Baselworld 2019: First Look at the Seiko Presage Arita Porcelain Dial Collection Refs. SPB093 and SPB095

It’s been said many times in many ways, but the simple truth is that Seiko is the king of craftsmanship in watches that offer a value proposition. At every level of their immense (and growing) catalog, there are watches that far exceed their modest prices in terms quality.  In my experience, that point is made most clear in the Presage range, where Seiko often employs time-honored techniques to create watches that are, simply put, stunning and unique without asking potential buyers to drop a couple of mortgage payments. The newest Presage pieces, announced last week at Baselworld, continue this trend with porcelain dials made in the historic Japanese tradition. 

Seiko Preseage SPB093

Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial: Arita porcelain
Dimensions: 40.6mm
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 10 bar
Crown: Push pull
Movement: Calibre 6R27
Strap/bracelet: brown leather
Price: $1,900
Expected release: September 2019

Seiko Preseage SPB095

Case Material: Stainless steel
Dial: Arita porcelain
Dimensions: 40.5mm
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 10 bar
Crown: Push pull
Movement: Calibre 6R35
Strap/bracelet: brown leather
Price: $1,700
Expected release: September 2019

The references SPB093 (with power reserve and small date subdial at 6:00) and SPB095 (center seconds with a date window at 3:00) are essentially identical to enamel dialed variants of these watches introduced in 2017.

Porcelain has a unique depth and texture that makes it a beautiful material to use in a watch dial, but it’s inherently delicate. Seiko tells us that the process for producing these dials (largely by hand, in the town of Arita, known internationally as the home to some of the finest porcelain in the world) mitigates this tendency somewhat. Each dial is hand glazed and fired three times before completion, a process that is labor intensive and time consuming. The resulting porcelain has a distinctive sheen and a blue tint, making it a great match for the blue handset and red accent at 12:00.

These Arita dials are proof (as are the enamel dials versions that preceded them) that you can obtain true Japanese craftsmanship at a fair price by digging into the Presage line. You could spend thousands more on a Swiss watch and not surpass the level of finishing on dials and cases of many Seiko Preseage references. Add to that the very tangible appeal of owning a watch that has a real historical and cultural connection to Japan, and you begin to see why the Presage line is so important to Seiko. It’s an attainable luxury that its makers take real pride in. Seiko