Make way for the King: show-stealing waffle dial, pure-pleasure bezel, uncalled-for Cyclops
Make way for the King
Make way, make way for the King. The King Samurai, SRPE37K, and we're popping tags tonight because it's brand new. 200-metre ISO diver, 530 pounds retail. Mr Jun, my good friend, paid 399. You'll find them for 400 to 420. Don't pay more than that. This is the white waffle one on a silicone strap; the black SRPE35 comes on a bracelet.
Quick history. Gen one, 2004: titanium, 42 mm, Hardlex, 7S25, and those beautiful sword-shaped hands that gave it the Samurai name. My favourite. Long gone. Then stainless SNMs, two very rare JARE limited editions, nothing for years, then Gen two in 2017, 44 mm and the dreaded X. Then in 2020 the King Samurai came bobbing in the wake of the hugely successful King Turtle, with a ceramic insert and sapphire. And an oval Cyclops. Unwelcome.
The show stealer
The dial. Look at him. Just look. A loose-weave, large-grid waffle. Gen two had a much tighter, smaller waffle, and I'm waffling on now. Exceptional legibility: rectangular batons, inverted trapezoids at six, nine and twelve, a double at twelve for the dark. The indices look applied. Probably stamped from the back, but they look great. Dark framing for contrast against all that white. Monster broad arrow hour hand, far less attractive to me than the old swords, a slim arrow minute hand, and a pop of gold on the seconds tip with a tiny lume triangle. Alignment? Slightly off to the right, but you can't really complain. And the date, magnified, unnecessarily in my opinion, by this uncalled-for, superfluous Cyclops.
A brick with sharp angles
This brick comes in at a whopping 44 mm, about 49 lug to lug, about 13 thick without the Cyclops, 22 mm lugs. And as it's a Seiko, it's all about the case and the dial. Totally different from anything else in the lineup. Sharp angles everywhere, polished and brushed, downturned brushed lugs, drilled, which is great. Big pyramid crown guards around a massive knurled crown that screws in pretty well. On the other side, this strange cutaway. Still not sure. Let me know in the comments.
On the wrist it's big but it doesn't wear too big. The strap is decent, flexible, very, very comfortable, and the tang buckle is identical to the Marinemaster 300's. Won't stay on long, though. Mr Jun's upgrading to a Strapcode Hexad, and if ever a watch was made for the Hexad, then this is it.
A pure pleasure to turn
The bezel is a pure pleasure. Tighter than a lot of Seikos, a little Seiko slop, but it turns well and lines up perfectly. Well done, Seiko. Ceramic insert: scratches? Not even once, bro. It'll last a lifetime. A sunken lume pip, knurling for your sweaty meat hooks. Lume: there he glows, Lumibrite, very bright, generously applied. Next to the OSD and the Doxa Sub 1500T it's smaller, and it's almost identical to the Turtle.
Verdict
Freaky as anything. A Japanese war helmet in your face, and I'd wear him proudly without fear of retribution. And if you've made it this far, you're not a quitter, so I don't need to say never give up. Stay freaky.
