Seiko is Producing Shohei Ohtani Tribute Watches

Seiko built two versions of the Prospex Diver’s 1965 Heritage around Ohtani’s 2025 season, which included his third consecutive unanimous MVP award and a second straight World Series title with the Dodgers. Both watches share the same ¥286,000 price point and the same 1,700-unit production run. They’re part of the existing Diver’s 1965 Heritage line, a well-regarded tool watch that’s been a Seiko staple for collectors.

The design story is genuinely cool. The dials pull from the color palette of the Dodgers’ away uniforms, with one rendered in grey and one in blue. Bezels, crown, hands, and indices all get a gold treatment inspired by Ohtani’s special MLB logo patch — the gold version is only worn by players who won MVP, Cy Young, or Rookie of the Year the previous season. Only six players in MLB qualify to wear it at any given time. Ohtani’s had it every year since 2021.

Both watches feature Ohtani’s signature engraved on the clasp, his jersey number “17” on the crown, and a limited serial number on the caseback.

These drop April 24 exclusively at Seiko Global Brand Core Shops in Japan, with no international release on the books. That means any US buyer who wants one has to go through a Japan-based proxy service, a reseller, or make the trip themselves.

Demand from US collectors and Dodgers fans is going to be significant. Ohtani’s crossover appeal is enormous — he’s not just popular in Japan and among baseball diehards, he’s a mainstream celebrity in the US with massive brand recognition. A watch this nice, at this price point, with his signature on it and a genuine story behind the design? That has broad appeal well beyond the usual Seiko collector base.

Given the Japan-exclusive distribution, the 1,700-unit cap per model, and the strong stateside demand, resale premiums of $1,000 to $2,000 over retail are realistic for US buyers. That puts potential resale in the $2,800 to $3,800 range depending on timing and condition.

If you have connections to a Japan-based proxy buyer or a forwarding service, this is worth setting up now. April 24 is two months out, which gives you time to arrange sourcing. Seiko’s authorized retailers in Japan will handle the sale, so this isn’t a botted drop — it’s a manual purchase at a physical location, which makes it more accessible if you have the right contacts.

A few things to keep in mind: international shipping, import duties, and proxy service fees will eat into margins, so factor those costs in before calculating profit. Seiko’s Japan purchases are generally final sale, so if the market softens before you flip, you’re stuck holding. The watch resell market can be volatile, and a $1,800 buy-in is real money. That said, with 3,400 total units between both models and no international availability, the supply constraint here is genuine.

If you’re a Japanese reader or planning a trip to the country around this time, this is absolutely worth your attention. And even if you don’t know the first thing about flipping watches, we’ve written a beginner’s guide for anyone looking to resell watches for a profit.