Since its inception in 1961, the “Skyliner” has been the poster child for Seiko’s brand of classic, minimalist dress styles. Nicely appointed hand-wound calibers like the 402 in this model, are housed in clean crisp designs that in most cases, don’t even include a calendar. For these mid-century classics, it’s all about the dial, and cleverly chosen print fonts. This example from July of ‘63 is a stunning example of what keeps the Skyliner high on our list. The unpolished case sports crisp angles and sharp corners throughout its thin and comfortable profile. The dial is a pearlescent silver sunburst in almost perfect condition. It features polished and beveled baguette markers along with perfectly placed print in black and baby blue. The hands are broad and polished dauphines that are well proportioned and free of oxidation or corrosion. A simple satin finished chapter ring bridges the gap between the dial and the acrylic crystal helping to complete the seamless layout. The markings along the etched case back have softened over the years, but are still visible and somewhat legible. To denote its “waterproof” design, it carries the crowned “Seahorse” logo at center and a 30 meter rating. The hand wound 402 is just as impressive, and post service, winds smoothly and is keeping near perfect time. We’ve paired it with a dark brown distressed leather for a crisp classic finish that nicely highlights the dial. This is sure to be a “go to” that’s almost as fun to wear as it is to show off. 

Clockwork Synergy Dark Brown Distressed Leather with Reverse Stitch (clockworksynergy.com)

Serviced 9/19/18

Diameter- 36.5mm

Lugs- 19mm