Seiko’s Sleeper Brand Unveils the Best Version Yet of Its Royal Oak Rival

Gerald Genta is the father of the integrated steel sports watch, a genre defined by his designs for the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus. But one of his long-lost works, first revived as a limited edition in 2024, is creeping back into the limelight.

The Locomotive displays the esteemed Swiss designer’s trademark reimagining of industrial design language with perfect balance and elegant finishing. Now, it looks better than ever with a tonal blue honeycomb dial called Dawn Blue.

Credor

Genta designed the Locomotive for the Japanese watchmaker Credor, a member of the Seiko family, back in the 1970s. It was revived two years ago for the brand’s 50th Anniversary and put into regular production a year later.

The debut regular production reference featured a hexagonal honeycomb dial in tonal olive green. While it looks great, blue is a far more popular choice for watch dials.

The dial’s texture is enhanced by tiny diagonal 3D lines that run perpendicular to one another in alternating horizontal rows, creating the appearance of wavy horizontal stripes.

Credor

The rest of the revived Locomotive remains faithful to Genta’s design, as you would imagine. It has rounded-off baton hour and minute hands with matching applied hour markers, much like those found on the Royal Oak, plus a framed date window at 3:00.

The case is distinctive with a smooth hexagonal shape, matched by the fixed bezel with six exposed hex screws. Like most Credor watches, it is remarkably thin at just 9mm tall.

The slim case makes the gear-shaped crown, which is semi-recessed at 4:00 and features a hex-screw indent, look huge.

Blue of the tracks

Genta’s bracelets are often as beautiful as his cases, and for the Locomotive, it might be the best part. Just like the case, the integrated bracelet is made from Seiko’s High-Intensity Titanium, which is 30 percent lighter and more scratch-resistant than stainless steel.

Credor

It resembles tank tracks, with rectangular links connected by small hexagonal center links that match the dial texture. Both are finished with vertical satin brushing on top, and the main links have chamfered polished edges.

The bracelet is attached to the case via a solid center link, leaving a gap at the edge where the case curves away, and has a gentle five-link taper. This design received mixed reviews when it debuted in the 1970s, but I like how it departs from convention.

Credor

The solid titanium caseback, featuring an engraved Credor logo, mirrors the bezel’s rounded hexagonal shape and has six screws, placed at each bend. However, the screws are flathead, so the movement can be easily accessed.

Speaking of the movement, the Locomotive is powered by a Credor Caliber CR01, which is similar to the Seiko Caliber 6L35 found in the King Seiko collection. It is remarkably thin, allowing for the 9mm case height, and beats at 4Hz while providing a 45-hour power reserve.

Availability and pricing

It’s great to see Credor keeping the Locomotive collection fresh, given its stark departure from the rest of the brand’s lineup, which is dominated by traditional dress watches. Each release has been better than the previous one, and this Genta design deserves to stay in production.

The Credor Locomotive in Dawn Blue, reference GCCR995, will be available from Credor in June 2026 for $13,200.

Credor

Credor Locomotive Dawn Blue

Specs

Case Size	38mm
Movement	Credor Caliber CR01 automatic
Water Resistance	100m

• $13,200 at Credor

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