SKU: 24578
Quantity selected exceeds current stock
WHAT WE LOVE:
There are very few watches at any price point that can honestly say their dial is a work of art produced by a single named master craftsman. The Seiko Presage SARX029 is one of them.
The dial on this watch is lacquered by Isshu Tamura — a third-generation Urushi artist whose grandfather mastered Maki-e lacquerwork and whose father dedicated his life to Urushi, the ancient Japanese craft of applying sap-based lacquer in precise, cumulative layers. Urushi lacquer is made from the sap of the Japanese lacquer tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum), and it dries not by evaporation but by absorbing moisture from the air — a slow, demanding process that requires ideal humidity conditions at every stage. The process for each dial involves multiple undercoats, an intermediate coat, a top coat, and a final finishing coat to eliminate any minute scratches or pinholes, with Suruga charcoal used between each application to roughen the surface for proper adhesion. The result is a black so deep and so reflective that it reads less like paint and more like an abyss — a surface that draws the eye in and has no visible bottom. It is entirely unlike any printed or lacquered dial produced by machine, and the depth of colour is immediately apparent at any light level.
Because of the inherent complexity of the process and the physical limitations of handwork, only approximately fifteen dials are produced each day. The SARX029 is a Japan Domestic Market watch, not widely distributed internationally, and finding examples outside Japan requires specific effort. Each dial is unique — the precise depth of colour, the micro-texture, and the exact lustre of the lacquer surface vary between individual pieces in ways only visible under close examination. The applied gold hour markers and gold-toned dauphine hands against the deep black surface achieve an elegance that far exceeds what the movement specification and price suggest. This example comes complete with its original box and papers.
WHAT'S INSIDE:
The SARX029 is powered by Seiko's Calibre 6R15 — a 23-jewel automatic movement beating at 21,600 vibrations per hour with a 50-hour power reserve, featuring both automatic and manual winding capability via the crown.
FIVEFORTYFIVE SIX MONTHS WARRANTY
