King Seiko Collection 2022 – Everything You Need to Know About

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King Seiko and Grand Seiko have always been rivals. This rivalry sparked once again in late 2020 with the release of KSK SJE083. It made watch gurus wonder if there’s more coming or if it was just a one-time limited edition. Looks like King Seiko is there to stay as Seiko released five new references, the King Seiko Collection 2022, which are non-limited, compact, and more accessible. 

All New Seiko Watches 2022 – History, Design & Technicalities

In this post, we’ll be discussing King Seiko’s history and the new collection’s aesthetics, design, and prices. Let’s dive in!

History of King Seiko 

King Seiko was royalty in Seiko from 1961 to 1975. It came into existence due to the rivalry between two Seiko factories, which still continues in the form of the rivalry between King Seiko and Grand Seiko. 

It all started when the Japanese decided to take on the Swiss in terms of luxury watchmaking. Seiko came up with the idea of two different luxury lines at two different subsidiaries. Some consider it was a result of a fierce rivalry, whereas, others believe that it was a business tactic to come up with excellent watches at different factories. 

First, Grand Seiko came out in 1960, which was then followed by King Seiko in 1963. King Seiko was designed by Daini Seikosha Co. in Tokyo, and the Grand Seiko was designed by Suwa Seikosha Co. in Nagano.

The King Seiko returned in late 2020 with the King Seiko KSK SJE083 Limited Edition. Even though it has the same vibe as the 1965 King Seiko 44-9990, it had a few changes, which Seiko has rectified with the new King Seiko Collection 2022.

King Seiko Collection 2022 Design

The new King Seiko Collection, like its predecessor, draws inspiration from the 1965 King Seiko 44-9990. It has five references with identical designs and technicalities except for the dial colours and brushed detail. The dial colours of each reference are below:

• SPB279J1: Silver sunray brushed dial
• SPB281J1: Light-grey straight brushed dial
• SPB283J1: Charcoal grey dial
• SPB285J1: Brown dial
• SPB287J1: Burgundy red dial

The closest design to the original 44-9990 is the SBP279J1. All of these references have sharp and angular cases with the dimensions 37mm by 12.1mm. The cases’ sharpness and angularity, and brushed and polished finishings make them look almost identical to the original.

Another design feature that’s taken from the original is the King Seiko emblem at the crown and caseback. The faceted lugs and the boxed sapphire crystal also have the 60s nostalgia to them. 

The dial is quite clean and balanced, thanks to the absent date indication. The 12-hour has a double marker with a pyramid-like pattern to it. 

The Grammar of Design aspect of Seiko is quite prominent in it through the Zaratsu-polished flat hour and minute hands, and needle-thin seconds hand. You have two bracelet options: a retro-like stainless steel multi-link bracelet, almost identical to the original 1965 model, and a vintage-style leather strap. 

King Seiko Collection 2022 Technical Details 

All the five references in the King Seiko Collection 2022 are powered by the in-house calibre 6R31, which comes with 24 jewels, a 70-hour power reserve, and a frequency of 21,600vph. This movement is automatic with an accuracy of +25 to -15 seconds per day. 

All of the five King Seiko Collection 2022 references have a water resistance of up to 10 bar.

We hope by now you would have become familiar with the King Seiko Collection 2022. Let us know in the comments below that which case option most appeals to you. For us, the SPB279J1 is a winner due to its close characteristics with the 1965 King Seiko 44-9990!

All New Seiko Watches 2022 – History, Design & Technicalities