While Seiko are most noted for their Prospex diver’s collection and high-end Grand Seiko line, the Japanese manufacturer certainly deserves praise for its “everyday wear” Seiko Presage family. With this in mind, the luxury watch brand have welcomed a new set of daily watches named the Seiko Presage 60s Style. Inspired by a historic Seiko chronograph from the 1960’s, the selection of simple time and date and skeletonised 24-hour models deliver vintage earthy tones and plenty of contemporary elements.
The Seiko Crown Chronograph became Seiko’s and Japan’s first ever wristwatch equipped with a stopwatch function when it was launched back in 1964. Its design was also noteworthy for its thin fixed bezel with 60 minute scale, sharp sword shaped hands and striped indexes. It also had no date window, an unusual trait in a chronograph watch of any era. Ultimately, it marked the beginning of the chronograph manufacturing we see from Seiko today. Now for 2021, the traditional aesthetics of the Presage collection are combined with the retro style of the Crown Chronograph, guaranteeing a similar bezel and dial design in a range of warm colourways. There are currently two varieties of the Presage 60s Style watch to choose from, the first a classic three-hand-and-date piece and the second a unique skeletonised 24 hour watch.
The Seiko Presage 60s Style Time & Date Watches
The more classic of the designs is the time and date Presage 60s Style. Each watch incorporates the Crown Chronograph’s characteristic box-shaped glass housed above sharp hands and faceted indexes laid out on a choice of four dial colours. First reference SRPG03J1 boasts a cream face with gold hands and indexes and a contrasting black bezel. Second is SRPG05J1 with a matching blue dial and bezel with silvered markers. Reference SRPG09J1 follows suit with a black dial and bezel. Lastly, and possibly our favourite of the series is the Seiko Presage 60s Style SRPG07J1 watch. The outer edge of the bezel is dressed in a khaki green to match the bezel while the centre is ink black. All the Seiko Presage 60s Style watches have dials with the inner and outer areas applied with different finishing techniques for enhanced legibility. The Lumibrite on these models has also been slightly faded to augment the vintage feel.
Other than their differing colourways, each of the time and date Seiko Presage 60s Style watches follow suit in the rest of their specifications. Their gently round cases are modelled after the 1964 Crown Chronograph engineered from stainless steel and equipped with mirror finished lugs and box-shaped Hardlex crystal glass. The cases measure to 40.8 millimetres in diameter and 12 millimetres in thickness and promise a 50 metre water resistant rating helped by an exhibition screw down case back. Displayed through the back is the commonly seen Calibre 4R35 automatic winding movement. Alongside the central hands for hours, minutes and seconds and date complication at 3 o’clock, the calibre achieves 23 jewels, a frequency of 21,600vph and a power reserve of 41 hours. For the straps, three of the Presage 60s Style watches are presented on classic stainless steel bracelets while the fourth, reference SRPG09J1, makes history as the first Seiko Presage on a nylon strap.
The Seiko Presage 60s Style Skeleton Watches
In addition to the time-and-date models, the Japanese watch brand have offered a series of Seiko Presage 60s Style watches with a skeletonised dial design and a 24 hour indicator. Also referred to as the Seiko Presage 60s Style Open Heart watches, the three dials feature a small yet statement skeletonised aperture at 9 o’clock which reveals the automatic winding movement working inside. The three designs include reference SSA423J1 with a cream dial, black bezel and matching silver hardware and SSA425J1 with the same silver hands and indexes but on a black dial and black bezel. These two The Seiko Presage 60s Style Skeleton watches are engineered from classic stainless steel and finished on a three-row bracelet. The last reference, SSA426J1, also boasts a black face and bezel but instead opts for beautiful rose gold accents to match the rose gold PVD case. This piece is delivered on a brown NATO strap.
The same retro characteristics of the Crown Chronograph are mirrored in the Seiko Presage 60s Style Skeleton watches including a 60 minute sapphire bezel, sharp hands, striped indexes and box-shaped Hardlex crystal glass. The cases measure to 40.75 millimetres in diameter and 12.81 millimetres in thickness making room for the Calibre 4R39 automatic winding movement. Alongside a power reserve of 41 hours, the movement equips each Presage 60s Style Open Heart watch with three central hands for hours, minutes and seconds and a 24 hour indicator at the 10 o’clock position. Like their time and day counterparts, the designs also have a water resistant rating of 50 metres and a screw down exhibition case back.
If you’d like to learn more about the Seiko Presage 60s Style collection, head over to the Jura Watches website here or get in touch with the team by calling 01335 453453.
