Although not as well-known as Grand Seiko, the original King Seiko collection was also a significant entry in Seiko’s 1960s watchmaking era. It was an ambitious period of growth for the Japanese watchmaker, as it solidified its horological expertise on the world stage. At the time, the company’s watchmaking operated out of two sites in parallel: Daini Seikosha in Tokyo, and Suwa Seikosha in Nagano prefecture. The latter first released Grand Seiko in 1960, aiming to be a no-holds-barred approach to high-end watchmaking. Daini Seikosha, meanwhile, released the first King Seiko in 1961—not as a matter of internal competition, as some like to say today, but for a slightly different market. King Seiko was meant to be a more accessible, but still uncompromising, approach to the fine timepiece.
The first King Seiko had a more classical mid-century design, but it was the 1965 King Seiko KSK that is most emblematic of the collection, with an angular case and sharply defined and faceted lugs. Starting in 2022, Seiko has re-introduced the collection in a loyal revival series that preserves the character of the original.
This year, Seiko introduces two new King Seiko references that are equipped with the slimmer 6L35 self-winding calibre. It brings the thickness of the watch to below 11mm. Combined with a refined case design and a reduction in height of the box-shaped sapphire crystal, the new references make for a more elegant wrist experience. The 39mm steel case has a seven-link bracelet to match, the latter with its own eye-catching facets and chamfers. The hands and markers are polished to razor-edged fineness in the manner that Seiko is famous for. With a 45-hour power reserve and 5-bar water resistance, the watch has an everyday robustness to go with its refinement.
This latest King Seiko is available in options of silver dial (SJE089) and black dial (SJE091), at RM15,500 each.
