Seiko’s Stunning Affordable Dress Watch Revisits a Seldom Used Feature

Seiko turns 145 years old in 2026 and is kicking off the year with a series of watches honoring the brand’s earliest timepieces.

Along with an official anniversary collection of four watches tied to the brand’s founder, Kintaro Hattori, the Japanese watchmaker expands its enamel dial Presage Classic Series with a revered case shape it rarely utilizes.

Seiko

The new Presage Classic Series SPB537 features a tonneau case, characterized by a flat top and bottom, and sides that curve outward, as if a rectangular dress watch were being compressed. The word means “barrel” in French and is historically used by luxury Swiss brands, such as Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin.

Plenty of examples exist in Seiko’s extensive archive, like the cult favorite Dolce collection from the 1980s, and have appeared as recently as a Presage reference released in 2017. However, the new SPB537 makes better use of the classical shape than any I’ve seen previously, thanks to a dial design that dates back more than a century.

The railroad minute track, slim Roman numeral hour markers and subdial at 6:00 are all copied from Seiko’s early pocket watches, like the 1899 Excellent and the 1909 Empire models.

Seiko

Seiko introduced this dial design last February with the Presage Classic Series SPB495, but it has been warped from its original circular shape to fit the tonneau case. Just like the previous release, the most alluring aspect of the SPB537 is the enamel dial.

Positively glowing

Seiko’s enamel dials are crafted by Mitsuru Yokosawa, a master of the art who is able to stack 0.1mm layers of enamel to create a lustrous white surface. Minute dimples and dots that result from the hand-crafting process mean that no two dials are identical.

Seiko

Black markings are printed onto the brilliant white surface, and the hands are heat blued to add color depth. The crescent counterbalance on the seconds hand is a particularly refined touch that has recently become a mark of the Presage line.

Just like the round SPB495 from last year, the subdial is a visual reference to the small seconds on Seiko’s original pocket watches, but it is actually a 24-hour time synced to the main dial. I find it to be an odd decision, and I think the watch would look better with a standard small seconds display.

Seiko

The case measures 36mm wide by 12mm thick, which is large for a tonneau dress watch. However, it provides the enamel dial plenty of room to shine.

Seiko

The SPB537 is equipped with Seiko’s newest addition to the 6R movement family, the Caliber 6R5H, differentiated from the 6R51 by the 24-hour sub-dial. Considering the enamel dial, it is an impressive movement for the price, boasting a 72-hour power reserve and an accuracy of +25 to -15 seconds per day.

Availability and price

Aside from the odd sub-dial arrangement, the SPB537 is a refreshing addition to the Presage collection. It joins the 36mm Edo Silk series introduced in 2025 as one of my favorite Seiko dress watches priced under $2,000.

The new Seiko Presage Classic Series SPB537 will be available from Seiko for $1,600 in February 2026. It is not a limited edition and joins the brand’s regular collection.

Seiko

Seiko Presage Classic Series SPB537

Specs

Case Size	36mm
Movement	Seiko caliber 6R5H automatic
Water Resistance	50m

• $1,600 at Seiko

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