The 5855 & 5856, like its predecessor the 0853, is a very solidly made quartz (your watchmaker will love it!). It is much thicker than its descendants and has huge presence and in fact has thermo-compensation also due to its sheer bulk. The dial work is impeccable and very involved – truly a high end watch. One can see the roman numerals are painted on (by hand!) which explains the slightly imperfect finishing. However, all vintage Seiko watches with painted roman numerals suffer from this type of dial work - it adds to the charm of the watch!

In my experience these quartzes are among the most accurate vintages; the twin quartzes like the 99 series have the specs for sure, but after 40 years or so… build quality and robustness gain the upper hand. The early King Quartzes truly shine! 

The King Quartz at hand is fully original, not polished and runs to specs. The bracelet is at full length and very comfortable.