(Left) Kiyoko Niwasaki
(Right) Teruyo Ishimaru
Seiko Presage
SPB073
This special Seiko dive model (SNR027)
offers a black dial and GMT function.
than the original, but faithful in every other way, down to the horseshoe-
shaped printing on the case back, and an upgraded 8L35 Automatic caliber
(which was specially designed for use in diver’s watches).
This watch’s 200-meter water resistant case has a super-hard coating and
a dual-curved anti-reflective sapphire crystal. The upper surface of the bezel
rim is Zaratsu-polished to a mirror finish.
Continuing the winning formula, Seiko released multiple Prospex LX
models this year, developed in collaboration with Ken Okuyama Design and
updated with Seiko’s proprietary precision Spring Drive movement. Mirroring
the identifiable lines of the 1968 design, the Prospex LX rides well with a case
lowered from previous model years; its watch angles are more pronounced,
allowing the Zaratsu-polished surfaces to shine. The model references are
SNR025 ($5,000), SNR027 ($5,000), SNR029 ($6,000), SNR031 ($6,000),
SNR033 ($5,500) and SNR035 ($5,500).
PRESAGE
But dive watches were only part of the surf and turf story on the water that
evening; the other half of Seiko’s mindshare was devoted to the Presage line,
a collection of refined, high-artistry, mechanical watches for soil walkers.
The Presage line has sixty models, each rendered in variations of
traditional Japanese materials, including enamels, lacquers and porcelain
that impart a multi dimensionality to the dials. All the Seiko movement
innovations are in play, with neat slim cases that lay smoothly on the wrist,
are utterly non-obtrusive and a welcome break from the clunky sleeve
62 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | FALL 2019
shredding watches of the mid-teens.
“Seiko has a unique ability to seamlessly combine art and utility, and has
done so from our first products, released in the early 20th century,” said
Teruyo Ishimaru, Seiko’s director and senior vice president, as we watched
the Statue of Liberty off the starboard bow of the party yacht.
“Our embrace of Japanese craftsmanship, aesthetics and spirituality can
be seen in all of our products and is revealed as you look at them and use
them. Their longevity and widespread adoption speaks to their form as well
as their function. Our other lines are driven by an equal commitment to a
balance of art and science.
“Look at the porcelain craftsmanship in the dial of the Presage Arita,
representing a 400-year -old Japanese tradition or the techniques of enamel
and Urushi lacquer, painstakingly applied to the dials of some of our limited
edition models,” Ishimaru continued. “Its lineage dates back to
ornamentation on the armor of Samurai warriors. Seiko is constantly refining
our past to shape our future.”
While the Prospex line is carried on its heritage as an adopted Amer-
ican icon, the Presage line leverages Japanese heritage through education.
Presage is a product that begs an explanation to fully understand what’s
been involved in bringing each model to life.
In terms of a halo effect, there’s a direct line between the sensibilities of
the Grand Seiko line and Presage, with features, such as the lauded spring
drive, shared between the two brands. If anything, Presage is Seiko’s attempt
to tell the story of Japanese artistry, specifically through its dial treatments,