Seiko Presage
SPB085
and tout Japanese technology with the movements behind them.
Each Presage model has its own story to tell. Seiko chose Shippo, a type
of enamel developed in Japan in the 17th century, for its (SPB073 ($1,600)
and SPB075 ($1,400) models. Applying this enamel is a multi-step process
conducted by Ando Cloisonné, a specialist manufacturer in Nagoya with
over a century of history. Craftsman Wataru Totani paints the glaze by hand
onto the surface of the dial, which is then fired at 800 degrees Celsius. The
painting and firing processes are repeated several times to ensure the
evenness of the enamel and smoothness of the surface. The deep blue of
the long-lasting enamel evokes the blue color of the seas around Japan,
while the dial pattern echoes the continuous motion of the waves that break
on its shores. Knowledge of this process turns a casual buyer into a legacy
consumer.
On display in the center of the boat’s party room were a bevy of Presage
watches, each a nod to the past. Seiko’s Presage Arita features porcelain
dials, ala pocket watches of a hundred years ago, shining with a deep
brilliance under the exhibition lights like miniature plates in a dollhouse.
The Presage dials are made at a workshop renowned for its skills since
1830; master craftsman Hiroyuki Hashiguchi worked with Seiko to adapt this
material to these watches. Rather than apply the porcelain onto a metallic
base as with other techniques, the porcelain material itself forms the base
of the dial and a special mold is used to create its unique shape. A host of
technical advancements has allowed Arita porcelain to form high-strength,
three-dimensional dials, hand glazed and crafted in a multi-stage process
combining watchmaking innovation with a legacy technique. These models
Seiko Presage
SPB093
with Arita
porcelain dial.
include SPB093 ($1,900) and SPB095 ($1,700).
The Presage Urushi Byakuden-nuri limited edition was another
outstanding watch on display, exemplifying the Seiko philosophy. At first
glance it appears to be a black-dialed gentlemen’s watch with neat inset
power reserve and day date display. But a closer look reveals the depth in
the dial, because it is coated with Urushi lacquer, processed from the sap of
the Japanese lacquer tree.
With a history dating back to Japan’s Jomon period (13,100 BCE-400 BCE)
each Urushi lacquer dial is the product of a multi-step process produced in
the studio of Urushi master Isshu Tamura in the Hokuriku region of Honshu,
Japan’s main island. Byakudan-nuri, a technique once used to
decorate Samurai armor and specially selected for the limited-edition model,
producing almost translucent reds and blacks is found in these models
(SPB085, a limited edition of 2,000 pieces, ($2,500).
For a brand like Seiko to be fully appreciated it has to be understood,
and this requires the same kind of high-touch approach that the company is
conducting with its retailers. Each line, each dial, each movement has a story
worth telling, and helps create evangelists out of customers.
Seiko has taken an incredible amount of effort for the company to evolve
from the PX’s the world to a brand worn on the wrists of the world’s most
well-heeled collectors.
And Seiko has successfully completed the journey. The next phase of this
program lies in the hands of the remaining U.S. retailers, which now have the
products, knowledge and tools to enable the brand to fully realize its
potential in this market.
FALL 2019 | INTERNATIONAL WATCH | 63