- This week, Seiko announced the arrival of two new references within its legendary Prospex dive watch collection: the HBF001 and the limited edition HBF002.
- The HBF001 arrives in classic black, while the limited edition HBF002 was created in partnership with JAMSTEC and is inspired by an Arctic icebreaker.
- Both are currently available for preorder (deliveries to begin in July/August), with the HBF001 priced at $5,700 and the limited edition HBF002 at $6,200.
This year, Seiko is celebrating its 145th anniversary, and to kick off 2026, the Japanese watchmaker has announced the arrival of two premium dive watches within the Prospex Marinemaster collection.
This part of Seiko’s catalogue (a portmanteau of “PROfessional SPECifications”) has long been reserved for its very best dive watches, built to exacting specifications, and generally arriving with a price tag to match.
As a result, both of these new Prospex Marinemasters are as good as Seiko’s divers get, featuring a 42.6mm stainless steel case (14.1mm thick), an upgraded ceramic bezel, and water resistance down to 300m. They’re also equipped with Seiko’s in-house calibre 8L45, which levels up the accuracy to -5/+10 seconds per day (from -10/+15) and increases the power reserve to a very solid 72 hours (from 50 hours).
Perhaps the most exciting new addition to these watches is the arrival of a five-link bracelet, which features an all-new folding clasp with a toolless micro-adjustment system.
This gives owners up to 16mm of adjustable extension in 2mm increments, which is critical for anyone who’s actually diving with these watches, but also a welcome addition for the desk divers among us who appreciate the ability to expand or contract a bracelet as the temperature rises and falls.
The HBF001 is Seiko’s “classic” offering, executed with a black bezel and grained matte black dial, but the HBF002 is arguably the more interesting, created in partnership with the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) as a limited edition of 1,000 pieces.
Seiko and JAMSTEC have collaborated since the 1980s, and for decades, JAMSTEC’s scientists and researchers have worn Seiko watches on expeditions to improve their performance under extreme pressure and cold. In a nod to the work that JAMSTEC continues to do, the dial of the HBF002 has been made to resemble the trail that icebreaker ships leave behind as they carve through frozen seas.
Both new Prospex Marinemasters are currently available for preorder, with deliveries expected to begin in July/August. The HBF001 is priced at $5,700, and the limited edition HBF002 at $6,200.
