July 2020
Tokyo
In the year 1992, Studio Ghibli the famous Japanese animation studio released a Japanese animated comedy-adventure film “Proco Rosso”, written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The movie’s Japanese name was ‘Kurenai no Buta’ (Crimson Pig). It features an early 20th century pilot who transforms himself into a seaplane-flying pig, Porco, and makes his living chasing sky bandits over Italy and the beautiful Adriatic Sea. With its vivid animation, the film brings to life the romance of the early days of aviation.
Seiko’s Presage watch collection, introduced in 2016, continues to celebrate Japanese culture and artistry of traditional Japanese craftsmanship, using such ethnic crafts as Shippo enamel and Arita porcelain, it its line of watches. Recently, Presage introduces two new watches that are inspired by “Porco Rosso.” The two watches capture the passion for mechanical engineering and technology, explaining the interface between function and design, just as Hayao Miyazaki has described the same through Porco’s airplane, Savoia S-21.The watch with the white dial carries Seiko’s innovative Spring Drive movement, while the black dial version pays respect to Seiko’s contribution to the history of traditional horology with an automatic chronograph.
Porco’s plane inspires every aspect of the design
The beauty and individuality of Porco’s fictitious 1920’s plane, Savoia S-21, are reflected in every detail of the watch. The dial takes its inspiration from the instrument panel of the plane with clear, bold hands and numerals as well as detailed and intricate markers. The white and black dials are made of enamel by master craftsman Mitsuru Yokosawa and his colleagues to create the warm beauty that echoes the feel and texture of the materials used in a 1920’s aircraft.
The “R” emblem on the tail of Savoia S-21 is displayed at the six o’clock position of the Spring Drive watch and at three o’clock with the same colouring as the plane’s tail in the automatic chronograph. This colouring is also subtly integrated into the Spring Drive creation with its white dial, red seconds hand and green power reserve indicator.
Spring Drive and the automatic chronograph – the cornerstones of Seiko’s watchmaking
The white dialed watch incorporates Spring Drive Calibre 5R65 which has an accuracy of +/–1 second per day and a power reserve of 72 hours. There is a power reserve indicator at the eight o’clock position and a date window at three o’clock. The automatic chronograph is powered by Seiko’s most advanced chronograph calibre, 8R48, which measures elapsed time up to 12 hours and has a power reserve of 45 hours. In addition to a vertical clutch and a column wheel, it incorporates Seiko’s unique three-pointed hammer and a heart-shaped cam which ensure the perfect and instant synchronization of the hands when the chronograph is reset.
The beauty of the Spring Drive movement is clearly visible through the sapphire crystal case back, as is the Porco Rosso symbol. On the case back itself is engraved, in Italian, a famous quote from the film, “A pig that does not fly is just a pig.”
The watches are offered in a special presentation box, each with an alternative strap and a leather cloth that is marked with the symbol of Porco. One strap is in the vibrant red color of the fuselage of Savoia S-21 with stitching in red, white and green, and the other is in black with the same colored stitching.
Both watches are available in the Presage collection from June 2020 as limited editions, 500 for the Spring Drive version and 600 for the automatic chronograph.
Seiko Presage Studio Ghibli Porco Rosso Collaboration Limited Editions
Caliber: Spring Drive 5R65 (SNR047)
Driving System: Automatic
Power reserve: 72 hours
Accuracy: +/‒1 second per day (+/‒15 seconds per month)
Number of jewels: 30
Caliber 8R48 (SRQ033)
Automatic Chronograph up to 12 hours
Column wheel and vertical clutch systems
Vibrations: 28,800 vibrations per hour (8 beats per second)
Power reserve: 45 hours
Number of jewels: 34
Specifications
Stainless steel case with super-hard coating
Enamel dial
Dual-curved sapphire crystal with super-clear coating
See-through screw case back
Diameter: 40.0mm, Thickness: 13.1mm (SNR047)
Diameter: 42.0mm, Thickness: 14.9mm (SRQ033)
Water resistance: 10 bar
Magnetic resistance: 4,800 A/m
Crocodile strap with three-fold clasp with push button release
Additional crocodile strap in black (SNR047) / red (SRQ033)
Approximate recommended retail prices in Europe:
€5,800(SNR047) / €4,100 (SRQ033)
Limited editions of 500 (SNR047) / 600 (SRQ033)
