Kintaro Hattori is considered the father of the Japanese watch and clock industry, having opened K. Hattori & Co. in Tokyo 145 years ago. Hattori’s humble store eventually evolved into an empire that made Seiko the largest watch manufacturer in the world during the 1980s. To mark the anniversary, Seiko has dressed six of its greatest hits in regal “Edo purple” livery.

The standouts include the compass-bezel Alpinist ref. HBC006 built the take on the Japanese Alps, the luxe titanium-and-ceramic Astron Dual-Time Chronograph ref. HAB011, and the spacefaring Rotocall ref. HFL001.

Seiko Prospex Alpinist HBC006

Last year, Seiko’s iconic green-and-gilt Alpinist turned 30; this year it turns purple. The Alpinist line dates back to 1959 but this case style launched in 1995, designed by Shigeo Sakai — the same designer responsible for the amusing inflatable Seiko Airpro.

The green-and-gilt colourway inspired by Mr Sakai’s Mini Cooper became a sales success, defying conventional wisdom that green watches are niche products.

I can’t predict if that will hold true for purple, but with 7,000 units Seiko seems to think it will. The colour is certainly eye-catching, which will help it stand out on social media and boost collectibility. The US$$900 price tag helps too, making it a good value considering its solid specifications.

Upmarket details include a Diashield-protected stainless steel case, a sapphire crystal with sapphire date magnifier, an unexpected 200 m test depth, and a three-day power reserve. The cal. 6R55’s extended longevity is thanks to the combination of a SPRON 510 mainspring and a skeletonised “MEMS” escapement, highlighting Seiko’s industrial development over 145 years.

Seiko Astron GPS Solar Dual-Time Chronograph HAB011

In December 1969, Seiko launched the single most important watch in its history: the Quartz Astron. It hit the market just months before the first Swiss quartz watches, but Seiko’s take on quartz proved superior and most quartz movements built today are modelled on the Astron’s cal. 35SQ.

In 2012, Seiko revived the nameplate as a high-tech, high-end quartz collection. The rise of smartwatches has devastated many once-popular multi-function quartz watches, but the Astron stands resolute, with a 2,000 piece purple-dialled limited edition with a sticker price of US$2,900.

While the rest of the lineup are good affordable watches, the HAB011 Astron GPS Solar Dual-Time Chronograph is a no-half-measures luxe quartz watch built by the same Shinshu factory responsible for Spring Drive watches. The 43.4 mm grade five titanium case is slim enough and features a hard Diashield coating to protect the zaratsu-polished chamfers, while the black ceramic bezel is naturally scratch resistant.

The five-link bracelet also combines hard-coated titanium with glossy black ceramic and features tool-less micro-adjustment built into the clasp. Dial work is what you would expect from a high-end Seiko product, which is to say, very good; the diamond-cut indices are especially well done.

The Astron is solar powered thanks to its cal. 5X83, and automatically sets itself using GPS signals. This method of network synchronisation is more reliable than radio-signal based systems, and the watch can keep time in the dark for up to two years thanks to a power-saving sleep mode.

Seven individually controlled micro-motors allow the watch to set itself, control the perpetual calendar, adjust for daylight savings time, and switch between 38 standard time zones.

The Dual-Time Chronograph’s headline features share a single sub-dial at six o’clock which turns into an elapsed time counter while using the 1/20th-of-a-second chronograph, and reverts to displaying a second time zone when finished. Finally, a clever “time transfer” feature allows the user to switch the primary and secondary time zones in an instant. All this in a watch just 13.4 mm thick.

Rotocall HFL001

If the Speedmaster Professional is the “Moon Watch”, the Rotocall may as well be called the “Shuttle Watch”. NASA purportedly flight-qualified the Rotocall in 1983 and, per Robert Jackson’s database, Rotocalls crossed the Karman line nearly 200 times during the Space Shuttle program, which lasted until 2011. Seiko revived Rotocall, or “Selection” as it calls this 4,000 piece limited edition just last year. Like the aforementioned Astron, the Rotocall is a multifunction quartz watch, though (ironically) a more down to earth one at just US$585, which makes it an attractive value proposition, in addition to being a cool watch, even if it comes with some compromises to hit that price tag.

Other than the blackened case and purple dial, this Rotocall is unusually size-faithful for a Seiko reissue; it’s the same diameter (37 mm) and powered by a slightly updated version of the movement in the original. This fidelity goes both ways though, as it still uses a tempered glass “Hardlex” crystal rather than sapphire and plenty of thin-gauge, stamped parts in the the bracelet. Then again, the lack of a sapphire crystal never stopped Moonwatch buyers, so maybe that authenticity is a value-add. And it has one advantage over the already reasonably thin Astron, the Rotocall is only 10.6 mm tall.

“Rotocall” refers to the rotating bezel used to call the watch’s various functions, Rotating the bezel cycles through the functions, with the one at 12 o’clock being active, allowing full control of the watch using just the buttons at four and eight o’clock. The cal. A824 inside a perpetual calendar, second time zone, a chronograph with lap timer, countdown timer, up and down counter, and a one-off or repeating alarm. It also tells the time, and holding the button at eight o’clock for two seconds while in calendar mode activates a back-light.

Key facts and price

Seiko Prospex Alpinist Mechanical 6R55-00Y0
Ref. HBC006

Diameter: 39.5 mm
Height: 12.7 mm
Material: Steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 200 m

Movement: Cal. 6R55
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Frequency: 21,600 beats per hour (3 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 72 hours

Strap: Leather strap with folding clasp

Limited edition: 7,000 pieces.
Availability: From October 2026 at Seiko retailers