Banana case, Seiko butter dial, zero bracelet: one of the best Seikos ever made
Back from the dead, bros
Uncle Geth is back, and he's brought a twerp. Courtesy of Seiko Steve, the big dog himself, this is the SLA055, or SBDX049 if you're JDM about it. One of 1,300 pieces, announced December 2021, out January 2022, alongside its 600-piece little brother the SLA057. It's the one I've most wanted to get my crusty hooves on since Steve bought it, and now it's back from service and sat on the beef wagon. Unreal scenario, bros. So tasty, bros.
Is it a faithful remake of the 1968 6159-7001 Pro Diver? Absolutely not. Gone is the monocoque case. Gone is the 300 metres. Gone is the Hi-Beat. It's a completely different twerp. Does it matter? It matters not. Just look at it.
Ever-Brilliant, ever-rad
Bypassing all the technical geek stuff: Ever-Brilliant Steel is noticeably whiter than 316L, 1.7 times more corrosion resistant, and nudges past Rolex's 904L on that front. Take that, Swiss. It's no harder or more scratch resistant, mind. Basically, it just looks rad. And there's no hard coating on this one, so it shows off that jewel-like lustre to maximum effect.
It's also the first SLA I know of with the replaceable crown tube. Long overdue. The old Marinemaster threads were microscopic and strippable; this screws down with proper confidence-inducing sensations, and if it ever goes wrong you won't need a whole new case. Massive step up. Well done, Seiko. About time.
The case. Oh, the case.
A marvel of Japanese wizardry. Exceptional casework, best in the business. Beefy yet refined, jewel-like yet still somehow toolish. Thick, sloping, drilled, multifaceted lugs. Banana case for the beeeech. A brushed midcase with a high-polished, undercut Zaratsu facet along the top, and that undercut means the comfortability matrix exceeds thunderdome when it's draped across your wrist. 42.6 mm, 13.1 mm thick, 49.1 lug-to-lug, 20 mm lugs. Seiko says 120 g. I weighed it. 119. Liars. Get rid of yourselves.
Bezel, dial, hands: Seiko butter
The bezel has a grippy coin edge and a beautifully damped action, loose and extremely satisfying. It's a DLC-coated steel insert, not ceramic, whatever the other reviewers tell you, with debossed ice-blue numerals. Only the pip is lumed.
The dial. It's not fumé, I'm not French. It's a gradient: desaturated icy blue melting into deep navy, with a fine granular texture, like polar ice. Breathtaking. Shut up with the marketing, Seiko, but you're not wrong. Then the handset, the Marinemaster handset, best in the business, and look closer: the hand stack is capped, like a Grand Seiko diver. You won't get that on the HBF1. Most people won't notice. I notice. I appreciate the hell out of it. The loom? Bananas. Glowing like a lantern fish.
The one thing they had to get wrong
Every amazing twerp Seiko makes, they find at least one way to ruin it. No bracelet, on a £4,100 watch. What a joke for the money. And the silicone strap would be lovely if it weren't for that bloody keeper, black, unsigned, doesn't match the buckle, and digs into your wrist. Get rid of it immediately. The spare braided strap is the nicest fabric I've ever touched, but it adds height. Steve bought the SLA079's bracelet for a ridiculous price, and it fits perfectly. That tells you everything.
Verdict
I much prefer it to the HBF1. If I could choose one, I'd pick this and wear it proudly into my fortress of solitude every day of the week. It makes you feel great when you wear it. One of the best Seikos ever made. Never give up, bros.
