Introducing the King Seiko KSK 6L Watches
Wednesday - 21 June 2023
Two new King Seiko watches have been unveiled by the Japanese watchmaker for 2023 – each with a sunburst dial and a thinner case design. They also bring the 6L movement series to the line for the first time
If you consider yourself a devoted Seiko fan, you’ll already know the story of how the King Seiko watch came to be. It was born out of a rivalry between two Seiko factories. Seiko came up with the idea of running two separate luxury lines at two separate subsidiaries. The Grand Seiko unveiled itself in 1960 followed by the King Seiko three years later. In 2020, Seiko revived the popular King Seiko line with a design that had the same vibe as a 1965 model but displayed some new changes. In 2022 Seiko released five more models with a range of different dial options and some noticeable brushed detailing. A silver sunray, light grey straight brushed, charcoal grey, brown and burgundy red dial option were all released last year – the closest in design to the original being the silver model. These models all boast sharp, angular cases, faceted lugs and boxed sapphire crystal glass tops, not to mention the King Seiko emblem on their crowns and casebacks. Now, Seiko has launched two new models to the line – both slimmer in design and once again inspired by the 1965 King Seiko KSK. The models also introduce Seiko’s 6L series of movements to the collection for the first time.
A slimmer case design
Still very similar in style and shape to the other modern reinterpretation of the King Seiko released not so long ago, these new additions boast faceted angles, a round case shape and strong lugs. But these two newbies are also the slimmest of the King Seiko yet! The KSK models (standing for King Seiko Kisei-Tsuki – meaning stop seconds) measure a mere thickness of just 10.7mm (1.2mm thinner than previous King Seiko watches). This thinness is down to a new mid-case, a slimmer and sleeker sapphire crystal glass box design and thinner lugs. Luckily, the watches don’t lose their sharp edges and their beautifully faceted finishes, however. If you look at the crown and caseback of these new models, they now feature a new King Seiko shield emblem and the blend of brushing on the links of both watches is highly commendable. The polished and brushed links of the stainless steel bracelet attached to these two new King Seiko watches secure comfortably to the underside of the wrist with a butterfly clasp.
Sunburst dials
The new King Seiko KSK 6L watches go by the references SJE089 with a silver dial and SJE091 with a black dial. Both displays are executed in a sunburst effect. The latter is believed to be a new shade of black developed at Seiko’s manufacturing facilities and has been designed to further enhance and complement the new case design of the King Seiko. Other than this, the dials are incredibly simple and beautifully proportioned as one would only expect of the Japanese watchmaker. A colour-matched date sits at 3 o’clock on both models, accompanied by baton hour markers that are taken from the original 1965 design and sword-shaped central hour and minute hands. A sweeping seconds hand is also present and is needle-fine in thinness.
The Caliber 6L35 sits at the heart of these two new King Seiko KSK 6L watches for 2023. The movement has been used for limited edition King Seiko watches in the past but not standard non-limited models. It beats at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a power reserve of 45 hours once fully wound. It also boasts an accuracy of just -10/+15 seconds per day.
Closing remarks
The new King Seiko KSK 6L silver and black models certainly suggest a subtle shift for the King Seiko but all for the good of the collection. Well-proportioned and elegant, these new releases with their refined case design deem a slightly higher price tag, but one that any true Seiko fan wouldn’t grumble at (especially for the quality you get in return).
If you’d like to learn more about these two new King Seiko watches, you can check them out in more detail here, or call and speak to a member of our Jura Watches sales team on 01335 453453.
