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“Failure just isn’t an possibility,” stated actor Ed Harris within the 1995 film Apollo 13 as he directed the profitable efforts by the Mission Management staff to avoid wasting the crew. Harris performed the function of Gene Kranz, the precise Chief Flight Director throughout that mission and plenty of extra, together with Apollo 11, the primary lunar-landing mission. Within the film, Ed Harris wore a Seiko 6139-6002 chronograph. Nonetheless, in actual life, Kranz wore a white-dial Seiko 5 6119-8460 Sports activities Diver. That’s the watch Seiko determined to make a re-edition of, in addition to its black-dial counterpart. Let’s check out these new restricted editions.
Chief Flight Director Gene Kranz at his console within the Manned Spacecraft Middle’s Mission Management Middle in Houston in the course of the launch of the Apollo 11 mission on July sixteenth, 1969, sporting his Seiko 5 ref. 6119-8460 on the unique bracelet — Picture: CNS / NASA.
As Mike stated in his article on a few of his favourite Seiko Sport Divers, the corporate made tons of of variations on this assortment. Each now and again, Seiko decides to launch a re-edition. Two years in the past, for instance, there was the SPB411 Navigator Timer reissue, and final 12 months, the model introduced again the 5126-8090 “Kamen Rider.” Similar to these two, the brand new Seiko 5 SRPL91 with a white dial and the SRPL93 with a black dial keep very true to the unique references from the Sixties.
An unique black-dial model of the Seiko 5 “Gene Kranz” 6119-8460 Sports activities Diver
The brand new SRPL91 and SRPL93
The Seiko 5 SRPL91 and SRPL93
Like the unique Seiko 5 ref. 6119-8460, the case form of the brand new restricted editions is between a pointy C form and a full cushion. The crown can be nearly in the identical location, simply above the 4 o’clock index, nestled contained in the case flank. The chrome steel case measures 38.2mm in diameter, 44.7mm from lug to lug, and 12.3mm thick. It’s good and compact, identical to the unique watches from the late ’60s. The case has a circular-brushed end on prime and a cultured end on the edges and backside. Additionally, like the unique, the bidirectional bezel has a silver insert with a lume pip on the 60-minute mark.
Each new references come on a chrome steel bracelet. Its five-row design is similar to the unique one Gene Kranz wore throughout his missions. It includes a push-button-operated clasp and has a brushed end. It doesn’t include quick-release spring bars, however the lug holes make switching it out for one thing else a breeze.
Select between white (SRPL91) and black (SRPL93)
As stated, throughout his mission, Gene Kranz wore a white-dial model of the 6119-8460, however there was additionally a black-dial model. For the Seiko 5 re-edition, you can even select between a shiny black or matte white dial. The format with the utilized stick markers and straight arms is sort of a precise copy of the unique from the Sixties. The identical goes for the contrasting day/date window at 3 o’clock. It has a white background for the times of the week and a black background for the date.
On the dial’s higher half, we discover the Seiko 5 emblem, whereas the decrease half states the water resistance (10 bar) and a few options of the automated motion inside. Each the arms and the hour markers function a pleasant quantity of LumiBrite to make sure good readability in darker conditions. A double-domed Hardlex crystal protects the dial from water, mud, and affect. Design-wise, each the white SRPL91 and the black SRPL93 keep very true to the unique watch, which I feel is nice.
The motion
As with different latest re-editions, Seiko’s computerized 4R36 motion powers these two new references. It runs at a frequency of 21,600vph, options 24 jewels, and holds an influence reserve of 41 hours. It additionally affords hacking, guide winding, and resistance to magnetic fields of as much as 4,800 A/m. The closed case again mentions the truth that these are restricted editions and states every watch’s variety of the overall 9,999 items.
An accessible various to the hard-to-get unique
Mike already talked about that it’s fairly troublesome to discover a good instance of the unique 6119-8460 on the market today. That’s why I feel it’s nice that Seiko determined to return with a re-edition, particularly as a result of many individuals can have fond recollections of Gene Kranz and/or watching the Apollo 13 film. The good factor, I feel, is that Seiko stayed very near the unique design. In fact, it’s a extra fashionable watch, so some traits are improved. Nonetheless, it very a lot appears like that unique watch from the late ’60s.
The value can be fairly pleasant. Each the Seiko 5 SRPL91 in white and the SRPL93 in black value €460. The 2 variations have a restricted manufacturing run of 9,999 items every. That may be fairly restricted for Seiko, however these are nonetheless fairly giant numbers, so I hope everybody who desires certainly one of these can get one.
What do you consider these new re-editions from Seiko? Let me know within the feedback under.
