The 2011 Seiko Premier Collection: A New Look, A New Mechanical Movement And A Perpetual Appeal

Premier is SEIKO’s leading dress watch collection and has been a consistent and significant success worldwide for many years, first in Europe but now all over the world. Its appeal lies in the synthesis of the modern with the classical. The exterior design is inspired by the architecture of classical times, but with the addition of touches from the world of modern buildings. Similarly, the duality of Premier is expressed in the movements within. The Premier range includes both traditional mechanical calibers and also the very latest Kinetic movements. In every sense, where classicism and modernity meet, there lies the essence of SEIKO Premier.

A New Look

For 2011, the collection offers a new interpretation of this classic and modern duality. The cases are slightly more rounded, the dials are more textured, the crowns are new and the bracelet links are slightly smaller, to give a softer fit on the wrist. The change from 2010 is subtle, but evident at first glance. The new Premier is more classic in its look and softer in its feel.

A New Movement

For 2011, a new automatic movement has been created for Premier. It is a 24-jewel 21,600 vph* caliber with a power reserve of 41 hours. The heart of the movement with its gold plated balance wheel is visible through the dial at the nine o’clock position, and the whole movement, with its specially engraved rotor, can be seen through the case back. The three time-of-day hands are complemented by a 24-hour hand set into a subdial at the 11 o’clock position. The movement is both automatic and hand-winding. This new caliber 4R39 is an important addition to SEIKO’s suite of mechanical movements and will become a mainstay of the Premier collection in the coming years.

A Perpetual Appeal

At the very center of the Premier collection is SEIKO’s unique and hugely successful Kinetic Perpetual collection. The remarkable 7D caliber not only offers a Perpetual Calendar correct until February 2100, but it features SEIKO’s unique Kinetic Auto-Relay function. When not on the wrist for 24 hours, it goes to ‘sleep’ for up to four years, and when worn again, the hands automatically re-set to the correct time. The calendar, meanwhile, will have been correct throughout. Six new models are launched this year in this collection, one of which is a striking all-black creation made in celebration of the 130th anniversary of SEIKO. With a pure, clean black dial, a black hard-coated case and black leather strap, this watch makes a dramatic statement worthy of such an anniversary.

The Premier Collection For 2011

There are no less than 16 new watches in the 2011 Premier collection including five handsome new creations for women, two of which are presented with mother-of-pearl dials and all of which have the refined elegance that has always been, and always will be, the hallmark of Premier. The whole collection is to be released during the summer of 2011, and will make its mark as the latest embodiment of the Premier idea, a modern expression of a classical inspiration.

Specifications