If you don’t subscribe to the iW weekly newsletter, perhaps you missed this impressive new blue-dialed Seiko Presage creation inspired by the night sky and Japan’s fascination with the moon. The watch further cements our impression that Seiko’s Presage collection offers perhaps the highest price-to-feature ratio we’ve seen among collections offered by major watch companies.
This new addition to Presage combines Seiko’s mechanical watchmaking and Japanese craftsmanship, notably with its enamel dial, expressed for the first time from Seiko on a rich blue dial. The enamel dial is the work of the craftsman Mitsuru Yokozawa and his team, who made the white enamel dials that have been so widely admired in other Seiko Presage creations.
As Seiko explains, the surface of a watch dial is small, which means that the depth and evenness of the enamel requires great care. As the viscosity of the blue enamel is much higher than for other colors, the skill required to achieve a perfectly level surface is all the greater.
The hour marker shapes are inspired by the Time Keeper, Seiko’s first pocket watch, made in 1895. The crescent-shaped tip of the second hand almost glows thanks to the gold-colored powder that gives it a special texture resembling the surface of the moon. The crescent shape is also to be seen on the sapphire case back, affixed by vapor deposition.
Inside you’ll find Seiko’s own 6R15 automatic caliber with a 50-hour power reserve and a high level of torque that is a joy to experience when the specially sculpted crown is turned. The sapphire crystal is dual-curved so that the dial can be seen without distortion from any angle. Seiko says that the hour markers here are painted ten times to lift them in relief from the dial; the tips of the hands are curved so that they follow crystal’s contours. Price: 1,150 Euro (approximately $1,350)
Specifications: Seiko Presage Blue Enamel Limited Edition: SPB069
Movement: Seiko Caliber 6R15, 21,600 vibrations per hour (6 beats per second), power reserve of 50 hours
Case: 40.5mm by 12.4mm steel, dual-curved sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating, Screw-on see-through case back, water resistance to 100 meters, magnetic resistance: 4,800 A/m
Dial: Blue enamel
Strap: Crocodile with three-fold clasp with push button release
Limited edition of 1,500 pieces. See: (https://www.seiko-presage.com/blueenamel/)