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Seiko Prospex 1965 Revival Diver's 3-day 300m in Scuba Blue
Ref. SPB451J1
Sits in Seiko’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Seiko watches we list, which start at £110.
Price range £110 to £3,550 across 168 Seiko watches in stock.The 62MAS of 1965 was Japan's first dive watch — worn on the wrists of Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition members between 1966 and 1969 — and the SPB451J1 draws its proportions, its crown position and its barrel-case silhouette directly from that original. What the revival adds is substantial: the water resistance rating has climbed from 200 metres on earlier revivals to 300 metres now, and the case has come down to 13mm, a thinness that feels incongruous for a watch rated this deep and means it actually disappears beneath a shirt cuff in a way that professional divers rarely manage. The sunray-finished blue dial shifts between navy and something closer to cobalt depending on the angle, and the bezel insert matches it closely enough that the watch reads as a single colour from a distance. At 40mm with a 46.4mm lug-to-lug, the proportions sit on the larger side of neutral for most wrists; the lugs have some elevation off the wrist, so the case presents with a slight presence rather than hugging flat. The 6R55 is the detail worth understanding. Seiko rates it to a 72-hour power reserve, specifies the mainspring in their own Spron 510 alloy — developed in-house to resist corrosion and fatigue — and builds in Etachron regulation, which allows fine-tuning without disassembly. It is a movement built to last and to be serviced simply, which is exactly what belongs inside a watch meant for serious use.
- Reference
- SPB451J1
- Brand
- Seiko
- Collection
- Prospex
- Case size
- 40mm
- Case thickness
- 13mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Dial
- Blue
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Unidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 6R35
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 300m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Three-fold clasp
- Lume
- LumiBrite
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 46.4mm
- Weight
- 168g
Learn more about Seiko
Kintaro Hattori opened a watch and clock shop in Tokyo in 1881, aged twenty-one, and began manufacturing under the name Seikosha — roughly, house of exquisite workmanship — in 1892. The Seiko name appeared on watches from 1924.
The company's significance is that it broke the Swiss monopoly twice. First on precision: Seiko was appointed official timekeeper of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and built the quartz chronometers and printing timers to do it, and in the 1960s its movements placed highly at the Neuchâtel and Geneva observatory trials against the best Swiss houses.
Then on technology. On Christmas Day 1969 Seiko released the Astron, the world's first quartz wristwatch, accurate to five seconds a month where mechanical watches managed that per day. The consequences for Switzerland were catastrophic — employment in the Swiss industry fell by roughly two-thirds over the following decade. Seiko deliberately did not enforce its quartz patents, allowing the technology to spread.
The same year it produced the 6139, among the first automatic chronographs, and it has since introduced Kinetic, Spring Drive — a hybrid regulating a mechanical mainspring electronically, giving a perfectly gliding seconds hand — and its own dive and field lines.
Seiko remains fully vertically integrated, making its own hairsprings, quartz crystals, and even the Zaratsu-polished cases, at price points from under a hundred pounds upward.
- 1881
- Kintaro Hattori opens his Tokyo shop.
- 1924
- The first watches carry the Seiko name.
- 1964
- Official timekeeper of the Tokyo Olympics.
- 1969
- The Astron becomes the first quartz wristwatch.
- 1999
- Spring Drive enters production.
Also in 7 collections
This watch appears in the Seiko Prospex range (32), Back in Stock (4,007), Stainless Steel Watches (2,833), Automatic Watches (1,417), Blue Dial Watches (780), Sports Watches (667) and Dive Watches (486).
Temporarily out of stock
Goldsmiths is not currently taking orders for this reference. Last listed as available on 26 September 2026. Stock is checked nightly and this page updates when it returns.
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch built to be worn hard and got wet.
Strengths
- 300m water resistance, rated for actual diving
- 40mm suits most wrists
- 46.4mm lug-to-lug keeps the 40mm case wearable
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Price history
This watch is currently at its highest recorded price. It was £1,200 on 13 August. Prices are checked every day, and we record any changes.
Seiko Prospex 1965 Revival Diver's alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | SPB451J1 | L37424566 | YA136357 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,250 | £1,300 | £1,530 |
| Case size | 40mm | 41mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 300m | 300m | 300m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | — | 64 hours | 38 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched |
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 300m it is rated for swimming, snorkelling and recreational diving.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedWhat size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 46.4mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
How to size a watch to your wristHas the price changed recently?
It's currently at its highest recorded price. It's ranged between £1,200 and £1,250, today it's £1,250.
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