Seiko is asking $1,400 for the new Presage HCC005 and $1,650 for the HCC006, even though both use the same movement and share most of their specifications. The reason to spend that money, and the reason to choose one over the other, is right on the dial.
The HCC005 pairs a white enamel dial with a design inspired by Seiko’s 1913 Laurel, Japan’s first domestically manufactured wristwatch. The HCC006 takes the same basic idea in a darker direction with handcrafted black urushi lacquer and a yellow-gold-colored case treatment. Underneath, both run Seiko’s 6R5H automatic movement, making this primarily a choice between two expressions of traditional Japanese craftsmanship.
The HCC005 makes the historical connection obvious
If you want the watch that most clearly resembles its ancestor, the HCC005 is the easier choice. Its white enamel dial uses black Arabic numerals with a distinctive dark-red 12, a combination drawn from the original Laurel. Blue-colored hands add another traditional detail without turning the watch into a literal reproduction.
The enamel is more than a color choice. Seiko says the dial is produced at a specialized facility in Japan and fired at high temperature. That process can leave small dimples, dots, or variations in the surface, so buyers expecting absolute uniformity from a conventional dial should understand that these characteristics are part of genuine fired enamel.
The stainless steel case also receives Seiko’s super-hard coating, adding a practical touch to an otherwise traditionally styled watch.
The HCC006 takes a darker approach
The HCC006 starts with the same Laurel-inspired design language but changes its personality with a black urushi lacquer dial. Seiko says the lacquer is repeatedly hand-painted and hand-polished, with production carried out under the supervision of urushi lacquer master Isshu Tamura.
Price: $1,650
Where to Buy: Seiko
Because the dial is handcrafted, Seiko notes that slight differences in color and minute distortions can occur. Absolute uniformity is not the goal. Those small variations are a consequence of the process and part of what distinguishes the dial from a mass-produced finish.
Gold-colored numerals and hands contrast with the black lacquer, while the stainless steel case receives yellow-gold-colored plating. The HCC006 costs $250 more without changing the movement or basic specifications, so the meaningful upgrade is the urushi craftsmanship and substantially different appearance.
That subdial isn’t what it first appears to be
The display at 6 o’clock might look like a small-seconds register, especially given the vintage design, but it is actually a 24-hour indicator synchronized with the main time. It is not independently adjustable, so it cannot track another time zone.
Its practical usefulness is limited. It distinguishes AM from PM, but the display arguably contributes more to the visual balance of the dial than to everyday functionality. It is worth understanding before buying, particularly if you initially mistake the subdial for a more substantial complication.
The movement favors everyday convenience
Both watches use Seiko’s automatic Caliber 6R5H, which also supports manual winding. It operates at 21,600 vibrations per hour, has 24 jewels, and includes a stop-seconds function for more precise time setting.
The standout everyday specification is approximately 72 hours of power reserve. That gives you enough reserve to take the watch off for much of a weekend without necessarily having to reset it afterward. Seiko rates the 6R5H at +25 to -15 seconds per day, so this is still a mechanical movement where convenience and character matter more than quartz-like precision.
Wearable dimensions, but limited water resistance
Both watches measure 39.6mm across, 12.4mm thick, and 46.8mm lug-to-lug, relatively restrained dimensions for a modern mechanical watch. A dual-curved sapphire crystal covers the dial and has an anti-reflective coating on its inner surface.
Price: $1,400
Where to Buy: Seiko
Both also have see-through screw casebacks, cow-leather straps, three-fold push-button clasps, and a 20mm lug width, which gives owners plenty of options for changing straps.
There is one important practical limitation: water resistance is 3 bar in Seiko’s launch specifications, while its U.S. product pages describe the watches as splash resistant. In practical terms, neither model is intended for swimming or sustained water exposure. These are refined everyday watches, not all-purpose sport watches.
Which one should you buy?
The HCC005 is the stronger choice if the historical connection matters most. Its white enamel dial, dark-red 12, and blue-colored hands make its relationship with the 1913 Laurel immediately apparent. At $1,400, it also saves $250 while providing the same movement and core specifications as the HCC006.
The HCC006 makes more sense if the craft itself is the attraction. Its handcrafted black urushi dial, gold-colored details, and matching case treatment give it a substantially different personality. You are not paying the premium for better mechanics; you are paying for the lacquer work and the look it creates.
That makes the choice refreshingly simple. Pick the HCC005 if you prefer the brighter enamel dial, stronger visual connection to the Laurel, and lower price. Pick the HCC006 if the depth, handcrafted variation, and darker character of urushi are what attracted you in the first place.
Either way, the dial is the reason these new Presage models stand out. Seiko has taken design cues from the watch that began its wristwatch story in 1913 and given buyers two distinctly Japanese ways to wear that history today.
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