The KING is BACK! Seiko has resurrected the legendary King Seiko VANAC from the 1970s, blending its iconic spirit with a powerful new modern movement!
Press Release information with commentary in italics
New: King Seiko VANAC
The King Seiko VANAC is priced at EUR 3,400. The SLA083, SLA085, and SLA087 are regular production models, while the SLA089 is limited to just 700 pieces worldwide, and the SLA091 is exclusive to Seiko Boutiques
The King is Back! King Seiko reigns at the pinnacle of Seiko’s mainstream collections, and now, the Japanese manufacturer has revived the iconic VANAC range from the 1970s. This new release blends the spirit of the original with a cutting-edge modern movement. Inspired by the Tokyo Horizon—featured in film and pop culture—the VANAC collection exudes a cinematic vibe. In fact, the poster above reminds us of the sleek, stylish scenes from John Wick 4, but that’s just our take.
The VANAC boasts the first see-through caseback in the King Seiko range since its 2022 relaunch. This transparent caseback proudly showcases Seiko’s new 8L45 movement, derived from Grand Seiko’s renowned Cal. 9S65. The 8L45 movement delivers an impressive 72-hour power reserve, thanks to an enhanced mainspring, and offers precise timekeeping with an accuracy of +10 to –5 seconds per day. While the main difference between the Seiko and Grand Seiko versions lies in the decoration of the movement, the Grand Seiko variant offers a slightly higher accuracy of +5 to -3 seconds per day. With its captivating design and robust movement, the King Seiko VANAC sets a new standard for the brand, leaving us excited to see what innovative creations Seiko has in store next.
Release Information
More than 50 years after its launch, the King Seiko VANAC is reborn with a new mechanical movement and a strong, angular design.
The King Seiko VANAC, a design series born in the 1970s, returns to the collection in 2025 with a sporty new aesthetic. The watches are powered by Seiko’s latest addition to the 8L movement platform and feature an improved level of accuracy and a longer power reserve. Inspired by the vast city where King Seiko was born, a metropolis that appears to extend endlessly into the distance, the theme for the new creations is the Tokyo horizon.
Rebirth of the VANAC
In 1972, King Seiko, characterized by its classic designs, launched the VANAC, a series with bright colors and innovative, multifaceted designs. Today, after over 50 years, a new VANAC inherits the spirit that infused the original, opening up new possibilities for King Seiko.
The case and dial design are inspired by the Tokyo horizon, a vista renowned for its depictions in art, film, and popular culture whose rich expressions change depending on the time of day. Though the VANAC has a strong and dynamic angularity that makes it look as if it were carved from a block of solid metal, its bezel-less design creates an elegant and thin appearance. The newly developed bracelet has been achieved through a combination of links with mirror and hairline finishing, ensuring comfort on the wrist and an unmistakable air of luxury and sophistication.
The dial has a horizontal stripe pattern and indexes that occupy a dedicated ring that is embedded in its surface. The 12 o’clock index and the counterweight on the seconds hand display the striking silhouette of the letter “V,” indicating the first letter of the series’ name.
The new movement’s beautiful finishing can be seen through the watch’s sapphire crystal case back. In fact, the new VANAC has the first see-through case back of any King Seiko watch following the collection’s relaunch in 2022. Caliber 8L45 achieves a power reserve of 72 hours thanks to an improved mainspring and has an accuracy of +10 to -5 seconds per day. It was engineered to have the robustness and other qualities demanded of movements that power modern-day mechanical sports watches. Through its combination of high performance and functional beauty, Caliber 8L45 represents the pinnacle of Seiko’s mechanical watch movements.
The new series is offered with dials in purple, navy, and silver tones, with each color taking inspiration from the Tokyo horizon at a different time of day: evening twilight, midnight, and sunrise.
These three creations will join the main King Seiko collection and will be available from July 2025 at the Seiko Boutiques and select retail partners worldwide
In addition to the three watches joining the main King Seiko collection, one limited edition and one Seiko boutique exclusive will also join the collection. Both the limited edition and boutique exclusive watch feature the same specifications as the three other creations joining the main King Seiko collection.
The limited edition shares the theme of the Tokyo sunrise with one of the watches from the main collection; however, in the limited edition, the theme is expressed through a dial with a golden color. The lettering on the dial and the King Seiko logo on the case back also take on a golden hue.
This special creation will be available in July 2025 at select Seiko Boutiques and retail stores worldwide as a limited edition of 700.
The dial of the boutique exclusive creation is ice blue, expressing the Tokyo scenery reflecting a clear blue sky on a bright sunny day.
This exclusive creation will be available in July 2025 at the Seiko Boutiques worldwide.
King Seiko VANAC: SLA083, SLA085, SLA087
King Seiko VANAC Limited Edition: SLA089
King Seiko VANAC Seiko Boutique Exclusive Edition: SLA091
Caliber 8L45
Driving System: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations per hour (8 beats per second)
Power reserve: 72 hours
Number of jewels: 35
Diameter: 28.4mm, Thickness: 6.0mm
Specifications
Stainless steel case and bracelet
Box-shaped sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the inner surface
See-through screw case back
Diameter: 41.0mm, Thickness: 14.3mm
Water resistance: 10 bar
Magnetic resistance: 4,800 A/m
Recommended retail price in Europe: €3,400 for each
Limited edition of 700 (SLA089)
