The beauty of the current obsession with retro-style steel sports watches is that most contemporary brands have many reference models from their past that can be used for inspiration and remodeling.
It is not just the Swiss that have this luxury.
Seiko’s 140 year history, and particularly its strength in mechanical watches in the 1960s before it pivoted into quartz, mean it has perfect models on which to build modern classics.
Seiko’s Presage Style 60’s collection, which will go on sale in June, is a perfect example.
It has a vintage feel thanks to being based on the Crown Chronograph introduced in 1964, but is created with modern manufacturing and parts that make it more accurate, reliable, water resistant and capable of running for 41 hours unattended.
Seiko’s Crown Chronograph was the first mechanical watch out of Japan with a monopusher stopwatch function, with the central chronograph counting the seconds on a black bezel with white markers.
Seiko’s 2021 draws heavily from the design of the 1964 piece with its simple round 40.8mm case, black, brown, ivory, blue or green dial and integrated steel bracelet.
There are pieces in the collection with a gold treatment to the case, and the option of a nylon strap.
Unlike the original Crown Chronograph, the Presage Style 60’s has a date at 3 o’clock and, on some models, an opening in the dial at 9 o’clock exposing the movement’s pulsing balance.