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Seiko King Seiko KSK 'Olive Suede' 38.3mm Mens Watch Green
Ref. SPB391J1
Sits in Seiko’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Seiko watches we list, which start at £126.
Price range £126 to £3,550 across 151 Seiko watches in stock.The original King Seiko came out of a deliberate internal contest: separate Seiko teams competing to build the finest watch they could, with no predetermined outcome. That rivalry produced the KSK in 1965, a dress watch defined by its flat, angular case and meticulous hand-finishing. This re-issue carries the same geometry — the sharp lugs and clean lines that made the original immediately recognisable — while the olive suede dial adds something the 1960s version never had, a colour that shifts between green and grey depending on the light, deepened by the vertical hairline brushing running beneath it. At 38.3mm with a 46mm lug-to-lug span, this sits closer to the proportions of a serious dress watch than most modern pieces dare to go, and it reads accordingly on the wrist — composed, unhurried, slightly formal without demanding formality. The olive leather strap reinforces the muted, tonal quality of the dial rather than contrasting against it. The 6R55 inside earns its place: 72 hours of reserve means a watch worn Monday and left on the nightstand returns to time on Thursday morning, and the movement is built to the standard Seiko applies to King Seiko specifically, not the broader catalogue. The interchangeable strap system, released via levers at the lug ends, means the watch adapts without tools — a practical footnote to what is otherwise a quietly confident piece.
- Reference
- SPB391J1
- Brand
- Seiko
- Collection
- King Seiko
- Case size
- 38.3mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Green
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- 6R55
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Green
- Clasp
- Butterfly clasp
- Lume
- LumiBrite
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Origin
- Made in Japan
Learn more about Seiko
Kintaro Hattori opened a watch and clock shop in Tokyo in 1881, aged twenty-one, and began manufacturing under the name Seikosha — roughly, house of exquisite workmanship — in 1892. The Seiko name appeared on watches from 1924.
The company's significance is that it broke the Swiss monopoly twice. First on precision: Seiko was appointed official timekeeper of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and built the quartz chronometers and printing timers to do it, and in the 1960s its movements placed highly at the Neuchâtel and Geneva observatory trials against the best Swiss houses.
Then on technology. On Christmas Day 1969 Seiko released the Astron, the world's first quartz wristwatch, accurate to five seconds a month where mechanical watches managed that per day. The consequences for Switzerland were catastrophic — employment in the Swiss industry fell by roughly two-thirds over the following decade. Seiko deliberately did not enforce its quartz patents, allowing the technology to spread.
The same year it produced the 6139, among the first automatic chronographs, and it has since introduced Kinetic, Spring Drive — a hybrid regulating a mechanical mainspring electronically, giving a perfectly gliding seconds hand — and its own dive and field lines.
Seiko remains fully vertically integrated, making its own hairsprings, quartz crystals, and even the Zaratsu-polished cases, at price points from under a hundred pounds upward.
- 1881
- Kintaro Hattori opens his Tokyo shop.
- 1924
- The first watches carry the Seiko name.
- 1964
- Official timekeeper of the Tokyo Olympics.
- 1969
- The Astron becomes the first quartz wristwatch.
- 1999
- Spring Drive enters production.
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (3,460), Stainless Steel Watches (2,531), Automatic Watches (1,573), Green Dial Watches (339) and Watch Price Drops (252).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 38.3mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Seiko's more premium watches
Price history
This watch is currently at its lowest recorded price. It reached £1,800 on 14 August. Prices are checked every day, and we record any changes.
Seiko King Seiko KSK 'Olive alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | SPB391J1 | 68047A77 | R12160103 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,440 | £1,450 | £1,400 |
| Case size | 38.3mm | 38mm | 38mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | — | — | 80 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedIs it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 38.3mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £1,440, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
Has the price changed recently?
It's currently at its lowest recorded price since we began tracking it. It's ranged between £1,440 and £1,800, today it's £1,440.
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