Back in late 2020, Seiko released their recreation of the King Seiko KSK, a limited edition version of the first ever King Seiko. At the time of that release, many wondered about what this meant for the future of the King Seiko name. I think many expected that in short order we?d see more King Seiko releases, perhaps modeled after other important references in the brand?s history, and maybe some modern interpretations of vintage references, which is so common in today?s watch world. Well, a year passed, and if the barrage of releases from Seiko and Grand Seiko hasn?t made you nearly forget that they really did in fact bring King Seiko back for a fleeting moment, perhaps this new release is for you. Marking what appears to be a newly permanent presence in the Seiko catalog, today we?ve got the all new King Seiko Collection, a new series of watches heavily indebted to the King Seiko aesthetic of the past. 
If you?re new to all this and wondering what King Seiko even is, and why we care about it, it?s worth stopping for a moment and remembering how we got here. The tale of King Seiko is often told with the same verve as a superhero origin story, and for some collectors and enthusiasts it?s foundational to Seiko and its various offshoots and sub brands are understood to this day. Basically, the brand was launched to compete with Grand Seiko, a new high-end marque under the Seiko umbrella meant to compete with the luxury Swiss houses. The thinking was that two brands ...