INTRODUCING: The Seiko Presage Sharp Edged GMT Collection oozes robust elegance

Zach Blass

The force is strong with Seiko and it’s clear they are not holding back this year with some fantastic new releases. The Sharp Edged Presage collection is known for its robust elegance, featuring eye-catching dials in highly scratch and water-resistant cases. Previously we all had a plethora of dials to admire in the time and date format. For those who want a little more complication, Seiko has now introduced the Seiko Presage Sharp Edged GMT collection.

The stainless-steel cases of the Seiko Presage Sharp Edged GMT collection are all 42.2mm in diameter, 13.7mm thick and a manageable 49.2mm lug-to-lug across the wrist. The sharp and angular geometry of the case is reminiscent of a creation from Grand Seiko, but with a level of finishing more in line with Seiko’s price point. The lug hoods are nicely satin brushed, with the caseband and outer squared facet of the lugs mirror polished. The contrasting finishes result in a sporty yet elegant timepiece that plays well with light. The cases are 100 metres water-resistant, which means you can safely explore all environments with the watch. And considering it is a GMT, you can utilise the 24-hour hand and black 24-hour bezel to keep track of multiple time zones while travelling. As an added bonus of security, all four watches have a super-hard coating that protects the case from scratches and ensures it maintains its brilliance.

The dials all utilise the gorgeous hemp leaf pattern developed by Seiko. Like the case, the texture and edges of the pattern make the dial come alive – achieving a dial gradient reminiscent of the shadowing you would find on a sunburst dial. According to Seiko, “The indexes and sharp hour and minute hands are crafted to allow the light to play across the dial as they have two different finishes, textured on the top and polished on the sides. Even the GMT hand has a sharp and powerful design that matches the angularity of the case.” Speaking of the hands and indices, they are each filled with LumiBrite to ensure visibility in darkness.

A lot of information is neatly laid out across the dial. At 9 o’clock is the 45-hour power reserve indicator. At 6′, instead of a date window, Seiko has opted for a date register. The sub dial and its small hand conveys the date utilising a circular scale from 1-31. The stepped inner bezel is home to the outer minuted track, a great choice to create less interference with the artistic hemp leaf aesthetic of the dial. The inner bezel ring is also split into two halves with two different colours symbolising the night and day hours that correspond with the GMT hand and bezel.

Each offering has a distinct dial with a different traditional Japanese colour: Aitetsu (indigo iron), Tokiwa (evergreen trees), Sumiiro (India ink), and the boutique exclusive Hihada-iro (a reddish-brown color first derived from the bark of the Japanese cypress tree). The green and black dials are paired with black bezels, while the blue and brown references feature bezels that match their dial tones. The blue and brown configurations both have a salmon-beige GMT hand with the stepped inner bezel matching the dial colour in its top half (night) and the bottom half of the ring (day) rendered in a GMT hand matching salmon-beige. For the green and the black, they both have a black/grey split for the stepped inner bezel ring. But they each have their own distinct colour GMT hand, yellow for the green dial and red for the black.

The five-piece link bracelet is also reminiscent of the Grand Seiko aesthetic, with three broader brushed links and a central link framed by two narrow polished components. The three fold clasp secures the watch to the wrist, and in terms of its robustness it is also protected with the same super-hard coating found on the case.

The Seiko Presage Sharp Edged GMT Collection are all powered by the 24 jewel Caliber 6R64, visible beneath the exhibition sapphire of the screw-down caseback. The movement features 45 hours of power reserve, a 24-hour GMT hand, calendar-linked time difference adjustment function, sub dial with date hand, power reserve indicator and hacking seconds.

Seiko Presage Sharp Edged GMT Collection pricing and availability:

The Seiko Presage Sharp Edged GMT Collection will be available in May 2021 from authorized dealers of Seiko timepieces. Price: $2,150

Made in partnership with Seiko. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.