SJX Watches
A Traditional Porcelain Dial for the Seiko Presage SPB445
Seiko’s Presage Craftsmanship Series is all about dials finished with traditional artisanal techniques from urushi lacquer to enamel matched with affordable price tags. That continues with the Presage Craftsmanship Arita Porcelain Dial SPB445, a time-only watch with a 24-hour indicator. Initial thoughts The Presage Craftsmanship models in general are easy to like because they have classic styling, affordable prices, and unusually fancy dials for the price point. The SPB445 is exactly that, but visibly improved over earlier generations of the model. The dial is a little bit more elaborate with a recessed sector that delineates the chapter ring for the hours, while the case has been reworked to be more refined in terms of style. It’s still a fairly thick watch relative to the design at 12.5 mm high, but the new case helps with that. The only thing I would change is the 24-hour indicator, which isn’t really useful and interrupts the clean layout of the dial. At US$1,900, the new Presage is priced almost identically to the equivalent model from four years ago – despite the upgrades – and remains a good value proposition. An affordable artisanal watch The dial in the SPB445 is a bright, nearly-pure white porcelain with a clear glaze layer on top that is known as hakuji. Seiko once again turned to Shingama Kiln, a porcelain maker established in 1830 that’s still run by the founding family. Located in Arita, a town on Kyushu historically known for its fine porcelain,...
