A lot of the discourse around Seiko recently has been about how they’re slowly shifting into more and more luxury realms with watches in the £2,000-£3,000 bracket. However, while that is definitely true at the top end, they also haven’t forgotten their roots in accessible watchmaking. Case in point, the new Seiko Presage Style 60s Retro Blue European Exclusive, which we got hands-on with in a recent trip down to our local Seiko boutique.
The design of the case follows the standard styling of the Style 60s with its 40.8mm diameter and 14.32mm thickness. It’s on the larger side for a dress watch, with a decent heft on the wrist due to all that steel. You could almost imagine it’s part of the Prospex collection rather than Presage, although with only a 50m water resistance rating you certainly shouldn’t treat it as such. In terms of style at least it rides the line between dressy and practical.
However, where the Style 60s Retro Blue comes into its own is the dial. It’s a very pale shade of blue, somewhere in the region of eggshell. It looks great with a gentle quality to it that enhances the dressy, retro vibe of the piece. As you move it around under the lights, the shade seems to shift slightly becoming almost lilac, which is also lovely and makes me want an actual lilac edition too.
A second blue element of the display is the 60-minute bezel which is in a darker tone. The bezel is a nod back to the original inspiration for the Style 60s collection, the 1964 Crown Chronograph, which was itself quite retro with a monopusher chrono design. The style of the hour markers and minute scale is also drawn from that heritage model. The combination of the vestigial chronograph elements and chunky (for a dress watch) case only enhances the idea that this should be a Prospex.
Turning the Presage Style 60s Retro Blue European over reveals an exhibition caseback that opens a window onto the Seiko 4R35 automatic movement. It’s a stalwart of the brand with a 40-hour power reserve and an accuracy of +45/-35 seconds per day. It’s not as impressive as the 6R or 6L series of movements but that’s not necessarily a bad thing as it allows the watch to be accessible. While we’re looking at the caseback you can also see the engraving marking its limited edition out of 3,000 pieces.
It’s priced at £550 and is exclusively available in Europe. Whether you’re looking for a daily beater or a watch to break out on special occasions while you’re on a budget, the Seiko Presage Style 60s Retro Blue European Exclusive is a great shout.
Price and Specs:
More details at Seiko Boutique.
