The Chrysanthemum Dial Of The King Seiko SJE095

Pitted as a rival of Grand Seiko from 1961 to 1975 to stimulate internal competition, the fate of Seiko’s two top-tier brands took very different paths. Grand Seiko’s stellar trajectory was uninterrupted and became an independent entity in 2017; King Seiko faded into oblivion until it was revived in 2020 with a limited re-edition based on the 1965 King Seiko KSK. Three years down the line, King Seiko introduces a model with a lovely textured dial, a formula that has worked wonders at Grand Seiko. Representing the slimmer SJEXXX models powered by Seiko’s slimline calibre 6L35 automatic movement with date, the SJE095 is a limited edition of 600 pieces.

If the Seiko Watch Corporation were a royal family, the undisputed monarch would be Grand Seiko (or perhaps Credor, but for the sake of the argument we’ll stick with GS), which is why the recent revival of the King Seiko line might create some confusion in the line of succession. Be that as it may, the two models in its line-up – SPBxxx and the slimmer SJExxx models – are inspired by features of their ancestor, the 1965 King Seiko KSK (KS meaning King Seiko and the K for Kisei-Tsuki, stop-seconds in Japanese). Despite the similarities in case architecture, the new SJE095 is, in fact, 0.2mm slimmer than the KSK and incorporates a date window that was not a feature on the original. Made from stainless steel, the case has a 38.6mm diameter, a thickness of 10.7mm and a lug-to-lug distance of 45.8mm.

Leaning on the design grammar of the KSK, the case features flat surfaces, razor-sharp angles and the large, bevelled area on the lugs. King Seiko also employs Zaratsu or mirror polishing on the bezel and facets to produce the classic sparkle associated with Grand Seiko watches. The 50m water-resistant case has a solid steel caseback decorated with the King Seiko logo. The tapering articulated stainless steel bracelet, with its seven rows of faceted, brushed and polished links, is also close to the original.

The novelty of this SJE095 is the geometric pattern representing a chrysanthemum, one of Japan’s national flowers. Depicted using a series of finely intersecting lines called kiku tsunagi-mon, the profile of the chrysanthemum is in relief. Without a trace of lume, the applied rectangular indices catch the light with their vivid polished facets, while the double index at noon – a feature of all King Seiko models – reveals its patterned pyramid-like texture. The flat broad razor-edged hands are faceted and Zaratzu polished to create a distortion-free shine and are accompanied by a sharp hacking seconds hand. Appearing at 3 o’clock, the bevelled date aperture reveals a white background with black numerals.

Beneath the sealed caseback is the calibre 6L35, a slimline in-house movement. Beating at 4Hz and delivering a 45h power reserve, the accuracy of the calibre is rated at -10/+15 seconds/day. And as King Seiko was once a rival to Grand Seiko, predominantly in the field of precision, the level of accuracy of modern-day King Seiko models remains a topic of debate.

The King Seiko SJE095 comes with a stainless steel bracelet and an additional grey leather strap. It is a limited edition of 600 pieces, retails for EUR 3,500 and will be available at Seiko Boutiques and retail stores worldwide from October 2023. For more information, you can consult the dedicated webpage at Seiko.watches.com.