Historical recurrence is the idea that events gone past inspire what is to come. More colloquially, this school of thought is embodied by a famous phrase, “history repeats itself.” Although, for Split Enz fans out there, it may not! That aside, when Harry told me that we had been invited to the launch of a new Seiko, it was music to my years!
Seiko is a brand that needs little introduction of course, the marque traces its roots back to 1881 but the world really came to know its name when it debuted the first quartz powered wristwatch in 1969. The Seiko brand also spurned Grand Seiko and King Seiko which where incorporated in 1960 and 1961 respectively. As you can see, Seiko have a rich history in watchmaking, archives full of bold designs and brave technologies, not to mention immense success in the sales charts. The brand has etched itself into pop culture as well with numerous collaborations, film & tv appearances including one on the wrist of a certain James Bond!
For their latest release, the brand wound back the hands of time to 50 years of ago when the King Seiko Vanac first debuted and today in 2025, they would unveil its rebirth. But first, we had to look at what else Seiko had brought along to this event!
Liam from Seiko New Zealand had given us a heads up at the start of what to expect from this event, it was set to be something special, bridging the gap between some of the brand’s rich history as well as its modern day accomplishments. K’Road’s Otto Restaurant served as the host with its famously industrial style on display in the basement where the unveiling was held. The location provided an intimate venue, an ideal backdrop for us to get up close and personal with some of the brand’s best.
Shining brightly through this dimly lit room were a few glass boxes which drew Harry and I close instantly. In them were select pieces that were brought over from Seiko’s museum in Ginza, Japan. The pieces included various watches from the ‘King Seiko’ line, all of which were more than 50 years old but in exemplary condition. Each watch accompanied by a snippet of history, be it a niche detail about the materials involved, the design of the caseback or even the movement that inspired its creation. There were plenty of nods to its Japanese heritage of course. Re-emerging in 2022, the ‘King Seiko’ name was famously retired in 1975, thanks in part to the quartz crisis started by Seiko itself!
As much as we loved turning the clock back with Seiko, today’s event was also about what the brand has planned for its present as well as its future as a watchmaking giant.
Certainly from that respect, Seiko’s modern day lineup did not disappoint. The brand knew they had a room full of enthusiasts and so brought along their finest offerings to display.
One of the big talking points of the evening (aside from Vanac of course) was the Presage ‘Cocktail Time‘, looking ever so striking with its deep red ‘Negroni’ style dial. This line of watches takes inspiration from some of the world’s most iconic drinks and in keeping with the theme, Seiko even had deep hued Negronis on hand for us to try. The dial itself is incredibly eye catching, particularly in low light where its accents truly stand out. It had to work hard to steal the limelight though as the ‘5 Sports Supercars Edition‘ made its presence known, joining the ‘Datsun 240Z Edition‘ as the other automotive inspired timepiece in the room. Harry and I often credit our love for watches to our love for cars and vice versa, it’s easy to see why people are enthusiasts of both items given the mechanical nature that underpins both.
It’s not all mechanics and steel though as Seiko had plenty on offer for the nature lovers too. A new Presage line was on display, taking inspiration from Japanese gardens and various botanicals. The big piece though was a limited edition collaboration with an Australian charity that cares for injured turtles, unveiling a special Australasian exclusive piece to raise money for said organization’s initiatives. Obviously the watch in question had to be the Prospex or ‘turtle’ as its known to enthusiasts. Named the ‘Kame’ after the specific turtle that Seiko has sponsored, we heard of its story from Seiko Australia’s Marketing Manager, Daniel Findlay who was undoubtedly proud of the brand’s positive impact on the community.
By this point, a few speeches had been said, (more than) a few drinks downed and so some watches did change hands, a newfound friend of ours had just purchased one of the last Prospex Kame Editions on site. It was just as well then that there was someone there to make this happen!
Jewelry runs in the blood of David Keefe as does the name itself with David being named after his father. Together with his family, he runs David Keefe Fine Jewellery in Lynnmall, a store that’s nearly as old as ‘King Seiko’ itself! We had a chance to meet with Keefe earlier on in the evening who not only talked watches with us but also shared some pearls of wisdom with young Harry and I. After a brief stint abroad as a lawyer, David returned home to run the family business. While the store does retail other watch brands, Keefe maintains a special relationship with Seiko. Described as “one of partnership”, David went on to share anecdotes about how he’s seen watches come and go but through it all, the Seiko name has persisted.
Thanks to that strong and long lasting relationship, Keefe’s store remains a boutique dealership for Seiko in New Zealand. Not only does he retail some of the brand’s halo timepieces but also has the ability to source special consignments for customers from around the globe. All of the above means that David Keefe is the country’s only retailer for King Seiko Vanac, the reason we were all gathered here today.
When the Vanac line was launched fifty years ago, its design featured bold angular lines and brightly coloured dials, both of which inspired this modern iteration. A new Caliber 8L45 mechanical movement means the 2025 model will keep ticking for three days when fully wound and the needle that sweeps the dial features a ‘V’ at the end, denoting the unique nature of the watch. The bracelet has been redesigned as well to match the reborn nature of the watch. The big talking point though is the dial, just look at that colour! As a big fan of brightly hued dials myself, I can appreciate the stark contrast that this offers against the steel case and bracelet. The colour takes inspiration from Tokyo’s skyline as it transitions from twilight through to midnight and then sunrise.
It’s not all show and shine for the Vanac though as the watch feels weighty in the hands or on the wrist, it has the air of a luxurious product. The high quality finishing is reminiscent of what’s on offer from the upper echelons of the Seiko family, a striking looking watch undoubtedly.
SLA083 which is the watch pictured above was our first taste of the soon to be relaunched broader Vanac line and if Seiko’s global website is to be believed, there’s plenty more to come from King Seiko!
Thanks for reading! For more watch news and reviews, visit Tarmac Life.
Thanks to Seiko Australia New Zealand, David Keefe Fine Jewellery and Liam Sew-Hoy for the invite. Photos by Harry de Souza, words by Matthew D’Souza.
