King Seiko

Case geometry is the value, and polishing removes it

The 44KS case is defined by flat polished surfaces meeting at sharp edges — the finishing technique Seiko now markets as Zaratsu. Polishing rounds those edges irreversibly. On this reference, case condition is not a cosmetic matter: a softened case has lost the characteristic the reference exists for, and it removes a comparison point an examiner would otherwise use.

The Daini mark belongs here; a Suwa mark does not

44KS was a Daini Seikosha product and carries the Daini lightning-bolt mark. A Suwa whirlpool mark on a watch presented as a 44KS indicates either a misidentified reference or a replaced part. This is a factory-attribution check, not an authenticity verdict — but on King Seiko the factory is part of the reference's identity.