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One of many new Seiko watches for 2021 is that this trio of Seiko 5 Sports activities x Rowing Blazers timepieces that was impressed by the style world of the still-fresh Rowing Blazers clothes model. Rowing Blazers was based by Jack Carlson and primarily based on a analysis guide he wrote of the identical title — which (because the title implies) charted the historical past of blazer-style jackets worn initially by rowers in England. The Rowing Blazers clothes and way of life model does produce rowing blazers, but it surely additionally makes a large assortment of colourful pop culture-inspired traditional sportswear and different gadgets that, in some regards, are a modern merger of “preppy” clothes and modern “streetwear.”
As a part of its way of life assortment of things, the Rowing Blazers web site has bought some pre-owned classic watches — together with these from Seiko. They’ve now launched the primary “new” watch on the market on their web site with the Seiko 5 references SRPG49 (checkered bezel), SRPG51 (purple zigzag bezel), and the SRPG53 (four-way shade block bezel). The primary two are restricted editions of 500 items, whereas the latter will probably be a particular version produced in at the least a number of batches (primarily based on product demand).
Rowing Blazer’s Jack Carlson met with Seiko early on when he began his model round 2014. Now, a number of years later with “collaboration watches” all the trend, Seiko and Rowing Blazers have lastly come out with a particular product meant to be primarily bought by way of the Rowing Blazers web site (although I perceive some Seiko licensed sellers will carry them, as nicely). For his or her design, Jack Carlson was impressed each by his personal style in clothes and watches, but in addition some traditional classic Seiko merchandise he admires.
The Seiko x Rowing Blazers watches are primarily based on the fashionable Seiko 5 Sports activities watch, which is 42.5mm-wide (waterproof to 100 meters) in metal and incorporates Seiko’s in-house-made caliber 4R36 computerized motion. The motion operates at 3Hz with 41 hours of energy reserve and may be admired by way of the show caseback on the watch. The show caseback additionally has a skeleton motif, which Jack Carlson signifies is a Rowing Blazers tackle traditional memento mori iconography.
Seiko 5 Sports activities watches is the product household the place Japanese Seiko is at the moment experimenting with collaboration merchandise, so it’s attention-grabbing from a collector’s perspective to see the broad visible selection on this Seiko sports activities watch class. For the Rowing Blazers Seiko 5 watches, Jack Carlson opted to go together with a vintage-style lume that is a little more tan/creamy in shade than the usual greenish-white. There’s additionally a Rowing Blazers emblem on the watch dial, which is an attention-grabbing design selection as some, however not all collaborative watches are dual-branded. The design of the watches was created by the Seiko design crew in Japan, in collaboration with Rowing Blazers.
Every of the Seiko 5 Sports activities X Rowing Blazers watches comes with each a metal steel three-link bracelet, in addition to a 22mm-wide NATO-style nylon strap. Essentially the most distinctive straps are the sweet mint-green strap that comes with the SPRG49 (checkered dial) and the multi-color striped strap, which comes with the SRPG51 (zigzag bezel). The SRPG53 comes with a traditional black-colored strap. Additional, the watches every are available particular blue with purple zigzags Seiko presentation field.
Seiko is sensible to leverage the robust personalities and attraction of at present’s way of life trend manufacturers as a venue to each design and promote Seiko merchandise. That is a part of Seiko’s historical past, and it’s thrilling to see Seiko rediscover this a part of its enterprise mannequin in new methods for the e-commerce age. Complementary to this text is a video interview I carried out with Jack Carlson of Rowing Blazers to debate the Seiko Rowing Blazers collaboration watches (see above). The Seiko 5 SPRG49, SRPG51, and SRPG53 watches every have a retail worth of $495 USD. Be taught extra on the Seiko watches web site right here; or go to the Rowing Blazers web site right here.
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