A New Collection of King Seikos Make their Debut Just in Time for a Big Seiko Anniversary

We’ve already seen a flurry of activity from Seiko and Grand Seiko in 2023 to celebrate the 110th anniversary of the first wristwatch to bear the Seiko name. In what might be the most exciting anniversary release of this young year, Seiko has added a quartet of new watches to their recently relaunched King Seiko line. King Seiko began to reemerge back in 2020 as part of the brand’s big 140th anniversary celebration with a recreation of the historic KSK, featuring many of the premium touches we normally associate with higher tier Seiko and Grand Seiko releases. A collection of new, vintage inspired designs appeared last year, and that basically brings us to today. You’d be forgiven for forgetting about the new King Seikos given the comparatively infrequent releases, but they’re the type of watches that always get collectors excited for their attention to small, historical details and overall bang for buck. The new batch of King Seikos is without a doubt the most compelling collection yet, and will hopefully serve as a building block for more regular releases in the future. 

We’ll start with the SPB365, which keeps the same 37mm case as last year’s releases, but adds a special dial design featuring a hexagon motif. This design, known as the “Kikkoumon,” is meant to symbolize a tortoise shell, an animal that represents longevity in Japanese culture. The symbol is frequently used in samurai armor, as well. It’s also a subtle nod to the origins of King Seiko, whose first manufacturing facility was located in the Kameido section of Tokyo,also known as “Tortoise Island.” The dial has a degradé effect as well, with the outer perimeter darkening to black from a more vibrant color in the inner section. It’s geometrically complex and quite attractive. 

Other than the new dial, the SPB365 is identical to last year’s releases. It still features faceted hour markers, the same angular, KSK inspired case, and runs on a 6R31 automatic movement with 70 hours of power reserve. The SPB365 is a limited edition of 1,200 pieces, and will be available through Seiko retailers in April. 

While the SPB365’s dial is probably the showstopper of this set of new King Seiko watches, the rest of the lineup might be the more durable of the group, in the sense that they’re permanent additions to the collection, and based on specs and some new refinements, they are likely to bring new collectors into the King Seiko fold. The SPB369, SPB371, and SPB373 all make use of a new 39mm case and feature white, blue, and green dials, respectively. At first glance, the case appears to have a shape that’s similar to the 37mm watches, but with some very small changes. The lugs, for example, are wider and more muscular, which should give these watches a broader appearance on the wrist even beyond the small increase in case diameter. Seiko has also adjusted the finishing, giving the tops of the lugs a hairline brushed finish that contrasts with polish case sides. You’ll find a similar contrast on the bezel, and an additional face on the applied hour markers to catch and reflect more light. 

What’s more, the new 39mm watches feature a new movement, Seiko’s 6R55. This automatic caliber has a full three days of power reserve (as indicated on the new dials), and is about a quarter of a millimeter thinner than the otherwise comparable 6R31, which should allow for thinner watches down the line, and more versatility in general. The new 39mm watches measure 11.9mm tall compared to the 12.1mm height of the smaller 37mm variants. The new case size, then, should feel quite a bit more like a contemporary watch on the wrist, but maintains the key vintage cues that would draw a collector to King Seiko in the first place.

Like the limited edition SPB365, the new 39mm King Seikos are expected to be available in April. All four of these new watches carry the same $1,800 retail price.