It may be on the cutting edge of technology now, but Japan has historically been a bit behind when it comes to watchmaking. Take their first chronographs, for example. The first Swiss version was built in the 1820s; the first Japanese was in 1964. Needless to say, it was made by Seiko, which in a roundabout way led to the new Presage 2020 Limited Edition paying homage to the 1964 Crown Chronograph model.
Now let’s get the elephant in the room out of the way: your eyes won’t deceive you, these are time-and-date watches only. There are no chronographs here. That’s because this trilogy is a tribute to design rather than mechanics, an aesthetic re-telling of last year’s Presage Chronograph 55th Anniversary piece.
In short, these are three-hand versions of the previous limited editions. They take the same, cool, minimalist style and present it in a more modern way. They share some key elements, such as the case, dial, and most obviously the bezel, but have been brought to modern proportions.
At 41.3mm in diameter, they’re larger than the 1964 original but smaller than the limited edition chronograph, which is exactly what you’d expect from a modern interpretation. They’re also 4mm thinner at 11.3mm, thanks to the stripping out of the seconds. It’s easy to notice, despite the design being nearly identical.
The dial is where the new movement is though. Without the chronograph subdials, their beautifully faceted decoration and legible hour markers are on full display. It’s available in three colours: pristine silver, sleek black and a beautiful forest green, a colour that turns slightly bluish in the right light.
Otherwise the three models are identical. The dimensions are the same and all feature the Seiko calibre 6R35 automatic movement with a power reserve of up to 70 hours. It’s a good mid-range Seiko movement to start with, from the baseline, but nowhere near the level of Grand Seiko. That’s reflected in the price, too. Each monochromatic piece is limited to 1964 pieces and costs £750.
Price and specifications:
Model name: Seiko Presage 2020 Limited Edition
Ref: SPB127J1 (silver); SPB131J1 (black); SPB129J1 (green)
Case/Dial: 41.3 mm diameter x 11.3 mm height, polished and brushed stainless steel case, silver, black or green multi-sector dial
Water resistance: 100m (10 ATM)
Movement: Seiko in-house 6R35 calibre, automatic
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, quick-set date
Frequency: 21,600 vph (3 Hz)
Power reserve: 70 hours
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet with folding clasp
Price: 829 EUR, limited to 1964 pieces each, available February 2020
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