King Seiko: the vintage 45KS vs the SPB279 and KS1969

	4502-7000 / 7001 (1968)	SPB279 (2022)	SJE109, KS1969 (2024)
Based on	Itself	The 1965 KSK	The 1969 45KCM
Diameter and thickness	About 36.5 mm, 9 mm	37.0 mm, 12.1 mm	39.4 mm, 9.9 mm
Lug to lug and lug width	About 41.5 mm, 18 mm	43.6 mm, 19 mm	43.6 mm, 19 mm
Movement	4502A hand-wound, 25 jewels, 36,000 vph	6R31 automatic, 24 jewels, 21,600 vph, 70 hours	6L35 automatic, 26 jewels, 28,800 vph, about 45 hours
Hacking and hand-winding	Hacks; hand-wound only	Both	Both
Crystal	Hardlex	Box-shaped sapphire	Box-shaped sapphire
Water resistance	No depth rating on the case	10 bar	5 bar
Seiko USA list price, Oct 2026	Not applicable	No longer listed	$3,100

The 45KS dimensions are collector measurements from KingSeiko.info, not Seiko catalog figures, and the lug width is from dealer listings; we’ll measure our own. The modern specs are from Seiko’s product pages and press releases.

It’s easy to assume the modern King Seikos copy the 45KS; most don’t. The King Seiko revival of 2021 and 2022, the limited SJE083 and then the SPB279 line, re-creates the 1965 KSK, the second King Seiko series, not the 45KS. The KS1969 line launched in 2024 is the one that looks to the 45 series: Seiko says it draws inspiration from the King Seiko 45KCM of 1969, the chronometer version. The 2026 SJE121, a limited edition of 800 for Seiko’s 145th anniversary, uses the same KS1969 case.

The vintage 45KS is small and thin by modern standards, about 36.5 mm and 9 mm by collector measurements. The SPB279 is close in diameter at 37 mm but thicker at 12.1 mm. The KS1969 is wider at 39.4 mm and, at 9.9 mm, almost as thin as the original.

We’ll add the 45KS’s sold range after our first sampling of eBay sales in November 2026, split by case condition and steel or gold plate. Seiko USA listed the SJE109 and SJE121 at $3,100 in October 2026. The SPB279 line is no longer in its main catalog, so expect to find it pre-owned or as remaining dealer stock.

It’s a hand-wound 36,000 vph Hi-Beat from Seiko’s Daini factory, with the 45 series’ instant date, and none of the modern King Seikos here has a movement like it. The risks are a polished-down case, a refinished dial and a movement that needs a specialist. Read our 45KS buying checks before you pay.

A KS1969 gives you the late-1960s King Seiko design with a sapphire crystal, an automatic movement that also hand-winds, and Seiko’s service network. If you want to wear it every day without thinking about a 55-year-old balance, it’s the easier watch.