Hands-on Seiko Presage SSA445 and its crazy Ginza texture dial

A watch inspired by Ginza, Seiko's story began in 1881 in the Tokyo area. exact replica watches

When it comes to taking inspiration from everyday environments and turning them into something interesting, Seiko or Grand Seiko are unmatched. Even in the entry-level series, Seiko has put a lot of effort into creating unique and visually appealing dials. So, when we recently reported on a pair of watches with dial patterns similar to the cobblestone streets of Tokyo's Ginza district, we wanted to take a closer look and see how good these dials are. Therefore, we decided to personally experience the Seiko Presage SSA445 140th Anniversary Limited Edition.

The Ginza district in central Tokyo is the birthplace of the history of Seiko. Here, Hattori Kintaro founded his own company in 1881, which has a history of 140 years. At first, his business involved servicing, repairing and selling watches, and then began to manufacture his own watches under the Seiko brand that is now world-renowned.

Today, Seiko operates in the Ginza area, but production, assembly, service, and distribution are located in multiple locations in Japan. Considering that the 120-year-old clock in Ginza still shows the time, the largest Seiko flagship store is located in Ginza, as well as the Seiko Museum and other places, you can understand the importance of this area in the Seiko heritage.High Quality Replica watches

This year marks the 140th anniversary of the founding of Seiko, and the company has been busy reminding us of this fact with a full range of watches from entry-level to high-end timepieces. This is an unprecedented number of celebratory watches, each of which is related to a different location that is important to Seiko. For example, we have seen the amazing 140th anniversary limited edition of Grand Seiko Heritage SLGH007, or three green Seiko Prospex Divers 140th anniversary limited editions. Today it is the turn of the Presage series to become the focus. Although it is far from the platinum shell SLGH007, it is still a very interesting work!

From the outside to the inside, the case of the Seiko Presage SSA445 is the same as the case of other Seiko Presage Style60 we have seen. This affordable watch series is based on the 1964 Seiko Crown Chronograph, which is an important watch in Seiko's history (but by no means a 1:1 casual). The 40.8 mm wide steel case is 12.8 mm high and is topped with a domed Hardlex crystal. As before, we have a fixed bezel with a 60-minute scale in white on a black background.breitling endurance pro

The dial of Seiko Presage SSA445, similar to Seiko Prospex 1959 Alpinist Modern Re-Interpretation SPB259, is quite attractive. Although it costs less than 1,000 euros, the dial is an excellent display of Seiko's ability to create unique and attractive textures and patterns. In this case, the inspiration came from the cobblestone streets of Ginza, selected in gray-blue tones. If we use our imagination a little bit, we can see ourselves walking on the historic streets of Tokyo and appreciate the environment where history is right under your feet.

The dial has eight parts, evenly distributed from the center. Each part has a repeating "stone" pattern, lined with a darker outline (mortar, if you will). In order to further enhance the dial, it is completely treated with sunlight, and the color changes with the change of light, giving it more vitality. The last "touch of Ginza" is the blue second hand of Campbell, which is a traditional Japanese color named after Campbell Street, which was once the bustling nightlife center of Ginza.

Like its non-limited edition siblings, Seiko Presage SSA445 uses applied, faceted and polished hour markers, with polished hands full of luminous materials. In a typical Style60 fashion, there is a hollow part at 9 o'clock to expose the balance wheel of the automatic movement, and an overlapping 24-hour subdial at 10 o'clock.richard mille rm 50-02 acj

Powering the Seiko Presage SSA445 is the 4R39 movement, which can be seen from the back. Although it is certainly not the most impressive movement, it offers a reliable mechanical heart at a very affordable price, demonstrating the ability to work hard as a manufacturer. The movement has 26 jewels, runs at 21,600vph, and provides 41 hours of power reserve when fully wound.

The Seiko Presage SSA445 is equipped with a three-link stainless steel bracelet with a brushed finish and a folding clasp. A nice, times-inspired touch is a drilled lug that can be quickly (and more importantly, scratch-free!) to switch it to something else. Because although it is indeed suitable for watches, we can easily imagine that this watch is worn on a cognac leather strap.

Whether it is like this humble Seiko Presage or Grand Seiko Masterpiece Spring Drive SBGZ007. Of course, in terms of manual craftsmanship and mechanical complexity, the two are unparalleled, but considering the economy of this Presage SSA445 and the level of detail provided by the dial, we are once again impressed. It's fun, it looks good, it's important in Seiko's pedigree, and it fits well on the wrist. What else do you want?

Technical Specifications-Seiko PRESAGE SSA445 140th Anniversary Limited Edition
Case: diameter 40.8 mm x height 12.8 mm-stainless steel case-domed Hardlex crystal-transparent back cover-fixed bezel with black inserts and 60-minute scale-50 meters water resistance
Dial: Gray-blue textured dial, inspired by the cobblestone streets of Ginza – Sun-grain brushed finish – Faceted and polished hour markers – Polished and faceted hands with luminous material – 24-hour subdial indication – Heart-shaped hollow to reveal Balance wheel
Movement: Caliber 4R39-homemade movement-automatic winding-24 jewels-3Hz frequency (21,600vph)-41 hours power reserve-central hour, minute, second, 24 hour indicator
Strap: stainless steel three-chain bracelet with folding clasp