Teddy Baldassarre
Seiko Marinemaster SJE101 Review: Divisive But Wears Like A Dream
The Seiko Prospex Marinemaster SJE101 1965 Diver’s Modern Reinterpretation is definitely a mouthful, but it’s definitely with purpose. Part of the higher-end Seiko Luxe family, the SJE101 evokes two icons - the 62MAS and Marinemaster - but can it live up to those lofty expectations? The answer, as you can imagine, is mixed. What’s for sure, though is that this is a uniquely wearable Seiko Prospex dive watch that measures less than 40mm and has some really impressive finishes. That said, the Marinemaster title carries a lot of expectations with it, and there has been a fair share of discourse about whether it lives up or not. Seiko Marinemaster Context What exactly is the big deal with the Seiko Marinemaster? Let’s take a look at how it came to be such a lauded name in the diver category. The first watch in the collection was actually the Seiko Marinemaster Quartz SBCN005, aka the Transocean from 1999. This was a 44mm-wide titanium watch that was highly functional with barometric pressure measurement and barometric trend display. A year later in 2000, the Marinemaster SBDX001 was released, boasting 300 meters of water resistance and no helium escape valve. The Marinemaster family would continue in production until about 2018, when it began to disappear in favor of the larger Prospex family. But about five years later, the Marinemaster would come back in the form of this collection. More than a couple of people have asked whether this is “really a Marinemaster...
