The Seiko Presage family of watches has already established a wonderful trackrecord in working with Porcelain. Now joining the family is this new limited edition with a very special Arita porcelain dial. The Presage line-up does not need any introduction here, so I will skip straight to the one question you should be asking: What is the big deal about this Arita porcelain?
The production of each watch dial is a multi-stage process that requires several phases of firing. The dials are produced by master craftsman Hiroyuki Hashiguchi and his colleagues at an experienced manufacturer in Arita that has been making porcelain since 1830. To give the dials the strength required for a watch, the craftsmen use a type of Arita porcelain specially formulated to be harder and more durable than traditional porcelain. A very precise casting mold is used to achieve the difficult task of giving each dial the precise dimensions required to fit perfectly into a wristwatch.
While in traditional Arita porcelain a special glaze is applied to create its distinctive subtle blue sheen, a clear, transparent glaze is used for the dial of this new watch to allow the natural whiteness of the porcelain material to shine through. This pure white porcelain, called Hakuji, echoes the delicate reflection of the moon on water, and creates a sharp contrast with the blue of the hands, roman numerals and sub-dials. The combination of the blue color with the white Arita porcelain lends the watch a uniquely Japanese aesthetic that captures the transient yet memorable beauty of the time-honored tradition of Suigetsu.
If you want in on this porcelain action, note that it has a recommended retail price in Europe around €2,100 and is limited to 2000 pieces.
Love the dial but wish Seiko used a movement that is thinner, the size is odd at 40×14, that dimension feels like a dive’s watch not an elegant dress piece. Also would be nice if the hands were painted blue or even heated instead of the plastic looking blue.