Since its introduction in 2016, the Presage collection has melded Japanese artistry with Seiko’s longstanding mastery of mechanical watchmaking. The new Classic Series makes its debut with five new creations, each conveying a traditional sense of Japanese beauty while bringing the mechanical watchmaking for which Seiko is renowned to the fore.
With the new Classic Series, Presage draws from colours, materials, and textures of traditional Japanese crafts to express the soft and gentle side of Japanese design.
At the heart of the new series are richly textured, curved dials that express the soft and supple feel of natural textiles whose use is interwoven into Japan’s culture. The series features two different dial configurations and sets of functions. With their curvature and intricately textured patterns, the dials capture and reflect ambient light to create a heightened sense of depth and beauty. The tops of the indexes curve to conform with the dials’ rounded shape, and the minute and seconds hands bend gently toward the markers.
The case is constructed with soft, curved surfaces, and the dual-curved sapphire crystal echoes the contours of the dome-shaped dial, adding further depth to the overall design.
A newly developed multi-row bracelet with design inspiration from the 1970s provides a delicate and comfortable feeling on the wrist. The bracelet’s links have an ergonomic shape, with a curved top surface and a reduction of contact points around the wrist for a comfortable fit and enhanced aesthetics. The short length of each link enhances the bracelet’s comfort.
Each watch imparts a warm luster to the traditional Japanese colour it expresses. These include shiroiro, the colour of unbleached natural fabric, which inspires two dials in the collection; sensaicha, a subdued greenish-brown that was fashionable during the Edo Period; araigaki, a washed and bleached persimmon colour; and sumiiro, a greyish black originally used in garments worn by monks.