It is 100 years since Seiko unveiled its very first wristwatch, the Laurel, in 1913, and to commemorate the anniversary, the Japanese watchmaker has introduced a collection of limited edition timepieces that draw inspiration from the original and its descendants.
Three additions the Seiko Presage collection adopt details from the Laurel.
A Presage Craftsmanship Series watch modernizes key attributes of the Laurel including a white enamel dial with a red 12 o’clock hour marker and classically styled blue hands.
It has the same small second sub dial at 6 o’clock and uses the same typeface for hour markers on the two-layered dial.
Unlike the original, it has a power reserve on the dial showing how long the Caliber 6R27 automatic movement has to run.
Recommended retail price is $1,250 for a limited edition of 1,500 pieces.
The Presage family has also been joined by a Sharp Edged Series watch in an angular case. It has a subtle red mark at the 12 o’clock position on the inner ring in honor of the Laurel.
There will be 2,000 made with a price of $1,050.
The third Presage is a Style60’s GMT powered by Seiko’s Caliber 4R34.
It has a multi-ringed design with a 24 hour bezel outside minutes and hours with central hours, minutes and a GMT hand in electric blue with Lumibrite lume.
The limited edition of 3,500 is priced at $625.
Two Prospex models have been introduced to mark 100 years of Seiko wristwatches, one a mechanical Speedtimer solar chronograph that is capable of measuring elapsed time to 1/100th of a second by reading off two subdials.
Sub-dial hands at the two, 10, and 12 o’clock positions are red in honor of the Laurel.
One of the most visually striking of the new watches, it is retailing for $1,050.
Production is limited to 3,500.
The other Prospex creation is a Seiko Alpinist GMT watch housing a 6R automatic movement with three day power reserve.
There are blued hands and a red mark for north on an internal compass ring, both nods to the Laurel.
Its silver dial with applied markers sits inside a steel 24 hour bezel for the second time zone.
Limited to 3,000 pieces, the Seiko Alpinist GMT is retailing for $1,300.
Seiko’s Prospex and Presage families have been so central to the brand’s expansion in recent years that its Astron line — considered the first industrially produced quartz watch — has been somewhat forgotten.
That is put right in this centenary year with the introduction of a solar-powered Astron as a multi-faceted octagonal watch that is kept perfectly accurate by receiving time updates via GPS.
The case, bezel and lugs may be complex in shape, but the Astron has a simple white dial in honor of the Laurel with the top of the hour picked out in a red number 60.
This watch is limited to just 800 and has a retail price of $1,900.
Finally, Seiko’s ever-popular 5 Sports range of automatics is given a vintage feel with a cream dial, but the links to the Laurel are still there in the blued hands and 14 hour clock numerals.
A limited edition in name only, with 6,000 being produced, the 5 Sports is on sale for $425.