King Seiko as a brand name may confuse some people because Grand Seiko exists. Are they not the same? Between 1965 and 1971, King Seiko was established by Seiko as a competitor to Grand Seiko, but as time went on it was clear that Grand Seiko would come out on top. And so, King Seiko would fade until it was revived in 2020 with the re-edition of the 1965 King Seiko KSK. That revival continues now with the limited edition SJE095.
The new SJE095 is based on the 1965 KSK but manages to be 0.2mm slimmer for a thickness of 10.7mm. Other dimensions include the 38.6mm in diameter and a lug-to-lug of 45.8mm.
The stainless steel case features flat surfaces, sharp angles, and large bevelled areas on the lugs. On the bezel, you’ll find Zaratsu or mirror polishing to really give that Grand Seiko sparkle. There’s a solid caseback decorated with the King Seiko logo and also assists with the 50m water resistance rating.
The stainless steel bracelet is close to the original with seven rows of faceted, brushed, and polished links.
The most interesting aspect of this watch has to be the dial. The geometric pattern represents the chrysanthemum, one of Japan’s national flowers. The pattern was achieved using a series of finely intersecting lines called kiku tsunagi-mon.
There’s not a speck of lume on the dial, instead the applied rectangular indices catch the light with their polished facets. The flat broad razor-edged hands are faceted and Zaratsu polish for distortion free shine. At 3 o’clock you find the date aperture on a white background with black numerals.
Powering the SJE095 is the in-house calibre 6L35 which beats at 4Hz and delivers 45-hours of power for an accuracy of -10/+15 seconds/day.
These are available in October and will arrive on a stainless steel bracelet with a grey leather strap as an option. Limited to 600 pieces, the SJE095 will sell for €3,500.
