DROP
Seiko Celebrates 145 Years With a Limited Series in Edo Purple
A historic Tokyo dye, not gold plating, defines the anniversary series.
Image: source
For its 145th anniversary, Seiko chose a colour over a finish. The August 6 press release introduces a limited-edition series tied to Edo-murasaki, or Edo purple, a shade Seiko places in the Edo period (1603 to 1868). Seiko frames the colour as a bridge between Tokyo’s past and the city it is now.
The choice makes sense. Seiko’s roots date to 1881, when Kintaro Hattori opened a Ginza shop selling and repairing watches. A Tokyo colour feels truer to the brand’s origins than generic anniversary gold.
The colour appears across five collections: Prospex, including a new Alpinist and a solar Speedtimer chronograph; Astron GPS Solar; Presage Cocktail Time; Seiko 5 Sports on the SKX platform; and a digital “Rotocall” revival. Seiko’s descriptions focus on finishing, not mechanics. The Alpinist pairs wedge markers with Arabic numerals, a gold-toned logo and seconds hand, and purple stitching on its leather strap. The Speedtimer runs an aluminium tachymeter bezel over a purple dial. Astron’s dial is graduated vertically, with ceramic centre links in the bracelet. The Cocktail Time GMT is the most theatrical: a translucent deep purple radial dial scattered with gold flake, plus a gold GMT hand.
That one also has the best story attached. Seiko links it to a drink called Edo Murasaki, created by Hisashi Kishi of STAR BAR, who holds Japan’s Contemporary Master Craftsman award.
Now the caveats, because collectors will ask. Reference numbers, calibres, power reserves, case sizes, edition counts and prices for the Alpinist and Speedtimer are included in the Seiko newsroom text, though details for the other models are not fully available in the excerpt reviewed. Figures circulating elsewhere, including a widely reported sixth model, a digital Rotocall revival, are media-sourced and inconsistent between outlets on currency and price. Wait for Seiko’s product pages before committing to an allocation.
| Reference | Not stated in the primary-source text reviewed. Watch-media outlets cite specific references, Prospex Alpinist HBC006J1, Presage Cocktail Time GMT HCB006J1 (also rendered "HCB006"), Prospex Speedtimer HBJ005P1, Astron HAB011J1, Seiko 5 Sports SKX HDB003K1, and a sixth "HFL001P1" tied to a reported Seiko Selection "Rotocall" model, but none of these appear in the Seiko newsroom text captured here, so treat as media-sourced only. [unknown on primary page as reviewed] |
| Price | Not stated in the primary-source text reviewed. Media report figures that conflict by outlet/currency, e.g., Presage Cocktail Time GMT quoted at £520 (Oracle of Time), AUD$950 (Man of Many), and $625 (The Manual), likely market-specific but not reconciled by a single Seiko statement in hand. Other models are quoted in USD by The Manual: Alpinist $900, Speedtimer $750, Astron $2,900, 5 Sports $450, Rotocall-style model $585. |
| Released | August 6, 2026, per the Seiko newsroom press-release dateline ("Aug 6, 2026, Press Release"). |
| Specs | – From Seiko's own page (as captured): design/finishing details only, Alpinist has wedge indexes, Arabic numerals, purple-stitched leather strap, gold-toned logo/seconds hand; Speedtimer is a solar chronograph with a purple dial and aluminum tachymeter bezel; Astron has a vertically graduated purple dial with ceramic bracelet center links; Presage Cocktail Time GMT has a translucent deep-purple radial dial with gold-flake highlights and a gold GMT hand; Seiko 5 Sports SKX has a "deep purple dial" (description cuts off in the source text captured, no further case/movement detail retrievable from this excerpt). |
Source: announcement
Why this watch, on this wrist?