Seiko Presage: A Global Icon of Craftsmanship
Few brands balance tradition, artistry, and reliability like Seiko’s Presage lineup. For starters, the Seiko lineup is as diverse as its craftsmanship and heritage. The Seiko 5 is for those looking to dip their toes into automatic watches. The Seiko Prospex lineup is for those looking for professional-grade dive and tool watches at attainable prices. King Seiko is their flagship brand for collectors and enthusiasts looking into entry-level luxury watches. Seiko Presage watches occupy that sweet spot: timeless Japanese elegance and artistry combined with robust, workhorse calibers packaged in affordable dress watches.
Within the Presage lineup is the Style60s line, a relatively new collection of watches that are heavily inspired by the design language of the 60s and 70s era of watches. Inspired by the 1964 Crown Chronograph, Seiko’s first wrist chronograph, the Style60s models blend retro cues and motifs with modern performance. These pieces are uniquely vintage-looking, yet versatile enough for daily wear, and have that classic Seiko design flair.
For jazz and watch fans, the Seiko Presage Style 60s are familiar yet fresh, vintage-inspired yet modern. Let’s dive into some of the standout references that make this collection the perfect addition for those looking for both the old and the new for their next watch.
The Seiko Presage Style60s SSK009J1: A Dressy GMT
The Seiko Presage SSK009J1 is a globetrotter’s watch packaged into a vintage-inspired aesthetic. This model is powered by the Caliber 4R34 automatic movement, which provides a GMT hand, hand-winding and hacking capability, and approximately 41 hours of power reserve. The SSK009J1 has a deep navy dial with a subtle, brushed, metallic finish. The watch features a small, 24-hour rotating aluminum bezel that complements its overall look and fulfills its GMT function, while also incorporating lumed hands and indices for enhanced legibility.
The SSK009J1 has wearable proportions for a GMT with its 40.8 mm-diameter stainless steel case that comfortably suits most wrists, while its 50m of water resistance makes it serviceable for daily wear. The box-shaped Hardlex crystal adds a nostalgic touch, and the screwdown exhibition caseback reveals the beautifully intricate mechanics of the GMT movement. The SSK009J1 is perfect for collectors looking for a reliable GMT watch while also staying stylish.
The Seiko Presage Style60s SSA425J1: The Neo-Vintage Open Heart Treatment
If the SSK09J1 is about exploration, the SSA425J1 is a much more intimate take with its complication of choice. The SSA425J1 has a deep black dial that serves as a plain and elegant canvas for showcasing the 4R39 movement. The main point of visual interest of this watch is the open-heart cutout at nine o’clock that reveals the oscillating balance wheel as it ticks. Complementing the exposed balance wheel on the dial is a 24-hour subdial, positioned near the upper left quadrant, which adds balance and symmetry to the vintage-inspired layout of the SSA425J1.
Sized at 40.8mm and also featuring a box-shaped Hardlex crystal, the stainless steel case and the off-white lume on the Dauphine hands and indices carry the clean, neo-vintage proportions that define the Style60s collection. The open heart configuration is also not for show, as the Caliber 4R39 is a reliable workhorse movement that offers approximately 41 hours of power reserve and manual hacking and winding that is mandatory in today’s automatic movements. Topping off the SSA425J1 is a respectable 50m of water resistance for daily wear and an exhibition caseback to enjoy the intricacies of the 4R39 movement further.
The SSA425J1 is pushing the Seiko Presage Style60s line in the right direction in terms of daring design, making it perfect for modern collectors looking for a much more modern reinterpretation of classic silhouettes.
The Seiko Presage Style60s SSA449J1 & SSA471J1: The Pointer Date Duo
The SSA449J1 and SSA471J1 share the same overall composition yet evoke contrasting moods with their nuanced differences. Both watches feature a vintage-inspired aesthetic and dial arrangement like the rest of the Style60s line. What sets these two timepieces apart from the rest of the collection is their pointer date complication that runs around the outer track of a dial and a power reserve indicator set at the upper left quadrant. This layout not only gives balance and character to the dial that would otherwise make everything cluttered, but also showcases the practical elegance that defines the Presage Style60s watches.
Where they diverge is in tone and color. The SSA449J1 carries a black dial, its dark backdrop amplifying the faux-patina of the lumed hands, indices, and power reserve indicator. The black dial also contrasts strongly with the date subdial and its subdued metallic sunburst finish, adding more visual interest.
In contrast, the SSA471J1 offers a warm cream dial. The dark outlines of the lumed hands complement the dark indices and power reserve indicator, adding more visual depth. Surprisingly, the date subdial of the SSA471 stands out more in this layout, giving the rest of the watch that tasteful aged look.
Both watches have a diameter of 40.8mm, styled with box-shaped Hardlex crystals, 50m of water resistance, and a fixed 60-minute aluminum bezel reminiscent of older sports watches. Powering the SSA449J1 and SSA471J1 is Seiko’s Caliber 4R57, an automatic movement with approximately 41 hours of power reserve. It features a date calendar subdial and a power reserve indicator complication. It also has an exhibition caseback to enjoy the movement.
Both of these watches offer the vintage allure of the Seiko Presage Style60s, but also offer more than what you’d typically ask for in a sports dress watch. From the contemporary and retro-inspired proportions to the pointer date complication, both the SSA449J1 and SSA471J1 are standout choices from the Style60s line.
The Seiko Presage Style60s SRPG091J1: Clean and Boldly Understated
The SRPG091J1 is the most stripped-down and pure interpretation of the 1964 Crown Chronograph that inspired the Seiko Presage Style60s line. Its clean black dial showcases the beautiful simplicity of the design language of the Style60s watches so far. The fixed black 60-minute bezel with gilt markings doubles down on the aged look of the SRPG091J1, giving the rest of the watch that vintage-inspired look reminiscent of mid-century tool watches. The slim, Lumibrite hands and indices add both character and legibility without taking much from the retro design cues of the watch.
The stainless steel case of the SRPG091J1 maintains the balanced proportions that make the Style60s collection so wearable across different wrists, measuring at only 40.8mm in diameter and with a 50-meter water resistance suitable for daily wear.
Powering the SRPG091J1 is the dependable Caliber 4R35, a staple automatic movement by Seiko that’s seen across their other platforms. The movement has approximately 41 hours of power reserve, manual hacking and winding, and enables a discreet date display complication at three o’clock. The watch also has an exhibition caseback and that boxed-shaped Hardlex crystal to finish off the vintage aesthetic.
Whether you pair it with a steel bracelet for that sporty and dressy look or give it a nylon strap for a much more casual, tool watch look, you can’t go wrong with the timelessness of the SRPG091J1 and the rest of the Seiko Presage Style60s line.
The Seiko Presage Style60s: Timepieces that Redfine Vintage-Inspired Aesthetics
The Seiko Presage Style60s collection is a love letter to the vintage charm of classic watches. Each model interprets the 60s-inspired watches into contemporary sensibilities: global practicality of the GMT movement, the transparent allure of the open-heart design to showcase the intricate and precise watch movement assemblies, the utility and classic look of the pointer date complication, and the clean and stripped-back aesthetic of the time-and-date model.
With their exhibition casebacks, reliable in-house movements, and balanced proportions, the Seiko Presage Style60s are the perfect timepieces for those who want to be both casual and formal, as these watches, like jazz, will never go out of style.
Lexy Summer is a talented writer with a deep passion for the art of language and storytelling. With a background in editing and content creation, Lexy has honed her skills in crafting clear, engaging, and grammatically flawless writing.
