Earlier this year, Seiko announced a series of new watches under the Prospex line. A new sub-line of Prospex called the Transocean Series was created by Seiko to bridge the quality gap between the more tool-like Prospex line and the more refined Grand Seiko line.
About the same time, Seiko announced a new model under this sub-line which would incorporate a new mechanical chronograph movement with the designation 8R49. The SBEC001 (as well as the SBEC002 and SBEC003) was expected to be released on 8 July 2016.
This got me excited as I have yet to add in a Seiko mechanical chronograph movement into my collection thus far. After a lot of searching (the unit was sold out in many places) I finally was able to land one.
The SBEC001 is a chunky watch. With a width of 46.5 mm (excluding crown), it is a watch that not everyone can carry confidently. Its lug-to-lug length of 53 mm can cause an overhang for smaller wrists. Moreover, the addition of a chronograph function makes it a tall watch at 16 mm.
Two core elements were used in this watch, stainless steel and black zirconia ceramic. The latter is the material that makes up the unidirectional bezel as well as the top of the crown. Coupled with Seiko's special "DiaShield" coating (super scratch-resistant and ultra-tough) and "Zarastu" polishing technique, the surface of the watch is unbelievably smooth.
For more visit:
http://easternwatch.blogspot.my/2016/09/seiko-prospex-sbec001-transocean-200.html
