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The Best Seiko Dive Watches for Every Budget

From the entry-level 5 Sports to the elite Prospex Marinemaster, Seiko dominates the life aquatic.

three steel dive watches in a man's handPhoto by Zen Love for Gear Patrol
black and white headshot of brad lanphear

By Zen Love and Brad Lanphear

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When you think of Seiko, there’s a good chance it’s one of the brand’s iconic dive watches that comes to mind.

From vintage and out-of-production models to new releases that push the boundaries of performance and affordability, the Japanese juggernaut makes compelling dive watches to please everyone.

If you want the Seiko diver experience, you just need to figure out your budget, and this guide will handle the rest.

seiko dive watch on fabric strap
One of the many modern reproductions of the Seiko’s original dive watch, the 62MAS.
Seiko

Seiko offers cool features and great looks at every price tier from pool-safe affordable everyday watches to maxed-out deep ocean explorers. You can pick up your first mechanical watch, a weekend beater for a couple hundred dollars or a truly high-end luxury diver with bells, whistles and zaratsu polishing.

No matter what model or price you go with, you can rest assured that you’re getting the best bang-for-your-buck in the dive watch market.

Even at the entry-level of around $300, Seiko’s automatic dive watches offer robust in-house movements with hacking and hand-winding capabilities. Water-tight features like screw-down crowns and screw-in case backs come standard.

a black dive watch
A Seiko Professional dive watch from 1968.
Seiko

Where Seiko really separates itself, especially at the $1,000 and up level, is masterful and artistic craftsmanship. Simply put, Seiko makes every watch beautiful, even if it is designed to take a beating and handle 200 meters of water pressure.

The following rundown doesn’t include every dive watch family or collection Seiko makes, but it illustrates the range and features you can typically expect — and shows how many of ’em are just so damn good.

Sporty and ultra-affordable

seiko 5 blue dial sports watchSeiko

Seiko 5 Sports SRPD51

Specs

Case Size 42.5mm
Movement 4R36 automatic
Water Resistance 100mm

The design of the Seiko 5 Sports flagship model, based on the famous SKX series of dive watches, only offers 100m of water resistance.

But hear us out: while that 100m rating will make it a “dive-style” watch rather than a true diver for many, we feel it merits inclusion here — it’s perfectly appropriate for most occasions where dive watches are worn.

kind of obsessed seiko 5 gear patrol slide 5
We took the Seiko 5 Sports for a spin and were thoroughly impressed.
Photo by Zen Love for Gear Patrol

With solid automatic movements and a staggering number of variants, the modern Seiko 5 Sports collection was thoroughly impressive during our hands-on review.

A cult watch under $500

Seiko Prospex "Samurai" SRPF03Amazon

Seiko Prospex

Specs

Case Size 44mm
Movement 4R35 automatic
Water Resistance 200m

The “Samurai” is one of Seiko’s famous nicknamed models. In its current form it represents the entry level tier of Seiko Prospex dive watches well: at this price point one can expect things like Hardlex crystal, 200m of water resistance and some quirky designs.

Seiko’s take on a vintage Omega

a black dial seiko dive watchSeiko

Seiko 5 Sports SRPK99

Specs

Case Size 42.5mm
Movement 4R36 automatic
Wate Resistance 100m

The newest addition to the ever-expanding Seiko 5 Sports collection takes clear inspiration from a defunct obscure Omega. The Seamaster 200M Professional was a line of quartz dive watches from the 1990s that has gained favor among collectors for its relatively cheap price and abundance on the vintage market.

This new 5 Sport is actually cheaper than most vintage Seamaster 200M Professionals and sports an automatic movement. Seems like the choice is pretty simple here.

An incredibly affordable GMT dive watch

seiko 5 sports skx sports style gmtSeiko

Seiko 5 Sports GMT

Specs

Case Size: 42.5mm
Movement: Seiko Cal. 4R34 Automatic GMT
Water Resistance: 100m

With the release of the 4R34 automatic movement, Seiko lowered the barrier for entry to the GMT world. After launching in 2023, the 5 Sports GMT quickly became a favorite of fans and journalists alike.

The heritage look, reliable complication and affordable price from a renowned brand is a combination that is hard to beat.

seiko 5 sports skx sports style gmt
The 42mm case makes an impression on any wrist.
Photo by Joe Tornatzky for Gear Patrol

Despite the sub-$1,000 GMT market exploding since its first release, the Seiko 5 Sports GMT is still the standard for the entire category. Its heritage look, reliable complications and affordable price from a renowned brand are hard to beat.

One of Seiko’s most iconic dive watches

A blue and red dial dive watchSeiko

Seiko Prospex PADI SRPE99 “Turtle”

Specs

Case Size 45mm
Movement 4R36 automatic
Water Resistance 200m

The Seiko “Turtle” first came out in 1976 with the 6306 and 6309 line of dive watches. It was named after the distinct case shape that resembles a turtle shell and its aquatic abilities.

Seiko has remained pretty faithful to the original case and dial design as the “Turtle” has undergone a series of technical upgrades over the years.

The newest iteration features a collaboration with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors and, as the organization’s official timepiece, sports its logo on the dial

A sea monster on the wrist

a steel dive watch with a steel bezel and white dialSeiko

Seiko Prospex “Ice Monster” Dive Watch

Specs

Case Size 42.5mm
Movement 4R36 automatic
Water Resistance 200m

Seiko’s “Monster” dive watch collection has a strong cult following. The affectionate moniker comes from the large case size—all 42mm and up—and even larger bezels. Most of them also have proportionately heavy steel bracelets.

Seiko-Monster-gear-patrol
The Seiko “Orange Monster” from the 2010s.
Seiko

The collection started as part of the SKX and SKZ lines during the 2000s and transitioned to the SRPB line when it fell under the Propspex umbrella in the 2010s.

Fan favorites like the “Orange Monster” and “Snow Monster” have long since been discontinued, but the “Ice Monster” is a current limited-edition reference tied to Antarctic exploration.

A rugged update on a classic

seiko prospex king turtle green watchSeiko

Seiko Prospex “King Turtle” SRPE05

Specs

Case Size 44mm
Movement 4R36 automatic
Water Resistance 200m

The “King” nicknames have been applied to Turtle and Samurai (see above) dive watches that are fitted with premium features.

In addition to the sapphire crystal with a cyclops — a magnifier over the day and date windows — it features a ceramic bezel and waffle-textured dial that together make its price premium over the “regular” Turtle seem more than reasonable.

This right here might be the sweet spot and the strongest value you’ll find in modern Seiko divers.

A legend reborn, again

Seiko’s first ever true dive watch was the 62MAS, released in 1965. In 2020, the design was reissued with the SPB413, which became an instant hit.

a 1965 Seiko 62MAS dive watch
An original 1965 62MAS dive watch from Seiko’s vintage collection.
Seiko

The Prospex SPB453 is the newest iteration of the 62MAS, equipped with high-performance 6R55 movement and the series best ever 300m dive rating.

The other watch from Apocalypse Now

a green dial Seiko dive watchSeiko

Seiko Prospex SPB153J1 “Captain Willard”

Specs

Case Size 43mm
Movement 6R35 automatic
Wate Resistance 200m

Few films have more lure and infamy, more stories within the story than Apocalypse Now. Keen-eyed enthusiasts can sport a bevy of vintage watches during the film’s two-hour-plus run. The most famous example is Marlon Brando’s Rolex GMT with the bezel removed, but next in line is the Seiko worn by the film’s protagonist, Captain Willard.

two men stand in a boat cockpit
Captain Willard from Apocalypse Now, wearing his distinctive Seiko 6105.
Paramount Pictures

An early example of the Seiko “Turtle,” the 6105 stands out because of its unusual crown guard that warps the watch’s characteristic oval shape. An original in good shape can be hard to come by, but there is a reissue in the Prospex collection with a not-so-subtle nod to the film in a military-inspired color.

Seiko’s top diver with an extra complication

Seiko Prospex 1968 Diver's Modern Re-Interpretation GMTSeiko

Seiko Prospex 1968 Diver’s Modern Re-Interpretation GMT

Specs

Case Size 42mm
Movement 6R54 automatic
Water Resistance 200m

You’re here for dive watches not GMTs. But, hey, this will time your decompression stops and manage your jetlag as you get to that clearwater destination. And who doesn’t love a GMT, especially when it’s from a new crop coming from Seiko and other brands that are pushing the complication into ever more affordable territories.

Consider it a bonus on an awesome dive watch, and the brand even managed to keep the case relatively thin despite the extra complication and necessary water resistance.

A deep sea diver in an every-day package

If the Seiko 5 Sports diver is the entry point, this is the top of the mountain for Seiko’s regular production dive watches. From a one-piece titanium case to a set-in dial marker, the Marinemaster has every detail maxed out for underwater performance.

At arm’s length, the Marinemaster doesn’t look all that different from a Seiko 5 Sports, with the exception of the thicker case. Despite being a serious saturation diving watch that Japan’s JAMSTEC underwater research team has tested at the bottom of the ocean, it has stylish every-day appeal.

A limited-edition leviathan

a Seiko Marinemaster dive watch with a blue sky and ocean backgroundSeiko

Seiko Prospex Marinemaster 60th Anniversary

Specs

Case Size 45mm
Movement Seiko caliber 8L45 automatic
Water Resistance 600m

Seiko is celebrating 60 years of making some of the best dive watches ever by releasing three limited-edition Prospex references. The most impressive is an upgraded Marinemaster with a special dial and a brand-new movement.

the dial and bezel of a Seiko Divemaster dive watch
The Seiko Marinemaster 60th Anniversary has a special dial.
Seiko

The dial texture is inspired by a traditional Japanese carving technique called Horimono, used to create detailed reliefs on wood and steel. Under the hood is Seiko’s new caliber 8L45 automatic movement, which has a 72-hour power reserve. This beauty is limited to only 150 units.

An absolute beast of a dive watch

This Seiko dive watch is the definition of the term “overbuilt.” Despite being made of lightweight titanium, the large 44.8mm case is a beast on the wrist, yet its refinement shows through at the same time.

Seiko’s Prospex branch borrowed the famous Zaratsu polishing and the innovative Spring Drive movement tech from Grand Seiko. Even with the highest level of refinement Seiko has to offer, the all-black build feels like a genuine took.

The most luxurious Seiko dive watch

Yes, it is technically a Grand Seiko, but no list of Seiko dive watches would be complete without the most luxurious offering from the king of Japanese watchmaking.

The case and bracelet are built from Grand Seiko’s High-IntensityTitanium, allowing the 44-millimeter case to weigh only 142 grams. It is powered by the in-house caliber 9S85 Hi-Beat automatic movement, one of the finest watch movements on the planet.

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