SEIKO CADET White Dial Two-Tone Quartz 1990

A rectangular watch from Cadet, a short-lived line Seiko sold in Japan around 1990, made in May 1990. The white dial is framed by a gold bezel inside a steel case, and the two-tone bracelet carries the same pairing of silver and gold down its length, so the whole watch reads as one piece. Inside is the quartz Cal.8N40, a two-hand movement Seiko introduced in 1987, with no seconds hand and nothing to wind. It comes on its original Seiko two-tone bracelet with a folding clasp, and it suits a white shirt as easily as a sweater.

The case is stainless steel with a gold-plated bezel, and the back is stainless steel. There are light marks from use, mainly on the bezel edge and the bracelet, but no major damage. It measures 25mm across (excluding crown) and 35.5mm lug to lug, with a 17mm lug width. The corners are cut at an angle, and the gold-toned crown is faceted to match. The bracelet runs straight on from the case without a break, so the small case sits neatly and looks complete on the wrist.

The dial is in clean condition. Slim gold batons mark every hour on a plain white surface, ringed by a dotted minute track, and the hands are gold-toned. CADET and SEIKO sit below 12, and the Cadet emblem, a small tower shape, sits toward 6. Built from white, gold and steel alone, it reads at a glance and goes with almost anything.

- wrist size in our picture is 17cm circumference -