[Video] Review: the Seiko Prospex SPB451 And SPB453 Divers

There are a few different ways to approach reviewing the newest dive watches from Seiko. The SPB453, SPB451, and SPB455 were announced earlier this year and were immediately dissected across Instagram, watch forums, and private group chats throughout the watch spectrum. That’s what you’d expect, right? These follow ups to the incredibly popular SPB143 and its many, many siblings represent the core version of the core watch within Seiko’s core collection. At least to enthusiasts, these watches are quintessential, like a white cotton t-shirt, a Bic pen, or even an iPhone. They’re staples, they’re for everyone, but there’s also a deep interest in them as aesthetic objects, tools, collectibles, and everything else that drives our hobby. 

Writing about these watches poses a challenge. One tactic is to compare and contrast with the prior version, something Zach Weiss does a great job of in the video linked below. Another option is to attempt to evaluate these new watches as if they exist in a vacuum, without taking into account how they relate to the many versions that came before it. This includes, don’t forget, not only the SPB143 (and, as we’ll always point out, the many derivatives that came out of that release) but also, if you’re so inclined, the entire breadth of the 62MAS family tree. This extends all the way back to 1966 and includes a great many re-issues and re-interpretations. Even massive Seiko fans, I think (I expect), must feel fatigue in considering all of these watches. There are just so many that look so much like one another – it’s more than a little overwhelming. 

A third option, then, and the only one I really know how to write, is to look at these watches from a personal perspective. This is what I did when I reviewed my own SPB143 a few years ago. In that review, I wrote that the SPB143 is “an easy wearing and capable sports watch, and more than suitable for my needs as a summertime beater that allows for easy laundry timing, can be worn worry free to the bar or on a trip, and just kind of exists in my life.” I also noted that even two years ago, these watches have been discussed so much it’s hard to find interesting new takes on them. They are perhaps the most well understood sports watch in the watch enthusiast community, and I suspect no review is going to dramatically shift any individual’s opinion on them.