Whoa, Seiko Just Dropped a Ton of Cool New Watches

Watch brands release new models throughout the year, but drops often come in clusters. Often, these mega-drops coincide with a trade show or event. For instance, many brands released a wave of watches at Watches and Wonders in Geneva back in April. Another wave is expected to arrive this fall at Dubai Watch Week.

But sometimes, a brand will drop a cache of watches seemingly out of the blue. That’s what Seiko has just done.

The Japanese brand just released a bunch of new divers, new GMTs, new vintage reissues and more, and all of them are exciting in different ways. Here’s what you should know about them.

An Iconic Diver, Reimagined

Seiko

Seiko has no shortage of iconic dive watches in its catalog. From the Turtle and Tuna to the Sumo and Monster, Seiko divers — and their whimsical nicknames — have their own dedicated subculture within the larger watch enthusiast community.

One of the most beloved of Seiko’s divers is the Samurai, which first debuted two decades ago and quickly stood out for its sharp-angled case and distinctive sword hands.

Today, Seiko launches a new generation of the Samurai featuring a completely new design. The case design remains recognizable but is a bit less angular. It’s also considerably smaller, with a new 41.7mm size shaving more than 2mm off the previous generation’s beefy 44mm case.

The dial and handset are also totally new. A non-textured dial replaces the clous de Paris dial seen on some variants of the previous version, and the hands and indices all became slimmer and sleeker.

Seiko

Also gone are the differently colored accents on the dial and hands of the old Samurai, giving the new watches a cleaner look. The date window has also moved from 3 o’clock to a circular cut-out at 4:30, mimicking the style seen on Seiko’s recently-updated 62-MAS-style divers. The bezel, also, has a cleaner and simpler look on the new version.

The prominent knurled crown appears unchanged, as does the three-link bracelet. The movement is also the same, as the Samurai is still powered by the Seiko Calibre 4R35 automatic. The watch comes in red (SRPL11) or black (SRPL13), plus a third version in black DLC on a black rubber strap (SRPL15).

I’m not sure how the Seiko community will receive this new Samurai. In a vacuum, it’s a clean-looking Seiko dive watch at a refreshingly wearable size. But as a Samurai? I’m not so sure. The new version has stripped away much of the model’s eccentricities and character, and I’m sort of left asking: What makes a Samurai a Samurai?

Seiko

Seiko Samurai SRPL11K1

Specs

Case Size	41.7mm
Movement	Seiko Cal. 4R35 automatic
Water Resistance	200m

• $575 at Seiko

A Cult-Classic Dress Watch, Now in GMT Form

I remember when I first seriously got into watches back in 2016, the Seiko Cocktail Time ref. SARB065 was one of the first watches to get my attention. Here was a dress watch with an incredibly beautiful dial for an affordable price, and its ice-blue dial didn’t look like anything else.

Over the years, the Cocktail Time has only grown more popular as Seiko has repeatedly expanded the concept into a wide-ranging collection of dozens of mixology-themed dress watches under its Presage umbrella. Now, for the first time, the brand has added a GMT complication to the Cocktail Time, making it more versatile than ever.

The Cocktail Time GMT comes in three flavors, so to speak, all named for a cocktail: the brown “Rusty Nail” (SSK039), ivory “Acacia” (SSK041) and the ice-blue “Skydiving” (SSK037), which mimics the look of the SARB065.

Seiko

All are sold on crocodile-embossed leather straps save for the Skydiving model, which gets a five-row bracelet featuring a mix of brushed and polished links. Like the standard Cocktail Time watches, the GMT models have 40.5mm stainless steel cases topped with high-domed Hardlex crystals.

Powering the watches, as expected, is Seiko’s Calibre 4R34 automatic GMT movement. This is the “office” GMT movement that first debuted two years ago in the Seiko 5 Sports GMT and shook up the industry, and has since been employed in numerous models across the brand’s lineup.

While they’re a little thick for dress watches at 12.8mm, I think the new Cocktail Time GMTs will be a hit. The GMT was incorporated in a classy way that doesn’t disturb the classic vibe of the watch, and any time a brand can add more functionality to an iconic style is a win in my book.

Seiko

Seiko Cocktail Time GMT SSK037

Specs

Case Size	40.5mm
Movement	Seiko Cal. 4R34 automatic
Water Resistance	50m

A High-End Vintage Seiko Makes a Return

In 2022, Seiko resurrected its King Seiko brand. The original King Seiko debuted in the 1960s alongside Grand Seiko as two rival Seiko subbrands tasked with besting the Swiss in terms of chronometric precision.

Grand Seiko obviously won out, and today stands as a beloved standalone luxury brand. King Seiko, meanwhile, faded into relative obscurity until its recent revival as a new subbrand within Seiko.

The newest King Seiko reissue is modeled after a model from 1969, reference 45KCM, and features several stylistic hallmarks characteristic of the time period. These include a C-shaped case, a silky multi-link bracelet, and a stylized hour marker at 12 o’clock that looks like an arrow’s feathers.

Seiko

The case size is also retro, measuring 39.4mm across and just 9.9mm tall — which includes the throwback-style box sapphire crystal. There are four colors of the new King Seiko: silver (SJE109), purple (SJE111), green (SJE113) and a gorgeous limited-edition version with a scale-textured dial in Tiffany-esque blue (SJE115).

These new King Seikos are fun reissues and are undeniably beautiful, but I suspect the response to them will be mixed, just like Seiko’s other recent King Seiko reissues. And that’s because of the movement.

The new watches are powered by Seiko’s automatic Calibre 6L35, which is a higher-grade movement than what you’ll find in Presage and Prospex models, but still arguably not good enough to go into a King Seiko. The original 45KCM on which these watches are based had a movement that was both high-beat and a certified chronometer. The 6L35 is neither.

Seiko

Seiko King Seiko SJE115

Specs

Case Size	39.4mm
Movement	Seiko Cal. 6L35 automatic
Water Resistance	50m

• $3,100 at Seiko

New Colors Round Out the Drop

Finally, we have a handful of new colors on some existing models to round out Seiko’s massive early summer haul.

First up, the revived Marinemaster diver that debuted last year is now available in two new colors. There’s a pretty all-blue version (SJE119) and a slick bi-color style featuring a gray-green dial and black bezel (SJE117). Both are additions to Seiko’s permanent collection.

Seiko

Seiko Marinemaster SJE117

Specs

Case Size	39.5mm
Movement	Seiko Cal. 6L37 automatic
Water Resistance	200m

• $2,800 at Seiko

Next up are two limited-edition watches from Seiko’s high-end quartz-powered Astron line. The GPS Solar sports watch (SSJ027) and chronograph (SSH157) both boast light-blue textured dials modeled after a starry sky, with colors that change depending on the viewing angle of the watch. This effect is similar to one employed on a Grand Seiko releases at this year’s Watches and Wonders.

Both new Astron models are limited to 1,500 pieces.

Seiko

Seiko Astron SSJ027

Specs

Case Size	41.2mm
Movement	Seiko Cal. 3X62 GPS solar quartz
Water Resistance	100m

• $2,200 at Seiko

Pricing and Availability

Samurai

• SRPL11: $575, available from July
• SRPL13: $575, available from July
• SRPL15: $550, available from July

Cocktail Time GMT

• SSK037: $595, available from July
• SSK039: $595, available from July
• SSK041: $595, available from July

King Seiko 1969 Revival

• SJE109: $3,100, available from July
• SJE111: $3,100, available from July
• SJE113: $3,100, available from July
• SJE115: $3,100, available from July (limited to 700)

Marinemaster

• SJE117: $2,800, available from July
• SJE119: $2,800, available from July

Astron

• SSH157: $2,500, available from July (limited to 1,500)
• SSJ027: $2,200, available from July (limited to 1,500)

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