SJX Watches
Seiko Introduces the King Seiko SJE089 and SJE091
Since its relaunch last year, King Seiko has emerged as something of a budget-friendly alternative to Grand Seiko with its straightforward, vintage-inspired designs. Continuing in the same direction are the latest additions to the line, the King Seiko SJE089 and SJE091. Most notably, the new models boast a slimmer case compared to their predecessors, thanks to the higher-end cal. 6L35 inside. Despite the tweaks, both retain retro styling that pays homage to the King Seiko “KSK” from 1965. Initial thoughts While last year’s King Seiko models were executed well, I felt they were missing something, particularly in terms of case proportions. They were a little too thick for a vintage-style watch. Therefore, a slimmer version with the more precise cal. 6L35 movement is welcome. The new King Seiko remains conservative in style and almost a vintage remake. However, the case is significantly slimmer at 10.7 mm, compared to over 12 mm for last year’s model. This was achieved with a flattened “box” sapphire crystal and a redesigned case middle with thinner lugs, giving it dimensions better suited to the design. The SJE091 The only drawback is the price of US$3,300, which is almost double last year’s King Seiko models. While the difference is justified by the improved movement and better case proportions, it might be tough to stomach given the stylistic similarity between the two. A slimmer case The new additions are modelled on the “KSK” model of 1965. They have ...
