Seiko’s Pro-Certified Dive Watch Has Truly Never Looked Better

There are countless dive watch brands, but only Seiko is the official partner of the Professional Association of Diving Instructors, the leading organization for maintaining SCUBA diving gear standards and practices.

That clout, and the PADI dial stamp that comes with it, now applies to Seiko’s oldest and newest dive watch designs as the two latest additions to the Prospex sub-collection.

Seiko

Seiko’s collaboration with PADI started in 2016 with a special edition Prospex “Turtle” in a blue and red design.

It was an instant hit among Seiko dive watch fans, confirming their long-held belief that the Japanese brand made the best affordable aquatic tool watches.

Since then, roughly a dozen more references have joined the Prospex PADI collection, but none have had the impact of the original. Most have consisted of busy dial textures and bold color combinations applied to common mid-tier designs.

Seiko

Seiko is bucking that trend with the two newest additions to the PADI family. First, there’s the SPB501, a revival of Seiko’s first proper dive watch from 1965, and then there’s the SRPL53, the revamped “Samurai” design introduced in 2024.

Both designs are iconic members of Seiko’s dive watch pantheon and long overdue additions to the PADI collection, and both are decorated with the same special edition dial texture and green bezel.

Uno mas 62MAS

The SPB501 is the most robust dive watch to join Seiko’s PADI collection. With a 300m water resistance and the refined caliber 6R55 automatic movement, it offers more than enough performance to pass the PADI standards.

Seiko

This is a noteworthy expansion of the PADI collection that previously included watches priced under $1,000, accessible to most diving enthusiasts. The SPB is a luxury-level dive watch, with specs on par with the Omega Seamaster and Tudor Black Bay.

It has applied indices in blended rectangular and trapezoidal shapes with an inset three-dimensional lume. The hour and minutes hands are beveled and come to a slight point, while the second hand has a rectangular block at the end.

Seiko

The elliptical case sits flat on the wrist and has squared-off lugs that require flat end links and lend themselves to a NATO strap. Fortunately, the SPB501 comes with a green NATO strap, in addition to a three-link stainless steel bracelet.

The green samurai

Seiko redesigned the “Samurai” in 2024, and it is now a much more crowd-pleasing dive watch. This special edition green design is only the fourth color released in the new look.

Seiko

The big, angular case and aggressive sword minute hand and harpoon hour hand made the original design divisive. Seiko fans either loved it or hated it.

The most significant change is the case size. Where previous references measured between 48mm and 44mm, the new design is a much more wearable 42mm.

While the angular case and large crown guard remain, the bezel is much more classic, and the dial is toned down with uniform pointed hour markers and a spearhead-shaped hour hand.

Seiko

Despite being the oldest and newest designs in Seiko’s massive and renowned dive watch catalog, both new Prospex PADI watches offer similarly classic aesthetics.

Essentially, the pair breaks down to an affordable sub-$1,000 option and a luxurious $2,000 option. Either way, you can’t go wrong.

Availability and pricing

Both Seiko Prospex PADI dive watches are available for preorder now and will ship out in July.

Seiko

Seiko Prospex PADI SPB501

Specs

Case Size	40m
Movement	Seiko caliber 6R55 automatic
Water Resistance	300m

• $2,025 at Seiko

Seiko

Seiko Prospex PADI SRPL53 ‘Samauri’

Specs

Case Size	42mm
Movement	Seiko caliber 4R35 automatic
Water Resistance	200m

• $775 at Seiko

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