Today, the Seals Watch Company has launched the Sea Storm presale. I have long admired Michel Seals’s creative vision (I’m wearing my beloved Seals Field Explorer right now) and the Sea Storm looks like yet another winner. If you want one, you will need to act fast. There was one presale release today (November 29th) at 11:00AM PST and there will be a second at 3:00PM PST (6:00PM EST for those of you not wearing your world timers today). I will bet you a beer that they sell out in a flash.
This new model is a modern interpretation of a 1960s diver, with particular attention to vintage authenticity. The satin-brushed stainless steel case is a proper 38mm wide and 11mm thick, accented with just a sliver of polish. Cleverly, it will be blasted matte between the lugs to protect it from the inevitable spring bar scuffing. The crystal will have a classically tall dome of scratch-resistant and anti-reflective coated sapphire, raising the overall height to 13mm. That svelte case is made possible by the Miyota 9015 (date) or 9039 (no date) automatic movement inside. The 9000 series is always a solid choice, offering as it does a smooth 28.8k sweep and a solid record of reliability.
The squared-off Rhodium hands, arrowhead second hand, and applied bar markers topped with lume dots work in concert with the silver, gray. or black dials to create a handsome, businesslike face. C3 Superluminova lights it up at night. The 120-click bezel is engraved with an appropriately retro Hoefler & Co. Decimal typeface. Of course, the Sea Storm has a screw-down crown and is rated for 150m.
I’m smitten by the Granulated Silver dial and Black bezel combination. If you want something more austere, then the all Storm Gray might be the way to go. Those who want a pop of color will likely opt for the Sea Foam bezel and Granulated Black dial. Seals will produce 125 of each.
A 20mm steel bracelet comes standard. As of today, it is still in the rendering phase, but given the outstanding job Seals did on the Model A bracelets, I have every confidence that it will be top-notch. It promises to be thin with brushed links, polished and beveled edges, and a butterfly clasp. Buyers also get a choice of tropic rubber or rally leather straps.The full kit will also include a 4-pocket canvas watch roll, a handbook, and some assorted pins, stickers, coasters, and other fun bits.
Presale orders require a $300 deposit and a $275 balance due when ready for delivery. For that $575, you will be rewarded with a damn fine watch. If you are interested, I’d strongly suggest you head over to the Seals Sea Storm page at 2:59PM Cali time and keep one hand pressing the refresh button and the other hovering over “add to cart.” It will be worth it. ⬩
