Seiko craftspeople have reworked a delicate Japanese porcelain so that it is hard enough to be used for watch dials.
Arita porcelain has a history going back more than 400 years, since clay was discovered on the Japanese island of Kyushu.
The region became famous for its porcelain, used worldwide for fine arts and all kinds of tableware.
It was not at all an obvious choice for a watch, as it is delicate and difficult to work with.
This did not deter Seiko, which makes a point of looking at both the artistry and nature of its home country for inspiration.
Seiko artisans managed to develop a new type of Arita porcelain that is four times harder than usual, allowing it enough strength and flexibility to be used in a watch.
The new watches are in the dressy Presage collection and form part of Seiko’s Craftmanship series, celebrating all types of Japanese craftspeople.
Shining a light on the most classic Presage collection is a timely offer from Seiko as tastes begin to shift from chunkier sports watches to slimmer, smaller everyday styles.
The Presage Arita Porcelain ‘Concentric’ has a recessed concentric ring around the centre and a recessed sub dial at 6 o’clock – an especially difficult feat for the dial makers, and a demonstration of their confidence in both their skills and the toughness of the new porcelain.
The dial is a blue-white colour and due to the heat at which the porcelain is fired, each watch will have its own unique subtle dimpling pattern, even if it is barely visible in the photos.
The 40.6mm stainless-steel case has a scratch-resistant coating and is water-resistant to 100m.
It is powered by Seiko’s in-house automatic 6R5H movement, accurate to -15/+25 seconds per day, with a power reserve of 72 hours.
The movement is visible through a sapphire crystal caseback.
The Presage Arita Porcelain ‘Concentric’ will go on sale in the United States in June priced at $1,900.