SEIKO Dolce Two-Tone Octagon Silver Dial 1981

An octagonal dress watch from Seiko's Dolce line of slim dress watches, made in April 1981. The two-tone case is the reason to look at it. A silver-toned frame carries a thin gold ring set just inside it, so the eight edges are drawn twice, once in each colour. Inside is the quartz Cal.6020, which shows hours and minutes only, so there is nothing to wind and no seconds hand crossing the dial. It comes on a black leather strap and sits as easily with a suit as with a knit.

The case combines silver-toned plating with a gold-plated (SGP) middle, and the back is stainless steel. There are light marks from use, but no major damage. It measures 29.3mm across (excluding crown) and 34.5mm lug to lug, with a 16mm lug width. The case is thin and the strap attaches close under it, so the watch stays low on the wrist and slips under a shirt cuff. The gold crown is set with a dark cabochon.

The dial is the original silver, with a fine grained surface that softens reflections. Slim applied gold baton markers sit at each hour, with gold hands and the SEIKO QUARTZ and Dolce signatures. Because the grain keeps the silver from glaring, the gold markers and hands read clearly in almost any light, which makes this an easy watch to wear every day.

- wrist size in our picture is 17cm circumference -