The Fourth Wheel, Issue 49

King Seiko: is this monarch good value for money?

Hello and welcome back to The Fourth Wheel, the weekly watch newsletter that is celebrating its first anniversary! Kind of annoying that it’s not Issue 52 but still, one year under my belt. I should have baked a cake. Instead I’ve reviewed some King Seiko watches (actually, I’ve more or less reviewed the concept of King Seiko full stop) and, what do you know, I’ve assembled the most interesting stories and unusual nonsense from the last week in watches. If it ain’t broke…

---

---

Before we get going let me say a huge thank-you to every single one of you that has subscribed and supported The Fourth Wheel during its first year. I had no idea whether it would find an audience; it’s marvellous to see that it has, and I’m excited to see what it can become. This time next year, I am sure it will have achieved world domination, and you, my loyal followers will be rewarded with eternal glory (or, I dunno, some nice fun merch).

Reminder: next week’s newsletter is free to all, and it’s our regular Ask Me Anything. I’ve had a few great questions come through already, but if you have anything you want to ask, post it in this thread or send me a message.

---

Review: King Seiko 39mm

It’s time for the monthly(ish¹) watch review. We started with an £85,000 sapphire-cased Girard-Perregaux, and for the next review I thought it would be good to look at a watch more people might be realistically interested in buying.

Reference SPB373

King Seiko is a sub-brand that first launched in 1961, and was produced (for the Japanese market only) until 1976 [some sources say 1960-1975]. It sat between ‘regular’ Seiko and Grand Seiko in the hierarchy and is generally accepted as having been a genuine middle ground between the two. It was revived in 2022 and still sits between the two, but in terms of price, finishing and specification, is much closer to Seiko than Grand Seiko. It launched with a line of 37mm steel models inspired by the second-generation King Seiko range from 1965, priced from £1,560, and this year Seiko added a 39mm model with a date (from £1,640).