Feeling It: A Trio of Colorful, Textured Dials Prove the King Seiko is Ready to Face the Future

An interesting detail about the recently released additions to Seiko’s King Seiko family is that most watch journalists no longer need to start their stories with a recap of the collection’s history. We are not going to either, but if you want a deeper dive, you can check out Watchonista’s previous coverage here, here, and here.

Not having to recap this history once again is most fortunate because there is plenty of new King Seiko business to talk about with the most recent editions – the SJE103, SJE105, and SJE107 – so let’s skip the backstory and focus on the rich details of these new editions.

Unlike most revivals, the King Seiko line is just as concerned with keeping up with the times as reveling in nostalgia. Since Seiko revived the model in 2021, there have already been two distinct generations.

The first established the high-end bona fides of this dress watch by launching limited editions.
 

The second-gen of King Seiko 2.0 was more accessible in availability, but the architecture had evolved. More specifically, to make the King Seiko feel even more modern, the brand announced two slimmer editions, the SJE089 and the SJE091, both non-limited.
 

These two editions from 2023 serve as the foundation for this year’s models, the sensual King Seiko SJE103, SJE105, and SJE107.

The dials are what make these three variations stand out, not just from the King Seiko family but also from the current watch scene in general. More specifically, all three watches feature colorful gradient dials with subtle patterns embossed into their surfaces, which, according to the brand, were inspired by Tokyo’s Kameido district, where King Seiko was first born during the early 1960s.
 

I’ve never been to Japan, so I can’t fact-check the real-life visual connection to this neighborhood. Still, the color and finish of the dials project the energy that I’ve always imagined Tokyo to have – natural yet electric at the same time!

The SJE103’s dial features the soothing plum blossom motif, often seen on uniquely shaped Garyu-Bai trees. The decoration, rendered using traditional aspects of Japanese Ukiyo-e art, is so fine that the surface looks like a finely spun jacquard fabric. Finally, the dark red dial almost seems to electrify the pattern, the indices, and the hands.
 

Next, the bold blue colorway of the SJE105 is inspired by the Sumida River that runs through Kameido. Its hexagonal pattern is a take on the shells seen on the turtles in Kameido and has become a popular motif for King Seiko dials since it was first used on the King Seiko “Kikkoumon” in 2023.
 

Lastly, the SJE107 is probably the most interesting and daring of the trio. Even though purple, historically, is not the most popular dial color, the SJE107’s beautifully shaded lavender dial features an exquisitely textured pattern that emulates the wisteria flowers at the Tenjin Shrine in Kameido.
 

Still, not everything has changed with these timepieces. They are powered same streamlined mechanism as the rest of the modern King Seiko lineup.

While this trio’s dials all have a rich color and luxurious texture to the point of near sensory overload, their beauty is backed up by the slimline, manually-wound Calibre 6L35, which has a power reserve of 45 hours, bi-directional winding, and an accuracy of +15 to -10 seconds per day.
 

Likewise, the contrasting brushed and highly polished finish of the flat, seven-link stainless-steel bracelet is found in the rest of the family. Lastly, its butterfly-style folding clasp has a double push-button release that carries the King Seiko logo and makes it easier to operate.

The non-limited King Seiko KSK SJE103, SJE105, and SJE107 are all priced at $3,300 and will be available at select retail locations in October 2024. To learn more, check out the Seiko website.