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Founded in 1881, Seiko is Japan’s leading watch company and one of the world’s largest in-house watch manufactures. In addition to Seiko branded watches, they also produce high-end timepieces under the Grand Seiko and Credor labels.

02.06.2020
Nick Kenyon

HANDS-ON: The Seiko SPB161, an entirely new Presage dial design inspired by a clock from the '70s

The Seiko Presage collection has long been a popular part of the brand's lineup thanks to the well-tuned value proposition, and the amount of watch you get for your money. The Seiko SPB161 is another fine example. Featuring a crisp enamel dial and powered by the automatic Seiko caliber 6R27, you are once again gaining access to a complicated model with a hand-fired dial at a great price, especially when compared to enamel dial watches from practically all other brands. Beyond its functionality laid bare, the Seiko SPB161 offers a minimalist design with its two complications, the power reserve indicator and date sub-dial, very restrained in their presentation. This specific design language has been inspired by Japanese designer Riki Watanabe and his distinctive "RIKI STEEL CLOCK" from 1977, a design that was focused on high legibility and something that has been successfully translated here. Both in materials and inspiration, this addition to the Presage collection is a finely blended example of Japanese design expressed through watchmaking. This isn't the first time we've seen enamel dials in this collection; the starkness of the black on the white of this dial makes it stand out. The printed black batons that serve as… Read More

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19.04.2020
Nick Kenyon

Hunting (and catching) the epic and rare Seiko SBWA001 from 1999, the first-ever Spring Drive watch

Seiko SBWA001

The turn of the century gave us Y2K hysteria, the first use of the Euro as currency and the Spring Drive movement. That's right, in 1999 we saw one of the most remarkable innovations in watchmaking of the last half-century, with the release of the first-ever Spring Drive powered watch, the Seiko SBWA001. This is the story of a reader by the name of Zach's pursuit of one of these fairly rare watches that marked a new beginning for the Japanese manufacturer.  In June last year I was fortunate enough to attend the spectacular HSNY (Horological Society of New York) lectures in honour of the 20th anniversary of the proprietary Spring Drive movement. As an owner of an SBGA211 "Snowflake" and big fan of the Grand Seiko brand, I was excited at the prospect of really digging into the history of the engine of one of my favourite timepieces. For a complete overview of Spring Drive if you are not familiar already, it is best to hear from the experts themselves and I feel obligated to direct you to the lecture itself by Joseph Kirk, Brand Curator and National Trainer for Grand Seiko Corporation of America. I caution any sceptics… Read More

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18.04.2020
Nick Kenyon

VIDEO: All three limited edition watches from the new Seiko 55th Anniversary dive watch collection

Seiko 55th Anniversary dive watch collection

This year, Seiko is celebrating 55 years since their first-ever dive watch, which was released in 1965. Since then, the dive watch has become a core part of Seiko's offering, with innumerable watches released over the years, many of which have developed cult followings. To mark this occasion, Seiko have released a trio of limited edition watches, each paying tribute to an important dive watch from their archive. The three watches in question are based on references released in 1965, 1968 and 1975 respectively, and all still make up a significant part of their professional collection today. As I mentioned, they are limited in their production numbers. Each watch will be available in 1100 pieces, and will be delivered between June and July of this year.  Seiko 55th Anniversary Dive Watch Collection Australian Pricing The Seiko SLA037J1 reissue from 1965 is AUD$9750, The Seiko SLA039J1 reissue from 1968 is AUD$10,500 The Seiko SLA041J1 reissue from 1975 is AUD$6950.  Made in partnership with Seiko. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.

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02.06.2020
Nick Kenyon

HANDS-ON: The Seiko SPB161, an entirely new Presage dial design inspired by a clock from the '70s

The Seiko Presage collection has long been a popular part of the brand's lineup thanks to the well-tuned value proposition, and the amount of watch you get for your money. The Seiko SPB161 is another fine example. Featuring a crisp enamel dial and powered by the automatic Seiko caliber 6R27, you are once again gaining access to a complicated model with a hand-fired dial at a great price, especially when compared to enamel dial watches from practically all other brands. Beyond its functionality laid bare, the Seiko SPB161 offers a minimalist design with its two complications, the power reserve indicator and date sub-dial, very restrained in their presentation. This specific design language has been inspired by Japanese designer Riki Watanabe and his distinctive "RIKI STEEL CLOCK" from 1977, a design that was focused on high legibility and something that has been successfully translated here. Both in materials and inspiration, this addition to the Presage collection is a finely blended example of Japanese design expressed through watchmaking. This isn't the first time we've seen enamel dials in this collection; the starkness of the black on the white of this dial makes it stand out. The printed black batons that serve as… Read More

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10.04.2020
Nick Kenyon

VIDEO: The Seiko SPB149J is a 2020 reimagining of the brand's first-ever dive watch

Seiko SPB149J

We've become accustomed to the sight of a vintage reissue in the watch world. Some are good, some are just plain opportunistic and unimaginative, and some miss the mark completely. And the reason many miss the mark is an awkward straddling of the fence between the past and the present. The question boils down to the level of historical accuracy that is being attempted, and whether or not the watch pulls it off. The Seiko SPB149J is a modern reissue of the 62MAS, which was Seiko's first ever dive watch and it opts to proffer a modern interpretation of the OG, rather than a slavish 1:1 reproduction. This is a modern Seiko dive watch that employs some design cues from the original. The case has a similar shape. The dial layout is also clearly inspired by the 62MAS. But it is a thoroughly modern watch in the movement, bracelet (the original was sold on a rubber strap), and proportions of many other elements of the watch. As a result, we aren't presented with a watch that looks too vintage for the modern enthusiast, or misses the details that would upset the vintage collector. The result is a watch that feels… Read More

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02.04.2020
Nick Kenyon

HANDS-ON: The Seiko SPB149J

Seiko SPB149J

Dive watches have come a very long way in 55 years. It was 1965 when Seiko first dipped their toe into the waters of serious dive watches when they released the Seiko automatic 6217 62MAS, water resistant to 150m. Featuring large luminous hands and hour markers, a rotating dive 60-minute bezel and a rubber strap, it already had all the ingredients of the modern-day dive watch. To pay tribute to this special watch, and the legacy of diving watches that it gave birth to, Seiko have released a collection of limited edition watches inspired by important historic references, three of which are faithful to the originals, and one, the Seiko SPB149J, is a modern interpretation of the 62MAS from 1965. As it is a modern interpretation, it is worth some closer scrutiny to see how it stacks up. The link to the original Seiko dive watch is immediately obvious, with the blocky case sides, squared-off lugs and prominent crown at 3 o'clock. While the crown was originally placed there, by 1968 Seiko had shifted the crown to the 4 o'clock position that we are used to seeing to this day. The black 60-minute bezel is also consistent with the original… Read More

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27.03.2020
Nick Kenyon

Your questions about the 2020 Seiko and Grand Seiko collections are answered here

2020 Seiko

This week we were lucky enough to have a number of the latest releases from Seiko and Grand Seiko in the office, and we put the call out to Time+Tide readers to find out the questions they had about these new pieces. If you missed the Q&A on Instagram stories (you can still find them in the Seiko and Grand Seiko highlights on @timetidewatches), we've collated those questions and their answers right here. If you had any questions on the new collection that you didn't get to ask, don't hesitate to send us a direct message and we'll do our best to get back to you in person. So without further ado, let's get into it. Which model are you most excited about? I was personally very excited about the Grand Seiko SBGW258, which is a sensational watch in the metal. The 38mm case is perfect, the dial is fantastically balanced, and seeing the logo that was used in 1960 is really special. The way the light plays with it is something you really need to see in the metal. Depending on your tastes, it could easily be a one-watch collection. Would love to hear about the SPB149J. This watch… Read More

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