Seiko flex their incredible dial-making chops, releasing a new Presage model inspired by the creative collective organisation Tradman’s Bonsai.
The Seiko Presage has made a legacy as one of the most iconic dress watches of its generation. Not only does it define itself by its elegant lines and reliable manufacturing, but the Japanese brand has also used it as a canvas on which to showcase the traditional crafts and cultural identity of its home nation.
When you think of Japan, what do you think of? Silk, perhaps? Seiko has a Presage for that. Urushi lacquer? Porcelain? Yep, that’s also part of its repertoire. Well, what about bonsai trees? Good question! To answer that, Seiko has teamed up with Tradman’s Bonsai, a creative collective that produces and curates bonsai installations to be interpreted through more contemporary contexts. This year, both Seiko and Tradman’s Bonsai join forces to take on such a transformation, but for those in the horological context.
Harmonious Design
The Seiko Presage HCC009 x Tradman’s Bonsai is both companies’ finest interpretation of the ancient art form. Captured within an appropriately glorious yellow-gold PVD steel case, the watch measures an elegantly conservative 38mm in diameter, 43.8mm lug-to-lug, and 12.9mm thick. Universally wearable and approachable, it hits the sweet spot for both dress watches and modern industry standards.
However, the design cues remain delightfully vintage, featuring a coin-edge bezel and oversized fluted crown reminiscent of watches from the early 20th century. Compounded by its golden glow, the aesthetic works well as a celebration of the old-world craft of bonsai.
Complete on a seven-link strap, also in yellow-gold PVD, the watch terminates at a butterfly deployant clasp that sits flush to the wrist. Having worn some of these bracelets before, I can testify to Seiko’s quality and mindfulness when it comes to their overall comfort.
In all, it’s a fancy-looking and easy-wearing timepiece, but don’t be mistaken: these watches can still take the rigours of daily life, thanks to Seiko’s inclusion of 100m water resistance. If you really wanted to, you could even take it for a swim!
Leafy Greens
As for the design of the watch, Seiko has taken inspiration from bonsai to present an entirely new, spectacular dial finish. Mimicking the texture of the Japanese black pine, the spiralling dial texture winds like the tree itself, catching light differently at every angle.
Colouring the dial is a tone that Seiko calls matsuba-iro, or pine needle green, once again a reference to the bonsai tree. The cool green is offset by the use of more gold, applied throughout the watch on the simple stick indexes and Alpha hands. Green and gold tones make up the surrounding minute track, and an applied Seiko typeface alongside “Presage/Automatic 3 Days” serves as the only further dial decoration.
The absence of a date is also apparent, which I know many Seikophiles will enjoy. After all, the focus is on the dial, so why add anything else to detract from it? I still feel like they could have done a bit more, though, and nixed the “Automatic 3 Days” designation as well. However, the champion of the watch’s design remains the dial, its verdant green adding a sense of richness and balance to the flamboyance of its all-gold decoration.
Branching Out
But speaking of balance, the excellence of the design is only matched by the excellence in engineering. Thankfully, the new Seiko Presage does both, visible through an open caseback. Inside sits the automatic Cal. 6R51, beating at a steady 3Hz (21,600VpH) atop a 72-hour power reserve.
This isn’t a completely alien movement on the scene, as we’ve seen it once before in the anniversary editions of the Presage line, as well as throughout the brand’s King Seiko catalogue. It’s admittedly not the most extravagantly finished movement, but what it lacks in theatrics it makes up for in sheer reliability and accuracy. With a factory-specified -15 to +25 seconds per day deviation, as well as Seiko’s signature ‘Magic Lever’ bidirectional winding, the Cal. 6R51 proves itself time and again to be a perfect partner for Seiko’s more upscale offerings.
Initial Thoughts
I sometimes feel bad for the designers of the greater Seiko company. Their home country of Japan is surrounded by so much incredible nature that they can’t help but find something else to get inspired by every time they try to go outside. Well, that and the bear problem, which I didn’t know Japan had.
In any case, Seiko has once again translated and transformed one of its most ancient cultural practices into a delicate yet precise timepiece. Alongside the team at Tradman’s Bonsai, it’s safe to say that translating the art of bonsai into a horological form has succeeded.
The end result is a new Presage model, set with a distinctive character unlike any other seen before. But if you want one, you’re going to have to think fast. 2,000 models might sound like a lot, but not when you realise there are millions of Seikophiles out there chomping at the bit for one, too.
Reference & Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Reference | HCC009 |
| Dimensions | 38mm case diameter x 43.8mm lug-to-lug x 12.9mm thickness |
| Case | Yellow gold PVD |
| Dial | Matsuba-iro green with yellow gold accents |
| Crystal | Sapphire |
| Caseback | Open, sapphire |
| Movement | Automatic Cal. 6R51 |
| Power Reserve | 72h |
| Beat Rate | 3Hz / 21,600VpH |
| Water Resistance | 100m / 10bar |
| Strap/Bracelet | Yellow gold PVD seven-link bracelet with butterfly clasp Complementary leather strap with yellow gold PVD pin buckle |