Seiko Introduces A Purple Rotocall And Five Other New Watches For Its 145th Anniversary

The anniversary celebrations continue

August 06, 2026

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I know it’s become a bit Seiko-heavy here these days, and I have the feeling we haven’t seen the end of it yet. This year marks Seiko’s 145^th anniversary, and they’re making sure you are aware. This morning, we received another “drop” straight from Japan. Six new Seiko watches from different collections, all featuring a generous helping of purple. And as you’ve probably guessed, there’s a historical reason. Seiko calls it “Edo Purple,” in reference to the Edo period (1603 to 1868), which forms the cultural foundation of today’s Tokyo. “Edo Purple” is a traditional Japanese color and, according to Seiko, is much loved. Seiko uses the shade to pay homage to Edo and modern Tokyo.

Seiko’s Edo Purple Watches

Let’s get to the six new Seiko 145^th anniversary watches and find out which one we like best. I won’t go into full detail, as these watches have been in the collection for a while and have been reviewed and mentioned here on Fratello on several occasions. It’s mainly the (purple) color scheme that sets them apart from existing models.

Seiko Prospex Alpinist Mechanical

We love the Alpinist and were actually involved in a pre-sale for a European market exclusive a few years ago. They sold out very quickly, and with good reason. These are great GADA watches, at a very sane price. This purple Alpinist reference HBC006 will be limited to 7,000 pieces worldwide and will retail for €980. The purple dial of the Seiko Alpinist HBC006 pairs with a black leather strap featuring an alligator pattern and purple stitching. Seiko also throws in a nice three-way folding clasp.

Inside, you’ll find the Seiko caliber 6R55, offering a 3-day power reserve. The 39.5mm-diameter case (with a thickness of 12.7mm) is water-resistant to 200 meters. The 6R55 movement is visible through the display caseback.

Seiko Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph

Seiko has included three quartz-powered watches in this “Edo Purple” 145^th anniversary collection. Let’s start with the Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph. As its name suggests, it is solar-powered and uses caliber V192. It features a 24-hour hand and a power-reserve indicator, so you know when to seek out some sunlight to charge it.

The purple dial has black chronograph subdials at 9, 9,3, and 6 o’clock. At 4.30, you will find the date window. On the black dials, you will find a concentric-circle pattern and white-painted hands. The hour and minute hands are golden, matching the gold-toned applied indexes and Seiko logo. Purple can also be found on the black bezel with a tachymeter scale. Seiko’s Prospex Speedtimer Solar Chronograph reference HBJ005 comes on a stainless steel bracelet with a three-fold clasp. The watch has a diameter of 41.1mm and a thickness of 13mm. Seiko limited this Speedtimer to 8,000 pieces worldwide, at a retail price of €790.

Seiko Astron GPS Solar Dual-Time Chronograph

Next up is the second quartz-powered watch, featuring the famous GPS-controlled time and time zone adjustment. The Astron is a very popular Seiko collection, valued by those who want the most accurate watch possible. This Astron GPS Solar Dual-Time Chronograph has a dark purple dial with a horizontal motif. The dial is as busy as the other Astron models, but packed with useful functions (see below). The Seiko logo has a gold tone that matches the central seconds hand and the rim around the black ceramic bezel.

With this caliber 5X83, you will get a perpetual calendar (accurate until the year 2100), a world time function supporting 38 time zones, a power-save function, etc. The titanium case measures 43.3mm in diameter and has a thickness of 13.4mm. Seiko’s titanium bracelet has ceramic center links, and the clasp is an easy-to-adjust three-fold with a push-button release system. The water resistance of this Astron is rated to 100 meters. Seiko limits this Astron GPS reference, HAB011, to 2,000 pieces worldwide at a retail price of €3,000.

Seiko Presage Cocktail Time

The Seiko Presage collection also receives its own purple-dial reference for the 145^th anniversary, reference HCB006. It’s inspired by an original cocktail called “Edo Murasaki,” created by Hisashi Kishi, owner of STAR BAR. Next time you’re in Tokyo, now you know what to order. The dial on this Presage reference HCB006 features a deep purple tone and a beautiful radial pattern that adds depth. You’ll find a gold Seiko logo and a GMT hand, while the other hands are silver.

The case diameter of the Seiko Presage Cocktail Time HCB006 is 40.5mm, and it has a thickness of 12.8mm. It uses a Hardlex box-shaped crystal, and it comes on a stainless steel bracelet. Seiko’s caliber 4R34 can be observed via the transparent case back. This Seiko Presage Cocktail Time HCB006 will be limited to 6,000 pieces worldwide, at a retail price of €620.

Seiko 5 Sports SKX

The last mechanical purple dialed Seiko in this “drop” is the 5 Sports SKX reference HDB003. The Seiko 5 Sports SKX offers 100 meters of water resistance and features Seiko’s caliber 4R36. This 145^th anniversary version has a purple dial with a sunray finish. The Seiko logo, wordmark, and “Automatic” printing are gold in color. The hands and hour indexes are in silver. This watch has a 42.5mm diameter and a thickness of 13.9mm.

This purple-dialed Seiko 5 Sports SKX HDB003 is limited to 9,999 pieces worldwide, with a retail price of €450.

Seiko Selection “Rotocall”

This black-and-purple “Rotocall” is based on the original 1982 digital Seiko watch, which many astronauts used at the time. It has the quartz A824 movement inside, and with the bezel, you select the function (hence the “Selection” model name). Seiko makes the case and bracelet from stainless steel and finishes both with a black hard coating. The bezel is, for the most part, purple and pairs well with the black of the case and bracelet. Then, there’s gold printing on the dial (crystal).

The Seiko Selection “Rotocall” reference HFL001 measures 37mm in diameter and 10.6mm in thickness. It also offers 100 meters of water resistance. This watch is limited to 4,000 pieces worldwide and retails for €670.

Final thoughts

Of this new “Edo Purple” 145^th anniversary collection, the Seiko Selection HFL001 is my favorite. I have a soft spot for the “Rotocall” and own a couple of original models. Owning this Seiko is fun, and it carries real historical significance, especially if you’re interested in space and watches. This black-and-purple iteration is a good-looking, quirky digital Seiko.