Presage Craftsmanship Series Arita Porcelain Pwr Rsv - Ltd Ed 1500pcs Ref. SARW067

Seiko needs no introduction as a champion of traditional Japanese craftsmanship.  The brand’s Presage Craftsmanship Series exalts the Japanese ‘Takumi’ – timepieces which are individually handcrafted by master artisans who combine Seiko’s latest watchmaking techniques with centuries of traditional workmanship.

Recently, Seiko released a new watch bedecked with traditional Japanese porcelain material, the Presage Craftsmanship Series Porcelain Dial Limited Edition ref. SARW067. Limited to 1500 pieces, the Seiko Presage Craftsmanship Series Arita Porcelain Pwr Rsv - Ltd Ed 1500pcs Ref. SARW067 consists of a new traditional Japanese porcelain manufacturing technique with the combination of Seiko's usual watchmaking prowess.

Like its previous iterations, the watch measures at 40.6 mm wide, 48.8mm lug-to-lug, and 14.1 mm tall. Sitting only marginally thicker than its time-only counterpart, it is reasonably sized for most wrist and considering the triple retrograde displays, this watch is well balanced. Outlined by a thin bezel, the case is made up of stainless steel with high satin and mirror polishing throughout. Topping off with a domed sapphire crystal on top, and a exhibition screw-down case-back that guarantees a proper 100m water-resistant.

The name Arita comes from its town located at the island of Kyushu. Since the 16th century, Arita town is the hub for Japanese porcelain making, even until today. Porcelain products made in Arita is uniquely Japanese and still appeal globally for its traditional handmade charm. Therefore Seiko has earned the appropriate right path to apply this material for its latest chapter in its new Presage model.

So let's get started and straight onto the dial. The complexity of applying porcelain at this level to the dial is done by master craftsman Hiroyuki Hashiguchi and his manufacturing company, who have been making traditional porcelain since 1830. They developed this multi-level process for Seiko relatively low volume, but that means things are done the good old conventional way right! The result? The Arita porcelain dial radiates a type of soft glossiness yet with deep finishing that not seen on the usual enamel dials.

At first, the base material gone through a unique molding process that allows it to have a certain depth, where the power reserve indicator and date sub-dial at 9 and 6'o clock respectively amplify the effect. Then, the dial goes true a firing process at some 1300 degrees to harden and producing the cream-white colorway. Wait, this is only the beginning as the dial gets a special glaze treatment by Hashiguchi before another round of baking until the bonding of the glaze takes place on the dial. After inspection the cut out of the holes and frames for the respective hands, the dial is fired again to smoothen up the surface what we get a luxurious and soft gloss finishing with a certain blue tinge that inherits the Arita' legacy of porcelain making.
 

All these finishings brings similarity to the enamel finishing, where it has unrivaled longevity, making it impermeable to nearly anything for many years to come. Like enamel, the Arita dial on the SARW067 will continue to look as new as though it just came out fresh from the manufacturer even years down the road.

The 12'o clock hour marker is painted on top in gold, to keep the consistency of the Presage lineup. The watch then paired with the blacked-steel hands and gold second hand, that tie nicely with its porcelain dial.

Seen through its case back, the SARW067 powered by Seiko's 6R automatic caliber, and the 6R27operates at 28,800 BPH (4 Hertz) with hacking and hand winding capabilities. It has 29 jewels with a power reserve of 45 hours through a Spron 510 mainspring.
 

Completing the elegant package, Seiko pairs the SARW067 with an 20mm full-stitched mocha brown leather strap with a three-fold clasp with push button release.

With the Seiko Presage Craftsmanship Series Arita Porcelain Pwr Rsv - Ltd Ed 1500pcs Ref. SARW067, Seiko has once again showcased their ability to produce an elegant timepiece, packed with traditional Japanese artistry techniques. This dynamic combination also showcases the design discipline behind the Presage collection. With clean lines and high-level polishing with what is considered a unique dial available only to Seiko, this watch has a certain charisma that not seen in many other watches. It's more than meets the eye, appearing to be simple at first, until one scrutinizes it and realize the complexity and artistry work done to bring this dial to a whole new level. What a great way to celebrate Seiko’s 110th birthday!

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