Vintage King Seiko 4402-8000 Wristwatch Manually Wound 1968 Serviced UK Warranty

SPECIFICATION

Reference: King Seiko 4402-8000
Movement: 4402 25 Jewels
Age: May 1968
Case Size: 35mm
Case Thickness: 11mm
Lug to Lug: 42mm
Lugs: 18mm
Condition: used Seiko watch
Box and Papers: No
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Warranty:12-Months Warranty UK only

POINTS TO MENTION

• In great pre-owned condition, with some light wear
  
• Case and bezel have some light scratches and marks
  
• Sunburst dial has some light patina to the edge
  
• Signed SW crown
• Fully serviced manually wound movement
  
• Gold medallion in fantastic condition
• Paired with an unworn grey leather strap

THE WATCH

This May 1968 King Seiko 4402-8000 is a wonderful example of how much character Seiko could give a relatively modest-sized watch. At 35mm, the stainless steel case has elegant proportions, but its broad, angular lugs and carefully shaped surfaces give it a presence beyond its dimensions.

The silver sunburst dial catches the light beautifully, with faceted hour markers and classic dauphine hands adding to its distinctly 1960s appearance. There is a little patina around the edge of the dial and some light wear to the case, both reminders of the years this watch has already enjoyed.

There are some particularly pleasing details, too: the SW-signed crown, the gold medallion on the caseback, which remains in fantastic condition, and the unworn grey leather strap that suits the watch rather nicely.

Inside is Daini Seikosha's 25-jewel calibre 4402, a manually wound movement with a date display, fully serviced in our own workshop.

A BIT OF TRIVIA

When King Seiko introduced the 4402-8000 in 1965, it marked an important development for the collection. The existing hand-wound 44-series movement gained a date complication with a quickset adjustment, but Seiko didn't simply add a date window and leave everything else alone.

The case design evolved as well. The lugs became slightly curved, with a subtle inward bevel that softened the otherwise angular appearance. It was another small step in the development of the distinctive case shapes that collectors now associate with King Seiko and Grand Seiko.

The 4402-8000 continued into 1968, making this example one of the later watches from the 44KS family. It captures a particularly interesting moment in Seiko's history, when both the engineering and the design were changing remarkably quickly.

OUR THOUGHTS

The original 44KS watches have always held a special place in my appreciation of Seiko.

They belong to the period when Japanese watch design was developing a character unmistakably its own, rather than looking towards Switzerland for inspiration.

I also have a particular affection for those gold medallions. It's a detail most owners would rarely see, yet Seiko took the trouble to make the back of the watch feel rather special.

That sort of care, even in places that aren't immediately visible, tells us a great deal about the pride behind these watches.