King Seiko 56KS 5625-7060
Brushed, rather than subdued
The 7060 is one of those watches that slowly gets under my skin. The matte effect of its brushed case, the polished bezel and the solid black markers establish a particularly clear set of contrasts. Even now, the whole feels remarkably contemporary.
The case is more rounded than the strict early Seiko Style vocabulary might lead you to expect. Those curves add complexity, but the controlled surface treatment keeps the composition calm.
The watch
| Reference | 5625-7060 |
|---|---|
| My example | May 1970 |
| Family | King Seiko · 56KS |
| Manufacture | Suwa Seikosha |
| Movement | 5625 · automatic, date |
| Beat rate | 28,800 vibrations/hour · 4 Hz |
| Case | Stainless steel · monocoque |
| Case width, without crown | 36.8 mm |
| Thickness, including crystal | 10.1 mm |
Dimensions measured on this example.
Beside the 5245-6000
I once described a kinship between this 5625-7060 and the smaller Daini-built 5245-6000. Both are Chronometers in monocoque cases, but what draws me in is the expression found in their curved, brushed surfaces. The 56 keeps a polished bezel as a crisp boundary around that softer case.
Their dials pull in different directions too: stark black markers and a sunburst finish on the 56, polished markers with black inlays and a linen texture on the 52. Side by side, the resemblance makes their individual characters easier to see.
