A special collaboration with Rowing Blazers and new Presage models are just a few excellent timepieces Seiko has for this May.

Summer is just about kicking off, and Seiko is introducing a slew of new watches for the season, starting with a third collaboration with Rowing Blazers. The cult American clothing brand is best known for its blazers (hence its name) and colourful rugby shirts with a twist on Ivy League collegiate prep style.

Over the years, Rowing Blazers has created a few watch collabs, most recently the exclusive Tudor Black Bay 58 watch that collectors can only dream of getting. However, you may get your hands on the Seiko 5 x Rowing Blazers collab that’s launching today. The watch will be exclusively available on the Rowing Blazers website, and it will ship to Singapore.

Last year’s collaboration featured four models with black, robin’s-egg blue, orange, and bright green dials. The black dial model was the star of the year with multi-coloured ‘T’ indexes, arrow hands with a needle end, and candy-cane seconds hand. The polished case came with a three-link bracelet as well as a nylon strap in contrasting colours for each of the versions – a purple strap for the green dial, red for the blue dial, and green for the orange.

The Summer 2023 editions come with a whole new range of dial colours – white with multicoloured indexes, bright yellow, and candy pink and purple, both of which are trending colours in the industry right now. The Sport Diver models have a black minute track on the inner bezel and a candy-cane lollipop seconds hand.

Since the 2022 watches featured a ‘Tempus Fugit’ motif on the caseback and a monogrammed crown, we assume the 2023 models will be similar. They are priced at S$750 before shipping and taxes and will be available from tonight.

Seiko Presage Sharp Edged Series

Introduced in 2020, the Presage Sharp Edged is an affordable sporty model with a distinct look and high-quality movements. The sharp angular silhouette of the watches brings out the finishes on each watch surface, with vertical brushing on the flat surfaces and sides of the case, as well as mirror polishing on the chamfered angles and facets on the intermediate links of the bracelet.

The dial of the Presage Sharp Edged features a distinct stamped pattern called ‘asanoha’, or hemp-leaf. This pattern has been used in Japanese textiles for over 1,000 years. The dials are stamped, then coloured in a blue-to-black gradient at the edges and finished with a coating on the top layer.

This year, the Presage Sharp Edged watches feature hour markers and hands that are faceted and angled. The watches have a double curved sapphire crystal that enhances the legibility of the dial and stamped pattern. They also have a cut-out on the dial, with a skeletonised asanoha pattern that exposes the movement’s escapement so you can admire its operation from the dial. A sub-dial at 6 o’clock indicates the day/night.

The SPB415 and SPB417 references feature a new movement from Seiko, the 6R5J. The self-winding movement has a three-day power reserve with a gold-coloured oscillating weight that can be viewed from the caseback, with an accuracy of +25/-15 seconds daily. The SPB415 has a ‘shironeri’ white dial similar to unbleached white silk, while the SPB417 is in ‘aitetsu’ or indigo iron, a colour that’s native to Japanese shores. These models are currently available at authorised retailers; get yours today.

Seiko Presage Style 60s Road Trip GMT

Seiko’s Presage Style 60s collection is based on the brand’s first chronograph, developed in 1964 for the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. The collection’s retro look certainly vibes with collectors with a penchant for historic timepieces. But the new watches come with modern movements and updated designs as well as a GMT function.

The flat and round case middle has tapered lugs with chamfered edges. The brushed surfaces and polished chamfers are contemporary in style, coupled with a narrow 24-hour bezel that’s vintage in inspiration.

On the dial, bar indexes sit over a circular ring with a date window at 3 o’clock. A minute track encircles the hour markers, with Lumibrite-coated hour and minute hands and an arrow-shaped GMT hand indicating the local and home time. The watch has a self-winding 4R34 calibre, which offers a 41-hour power reserve and can be seen from the exhibition caseback.

Since these are rather affordable models, the watches feature Hardlex crystal rather than sapphire crystal. The design of these models is inspired by iconic cars of the 1960s, which is why the collection is named Road Trip. The watches come with petrol blue (SSK009J1), stone (SSK011J1), and fume (SSK013J1) dials and are paired with bracelets or perforated ‘driving’ leather straps.

The Presage Style 60s GMT will be available from this month; get your pre-orders in today at all authorised retailers. 

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