King Seiko SPB389 Review: Japan's Latest IYKYK Watch

Everyone knows about Seiko and Grand Seiko, but…what exactly is King Seiko? Well, King Seiko is one of those cult-classic throwbacks that dodges easy categorization or market segmentation. The 1960s elegance and sheer retro vibes exuded by this collection is charming and a little quirky in a world where big brother Grand Seiko has reached downright mainstream status. In 2021, the King Seiko KSK SJE083 resurrected the historic KSK model and the collection has slowly grown since then under the Seiko Luxe collection of higher-end offerings. Here we see the Seiko SPB389, which is a mid-century-inspired watch that will appeal to the kind of person who loves being early to a trend.

Seiko Luxe Explained

First off I wanted to address the Seiko Luxe collection, because I know not everyone is up to date with the tiers of Seiko. Where standard Seiko is your more classic, accessible fare, the Seiko Luxe collection is the higher-end series that consists of offerings like King Seiko as well as Presage watches with special touches like enamel dials and the more refined pieces in the Prospex collection. Seiko Luxe generally starts around the $750 mark and goes up to over $3,000, so the range is quite broad. Personally, the only Seiko watch I’ve ever purchased is from the Seiko Luxe collection (an enamel dial Presage I reviewed here) and it really is so much watch for the money.

King Seiko SPB389 Case and Bracelet

When King Seiko first returned to the scene a couple of years back, it was only available in the 37mm-wide case iteration. Shortly after came this bigger 38.3mm-wide case model that actually has some tangible benefits from the increase in case size, including an additional facet on the indices and the addition of alternating brushed and polished finishes on the lugs as well as the bezel. The King Seiko SPB389 case measures 38.3mm wide and 11.7mm thick, with a 46mm lug-to-lug height and a surprisingly robust 100 meters of water resistance.

Tall lugs are a King Seiko design staple, but fortunately they stay within a very wearable lug-to-lug measurement. Other design signatures here are the sharp angles, sharply cut indices, and, of course, that eye-catching seven-link bracelet. It all comes together in a mid-century-inspired, Japanese design that is at once contemporary in its finish but with those retro vibes. Finishing is obviously not going to be at the Grand Seiko level, but I have to admit: the faceting on the lugs and those nice, wide, flat surfaces, with brushing and polishing, look absolutely top-notch.

The case thickness of 11.7mm is just slightly more than that of the original King Seiko which is actually saying a lot considering the fact that the SPB389 uses an automatic movement as opposed to the manual-wind on the original. That said, the change in movement thankfully did not affect that signature King Seiko enclosed caseback with embossed insignia. I have long been a proponent of enclosed casebacks for a vast majority of watches and this holds true here, as well.

And then there’s that seven-link statement bracelet, set between the 19mm lugs and tapering down to 17mm. The bracelet is largely brushed but has beveling on the outer edges of the links which makes for just enough shimmer and dazzle while retaining a largely matte finish. The butterfly clasp is well done, though it doesn’t offer too much in the way of extension or flexibility. That said, I was very pleasantly surprised with the quick-change system here that allows you to change out the bracelet for one of 10 exclusive straps that are separately available. This really does allow for versatility when it comes to how dressy or retro-themed you want the watch to be.

King Seiko SPB389 Dial

I love this dial. Rather than trying to recapture the very specific textured dial of a certain family member, King Seiko looks back to its own heyday with a very cool retro dial inspired by the pop culture and trends in Tokyo during the 1960s and 1970s. The SPB389 has a metallic “vintage aged” blue dial with vertical hairline finishing that is muted in a way that is almost reminiscent of a well-preserved piece of denim.

Beyond the dial color, you have the fasted hour and minutes hand (done with lume!) as well as sharply cut, applied indices along the circumference. Note how the 12 o’clock index is wider, with a knurled, textured pattern which is actually another throwback, this time to vintage lighters. It’s all very Mad Men, to me. There’s also a framed date window at 3 o’clock. Now, I love a double-stamped Seiko watch. I own a pre-2017 Grand Seiko that has the "Seiko Grand Seiko" dial that I prefer, and I love the "Seiko King Seiko" double stamp here. What I could really do without is the “Automatic 3 Days” text beneath it. Truly, it can just go and won’t be missed.

Caliber 6R55 Movement

Inside is the 6R55 movement, which is a slightly tweaked take on the 6R35 found in other Seiko Luxe watches. The 6R55 is a solid automatic movement that has hacking seconds, operates at 3 Hz, and stores a 72-hour power reserve. It’s not a showstopper by any means, but it’s a highly competent and reliable movement with a great power reserve that doesn’t drive up the cost too much.

Price and Final Thoughts

The King Seiko SPB389 is priced at $2,000, which is more than a standard Presage Cocktail Time but less than a third the cost of a Grand Seiko SBGA413. These King Seiko watches are tough to nail when it comes to the competitive market, but pieces like the Longines Classic Sector dial on bracelet ($2,700), Oris Big Crown Pointer Date ($2,400), or even a Tudor Royal in steel ($2,675) seem to be in this watch's ballpark when it comes to reasonable alternatives.

The King Seiko collection is for those who appreciate details and want something a little different from the usual fare. This is how Grand Seiko used to be seen in the States over a decade ago, when collectors were used to hearing, “You paid how much for a Seiko?!” from people who often became converts after handling the watch in person. I expect the same will happen here with King Seiko. You can learn more over at seikoluxe.com.