Seiko don’t muck around when it comes to
dive watches. Being one of the largest dive watch manufacturers in the
world they know their stuff, and they have been personally responsible
for bringing professional divers a stream of innovative new technologies
and designs that have made diving safer and easier for the professional
and recreational diver alike.
One of their greatest contributions to the dive community has been the
Seiko Tuna. Its unique nickname was coined after people drew allusions
to the strange outer shroud surrounding the watch case. The creation of
the Tuna was in response to a letter of complaint received by Seiko
after a Japanese saturation diver wrote in complaining that the watch
models they were selling were not robust to impact, and could not
withstand the pressure experienced while deep sea diving for prolonged
periods. So, Seiko, not being one to shy away from a challenge, took
this feedback and started to develop a watch built for the professional
diver.
After 7 years of development and 20 patents, Seiko unveiled to the world
the revolutionary dive watch. With saturation diving in mind from the
start, the watch was built like no other. It had a crystal secured in
place by the external locking ring, a helium escape valve, an L-shaped
rubber gasket, it could withstand 10 G’s of force, extreme temperatures
and magnetic resistance up to 60 gauss. This was a serious watch, built
for professionals. Since then, the Tuna has had a large cult following
from both watch collectors and professional and recreational divers.
The most notable person to don the iconic Tuna is probably one of the
most famous watch aficionados, Bond, James Bond. In the 1981 film ‘For
your eyes only’, Roger Moore is seen wearing the Seiko Tuna during the
climactic dive scene and while facing off with villains at the end.
The Seiko Tuna S23633J1 is a recreation of the 7C46-7011 released in
1986. It is an all steel build, including the bezel and shroud, which
makes it a more casually wearable design. Don’t let that fool you
though, it is certainly still a watch built for professional divers,
which is why the dial is stamped with ‘professional’, to show that it’s
in a league of its own. The watch is rated for 300m while saturation
diving, features a scratch resistant sapphire crystal, LumiBrite hands
and hour markers, super accurate Seiko calibre 7C46, a hard steel
coating and weighs in at a hefty 200 grams. This watch is designed to
withstand anything you throw at it, and it shows.
Whether you’re a serious diving professional or just a watch collector
who appreciates incredible engineering achievements and iconic watches,
this is the one for you.
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