Seiko Presage
Craftsmanship Series
Studio Ghibli
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Collaboration Limited Edition
© 1984 Studio Ghibli - H
The artistry of traditional Japanese craftsmanship is a central feature of the Seiko Presage Collection, combining fine mechanical watchmaking with various forms of art. Studio Ghibli’s animated films have won the favour of fans worldwide for their imaginative settings, distinctive visuals, and masterful storytelling.
Today, Seiko introduces into the Presage Craftsmanship Series a new enamel-dialed watch that captures the worldview of one of the most renowned Japanese animated films ever: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
Released in 1984, the film takes place 1,000 years after the destruction of modern civilisation in a war known as the Seven Days of Fire. In the polluted land, a forest of fungi called the Sea of Decay is gradually spreading and is inhabited by a species of giant mutant insects. Nausicaä, the Princess of the Valley of the Wind, becomes embroiled in a struggle between two kingdoms. She strives to unravel the mysteries of the Sea of Decay and find a way for the natural world and human beings to coexist.
The new watch illustrates the animated world of this story through the many details of its design. The overall design of the watch is round and curved, taking inspiration from the tools and machines used by Nausicaä in the film.
The pure blue enamel dial has been newly created to represent a blue outfit worn by the story’s heroine. The colour was carefully examined and precisely adjusted during the manufacturing process to create the perfect shade of blue, a process made possible through the skill of master craftsman Mitsuru Yokosawa and his team, who specialise in enamel production. The white hour and minute hands, as well as the indexes, stand out against the blue dial to enhance legibility, while the seconds hand provides a gold-toned accent. The hour and minute hands have a rounded, leaf-like shape while the white indexes have an elongated shape, allowing the time to be read at a glance. The emblem from one of Nausiccä’s blue outfits is printed at the six o’clock position.
The case has a textured, vintage-style finish, and is protected with a super-hard coating. It resembles the kind of well-worn tools that appear in the film. The uniquely shaped crown, newly designed for this watch, has a large size to ensure ease of use. A blue crystal glass adorns the crown to express the eye of the Ohms, a giant, shell-covered trilobite-like species central to the film’s plot.
“Clothed in blue robes,
descending onto a golden field.”
The watch is powered by Calibre 6R51, a new version of Seiko’s high-performance 6R55 movement. Like Calibre 6R55, this new version delivers a power reserve of 72 hours and has the same performance attributes, only without the date display. The new movement was developed to emphasise the beauty of the craft dial that sits above it.
The wearer can view the movement’s gold-coloured oscillating weight through a display case back, together with a depiction of the end scene, in which a non-toxic plant sprouts out from deep under the Sea of Decay, making one imagine that the earth has been cleansed. A legend from the Valley of the Wind that is expressed in the film, “Clothed in blue robes, descending onto a golden field” is engraved on the gold-plated case back.
The strap is made of leather produced by a tannery certified by the Leather Working Group*. An Ohm is stamped on the tip of the inner side of the strap.
*The Leather Working Group (LWG) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to responsibly made, sustainable leather production. Since 2005, LWG has designed standards to certify all actors in the supply chain.
The watch is offered in a special presentation box with an illustration of a scene from the film. The box carries an original card with the message “Let’s live without being bound by time” written in Japanese from the film’s director, Hayao Miyazaki.
© 1984 Studio Ghibli - H