Adventure time: Seiko Prospex The Naomi Uemura 80th Anniversary Limited Edition

Seiko pays tribute to a legendary Japanese explorer with a vintage-inspired Prospex

Watches & Jewellery 5 Mar 2021

Naomi Uemura, born in 1941, was one of Japan’s great explorers. The intrepid individual was renowned for his solo expeditions in treacherous destinations, extreme challenges that would normally be taken on by teams. By 1970, he had climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn and become the first Japanese mountaineer to reach the summit of Mount Everest. A trip to the top of Denali in Alaska cemented his place in history as the first adventurer in the world to reach the tallest peaks in all five continents.

When it came to a robust timepiece to guide him on these daring journeys, Seiko would be a natural choice. The watchmaker is commemorating the 80th anniversary of Uemura’s birthday by taking inspiration from one of the watches that accompanied him as he completed a 12,500km solo dog-sled run from Greenland to Alaska from 1974-6. This model was built on the foundation laid by the first Japanese diving watch introduced by Seiko in 1965. It is water-resistant to 150 metres and featuring a rugged case complete with a distinctive asymmetrical extension at 4 o’clock to protect the crown.

It retains this signature DNA while introducing design details that pay tribute to the explorer. Its blue tones recall the earth’s upper atmospheric layers visible as he would have reached the summit of those record-breaking climbs, while the patterned dial is a nod to mountainous terrains. The watch comes powered by some of Seiko’s best modern precision timekeeping, the Calibre 8L35, offering an enhanced 200m water resistance when compared to the original.

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