By Jovan K
Seiko’s pulling another rabbit out of the hat for 2025 with the Presage Classic Series Unglazed Arita Porcelain Dial SPB497. This limited edition watch of only 1,200 pieces is a real talking point. Riding shotgun with the “Craftsmanship” label, this piece showcases a four century old Japanese craft in a fresh way. It’s a premium Presage from a watchhouse long steeped in mechanical earnestness.
Cased in stainless steel with Seiko’s proprietary “super hard coating” for those wary of desk-diving scrapes, the SPB497 comes in at 40.6mm x 12.5mm size. The lugs span a not inconsiderable 49.1mm across with a 20mm lug width. A double domed sapphire crystal caps things off, while a display back with more restraint than razzle hints at what’s ticking within. Water resistance is 100 meters.
The dial is where the rubber meets the road. It’s unglazed Arita porcelain, a first for Presage, giving it a natural, matte feel. The absence of a date window keeps things clean and lets that modernized “hishi” (rhombus) pattern shine. That pattern is subtle, most prominent around the indexes, giving the dial a nice bit of three dimensional character. Gold colored hands and baton markers round it out, playing off the warm porcelain.
It’s packing the Caliber 6R51 automatic movement, a step up from the 4R series, humming along at 21,600vph (3 Hz) and offering a power reserve of around 72 hours. While it’s a solid, reliable engine, it has an accuracy rating of -15/+25 seconds per day and the finishing is pretty much standard industrial fare, even with a gold colored rotor.
The SPB497 comes on a black leather strap with gold contrast stitches near the lugs, secured via a double push-button release deployant clasp engraved with Seiko’s signature. The SPB497 is priced at $1,850 USD.
