Presage Laurel Re-Edition - Ltd Ed 2500pcs Ref. SARW065

In the early 1910s, the Japanese watch manufacturer debuted its first mechanical watch. In continuation of its development, Seiko has launched its automatic caliber in the 1950s, along with its marvel, which is the creation of its shock absorbing system for the movement; known as the "Diashock" system.

Seiko has gone through a decade of refining and developing its mechanical watchmaking skills. These had led to the creation of Seiko's all-mechanical collection; the Presage.
 

When Kintaro Hattori, the founder of Seiko, trailblazing unveiled his first wristwatch under the name Laurel in 1913, observers thought that it resembled a pocket watch bedecked with lugs to cater for a strap. Over a century later, Seiko has launched the Seiko Presage Laurel Re-Edition Ref. SARW065 in homage to the inaugural edition. Yet this new watch that we are introducing today has some notable distinctions from its predecessor.

In the Presage line consist of Seiko’s leading mechanical watch collection at nearly every price point imaginable, like the caliber 4R, 6R and 8R, and today we introduced to you a new model in our collection, the SARW065. This is a classic dress watch entirely made in-house by Seiko, and features an impeccable fire-treated enamel dial crafted by master craftsman Mitsuru Yokosawa in the land of the rising sun.
 

The prevalence of the art and practices of enameling is customary in the heart of Switzerland since the 17th century. Geneva’s timepieces have been highly sought after with different Grand Feu (where enameling is called there) style paintings and portraits on their dials. However, a majority of these unique enamel timepieces are tagged with a high price for consumers, but not anymore.

The SARW065 is true to the original case form but now executed a tad larger, being at 37.5mm wide and 12.6mm thick in which still wears like a true vintage. The full polished case features soldered lugs and tops off with a modern AR-coated boxed sapphire crystal. While the dial seems to strike a familiar chord behind, its layout marks a significant shift away from the original Laurel. Rather than the sub-dial at the bottom indicates the seconds, this latest timepiece contains a central seconds hand and a pointer date at six o’clock . Moreover, the power-reserve indicator at nine o’clock can be credited to 6R27 automatic movement that Seiko put in the SARW065.
 

Other than those noticeable differences, the remaining deep black and red hour numerals in tandem with the hands, are still true to its original Laurel form from 1913. Moreover, the red numerals at 12 o’clock and the deerskin-like strap are notable details that have been kept from the 1913 original Laurel, adding to the nostalgic vibe of this rejuvenated timepiece.  That being said, all the hands are blued which set off a nice glossy contrast with the already glossed enamel dial.

The 6R27 caliber has a decent power reserve of 45 hours and resists magnetic fields, making it precise to its touted +25/-15 seconds a day and having a water resistance of 50 meters. For aesthetic purposes, the movement is discretely concealed behind a closed and screwed case back.
 

Yet with its almost-undetectable power-reserve indicator, sleeker hands, and straightforward markings, this new timepiece seems to verge on the minimalist end of the design spectrum.

All in all, this new 2500 limited edition Presage Laurel re-edition is an elegant and vintage watch with an affordable price point. This timepiece arguably blends the past with Seiko’s ingenious watchmaking pedigree and epitomizes authentic Japanese craftsmanship. Your wrist would thank you for adding this quality timepiece to your collection!