SEIKO Dolce "Champagne Dial" Quartz 1985

A slim rectangular watch from Seiko's Dolce line, the dress watch collection Seiko launched around 1980. This one was made in August 1985. The case is tungsten carbide, an extremely hard material that resists everyday scratches, finished here in a pale gold tone. The dial is the real draw: a lighter champagne panel sits inside a darker brushed frame, so the face reads in two layers and moves from silver-grey to warm taupe as the light changes. Inside is the quartz Cal.7731, which asks for little more than a battery change. It comes on its original Seiko bracelet and works as well with a suit as it does with a knit.

The case is gold-tone tungsten carbide with a stainless steel caseback. The corners are cut back into an octagonal outline with stepped facets along the edges, and the crown is set with a black cabochon. The caseback shows scratches from use, while the front of the case is in good overall condition. It measures 30mm across (excluding crown), 34mm lug to lug, with a 19mm lug width. Seen from the side the case is very thin, so it slides easily under a shirt cuff.

The dial is a two-tone champagne design, signed 7731-5080 at the bottom edge to match the reference on the caseback. Vertical brushing runs across both tones, with applied gold baton markers, a doubled marker at 12 and slim gold-tone hands. SEIKO QUARTZ sits at the top and Dolce in script below. The step in colour between the centre and the frame gives the flat dial real depth, and it suits the clean lines of the case well.

- wrist size in our picture is 17cm circumference -