Seiko Introduces Six "Edo Purple" Limited Edition Watches For 145th Anniversary

Just released by Seiko is a sextet of limited edition watches done in a special “Edo purple” for the brand’s 145th anniversary. Edo is, of course, the name that Tokyo went by until the mid-1800s and is the namesake of this lovely hue of purple. The six models here are a Prospex Alpinist and Speedtimer, an Astron GPS Solar, a Presage Cocktail Time, a Seiko 5 Sports, and a very cool retro-inspired “Rotocall” digital watch.

Let’s start with the two pieces from the Prospex collection. First is this Alpinist HBC006 which has a brushed purple dial matched with nice gold accents (something shared with all the pieces in this collection). We’ve got the classic Alpinist specs here otherwise with a 39.5mm wide and 12.7mm thick case with a 46.4mm lug-to-lug measurement and outfitted with the Caliber 6R55 movement with a 72-hour power reserve. The Prospex Alpinist is limited to 7,000 pieces with a price of $900.

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The second Prospex model is the Speedtimer Solar Chronograph HBJ005 which has a soft purple dial matched with gold accents on the hands and hour markers as well as a purple accent on the bezel. Again, same basic specs as the standard model with a 41.4mm wide and 13mm thick case with a 41.4mm lug-to-lug measurement with the V192 solar powered movement inside. The Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph HBJ005 is limited to 8,000 pieces with a price of $750.

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Next up is the Seiko Astron GPS Solar Dual-Time Chronograph HAB011 which is a titanium and ceramic piece done with a deep purple dial with horizontal stripes. It’s also got gold accents and a really well-done mirror-polished center row on the bracelet. Otherwise, the case measures 43.3mm wide and 13.4mm thick with a 49.5mm lug-to-lug measurement and is outfitted with the 5X83 GPS solar movement. For anyone unfamiliar with the Astron, I highly recommend our Mark Bernardo’s piece on why this is low-key one of the most important watches of the 20th century here. This Astron GPS HAB011 is limited to 2,000 pieces with a piece of $2,700

The Seiko Presage Cocktail Time HCB006 has a lovely rich purple dial that is inspired by a cocktail called the “Edo Murasaki” which has a distinct hue that was done in collaboration with Hisashi Kishi of STAR BAR. The dial has gold accents on the logo and GMT hand as well. Again, we are looking at standard specs with a 40.5mm wide and 12.8mm thick case with a 47.5mm lug-to-lug measurement and outfitted with the 4R34 movement with 41 hour power reserve. The Presage Cocktail Time HCB006 is limited to 6,000 pieces with a price of $625.

The Seiko 5 Sports SKX HBD003 has a dial done in a purple hue called “Edo-murasaki” which is not like that of the aforementioned cocktail but rather refers to a shade that was popular during the Edo period. Again, we have the Seiko logo and dial text in gold for that extra bit of colorful flair. Once more the hard product matches the standard production with a 42.5mm wide and 13.9mm thick case with a 46mm lug-to-lug measurement and outfitted with the 4R36 movement with 41 hour power reserve. The Seiko 5 Sports SKX HBD003 is limited to 9,999 pieces with a price of $450.

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Finally we have the digital Seiko “Rotocall” HFL001 which is based on the 1982 original so it packs a lot of retro-inspired cool into one package. This model is done in black with a purple aluminum bezel which really looks like it makes for a broodingly cool look. This digital quartz watch is 37mm wide and 10.6mm thick with a 43.5mm lug-to-lug measurement. The Seiko “Rotocall” HFL001 is limited to 4,000 pieces with a price of $595.

These six new Seiko Limited Edition watches are a neat little play on the “Edo purple” color scheme and really do breathe fresh life into these collections for a Seiko collector (or someone who just loves purple). You can learn more about these over at the special website here.