SEIKO Dolce Rectangular "Champagne Dial" 1996

A slim rectangular dress watch from Dolce, the dress watch line Seiko introduced in 1980, made in 1996. The champagne dial carries a fine woven pattern that picks up light in small points, so the surface reads as gently textured rather than flat. Inside is the Seiko Cal.7321 quartz movement, which needs no winding and keeps steady time on a small battery. We paired it with a plain black leather strap, and it sits as naturally under a shirt cuff at the office as it does at dinner.

The case is tungsten carbide, a very hard material that resists the small scratches of daily wear. A gold-tone bezel frames the dial, and small screws are set into the flanks, giving the case two tones of silver and gold. It shows light traces of use but no major damage. It measures 24mm across (excluding crown) and 32.3mm lug to lug, with a 19mm lug width. The profile is thin, so it slips under a cuff and sits flat on the wrist.

The dial is original. Applied gold baton markers, doubled at 12, are paired with slim gold hands, and the layout leaves plenty of open space. The woven pattern scatters the light finely, and the colour moves between pale gold and soft silver as the wrist turns. It is a quiet dial, and the closer you look, the more care you see in the finish.

- wrist size in our picture is 17cm circumference -