The King Seiko KS1969 Limited Edition is a timeless tribute to Seiko’s heritage, reimagined for the modern era.
What We Love:
- Like current Seiko models, this latest King Seiko gets a modern slimmed-down reinterpretation.
- The multiple polished finishes from the case, bezel, and dial elements to the bracelet!
- The greenish-blue colour combined with the dragon-scale pattern makes the dial pop!
What We Don’t:
- Not everyone may agree with the choice of dial colours for this collection from Seiko
- The movement needs to match the build quality and high level of finishing on the timepiece.
- It would’ve been great to get the date wheel to colour-match the new dial colours!
Overall Rating: 8.9/10
- Value for Money: 8.5/10
- Wearability: 9/10
- Design: 9/10
- Build Quality: 9/10
In July this year, Seiko unveiled a new series of King Seiko dress watches to revive a classic heritage design. Before we get into this latest creation, we first need to look at King Seiko and some of the signature designs that came with it. The name of King Seiko is just as important to Japanese watchmakers as the name and brand of Grand Seiko.
The story goes that King Seiko was first launched in 1961 alongside Grand Seiko, who were direct competitors of each other. Seiko did this because of the brand’s relentless pursuit of perfection and quality, as the rivalry between King Seiko and Grand Seiko would produce some exceptional timepieces. The 1960s were seen as the golden era for Seiko, as the brand quickly established itself as a watchmaking powerhouse.
During this period of great innovation, Seiko had two main factories that produced their timepieces: Daini Seikosha and Suwa Seikosha. These two factories engaged in an internal rivalry, pushing each other to create amazing horological pieces. This is what stemmed the birth of Grand Seiko from the Suwa Seikosha factory, and Daini Seikosha responded by introducing King Seiko in 1961. The goal of Seiko’s “sub-brands” was clear: They wanted to produce timepieces that would go toe-to-toe against the best that Swiss watches offered at the time.
King Seiko created exceptional timepieces and quickly gained a reputation for sophisticated design, which included sharp lines, polished surfaces and King Seiko’s dedication to mechanical prowess. King Seiko created many standout timepieces, like the 44KS and 45KS, which were popular for their reliability and elegance. Another exceptional creation was the King Seiko 45KCM, which was created in 1969. As Seiko states, it “featured a characteristically curved silhouette inspired the design of other King Seiko creations that followed.”
Despite the success of these creations, Seiko’s King Seiko line was eventually masked by the rise of Grand Seiko and the Quartz Crisis of the 1970s. Much to King Seiko’s avail, the brand eventually faded from the spotlight. Seiko enthusiasts and collectors never forgot it, as they cherished it for its unique part in Seiko’s rich history.
Seiko officially launches new King Seiko KS1969 collection
However, luckily for us, this wasn’t to be the end of King Seiko’s story. In 2020, Seiko revived the King Seiko name by introducing a faithful re-edition of the highly adored 1965 KSK. Now, in 2024, Seiko is giving King Seiko’s name another boost with the release of a new collection that is faithful to King Seiko’s 1969 45KCM timepiece.
The collection released last month featured four new timepieces. Three of the timepieces featured dials in silver, purple, and green, with each colour having its own reference to Japan. The silver-coloured dial was created to evoke the modern-day cityscape of Tokyo, the traditional Japanese colour known as “Edo Purple,” which was cherished during the Edo period. Finally, the green-coloured dial captured the natural greenery that covered parts of the city over the centuries.
The fourth model, which we have for review, is a limited-edition creation celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Seiko brand. Featuring the same specifications as the other three models, this King Seiko KS1969 limited edition timepiece features a stunning patterned dial in a light “greenish-blue” colour!
Barrel-Shaped Case Design
Seiko has stayed faithful in recreating the iconic Seiko King Seiko 45KCM in its modern interpretation. The King Seiko 45KCM came with a signature case design, which featured a curved barrel-shaped profile, giving it a more luxurious and stylish finish. On this new King Seiko KS1969, the 39.5mm case with its “barrel” profile also comes polished like the original, which not only gives it an elegant touch but also a mirror-like shine that makes the watch stand out beautifully.
The bezel ring around the dial also has a polished surface, which enhances the timepiece’s wrist presence. I personally really like the polished surfaces. When you roll the wrist around at different lighting angles, the watch beautifully comes to life with all of its different polished finishes. Another design element that I liked was the King Seiko emblem on the crown.
The watch’s rounded box-shaped sapphire glass is a modern touch from Seiko that gives the timepiece a more sophisticated design. Much of the elements of the original King Seiko 45KCM are retained in this new reinterpretation. However, with Seiko’s modern watch manufacturing processes, the brand’s slimline calibre 6L35 movement has reduced the case size down to a thickness of just 9.9mm!
Like other King Seiko creations, the watch’s case back is adorned with the brand’s emblem and name. While this is the main highlight of the case back, I also liked the subtle finishing touches. I say subtle as it may not be something you immediately notice, and that is the brushed finishing. The case back itself has a circular brushed finish, and to match this look, the underneath of the barrel case has also been finished with a vertical brushed finish. This brushed finish is then carried over to the underside of the stainless steel bracelet, and while this may be overlooked, it, for me, is a testament to King Seiko’s attention to detail.
Patterened Dial Design
This new collection of King Seiko KS1969 timepeices is offered in some beautiful colours, including the rich purple and gradient green dials. However, my personal favourite is easily the “greenish-blue” dial. In all honesty, I’m not quite sure why it’s called greenish-blue. For me, even from different lighting angles, it comes out as almost ice-blue. Regardless of what it’s called, I think this dial colour really flourishes on this timepiece.
In comparison, I have my Tissot PRX in the ice blue dial next to this King Seiko variant. I personally love the ice-blue PRX, so you can already tell I’m going to be a fan of the dial on the King Seiko KS1969 limited edition. When you look at the two from a broader perspective, you can see they share very similar design cues (sharp hour indices, white date window, etc), even though the timepeices are referencing their own vintage models from decades ago!
The King Seiko KS1969 comes with polished hour indices and hands, which is a nice touch as they complement the polished finishing of the bezel and case, giving the whole timepiece a luxurious shine! The 12 o’clock hour indices are also multi-faceted, which Seiko states is designed with a pattern that “evokes the feather fletching of an arrow”. The date window, much like the Tissot PRX design, comes with a polished aperture frame and a white date wheel. This is my only gripe with the dial design, as it gets in the way of the watch’s balanced aesthetic design. However, I also understand that the original 1969 45KCM featured the same layout, so staying faithful to this design means retaining this element as well.
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room, which is the limited edition’s patterned dial. Seiko didn’t just create this pattern for the sake of putting something on the dial to make it pop even more. The pattern has significance, as Seiko states, “the textured pattern inspired by a rising dragon, which serves as a metaphor for the Seiko brand progressing toward the next 100 years. The dragon is also the animal sign for 2024 in the Japanese zodiac, which remains a part of the country’s culture.” The textured pattern resembles that of the scales on a dragon, which, as you can see from the pictures, looks stunning on the “greenish-blue” dial.
Slimline 6L35 Movement
As mentioned earlier, the engine inside this King Seiko KS1969 collection is Seiko’s in-house calibre slimline 6L35 movement. This movement is part of Seiko’s 6L slimline movements and was first introduced at Baseworld in 2018. Seiko has been slowly introducing this movement into more and more of their timepeices, and with good reason, too; as the name suggests, it has a very slim profile.
Seiko states regarding this movement, “Caliber 6L35 is completely new and distinguishes itself from the trusted and much admired 6R15 calibre by its slimness and accuracy. At 3.7mm deep, it is 1.3mm thinner than 6R, and it is accurate to within +15 to -10 seconds per day. To emphasize the calibre’s slimness, the new limited edition has a new case structure that gives the watch a slim and graceful profile.” It’s thanks to this movement that the King Seiko SK 1969 collection has a total thickness of just 9.9mm.
Regarding the specs, the movement operates at a high frequency of 28,800 VpH (4Hz) and has a power reserve of approximately 45 hours. I feel that the power reserve is substandard for a timepiece valued at over $4,000 AUD; however, given that it operates at a high frequency, a drop in power reserve can be expected (see our article on how frequency affects power reserve here!)
How The King Seiko KS1969 Wears
Like most of Seiko’s current creations, the brand has been listening to watch enthusiasts and collectors in reducing the case size to modern standards. The watch measures 39.4mm in diameter, 43.6mm lug-to-lug (even with a barrel-shaped case) and 9.9mm thick; it is perfectly sized for the modern watch aficionado and newcomers alike.
My initial impression of the timepiece, with its barrel-shaped case design, was that it wouldn’t sit well on my slim wrists at all. With the way the lugs protrude and its lack of “curvature” to hug the wrist, you can imagine me thinking that it wasn’t going to be a great fit. However, as with anything, seeing a product and trying it on can make a huge difference.
I was certainly surprised by how well this King Seiko KS1969 sat on my wrist. As you can see from the pictures, it actually didn’t protrude out from the wrist at all. This is mainly due to the smaller 39.4mm case size, which reduced the overall lug-to-lug length to 43.6mm.
I also like the new multi-row bracelet. While the original 1969 King Seiko 45KCM came with a black leather strap, I feel this new stainless steel bracelet does more justice to the timepiece. This is largely due to the bracelet’s finishing. The outer links, with every other alternating link, get a vertical brushed finish, while the middle “six links” get a beautiful polished finish. This alternating finish makes the bracelet glisten attractively at different lighting angles and from quite some distance, too! Having this multi-row bracelet design also means that it’s more flexible, which I found to be the case as it fits around the wrist quite comfortably.
Final Thoughts
When Seiko introduced the King Seiko, it offered a refined design and exemplary craftsmanship. This latest 2024 King Seiko KS1969 collection, with this limited edition release, offers a mix of tradition and modernity and a deep connection to King Seiko’s storied past, as it stays faithful to the original 1969 King Seiko 45KCM design.
Whether you are drawn to the watch because of its historical significance or due to its elegant and luxurious design, it can certainly be a great addition to any collection. However, one must ask, is paying $4,650 AUD retail for the timepiece justified? I think it’s safe to say that the craftsmanship is well worth the money, as the details on this watch are attractive, with the different finishing techniques, the limited edition model getting the beautiful green-blue dial along with the patterned dial, and how well the watch sits on the wrist.
The only element of this timepiece that I would question in terms of pricing is the movement. For this pricing range, Seiko could have used one of their hi-beat calibre movements to beef up the movement’s accuracy and power reserve. However, in saying that 45 hours of power reserve can be adequate for daily wear.
With the rich history that this timepiece brings with it, this modern re-interpretation of the 1969 classic seamlessly marries vintage elegance with contemporary craftsmanship. For the newcomers to the Seiko brand, along with the longtime aficionados, this latest King Seiko KS1969 limited edition release blends tradition and modernity to create a stunning timepiece!
Reference: SJE115 (Seiko Brand 100th Anniversary Limited Edition)
Specifications
- Case Size: 39.4mm
- Case Lug-to-Lug: 43.6mm
- Case Thickness: 9.9mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Dial: Greenish-blue dial with dragon scale pattern
- Movement: Automatic winding Calibre 6L35
- Power Reserve: Approx. 45 hours
- Water Resistance: 50m (5 bar)
- Crystal: Box-shaped sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the inner surface.
- Strap/Bracelet: Multi-link stainless steel bracelet with polished and brushed finishes.
