It's good to be the King... Following Taro Tanaka's "Grammar of Design" approach to case architecture, the King Seikos of the late 1960's and 70's were as much art as they were technical precision. Minimalist and slightly industrial, there is an undeniable beauty in the abundance of corners, flat planes, and angles that make up the highly reflective surfaces of these elegant timepieces. This fantastic example from June of 1970 is the latest in our line of recent gold offerings. The heavy plating on the monocoque case shows virtually no wear through aside from some very light softening at the lug tips and lower case corners that’s difficult to observe without magnification. The case back features a perfectly preserved applied “KS” medallion in gold, and we’ve applied a static cling cover to protect it from undue wear. The dial is stunning in an almost pearlescent silver with a subtle sunburst breaking through the glossy lacquered finish that’s flawless outside of two small points of oxidation along the three o’clock edge. Topped with applied baguettes in gold, each sports polished bevels, and upper surfaces striped in black. The hour and minute hands are are finely tapered swords in gold with black center striping, and a long and lean sweep glides through the seconds at 28800 beats per hour. a gold frame surrounds the day/date window at three, and touting its JDM credentials, the day can be displayed in Kanji or English. As is typical of these 56 movements, the day/date quickset was inoperable on arrival, but I repaired the rocker star assembly using NOS Seiko parts. It’s unpolished and completely original aside from a replacement mineral crystal, and post service, it’s keeping time to within chronometer tolerances. We’ve paired it with a rich, oiled Arabica leather that partners perfectly with the warm gold tones, and offers easy comfort on the wrist. With a history that lives up to its name, the King Seiko set records at the Neuchatel Observatory Chronometer Trials with the 44KS, and cemented the Seiko brand as a dominant force in a world previously in the firm grasp of the Swiss. It is a testament to the build quality and technical prowess of both the Suwa and Daini Seiko divisions that more than 50 years later, these fine timepieces are as mechanically reliable as they are effortlessly timeless.

CNS Oiled Arabica Leather with Dark Brown Stitch

Serviced- 5/25

Diameter- 37mm

Lugs- 18mm