The Seiko Prospex PADI Special Edition Automatic Diver’s SRPA21 was made to commemorate the brand’s partnership with PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors). Its 45mm diameter case in stainless steel houses the Calibre 4R36 automatic movement and is water-resistant to 200 metres. Recommended retail price: EUR430 / SGD667.70. Photo: © Seiko
Seiko’s diving watches are not only affordable but are also highly reliable and robust. It is therefore a great joy to also note that the brand supports PADI (Professional Association of Dive Instructors), the world’s largest scuba diving organization with the highest number of recreational diving memberships.
PADI is a known name to the diving world just as Seiko is to the watch industry. There are more than 6,300 dive centres and over 136,000 qualified PADI professional diving instructors worldwide. What’s more, some 24 million certifications have been issued by PADI.
What Seiko supports in particular, is PADI’s “Project Aware” initiative calling on scuba divers to protect the world’s oceans, one dive at a time. With Project Aware, the thousands of divers in more than 180 countries are tasked to work together to achieve clean and healthy oceans.
Seiko’s very first diver’s watch was launched in 1965. PADI, as noted by Seiko, was founded a few months later by “… a strange coincidence” to raise diving training standards.
PADI was founded in 1966 by John Cronin, originally a NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors) instructor, and Ralph Erickson.
What is an even greater joy is that Seiko has launched two Prospex PADI Special Editions, one of which is the Prospex PADI Special Edition Automatic Diver’s SRPA21, to commemorate the partnership with PADI.
The Prospex PADI Special Edition Automatic Diver’s SRPA21 is distinguished by the red and blue bezel which most will call the colours of “Pepsi Cola”. The case and dial design of the SRPA21 is inspired by a classic 1970s Seiko diver’s watch of the 1970s that was water-resistant to 150 metres.
What’s more, the dial carries the PADI font symbol. As a self-confessed collector with a weakness for branded and well-placed logos on watch dials, the Seiko Prospex PADI Special Edition Automatic Diver’s SRPA21 is definitely well worth watching out for.
Another related article on timewerke.com that may be of interest:
i. Seiko Prospex PADI Special Edition Kinetic GMT Diver’s SUN065: Join the movement