My Eastern Watch Collection: King Seiko KSK SJE083J1 Limited Edition (or SDKA001) - First Class and Carries itself Well Beyond its Price Point, A Review (plus Video)

A century is a long time. In 2021, Seiko will be celebrating its 140th years in operations since it was first established in 1881. To mark this momentous occasion, Seiko has in store a number of new and exiting models. One of the most anticipated release is a revival of one of its famous sub-brand and model, the 1965 King Seiko KSK.

The last time Seiko recreated a model under the old King Seiko sub-brand was in the year 2000 with the launched of the SCVN001 as part of the Seiko Historical Collection of that year. Twenty years later, on 8 December 2020, Seiko announced the second official recreation of the King Seiko line.

This second recreation is designated the SJE083J1 (in Japan the reference is SDKA001). Called the King Seiko KSK, it is based on the 1965 model of the same name. KSK is an abbreviation of the name “King Seiko Kisei-Tsuki”. This special limited edition watch revives the 1965 Reference 44-9990, or the “44KS”. I was fortunate to get my hands on one via my good friend at AWG in Mid Valley.

The History

In the 1960s, Seiko created two luxury sub-brands headquartered in two separate subsidiaries created in 1959 to create innovation and competition. The Suwa Seikosha (now known as Seiko Epson Corporation) production facility was tasked with the design and production of the Grand Seiko line while the Dainin Seikosha (now known as Seiko Instruments Inc) production facility was tasked with the design and production of the King Seiko line. The Suwa Seikosha plant started first in 1960 while the Dainin Seikosha started a year later in 1961.

Unfortunately, the upheaval cased by the Quartz Watch Crisis in the 1970s caused both plants to stop producing the two luxury sub-brands of Seiko by the late 1970s. Since then, Seiko has centralised their production strategy. In 1998, Seiko revived the Grand Seiko line.

Seiko decided to relaunched the King Seiko line in the year 2000 with the SCVN001 as part of the Seiko Historical Collection of that year (below is the promotion in Japanese). However, after reviewing marketing data, Seiko decided not to continue with the King Seiko line but instead focus on developing the Grand Seiko line which was just re-established a couple of years earlier (1998).

As highlighted earlier, the SJE083J1 is a modern re-creation of the iconic 1965 King Seiko KSK (see below).

The vintage King Seiko KSK “44KS” of 1965

The design back then (as it is now) has been guided by Seiko's first official "Watch Designer", Mr. Taro Tanaka. He was responsible for a design language nicknamed The Grammar of Design that is still clearly visible in modern Seiko watches today.

The Grammar of Design is a concept that centred on a few key elements to make Seiko watches stand out against competitors'. These elements can be visually seen in the flat surfaces, angles, facets and mirror-like polishing. The Grammar of Design is clear to see in this King Seiko reissue, with razor-sharp case lines, and Zaratsu-polished flat surfaces.

The Watch

Made from stainless steel, the case is super-hard coated to give the surface additional strength against scratches. The watch has a diameter of 38.1 mm with a height of 11.4 mm. The dial is protected by a boxed sapphire crystal while the case-back is a solid screw-down plate which features the same gold King Seiko shield medallion that the original had. The signed crown is located at 3:00 and the watch has an official water rating of 50 meters.

I must say Seiko's Zaratsu polishing is astonishing. I tried taking photos of the watch in normal sunlight but it was hard to capture the images due to brightness of the metal surfaces.

The sunburst silvered dial has that vintage look that is evergreen. Coupled with the Zaratsu polishing for the hands and applied markers, the whole dial seems to dance in sunlight. There will always be a reason to stare at it as you will notice something new every time.

The hour marker at 12:00 features a historically accurate "W" when viewed at the short side. The crisscross pattern on both sides of that particular hour marker provide a non-reflecting surface to focus on. This provide a reference point that helps reduce confusion especially when the watch is very shiny. All other applied hour markers are simple rectangular bullion style polished steel. To keep track of minutes, there is a black-notched minute track at the edge of the dial.

The brand is cut from a sheet of metal and applied to the upper side of the dial. On the bottom side of the dial, there are three level of texts with varying fonts and sizes. The words "KING SEIKO" and "DIASHOCK 26 JEWELS" are in black print and obvious to see. However, the words "JAPAN 6L35 - 00E0 R 2" are harder to see due to the much smaller font size and the located on the peripheral at 6:00.

The photo above also shows, in closeup, the beveled boxed sapphire crystal protecting the dial. The boxed sapphire crystal has anti-reflective coating applied and extends approximately 2 mm beyond the fixed bezel of the watch. Visually, the edge of the crystal has been beveled to create an additional two sided surfaces that has an angle to the horizon. This creates a nice refractive effect when the dial is viewed at any angle. Coupled with the dauphine hands that are highly polished with beveled edges, the dial is like a kaleidoscope, throwing up beautiful patterns of light especially in sunlight. It is hard to describe. One need to see it in person.

The only complication on the King Seiko KSK is the date function located in a date aperture located at 3:00. Surrounded by a metal box frame with many facets, it helps create depth. The date wheel has a white background which contrast subtly with the sunburst silvered dial.

The photo above shows the number of surfaces Seiko has incorporated into the watch design. The deeply grooved gear-tooth crown, signed with the logo and brand, is a replica of the original 1965 model. Located at 3:00, the crown uses a push-in/pull-out system to engage the gears to adjust the time and date. Note also the angled lugs. It helps reduce the overall length of the watch as well as comfortably wraps itself along the curvature of a wrist. It has a width of 20 mm. Lug-to-lug length is 44.7 mm.

The watch is paired with crocodile leather. At 20 mm at the lugs, the strap tapers down to 16 mm at the buckle. As you can see in the photo above, the buckle has that vintage signage unique from other contemporary Seiko buckles.

Straight out of the box, the strap is rather stiff and creaks when on the wrist. Once the leather is 'seasoned' with constant wearing, it should be soft and supple.

The screw-down case-back is solid with a gold King Seiko coin emblem sunken in the center. The information around the emblem appears to be chemically etched to the surface. Only the emblem is similar to the original 1965 model. It is interesting to note that the watch is only water rated for 5 ATM or 50 meters.

Behind the case-back is the Seiko Caliber 6L35, which was introduced in 2018. The automatic movement operates at a frequency of 28,800 BPH, is magnetic-resistant to 4,800 A/m, has 26 jewels and has a 4 power reserve of 45 hours. The movement can be manually wound, has a 'hacking' function and a quick date setting mechanism.

Honestly, I would have preferred the 8R series movement to be incorporate into this model considering its status as a limited edition as well as the only modern King Seiko available from the brand.

We all know the level of technological expertise available within the Seiko group; from its design bureau and engineering team, to its manufacturing facilities, its experts in metallurgical sciences and such. What surprised me is the rather paltry 50 meter water resistance for this watch. I expect at least a 3-digit water resistance level. Under the newer (and cheaper) Seiko 5 Sports sub-brand, watches with push-in/pull-out crown have 100 meters as standard.

The Wearing Experience

The design, dimensions and functionality of the King Seiko KSK are all within a sweat-spot for wristwatches. Coupled with exceptional finishing, the SJE083J1 is a watch comparable to premium timepieces by famous brands.

As a watch collector with focus on the Seiko brand, the launch of the SJE083J1 was very exciting for me. A model having the King Seiko branding was unexpected. For the last few months, Seiko have been issuing 140th Anniversary models under Grand Seiko, Prospex, Astron and many more. Although the King Seiko issue has rekindle the speculation that Seiko is about to revive the sub-brand, it is hard to comprehend what kind of niche King Seikos will occupy considering Seiko already have practically all areas covered. Meanwhile, below is a video of the watch on my wrist.

With the width of 38.1 mm, the watch should be comfortable on practically everyone's wrist. The SJE083J1 is a dress watch and needs to be treated as such. Even the water rating is giveaway about its lack of ability to be treated as a 'casual' watch. This somewhat limits the number of occasions where the watch can be worn.

The highly polished surfaces can also be seen as a bane. Any scratches, however fine, will be very obvious and distracting. If you have some sort of OCD-like condition especially about your watches (like I do), it can be stressful to own this watch.

Due to the nature of the highly polished surfaces, I would like to recommend Seiko introduce a quick-change spring-bar system (i.e. a small latch to push in the lug springs) instead of a typical spring-bar that would require one to use a tool that could (highly likely) scratch the surface.

The tapered strap enhances the 'old-school' feeling of the SJE083J1. On my 6.75 inch wrist, the watch sits properly. Paired it with formal attire and you get a handsome combination. It is unfortunate that the water rating and 'perfect' surfaces limit its usability somewhat. As a formal or dress watch, the King Seiko KSK SJE083J1 is first class and carries itself well beyond its price point.

Finally, the price. Some of you may argue that the price (MSRP RM14,888/USD3,300/YEN385,000) is on the high side considering the movement is just 6L35 and not even a 8R series. However, as a limited edition, the quality of manufacturing/finishing and more importantly, having a 'King Seiko' badge more than compensate the premium requested.

The Purchasing Experience

I had to put a full price deposit for this watch for more than a month before I got it (made the deposit on 3 February 2021 but only got the watch on 19 March 2021). Nevertheless, it was worth it.

The packaging is very elaborate. The watch-box is large and rectangular in shape. It is protected by a packaging white cardboard sleeve with no obvious brand markings except for some instructions for the dealers. A barcode is also visible.

The second layer is a more traditional higher quality cardboard box where the main watch-box is kept. The brand in printed in golden paint. There is space provided for the manual and the warranty documents to be kept apart from the main watch-box.

The main watch-box is a real beauty. Made out of wood and lacquered in blood red paint, it exudes premium and sophistication. The brand shown below is beautifully sealed under the layers of lacquer.

Inside the box, the backing is cushioned with a velvety material with the "KING SEIKO" sub-brand printed in gold. The watch is kept in position by two straps as shown below.

I am happy that Seiko took an effort to deliver the watch in a package worth of the namesake, "King Seiko".

The Free Gift

As part of the celebration, Seiko also threw in a "King Seiko" signed watch storage pouch presented in an elaborate presentation box. Unfortunately, the material is not real leather.