Worn & Wound
Seiko Recreates the Classic Reference 6117 with the New Prospex Land Mechanical GMT
Seiko made some big news this morning, with the long rumored announcement of a new version of their classic 6117 Navigator Timer. That vintage reference is critically important for many Seiko collectors, an early GMT from 1968 in the same familiar design language of many classic Seiko sports watches. With new GMT calibers now in production, many enthusiasts expected the timing was right for a modern rendition of the 6117, and today they got their wish in the form of the SPB411, the Seiko Prospex Land Mechanical GMT Limited Edition. This new reference is a fairly faithful rendition of the classic watch from the 60s, with modern components and design choices only where they’re most appropriate, and plenty of restraint everywhere else (no Prospex logo on the dial!). For GMT fans and Seiko collectors, the SPB411 is a significant new release. All the hallmarks of the 6117 would appear to be present in the SPB411. Namely, the distinctive cushion case, the rotating 24 hour bezel, and a slate gray dial. The “Navigator Timer” wordmark no longer appears on the dial, but otherwise it’s a solid recreation, with rectangular hour markers and thin, block hands carried over to the new release, as well as a short red arrow GMT hand. That gray dial has a sunray finish, and we get a date window at 3:00 with a contrasting white background. Most importantly for fans of the original, the case size has remained consistent. The SPB411 comes in at 38.5mm in diameter, just about half a mi...
