Following a string of cool Prospex releases such as the Shog-urai and Marinemaster, Seiko turns their attention to the Presage Craftsmanship Series. This is one of the smaller subcollections in Seiko’s vast range of timepieces, consisting of watches with dials created by skilled Japanese artisans. The latest addition is the Seiko Presage Arita Porcelain ‘Concentric’ SPB445.
Arita porcelain is named after the town of Arita in southern Japan, an area famous for its clay that produces a particularly high quality of porcelain. As you’d expect though, porcelain is a poor material for a watch dial considering the wide range of motion, bumps and bangs that a watch experiences in its life. Which is why a special type of Arita porcelain was developed with four times the hardness and strength, making it suitable for use in the Presage collection.
Adding to the difficulty in the production of the Seiko Presage Arita Porcelain ‘Concentric’ SPB445, it features a recessed concentric ring around the centre. Not only is this tricky to produce perfectly, but it also results in a thinner layer of material where it’s recessed, resulting a higher failure rate.
The same is true of the 24-hour subdial at 6 o’clock (it’s both this subdial and the recessed ring that make this model distinct from existing porcelain models). However, this just demonstrates the skill of Seiko’s artisans in creating the smooth, flawless finish.
Beyond the porcelain dial, it’s a relatively straightforward Presage timepiece. It has a 40.6mm steel case with a smooth round bezel and long, facetted lugs with a combination of brushed and polished finishing across the entire surface of the model. Housed inside is the 6R5H automatic calibre, equipped with hours, minutes, seconds and 24-hour functions, as well as a strong 72-hour power reserve.
In terms of price, the Seiko Presage Arita Porcelain ‘Concentric’ SPB445 is £1,720, which is a mid-point price for the Craftsmanship Series. I think that’s perfect reasonable considering that the Series tends to be on the pricier end of the Seiko range, largely due to the specialist materials and the fact they house some of Seiko’s best calibres.
Price and Specs:
More details at Seiko Boutique.
