Vintage King Seiko 5625-7120 Hi-Beat Automatic 1971 Grey Dial serviced UK warranty

SPECIFICATION

Reference: King Seiko 5625-7120
Movement: Calibre 5625 Hi-Beat automatic
Age: October 1971
Case Size: 37mm
Case Thickness: 11mm
Lug to Lug: 41mm
Lugs: 18mm
Condition: Used Seiko watch
Box and Papers: No
Case Material: Stainless steel
Warranty: 12-month mechanical warranty (UK only)

POINTS TO MENTION

• In great pre-owned condition, with light wear
  
• Case and bezel have some light scratches and marks
  
• Vertically brushed dark grey dial
  
• Dial has minor marks at the edge of the dial beneath 3 o'clock
• Fully serviced Hi-beat movement
  
• Upgraded metal quickset gear
  
• KS signed crown
  
• Gold medallion is in good condition
• Paired with an unworn grey leather strap
  

THE WATCH

The dial does something rather clever: from one angle it looks almost black, and from another its fine grey texture comes alive. Against the silver hour markers, the broad shoulders and crisp lines of the King Seiko case look sharper still.

When Seiko introduced the automatic 56KS family in 1968, it came from Suwa Seikosha, the factory better known for Grand Seiko, rather than the Daini factory where King Seiko had begun. That makes this more than a handsome early-seventies design. It reflects the competing approaches to mechanical watchmaking within Seiko at the time.

A BIT OF TRIVIA

The timing of this King Seiko is particularly interesting. In October 1971, Suwa Seikosha was still producing fine mechanical watches like this 56KS, despite having helped change the watch industry forever with the launch of the Quartz Astron in December 1969. That first quartz wristwatch cost 450,000 yen, roughly the price of a small car in Japan at the time. So, while Seiko was pioneering an entirely new way of keeping time, its watchmakers were still building beautifully engineered mechanical movements beating at 28,800 vibrations an hour. Two very different approaches to watchmaking, both coming from the same remarkable Japanese manufacturer.

OUR THOUGHTS

The dial is what makes this King Seiko rather special. That deep grey, vertically brushed finish changes character as the light moves, sometimes appearing almost black before revealing all that fine texture. We particularly like how it works with the strong lines of the case and those beautifully defined hour markers. The grey leather strap complements it nicely, too. And there's something reassuring about knowing that the 56-series quickset has been upgraded to a metal gear on our bench, addressing one of the familiar weaknesses of these movements. A striking King Seiko, but one that rewards a closer look rather than demanding attention.