What’s next for Seiko’s Australian limited-edition adventures?

Luke Benedictus

There’s an old joke that decrees if you ever get lost in the desert, then you should simply get out your cocktail and start to prepare a Martini. At that point, someone will invariably materialise to inform you that you’re doing it all slightly wrong. Thankfully, just in case you’re lacking gin and vermouth on your next desert expedition, Seiko now offers a helpful alternative. The new Seiko Prospex Alpinist Red Desert (SPB489) comes with a built-in compass scale to enable you to navigate your way out of trouble.

That feature is consistent with the Alpinist’s rugged legacy that stems from the original 1959 model being specifically designed for Japanese mountain climbers. The new limited edition certainly offers plenty of functionality. Housed in a 39.5mm stainless-steel case, it’s propelled by an impressive 70-hour power reserve from a movement that’s visible through the exhibition caseback and is water-resistant to 200 metres. But the real selling point of the watch is the attractive red dial that harks back to that initial desert theme.

The red sand of Australia’s Simpson Desert is renowned for its undulating texture and that parched landscape provides the inspiration for the crimson dial whose sunburst base is embossed with a delicate wavy pattern. Bringing further warmth to the rich backdrop are the gold tones of the cathedral hands and hour markers in a colour scheme that’s meant to reflect the desert at sunrise and sunset. Released in a run of 1,000 pieces, the SPB489 is just the latest of a great series of limited editions that Seiko have brought out each year to celebrate Australia’s natural environment.

In 2022, the brand released the Seiko Prospex SPB347 “Noosa”, a diving watch inspired by the famous Queensland resort town. Ringed by a blue and black bezel, the dial is coloured with a vertical gradient. Its upper segment is midnight blue with the shade lightening into navy, and finally ultramarine towards the bottom. The effect is meant to emulate the appearance of the ocean from the shore at night with the yellow tip of the seconds and minute hand mimicking the last glow of the sun.

At the same time, Seiko delivered the Prospex SRPJ53 “Eucalyptus”. Encircled by a moss-green bezel, the dial has a distinctive shimmer designed to evoke a phenomenon unique to gum trees in the summer. On hot days, eucalyptus trees emit oils that result in a distinctive haze and the green dial replicates that effect with its gradient dial, which goes from a golden yellow in the centre to a desaturated green around the perimeter.

In 2023, Seiko went more tropical with the Prospex Whitsunday SPB429J. The inspiration this time was the Whitsunday Islands that nestle a short distance from the Great Barrier Reef. The dial encapsulates the bright colours of the surrounding ocean, shifting from the turquoise of sunlit reefs to the navy blue of the deeper oceans.

The success of these limited-editions have ensured this is just the start of Seiko’s Australian walkabout with the releases now cemented as an annual event. All of which makes you consider – what natural wonders could provide the next source of inspiration?

Perhaps we might see a return to Queensland, with a trip to the Daintree Rainforest? Home to freshwater turtles and Ulysses butterflies, the World Heritage-listed site is the only place in the world where rainforest meets the reef. All of which could provide the possible impetus for an intriguing gradient dial.

Or what about the Blue Mountains in NSW? They’re named after the distinctive haze that from a distance appears to surround the mountains and that comes from eucalyptus oil droplets emitted from the forests combining with dust particles and water vapour.

Then there’s always Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre in South Australia. The country’s largest salt lake is famous for its pink hue caused by its high salinity levels, combined with the presence of micro algae and pink bacteria known as halobacteria. Given the positive response to Grand Seiko’s SBGA413 and, more recently, the Tudor Black Bay Chrono Pink, this would be a fun option – and maybe one to sit alongside the pink-dialled GS SBGJ269 Pink Flannel? From canyons to coral reefs, this sunburnt country certainly offers a diverse range of landscape options. Rest assured, Seiko won’t be short of inspiration in the years ahead. What would you like to see?