Seiko’s Edo Purple Anniversary Collection Brings 145 Years of Watchmaking Together
Seiko turn 145 this year (the brand traces back to a shop Kintaro Hattori opened in Ginza in 1881) and for the third round of anniversary watches, they've built everything around one colour: Edo purple. It goes back to the Edo period, when the shade turned up across Tokyo's textiles and craft work, and Seiko keep returning to it. This set spans six Seiko watches across Prospex, Astron, Presage, Seiko 5 Sports and the digital archive, each one pulled from a different decade of the brand and wearing the purple through a completely different movement.
Prospex Alpinist
The Alpinist has been Seiko's outdoor watch since 1959, and this version keeps that spirit intact. The dial goes Edo purple under wedge-shaped indices and Arabic numerals, with purple stitching on the leather strap and gold accents marking the anniversary. It runs on the automatic 6R55 with a 72-hour power reserve, and at 39.5mm, it still carries the compass ring and screw-down crown, water-resistant to 200m.
Prospex Speedtimer
The Speedtimer pulls from Seiko's chronographs of the 1960s and 1970s, running now on the solar calibre V192. Purple covers the dial and tachymeter bezel, set against gold accents and a curved sapphire crystal. One full charge keeps it going for about six months, and the 41.4mm case is water-resistant to 100m.
Astron
Seiko's GPS solar flagship goes titanium for the anniversary, with a ceramic bezel and ceramic links running through the bracelet. The purple dial fades top to bottom with a fine horizontal texture that gives it real depth. Charge it up and the 5X83 calibre can go two years in power-save mode, and the 43.3mm case is water-resistant to 100m.
Presage Cocktail Time
This one's named after a drink. Edo Murasaki, a cocktail created by Ginza bartender Hisashi Kishi, gives its name and its exact shade of purple to a dial that's translucent and radially patterned. The GMT hand and logo go gold for the anniversary, all sitting under a box-shaped Hardlex crystal. It's powered by the automatic 4R34 with a 41-hour power reserve, and the 40.5mm case is water-resistant to 50m.
Seiko 5 Sports
The 5 Sports stays closest to its SKX roots, with a unidirectional bezel and a three-row bracelet built for everyday wear. Gold lettering hits the logo on the deep purple dial, next to a day-date display. It runs on the automatic 4R36 with a 41-hour power reserve, and the 42.5mm case is water-resistant to 100m.
Digital Classic 'Rotocall'
The Rotocall is the oldest idea in this lineup, first released in 1982 with a rotary switch that changes modes with a turn of the bezel. That switch is back, now in purple, against a black case and gold-tone accents. It's got a chronograph, an alarm, a timer, and dual time, all run by the quartz A824, and the 37mm case is water-resistant to 100m.
The collection lands at Seiko boutiques and select retailers from October 2026, with 'LIMITED EDITION' marked on every caseback.