Seiko Revives Its Very First Wristwatch with a Pair of Hand-Crafted Artisan Dials

Every watch brand loves a good origin story, but to be fair, Seiko’s is more legitimate than most. Before the Astron, before Grand Seiko, before any of it, there was the Laurel of 1913. It was the very first wristwatch ever produced in Japan.

With 2026 marking 145 years of Seiko, the brand is honoring that founding piece with the new Presage Classic Series “Craftsmanship” Enamel (HCC005) and Urushi Lacquer (HCC006).

The Laurel truly kicked off Japanese wristwatch making entirely, and its DNA is all over these two new references, from the Breguet-style Arabic numerals to that signature red “12” crowning the enamel dial.

And here’s the part we appreciate most. Unlike the Laurel tributes Seiko released around its 110th anniversary, these two are joining the permanent collection.

The white dial of the HCC005 is proper fired enamel, ground fine, applied to a copper base, and kilned repeatedly at temperatures approaching 800°C. Production is overseen by master artisan Mitsuru Yokosawa alongside Kazunori Uchiyama, who trained under him.

The black HCC006 gets the urushi lacquer treatment instead, built up through countless rounds of hand-painting and polishing under lacquer master Isshu Tamura’s supervision. Its numerals and hands carry gold powder for a subtle sparkle against all that deep black. In both cases, a veteran craftsman is actively passing the torch to the next generation.

Both share a 39.6mm steel case, wearing a super-hard coating on the enamel model and warm gold-colored plating on the urushi version. It measures in at 12.4mm thick, and features a dual-curved sapphire ot help keep that slimmer profile in tact.

Inside beats Seiko’s automatic Caliber 6R5H with its 72-hour power reserve, all of which is visible through the exhibition caseback. One quick thing worth calling out here -that subdial at 6 o’clock isn’t small seconds. It’s a 24-hour indicator synced to the main time, so consider it a built-in AM/PM checker rather than a second time zone.

Both models land at select Seiko Luxe retailers beginning in September 2026, with the enamel HCC005 priced at $1,400 and the urushi HCC006 at $1,650.

Seiko Presage Classic Series “Craftsmanship” Enamel & Urushi Lacquer (HCC005 & HCC006)

Seiko channels the 1913 Laurel, Japan’s first wristwatch, into two permanent-collection Presage models with hand-fired enamel and urushi lacquer dials crafted by master artisans.

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