Horologii

Seiko Presage Sharp Edged GMT 140th Anniversary SPB223 Review

In celebration of their 140th anniversary, Seiko have launched a collection of limited edition timepieces each dressed in an eye-catching blue and white finish. Alongside a Seiko Prospex, 5 Sports and Astron model, the Japanese watch manufacturer have incorporated the colourway into one of their Seiko Prospex Sharp Edged models with GMT functionality.

For us, the Seiko Presage collection is the suave and sophisticated member of the Seiko family. While the Seiko Prospex focuses on the diving world, the 5 Sports the robust, sports watch and the Seiko Astron entirely committed to solar-powered GPS technology, the Presage series delivers a stunning selection of dress watches home to some of the brand’s best Japanese artistry. Late last year, they extended the collection even further with the Seiko Presage Sharp Edged Series which saw the iconic Presage format transform with sharper and more polished surfaces that shined and sparkled from every angle. This very aesthetic is restored again in the new Seiko Presage Sharp Edged 140th Anniversary Limited Edition.

Like the Seiko Presage Sharp Edged watches before it, the new GMT 140th Anniversary watch under reference SPB223 features a striking textured dial detailed with a pattern known as the Japanese Asanoha or hemp leaf. The Asanoha leaf has been used since the Heian period over a thousand years ago and holds a special importance in Japanese culture for its associations with strong growth and good health. The imagery on the dial is further bought to life by a choice of elegant blue accents and sharp geometric patterns which create subtle light play with every movement of the wrist. The dial continues the sharp trend with pointed sword-shaped hands coated in lume and faceted applied indexes finished in a mix of matte and polished surfaces.

Dressed in white, the dial follows suit to the other Seiko 140th Anniversary watches in the collection, all of which are decorated in a crisp white dial with blue accents and a blue bezel. On the Seiko Presage Sharp Edged GMT Limited Edition, the bezel is kept fixed, adorned in a bright blue colourway and decorated with a white 24 hour scale to deliver an additional time zone. At the centre, a large blue GMT hand provides another time zone and pairs perfectly with the central running seconds hand also decorated in blue. A date complication can also be found in the subsidiary dial at 3 o’clock and a power reserve indicator is placed at 9 o’clock.

Powering the GMT function is the Calibre 6R64 automatic winding movement, a GMT movement that has been around for several years but one that only recently been revealed within the Seiko Presage Sharp Edged series. It’s no normal GMT calibre either, it provides the globetrotter with independent setting for the local hour hand which allows the seconds hand to keep moving and the accuracy of the movement to stay precise. Seiko Presage Sharp Edged GMT 140th Anniversary SPB223 watch and its Calibre 6R64 also promises a 45 hour power reserve and an accuracy of 15/+25 seconds per day.

On the wrist, the Seiko Presage Sharp Edged GMT Limited Edition looks great and feels incredibly comfortable. It measures in at 42.2mm in diameter and 13.7mm in thickness and is engineered almost entirely out of stainless steel including the case, screw in crown, screw down case back and three-link stainless steel bracelet. The case also guarantees a water resistant rating of 100 metres and comes equipped with quality sapphire crystal glass treated with anti-reflective coating on the inner surface.

Limited to 3,500 pieces and retailing at £1,300, the Seiko Presage Sharp Edged GMT 140th Anniversary SPB223 watch is expected to be released in May alongside the rest of the Seiko 140th Anniversary collection. Keep your eye out on the Jura Watches website here for its release or get in touch with the team on 01335 453454 to place a pre-order deposit.

Specifications: Seiko Presage Sharp Edged GMT 140th Anniversary Limited Edition Watch (SPB223)

  • Case Size: 42.2mm
  • Case Material: Stainless steel
  • Bezel: Blue, fixed with 24 hour scale
  • Glass: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
  • Crown: Screw in
  • Case Back: Screw down
  • Water Resistance: 100 metres
  • Movement: Calibre 6R64 automatic winding
  • Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, power reserve indicator, GMT
  • Power Reserve: 45 hours
  • Accuracy: -15/+25 seconds per day
  • Jewels: 29
  • Frequency: 28,800vph
  • Dial: White with Lumibrite markers
  • Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
  • Buckle: Folding
  • RRP: £1,300
  • Limited Edition: 3,500 pieces
  • Release Date: May 2021