One of Seiko’s Best Everyday Watches Just Got More Wearable

New King Seiko models inspired by Ivy League style are suitable for practically every wrist.

Published August 7, 2024

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A few years ago, Seiko resurrected its King Seiko sub-brand.

Originally an intracompany competitor to Grand Seiko in the 1960s, the new King Seiko instead slots within Seiko’s regular catalog. Its watches showcase impressive finishing and retro styling but use more basic movements, allowing them to come in at far lower price points than modern Grand Seiko’s luxury offerings.

Today, Seiko has unveiled a trio of new King Seiko models in the collection’s versatile KSK style, but in a smaller size than ever before.

Seiko King Seiko KSK Ivy League

$1,900 at Seiko

Small and Stylish

Seiko’s newest watches are the references SPB457, SPB459 and SPB461. The watches mimic the general design of the original King Seiko revival watches from 2022 — the “KSK” — with their razor-sharp faceted lugs and handsets, boxed sapphire crystals, angular multi-link bracelets and sparkling dial furniture.

The biggest difference is that the watches are more compact and wearable than ever before. While the original KSK watches were not large by any stretch at 37mm across, some later iterations, like the SPB391, saw an increase in size to 38.3mm.

The new trio of watches reverses this trend, coming in at just 36mm across — a classic men’s size seen on iconic everyday watches like the Rolex Explorer and Datejust. The watches measure just 43mm lug to lug, making them an easy wear even for small wrists, and they’re thinner than the original KSK models, too, shaving off 0.5mm in going from 12.1mm to 11.6mm thick.

The cases of the new King Seiko models are as angular as ever but in a more compact package.

Seiko

In addition to the more compact size, the new KSK models make some other changes compared to the larger versions. One is the movement. The new watches use Seiko’s Cal. 6R51 automatic, which offers a full three-day power reserve in a no-date format, marking the first time those two features merged in a single King Seiko watch.

The new watches also borrow the bracelet style from the larger 38mm models, forgoing a traditional end link in favor of a straight-edge bracelet with a quick-release mechanism. The look is an acquired taste that’s less cohesive than the original KSKs but does give off more of a vintage vibe. Whether you like the style or not, I’m sure everyone will appreciate the strap-changing ease offered by the tool-free quick-release system.

seiko watch caseback — The newest King Seiko watches utilize a quick-release bracelet system.

Finally, we have the colors of the new King Seiko models. The designs, Seiko says, were inspired by Ivy League style, which was adopted by Japanese culture during the initial run of King Seiko back in the 1960s.

The SPB457 features a Saxon Blue dial inspired by Oxford cloth button-down shirts, the SPB459 has an Ivy Green dial modeled after preppy ties, and my personal favorite, the SPB461, opts for a particularly fetching Burgundy dial that takes after traditional rugby shirts.

seiko watch on a varsity jacket — Seiko says its burgundy dial was inspired by Ivy League rugby shirts.

Better, or Just Different?

So, are these the best modern King Seiko models yet?

Well, maybe … or maybe not. I think the smaller, thinner case size is a winner. Even though the previous sizes were still rather small, 36 is just such a classic size for a dressy and sporty all-rounder like the KSK, and these new versions should wear more comfortably than ever.

While I do appreciate the increase in power reserve from 70 to 72 hours, practically, it isn’t much of a difference. I would have much preferred an increase in accuracy, as the 6R51 is rated to just +25 to -15 seconds per day. That’s not great for a $2,000 watch, but it is consistent with the rest of the King Seiko lineup, and Seiko doesn’t seem like it’s in a hurry to make any upgrades in that area.

seiko watch on a green jacket — The new watches are undeniably attractive but will likely draw the same criticisms around price and movement as other King Seiko models.

The new dial colors all look good, especially the burgundy, but I still think my favorite is the deep red dial SPB287 from the original KSK lineup. Your mileage may vary.

Finally, there’s the bracelet. Personally, I think it looks odd. With the end link now effectively integrated into the case, the straight-end bracelet leaves a gap between case and bracelet in an unusual space. I would’ve preferred to see either a fitted end link on the bracelet or a standard case without the weird built-in end link.

Tons of other brands, including microbrands, are capable of making quick-release bracelets with fitted end links, so Seiko could definitely do it if they wanted to. They’ve made a deliberate stylistic choice here, and I’m not sure why.

blue seiko watch — The case’s faux end link creates a strange gap with the straight-end bracelet.

Finally, we’ve got the price. As usual, the new King Seiko models are fairly pricey and qualify as an “entry-level” luxury piece at $1,900. That’s $200 over the original 37mm KSK and $100 less than the 38mm version.

The finishing is probably a little better than what you can get elsewhere for the price, and the movement is a little worse. It’s up to you to decide which is more important to you. Regardless, these are still some of the best everyday watches Seiko makes, and they’re now even more suitable for practically every wrist thanks to their smaller size.