King Seiko reference 44-9990 from 1964, in stainless steel measuring 36.6 mm excluding the crown. Hand-wound caliber 44A with 25 jewels and Diashock protection, dateless configuration, signed Seiko crown and gold King Seiko shield medallion on the caseback. Case serial 4402649 places production in April 1964, within the first year of the reference. The 44KS is the second King Seiko generation and the first to adopt Taro Tanaka's Grammar of Design — flat planes, faceted lugs and sharply cut bevels laid out so the case reflects light in straight lines rather than soft curves. It was built by Daini Seikosha at the point when King Seiko sat directly alongside Grand Seiko at the top of Seiko's domestic range, with the two factories competing internally on accuracy. The 44A caliber runs at 18,000 vph and hacks the seconds, and remains one of the most serviceable manual calibers Seiko produced in the period. Seiko returned to this exact case language in 2021 with the SJE083 re-edition, which brought renewed attention to the original reference. - Movement: Manual winding, King Seiko caliber 44A, 25 jewels, 18,000 vph, hacking seconds - Case: Stainless steel, 36.6 mm excluding crown, faceted Grammar of Design lugs - Dial: Silver sunburst, applied faceted baton markers, hatched twin marker at 12 - Crystal: Acrylic - Crown: Signed Seiko crown - Strap: Aftermarket black leather with contrast stitching, steel pin buckle - Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds - Water resistance: Caseback marked Water Proof 50 — untested for current vintage seal - Caseback: Gold King Seiko shield medallion, serial 4402649 - Year: 1964 The movement runs and keeps time. The case retains its faceted geometry with the bevels still clearly defined, and shows hairlines and light scratches on the lug tops and flanks consistent with sixty years of wear. The dial is original and unrestored: there are scattered dark specks across the surface and yellowing along the outer edge and around the hand stack, both shown in the macro photographs. The applied markers show darkening on some facets. The gold shield medallion is intact and crisply struck. The inner caseback carries three handwritten watchmaker service marks, the most recent dated 2013, though no service receipt accompanies the watch. Clean, serviced 44-9990 examples currently change hands around €550–€700 in the private collector market, and the reference has been among the faster-moving vintage Seiko references over the past year. From a private collection. No box or papers. Three watchmaker service marks inside the caseback, most recent dated 2013; no service receipt. King Seiko reference 44-9990 from 1964, in stainless steel measuring 36.6 mm excluding the crown. Hand-wound caliber 44A with 25 jewels and Diashock protection, dateless configuration, signed Seiko crown and gold King Seiko shield medallion on the caseback. Case serial 4402649 places production in April 1964, within the first year of the reference. The 44KS is the second King Seiko generation and the first to adopt Taro Tanaka's Grammar of Design — flat planes, faceted lugs and sharply cut bevels laid out so the case reflects light in straight lines rather than soft curves. It was built by Daini Seikosha at the point when King Seiko sat directly alongside Grand Seiko at the top of Seiko's domestic range, with the two factories competing internally on accuracy. The 44A caliber runs at 18,000 vph and hacks the seconds, and remains one of the most serviceable manual calibers Seiko produced in the period. Seiko returned to this exact case language in 2021 with the SJE083 re-edition, which brought renewed attention to the original reference. - Movement: Manual winding, King Seiko caliber 44A, 25 jewels, 18,000 vph, hacking seconds - Case: Stainless steel, 36.6 mm excluding crown, faceted Grammar of Design lugs - Dial: Silver sunburst, applied faceted baton markers, hatched twin marker at 12 - Crystal: Acrylic - Crown: Signed Seiko crown - Strap: Aftermarket black leather with contrast stitching, steel pin buckle - Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds - Water resistance: Caseback marked Water Proof 50 — untested for current vintage seal - Caseback: Gold King Seiko shield medallion, serial 4402649 - Year: 1964 The movement runs and keeps time. The case retains its faceted geometry with the bevels still clearly defined, and shows hairlines and light scratches on the lug tops and flanks consistent with sixty years of wear. The dial is original and unrestored: there are scattered dark specks across the surface and yellowing along the outer edge and around the hand stack, both shown in the macro photographs. The applied markers show darkening on some facets. The gold shield medallion is intact and crisply struck. The inner caseback carries three handwritten watchmaker service marks, the most recent dated 2013, though no service receipt accompanies the watch. Clean, serviced 44-9990 examples currently change hands around €550–€700 in the private collector market, and the reference has been among the faster-moving vintage Seiko references over the past year. From a private collection. No box or papers. Three watchmaker service marks inside the caseback, most recent dated 2013; no service receipt. Shipped fully insured, tracked, and signature-required worldwide.