SEIKO Dolce Quartz Black dial 1982

A slim square dress watch from Seiko's Dolce line, made in March 1982. Seiko launched Dolce in 1980 as its line of men's dress watches. The black dial carries slim gold baton markers, with a doubled marker at 12, and the gold hands and a small "Dolce" script are the only other details, so it reads cleanly at a glance. Inside is the quartz Cal.5931, a movement Seiko introduced in 1978, so there is nothing to wind. We fitted it with a black leather strap, not original to the watch, and it works as well with a suit as it does with a sweater.

The case is gold plated with a stainless steel back. It shows light marks from use, but no major damage. It measures 29.5mm across (excluding crown) and 34.5mm lug to lug, with an 18.5mm lug width. Each corner is cut away, and the bezel drops to the case in three polished steps, so the edges catch the light in fine lines as the wrist turns. The crown is set with a small black cabochon. The case is thin and short from lug to lug, so it sits low on the wrist and slips easily under a shirt cuff.

The dial is the original black, with applied gold baton markers and a fine printed minute track around the edge. The gold markers and hands pick up even dim light, so the time stays easy to read indoors. In bright light the black stays deep instead of turning grey, which keeps the gold details sharp.

- wrist size in our picture is 17cm circumference -