The charm of porcelain dials is revealed through wearing the watch. The Seiko Presage SARW049 with its Arita porcelain dial is a watch that adults should enjoy.

The Seiko Presage SARW049, released in 2019, is a model that uses Arita porcelain, a traditional Japanese technique, for its dial. It has a simple and cool look, incorporating the design of the Seiko Laurel, Japan's first domestically produced wristwatch, but what is it really like to use? As someone who regularly wears chronographs, I'd like to share my observations from my roughly one month of using my first Arita porcelain wristwatch.

A fusion of 400 years of Arita ware and 140 years of Seiko history

"Presage" is a series that was launched in 2011, and "Presage" means honor, dignity, and grace.

　Seiko, founded in 1881, has a number of veteran collections, including the 63-year-old Grand Seiko, the 60-year-old Seiko Sportsmatic 5, and the 49-year-old Credor, but Seiko Seiko is the youngest brand among them.

　The brand concept is to "inherit the more than 100-year-old tradition of watchmaking and spread Japanese aesthetic sense to the world," and since 2016 the model has been restructured as "a global brand that spreads Japanese aesthetic sense."

　As a way to express this "Japanese aesthetic sense," the brand actively employs traditional Japanese crafts. Following enamel, lacquerware, and cloisonné, Arita ware was introduced in September 2019 as the fourth in the series.

　Let's review Arita ware here.

　Arita ware is the general term for porcelain produced in Arita town and the surrounding area in Saga prefecture, and the name was established after the Meiji period. During the Edo period, it was called Imari ware or Hizen ware. In the early 17th century, pottery stone, the raw material for porcelain, was discovered in the town of Arita, and it became the first place in Japan to produce porcelain. The tradition has been passed down for over 400 years since then.

　The company in charge of producing the dial for this Presage watch is the long-established Shingama, founded in 1830. This was the first attempt at dial production in the company's history, and for Arita ware as well. As such, it seems that there was a considerable amount of trial and error before it was completed, but that's a topic for another time.

Smooth is something adults can enjoy

　Let's start with the main event: the Arita ware dial. The first time I saw it, I was indoors under LED lighting. Honestly, when viewed head-on, it just looked like a regular white dial. However, when viewed at a slight angle, the transparency and lustre that are characteristic of Arita ware, along with a subtle hint of blue, become apparent.

　The power reserve indicator at 9 o'clock and the calendar at 6 o'clock are smoothly sloped and molded as a single piece. The step is less than 1mm, and glaze is applied three times before firing. Normally, glaze would accumulate at the step, but it is naturally "flat." In fact, the precision is so exquisite that one might wonder whether the piece was glazed or fired. The smoothness of the sloped parts is particularly outstanding, and when viewed from different angles of light, one can experience the beauty of the moving, rounded lines of light that are characteristic of ceramics.

　However, this is the exact opposite of what you would see on a typical watch.

　If you look at a typical watch, even if each part is round, the edges are crisp. The inlays are also crisp. While a pronounced edge is a compliment in terms of finish, Presage is "smooth." The strength and virility of the metal are not the only good thing. It can be said that being able to find and appreciate these lines is a pleasure only adults can enjoy.

　When we are children, toys with quick reactions like super balls are more fun, but gradually we start to like the "slippery" feel of slime or memory foam. Hmm, maybe that's a different analogy?

　And although it is white, it has a slight bluish tint to it.

　This is the effect of a glaze called isbai-yu. This glaze is made from the ash of the burnt Isunoki tree (an evergreen tree in the Hamamelidaceae family), and contains trace amounts of iron. This traditional glaze is also used for Ko-Imari ware produced during the Edo period, and is characterized by its soft, moist texture while imparting a subtle color.

　It is especially beautiful under the sunlight. It has a smooth shine, not a glaring reflection. I will write this again and again: being an adult is fun, being an adult is a joy.