King Seiko 56KS 5626-5010
The boisterous cousin
The 5626-5010 sits at the lively edge of the Seiko Style family. The case is emphatically its own shape, the dial retains its abstract stick markers, and then the angles and textures start misbehaving.
The crystal is cut horizontally, while the vertical brushing of the case continues into the dial. There is no minute track. That omission is particularly amusing in a watch that, in my experience, keeps such excellent time.
A future that happened
The bracelet belongs to the spectacle. Its articulated surface carries the visual energy of the watch around the wrist, rather than simply holding the case in place.
I would not call this a restrained design, but I do recognise the family intelligence underneath it. The lines are exuberant, the materials catch the light insistently, and the movement quietly gets on with its work.
The watch
| Reference | 5626-5010 |
|---|---|
| My example | May 1971 |
| Family | King Seiko · 56KS |
| Manufacture | Suwa Seikosha |
| Movement | 5626 · automatic, day and date |
| Beat rate | 28,800 vibrations/hour · 4 Hz |
| Case | Stainless steel |
| Case width, without crown | 35.1 mm |
| Thickness, including crystal | 11.2 mm |
Dimensions measured on this example.