Seiko Prospex LX GMT "Root Beer" SNR058 Review: Does One Of Seiko's Priciest Offerings Deliver?

The Seiko Prospex LX GMT SNR058 “Root Beer”has been around for a few years now but this is certainly the most attention-grabbing iteration to date. Done under the higher end Seiko Luxe umbrella, the LX GMT boasts a titanium case and bracelet, a true GMT Spring Drive movement, and a beautiful textured dial capped with a bidirectional sapphire bezel. Indeed this is one of, if not the, most expensive production Seiko model out there which will no doubt garner attention, for better or worse. A US market exclusive, this Root Beer GMT takes aim at one of the most iconic travel watch iterations in modern history with a unique flair and wearing experience. But does it justify the price?

[toc-section heading="Titanium Case And Bracelet"]

The Seiko Root Beer GMT is done in a titanium case which is finished with a Diashield coating which is notable since Grand Seiko’s comparable SBGE collection comes in steel, adding some value to the Root Beer. The titanium case and bracelet also helps when you consider the size of the case which measures 44.8mm wide and 14.7mm thick with a lug-to-lug measurement of 50.9mm (100m of water resistance). That’s decently hefty but if you’ve got a big enough wrist, it will work. For comparison, the Rolex GMT-Master II is 40mm wide, 12mm thick, and has a lug-to-lug measurement of 48mm.

One “love it or hate it” quirk here is the crown being at the 4 o’clock position which is something that has never bothered me personally but I know it’s divisive (and understandably so). I do appreciate the rose gold toned parts that are quite sparingly used on just the crown and the toothy side of the bezel. It’s just enough warmth to enhance the Root Beer color scheme without being overbearingly two-tone. I personally love a sapphire bezel and much prefer it over ceramic which I find to be a little too flashy and shiny. Sapphire bezels are more unusual but the material is harder and more scratch resistant while having more of a softer aesthetic as well. A notable example of a sapphire bezel would be the Blancpain Fifty-Fathoms, if you needed an example to measure this against.

As for the case finishing, there are very nice broad swathes of polished titanium across the sides and each center link of the brushed bracelet has a small flank of polish. Perhaps even more important is the bracelet’s easy tool-free micro-adjust system that comfortably allows for 5mm of give.

The sapphire bezel is, naturally, done in a two-tone “Root Beer” color scheme and it does look warmly rich with that sapphire insert adding an all-too-rare touch of low-gloss sheen. Finally you’ve an enclosed case back with a very simple etched Seiko Prospex logo. Spring Drive is one of the most remarkable innovations in modern watchmaking history but the movement itself has never been much to look at and I much prefer an enclosed case back to an exhibition case back with some kind of embossing work done in an attempt to make the movement glitzier.

[toc-section heading="The North America Nebula Dial"]

Now let’s get into that dial which is pretty out of this world (I had to). And again, this is done in the same studio where many Grand Seiko dials are created. According to Seiko, the gradient, dual tone dial here is inspired by the North America Nebula which is a celestial formation about 2,000 light years from earth. There is some really nicely texturing done on the gradient dial which goes from black up top to warm brown at the bottom, echoing the same pattern on the bezel really nice. There is some fantastic finishing to be found on the dial with the handset really emerging as a standout for me. There’s some excellent polishing on all the hands but the gold-toned GMT hand and the power reserve hand look exceptional under a loupe. Finally, there is ample lume on all the hands as well as the applied hour indices.

[toc-section heading="Spring Drive GMT Movement"]

Inside is the Caliber 5R66 Spring Drive movement which is highly accurate to +-15 seconds/month and has a 72 hour power reserve. For those not familiar, Spring Drive we have a thorough explanation of it here but, simply put, this novel innovation combines the mechanical heart of a mainspring movement with the accuracy of a quartz oscillator (but without a battery). This results in a highly accurate movement that is characterized by one of the smoothest sweeping seconds hands in the industry.

The 5R66 is notable also because it has an independently adjustable hour hand making it a “true GMT” which can easily be adjusted when changing time zones without interfering with the operation of the movement otherwise.

[toc-section heading="Final Thoughts And Price"]

The Seiko Prospex LX GMT “Root Beer” SNR058 is an impressively finished watch that really leans into its aesthetic themes across the case and dial. The warmly rich two tone finishes from the soda-themed GMT complication look excellent while the textured dial echoes the color scheme while holding its own in regard to finishing. The bracelet here is noteworthy since Seiko has previously fallen short in this regard but the improvements are significant.

It was an interesting choice to make this exclusive to the American market though the “North America Nebula” dial does add that geographically precise touch. And now we get to the price which, at $6,600 is certainly on the higher end of even Seiko Luxe’s offerings. That said, we are talking about a full titanium case and bracelet (complete with Zaratsu polishing), a Spring Drive GMT movement, and a uniquely textured dial done by true craftsman. There is a specific kind of person who values top-tier finishing and execution without the need for a more glamorous badge or label attached to the product. If you fall into this category and want something a little unusual in the sea of the usual suspects (and ideally have a slightly larger wrist), this is a uniquely singular offering. You can learn more at seikoluxe.com