SEIKO Octagon Gold Dial 1984

A slim octagonal dress watch from Seiko, made in April 1984. The case is the reason to look at it. It is a square with the four corners cut away, so the outline becomes eight short edges that catch the light one after another as the wrist turns. Inside is the quartz Cal.7430, which drives hours and minutes only, so no seconds hand crosses the face and there is nothing to wind. It comes on a black croc-embossed leather strap and sits as easily with a suit as with a knit.

The case is gold plated with a stainless steel back. There are light marks from use, but no major damage. It measures 28mm across (excluding crown) and 33.5mm lug to lug, with an 18mm lug width. The polished bezel steps down to the dial, and the strap attaches close under the case, so the watch stays thin and low on the wrist and slips under a shirt cuff.

The dial is original, a smooth gold surface with no texture. Fine applied gold baton markers sit at each hour, doubled at 12, with slim gold hands and the SEIKO QUARTZ signature. Because the markers and the dial share the same tone, the markers show only when light falls across them. In shade the face reads as one plain field of gold inside the eight-sided frame, which makes it an easy watch to wear every day.

- wrist size in our picture is 17cm circumference -