Seiko’s continued celebrations of its 110th anniversary see the brand releasing special timepieces to commemorate this momentous occasion. One of the watches that the brand has already released as part of the celebrations is the recreation of the first Grand Seiko, the SBGW295. We covered this timepiece in a previous article which you can find here!
Earlier this month, Seiko released a new King Seiko, which draws inspiration from the brand’s rich technological and design heritage. This latest King Seiko is being released only a year after Seiko unveiled the King-Seiko collection, which carries timepieces that have a vintage-inspired design.
This latest King Seiko model draws its design inspiration from the Kameido district of Tokyo, which is the birthplace of the King Seiko. The Kameido district used to be called “Turtle Island”, as the shape of the district resembled the shell of a turtle, which incidentally is also a popular animal in Japanese culture that’s associated with longevity. The Kameido district inspired the dial design on this new King Seiko model with a new dial pattern that features a textured shell motif.
The gold dial plays with light beautifully, and upon closer examination can clearly see the hexagonal shape of the tortoise shell, which is a pattern known as Kikkoumon. This pattern is also synonymous with samurai armor which signifies strength and victory. The Kikkoumon pattern on the dial creates added depth as each hexagon is actually made up of three inset hexagons, with each hexagon being deeper than the previous one. The dial then has the overall gradient effect added, which makes it gradually darker from the center to the edge of the dial. The hour-indices and hands stand out nicely against the blackened edges of the gradient dial. Seiko has also made the 12 o’clock hour marker with a patterned texture and twice the size compared to the other indices so that it stands out with a bright sparkle.
A stainless steel 37mm case encloses the dial while also giving it a 100m (10 bar) water-resistance. The case is combined with a boxed-shaped sapphire crystal which gives the watch a slim feel when worn on the wrist. Besides the bezel, the case has a lot of sharp angles and lines, along with both mirror and hairline finishing. These design cues are inspired by the classic 1965 King Seiko KSK models, which was the second King Seiko series to be released and the collection that also defined King Seiko’s visual character. This design is then carried over to the vintage-inspired seven-link stainless steel bracelet. The timepiece is also comes with a black leather strap which is manufactured by a tannery certified by the Leather Working Group.
The engine behind this new King Seiko is the calibre 6R31 movement. Seiko’s 6R31 movement operates at a frequency of 21, 600 VpH (3hz) and gives out a very decent power reserve of 70 hours, enough to keep the watch off the wrist for three days. Though with a beautifully patterned dial design like this, why would you want to? The case back is closed, however, what we get is the King Seiko emblem with the limited edition number xxxx/1200 engraved on the back instead.
Seiko’s 110th Anniversary King Seiko Limited Edition is capped at 1,200 models worldwide and is available for purchase from February 2023.
Reference: SPB365
Specification:
- Case: 37mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel case
- Dial: Gold Kikkoumon pattern dial
- Crystal: Box-shaped sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
- Water resistance: 10 Bar (100m)
- Movement: Automatic Caliber 6R31
- Power reserve: 70 hours
- Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel vintage-inspired 7-link bracelet or LWG-certified tannery black leather strap with stainless steel buckle with King Seiko logo.
