Although Seiko and Grand Seiko are now regarded as two separate brands, there has historically been quite a lot of overlap between their catalogs, especially from a price-point perspective. However, when the Japanese manufacturer revived the King Seiko name in 2022, it was specifically brought back to serve as a midpoint between Seiko’s consumer-oriented watches and the luxury offerings produced by Grand Seiko. In the years since its revival, the King Seiko collection has steadily expanded. For its latest release of 2024, Seiko has launched three new King Seiko watches that feature dials inspired by Tokyo’s Kameido district, where King Seiko was first born during the early 1960s.
The three new King Seiko watches are inspired by the famous King Seiko KSK model from 1965, and aside from their dials, the trio is otherwise identical to the SJE089 and SJE091 models that debuted last year. However, while the original duo was offered with either black or silver sunburst dials, the new King Seiko watches feature colorful gradient dials with subtle patterns embossed into their surfaces inspired by King Seiko’s roots in Tokyo’s historic Kameido district. The SJE103 is the first model from the series, and it is inspired by plum blossoms, with a dark red dial and a blooming flower motif across its surface. Meanwhile, the SJE105 is the blue version inspired by the Sumida River that runs through Kameido, and it features a pattern that recalls the appearance of a turtle shell. Lastly, the final model from the trio is the SJE107, and it features a light purple dial with a wisteria pattern adorning its surface as a tribute to the famous wisteria flowers found throughout the Kameido area.
Crafted from stainless steel with a round profile and wide faceted lugs, the cases of the new Kameido-inspired King Seiko watches measure 38.6mm in diameter by 10.7mm thick, with 19mm lugs and an overall lug-to-lug profile of 45.8mm. Additionally, just like previous models from the series, the three new King Seiko watches are furnished with box-shaped sapphire crystals, signed push/pull-style winding crowns at the 3 o’clock location, and solid screw-down casebacks engraved with the King Seiko logo. Similarly, water resistance for the new trio comes in at the same 50 meters offered by the rest of the modern King Seiko lineup. While the overall appearance of their cases faithfully recreates the appearance of the original 1965 King Seiko KSK, the modern models are actually slightly thinner than their vintage predecessors, which creates a more refined and elegant package on the wrist.
While the dials fitted to the trio of Kameido-inspired King Seiko models showcase new colors and surface patterns, the fundamental design of the dials is identical to what can be found among the various other KSK-inspired models from the brand’s modern lineup. Featuring faceted baton-shaped hour markers with a date window at 3 o’clock, the dials offer an extremely traditional layout. However, their textured surfaces and radial gradient finishes offer an appearance that places them directly in line with the rest of the brand’s modern catalog. Additionally, just like Grand Seiko’s more dress-oriented models, the new trio of King Seiko watches forego any type of luminous material to keep the focus on the detailed finishing that covers their dauphine-shaped hands and applied hour markers.
All three of the new Kameido-inspired King Seiko watches are fitted with matching stainless steel bracelets that appear identical to what can be found on several of the brand’s other current-production models. Featuring a flat seven-link design that consists of two wider side links bordering five offset rows of center links, the bracelets fitted to the new King Seiko watches feature brushed top surfaces with high-polished bevels. These are completed by butterfly-style folding clasps that operate with a double push-button release and are signed with King Seiko’s logo. While the bracelets fitted to Seiko’s entry-level models often leave a bit to be desired, the bracelets for the brand’s King Seiko watches offer a solid step up in terms of their construction and finishing. They also feature solid end-links at the lugs with clasps that are constructed from machined components, rather than the simple stamped clasps that can be found on the brand’s various budget-friendly Seiko 5 models.
Just like other modern time-and-date King Seiko watches, the trio of new Kameido-inspired models are powered by the brand’s Caliber 6L35 automatic movement, which is intended to be somewhat of a mid-point between Seiko’s standard calibers and the premium offerings produced by Grand Seiko. While Seiko’s entry-level mechanical movements run at 3 Hz and Grand Seiko’s Hi-Beat calibers offer a 5 Hz operating frequency, the Caliber 6L35 used by King Seiko splits the difference at 4 Hz (28,800vph) with a power reserve of approximately 45 hours. The higher operating frequency enables a tighter timekeeping rating of -10/+15 seconds per day, and while the on-paper specs of the Caliber 6L35 represent a significant improvement compared to what exists among Seiko’s entry-level watches, neither its accuracy nor power reserve is all that impressive. We’re currently living in a world where three-day autonomy and chronometer-certified timekeeping are easily attainable at a low four-figure price point.
The King Seiko range was revived to be a mid-tier offering, although both Seiko and Grand Seiko still occupy an incredibly wide range of prices, and the King Seiko lineup has slightly struggled to find a well-defined place for itself within the industry. With an official retail price of $3,300 USD for any of the three colorways (SJE103, SJE105, and SJE107), the new Kameido-inspired King Seiko watches are positioned directly in line with their current-production siblings. That said, they also exist within an extremely tricky price segment that is significantly more expensive than Seiko’s core-collection models, while simultaneously being less costly than Grand Seiko’s entry-level quartz watches. However, as Grand Seiko continues to make a push up-market, its low four-figure offerings will likely disappear, and I have a feeling that these mid-tier King Seiko models will settle into their intended positioning as the average price of a Grand Seiko moves closer to the five-figure mark. For more information on the King Seiko SJE103, SJE105, and SJE107, please visit the brand’s website.
