Cazalea's post from 2020 announced the exciting return of King Seiko, a line celebrated for its precision and distinctive design. This article delves into the re-creation of the 1965 King Seiko KSK, exploring how Seiko balanced historical fidelity with modern technological advancements. It offers a valuable look at how a brand reintroduces a beloved historical reference to a contemporary audience.
Never before in the company’s history had there been a period of such creativity and achievement. From the first Grand Seiko in 1960 to the automatic chronograph in 1969, the sixties was a decade of important advances in both technical and design development that laid the foundation for the company’s future success in the prestige watch arena. Alongside Grand Seiko, one other series in particular demonstrated the company’s ability to create mechanical watches with high accuracy. It was called King Seiko and, in addition to its precision, it offered a powerful yet graceful design that symbolized the high quality of its construction. 2021 marks the 140th anniversary of Seiko’s foundation and a re-creation of the second series of King Seiko, known as the King Seiko KSK, will be released in celebration of this landmark.
The distinctive profile of the King Seiko KSK
The 1965 King Seiko KSK presented a distinctive, angular profile.
Four years after the introduction of King Seiko, a second series known as the King Seiko KSK was created in 1965. Powered by a manual-winding 25 jewel caliber, the King Seiko KSK was a new departure in design. In contrast to the gentle rounded contours of the first King Seiko creation, the KSK case was strikingly sharp and angular and had a contemporary feel. Its flat surfaces and multi-faceted corners caught the light from any angle and gave the watch a new and striking brilliance. With its water resistance and hacking seconds hand, it offered a high level of practicality which, together with its distinctive design, soon made the KSK a much-demanded watch for Japan’s fast growing number of watch fans.
The new re-creation brings the 1965 KSK back to life in every detail. The combination of the flat dial with the faceted indexes and broad, sharp hands re-creates the refined elegance of the original. The sharp, bold faceted lugs feature large flat planes and razor sharp angles and are Zaratsu polished to a distortion-free mirror finish.
The faceted and textured twelve o’clock index ensures high legibility.
The case back bears the same emblem as the original.
Just as on the first KSK, the index at twelve o’clock has a bright sparkle thanks to the way it is intricately faceted. The case back carries the King Seiko name and the same shield design as the original and the buckle, too, is an accurate reproduction. The Seiko name and a “W” mark that signifies the KSK’s water-resistance appear on the crown.
Both the buckle and crown of the 1965 KSK are faithfully re-created.
Powered by Seiko’s slimline automatic caliber, 6L35
While the re-creation is faithful in every aspect to the original design, it is completely up-todate in technology, function and form. Even with an automatic movement and the addition of a date window, the new watch retains its slim profile and is just 0.5mm thicker than the original, thanks to the thinness of Caliber 6L35. The case is slightly wider than the original at 38.1mm and the crystal is a boxed-shaped sapphire with an anti-reflective coating in the inner surface that delivers high legibility from any angle. The case’s durability is also enhanced by the super-hard coating which protects the watch from scratches.
The King Seiko KSK re-creation will be available from January 2021 as a limited edition of 3,000 at Seiko boutiques and at selected retail partners worldwide.
SJE083 - Seiko 140th Anniversary Limited Edition - Re-creation of King Seiko KSK
Caliber 6L35
Vibrations: 28,800 vibrations per hour (8 beats per second)
Power reserve: 45 hours
Number of jewels: 26
Specifications
Stainless steel case with super-hard coating
Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
Screw case back
Diameter: 38.1mm, Thickness: 11.4mm
Water resistance: 5 bar
Magnetic resistance: 4,800 A/m
Crocodile strap
Approximate recommended retail price in Europe: €3,400
Limited edition of 3,000
