New Seiko Presage Classic automatics with handcrafted dials now open for preorder
Aside from the Edo Murasaki collection and new Prospex Alpinist watches, Seiko has also opened preorders in Japan for the two Presage Classic Series references that reinterpret the 1913 Laurel. The enamel HCC005J is listed at ¥179,300 including tax, roughly $1,125, and the urushi HCC006J at ¥209,000, about $1,312. Both become available on September 5.
The ¥29,700 gap between them (close to $186) buys two things: a hand-applied urushi lacquer dial with Kaga Maki-e gold numerals in place of fired enamel, and a gold-tone case (instead of steel) with a super-hard coating. Neither is a limited edition.
Both come with Seiko's Global Brand Core Shop designation. Physical sales of these two timepieces is restricted to a subset of Japanese retailers. The online store is geo-restricted and ships only within Japan — overseas buyers will have to wait for a wider release, which these watches are expected to see.
The HCC005J features Breguet-style numerals with a red 12 and blued hands on white enamel. The HCC006J gets the same layout in black urushi with gold, and Seiko explicitly mentions that the hand-applied lacquer can differ slightly between shipped models.
The sub-dial at six o'clock is easy to misread. It looks like the small seconds the Laurel used, but it tracks a 24-hour cycle — the 6R5H caliber has no small-seconds variant.
Specs-wise, both have a 39.6 mm case at 12.4 mm thick and 46.8 mm lug to lug, dual-curved sapphire, 20 mm lugs, cow leather on a three-fold clasp, and a see-through caseback. The 6R5H offers 72 hours of reserve across 24 jewels at +25 to -15 seconds a day.
Seiko lists both as splash resistant rather than giving a depth rating. While it is common for handcrafted dials, it still deserves a mention at this price.
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