Cazalea introduces Seiko's new Presage series, highlighting its innovative textile-inspired dials and traditional Japanese color palette. His post delves into the design philosophy and technical specifications, offering a comprehensive look at how Seiko continues to push aesthetic boundaries within its accessible Presage line. This exploration provides valuable insight into Seiko's commitment to craftsmanship and cultural storytelling.
At the heart of the new Presage series are richly textured, curved dials that express the soft and supple feel of natural textiles, whose use is interwoven into Japan’s culture. All are available this summer for around $1000.
SILK TEXTURES
The series features two different dial configurations and sets of functions. The dials of the three-hand with date creations are inspired by lustrous silk fabric, while the two open-heart watches express the texture of raw silk yarn through a radial pattern. With their curvature and intricately textured patterns, the dials capture and reflect ambient light to create a heightened sense of depth and beauty. The tops of the indexes curve to conform with the dials’ rounded shape, and the minute and seconds hands bend gently toward the markers.
TRADITIONAL COLORS
Each watch imparts a warm luster to the traditional Japanese color it expresses. These include
- shiro-iro, the color of unbleached natural fabric, which inspires two dials in the collection
- sensaicha, a dark brownish-green that was fashionable during the Edo Period
- araigaki, a washed and bleached persimmon color
- sumi-iro, a greyish black originally used in garments worn by monks
CASE & BRACELET
The case is constructed with soft, curved surfaces, and the dual-curved sapphire crystal echoes the contours of the dome-shaped dial, adding further depth to the overall design. A newly developed multi-row bracelet with design inspiration from the 1970s provides a delicate and comfortable feeling on the wrist. The bracelet’s links have an ergonomic shape, with a curved top surface and a reduction of contact points around the wrist for a comfortable fit and enhanced aesthetics.
MOVEMENTS
Three of the watches have the classic three-hand configuration with central seconds and date, while the remaining two bear a 24-hour scale and a dial opening onto the movement’s escapement at 9 o’clock. Powering each new watch is one of two recently introduced Seiko 6R movements that run for 72 hours, ensuring that a watch removed Friday evening will be ready to wear on Monday morning without having to be reset. The three-hand watches with date use Caliber 6R55, while Caliber 6R5J powers the open-heart watches. Each movement’s gold-colored oscillating weight is visible through an exhibition case back.
FABRIC
YARN
YARN
Do you like this new dial treatment?
I like the yarn variant.
Cazalea
Case Size is 40mm x 13mm
Power Reserve 72 hours
