Seiko King

Return of the King

The Japanese watch giant Seiko introduced both the King Seiko and the Grand Seiko brands in the early 1960s. Both brands were tasked with raising the quality of Seiko watches to a new level. While the Grand Seiko team worked at the Suwa factory in the mountains near Nagano, the King Seiko team worked at the Daini factory in Kameido, in Tokyo’s Koto district. An internal competition soon developed between the two teams to produce the most accurate, best finished, and most beautiful watch.

Seiko positioned the King Seiko as a high-quality everyday watch that would appeal to the masses. The design is correspondingly simple: finely finished dials with applied bar or baton indices, hand-polished dauphine or baton hands and, depending on the model, round, tonneau-shaped, or rectangular stainless steel cases.

Watches in the collection were powered by high-precision calibers from the 44xx, 45xx, 56xx, and 52xx families. The last three are so-called “hi-beat” calibers, which have a higher balance frequency and are therefore especially accurate.

Seiko discontinued the King Seiko collection in 1975. It wasn’t until the year 2000 that the manufacturer began offering limited edition re-issues at irregular intervals. The great success of these editions prompted Seiko to reintroduce King Seiko in 2022.

Reasons for Buying a King Seiko

• High-quality everyday watches with a simple design
• Precise in-house caliber
• Excellent workmanship
• Watches in a variety of sizes

King Seiko: Prices at a Glance

How much does a King Seiko cost?

The cheapest way to get a King Seiko is to go vintage. Well-preserved models from the 1960s and 70s can be found on Chrono24 starting at around 390 USD.

Unworn watches from the current collection will set you back between 1,700 and 2,300 USD, depending on the model. If you’d prefer one of the many limited editions, you can expect to spend between 2,800 and 3,400 USD.

King Seiko: New Editions in Detail

The current King Seiko collection is divided into the KSK and KS1969 lines. In both cases, the design of the watches is based on King Seiko models from the 1960s.

For example, the KSK ref. SJE089 was modeled on the ref. 44-9990 from 1965. Watches like the ref. SPB389, on the other hand, borrow from the vintage ref. 45-7000 introduced in 1968. All KSK models share a round case, angular, faceted lugs, Dauphine hands, and applied bar indices. The hour marker at 12 is designed as a double bar and has been given a fine hand-finished pattern – just like the originals. The SJE models in the KSK collection have a diameter of 38.6 mm and are powered by the automatic caliber 6L35. The SPB variants offer fans a choice of watches with a diameter of 38.3 or 37 mm. The larger models are powered by the caliber 6R55, while smaller versions are fitted with the caliber 6R31.

Timepieces in the KS1969 series are visually very different from the KSK models. They have a tonneau-shaped case inspired by the ref. 4502-7010 launched in 1969. The dial design of the 39.4-mm watch also differs slightly from that of the KSK models. The hours are marked here by applied line indices. The time is also indicated by slim baton hands. The caliber 6L35 powers this watch.

Seiko offers a variety of dial colors for both the KSK and KS1969 models. All of the watches come with fine stainless steel bracelets.

Limited King Seiko Re-Issues

In recent years, Seiko has repeatedly released limited re-issue models of the King Seiko. In 2000, for example, the Japanese manufacturer launched the 56KS Re-Issue SCVN001, a faithful replica of the reference 5625-7000, as part of the brand’s Historical Collection.

The KSK 140th Anniversary Limited Edition SJE083J1 was inspired by the design of the ref. 44-9990 and marked the company's 140th anniversary in 2021.

The current collection also includes some limited edition models like the Seiko Watchmaking 110th Anniversary Limited Edition SPB365 and the Seiko Brand 100th Anniversary Limited Edition SJE115. These differ from the standard models only in their more elaborately designed patterned dials and are produced in editions of 600 to 1,200 pieces.

Vintage Variants of the King Seiko

The original King Seiko watches were in production from 1960 to 1975. During this time, the 44KS, 45KS, 56KS, and 52KS lines were created, which differ mainly in the calibers used. Watches in the 44KS series are equipped with the manual caliber 44A with a balance wheel that beats at a relatively slow 18,000 vph. In contrast, watches in the 45KS collection are powered by calibers from the 4500 family. These hand-wound movements are true “Hi Beat” calibers, which operate at a balance frequency of 36,000 vph. In the King Seiko 56KS and 52KS series, you’ll find automatic movements from the 5600 and 5200 caliber families. Seiko also refers to these movements as “Hi Beat” calibers, although the balance frequency is just 28,000 vph.

All of the vintage King Seiko series offer a wide variety of case shapes. For example, you can choose a classic round watch like ref. 45-7000, a tonneau-shaped model such as ref. 5625-7030, or ref. 5626-5010 with a rectangular case. There are also a variety of dial and strap options to choose from.

Quartz-Powered King Seiko Models

For several years beginning in 1975, Seiko produced watches under the name King Quartz. One example of this is the reference 4823-8130, which is powered by the quartz caliber 4823. Models are equipped with an integrated bracelet, as is typical of many watches from the 1970s. The dial is based on the design of the mechanical King Seiko.

FAQs

What’s a King Seiko?

King Seiko is a collection of premium watches from the Japanese watch manufacturer Seiko. The timepieces feature classic, elegant designs and precise in-house calibers.

Is the King Seiko any good?

King Seiko watches are known for their high quality. The in-house movements are reliable and precise, and the workmanship of the cases and dials is impeccable.