Seiko Watch
“Always one step ahead of the rest”
This ethos, that of founder Kintaro, is one that is upheld to this day by Seiko and the Presage collection.
What Seiko cherishes most is a beauty that never grows old and a sense of comfort when worn.
The enamel used for the dial of Japan’s first wristwatch, the Laurel, still retains its vivid color and graceful beauty even after a hundred years.
Guided by the Japanese sense of aesthetics, Presage continues this legacy of craftsmanship—creating uniquely Japanese timepieces that embody traditional techniques such as lacquer, Shippo enamel, and Arita porcelain, all nurtured by Japan’s natural environment and culture.
Seiko’s wish is this: just as we can feel the spirit of our predecessors through a watch made a century ago, may our watches carry our thoughts and artistry to people a hundred years from now—like a time capsule connecting generations.
Enamel (Hōrō) Dial
The enamel dial was also used on the Laurel, the first wristwatch made in Japan. With its distinctive soft luster and warm character, it keeps its beautiful color without fading over time, continuing to delight the eye of its owner.
Urushi (Lacquer) Dial
The urushi dial is made from natural lacquer, produced by refining sap harvested from the lacquer tree. The lacquer is applied and polished dozens of times before being finished to a high gloss. True to the Japanese word shikkoku (“lacquer black”), which derives from urushi, it features a lustrous black that seems to have infinite depth.
Arita Porcelain Dial
This dial uses Arita ware, Japan’s first porcelain, with a history of more than 400 years. It preserves the traditional beauty of Arita’s soft luster and rich character, while a proprietary material gives it the high strength a wristwatch requires.
Where the Dials Are Made
The urushi dials are produced in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture. Under the supervision of lacquer artist Isshu Tamura, lacquerware artisans led by Echizen lacquer craftsman Toshikazu Tsuji and Echizen lacquer artist Mizuki Tsuji repeated the application and polishing process many times over to achieve the deep, lustrous black unique to urushi.
The Arita porcelain dials are produced in Arita, Saga Prefecture. They were completed under the supervision of potter Hiroyuki Hashiguchi of Shin-gama, a long-established kiln founded more than 190 years ago, bringing together the skills of Toshiaki Kawaguchi, who inherited Hashiguchi’s techniques, with the knowledge and expertise of Arita’s artisans.
The enamel dials are produced in Ibaraki Prefecture. Making them demands an extremely high level of skill, such as adjusting the glaze formulation to the temperature and humidity of the day, and each dial is still carefully fired by hand, one at a time. They were completed under the supervision of enamel craftsman Mitsuru Yokosawa, through the knowledge and skills of Kazunori Uchiyama, who carries on Yokosawa’s techniques.
Edo Tokyo Kirari brand page
https://en.edotokyokirari.jp/brands/life/seikowatch/
Seiko Watch home page
https://www.seikowatches.com/jp-ja