Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The New King Seiko KSK Limited Edition SJE087 with Champagne Dial (Live Pics & Price)
The second limited edition of the revived King Seiko KSK, now with a champagne dial.
The MONOCHROME editorial team was quite excited when Seiko announced it was bringing back an illustrious name from the past. Once part of a fierce internal rivalry over who produced a better watch, the King Seiko name was dusted off with the impressive King Seiko KSK SJE083 in late 2020. Fast-forward to 2022, and we now have a stand-alone King Seiko collection positioned between Seiko and Grand Seiko. And accompanying the new funky purple dial King Seiko SPB291 comes a new limited edition as well. Please welcome the Seiko King Seiko KSK Limited Edition SJE087.
As a gentle reminder of its origins, the King Seiko label was once a direct (internal) competitor to Grand Seiko, provoking a rivalry between Seiko’s Daini Sekosha (King Seiko) and Suwa Seikosha (Grand Seiko) production sites. Grand Seiko prevailed in the end, and the King Seiko name remained dormant for over 50 years until its revival in late 2020 with the SJE083. This is now followed by a second limited edition, the SJE087.
What is retained is the very fine faceted stainless steel case, measuring 38.1mm across and a decent 11.4mm in height. The case itself is actually a little slimmer, and the specified height is the result of the boxed-type sapphire crystal on top. Elements of the case are Zaratsu-polished with a distortion-free mirror finish. The entire case has also been given a super-hard coating to ensure it stays in pristine condition as long as possible.
The new features of the SJE087 are the dial, indices and hands. Departing from the overall silver theme of the SJE083 of 2020, it now has an elegant sunray-brushed champagne coloured dial. This is paired with gold-coloured faceted indices and gold-coloured hands. The hour and minute hands are faceted with a polished finish and polished bevels. The textured index at 12 is double the width of the other markers, which is a recurring design feature on all King Seikos.
Powering the Seiko King Seiko KSK Limited Edition SJE087 is Seiko’s in-house calibre 6L35. Compared to the non-limited King Seiko references (and the original, for that matter), the SJE087 comes with a date indication. This is the biggest departure from the 1965 King Seiko with its time-only calibre 44A and something that purists might shun. It runs at a frequency of 28,800vph and delivers a decent 45 hours of power reserve when fully wound. The movement is hidden from view by a screwed caseback with a golden King Seiko medallion.
The King Seiko KSK Limited Edition SJE087 is worn on a dark brown crocodile strap with rolled edges and a stainless steel pin buckle. This buckle is decorated with a period-correct “Seiko” logo in relief, a very nice touch to go with the retro look. It is limited to 1,700 pieces only, which is about half of the SJE083. It will be available from July 2022 onwards from Seiko boutiques and selected retailers worldwide and retails for EUR 3,300.
For more information, please visit SeikoWatches.com.
3 responses
Love Seiko and the new King Seiko (happily received my SPB279 last week) but can we PLEASE get away from crocodile and alligator straps? There’s nothing humane about how those animals are treated. Cartier, Greubel Forsey, etc have signaled the future. I hope Seiko and others join soon.
Can’t see anything including the specifications to warrant that selling price, it’s hardly a looker
Seems like more watches that you review are “Limited Edition” than those selling regular volume.