Reviving a 70s icon: A conversation with Seiko President Akio Naito about the King Seiko VANAC

In the heart of Bangkok, against the culturally rich backdrop of the Charoenkrung district, Seiko staged one of its most memorable launches to date. The mission: to unveil the latest chapter in a storied legacy, the King Seiko VANAC collection. Once a celebrated name in the Seiko portfolio, the King Seiko line was paused in 1975, a casualty of the very quartz technology its parent company had pioneered. Now, it's back with conviction.

The revival isn't about simple nostalgia; it's a strategic reintroduction of a line known for its sharp, angular case designs and high-precision movements. To understand the philosophy behind bringing this icon back, I sat down with Seiko Watch Corporation President, Akio Naito, a man whose thoughtful approach to horology is matched only by his deep respect for its history. I began by asking what aspects of Japanese culture inspired him when overseeing the new King Seiko collections.

“King Seiko was born in 1961 and continued until ‘75,” Naito explained. “And in the 1960s and 70s, Japan was in rapid economic growth, expansion of population, and a really vibrant, dynamic age for Japanese history. And VANAC, which was born in that era, reflects that kind of social dynamism.”

He elaborated on how this history manifests in the metal. “Unlike the other King Seiko collection like this one, the KSK design, and this one is the 1969 King Seiko design, this one has a bold case shape and a sort of a dynamic, sort of statement of the person wearing this watch. So it’s different from the more conservative, classical look, but it reflects that the age in which this watch was born in Japan.”

With such a bold and expressive design, I was curious if there was a more subtle, meticulous detail that collectors might overlook but shouldn't.

“Well, as I mentioned, the watch itself has a very unique look,” Naito said. “But the bracelet, for example, is, you know, carefully crafted and it sits comfortably on your wrist. One aspect of, even though the design itself seems very bold and dynamic, but it also achieves the, the use comfort of the wearer.”

The conversation naturally shifted to Seiko’s broader technological prowess. While the new King Seiko is mechanical, I asked Naito how a signature Seiko innovation like the Spring Drive has changed collectors' perceptions of traditional watchmaking.

“Spring Drive movement is currently available mostly for Grand Seiko,” he clarified. “And has a unique mechanism no other brand has been able to manufacture on a commercial scale. And we constantly challenge the boundary of watchmaking technology and we keep investing into creating innovative new technology. And we've been engaged in the watchmaking for over 100 years and we will continue pursuing the boundary of watchmaking in the future.”

Shifting from the general to the personal, I asked Naito which model from the extensive catalog he would choose to represent his own philosophy. With a knowing smile, he gestured toward the 1969 re-creation on the table.

“Well, I personally like this 1969 collection. It’s, once again, this is very comfortable. It’s a slim profile.”

Looking ahead, Naito's vision for King Seiko is clear and strategic, positioning it in a crucial market segment. “King Seiko has a very important role to lift the image of overall Seiko brand,” he stated. “The pricing below 5,000 US dollars, for example, is a segment where not many brands are competing, not many Swiss brands are competing. And we can fill in that position of a premium segment with the state-of-the-art technology and beautiful aesthetics. And King Seiko is really the collection that leads the premium segment of the Seiko brand.”

Perhaps the most crucial question for any revival is how a brand with such deep history balances heritage with modernity. Naito explained that the project was never about simply reissuing old designs.

“When we decided to revive King Seiko in 2022, we just didn't want to revive it out of nostalgia or just to create based on the old, you know, drawings. We wanted to modernise the watch itself based on the old concept, original concept of the brand, but at the same time applying the state-of-the-art, state-of-the-art modern technology of watchmaking into this piece. And we were successful in doing so.”

He provided a concrete example. “With the new movement for the VANAC series, we were able to achieve 72-hour power reserve, a rather, you know, relatively long power reserve for the price point. And the accuracy of +5/-10 seconds per day. So, not just creating the old design, but using the most advanced modern technology. That’s our philosophy.”

The message is clear. The return of King Seiko is not an exercise in looking backwards, but a confident stride forward, using the dynamism of its past as the blueprint for its future.