Seiko has announced a new addition to their King Seiko lineup, and it?s their most radical release yet. Okay, maybe radical is a bold word choice for what is essentially a line of simple, sedate, and elegant dress watches, but this reinvention of the tonneau-cased King Seiko 45KCM offers us our first glimpse at what a King Seiko lineup may look like beyond the shadow of the King Seiko KSK.

If you?ve been paying any attention to King Seiko since the marque was relaunched in 2020, then a lot of the details here will come as no surprise. In many ways, this latest launch follows the same recipe as other recent King Seiko releases, and in particular shares a lot in common with last year?s SJE089/SJE091 King Seiko KSK update.
As I mentioned up top, the new King Seiko KS1969?s big differentiator comes in the form of an elegant tonneau case. I?m a big fan of this case shape, which often offers a tremendous ratio of wrist presence for wearability (just ask anyone who?s ever worn a Doxa Sub300). The new King Seiko is presented in somewhat of a Goldilocks size, with a diameter of 39.4mm, a thickness of 9.9mm (though I?m unclear on if this includes the box sapphire crystal), and a lug-to-lug of 43.6mm.
Seiko also claims that the watch has a low center of gravity which, paired with the curved case, will keep the watch close to the wrist. All of this should make the KS1969 incredibly comfortable for a wide range of wrists. The vintage-inspired multi-link brick bracelet has als...