Over the previous a number of months, Seiko has hit the bottom operating with its 2020 novelties, closely revamping its Prospex sports activities line with all kinds of recent fashions and iterations on present strains. Whereas a lot of the preliminary fanfare has been directed on the new retro-influenced diver strains, a few of the most enjoyable and playful new choices within the lineup had been added to the extra lifestyle-oriented Prospex Road Sequence. The lately revitalized “Arnie” ana-digi diver line, nicknamed for the unique’s famed affiliation with Arnold Schwarzenegger, receives a few of the greatest updates of the bunch, with two new fashions modernizing the unique ‘80s basic design and including safari-inspired new colorways. The ensuing Seiko Prospex SNJ029 and Seiko Prospex SNJ031 have already been christened “Safarnie” by the Seiko devoted, channeling one of the best of the unique Seiko H558’s jungle-fighting associations whereas including a colourful new punch.
The 47.8mm black-coated stainless-steel instances of the Seiko Prospex SNJ029 and SNJ031 are greater than somewhat deceptive. Just like the Tuna collection, these characteristic a big steel shroud surrounding the case and bezel and, additionally just like the Tuna, these put on extra compact than the scale would recommend. That’s to not say these are small watches on the wrist, however the carrying expertise permits for a wide range of wearers to fairly deal with the Schwarzenegger-sized wrist presence. That is helped alongside by the skinny, extraordinarily brief lugs, resulting in an general lug to lug of 50.5mm. That stated, at 14.5mm-thick with slab sides, this nonetheless is healthier suited to monitoring a killer alien via the Central American jungle than it’s for sliding beneath gown cuffs. The general form within reason devoted to the unique ‘80s H558, with the biggest adjustments coming within the type of a lot bigger, coin-edged pushers at eight and 10 o’clock. The opposite main alteration to the case comes from these new fashions’ use of shade. Beginning with a flash of vibrant orange or purple across the pushers, each the SNJ029 and the SNJ031 stray away from the monochrome unique in a wide range of methods. Each variations fully black out the case and bezel, versus the stainless end of the H558, for a cleaner and extra aggressive look earlier than visually diverging. The extra desert-influenced SNJ029 makes use of a black coating on the case shroud, opting so as to add shade subtly via tan markings atop the rotating bezel, whereas the SNJ031 takes the other strategy, utilizing an olive drab shroud surrounding clear white bezel indices. Mixed with the purple on the crowns, this jungle-green model takes on some critical commando vibes — if “Predator” had been remade in the present day, it might be simple to think about this explicit mannequin strapped to the primary character’s wrist. With the powerful metal shroud and 200 meters of water resistance, these new fashions really feel like they’d be capable to tackle some military-grade abuse as properly.
The dials of the Seiko Prospex SNJ029 and SNJ031 are the place these fashions diverge most closely from the unique “Arnie” formulation. Whereas they maintain the basic digital dial at 12 o’clock structure, the analog portion has been extensively reworked. Gone are the trademark Seiko diver arrow palms in favor of a set of squat brushed batons accented with an extra punch of shade on the stick seconds hand. Likewise, the combination of diver-style round and rectangular indices has been changed with an all-rectangular set, completed with the truncated 12 o’clock triangle. The lume for each fashions is a lightweight khaki fauxtina fill, simply sufficient so as to add some heat to the proceedings with out feeling overtly synthetic, however purists might complain right here as properly. In an fascinating contact, the SNJ029 opts for a tan chapter ring, breaking apart the continuity between the dial and the outer bezel to create a visible spotlight and assist the dial to really feel wider general. On the entire, although, each of those fashions are a major departure from the basic “Arnie” formulation that mixes parts from earlier Seiko dive fashions with present design developments right into a package deal that will or might not work for everyone.
Seiko powers the Prospex SNJ029 and SNJ031 with its in home H851 photo voltaic quartz ana-digi motion. Along with the comfort of solar-powered battery charging, the usage of a mix analog and digital motion permits for a wide selection of problems with out visually overwhelming the dial readout. On this case, the H851 presents common timekeeping, a full calendar, a power-reserve indicator, an alarm perform, and a chronograph complication.
Seiko pairs the Prospex SNJ029 and SNJ031 with trendy silicone interpretations of the basic flat-vented Seiko accordion dive strap. Along with providing an amazing mixture of sturdiness and luxury, these straps add a bigger dose of shade to the combination. For the SNJ029, the desert safari theme is introduced full circle with khaki tan silicone, whereas the jungle-inspired SNJ031 cuts a barely much less conspicuous determine on an olive drab strap that also units itself aside from primary black.
With the Prospex SNJ029 and SNJ031, Seiko has taken a novel strategy to an ‘80s basic, creating one thing that feels way more like a contemporary Seiko product within the course of. Ending for the value bracket is superb, and as for the considerably dramatic adjustments to the “Arnie” design, purists nonetheless have the choice of way more devoted reinterpretations within the present Prospex lineup. The Seiko Prospex SNJ029 and Seiko Prospex SNJ031 are anticipated to be obtainable from approved sellers in Fall 2020, at an MSRP of $550. For extra data, go to Seiko’s web site.
