Following a unanimously warm reception to its original collaboration with Seiko last June, Rowing Blazers has returned with another line-up of four brightly shaded sports watches, bound to go down an absolute treat over the summer.
Let’s dispense with the bad news early: the ‘black’ and ‘azure’ models reportedly sold out in less time than “it takes to complete a quadruple scull event,” but the ‘lime’ and ‘orange’ variants remain – both suitably punchy expressions of the irreverent, fashion-adjacent aesthetic of Rowing Blazers’ own brand.
Each colourway was made in an identical run of 888 pieces. Once sold through, it’ll be an impressive coup for the brand – further establishing why they’re one of the few small, independently owned American labels to have a partnership with Seiko.
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Modelled on Seiko 5s of the 1970s, dial elements in each model have been refined with the aid of Eric Wind – a renowned American specialist in vintage watches (formerly of Christie’s and Hodinkee).
Dial colours notwithstanding, the overarching design language is largely uniform: the in-period Seiko 5’s use of a twinned day-date aperture remains; whereas Rowing Blazers’ neo-preppy influence is most readily apparent in the shape of the main handset and lollipop-style seconds hand.
With the exception of the black dial, each iteration offers something of a ‘seasonal’ take on watch collecting, with a price-tag no higher than most designer footwear (scratch that: significantly lower). That goes some way to explaining why the monochrome model was the first to go: in conjunction with the uniformly 40mm case, it’s the most wearable of the bunch.
As you’d expect of any watch derived from the Seiko 5 lineage, robustness and reliability were the loglines when it came time to choose a movement. Each Rowing Blazers x Seiko model is equipped with the calibre 4R36 – successor to the popular family of 7S mechanicals. Most of the spec sheet will sound familiar to anybody who’s owned a modern Prospex; with one significant addition – the date is written in both English and Japanese.
Based on the success of its original collaborative outing with Seiko, it’s only a matter of time until this new Rowing Blazers achieves a similar fate. Having said that, enthusiasts at the crossroads between fashion and watchmaking needn’t be too disappointed, as it’s all but confirmed that another capsule of four limited editions is due out early next year. Until then, a twist of orange or lime on your wrist doesn’t sound like that bad of a consolation prize.
