few months ago, to celebrate the brand’s 60th anniversary, it upgraded the watch to 300m of water resistance for a limited edition release with a blue wave dial. Now, that watch has become a general release, not a limited one, in the SPB519. It’s a little bit thicker than those 2023 pieces (now 42mm by 13.3mm) to allow that water resistance, but still has the caliber 6R54 movement with hours, minutes, seconds, GMT (in 24-hour independent, aka, “caller” style), and date at 4:30.
The main change here is the sunray brushed silver/white dial with applied hour markers, filled with Lumibrite (same for the hands) and a blue ceramic insert on the unidirectional diving bezel. The watch features a stainless steel bracelet with super-hard coating, a three-fold clasp with push button, a secure lock, and a diving extension/micro-adjustment device with six steps for a 15mm extension. The watch has a three-day power reserve. If all of this is up your alley, you should expect to pay $1,700 when it becomes available in June.
What We Think
Suppose there’s a correct interval between Seiko purchases (and I have to imagine that there is – one that feeds the beast of owning more and more great affordable watches). In that case, I’m afraid I’ve probably exceeded that appropriate delta. That is to say, I haven’t bought a Seiko in a long time, and I’m kind of itching for one. The new SPB519 is a good reminder of how great Seikos can look and how much value they provide.
For me, using a caller-style (independent 24-hour hand) GMT makes this a non-starter. I’ve got a few of them, and I don’t use them in favor of my other GMTs. The movement also isn’t particularly accurate (+25 to -15 seconds per day) and while I tend not to check my watch daily to make sure the accuracy is spot on, this seems like a range that’s large enough that I’d notice eventually. This will certainly check the boxes for someone, but at the very least, it’s got me cruising the catalog and realizing I never bought that SPB153 I’ve wanted for a few years, and any sale is a win for the balance sheet at Seiko.
The Basics
Brand: Seiko
Model: Prospex 1968 Heritage Diver’s GMT
Reference Number: SPB519
Diameter: 42mm
Thickness: 13.3mm
Lug to lug: 48.6mm
Case Material: Steel with Seiko’s super-hard coating
Dial Color: White with blue bezel
Indexes: Applied
Lume: Lumibrite on hands and markers
Water Resistance: 300 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Steel bracelet
The Movement
Caliber: Seiko 6R54
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, GMT (24 hour independent, aka, “caller” style), date
Diameter: 27.4mm
Thickness: 5.3mm
Power Reserve: 72 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 21,600 VPH
Jewels: 24
Pricing & Availability
Price: $1,700
Availability: June 2025
Limited Edition: No
For more, click here.
Hodinkee
