How to tell when your Seiko watch was made (Part 1)
So, you’ve just purchased a used or new Seiko watch. Congratulations! Have you ever wondered when your watch rolled off the assembly line at the factory? In other words, when was it manufactured? Questions relating to the production date of Seikos frequently pop up in various watch forums from time to time.
Well, in case you didn’t know this, the answer to this question actually lies in the set of numbers that are etched or printed on every Seiko watch made. Chances are if you ask watch store assistants when that particular Seiko watch you’re interested in buying was made, you’ll get a blank expression from them. Either that, or they’ll come up with an excuse for not knowing by saying that it’s a new arrival (yeah, right!) 🙂
You can’t really blame them for not knowing because watch sellers are in the business of selling watches, period. From my experience many Seiko dealers aren’t watch enthusiasts themselves. They’re more interested to get a sale from you rather than discuss the history or significance of that Seiko watch that you’re looking to purchase.
Well, I’m a firm believer that knowledge is power. And if you have that knowledge, you have an edge over the seller that could be very useful. Especially when it comes to bargaining for a better price for that new, old stock (NOS) Seiko that caught your fancy.
File photo of a typical watch store in Kuala Lumpur. Chances are that the store owner in the picture doesn’t even know when the Seiko watches that he sells were made, 🙂
If the store owner senses that you know more about that watch than he or she does, there’s a good chance that you can bargain for a more realistic price. I have gotten a few discontinued Seiko watches in this manner, saying “Hey look, this watch is eight years old! It can’t be worth the price you’re quoting me!”
Fortunately for me, the watch dealers relented to my counter offers and I got them for the price that I wanted.. They probably figured out it’s better to sell off the watch now than risk their capital tied up in old stock that nobody else is interested in.
Let’s find out how to date your Seiko watch and I don’t mean socially! 😉
Where to look for the serial number
To locate the serial number, you’ll need to flip over your watch and examine its caseback. Seikos with solid casebacks (plastic, stainless steel or titanium) will have the 6-digit serial number etched in a straight line. Those that come with glass display backs like modern Seiko 5’s have the numbers printed horizontally on the glass display back but the numbers are usually faint and difficult to read.
Higher end Seikos with display backs, like the 6R15 caliber Premier or 7L22 Sportura for example, have the serial number engraved not on the glass but on of caseback’s rim.
Here are three examples of Seiko casebacks depicting their serial numbers.
Type I: Seiko 5 glass display back:
Basic Seiko 5 models made from the year 2002 onwards have clear glass display backs as you can see above. The 6-digit serial number is always located at the opposite end of the “SEIKO” text. The numbers are faintly stamped from the inside of the glass. You’ll have to tilt the caseback towards the light to read the numbers properly or better still, use a magnifying glass. The Seiko 5 in this picture is from February 2004.
Update: Some very recent model Seiko 5s have the serial number printed not on the glass but along the caseback rim. If you can’t see the serial number on the glass, then look for them on the caseback rim (usually located on at the bottom part of the caseback).
I guess Seiko decided that it’s easier and cheaper to produce spare display backs without having to etch the serial number individually
.
Type II: Display backs on higher end models:
In more expensive Seikos with glass display backs like the Premier 6R20 pictured above, the serial number is usually found engraved along the rim of the caseback. Unlike the rest of the identifying text, the serial number is printed in a straight line. Why doesn’t the serial number follow the curvature of the rim? I’m not sure but I think casebacks are manufactured en masse and the individual serial numbers are stamped on later prior to packing and shipping from the factory. Anyway, the Premier pictured above was made in August 2007.
Type III: Solid metal caseback
The majority of Seiko watches come with solid metal casebacks (stainless steel, solid gold, gold plated or titanium) and the serial numbers are also stamped in a straight line. Pictured above is a the caseback of an SKX007K Seiko dive watch. Reading numbers off solid metal casebacks is pretty straightforward. The Seiko diver above is from November 2003.
How to the serial number works
Every Seiko watch manufactured is given a 6-digit serial number. There are however exceptions to this rule. Seiko watches made prior to the late 1960s, most probably 1967 have 7-digit serial numbers instead. Limited edition models with unique sequenced numbering, e.g. 123/300 (denoting the 123rd piece out of a total of 300 pieces) usually don’t have serial numbers.
Limited edition Seikos are usually made within a very short time frame – perhaps not more than a few months in the year it was introduced. In this case you’ll need to know the intimate history of the model – for example, the SBDX005 Historical Collection 600m diver was released in 2000 with 1,000 pieces made. You may not know the exact month the watch was made but suffice to say, the production year couldn’t be any later or earlier than 2000.
To simplify things, I will use the 6-digit serial number convention. This table below describes the structure of the serial number.
Digit Position | Description | Characters used | Notes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1 | Production year | 0 to 9 | Denotes the year in the decade, not absolute year | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | Production month | 1 to 9, “0”, “N” and “D” | 1 to 9 denotes months of January to October. “0”, “N” and”D” denotes October, November and December respectively | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Sequence number, thousands | 0 to 9 | The last four digits represent the running number of the watch | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Sequence number, hundreds | 0 to 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | Sequence number, tens | 0 to 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Sequence number, ones | 0 to 9 |
Deciphering the serial number
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The first digit signifies the year the watch was made. It doesn’t tell you the decade – only the year. This will present a problem because you may not be able to distinguish whether the watch was made in 1997 or 2007. The digits always range from 0 to 9.
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The second digit denotes the production month. Seiko uses 1-9 for January to September. October is represented by the number 0 (zero, not the letter “O”) while November and December are abbreviated to “N” and “D” respectively.
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The remaining 4 digits represent the production number of the watch in a sequence. It is generally believed that the first watch produced every month begins with “0000” and the last watch made in that month ends with “9999”. Going by this convention, up to 10,000 watches of a particular model could be manufactured in one month. The sequence number is reset for the following month. Therefore if Seiko made up to 4,900 pieces in February, the last watch produced will have the the sequence number 4900. For the following month of March, the first watch produced will have the sequence number 0000 instead of 4901.
The following table below gives examples on how the serial numbers are interpreted:
Caliber | Serial Number | Year | Month | Watch Number | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7S26A | 717872 | 1997 | January | 7872 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7T32 | 8N1030 | 1998 | November | 1030 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6105 | 200421 | 1972 | October | 421 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6138 | 731999 | 1977 | March | 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
6309 | 4D8001 | 1984 | December | 8001 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
8L35 | 259393 | 2002 | May | 9393 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
7S26B | 760023 | 2007 | June | 23 |
Jayhawk’s Production Date Calculator
Fortunately there is an automated method of determining when your Seiko was made. Savvy Seiko watch enthusiasts have been using Jayhawk’s Production Date Calculator to check when their watches were made. It’s linked from the Seiko & Citizen Forum and to my best knowledge, it is currently the only automated tool for dating your Seiko watch on the Internet.
It’s easy to use – just enter your movement number and the serial number and hit the Calculate button. There you have it – your watch’s date returned to you in a matter of seconds! 🙂
However, there are a few caveats that you need to know when using the Production Date Calculator:
- Firstly, the results that are returned to you are based on the accuracy of the internal database table. There may be unintended mistakes in the range of the years entered into the table.
- The calculator does not take into account for calibers that are made for more than 10 years.
- The production date calculator does not cover the entire list of Seiko calibers made.
The problem lies in Seiko’s numbering convention as it used only one digit to represent the year. The first digit only signifies the year number in a certain decade (10 years). While it is true that Seiko movements are discontinued in less than a decade, there are however, some exceptions to the norm.
A well known example is its very popular 7s26 automatic caliber. If you enter a serial number beginning with “7” or “8” for a post-2000 made 7s26, the date calculator will return you the years 1997 or 1998 respectively, which is off by a whopping 10 years! Even if you are certain that your watch was made in 2006, the date calculator will still think that it was made in 1996.
Here’s why:
The Production Date Calculator unfortunately doesn’t have the ability to account for calibers that have been made for a decade or longer. It merely checks the first digit in the serial number (the year of production) and compares it with its internal table of calibers with the starting year. Since Seiko uses only one digit to denote the production year, the calculator cannot determine the exact decade the watch was manufactured.
For instance, 7s26a caliber was first introduced in 1996 and therefore it naturally assumes that it was from the 1990s. The replacement 7s26b caliber however, came out in late 2006 but the production calculator does not take this into consideration.
Caseback dating dilemma: Was this Seiko 5 Superior from January 1997 or January 2007? It’s actually from 1997.
Manually dating a Seiko watch
Fortunately, there is an alternative to the Production Date Calculator if it returns you erroneous or dubious results. In order to do this, you will have to date the watch by manual means that can give you an approximation or the exact the decade the watch was made.
If you’re interested in pursuing this topic, learn how to manually date a Seiko watch here.
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Comments
Dear Quartzimodo,
Just bought a used 9020-7010, SNo. 560117. As I learned from your detection rules, the watch was made in June, 1995 (or 1985?). The current product no. is 177, right? Is there a source that can tell how many pieces of that watch were produced? (It has 14 kt gold back. No steel!)
Regards, Detlev from Munich
Hi Detlev,
I’m not familiar with the Seiko 9020 quartz movement but designs based on this caliber suggest that it’s an 80s watch rather than the 1990s.
Therefore it’s quite probable that yours was from June 1985. Although your serial number has the number 177, it is actually piece #178, because the first watch made in any month has the ending 4 digit numbers starting with “0000” and not “0001”.
Unfortunately I have no idea how many pieces of your particular model were made. You’ll have to contact Seiko Japan to get the information.
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
Hi Clemualb,
The reason that I asked for the serial number verification is because a 7-digit serial number applies to vintage Seiko watches made between 1966 and 1967. Most Bell-Matics I’ve seen in pictures (I own two myself) are from the early 1970s. It’s quite rare to see one that’s made in the late 60s. So there you have it – October 1967. You have one of the earliest Bell-Matic models, which is a rare occurrence. The “Water Proof” marking also confirms that your watch has to be from 1967 and not 1977, because it if were from 1977 (about the time the Bell-Matics were discontinued) it would have “Water Resistant” marked instead.
John Nelson (John N) is a contact of mine and he used to run a site dedicated towards Seiko Bell-Matics; he would know about the subject more intimately. I bought a 4006-6040 from him two years ago as he was liquidating his collection.
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Hi Tammy,
Not much is known about the hand winding Cal 11A as to when it first appeared and when it was discontinued. However, it’s believed that this caliber was introduced in 1970.
My best guess is that your watch was made on August 1978, based on your serial numbers on the back of the watch. The numbers on the dial refer to the dial code and is not used for dating the watch.
Hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
Hi Foxbat,
I haven’t been poking my nose in watch stores for a long time, but word has it from the Seiko collector communities is that the 7s26C version did appear sometime in 2011. Some believe that the 7s26C has a more pronounced, elevated pinion in the movement for better height clearance for the main time hands. If this is true, then it should solve cases of sticking second hand that tend to rest exactly where the minute hand lies when the main spring is nearly unwound. So far I noticed that one of my watches (7s26B caliber) has this problem.
Thanks for reporting your watch production dates. Since you have observed your SNK315K is from December 2011 and your SNKE53K from June 2011, this narrows down 7s26C’s debut between the months between June and December 2011. More feedback from owners having the newer 7s26C movement are needed to pinpoint the exact month Seiko introduced the 7s26C.
The new Seiko solar powered watches should be at least equal to Citizen’s Eco Drives. Actually Seiko has had solar powered watches dating to the late 90s or early 2000s, but they weren’t as popular as Citizen Eco Drive watches. For Seiko, they were busy pushing their Kinetic technology while Citizen had no choice but move forward with what they’re already good at – light powered watches. Once upon a time, Citizen made a few models based on its Eco Drive Duo technology (solar and kinetic movement charged), but they were quite expensive. Those watches were probably more efficient at charging using sources of light than the wrist movement, therefore it made the “kinetic” charging method redundant.
I might buy one of those nice Seiko Solar chronographs this year. I saw quite a few models when I visited Singapore last October and was tempted to buy one, but I’ll wait for newer solar powered chronographs to appear.
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Thanks again Quartzimodo
The reason I asked about Seiko solar was I saw a SNE031 advertised recently and considered buying it. I was waiting for the SNK315 to arrive and discovered that the two watches are virtually identical (37mm across and 10-11mm thick with very similar plain white/cream faces). In the end they were too similar, despite the different mechanisms, so I’ve changed tack (see your chronograph blog).
Incidentally, as I once said before, I have a “venerable” 5M62-0AK0, s/n 386455, which I bought in Canberra on 9 February 2005 (18 months old at the time). None of the documentation tells me what the model (S**etc) is. Is there some way I can find out?
Hi Foxbat,
I Googled for your Kinetic watch and found the reference number. It’s either the SKA196P (white dial) or the SKA198P (black dial).
The SNE-series solar watches are one of Seiko’s latest revivals into the solar powered watch scene and this time they’re putting more effort into promoting them. I expect them to be vastly improved versions of their earlier efforts. Its solar panels are located behind the translucent dial like the surface of a white ping pong ball. Your Promaster AV0031-59A’s solar panels on the other hand, are located at the subdial apertures. It’s best that you view the SNE031 yourself before buying it, in case you prefer solid, opaque dials.
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Thanks again. You are a champion!
My SKA is the black 198P. There is considerable similarity to my recently bought SMY115 – which you gave the suffix P, which I assume means that both watches were assembled in Singapore. Does the suffix K indicate Hong Kong assembly?
I shan’t be buying the SNE031. I was looking at it amongst a group of watches but in the end I plumped for a Citizen CA0021-53A, which had features that encapsulated the whole group.
Cheers.
Your education, and that of one or two others, has shown me the absolute need to shop around for watches, especially via mail order.
Hi Foxbat,
Yes, the “K” suffix designates a Seiko watch that is cased in Hong Kong (China). Do note that some models that are exclusive to the U.S. market do not have any letter suffix at all. Some examples include the SKXA35 and SNM035 automatic diver’s models. They are not referred to as the “SKXA35K” or “SNM035K”. U.S. market models also have the country of manufacture printed on the dial to comply with the American Federal Trade Commission labeling laws. For watches that are made in China, they are clearly marked “Mov’t Singapore” or “Mov’t Malaysia” and “Cased in China” in fine print on the dial.
The Citizen CA0021-53A is a great looking watch, but personally I avoid watches with no contrast between the dial and the hands/markers. They’re hard to read the time in dim lighting. BTW, have you ever considered Orient automatic watches before? I have an Orient CEY04002B and it’s a very fine dress/sports automatic, with a power reserve indicator and perpetual world time. For its asking price, Seiko offers nothing like it. A unique feature of the Orient CEY04002B is its sapphire glass display back, which is quite unusual as most watches with see-thru casebacks use the cheaper mineral glass.
This watch is equally eye-catching as the Citizen Promaster E210 series and I’ve often received compliments whenever I wear it. 🙂
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Hi again
Three things:
I looked at the SNK315K I received allegedly from the US this week but the curiosity is it does have the suffix K and no origin printing on the face, even with a maginfying glass. Perhaps a US entrepreneur imports for export but not for the US market?
In that regard, I used the hotlink re the Orient CEY04002B and came up with an LA supplier who clearly indicated “USA only”. I subsequently looked at a Singapore supplier just out of interest as my budget and brain are exhausted for the time being. I will probably end up with a simpler Orient power save indicator automatic some time in the future.
I take your point about the CA’s white on white but we all wear watches by circumstances and mood. I go to meetings regularly and generally wear black faced watches like my Citizen BM8430 or my SKA (thanks again for identifying it) or SMY Seiko kinetics which allow me to glance at the time. I have drawn up for fun and some self-indulgent justification a list of my 18 “active” watches and how I intend to use each of them.
But now this 66yo “semi-WIS” is going to withdraw from the field for a while.
All the best, thanks a million and cheers.
Hi Foxbat,
In the early 2000s, Asian market Seikos were available exclusively from Southeast Asian and Hong Kong based sellers. Things have changed since then, with a few enterprising Far East based watch sellers setting up offices in the U.S. to cater for the North American market. Such watches, including your SNK315K Seiko 5 are considered parallel imports from Seiko USA’s point of view.
The Orient CEY04002B is a watch that’s worth saving for, because it’s a lot of watch for the asking price. There is also a Japan market, limited edition model that uses the identical movement but sells for USD2,000. I’ve seen the watch in person and have taken photos of it at my regular watch store. After a year sitting on the shelf, the watch was returned to the distributor as nobody wanted to spend that much on a “mere Orient” watch.
If I could offer some advice, it’s better to save up towards something that’s more unique rather than going for quantity for your collection! Take it from someone who’s owned a little over 80 timepieces. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Oh dear, Oscar Wilde is winning!
After your last advice I internetted Orient automatics and you are of course right, they are a great idea. The reviews from far and wide are universally, or almost, glowing.
I have ordered a FEU07008DX as a starter, just over $100 delivered and very interesting looking. As to the CEY04002B, what about the slightly more expensive CFA05001B? I prefer the look of the latter and the specs seem very similar.
My only problem with having a surfeit of automatics is keeping them all going. I know you say it’s not really necessary but an Orient site suggests they should be wound at least once a week to keep the lubrication constant.
It’s also suggested that it is best practice to keep an automatic on your wrist for eight to 12hours a day. Obviously with a reasonable number of watches, including potentially five automatics, that won’t happen.
As usual, I look forward to your invaluable advice.
Hi Quatzimodo
I got the FEU and to my surprise and mild disappointment it turned out to be a FEU07005BX instead of the 8D; the former is thicker, heavier and mineral rather than sapphire.
One pleasant surprise is it features a Breitling Navitimer, or copy. The manual doesn’t explain it but googling naut and stat did.
I took you advice, sort of, but went for the CEY04003W0, as you might have foreseen. Unlike you I do like the white on white look; my Citizen CA0021-53A is a particular treasure.
Thank you for all your expertise, advice and interest. After $2000 or so I’ve done my dash and reached a respectable 20 watches so it really is time to stop!
Hi Michael,
Congratulations on buying both (wow!) Orient watches. 🙂 The model FEU07005BX is most probably a recent model as I haven’t been following developments of watches for some time. The scale that’s printed on the edge of the dial is an E6B Flight analog computer which works on the slide rule principle. On watches today, the E6B scale is mostly for aesthetic/decorative purposes as even single engined Cessna/Piper pilots use digital flight computers for navigation. I have several watches with the E6B scale on them and never bothered to learn how to use it, lol..
Your purchase of the white dialed CEY04003W0 didn’t come as a surprise to me (I was nevertheless elated that you chose this model) as from your past comments, you like white-on-white watches. I have only three or four white dialed Seiko models, but their index markers are black, providing some contrast. It’s a good thing that you selected the CEY0400 series, because the small perpetual second hand departs from the traditional long sweep second hand on your other timepieces. Due to its short hand, the individual ticking motion is not discernible to the eye and this gives it a fluid-like motion like the second hand of a Seiko “Quiet Sweep” wall clock or a Seiko Spring Drive watch.
My advice is not to buy too many watches within a short span of time, unless they are on the endangered species list (read: vintage/discontinued). Spacing out your watch purchases will give you time (pun not intended) to enjoy your most recent purchase.
The CFA05001B is a newer model to the CEY0400 series; it sports a different caliber than the latter. Modern mechanical watches don’t really need to be worn all the time – there are millions of unsold automatics sitting in retail stores all over the world that haven’t been “shaken” in six months or longer, but they still work nicely. You don’t need to buy an automatic watch winder unless you own some exotic Swiss mechanical with complications like a perpetual calendar. Such watches can have complex setting procedures, that’s why their owners invest in watch winders to avoid the hassle of setting these watches.
Enjoy your new watches in good health! 🙂
Quartzimodo
i have, since bought new a seiko quartz divers 150m s/n 531231 and these other numers 7548-700f stainless steele japan. any info on this still great working time piece will be greatly appreciated, value,cost new and year made.i am getting older and cannot remember when i bought it. THANKS in advance for any help, p.s. love your site,richard
Hi Rick,
You have one of the more collectible Seiko quartz diver’s watches. The 7548-700x series are generally well liked by most Seiko dive watch collectors and a Pepsi-bezeled 7548-700F can fetch between USD200 to USD250 depending on the condition and originality. The 7548-700x is commonly believed to have influenced the styling of the SKX007/SKX009 series, automatic divers which appeared in the mid 90s. Your watch was fully made in Japan by Seiko’s Suwa factory on March 1985.
The five jeweled, 7548 movement is robust and long lived. It requires an Energizer 301 or Seiko/Maxell SR43SW 1.55 silver oxide battery, with a 3-year lifespan.
thanks for the compliments! 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi Quarzimodo
Thank you for your encouragement and advice.
I agree I have dived in rather precipitately. Fortunately I have decided to stop at 20 with the two Orients. I had expected to stop at 18 but your salesmanship for the Orients was so excellent that I had to expand my collection accordingly. My philosophy is not to have a conventional collection of collectable watches but to be able to have a cross-section of horological ideas and to wear them all at different times, with the possible exception of the Seiko 6139-8002 (still being repaired) and the Citizen 49-9714, both of which have sentimental, rather than practical, value.
I now have five Eco-drives, five automatics, two kinetics (after my purchases over the past three months I agree that too many kinetics would cause problems), three HRMs (as a diabetic I have to keep fit and my weight down) and five assorted quartz watches, of which the star is my 1979 Citizen 49-9714 SF8 calculator; the un-star is my fake G-Shock GA-100, which the G-Shock cognoscenti want me to throw in the rubbish bin but which actually excites my sense of humour.
Incidentally, taking the ideas together of old watches and fakes (or more kindly replicas) I recently googled the serial number of a ten year old Citizen Eco-drive I bought in Singapore in 2002. It turned out to be a BM0730-59A; when I googled that name I found it was discontinued by Citizen some years ago and has become the model for replicas! An ironic turn of events given my recent mania.
I was interested in you description of what I called the Breitling Navitimer derivative. Having googled “stat naut” I found a website that told me how to use it for multiplication and division. I will never use it for navigation as my car and GPS will do that but it will occasionally be useful for rough calculation, mile to kilometre conversion and currency conversion.
So as you advise I have decided to call it a day for a while. I shall enjoy my watches, both old and new, and rejoice in the great advice you have given me.
Just finishing emptying my mother’s house so it can be sold. (She’s in an assisted living facility). I ran across a Seiko with the numbers 7N01 5C39. I’ll probably pass it along to one of my children. I’m not even sure if it’s a man’s or a women’s watch or if it has any value. The serial number is 880742. Can you help?
Hi Pablo,
Yes, your 6138-0011 is from April 1974. It’s easy to date 6138 automatics because they only existed in the 1970s. Sadly, as quartz technology became more prominent, Seiko decided to cease production of affordable automatic chronographs in favor of digital watches and quartz chronographs.
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Hi Bob,
Your Seiko 6309-8020 is an early model dating from April 1978. The 6309 movement came out sometime in 1976 and those that were manufactured before 1984 were made in Japan. Later 6309 models were Hong Kong assembled until they were discontinued by the late 1980s.
hope this answers your question,
Quartzimodo
Hi Todd,
The movement and caseback number must be known before one can date a Seiko watch. For example, if your mom-in-law’s watch has a movement that was discontinued by before 2000, it would be from 1990, 1980 or even 1970. Seiko made quite a few movements in both quartz and mechanical forms with differing market lifespans, therefore it’s imperative that the movement and caseback numbers are identified first.
Quartzimodo.
Hi Don,
Seiko Lassale watches are not really my forte and I’ve never really paid much attention to them. The Lassale sub-brand was conceived when the K. Hattori Company (Seiko) bought the Jean Lassale watchmaking company in 1982. At the time Seiko had proudly designed several ultra wafer-thin quartz movements and they fitted them to the initial Seiko Lassale models.
Towards the end of the 1990s when the Lassale lineup was totally discontinued, Seiko had widened the range of Lassale from simple gents’ dress watches with complicated quartz movements such as the 7F68 moonphase and Seiko’s own 7T32 chronograph movements. I’ve never seen a Seiko-branded 5L14 watch before and in my best opinion, the 5L14 was exclusively used in the Lassale sub-brand. Without seeing an actual photo, your watch could be from June 1987 or 1997.
The 5L14 is a simple 3-jeweled, quartz movement with no calendar or second hand (its sister 5L15 caliber has three hands though). It requires a Seiko/Maxell SR920SW 1.55V silver oxide battery which is rated for 5 years between battery changes.
There’s an interesting post on Seiko Lassale watches which might interest you here.
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Hi Danny,
What you have with you is a Seiko model SEJ010J, which was fully made in Japan and was possibly made on March 1989, at the time the moonphase quartz watch fad began. I’m sorry I can’t put a value to your watch, because 7T36 models are considered rare even in the used market. Some 7T36 models which belonged to the collectible, “Age of Discovery” series may fetch at least USD450 in excellent condition, perhaps a bit more.
eBay is a good place to investigate the average winning bids or Buy-it-Now asking prices of 7T36 watches. Not all used 7T36 watches for sale will have uniform values as it will also depend on the exact model. Right now there’s only one live auction for a 7T36-6A40 on eBay, but it’s not completed yet. You might be interested in following the auction to the end to see how high its winning bid will be.
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Hi, Quartzimodo. Long time no speak.
Thanks for the plug. That thread I wrote has had a lot of traffic over the last couple of weeks – partly because it’s also hot-linked in various Jean Lassale related threads on TheRolexForum, Watchuseek, TZ-UK, Orologio&Passioni, etc.
Any queries you get on Seiko 7Axx’s (particularly 7A38’s) and the related Orient, Yema, Cartier Ferrari calibers, please feel free to point them in my direction. ;o)
Regards, Paul.
Hi Paul,
That’s really great! I’ve been off the watch scene for sometime and only stumbled upon the 7A38.com forum site recently. Back in my SCWF forum days, there was very little interest (or none at all) in Seiko Lassale watches and information on them were really scarce. The content material on the Seiko Lassale models was the most comprehensive that I’ve read in a long time, great job on the article. 🙂
The Seiko 7A28 and 7A38 are two quartz chronographs that I’d really like to get my hands on; but very good condition ones are hard to find nowadays.
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Hi Quartziguru
I have recently finally got back my treasured Seiko 6139-8002 (or 8010 – my first question) after five months being repaired (the crystal was the issue, I was told).
Two things:
The model number on the rear says 6139-8002, but on the face the number is 6139-8010. Which is it and is this common? I have had the watch since new, which gets me to my second question.
The watch was bought by a friend for me when he was visiting Port Moresby in 1977. But the watch’s serial number is 262996, indicating manufacture in June 1972. Is such a delay unusual or a problem?
Cheers.
I don’t see my automatic divers watch exactly. The back of my case has the wave design but it says Seiko water resist Japan A then the serial number 100800. Then from the s/n on the other side is St. Steel 6309-7049 the second hand has a little round thing at the end of it. I have the day and date window and the days are Spanish/English. Does this ring a bell?
Hi lisamarie,
Thanks for your question and I apologize for not being able to reply sooner. You have a self-winding, mechanical watch which is also referred to as an “automatic” watch. Automatic watches are purely mechanical and are not electronic. As such, they are powered by a tiny main spring that drives the watch mechanism and do not require any battery whatsoever.
In the case of the 4206 day/date caliber, you can actually wind the watch manually by carefully winding its crown in its pushed-in position. The 4206’s winding mechanism isn’t that efficient therefore Seiko provided an auxiliary hand-winding capability to this movement. Your Seiko watch is a U.S. model and was made on August 1997. By the early 2000s, the 4206 caliber was replaced by the 4207 (with the same features) and is still used in Seiko 5 automatics for ladies.
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
Wow! what a great site! Amazing you are, and I thank you!
I need a watch battery and was given this beautiful watch about a year ago but I know it’s rather old. I know nothing about watches though, like what is a jewel?
The person who gave it to me says it looks exactly like a Lady Rolex, but I don’t even know what they look like either, sooo… I just need a battery. And I’d really like to loosen the band by one tiny piece of gold wristband. Is that possible? I stopped by walmart tonight to see if they would sell me a battery but they told me they can’t take the backs off watches anymore, and the size number is inside.
Mine says SEIKO 3Y03-0160 A4, water resistant, Japan M, base metal st. steel back. Does that tell you about what year mine was born? 😉 Also on front it has the day and date.
What is the best tool to open the back with? They let me use their tiny screwdriver set at Walmart but I don’t see how that could work. not for me anyway.
Any help that you can provide would be just awesome for me!
Thank you sooooo much for this cool message board! You’re the best!
hell0 quartzimodo,
the watch serial number is 114644. so are you saying that i won’t be able to tell if it was made in January of 2001? or 1991? or 1981, etc? and does it matter which year it was made when purchasing a battery for it?
do you recommend a place online to find correct batteries for certain watches? i would buy quite a few for different dead watches I have, if so.
thanks for passing along the excellent advice and experiential knowledge on this subject
Dear Quartzimodo,
I’m Mongkol from Thailand. I has 1 Seiko 5 Sports, Could you please help me to know this watch is original one or replica.
Serial number 230116
7S36-03D0 AO(in square) KY
and have litle card with watch
Ref.SNZF45K1
Cal.7S36, Automatic
Barcode 4954628101266
Thank you for your support in the future
Mongkol
I bought both a ladies Seiko solar and a gents Seiko 5 glass back watch in Dubai last week. The sales assistant wrote the serial numbers on the guarantee but did not say which is for which watch.
The numbers she wrote are PO22PI and KK6211. These do not appear to be serial numbers !!!… Could they be the model numbers?
The number on the ladies watch appears to be 1N1298.
I cannot read the serial number on the gents watch as the bracelet blocks my view.
I am now home in Australia and cannot return to the shop in Dubai.
Can you help me determine which guarantee is for which watch ? Thankyou Valerie
I have a seiko mickey mouse ladies watch that was given to me in the 80’s. It has a two toned metal band, a white face, a date square. the serial number is3y030039 and the watch number is 960335. I dont still have the warranty papers, but I do remember that it was water resistant to a deep depth, like 100 ft or more. I sent it to be repaired to CSA and they tell me it is not high grade water resistant, but I have always worn it in water and it never leaked. They want $164 to repair it and don’t guarantee it to be worn while swimming. Is it worth the cost to repair? I found your site very informative.
hi! i liked ur article my mom is big fan of vintage watches and she has a gold plated seiko pendant at the back the following numbers are written ASGP 21-7160 and 6900431 please i need ur help in knowing its re-sale value ! i would be really greatful for ur cooperation! its in best quality and still shiny and lustrous
hi! i liked your article very much im a great fan of collecting watches my mother has a seiko gold plated pendent watch and the numbers that are written at the back are these ASGP 21-7160 and 6900431 im unable to figure out the year of manufacturing is as the numbers are some what confusing please help me with this please i would be really grateful also if you can tell me its re-sale value that would be really nice!
Hi Rudi,
It doesn’t work that way. 7T32 is the caliber type while 6M10 refers to the caseback model. You also need to know the six digit serial number, with the first two digits identifying the production year and month respectively.
Kindly go through my article again as you’ve sort of misunderstood my guide. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi SteveD,
Your old Seiko watch is likely to be from the Seiko Sportsmatic or the Seiko 5 Sportsmatic Weekdater lineup. The 6619A is a 21-jeweled, self-winding movement that was first introduced in 1964. Your watch was made on February 1973. Although the 6619 Sportsmatics are collectible timepieces, only those in very good condition might sell for $300 US Dollars on eBay, usually no higher than that.
It’s good to know that your faithful old ticker is still happily with you for the last three decades! 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi k.g.,
You have one of those Limited Edition “Atlas” titanium models. Unfortunately, the exact production date cannot be determined as Seiko does not print serial numbers for its limited edition watches. However, from the various sample photos that I have of this watch I’m certain they were released in the year 2005. The average value of this watch today is from USD325-400 for the “K” version. Although you have the “J” (Japan) variant it doesn’t necessarily mean that collectors are willing to pay over USD400 for one.
good luck with the sale! 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi Demina,
Thanks for asking, but the 6-digit serial # found at the back of your watch tells the production year and month. 7N83-0049 is NOT the watch’s serial number, but its movement and caseback code. I also need to know the 6-digit numbers before I can (hopefully) tell you when it was made. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi. I have a seiko 5 21 jewels, self winding watch I purchased at the PX in Bien Hoa Vietnam in December 1969 for 19.95 cents. On the back it has the numbers 6119-8090, and the serial number: 990468. Mine has the regular numberals that glow in the dark with a black face. I have tried to find another with just the numerals on it, but have only seen the ones with the “slash marks” instead of numbers. I have been told that these were only sold at the military exchanges in southeast asia during the vietnam war. Is this true? Hope you can shed some light on this for me. Oh, by the way, I still wear it everyday. I have it cleaned every year and have the crystal changed every two or three years. Still works great. Thanks.
Hi Charles,
Seiko made several models based on the 6119-8090 design but most of them have the more common, baton styled hour markers. However an acquaintance of mine who collects vintage Seiko watches, “Cobrajet” posted about finding one with Arabic numerals in this discussion. I assume the one which he purchased is similar to yours. 🙂
With regards to the Arabic numeral 6119s being sold “exclusively at military PX stores”, I have found no historical evidence to support this theory. I highly doubt that Seiko produced the Arabic numeral dialed 6119-8090s just for the U.S. Army’s Post Exchanges but it’s not unusual for any watch with Arabic numerals to be popular with servicemen as they’re much easier to read the time. Therefore I presume such watches (and Seiko diver’s models) were in great demand; therefore you were likely to find Seiko watches with Arabic numbers at your PX.
BTW, your Seiko 5 was made by the Suwa factory in Japan on Sept 1969, therefore your watch was practically brand new when you bought it. The 6119 is a robust caliber and maintained frequently it can last a very long time. Good to know that your daily beater is still happily ticking to this day! 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi Ralph Boggs,
I have a dark navy blue 6139-6002 myself. 🙂 The 6139-6002 is one of Seiko’s classic automatic chronographs from the 1970s and it’s a crowd favorite – especially the rare, yellow dialed “Colonel William Pogue” version. Colonel Dr Pogue was an astronaut who wore the Seiko 6139-6002 on his missions aboard the old Skylab 4 space station in 1974. Partly due to the significance of the yellow dialed 6139-6002 having been worn in space by Col Pogue, the yellow dialed version fetches a higher price on the used market.
The 6139 is a column wheel type chronograph and shares the same oscillating balance weight as the more complicated, 6138 chronographs. Unlike comparable Swiss chronograph designs, the 6139’s stopwatch should be left running at all times whenever the watch itself is running. Many Seiko watchmaker experts advocate leaving the stopwatch running as this actually lessens wear-and-tear on its vertical column stopwatch clutch mechanism. In contrast, Swiss made chronographs incur more wear if the stopwatch is used more frequently, but opposite is true with the 6139/6138 chronographs.
BTW, your watch was from March 1972 and was made by the Suwa factory in Japan. An average condition, 6139-6002 generally fetches between USD200-250 on eBay, with super mint condition ones twice that amount.
Quartzimodo
Hi loved your artical, got a few questions about a Seiko i just got….
7d56-0AA0= kinetic perpetual?
910477=if i understood your artical right my watch was made either 89/99/09 in January and should have been nr 477 made that month?
[A4]= ??
4A081-CC= ?? (That serial is stamped on the armband)
so am i right in my guess about year&month?
Second how can i tell if its a genuine Seiko or a better made fake?
Stay safe //Matt,Sweden
Hi Matt,
Thank you for the compliments. 🙂 With regards to your multiple questions on your new Seiko SNP019P (black hands on silver white dial), SNP022P (gold toned hands) or SNP036P (black dial, rose gold case):
1. 7D56 is the caliber code for the Kinetic Perpetual, while 0AA0 is the case design code.
2. 910477 means your watch was manufactured on January 2009. The 7D56 caliber wasn’t designed until the late 2000s. Your watch was the 478th piece from the production line as the very first one would have the number “0000”. Any Seiko watch bearing “0000” as its last four digits would be the first piece assembled for that particular caliber/case and for that particular month and year.
3. [A4] is believed to be the caseback design or official Seiko procedure to remove the caseback, but nobody really knows for sure.
4. 4A081-CC is the watch band part number.
Kinetic Perpetual watches like the 7D56 are very difficult to copy due to its very complicated movement. There’s not much incentives for counterfeiters to duplicate a 7D56 and they would rather make knock-off Swiss replicas, where the real money is. As long as you did not buy your watch from a replica watch site, you should be safe. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Thanks for the surprising information on the Seiko yellow dialed “Colonel William Pogue” version. I have this one but as I said it needs a little work But as far as the information supplied, I did not know any of this. I have not seen another Seiko like this any where and I receive many compliments on it wherever I go. Thanks again.
Ralph
Hello Ralph,
You’re most welcome :-). I dug up some further information on your watch and the original Seiko reference number for the yellow 6139-6002 is AH035M. In the old days, Seiko didn’t use a standardized nomenclature for their watches and they used both letters and numbers, e.g. 54332M, 55029, AV017M, etc making model typing very difficult. Because of the non-uniformity, Seiko collectors found it easier to refer to a vintage model as “6138-0030”, “6105-8100”, etc instead of their original reference numbers. Beginning from the mid to late 80s, Seiko decided to use “S” as the first letter for every Seiko model made and the second and third letters representing the movement or caliber family.
I hope your watch’s date quickset mechanism is still working (by depressing in the crown fully until it clicks and advances the date). Many old 6139 chronographs that were largely uncared for over the decades have faulty or sticking quickset mechanisms. Do take note never to set the day/date between 9pm and 2am as doing so can damage the calendar advance mechanism.
Take care of your watch!
Quartzimodo
Hi again Quartzimoto, you are 5 star in my book. But I have another question for you>
Are there any other Seiko watches that have the same parts as the 6139 series, namely the stem, and do you know the part # for the stem for the 6139? Opps can the mold be cleaned from the indices on the hands and face?
Many thanks
Ralph
Hi Ralph,
I’ve never heard of anyone sending vintage Seiko 6139s (or any mechanical watch from that era) to Coserv (Seiko USA’s service center) for repairs. Unless there is at least one Seiko USA watch technician in his late 70s who happens to still work for Coserv (which is highly unlikely), I doubt they will undertake repairs for your watch. Parts for long discontinued calibers are likely to have dried up many decades ago and it is normal for watch repairers to cannibalize parts from junked watches of the same caliber.
As a policy, Seiko repair centers only use new or New Old Stock (NOS) parts, if available. If they’re unable to procure the part from Seiko Japan, they will return the watch to you. Another factor is repair expertise. If you could travel back in time to 1980, you’re still likely to find Seiko USA technicians who are proficient at repairing 6139 chronographs and getting the required parts. Today’s Seiko watch repairmen are generally trained in recent model, quartz or Kinetic watches, not complicated mechanical chronographs from a bygone era. It’s much easier and less labor intensive to completely replace a defective quartz or Kinetic module than to overhaul an automatic chronograph.
Although Seiko still makes automatic chronographs today, these watches are exclusive to the Japan market and as such, could only be repaired by Seiko Japan technicians. Note that since the mid 1990s, Seiko only makes expensive, luxury mechanical chronographs (like from their Brightz, Credor and Prospex ranges) and these calibers are definitely not in the same league as the once affordable, 6139 or 6138 calibers. So who undertakes the repairs of discontinued mechanical chronographs today? Hobbyists and third party, watch repairmen who are specially trained in servicing vintage Seiko calibers. A mechanical watch repairer who services solely Swiss mechanical watches e.g., Omega, Breitling, IWC may be able to repair your 6139-6002, but it’s better to send your watch to those with vast experience in vintage Seiko timepieces.
Offhand, the only U.S. based vintage Seiko watch repairman that I know is Mr Bob Thayer, who charges reasonable labor fees for watch repairs and cosmetic makeovers. Note that I have no affiliation with Mr Thayer but he seems to get good feedback recommendations in Seiko watch forums. The 6139-6002 should be very familiar to him and he should be able to advise you as which parts need replacing.
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
I have a seiko duo-display quartz Cal.H249 alarm chronograph
original leather strap
On the back..base metal top st.steel back
071662
H249-5049 with an R in a box
japan-a
w
very stylized s or lightening bolt
dial is roman numerals with hatching border under numerals
viewing window on bottom, below numerals
bottom right-hand corner in teeny weeny …H249 with 4
teenier numbers
time changer is gold with black bezel
face/case is gold colour on front, square face/case
any help will be greatly appreciated..if it’s real, will get it running, if not…oh sigh.
many thanks
Hi Elizabeth,
There are NO fake H249 caliber Seiko watches that I know of; nobody ever counterfeited them in the first place. You have a genuine old Seiko watch, and I believe it dates to July 1980. The lightning bolt symbol signifies that this model was made by Seiko’s Daini factory in Japan. Whether it’s possible to get it running again depends on the extent of the malfunction; and if the entire quartz module needs replacing and there are no replacement movements to be found (remember, this is a long discontinued model) then the effort might not be worth it.
Here’s an example of an H249 duo-display watch I found on the Internet. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi Ralph,
Bob Thayer can be contacted at [email protected] according to his website. Hope everything works out for you, sir! 🙂
Quartzimodo.
Hi Simon,
My sincerest apologies for the belated response as I’ve been away for over a week. I happen to have a silver-white dialed model of the 6106-8000, which was my very first vintage Seiko watch that I bought. The 6106-8000 (8009 for U.S. versions) are slim bodied sports watches with a bi-directional, non-ratcheting bezel. As far as I know, they came in at least five colors: charcoal grey dial, yellow, blue, emerald green and silvery white. The dial is of the acrylic kind, not mineral glass. Most examples come with “Water 70 Proof” markings on the dial, and “Water Proof” engraved on the caseback. So far I have not seen any examples of the 6106-8000 with “Water Resistant” markings, suggesting that they were discontinued by the middle of 1971.
I don’t think the 6106-8000 models have any significant history behind them; and they were one of Seiko’s many 6106-based gent’s watches like the old “Seiko DX” lineup. Like the date-only 6105B caliber, the 6106 hacks when you pull out its crown for accurate time synchronization. The 6106-8000 is considered a collectible vintage Seiko watch, although they don’t fetch a lot on the used market. I’ve seen sellers listing them for sale between USD150 and USD200, depending on the watch’s condition. It’s quite usual to see some of these watches riddled with scratches on the rotating bezel.
While I doubt any Seiko service center still keeps stock of the bezel, fortunately the acrylic crystal is of a common design and can be substituted with a generic one. When I found my silver 6106-8100 at a watch store, it didn’t have its original stainless steel bracelet and the crystal had to be polished to remove the scratches. Unfortunately the retailer’s watchmaker over-polished it and made the crystal too thin and uneven. I had the acrylic crystal replaced with a generic one and I can’t see any difference between it and the new one. 🙂
It’s a good idea to have your dad’s watch restored and keeping it within your family. The 6106 is a robust movement which should last decades, requiring minimal routine servicing. I hope you have had your watch regulated for timekeeping accuracy.
best regards,
Quartzimodo.
Hi, Quartzimodo:
Your article was very helpful for me. Since I as unable to see the model of my watch in the dial, is possible that you can tell me the model of it and when it was manufactured? Do you think the watch is original?
The data I have gathered from the watch is as follows:
Caliber: 7S26 02W0 A4 KY 7S26C
S/N: 231140
Thanks very much in advance and for the article.
Luis
Hi Luis,
Seiko made many variations with a black dial and a 3-o’clock crown based on the 7S26-02WO and I don’t have a Seiko 5 catalog, therefore unfortunately I can’t tell which exact model that you have. However, the fact that your watch has the 7S26C movement means that you have a very recent model Seiko 5. It’s from March 2012. It cannot be from 2002 because Seiko was still making the older 7S26A movement back then, so it has to be the year 2012.
Without seeing pictures of it (try uploading a photo of your watch to Tinypic.com), I can’t determine if your watch is a fake but the probability is that you have a genuine Seiko 5. Counterfeiters usually don’t bother to replicate newer Seiko 5 models with the 7s26C movement as it’s not worth their trouble and investment.
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Hello,
I was very pleased to find your wonderful website this afternoon.
I was wondering if you could assist me regarding a Seiko watch that I purchased from an antiques shop in Lyndhurst, Hampshire in June of this year?
I paid £70.00 for it. It said that it had been fully serviced. The face states that the watch is a Seiko Automatic Waterproof 17 jewels. The code on the back states: 7625-8033. 8D4472
Kind regards,
Claire Bates
Hi Claire,
Thanks very much for the compliments. 🙂 You have a rather vintage Seiko date-only automatic, dating back to December 1968. The movement itself was one of Seiko’s earliest automatic movements and the 7625 caliber was first introduced in 1964. It’s one of Seiko’s collectible calibers but its value today will vary from model to model. The 7625 has a rather leisurely beat rate of 18,000 beats/hour (compared to the more common 21,600 bph in today’s automatics), which translates to 5 ticks per second. When mechanical watches are concerned, the higher the beat rate the better its overall accuracy is.
I’m not really sure if you paid the right price for it, because if the antique shop added the cost of labor in repairing/servicing the watch (labor is expensive in the UK) that might account for its asking price. This is one of Seiko’s evergreen classics and it’s said that the recent Japan model, Seiko Spirit SARB031 was heavily influenced by the 7625-8033 that you have.
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
Hello,
I have long been an admirer of Seiko watches and own a number of the 7t32 range. I recently purchased a 7t32-6F69, with the serial number 438915 on the back. The face is a very deep red colour with ruby coloured subdials.
The bracelet appears to be plated and is quite badly worn. It also appears fairly lightweight. The casing is, on the other hand, bright and intact.
I was wondering if you had any information on the watch and if you were aware if a replacement bracelet might be available for this type.
Hi Brian,
The 7T32 is a crowd pleaser amongst fans of Seiko’s quartz chronograph models and Seiko produced some very attractive models from this caliber. It’s too bad that the company decided to discontinue the 7T32 with the 7T62 for simplicity and cost cutting reasons. I have three 7T32s myself and wished that I had more of them but New Old Stock 7T32s that are desirable are very hard to find today.
It might be still possible to get a replacement bracelet from the Seiko UK service center. If they don’t have one, they’ll need to request the replacement bracelet from Seiko Japan. If the latter has none in its parts warehouse, you’re out of luck. 🙁
Your watch was made on March 1994 in case you’re wondering.
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
Hi finto lawrence,
Thanks for your question. Your dad’s watch was made by Seiko’s Suwa factory in Japan on July 1982. The 6309-602A was one of the many low cost, Seiko 5 automatics sold during that era. I’m afraid I don’t know how much this model cost back then but today its value should be around USD100, depending on its condition. 🙂
best regards,
Quartzimodo
Hi Randy Montgomery,
Your mom’s watch is one of Seiko’s earliest women’s quartz models. It uses the simple six-jeweled, Caliber 14A quartz movement and requires an Energizer 364/363 silver oxide cell. I’m inclined to say that her watch was made on April 1981 as Seiko did not make quartz watches for ladies as early as 1971. At the time the Japanese watch manufacturer only had mechanical watches for their ladies’ watch lineup, while men’s quartz watches were still in their infancy.
This watch is a U.S. export model and the “blue stone” on the winder is what is called a cabochon crown. Vintage Seiko women’s watches don’t carry much value but as your mom’s watch is made of 14K solid gold, its value today will be influenced by the gold metal itself rather than the watch.
hope this answers your question,
Quartzimodo
Hi Quartzimodo,
Please can I tap into your amazing knowledge of Seikos – I’ve got in front of me my father in laws Seiko and I’d love to know a bit more about it.
It think it’s a fairly generic version but I’d love to know roughly when it was made and pass it onto my partner. My father in law died almost 20 years ago so it must be at least that old.
The serial number is 870771 and the 8 digit code i 5Y23-8A11. Interestingly I note that the 8 digit code on the face is different to that on the back – it’s 5Y23-8A2M.
Any help you can give me would be amazing.
Thanks,
Hannah
Hi Hannah,
Thanks for your comments and compliments. 🙂 Your late father-in-law’s watch is a Seiko “SQ” dress men’s watch and you are indeed right – it is a generic Seiko watch from the mid 1980s. The quartz caliber has one jewel in it and requires a Seiko or Maxell SR920SW 1.55 volt battery, with an operational life of 3 years between battery changes. The caliber has been discontinued decades ago.
This watch was fully made in Japan, as with most Seiko quartz watches before the 1990s. The serial number indicates that it’s from July 1988. The “5Y23-8A2M” is a unique dial code which separates this model from its other siblings with different dial colors or design; but for reference purposes Seiko collectors refer this watch as the 5Y23-8A11 rather than the dial code.
As this watch may not have had a service history, it is a good idea to have it checked by an authorized Seiko dealer and have its moving parts lubricated plus the rubber seals replaced if you intend to give it to your other half. It’s important that a 24 year old quartz watch to be serviced to have it ticking in good health. What is more crucial is that a quartz watch with a dead battery should have its battery replaced as soon or possible or completely remove it. Fully exhausted batteries are very prone to leakage and its chemicals can corrode the battery compartment or other vital circuits in the watch module.
hope this helps! 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi Edd,
You have an early Seiko gents’ watch from the mid 70s and it was manufactured by Seiko’s Suwa assembly plant on November 1976. The 2-jeweled 4110A caliber was first introduced two years earlier (1974) and was followed by the improved 3-jeweled, 4110B movement. It takes an Energizer #384 silver oxide cell and Seiko rated its accuracy to +/- 15 secs per month, which is the standard rate for common quartz watches to this day. Unfortunately, I have not seen examples of a 4110 based quartz watch before, therefore I can’t give more information beyond that. 🙁
I’m unable to comment about the “West Germany” made case as this is the first time I’ve heard of a vintage Seiko watch that has a caseback sourced from Europe. It could be because your particular model was a U.S. export model and during the time Seiko contracted solid gold casebacks to a West German manufacturer.
cheers,
Quartzimodo
I recently bought a used Seiko watch for $75 without knowing much about it. I tried entering the model # in the watch finder section on Seiko’s US website and nothing turns up. Maybe you can help me out and tell me if my money was well spent or not.
4D3606
ST. STEEL BASE METAL BEZEL
WATER RESISTANT MS 7N43-9041 [A4]
Thank
Hi Chris,
Your Seiko 7N43-9041 is an older model and Seiko’s websites don’t feature discontinued or generic models. That’s why you can’t find it on the Seiko USA website. I’m not familiar with the 7N43’s history but photos of the 7N43-9041 suggests that it was a 1990s design. Therefore I’m inclined to say that it was made on Dec 1994.
At USD75, it’s a fair price to pay. Enjoy your new Seiko in good health! 🙂
Quartzimodo
What a site,don’t know how I came across you,but was searching,and was very interested,as I have 2 Seiko watches, one given to me just before my son was born 1969.stainless steel,blue face, and just tiny lines for the numbers,and an unusual shape,,diamond/sqaure but rounded corners if that makes sense,,on the back ..670343 11-8320 wgp back Japan 8 ~
not sure what this 2nd one is made of gold tone,oblong case,gold face,lines for numbers, on the back,sgp back, 940259,,,11-4860,Japan 8~, just interested to see what you think,and to find any info,both are wind up watches
Thank you for reading
Hi Kaye5,
The Caliber 11A was one of Seiko’s mechanical (non-automatic) movements that was made for ladies’ models. It was first introduced towards the late 1960s and had a production run up to the mid 1970s. My mother still has her Seiko Cal 11A watch which still runs to this day, although she doesn’t wear it anymore. None of Seiko’s Cal 11A watches were water resistant, therefore take care not to let them get wet.
I don’t know much about these watches but I can tell you that your 11-8320 was made on July 1976 while the other one, the 11-4860 was manufactured on April 1969
. The second watch is the one that you received before your son was born. If you intend to wear these vintage Seiko watches on a daily basis, I would recommend that you have them serviced by a competent watch repairer. They should also be regulated to ensure the best accuracy. Also, don’t attempt to overwind these watches; when you feel the winding crown is tight don’t wind them any further as you might break their mainspring.
best regards,
Quartzimodo
Hi, great info but if you could can help me , I have a Seiko I bought in 1970 when I was in Vietnam had it all these years and still works great, not sure what the numbers mean on the back first line of #’s 6106-6006 second #’s 178298. It’s got a black face DX 25 jewels, also has both the day of the week & numeral day of the month displayed. It is self-winding also. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks Mike
Hi Mike Miller,
According to the serial number, your watch was made on July 1971 therefore it would be an anachronism if you purchased it in 1970. 🙂 This is assuming that the caseback is original to the watch and had not been replaced with some other 6106-8000’s caseback.
The 6106 is the day/date version of the date-only 6105 caliber, which made the 6105-8000 and 6105-8100 diver’s watches legendary. The 6106 was commonly found in the Seiko 5 and Seiko 5 Sports line. I have a Seiko 5 Sports 6106-6040 myself, which I bought on eBay for its sporty character. Your Seiko 6106-6006 was one of the many 6106 generic Seiko 5 dress models in its era and doesn’t carry any historical significance. It’s just like one of the hundreds of the 7s26 based, Seiko 5 dress models you can find today.
The movement was considered a low end one back then, but unlike the non-hacking 7s caliber, the 6106 can hack (stopping the second hand) for convenient synchronization to a time signal. Today, Seiko automatics that can hack are generally those with upmarket calibers that cost a lot more than a 7s26 or 7s36 Seiko 5/Seiko 5 Sports watch.
Good to know that your Seiko 5 DX is running fine to this day sir. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi again, Quartzimodo.
Yesterday I found a Seiko watch that I liked very much. I bought it and I believe it’s from 2007 because the markings are:
Model: SGED01P1 (It appears in a tag attached to the watch’s bracelet)
S/N : 781381
Caliber: 7N42-0DL0
The face is white, the center is light grey and has the section over the date can be seen augmented.
Generally, I don’t buy watches with a big case but this one catch my eye. The only thing that I found weard is that the third hand adveance 1 second first and then it go ahead two seconds. I need to take the watch for a calibration or something like that?
Since the time I bought my Seiko 5, I liked the watches from them but I don’t know if I will start a real collection of Seiko watches.
By the way, this new watch costs me about US$ 149,80 in Chile (the price in local currnecy is 74.900 pesos). This was the freak info of the day, 🙂
Thank you very much for running this site and your patience.
See us and take care.
Luis
Hi Luis,
Congratulation on your new Seiko SGED01P dress quartz watch. 🙂 Yes, it is from August 2007 because it has the letter “D” after the SGE prefix which makes it a fairly recent model. The earliest model based on the 7N42 caliber would be the SGE001P Seiko Sports SQ 150 which hails from the late 80s/early 1990s.
The 7N42 caliber has a 5-year battery life and since your watch likely to be on its original factory battery it’s time to replace it. The 2-second interval jumps that you notice the second hand is doing is the movement’s EOL (End of Life) indicator, signalling that the battery power is almost gone. This EOL indicator is nothing new – all analog quartz watches from the 1980s have this feature.
You paid a really good price for this NOS Seiko watch; given the inflation and the rising prices of current Seiko watches. Enjoy the new timepiece in good health! 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi,
can you please help me in dating this Seiko watch and what this model is .
Back case reads .
713849
stainless steel
water resistant KY 7S26-3170 (A4)
bracelet lugs reads : Z1571-3
i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u513/viewsonic166/SAM_1310_zps7995486b.jpg?t=1350555232
i1071.photobucket.com/albums/u513/viewsonic166/SAM_1314_zps18c482b6.jpg?t=1350555249
Best regards
Hi danni,
Thanks for writing in. 🙂
I apologize for the rather belated reply as I had to find the time to sift through my old pictures of Seiko 5s to identify your exact model. Your Seiko 5 watch was made on January 1997, judging from the all-stainless steel caseback. It uses the first generation 7s26A automatic movement and its model code is SKXN71K. This is a really nice looking watch with a simple, yet classy looking dial and hands. This model has been discontinued for a decade, I think.
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Hi Clive,
Congratulations on scoring big on your Seiko H556-5029 “pre-Arnie” analog-digital diver’s watch. 🙂
I think you paid a very fair price for this model, although it’s not the Seiko H558-5000/5009 watch which actor Arnold Schwarzenegger wore in his films “Commando” (1985), “Raw Deal” (1986) and “Predator” (1987). I’ve seen ads for H558-5020 divers (in very mint condition) going for around USD250, while second-hand, actual “Arnie” shrouded divers are going for over USD700 on eBay recently even in so-so condition. So you can see that the H556-502x models aren’t that valuable although they’re nice looking watches.
There will always be folks who like your watch for what it is, but since Arnold didn’t choose this model for his past movie roles it doesn’t carry the same “collectible status” that the H558-5000 has. 🙂
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
Comment by Quartzimodo Admin on October 16, 2012 (3 days ago) @ 11:52 pm
Hi antonio,
I don’t have a picture of a Seiko 6020-5380 like your watch, but I’ve seen a Seiko Quartz 6020-5059 which looks like a late 80s or early 90s design. My best guess is that yours is from July 1990.
best regards,
Quartzimodo
is similar seiko 6020-5059 but I think this is the Lassale model
Hi Mark,
Yes, you’re correct. Your Seiko 6139-6010 was made on Nov 1969 and should have “Water Proof” markings on its caseback and “Water 70 Proof” on the dial. The 6139 caliber debuted in 1969 and outlived its “bigger” sibling – the 6138 chronograph by at least two years. I remember seeing examples of late model 6139s dating to either 1978 or 1979 while the final Seiko 6138 models seem to be from 1977. By the late 1970s, Seiko was pushing its quartz technology to the masses and they probably thought that automatic chronographs were going out of style (how wrong they were!).
It’s a rather sad affair because owning a modern Seiko automatic chronograph today means having to fork out thousands of dollars for one of their prestigious Seiko Prospex, Brightz or Credor models. Automatic chronographs are now regarded as status symbols rather than affordable, garden variety timepieces in the 1970s. There’s nothing to stop Seiko from re-creating their 6139 and 6138 movements if they wanted to, but quartz chronographs are much cheaper to make and to service.
I have two 6139s myself: the popular 6139-6002 (Pepsi bezel) and the lesser known 6139-7012. In my opinion, one of the components to look out for in a vintage 6139 is its quickset, push button day-of-the-week calendar mechanism. Many 6139s that are not cared for seem to have stuck quickset mechanisms.
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Hi there quartzimodo! I need your help with something, I have a Seiko 5 thats serial number is 9D0610. No if I understand correctly, according to your information that would mean it is made in the 90s, but the watch is originally my grandfather’s watch and he still remebers where he bought it in the late 60s, so I would really like to know what the serial number says, because I know this watch was made well before the 90s but not exactly when.
Hi Eric,
A Seiko 5 that uses a 7s-caliber (usually 7s26) movement is manufactured from 1996 onwards – that’s because the 7s26 was introduced in that year. In the blog article, I was highlighting contemporary Seiko 5 watches, not vintage models. However, the Seiko 5 range (including the Seiko 5 Sports and Seiko 5 Speedtimer) actually originated circa 1969 and the watches were been fitted with a plethora of movements, depending on the model.
If you’re looking at the year 1969, in that year Seiko used the 6106, 6119, 6139 (chronograph), 7015, 7017, 7019 to name a few. That’s why it’s important to know the caliber/caseback code which you’ll find stamped at the back of the watch. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi, Firstly; thanks for such a great informative site.
I’m in UK. I have had a Seiko watch unused in a drawer for over 12 years & looked for info. Markings are: 3D 05 85
and 2A32-5040 followed by a square box containing RO
Also marked JAPAN-M
PDP middle SGP bezel st.steel back
I bought this abroad in the 80’s. I haven’t seen anything similar despite trawling through many hundreds of pages online. It’s rectangular in brushed st. steel with gold plated bezel trim, hands, knob & non-numeric dial indices. The st.steel strap is matching with sgp gold bars.Also has date function. Quite slim & very elegant.
From your info it seems to be Dec 1983 & made in Japan.
Having got it out of drawer; I fitted new battery & it runs perfectly. Am I right about date etc. Is this a fairly rare model?
Regards John
Hi John,
Your estimate of the production date is correct (Dec 1983) as the 2A32 quartz caliber was an early 1980s movement and was mainly fitted to gents’ dress watches. I have no idea whether it’s a rare model in its day but if there very few surviving watches of this model today, I guess you can say that it’s “rare”. 🙂 Do note that the rarity of a model doesn’t always equate to high resale value, because the value of the watch is largely determined by the collector’s market.
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Hi Mohd Afiq,
The 5931A caliber first came out around 1978 but your watch was made on Jan 1984. This was made by the Seiko Daini factory in Japan and was part of the Seiko Chario line in the early 80s. 30,000 JPY was equivalent to RM300 (USD127) back in 1984 – therefore this was considered a mid-priced Seiko watch in that year. I think this model is rare today, but not really that collectible. The watch runs for 2 years on a single Seiko/Maxell TR721SW battery.
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Hi Niki,
I’m inclined to say that your Seiko V401 (I think you quoted the dial code, instead of the caseback code) was from Aug 1997 because of the “Mov’t Japan” text on the dial. This is because throughout the 1980s, quartz Seiko watches were fully made in Japan. It wasn’t until the early-to-mid 1990s that such watches were assembled by Seiko’s factory in Singapore, instead of Japan. A fully Japan-made Seiko model would have only “JAPAN” inscribed on the dial, not “Mov’t JAPAN”.
Thanks for the compliments, appreciate it. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi Quartzimodo and thank you for the site. I bought a very interesting Seiko quartz Dolce Exceline necklace watch. The back of the watch appears to be enamel and has the painting of a flower. The dial is gold colored and engraved. It was given as a gift to an American executive by a Japanese Steel company. It comes with a certificate in Japanese with the following numbers:
AQD 894
1400-027
170257
I believe it was produced in the 80’s. Thank you so much for what you do!
Hi,
I have my brothers watch ( he was killed in a plane crash in 1990) it is a seiko automatic 17 jewel black face with chrome case I assume. Water resistant ser # 702270
On the back it also says “base metal top st. Steel back 7009-8139
Any information you can tell me would be SO appreciated,
Thank you
Jack
Hello Jack Daniels,
Thanks for writing in and I apologize for the late response. I’m sorry to hear about your brother’s tragic accident and I’m sure he appreciates that you’re taking good care of his watch for him.
The Seiko 7009 caliber had a long production run from the 1970s until the late 1980s. While I’m not familiar with the model that you have, if the dial and caseback doesn’t have the word “JAPAN” on them, it’s from October 1987 and was assembled in Hong Kong, with the movement assembled in Singapore.
Try to avoid getting the watch wet because if the watch hasn’t been serviced and had its rubber gaskets replaced before, its water resistance is mostly compromised.
wear the watch in good health,
Quartzimodo
Hi Maria,
Your Seiko 7T36-6A29 “moonphase” alarm-chronograph was manufactured on May 1989. Its original model number is SEJ012J and was fully Japan assembled for the U.S. market. The 7T36 caliber is similar to the equally discontinued, 7T34 model except that the latter doesn’t have the moonphase window on the dial.
I’m sorry but I don’t know what it’s worth today. Check eBay from time to time in case people put up their 7T36-6A29 for sale.
Apologies for the late response,
Quartzimodo
Hi Susan,
Your Seiko 7T36-6A29 “moonphase” alarm-chronograph was manufactured on May 1989. Its original model number is SEJ012J and was fully Japan assembled for the U.S. market. The 7T36 caliber is similar to the equally discontinued, 7T34 model except that the latter doesn’t have the moonphase window on the dial.
I’m sorry but I don’t know what it’s worth today. Check eBay from time to time in case people put up their 7T36-6A29 for sale.
Apologies for the late response,
Quartzimodo
hi ,
Loved this site very informative . I have a Seiko watch whose serial number is 2A32-5140 , but I noticed that at the place of 12 on the dial , there is a credor crest ( after searching a lot about the symbol , I came to that conclusion). So can you please tell whether it is a real Seiko credor or a rip-off .
Regards
Hi Mohammed Abdul Monem,
As far as I know, all Credor watches must have the name “Credor” or “Credor Seiko” on it. There was a tiny trident-like crest which Seiko used for some of its dress models in the 80s but such watches are not from the Credor range. They’re ordinary Seiko watches. There are also NO Credor rip-off models that I know of; because the brand itself isn’t as popular as “Seiko” worldwide.
Apologies for the delayed reply,
Quartzimodo.
Hi Melanie,
Thank you for the question. Let me preface by saying that used Seiko ladies’ watches (especially quartz models) don’t fetch much of a value on the second hand market. Seiko made countless models of ladies’ timepieces in the past and an antique Seiko ladies’ watch isn’t as collectible as e.g., a vintage Omega or Rolex ladies’ watch from the 1970s.
I did a quick check on eBay and noticed that used Seiko 2P21 models generally fetch less than USD100. Since yours is made of 14-carat solid gold (as opposed to gold plated), it should be worth “a few hundred” dollars. Your watch will unfortunately be valued based on the price of gold today rather than for its collectible status or historic significance (it has none). In other words, it is the gold content in your timepiece that makes it valuable rather than the watch itself.
Therefore, I would advise you to have your Seiko watch assayed by a goldsmith to get a more accurate estimate of its (gold) value. Note that while the watch’s case is solid gold, its matching bracelet is usually gold plated.
In terms of history, your watch carries the reference (model) number: SZL110J. I’m unable to determine when Seiko first introduced the 3-jeweled 2P21 caliber, but examples of other 2P21 based watches suggest that they were from the 1980s. Therefore my best guess is that yours was made on October 1986. Your timepiece requires an Energizer #379 or Maxell SR521SW battery and is rated to run for 2 years between battery changes.
hope this answers your questions and I apologize for the delayed reply.
Quartzimodo
Hi Vita,
Seiko did make quartz Seiko 5s sometime in the late 70s or early 80s, but I can tell you this: Firstly, the 7009 is an automatic movement with a day/date calendar and certainly not quartz. Since the watch was given to you by a friend and you are not the watch’s first owner, the actual history of the watch is probably unknown.
Secondly, all Seiko 5 watches have a day/date calendar – even the short-lived, Seiko 5 quartz models. There is no such thing as a Seiko 5 that has no day/date window, regardless of the export market. I strongly suspect that your dial is either an aftermarket or a non-genuine Seiko one. An all-original 7009-3040 should look like this. 🙂
FWIW, based on the serial number alone all I can say that the caseback was stamped on October 1987. That’s all I can guarantee. However, since your watch is a “Franken Seiko” (put together with non-Seiko parts or parts not original to the exact model), there’s the element of probability that your caseback is NOT original to the watch too. Once the caseback have been switched or replaced with another, dating a Seiko watch would be meaningless.
Quartzimodo
Hi Quartzimodo,
First, thanks for the informative site! Thanks to you I can now date my Seikos accurately.
I know my idea of “collectible” must differ from others, as I could find no questions or comments regarding what Seiko advertised in the US as “Intelligent Quartz” watches. I refer mainly to the 8M25 and (in my case) one 6M13 caliber watches. I love the multi-function hands, etc.
Specifically, though, I have a question about numbers that don’t appear on my watch at all, and maybe you can clarify this for me. I Know one of my watches is a 8M25 movement with a 6000 R dial and a 6009 case. I also know (thanks to you) that it was manufactured in October of 1990 (these were only made late 80’s to early 90’s, I think).
However, I’ve also seen the number SDT002 applied to this watch. Would this designate a model number? I’m also curious as to whether or not my two “Age of Discovery” models have similar numbers that I’ve simply never seen.
An information would be appreciated. Thanks much!
Paul
Hi Paul M,
Apologies for the delayed response. Yes, it is correct that Seiko 8M25 caliber models carry the suffix “SDT” and therefore, SDT002J is its actual model number. There were more gold plated/gold toned 8M25 models made compared to all stainless steel versions, strongly suggesting that the 8M25 watches were targeted at the “affordable luxury” dress watch market. Your 8M25-6009 was indeed a watch from 1990 (this is also a U.S. designated model) and certainly not from 1980. Seiko didn’t have the watchmaking technology to come up with all-analog, complicated quartz movements that early.
I think it’s rather odd that Seiko stamped or engraved the model number on your watches as this was not their normal practice. In certain cases, the model number would be affixed as a peel-away sticker on the caseback, not permanently stamped. The Age of Discovery (AoD) range of Seiko models are quite rare and were available in several, often complicated quartz calibers like the 7T59 with a 1/100sec analog stopwatch and a dual time zone hour indicator. I happen to own a 7T59-6A0A but it’s not from the Age of Discovery collection. One automatic high beat caliber made it into the AoD series – the very much sought after, 4s15 automatic while there rest comprised of a plethora of chronographs, world timers (5T52), early Kinetics and simple quartz calibers.
While AoD models certainly have its own collector’s niche, many Seiko collectors that I’ve met tend to shy away from gold plated or gold toned vintage watches. If you intend to treasure your 8M25 and 6M13 (“SHE”series for the international export market, “SCLS” for the domestic Japan market) timepieces, have them inspected every six years for best results. It’s unlikely that Seiko Japan still stocks on spare movements for these two calibers as they have been discontinued decades ago. 🙂
In case you haven seen this site before, you might be interested in this collector’s treasure of AoD watches! 🙂
all the best,
Quartzimodo
Hi my husband brought a seiko watch and we wanted to know more about it we have looked online and can’t find any info at all
It’s Seiko automatic 5 numbers on back of case are 073973 inside says 17j it’s square shaped face with jewels on the numbers 6 9 and 12 it also on the day it can be English or Arabic
Any info would be so great full thank you
Katie brown x
Hi Katie,
Seiko made the Seiko 5 models using varying calibers according to its era. A 17 jeweled movement might suggest a 6309 or a 7009, for example. I need to know the caliber and caseback code (stamped on the rear case) of the watch. The serial numbers alone can’t tell anything about a Seiko timepiece.
Awaiting your reply,
Quartzimodo
Quartzimodo,
Thanks for all the info. I have actually seen the AoD site you linked to. The collector has certainly worked hard to acquire so many representations of the group.
I may have been unclear as regards the model numbers of the watches I mentioned. They are not, in fact, stamped onto the watch cases. I merely stumbled upon them in some print advertisements for the various watches. One of my 8M25s did indeed have a small sticker on the back with an SDT model number as well as the price. Interestingly enough, it was stamped “SAMPLE” (apparently after the blue protective cellophane was in place), and according to the eBay seller, was a working salesmen sample. It does work, in fact, as opposed to the non-working samples (cases, dials and hands without any internal movements) I’ve also seen on eBay.
I will take your advice on regular inspections. I know some of these watches are prone to failure of whatever micro electronics which power their brains. I fear if those go bad, there will be no reviving the watch(es). I’ll have to hope for the best.
Thank you again!
Dear Quartzimodo,
First of all your journal is amazing! Thank you for all the information you have provided!
I would like to ask you about my grandfather’s seiko 5 374057 TL 6119-8430 21 jewels because I don’t seem to find much information about it around the web. From your journal I managed to find out that it’s probably dated from July 1973? 63? 53? I’m not sure! Also the date dial seems to be in arabic and as far as I know my grandfather must have obtained it while in Syria!
can you please help me?
Thank you in advance! 🙂
Hi Margarita,
Thank you for the compliments. I apologize not being able to reply sooner.
Your granddad’s old Seiko 5 was indeed from July 1973 and I congratulate you on getting its production date correct! The 6119 caliber only appeared towards the end of the 1960s and therefore 1953 isn’t possible. In the 50s, the Seiko brand was called “Seikosha” and they were all hand-winding watches, not automatics.
It’s common to find real Arabic numerals in Seiko watches that were marketed to the Middle East, even today. I have one Seiko 5 with a glow-in-the-dark dial and Arabic numerals which was purchased in Saudi Arabia over six years ago, but have never worn it. I bought it as a souvenir for myself. 🙂
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
My Seiko man’s watch has the number 6003085 on the back. I think it is a Sportsmatic model with a black face and gold ring inside the silver case. I has the day and date. Can you tell me what year it was made and if it is automatic or battery? I think it was maybe made in 1966 and I just had it worked on. It is working great so far and was my father’s. I am 72 so it must be pretty old. Thanks, Ken
Hi Ken Marsh,
The Seiko Sportsmatic is a mechanical automatic watch, not battery operated (quartz). Any old Seiko models with the name “-Matic” on them are always automatics, e.g. Lady-Matic, Sportsmatic. You are truly correct in saying that your dad’s timepiece was from 1966; October 1966 to be exact. 🙂
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Hi Stan,
Not many folks own the 7002-7001 diver’s watch as it’s not as collectible as e.g., the 6309-704x or the 6105-800x/6105-811x diver’s models. The 7002 departed from Seiko’s long running tradition of having a day/date calendar on its automatic diver’s watches since the early 1970s. It’s been said that Seiko used lower quality dials and hands for the 7002-7001 watches and it’s hard to find one with a pristine looking dial and hands, unlike the 6105/6306/6309 diver’s watches which used more robust dial and lume material.
The 7002 series was a replacement for the slim cased, 6309-729x divers and appeared in the early 1990s. Therefore your watch should be from July 1995.
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Hi Kerry,
I’m not sure if my previous reply got through to you, but I’m posting my reply again to give the benefit of the doubt. 🙂
You’re absolutely correct in guessing that your SQ100’s production date: it is from May 1986 and was the 800th piece that was manufactured for this model for the same month and year. Unfortunately I don’t have much information pertaining to your exact model; and the few examples of a 5H23 based Seiko that I have is a Seiko SQ150 Sports 5H23-637H. I don’t know the timeline as to when the 5H23 caliber was discontinued because the 5H23-637H’s caseback design looks like one from the early 1990s.
Your watch was made in Japan by Seiko’s Suwa factory as it’s from the mid 1980s. The movement has 3 jewels and uses the Seiko/Maxell SR920SW (or Energizer #371) with an operating life of 5 years between battery changes.
best regards,
Quartzimodo
Hi Quartzimodo I have been collecting Seiko’s for many years now and I found your original post not long after you put it up (end of Dec 2010)I have found it invaluable and not just the original information that you posted but the questions and answers have been a wealth of knowledge. There’s no need to ask a question because if you look hard enough you will find the answer there.
It’s funny you know when you started this you were very knowledgeable about Seiko’s but since you’ve had to do all this research to answer peoples question’s I think you are probably the foremost authority in the western hemisphere 🙂
Thank you for all the time and effort you have put into this, from all the people that haven’t asked you a question
Hi Rosco S,
Thank you for the compliments and for dropping by again. 🙂 Actually I’m from the Far East but I learned quite a lot from my watch collecting friends from the western hemisphere myself. I have to give credit where it’s due and it’s from the enthusiastic folks who are actively posting in Japanese watch forums to this very day.
Admittedly, this blog layout is getting old and it’s not that search friendly. I have yet to get down and find a suitable theme that also caters for mobile devices. Many of the questions and answers found here have grown repetitive because I can’t remember which ones had been answered previously. The problem with identifying old Seiko watches is that it’s not an exact science. I rely on my previous knowledge found in watch forums and from the thousands of watch photos I have saved into my computer for years as a guide. It is just impossible to find all the models that the company has made and no Wiki exists that lists each and every model manufactured. 🙂
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Hi George,
This is a relatively easy question as the 7002 was a popular automatic caliber in its time. The 7002 was a 17-jeweled low cost movement that superseded the 6309 in the early 1990s and is a date-only display caliber. It had a very short market lifespan and was phased out in 1996 by the 7s26 caliber, which is still in production today. As such, your watch is definitely from December 1995.
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
Hi Bert,
I’m inclined to say the date of production of your Seiko “Submariner” is September 1999. Seiko ceased production of the SKX031K sometime in middle part of the last decade and I don’t remember seeing brand new units of the SKX031K sold in the local stores by 2009. Therefore it’s unlikely any SKX031Ks were fitted with the short-lived 7s26B caliber. Mine is from the year 2003 and I have William Jean’s Type I Super Oyster solid link bracelet on it. It has a premium twin push button clasp instead of the cheaper flip-lock design on the original, hollow link factory issued bracelet.
If you like the original Oyster-type bracelet on your SKX031K, you’ll like the solid link version even better! 🙂
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Hi Q!, Thanks for this site. So full of useful knowledge reminds me of some classes I took in school. So Professor, when my Dad died I received his watch – broken band unfortunately. I was able to repair it but its still only 80%. Its a 7t32-7e49. 780457. I cant read the code for the band – 44×0-8.1? Im hopin you can tell me which band I need. I know its a generic 7t32 alarm/chrono made in 1997, but what does 7e49 mean. Also what would it be called after Seiko numbers changed. Thanks
Hi Rob,
I’m sorry to hear about your Dad’s demise. 🙁
You have either a Seiko model SDWC47P (black dial) or SDWC48P (white dial, gold toned) watch. This was manufactured on August 1997 by Seiko’s overseas plant in Singapore and its bracelet type is the 44X0-JB. Although Seiko has long discontinued both the model and band, you could try placing an order with Coserv (Seiko USA’s service center) in Mahwah, New Jersey. If Coserv doesn’t have the 44X0-JB bracelet they will contact the Seiko parts warehouse in Japan. If you’re lucky, Seiko Japan might just find the correct replacement bracelets in its storage. 🙂
“7e49” is the type code for this watch and this model was exclusively marketed in the U.S. Seiko sold only two variants based on the 7T32-7E49; the SDWC47P and the SDWC48P. Seiko’s type code nomenclature appears to be randomly chosen and it so happens that 7E49 points to the design that your Dad purchased. If your watch has problems with the movement itself, you can always find a fully functional, donor 7T32 watch on eBay on the cheap and transplant its movement.
The 7T32 was a very popular alarm/chrono movement and was in the market for about 12 years before it was finally phased out. Its direct replacement is the 2-button, 1 crown layout 7T62 alarm/chrono which is still made to this day (look up on the “SNAxxxP” models). I have three 7T32s myself and prefer its iconic 3-button, two-crown layout to the cheaper 7T62’s simpler looks.
All the best! 🙂
Quartzimodo
I have a Seiko Lassale that was given to me in 1983. It was bought at a Seattle Jewelry store and I believe it was about $500.
I took it to a jeweler to have the band cut to size and it was cut too short and I was never able to wear it.
It has been sitting around since then and even picked up a little tarnish. The serial number is 301553. I am wondering if it would be worthwhile to send it somewhere to have the band replaced and made whole again.
I don’t even know if it’s solid gold or plated.
Hi Glen,
I’m not very knowledgeable in Seiko Lassale watches as there isn’t a complete source of information on all the Lassale timepieces that I know of. Seiko used several quartz calibers throughout the range with many models being gold plated. However, I do know that Seiko acquired the Lassale brand from the Jean Lassale company in 1982 and introduced the Seiko Lassale sub-brand shortly thereafter. You have one of their earliest models since your watch (from the serial number) points to October 1983.
Finding out if your watch is made of solid gold is quite easy. Any solid gold Seiko watch will have the words “14K” or “24K” Gold etched on the watch’s caseback. If you don’t see the number of carats on the caseback, then it’s a gold plated watch with a stainless steel base. In the case of a solid gold Seiko watch, those that are fitted with matching, solid gold bracelets are extremely rare – if they exist at all. AFAIK, Seiko usually issues gold plated bracelets or leather bands for their solid gold models.
Since the Lassale brand had disappeared well over a decade ago, finding a replacement band for your watch will be a long shot. You can try to contact Seiko Japan and hope that they might have a new old stock band stored somewhere in their parts warehouse. If they do have one, they’ll make arrangements with Seiko USA to ship the replacement band to you (or request that you send your watch over to Seiko USA’s service center). As a policy, Seiko Japan does not sell parts directly to the public so you’ll have to deal with your regional Seiko service center.
If the suggestion above is not feasible or comes to a dead end, you’ll have to find a competent jeweler who is able to make a custom band for you – or resort to wearing a matching leather strap (assuming your watch uses regular lugs). Some watches look good (or even better) on leather straps compared to their original bracelets. Nearly all of the vintage Seiko watches that I’ve collected have had their original metal bands either in poor condition or replaced with cheap alternatives; therefore I wear them on leather bands. 🙂
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
Hi Anita,
The characters [RO] is said to designate the case typing that Seiko uses. The company uses other letters too, to denote the case type. Unfortunately the exact meaning of these letters is unknown to the public at this time.
Your grand-uncle’s Seiko watch appears to be from November 1984 from its styling. This watch was fully made in Japan at their Daini factory (the other being the Suwa plant). It’s not the 261st watch of this model that was made, but the 262nd piece. This is because the first one from the batch has a serial number 4N0000 and Seiko always starts the numbering from “0000”, not “0001”. Therefore the same model bearing the serial number 4N0001 will actually become the second piece and not the first.
best regards,
Quartzimodo
Hi Chrissie,
I’m sorry to hear about your mother’s recent demise. 🙁 I just got home from a traveling trip and finally got down to replying to my readers’ comments.
Your mum’s Seiko watch was manufactured on February 1973 by Seiko’s Daini factory in Japan. This was an international export model that was marketed globally, except to the USA. Do note that this is a manual hand-winding watch and not an automatic. You’ll need to turn the crown repeatedly in order to wind the watch up, until you feel some resistance to the turning.
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
Hi Gary, Your Seiko Solar SNE039 was definitely made on March 2013. Ten years ago this model didn’t exist yet although Seiko did have a few light powered analog models (they were mostly diver’s watches for the Japan market) back then.
The relaunched Solar lineup that you see now is relatively recent and debuted in 2011. Seiko has introduced completely new solar powered calibers (including the chronograph V175) with a bevy of interestingly designed watches.
Hope this helps. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi Javad,
Are you able to post a clear photo of your watch (front and rear) and upload it to the free image hosting site Tinypic? I’m inclined to believe that your Seiko was made on Sept 1987
but without a picture of it, I cannot be 100% sure.
thanks,
Quartzimodo
Hi Mollysmum39,
The Seiko 7F38 was one of the company’s earliest moon phase dialed watches from the 1990s. As such, February 1997 would be the correct date of manufacture of your timepiece.
The whole moon phase watch trend died by the early 2000s although Seiko revived it through a few models recently.
Hope this helps,
Quartzimodo Admin
Hi zigi,
Apologies for the belated reply. Seiko Bell-Matics are fairly easy to date as they ran a fairly short life from the early 1970s till approximately 1978. In your case, your 4006-6040 was manufactured on March 1976 without any doubt. This is assuming that the caseback that’s on your watch is original to your watch and has never been swapped with one from a different watch.
Seiko Bell-Matics are interesting and collectible pieces and I own two 4006s myself. There’s an even rarer version- the 4005 caliber Bell-Matic which has just the date (no day calendar) which is highly prized by vintage Seiko collectors. 🙂
cheers
Quartzimodo
I have a Seiko 5 with solid case back that shows 716034 under the work Seiko and Japan F under that…then in a circular way along the edge it shows the numbers 6319-6000.
I had no luck using your calculator.
The face is black and the “DAY” window shows two modes…meaning it can show either Fri or a Roman Numeral instead…the date numbers show normal.
Any thoughts on the production year for this watch??
Hi Swing,
Thanks for the interesting question. The 6319 caliber was one of the low cost automatic movements that Seiko used for their affordable gents’ watches in the 70s and some found their way into the Seiko 5 range. It is normal for Seiko 5 watches to display dual languages for the day-of-week, with English/Roman being the most popular version for the export market. Other sub-languages include French, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese (for Japan market models), German, Italian and even Farsi, according to some people.
The text “JAPAN-F” shows that your watch was fully made in Japan, long before Seiko produced its low cost models in their first overseas factory in Hong Kong by the late 1980s. Therefore your 6319-6000 was very likely to have been assembled on January 1977.
BTW, the production date calculator is a link to an external site and I don’t own it. The data that is programmed into the web based calculator is based on the author’s best knowledge and feedback from owners of old Seiko watches who can verify the exact starting year and month of a watch caliber. In most likelihood, the 6319 (not to be confused with the more popular, 6139 chronograph) isn’t in the date calculator’s database.
hope this helps. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi Dan G,
Thanks for the question. Your Seiko 5M62-0AP0 is a Singapore assembled Kinetic watch dating to June 2004. There were five variants of this watch: the SKA221P (white dial), SKA223P (blue), SKA225P (blue with gold framed indices), SKA227P (black with a dark grey bezel) and the SKA229P (blue with gold accented center links on the bracelet).
Your watch happens to be one Seiko’s generic Kinetic gents’ model which didn’t fall under any particular sub-range, e.g. the Arctura or Sportura. Because Seiko designed far too many models of watches, their generic models don’t usually appear in online product catalogs on their websites. Even if your model had been in Seiko’s Arctura lineup, you won’t see it on their official website as Seiko only highlights their most recent models – not something that they sold a decade ago. 🙂
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
Not sure what happened, OE probably….I have a SEIKO with the following 5M62-0AP0 sn 460148 (Built June of 2004 I believe). i have not been able to find anything on the Model. it is SS solid case and band, the band has gold on an inset in each link, the number on the band is 33j9-GI.
Thanks once again,
Dan G
i have a seiko chronograph date alarm with triple dials model number is 7t32-7c69 with a AO inside a square next to it and serial number 921401 everything works and very few scratches on face and they are small. can u tell me about what this watches value is and anything about it? i looked at the chart how to date them but cant figure it out thank u for any help. happy holidays
Hi Jamie Little,
Thanks for your question. You have a Seiko 7T32 alarm-chronograph watch that’s from February 1999. As you didn’t specify its dial color it could be anything from the late SDWBxxP or the early SDWCxxP models. The 7T32 caliber watches were quite popular and Seiko made lots of variants based on this caliber roughly from 1991 to 2002. I have three 7T32s myself and all of them are ticking nicely to this day. 🙂
As for the value of your watch, it’s very difficult to nail the resale value of used 7T32s. The models that are stainless steel with a diver’s watch look generally fetch higher prices while sedate, dressy and gold plated models aren’t much in demand. Generally they don’t fetch more than USD300, depending on the model and condition. Have a look at eBay’s closing bids and Buy-It-Now offers to get some idea on used Seiko 7T32s here. 🙂
Happy holidays to you too,
Quartzimodo
Hi Brad,
You’ll need to furnish me with your Seiko watch’s caliber and caseback numbers. Posting its serial numbers alone won’t help at all. A Seiko watch with the S/N: “725533” could be just any Seiko model and there are hundreds of Seiko watches that happen to share the same serial numbers as yours.
Quartzimodo
Hi Brad,
By any chance does your Seiko watch look like this one? If so this is an export model for the US market. It’s not sold under the Coutura lineup but what it has in common with Seiko Coutura models is its cabochon crown (the artificial stone affixed to the crown).
I’m not really familiar with Seiko gents’ dress watches for the US market because generic Seiko models don’t appear on Seiko’s websites. If I have to take a guesstimate, the SKP294 looks like a contemporary design from post Millennium; which strongly suggests that it’s from February 2007.
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
My wife bought a Rolex Oyster Date Manual Wind in Saudia Arabia in Nov 1977 for £90 the watch today is worth £3000 plus a service today is around £300 to £500.
In December 1986 I bought myself a Seiko Watch S5 calendar date change in Bradford £46 I still have both watches today and for cost effective purchase give me the Seiko any day
Hi Brad Hileman,
Very sorry for the belated response as my computer had some problems since my last reply to you. You can use the free photo uploading website, www.tinypic.com to upload photos for temporarily use, without needing to sign up for an account. After doing some digging around, I think I’ve found your watch model and if this is exactly like yours, it’s the Seiko SKP310.
I’m afraid I don’t know much about the history of this model, e.g. which year Seiko first introduced it. What I do know that back in 1982, all Seiko quartz watches were assembled in Japan and should have the dial printed “JAPAN” and not “MOV’T JAPAN”, which indicates that it’s assembled in Singapore. I can attest to this as I still own an analog-digital Seiko alarm chronograph from 1987 and it was wholly Japan made.
Seiko started assembling most of its quartz watches at their overseas Singapore factory only from the early 1990s onwards and continues to do so to this day. Therefore in my opinion, your Seiko watch being made in 1982 or 1983 is kind of a long stretch really. Furthermore, Seiko dress watches that look like the SKP310 suggest that it’s a typical 1990s design rather than from the early eighties. Personally I find it highly unusual for Seiko to continue making the same generic dress models for over two decades as they regularly discontinue old models and replace with newer ones.
There are however, notable exceptions – the hugely popular and bestselling Seiko SKX007K diver’s watch for instance, was first released in 1996 and it’s still sold to this very day and the design is about 16 years old! Historically speaking, Seiko hasn’t been known to continue selling dress models for that long unless they’re very much in demand. Your model is definitely made for the US market but I have no idea how long the 7N35-0BD0 models have been on the market.
Having said that, my best guess is that your watch could have been made as far back as Feb 1997 with Feb 1987 being plausible. I will definitely rule out 1977, which puts it within your estimated purchase time line between 1982-83) because the watch design and country of manufacture (Japan) doesn’t fit in.
best regards,
Quartzimodo
Hi Quartzimodo,
Do you happen to know when my watch was created? I received this watch from my Grandpa and wanted to learn a little more about its history.
Watch Face:
Indicator
Seiko
Kinetic
Water Resist
100m
Watch Rear:
Water Resistant 10Bar Seiko 5M42-OM39 A4 Mov’t Japan
St. Steel + Base Metal
990310
Watch Pictures:
i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq103/egmik3/photo2.jpg
i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq103/egmik3/photo1.jpg
Hi egmike,
Thanks for providing me the link to your watch pictures. You have one of Seiko’s earlier “Kinetic” branded models and it’s the SKH682P. Seiko made only one variation of the 5M42-0M39. This watch was assembled by Seiko’s factory in Singapore and it’s from September 1999. It’s quite likely that your timepiece was fitted with the original Seiko capacitor instead of the larger capacity, Maxell rechargeable lithium ion cell.
The 5M42 Kinetic movement has since been superseded by the improved 5M62 caliber, which Seiko still makes to this day.
It’s a nice looking sports/dress watch with an integrated bracelet. This means that should your watch band break, you have to replace it with the same bracelet type (#48Y8-XB) and cannot substitute with a leather strap, for example. There’s not much else to tell about this watch. It was one of Seiko’s numerous generic Kinetic dress watches in its day and is not part of any special range in the Seiko lineup, e.g. Arctura or Sportura.
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
Hi Quartzimodo 🙂
I´m from Portugal and I have bought this Seiko for me, about 3 years ago. I’m very pleased with the “machine”.
can you tell me more about it?
SGG707 serial 071294 7N43-0ABO (in a square: A4)
last week, my son chose this one:
is very nice.
SNXS79 SNXS79K serial 331002 (not printed in the glass) 7s26-04B0
can you tell me more about it?
www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000G12Y8O/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
best regards
Hi Luis,
There’s not much to tell about either Seiko watch in terms of historical or product significance – they’re both two the countless, generic Seiko models. Neither are collector’s items. Your SGG707 titanium quartz was manufactured on July 2010, while the Seiko 5 SNXS79K is from March 2013.
best regards,
Quartzimodo
Hi Quartzimodo – I have been reading with interest your knowledgeable comments about Seiko. My wife inherited a watch from her mother a few years ago, and we would therefor not sell it, because it’s from mum. Put a new battery in it today UK £19.95, was £10 until they noticed it was 18K gold. I’m trying to find out more, the manufacture year tools, were inconclusive. on the front it reads mov’t Japan then bits I can’t make out, on the back 242915 (serial number?) 18K 750 7N00 S002 (Calbre?) then beneath that 5 point star and 96 CO I assume from reading other posts it is manufactured April 1982 or is it 1972? assume it is just worth its weight in gold? any other info would be interesting.
Hi Phil,
Thanks for the compliments. 🙂 Unfortunately there are very few resources on the Internet on women’s watches made by Seiko and I cannot find an example based on the caliber and caseback numbers that you’ve furnished. The 7N00A is most likely an early 1980s quartz movement that was made for ladies’ watches. It drives just the hour and minute hands with no date display and has zero jewels. There are two generations of the 7N00 caliber; the original 7N00A and the more updated 7N00C. For some reason, Seiko never made an “7N00B”.
I’m inclined to believe that it was made on April 1992 from your description of the dial, which reads “Mov’t Japan” instead of “Japan”, unless you have evidence that your mother-in-law had the watch much earlier than 1992. If it’s from 1992 it’s plausible that the more modern, 7N00C caliber was used.
The year 1972 would be a chronological error because in the early 70s, Seiko made only mechanical watches for women, not quartz. If it were from 1982, the dial would mention “Japan” – indicating the watch was fully Japan assembled, rather than “Mov’t Japan”, where the watch was assembled in Singapore.
18K refers to the purity of the gold material used for the watch case and is the most common gold content found in Seiko’s true gold watches. Seiko ladies’ quartz watches are not considered as collectors’ items and in this case, its value is based on the gold content itself. Therefore if you were to have it appraised at a pawn shop, it would be valued based on its gold metal. Sorry, but that’s the way it is with ladies’ Seiko watches.
cheers,
Quartzimodo.
Hi Basil,
You’ll obviously need a watch caseback opener to remove your watch’s caseback first. In order to access the inner glass, the movement also has to be removed. Depending on the design of the watch, you may also have to loosen the watch’s crown to release the movement. Once you have the movement detached, you’re left with the watch’s case and the glass. Use an optician’s cloth to clean the inner side of the glass of moisture.
It is highly recommended that this be performed in a dry, air conditioned environment with as little moisture in the air as possible.
I have seen this done before to a few of my watches, but I left the job to my watchmaker. Sorry if I can’t be of further help. 🙁
Quartzimodo
Hi Mr.Quartzimodo,
I found your blog informative and very helpful in order to learn about Seiko’s watches. I’ve got a Seiko, but as I googled, could only find the ads to sell instead of the histories. Would you please analyse on my watch?
Front-face: 7N33-6020 R1
Back-case: 391200
Physicals: quartz;day-date adjustable; gold coated needle and body.
Another one, I would like to buy a pre-owned SNT005 for own usage. Would you advice me on that please?
Thanks Mr Quartzimodo!
Hi Pidot,
I’m afraid not much is known about the Seiko 7N33-6020. Seiko made a lot of generic quartz watches in the 1980s and the 7N33 caliber happens to be one of them. I’m inclined to say that yours was manufactured in Japan on Sept 1983. If you could upload clear photos of your watch to the free photo hosting site, www.tinypic.com and reply this post with the URL of your watch picture, it would make identification easier for me. 🙂
The Seiko SNT005 appears to be a relatively new quartz dress model. It’s not really a collector’s item and I haven’t seen pre-owned pieces of this model for sale on eBay. At around US$160 on Amazon, new ones are pretty affordable in my opinion. I would suggest that you buy a new one as you’ll receive a year’s warranty from the seller and maybe a 7-day return policy (depending on the merchant).
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
Wow, Quartzi, much good info. Keeping me reading for hours…Thanks. I recently purchased a used Seiko,and using your info I was able to ascertain date of mfr, but now I’m curious about this watch ‘cuz it seems to be rather unique (at least, I haven’t been able to find out much about it). On the Face: Seiko 5 Superior, Titanium, Water Resistant 50 M, Automatic, 23 Jewel, On the case back: 7S36-5020 AO(in a square), serial no. 792201. From what I’ve learned from you, that would indicate that it was mfr’d September of 1997, watch # 2201. Here’s the unique part(s). The watch is shaped (Dial, Face and Bezel) like a very slightly elongated, @ 30mm wide by 32mm long, slightly curved, octagon. It has day and date, date is Arabic numerals, Day is in English and subset of Red Roman Numerals; i.e. FRI and then Red Roman Numeral V, SUN and a Red Square.
I’m curious as to just how unique this baby is? Can you provide me with any further insight?
Thanks, Mike
P.S., band is too small, I’ve written to Seiko USA to see if they might have another or links for Titanium 4647-BI
Hi Michael LeBrun,
Congratulations, you got the date of manufacture correct! 🙂 However, your watch is actually the 2,202nd piece that was produced (for the same caliber/caseback type) because the first piece that was made in that particular month would have the serial number 790000 (not 790001). Seiko always starts with the number zero for the first piece for the month and ending with “9999”. Therefore the maximum number of timepieces Seiko would have assembled (for the 7s36-5020) for the month of September 1997 would be 10,000 pieces.
Seiko 5 Superiors were marketed as flagship models under the Seiko 5 family and they are usually dressy in design. The Seiko 5 Superior (not to be confused with the “Seiko Superior”) line was discontinued by the year 2007 or 2008, leaving the basic Seiko 5 and the sporty, Seiko 5 Sports. Seiko 5 Superiors were fitted with the 7s36 caliber, with the exception of the extremely rare, date-only 7s55 with a decoratively striped, oscillating weight. While yours is an international model, Seiko also made a “Made in Japan” marked variant for the Middle East market with English/Arabic day languages.
I would say that your watch is quite good looking with its softly beveled, octagonal edges. I’m not sure if Seiko continues to make octagonal shaped models today and if the company no longer does, you are in the possession of a Seiko design that’s rarely seen today. 🙂 AFAIK, Seiko never sells bracelet links separately. You’ll have to order a new watch band from Seiko, assuming they still have remaining stocks of the 4647-JB titanium bracelet (it’s already discontinued). All is not lost though – since the 7s36-5020 uses regular watch lugs you can also opt for an aftermarket watch strap that goes well with your watch dial color! 😉
Quartzimodo
Hello Nakmuay,
You have one of the Seiko “Moonphase” quartz chronographs from the early 1990s. The “Moonphase” window styling only became a global watch trend towards the very end of the 1980s and from the serial number which you gave me, I would say it was from October 1993. I’m also certain that Seiko didn’t come out with the 7A48 movement as early as 1983. Your model is very likely a Seiko watch meant for export to the United States, rather than an international model.
Take good care of this watch because I doubt that Seiko still carries all the spare parts for the 7A48 caliber to this day.
Hope this answers your questions. Wishing you Season’s Greetings and a Happy New Year! 🙂
Quartzimodo.
I have a vintage Seiko 5 which I bought from a very old watchmaker which still operate at his small shop at Tawau, Sabah Malaysia (Borneo). The model I get from him is a Seiko 5, Cal 6319-3301 17 Jewels (As I aware cal 6319 is 21 Jewels – haven’t open the cal yet) which according to him was selling in the mid 1965 or more. The serial no is 555688.
Hi Ronald,
I don’t think your watchmaker dated the 6319-3391 watch correctly. Seiko watches that were made before the year 1968 would have had a 7-digit serial number and not six (555688). Assuming the caseback is original to this watch, i.e., it had not been substituted with a different caseback, your Seiko 5 would have been made on May 1975. The 6319 based Seiko 5 automatics are hard to find these days, but they are not necessarily valuable.
Hope this helps and wishing you Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year! 🙂
Quartzimodo.
Hi Cheryl,
I don’t know how many pieces of the Speed Timer 7017-xxxx chronographs that Seiko made in the early 1970s. I don’t suppose Seiko Japan has the information either because there was an incident at one of the Seiko offices in Japan, in which a fire had destroyed their old documents. That is, assuming the employees did keep a track of how many pieces were made for every watch model that they had produced.
Your dad’s 7017-6040 was made on April 1971 and I believe it should be marked “Water Resistant” rather than “Water Proof”. This is a very simple chronograph watch without a separate, elapsed minute or hour counter. I have an old Seiko 5 Speedtimer 7017-6020 with a rotating E6 Flight Rule inner bezel. For the 7017-6040, its rotating inner bezel has minute markings from 5 to 55 minutes. To keep track of the elapsed time, you’ll have to consciously rotate the inner bezel for every minute passed (yes, it’s a pain to do this).
All Seiko 7017 watches were made by Seiko’s Daini factory in Japan (the other being the Suwa plant). From my experience, the 7017 mechanism isn’t as robust as Suwa-made movements. Decades of use (or neglect) can easily cause the “flyback” hand resetting mechanism to fail in precisely returning the second hand back to zero (or 12 o’clock). The term “flyback” means that you can depress the second hand reset button (at the 4 o’clock position) whilst the second hand is running – there’s no need to stop the second hand first, as with most automatic chronograph watches.
Keep the second hand running if you’re wearing this watch, even if you’re not actually measuring time.
Hope I have answered your questions. Season’s Greetings and a Happy New Year! 🙂
Quartzimodo.
Hello oana-maria,
You have a Seiko quartz dress watch from December 1984. It requires a Seiko or Maxell TR-616SW silver oxide battery, with an approximate battery life of 3 years. It was manufactured in Japan by Seiko’s Suwa factory and there are many other models based on the 7320 caliber that I have not seen.
It is not a water-resistant watch, therefore make sure you don’t get this watch wet. I’m sorry but that’s all I know about the 7320 series watches.
Wishing you Season’s Greetings and a Happy New Year. 🙂
Quartzimodo
I have a 14K gold Basket Weave Bracelet Mens Seiko that is ringed with diamonds around the dial. It is from September 1970 and has 78-5469-A on the back and 090667 underneath the first set of digits. It is in excellent condition and we are looking for an approximate value of the watch.
Thank you in advance for your consideration.
Hello Terrance,
I’m not a gold assayer therefore I wouldn’t know what the value of your watch is. However I can tell you this: With the exception of the extremely rare and highly collectible, Seiko Astron all-solid gold quartz watch from December 1969 – Seiko dress watches do not possess the sort of value that you’d expect from a vintage Rolex or Omega timepiece of the same era. In other words, if your Seiko were made from stainless steel instead of 14-karat solid gold, it would hardly fetch a reasonable value. Therefore the value of your watch will be highly dependent on today’s gold prices rather than the history or significance of the model behind it. I have never seen a diamond studded Seiko watch and in most likelihood, the ornamental “diamonds” circling the watch dial are artificial diamonds or probably crystal glass.
Are you certain that your Seiko 78-5469 quartz dress watch is from 1970? AFAIK, Seiko only began producing their “4004” analog quartz watches en masse in 1974, using an early 0903 caliber. Seiko watches that were fitted with the 0903 caliber had an external compartment for the watch button cell; and one needs to use the edge of a coin to access the battery compartment. There is no need to remove the rear caseback to change the battery.
If you ask me, September 1980 would more likely to be the correct manufacturing date for the Caliber 78A. Please consult a goldsmith to estimate the value of your watch because it’s the gold metal case that makes it “valuable” – not the watch itself.
Quartzimodo
Hi Beatrice,
I’m glad that your partner is into vintage Seiko watches. However, you didn’t furnish the vital information – its caliber and caseback number (which is at the back of the watch) because only the serial numbers alone don’t mean anything without the caliber/caseback codes.
It’s just like asking a classic car expert to tell you more about a particular old Mercedes Benz car by just giving him the car’s chassis number. Even if you don’t know its actual model or type, it makes things a lot easier by showing him an actual photo of the car.
Please upload clear pics of the Seiko watch (front and back) to Tinypic.com and reply to me with the link to image.
thanks,
Quartzimodo
Hi there. My sister bought me a Seiko SRP599K1. I assume this is the movement and model number “4R36-03TO” and the serial no. is 483470 based on what I am seeing at the back. Kindly confirm if this item is genuine Seiko product because I can’t seem to find this model in Seiko official website although I see this model offered/sold in amazon, ebay and etc.
Thank you so much.
Hi Raymond,
Good question. The SRP599K is actually a genuine Seiko watch. There are actually many Seiko models that are never depicted on any official Seiko product website due to the following reasons:
1. There are just too many Seiko models to be portrayed on Seiko’s official websites or their online catalogs.
2. Seiko introduces and phases out countless models (especially their low end ones) too frequently for their webmasters to update.
3. Only mid-ranged and high end Seiko (including Grand Seiko/Brightz/Ananta/Prospex/Arctura/Sportura/Velatura/Spirit) sub-ranges are displayed on their websites, depending on the country.
4. Mass produced models from the Seiko 5 family are too numerous to keep track of and generally are not listed.
5. Models that are not meant for a certain region (e.g. the U.S/Canada) are not listed on the Seiko USA product site.
Some current Seiko diver’s watches and chronographs can be found as part of their online product catalog, but not all. Note that Seiko sells more models and variations than any other watch company (maybe except Casio) that it’s just impractical for the company to put up every single model on their website. That’s why you’re unable to find the SRP599K on their online official product catalog.
AFAIK, only the Seiko Japan official site lists every model that they sell (in Japan), but does not include models that are meant for overseas markets. Just Google for the model number of any Seiko watch; and if the model comes up on many reputable Seiko watch reseller’s websites you can be sure that it is a genuine model.
Quartzimodo.
Hi!
I can’t post to part 2 so I’ll post here.
I have a Seiko Kinetic SKA657, movement number 5M62-0DF0, serial number 444245.
I know Kinetics were made from 1988 (although under a different name). I have read that it was renamed to Kinetic 1997, although only on one website. According to this my watch should be a 2004 or 2014 model. (I just bought it).
How do I know which year it was made?
Hi Christoffer,
Your new Seiko SKA657P is actually a recent model. It’s made on April 2014 and not a decade earlier.
I used to collect pictures of Seiko Kinetics (5M62 caliber) over ten years ago and the reference codes for 5M62 Kinetics during the time were still like “SKA2xxP” or earlier. In other words in 2004, there were no such models starting with “3” or “4” after the “SKA” prefix. Therefore, if it were a model from 2004, its reference number would be something like “SKA1xxP” or “SKA2xxP” and not SKA6xxP.
For some reason, Seiko made very few variants based on the 5M62 Kinetic caliber; including 200m diver’s models, sports watches and dress models. This is unlike the more sellable and popular alarm-chronograph model like the 7T62 caliber (“SNA”), which began sometime in 2002 with the SNA001P (from The Great Blue series). Seiko introduced so many 7T62 models since then that the company quickly ran out of model numbers that they had to add “A” to the SNA prefix, which became “SNAA”. When the “SNAA” models also ran out of digits, the letter “B” was used and the reference number became “SNABxxxP”.
I haven’t been following Seiko’s product line for some time, but it seems that today the latest 7T62 models are already using the prefix “SNAF” such as this model. While the movement is pretty much the same as the earliest 7T62 caliber watches, the stylistic designs of post 2010 models have certainly changed dramatically.
I think Seiko found it difficult to sell their Kinetic range of watches (particularly the 5M62 series), which is why in 2014 its reference code is still stuck at “SKA”. There’s a long way to go before you’ll see Seiko 5M62 models beginning with the “SKAA” prefix. Furthermore, contemporary Seiko watches that are sold on Amazon and eBay are snapped up pretty quickly. You’ll be hard pressed to find new old stock (NOS), 2004 era 5M62 Kinetics for sale on Amazon today. The Amazon merchants will not hold on to their old stocks for too long and if they’re forced to, they’d let them go at heavily discounted prices. So it’s not possible for your SKA657P to have been from 2004.
The only rare exceptions are certain Seiko watches that were very expensively priced due to their design, movement complexity and rarity status. One such Kinetic caliber is the very rare, hand-made 9T82 Kinetic chronograph which came out in the early 2000s, like this Sportura SLQ021 for instance. Yup, this piece is still unsold to this day until someone gives it a nice home. Only die hard Seiko collectors with plenty of money would go for something like that. 🙂
If you haven’t read my old article on Kinetics yet, you might want to check it out. 🙂
Congratulations on your new SKA657P Kinetic!
Quartzimodo.
Hi Wendy,
Thanks for asking! Unfortunately I haven’t been following Jayhawk’s Production Date Calculator links for quite a while. His server side scripts were initially hosted at the university where he used to study at and when he had finished his degree, Jayhawk had to host his software from one server to another. Anyway, I have located the latest site of his Seiko Date Calculator which you can find here. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi Kingsley,
That request is like asking for a replacement part for the original Sony Walkman tape player that was introduced way back in 1979, or transistor components for a Trinitron TV from the 80s. 🙂
Anyway, browse eBay using the keywords “Seiko H461” until someone puts a used H461 watch in working condition up for sale. Seiko no longer makes the H461, therefore your only recourse is to buy a second hand H461 and cannibalize its movement for your existing watch. People do this all the time because it’s very doubtful Seiko Japan has an unused H461 movement lying somewhere in its parts warehouse.
Sorry, but that’s the way it goes. 🙁
Quartzimodo.
Hi Nic,
Apologies for the belated reply as I only got to reply to my readers’ questions today. 🙁
To your question, a Seiko watch with a 7-digit number predates the year 1968. In other words, Seiko used 7 characters for its watches until 1967. After that the company switched to the standard 6-character serial number which it practices to this day.
The letter “O” is never used as part of the serial number to denote the month of October, but the number “0” (zero). And yes, a Seiko watch bearing the S/N 5900604 means that it was manufactured in September 1965. Please note that it is assumed that the caseback is original to the watch in question and had never been swapped with another similar caseback. Unless the watch is guaranteed by its owner that the caseback has never been substituted with a different one, you’ll have to take the seller’s word for it.
The problem is that from the beginning, Seiko (or formerly known as the K. Hattori Company) had never engraved the serial number of their watches both on the caseback and the inside of the case. They didn’t feel that they had to but in the interest of authentication, only a double serial number verification system (internally and externally) can provide a better guarantee that this watch was indeed made in Sept 1965.
Hope you’ll find what you’re looking for! 🙂
Quartzimodo
Today 10-27-2015 I bought as new a Seiko silver watch with a black face with all white numbers( month and date included ). Front only has Seiko on it – no other writing. The back says water resistant. However the serial number is 644880. Can you tell me when it was made and if it is new? They also said the band was new, it is silver self adjusting streach band the back clasp has seiko emprinted in it. The clasp is very small and is not the fold over type. “Thanks for any information “
Hi Deborah,
Without the caliber and caseback numbers I cannot determine or even guess which Seiko model you have but it’s most probably a quartz. However I can only tell you this: its month was April while the year of manufacture is probably 2006. This means your watch is at least 9 years old at the time you bought it. However with Seiko watches this not unusual as some do end up being unsold for many years.
Your watch is considered a new old stock piece. If it is indeed the quartz type and uses the silver oxide cell (instead of lithium), the watch had definitely been opened at one time and its battery replaced. With the exception of a lithium battery with a 10-year operational life, normal watches that use the silver oxide battery have a run time between 2-5 years, depending on the movement (caliber) type.
Therefore if your definition of “new” is “factory fresh”, it is not. For all intents and purposes you might consider the watch “new” as not having a previous owner. 🙂
Quartzimodo.
Hi Quartzimodo,
i read your blog and it really helps me a lot but please can you help me to figure out the exact decade or year of the watches i got from my grandfather’s safe.
My Grandfather was i huge fan & collector of seiko watch and im really intriguing about this watch and maybe to continue his passion for this
The first serial no.is 226141 & the other one was 704040.
By the way, the watches are Seiko 5 automatic models.
Hoping for the fast response.
Thanks and godbless..
Derick
Hi Derick,
Thanks for writing in, but I’m afraid that the details on both watches is incomplete.
Now, you expect a fast response from me – yet the information you supplied is just 50% that is required. If you were to ask the Seiko experts in any watch forum, I guarantee you that you’ll get the same reply from them.
Are you sure you have actually read through my blog article (Parts I & II) or did you just skim over them? I’ll give you a hint: pay attention on caliber and caseback codes. 🙂
Quartzimodo.
Hi Bella Vo,
Congratulations on your purchase of your titanium Seiko SGG711! 🙂
Seiko quartz watches (except for high end models like the Grand Seiko Quartz) are traditionally assembled in Singapore although there were rare exceptions of a few models that were assembled in Malaysia. Please note that I have not been up-to-date with my knowledge of Seiko timepieces; therefore if Seiko has moved the assembly process of its quartz (and Kinetic) models to Malaysia or China very recently, I wouldn’t know. Therefore unless the company has changed its country of assembly, you can assume that your watch was made in Singapore. The internal components (the movement) are however still manufactured in Japan.
There used to be a period when all Seiko quartz watches were 100% Japan made; that was before the middle 1990s. Today, only the high end quartz Grand Seiko watches are wholly Japan made.
Hope this answers your question! 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi Gary,
That’s a great question and congratulations on owning a vintage Grand Seiko Hi-Beat! 🙂
That other GS 6146-8000 that you saw (with the S/N 7001505) was made in October 1967 – about a year earlier than your watch. Seiko watches that were made prior to 1968 used 7-digits instead of the 6-digit standard that is adopted to this day. The pre-1968 date numbering system works in the same manner as the amended 6-digit serial number, except for an extra digit at the end. Even the Citizen Watch company once used 7 digits like Seiko did and for some reason followed Seiko’s 6-digit numbering method. I have a 1964 era, Seiko Sealion hand-wind watch which was a gift from a friend in Germany. It bears a 7-digit serial number too. You may have also seen pics of Seiko’s first diver – the “62 MAS” a.k.a the 6217-8001 150m “Water Proof”. So far I have not come across photos of this highly collectible diver with a 6-digit number (they are all 7 digits) and the general consensus is that Seiko stopped making the 6217-8001 by 1968.
Unfortunately I do not know the origins of Seiko’s decision to amend their serial numbering system (from 7 to 6 digits) but that’s how it is. Maybe someone has figured it out since I wrote this article but I’m not really into the watch scene these days. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi Richard,
Yes, you are correct in saying that your Sportsmatic Weekdater was made in 1965 – in February 1965 to be exact. 🙂 Seiko watches made before 1968 had seven digit serial numbers (instead of six) and the fact that your watch bears a 7-digit S/N certainly is evidence that it was manufactured well before 1968.
The exact month and year when exact Sportsmatic models were discontinued is largely unknown. The K. Hattori Watch company that made Seiko watches was said to have lost a “significant” amount of archived records in a fire at one of their headquarter offices in the 70s or 80s. Perhaps one or more former Japanese designers/employees of the Sportsmatic models would remember – that is, if they are still alive today and participate in online watch forums (the latter activity being highly improbable). 🙂
However, the general consensus is that the Sportsmatic watches (Seiko had several variations of the Sportsmatic line, which makes its history more complicated) is that none of the photos of real life examples showed one that had “Water Resistant” marked on the dial or caseback, but “Water Proof” instead. Seiko stopped using the “Water Proof” labeling circa April 1971 which is a clue that no Sportmatic watch was manufactured after 1971.
Furthermore, lots of examples of surviving Sportsmatic watches bore 7-digit serial numbers which further narrows them down to have been made up to the year 1967. However, scanned vintage Seiko catalogs indicate that the 6619 Sportsmatic was first introduced in 1964, beginning with the 21 jewel, 6619A caliber. I remember coming across a blog article, whose author mentioned that the actual number of “functional” jewels in the 6619A is really 18, while the additional 3 jewels were added to pad the jewel count to 21. In those days, it was a norm for watch companies to exaggerate the jewel count in their watch movements – the more, the merrier. 😉
The 661A movement itself debuted sometime in 1963 and is one of the earliest calibers to incorporate Seiko’s innovative, “Magic Lever” winding design. This feature allows the main spring to be wound by the oscillating weight in either direction, which in turn improves its self-winding efficiency. Some competing automatic watch movements during the period only winds the main spring in one direction of the oscillating weight – therefore a bi-directional winding design is much better of the two.
Going back to your original question, it is quite likely that the Sportsmatic 6619 were sold from 1964 to 1966. The Sportsmatic were considered as low cost, “everyday” watches by Seiko and the company could not have foreseen that half a century later, they would become exotic, collectibles. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi Anthony,
That’s a great question, I’m afraid I can’t tell you anything more about your watch except that it was made in Japan and its manufacturing date is November 1981. The 6309 movement itself was introduced much earlier, sometime in 1977. Seiko made lots of Seiko 5 variations in those days and one needs to have a catalog or product booklet which shows the 6309-866A, which unfortunately I don’t have.
All I can tell you is that your grandfather’s Seiko 5 is part of the “Seiko 5 family” and that’s about it. I don’t think your watch belonged to any “series”, e.g. King Seiko, Lord Matic, LM, Advan, Speedtimer or Seikomatic which the Seiko company segregated in the 60s and early 70s. Today, you can find modern Seiko 5 watches that are marketed as “Seiko 5”, “Seiko 5 Sports” and very occasionally – the Seiko 5 Superior. If your watch just says “Seiko 5” on the dial, it’s considered a generic Seiko 5. 🙂
Quartzimodo.
Hi there,
I have Seiko ,i want to know when it was manufactured and is it vingate or not,what will b its cost now? Details are as mentioned below –
A)front dial its written
Seiko Automatic
17 jewel
japan 6118-7010
B)back cover its written
Seiko water resistant
535587 japan A
stainless steel 6118 7010
Great site !!
thanks for any help.
Hi Praful,
You have a seldomly seen and discussed, Seiko men’s watch from March 1975. Although it has the same jewel count as the earlier 6119A caliber, Seiko watches that used the 6118 movement aren’t as common. Any Seiko watch that is from the 1970s or earlier are classified as “vintage”. The 6118-7010 was intended to be a low cost and affordable gents’ timepiece. It has neither hand-winding nor second hand hacking capabilities; therefore its movement is as simple as the older 6119A. It also runs at 21,600 beats per hour – the same as today’s 7s-series automatic movement.
As for its current value on the market, a 6118-7010 in great condition usually won’t fetch more than US$100 on eBay. It might be a rare bird, but rarity itself doesn’t always mean it’s also valuable. When it comes to vintage Seiko watches, it’s usually the mechanical chronographs, rare divers and high beat King Seiko, Grand Seiko and Lordmatic range of watches that are both rare and valuable. Collectors actively hunt for such Seiko watches and the more desirable they are, the higher their resale value will be.
In a way, vintage watches are like vintage cars. If you happen to have a 1976 era, Toyota Corolla KE30 like this one – it’s not considered that collectible even by vintage car collectors. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi Quartzimodo,
That’s a really nice piece of information you got there. Really appreciated your response. Anyway, I also got another Seiko 5 this time from my dad.
It does have the serials: 516694, 6309-7320 A6. Any idea when was this released? Kinda look like a typical Seiko 5 to me but I dig vintage and old watches so it’s still valuable for me though.
Thanks once again
Hi Quartzimodo,
That’s a really nice piece of information you got there. Really appreciated your response. Anyway, I also got another Seiko 5 this time from my dad.
It does have the serials: 516694, 6309-7320 A6. Any idea when was this released? Kinda look like a typical Seiko 5 to me but I dig vintage and old watches so it’s still valuable for me though.
Thanks!
Hi Quartzimodo,
That’s a really nice piece of information you got there. Really appreciated your response. Anyway, I also got another Seiko 5 this time from my dad.
It does have the serials: 516694, 6309-7320 A6. Any idea when was this released? Kinda look like a typical Seiko 5 to me but I dig old watches and since it came from my dad I consider it as something with a value.
Thanks once again
Hi Quartzimodo,
That’s a really nice piece of information you got there. Really appreciated your response. Anyway, I also got another Seiko 5 this time from my dad.
It does have the serials: 516694, 6309-7320 A6. Any idea when was this released? Kinda look like a typical Seiko 5 to me but I dig old watches and since it came from my dad I consider it as something with a value.
Thanks once again!!
Hi Anthony,
You’re off to a great start with those vintage Seiko 5s! 🙂
The 6309-7320 in question was made in January 1985 by Seiko’s Hong Kong factory. Its internal movement and parts were however made in Japan. The narrow and slim hand design was trendy from the 80s to the Millennium. This watch has regular lugs, which means you’re able to wear the head (the watch) on a nice leather strap when you get tired of the original Jubilee styled, bracelet. 🙂
I have no idea when exactly this particular model came out but many examples of the 6309-7320 seem to be from 1985. Seiko made countless generic Seiko 5 watches that it’s virtually impossible to know all of the variants, let alone their production timelines. If you’re keen on collecting vintage Seiko 5 watches, I would recommend that you look for Seiko 5 mechanical chronographs like the Seiko 5 Speedtimer 6138, 6139, 7015, 7016, 7017 and the late sixties’ 6119 caliber Seiko 5 Sports models.
They’re getting rarer each year with collectors around the world actively hunting for them on eBay and in the watch trading forums. Seiko 5 chronographs are highly sought after and prized. The Caliber 6139 was Seiko’s final automatic chronograph which was discontinued between 1977 and 1978. Seiko stopped making mechanical chronograph watches until the late 1990s, when they reintroduced automatic chronographs which were sold under their Prospex, Credor and Brightz sub-brands.
Since then Seiko no longer offered affordable mechanical chronographs like the vintage Seiko 5 6138/6139 models of yesteryear. If you’re looking at brand new Seiko chronographs, it had to be something like the delightful Credor Phoenix GCBP993 that sold for at least US$1,500 a piece back in 1997. There’s also a black dialed version. Not many collectors and fans had that kind of funds to enjoy wearing a Seiko chronograph, therefore they were forced to settle for used Seiko 5 Speedtimer 6138s and 6139s. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi, I’m hoping you can help me. I have a vintage Seiko watch. the numbers on the back of the watch are:
7N29 6A29 and then the serial number 000011, does this mean that it was the 11th watch made in this series? does that make it more/less valuable? thank you 100 times for any help that you can give me.
regards,
Lana
Hi Lana,
Great question! It is quite uncommon to come across a Seiko watch with a low “number count”, with a string of leading zeroes and ending with a pair of numbers like “11”, “22”, “33” and so on. 🙂
A Seiko watch with the serial number 000011 means that it was manufactured in the month of October with the year ending with a “0” (zero). That could mean 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000 or 2010 – depending on the caliber itself. The production unit itself is actually the 12th piece that was made for that particular caliber and caseback code (not necessarily the actual series).
The reason that the number “0011” denotes the twelfth piece assembled (for a particular month/year) is that the first Seiko that was made for that same calendar month would be “0000”. The second piece would be stamped “0001”, the third will carry “0002” and so on. The 10,000th piece for that same Seiko model will be stamped “9999”. While that’s also a nice number (so is “8888” – this is considered a lucky number by most Oriental communities), it really depends if the Seiko plant has the capacity to churn out 10,000 pieces per month, for that particular and exact watch model in the first place.
That said, employees such as the production plant managers would know exactly how many pieces they are to assemble each month for different models. Seiko watches that are perpetually high in demand worldwide (e.g. the SKX007K and SKX779K automatic divers’ watches) are most probably made up to 10,000 pieces monthly during peak demand seasons. Models that are not as best selling are likely to be made in smaller numbers per month; therefore it’s plausible that we won’t see one with a high number such as “9000”.
Now, a Seiko timepiece that so happens to have a serial number of ALL zeroes – “000000”, would certainly be very rare but not necessarily collectible! It all depends on how popular the watch model is in the first place. A good example would be the the quintessential, classic Seiko SKX007K diver’s watch. It was introduced in 1996 and is still made to this day. Only two out of the innumerable pieces of this model will carry the “magical” serial number of “000000” – the one that was made in October 2000 and the other, October 2010. The third piece would be made in October 2020 – assuming that 4 years from now, this model would be still in production. 🙂
Assuming that you happen to own one of the two SKX007K diver’s watches with the serial number “000000”, you have a watch that is both popular and having an extremely rare serial number. Will that all-zero number make it more valuable? Yes. How much more valuable? I wouldn’t know. There will always be Seiko collectors with an eye for Seiko watches with all-zero serial numbers; but how far one is willing to offer for it is a moot point. You’ll have to put it up for bids on eBay (with the all-zero serial number as your unique selling point) and see what happens. 🙂
Back to your Seiko 7N29-6A29, it’s one of the millions of generic men’s quartz watches that Seiko made. Unless it’s crafted from 14 karat, solid gold and in pristine condition there’s really not much to go by, except that yours happen to bear the serial number “000011”. Even if your watch had the magical serial number “000000”, you’ll have to ascertain whether its collectible status is purely based on the serial number alone or because the 7N29-6A29 itself is a very sought after model, which is in my best opinion – unlikely. 🙁
-
Putting it in simple terms:
1. You get a lot of points if the watch model itself is highly collectible in the first place (regardless of the serial number). Collectors aren’t that choosy with serial numbers – they’re more than happy to get whatever they can.
2. Add plus points if the watch condition is almost flawless and in working condition.
3. You won’t score as much if the watch’s sole attraction is simply its serial number (e.g. “123456”, “888888”, “000000”, “333333”, “654321”, etc).
4. You will however, hit the jackpot if your watch has all three attributes above. 🙂
I haven’t seen an example of a 7N29-6A29, but its reference code is SGL034J. This is a U.S. export market model and your watch was assembled on October 1990. It is actually Watch #12 for the 7N29-6A29 made for that particular calendar date.
best regards,
Quartzimodo
Hi VJ,
1. 6145-8000: This is wonderful vintage Grand Seiko dating to February 1969. Congrats, that is a rare find! 🙂
2. 6139-8040: One of Seiko’s attractive 6139 caliber chronographs. Yours is from January 1977.
3. 7006-7159: This sports watch was made for the U.S. market and came from the Daini factory in Japan. June 1973 was its birthdate.
These production dates assume that your watches are fitted with their original casebacks. If they had been switched at some point in time, the production year and month of your watches will be different. 🙂
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
Hi Crille,
Your watch’s production date is either May 2005 or 2015. I cannot say which decade is the correct one, because I think you read the caseback code incorrectly. 🙂
You could take photos (front and back) of your Seiko watch and upload them to www.tinypic.com. Next, reply to this comment with the link to your watch pics at Tinypic.
Quartzimodo.
Hi Gaz,
I’m more inclined to say that your Seiko digital watch was made in July 1985, rather than 1975 for three reasons. 🙂
1. The A904 module has a chronograph function with split second timing and an alarm. Back in 1975, digital Seiko watches only offered the basic time and date display. Citizen was the first to manufacture a multi-function digital watch with its first Multi-Alarm model, circa 1978. As I recall it, Seiko made available multi-function digital watches only after 1979. I had one very nice multi-function Seiko digital watch (a newly arrived model with a different caliber) only in 1981.
2. The styling of the A904-5009 (yours is a U.S. export model) is more of a digital watch that was designed in the mid 1980s although the A904 module may have appeared a few years earlier.
3. The A904 module uses a single 3-volt, CR2016 lithium battery which powers your watch up to 7 years. Digital watches from 1975 would have used either disposable 1.55 volt silver oxide or alkaline button cells rather than the long life, lithium type.
A good thing about the CR2016 button battery is that it’s still made to this day by battery manufacturers! You can find the CR2016 in various brands: Energizer, Panasonic, Maxell, Varta etc, even in convenience stores. It’s generally used in car remote fobs.
Wear your watch in good health! 🙂
Quartzimodo.
Hello Quartzimodo,
Well-written article; you clearly know your stuff!
A question for you – I recently purchased two watches, a 7T32-6E40 and a 7T92-0CA0. Their serial numbers are, respectively, 354767 and 352435. I think the 7T32 was made in May 1993, but I’m not sure about the 7T92. Could you help me out with that? Any details about these models that may be of particular interest?
Cheers,
Robert
Hi Robert Nicks,
Thanks for the compliments, appreciate it! 🙂
1. 7T32-6E40: You have an early 7T32 alarm-chronograph Seiko quartz watch dating to May 1993 and your calculation is spot on. Seiko made a several variations of this model with varying dial colors – grey, blue and black. This is a fully Japan made model for the Japanese domestic market and its reference code beginning with “SBBP” plus “10 BAR” (instead of “100M”) are dead giveaways. Click here to see the entire Seiko SBBP family. Note that the first 4 models are most likely to be related to your exact model and they were likely to be released in the same period. The rest of the Seiko models were of later designs, judging from their broader hands. The last model in the family – the SBBP075 would have been sold in the early 2000s and this exact design was found in the early, Seiko Sportura lineup.
What makes the 7T32 caliber interesting is that the alarm subdial is a “clock” on its own and can operate independently from the main hour/minute dial. You can set it to a different time zone if you like. I set my 7T32 alarm subdials to GMT. Note that since the 6 o’clock alarm indicator runs on its own, it can be very tricky to synchronize the minute hand precisely to the main dial’s minute hand. If you manage to get the subdial’s minute hand to sync with the main dial, both minute hands will advance in unison with one another. 🙂
Sadly Seiko felt that the 7T32 movement was rather costly to manufacture, so they replaced it with the lower cost 7T62 caliber – which I think is still made to this day. The 7T62 dispenses with the mechanical second crown to set the alarm subdial hands and also the two left pushers. I think the 7T32 looks cool as it has three pushers and two crowns while the 7T62 conforms to the “standard” 2 pusher + 1 main crown configuration that you see in many analog quartz chronograph timepieces.
2. 7T92-0CA0: Seiko made quite a few models from the 0CA0 caseback code as you can see. I wouldn’t know which exact model that you own but I can tell you that yours is one of the earlier 7T92 models with an “SND” prefix. The 7T92 became one of Seiko’s very popular chronograph models – the company made so many variants that later models had the “SNDG” prefix plus a very odd “SNDZ” prefix. Strangely, Seiko didn’t use the fourth letter from “H” to “Y” and I have no idea why they jumped from “SNDG” to “SNDZ”.
Do note that Seiko also made 7T92 caliber watches that don’t use the prefix “SND”. The SBDQ series is just one of them that had different prefixes and there are many more 7T92 based JDM models that I’m not aware of. In all probability, yours is an early 7T92 model which means it was from May 2003. The 7T92 caliber came out circa 2002 or 2003 and replaced the legacy V657 caliber.
Compared to the V657, the 7T92 is much more superior and uses less power. In addition, it’s able to time events up to 12 hours compared to only 60 minutes with the V657. The latter caliber uses a mechanical gear train to drive the elapsed minute counter and it’s a pain having to reset the chronograph back to zero. The 7T92’s elapsed hour and minute stopwatch has its own stepping motor and resets the chronograph very quickly. I have one old V657 chronograph and two 7T92s, so I know. 🙂
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
Hi Gaz,
Your Seiko 4205-0150 is from May 1992 and was made by Seiko’s Daini factory. The rectangular hour markers are reminiscent of those on the 2nd generation 6309-729x ad the 7002-700x divers. The 4205 caliber was designed for ladies’ watches and due to its small mass, balance wheel it was designed with an auxiliary hand-winding mechanism. It doesn’t hack though but can be hand wound if needed.
Its predecessor is the 2205-0760/69 ladies’ diver that uses a more accurate, high beat 2205 movement. The 4205/4206 (with day/date display) are obsolete movements and have been replaced with the 4207 and the 4208 (date only). FWIW, the 4205-0150 is a collectible watch. 🙂
Quartzimodo.
Hi Quartzimodo,
Excellent website!
I was wondering if you could date my two Seiko watches for me. One is a 7T32-6E40 with serial number 354767 and the other is a 7T92-0CA0 with a serial number starting with 35. Any other information you have about these watches would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers,
Robert
Hi!
How do I know which letters are on the date?
Im watching this two models to buy one, but im not sure if they are going to bring the letters from date in english.
and
www.amazon.es/gp/product/B00EVPMFUS/ref=ask_ql_qh_dp_hza
Because in the first, the letters are “SAB” instead of “SAT”.
And in the sencond, the letters are in english in the picture, but on a vídeo from youtube, in this “K1”.. they aren’t..
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ8gVEKl5gw
Couldn’t found a conclusion on internet, but found this site! Whyle im waiting sellers reply.. if they are honest.
Best regards,
Hi Rui,
I cannot verify whether Seiko has made some changes to the dual language format for its Seiko 5 watches, but I’ll tell you what I know. Before the year 2004, Seiko used to fit English/Spanish language calendar discs to its 7s26 range of watches. This includes the earlier batches of the SKX779K and SKX781K Black and Orange Monster divers as well as the Seiko 5 family (Seiko 5, Seiko 5 Sports and Seiko 5 Superior). At the time, some Seiko 5 automatics were available in English/Spanish and English/Roman numeral languages.
From 2004 onwards, Seiko stopped issuing the English/Spanish language format and switched to English/Roman numerals for the international market. It was cheaper for them to make only one version of the dual language instead of two; so they decided to stick to English/Roman. It’s possible that due to demand from the Spanish market (after all, the eBay seller is from Spain) that Seiko reintroduced the old English/Spanish calendar format. If you were to browse the seller’s other Seiko models, they’re showing the day-of-the-week in English instead of Spanish. 🙂
Now, I have no idea if Seiko now makes a Spanish/Roman weekday version and if the company does, that is certainly news to me. In most likelihood, the watch in the picture has the English/Spanish version and is showing the Spanish weekday instead of English. In this case, watch owner has a choice whether to display the weekday in English or in Spanish.
Dual language weekday formats are also available in English/Japanese for the Japanese market and English/Arabic for the Middle East market. If you were to buy a Seiko 5 watch in Dubai, Jeddah or Abu Dhabi for example, it’s likely to come with the English/Arabic dual language format. The reason is very simple: people in Arab countries converse and read Arabic rather than English. 🙂
The reason that you can’t find “a conclusion” on the Internet is because nobody thinks that having a Seiko watch with Spanish/Roman calendar format would be an issue. I have Seiko watches with English/Roman, English/Spanish and English/Japanese weekday languages, plus a very rare Seiko 7T59-6A0A 1/100sec chronograph that displays the weekday only in German language. That watch was a gift from a good friend who lives in Germany, therefore it was fitted with a German-only weekday calendar disc.
It wouldn’t hurt for you to receive a confirmation from the seller but if you ask my opinion, I think the watch that you’re looking at actually has the English/Spanish weekday format. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi Robert,
I also need to know the caliber and caseback number for your watch. It should be stamped at the back of your watch with the format XXXX-YYYY, e.g. 3M62-A60A. Since you have a vintage Seiko AGS watch, you might be interested in reading up on Kinetic watches. 🙂
Quartzimodo.
Hi!
Thanks a lot for quickly reply! I loved your explanations.
Im from Portugal, but I prefer English to Spanish. I’ll wait to see if seller’s reply to me.
I guess I would prefer English/Roman to Spanish if I could choose, but always with English there. Im weak in Spanish language.
Best regards from Portugal to you! 🙂
Hi Rui,
Obrigado for the compliments, appreciate it! 🙂
Just to add that for the European market, historically Seiko used to ship their watches with single weekday languages in French, Italian, German and Spanish – but none in Portuguese. For the pre Islamic revolution, Iranian market, the company also printed calendar discs in Farsi language. I’ve also read that Mandarin language was once printed for the China market but no one in the watch forums have shown pictures of actual Seiko watches with the Mandarin weekday calendar.
Seiko would print calendar discs in certain languages only if the company feels the regional market justifies their cost. For example, they never made available English/Indian language versions as there are various written languages in India but almost everyone there can read basic English. Therefore for the Indian/Pakistani markets, English/Roman would be the most cost effective language presentation. 🙂
In any case, Spanish is also a widely spoken language in many countries (like Mexico and Latin American nations) so it makes sense for Seiko to bring back the English/Spanish format. They could print in Spanish/Roman instead but it would be easier to sell watches in English/Spanish I guess. 🙂
Whatever you do, never change the dual language to English (or adjust the date) when the watch’s time is from 9 pm to 2 a.m. If you’re not sure whether the watch time is between 9pm-2am or 9am-2pm, change the time to 6 o’clock (am or pm doesn’t matter) and change the calendar first. After that you can synchronize the hands to the actual time. The reason for this is that watches with mechanical calendars start to change the calendar from 9pm-2am. Forcing the calendar to change during this period may damage the date changing mechanism.
Com os melhores cumprimentos da Malásia 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi again and thanks for quick reply.
The number on caseback is 5M42-0E00 but I am little concerned about the watch because on bottom of the dial it say 5M42 on left side of 6oclock and OG7o on the right side, shouldnt it be same as caseback.
I know its a kinetic but havent opened it up yet.
Regards
/Robert
Hi Robert,
Thank you for the information, that helps a lot. It’s the caliber/caseback number that identifies the watch family, while the dial will have the caliber/dial code to identify the actual color and design of the dial. The caseback and dial codes are always different from one another because in many instances, Seiko makes several variations from a certain caliber/caseback code. Furthermore in Seiko watch forums, members refer to watches by either the reference code or the caliber/caseback code. They don’t use the dial code as it’s never been a practice and makes identification confusing. 🙂
Anyway, your watch’s reference code is SCZD021. This is a Japan domestic market model and is one of Seiko’s early “Spirit” models. The movement and the model itself has been long discontinued and your serial number puts this watch’s production date at October 1996. There is a good probability that your watch is fitted with the Matsushita capacitor instead of the Maxell lithium ion rechargeable cell as early 5M42 AGS/Kinetic watches came with the lower capacity, capacitor.
It’s a very nice looking watch and quite rare, btw. Wear it in good health! 🙂
Quartzimodo
Thanks, it was a bargain so it makes me happy. It is very nice looking, I love the colour on the dial. And you are right, it say also Spirit on the dial.
I think the capacitor is changed though because it has been layibg for about 2 monthe and still not down to zero, still have charge.
I have another Seiko, sn: 851962 and 5M42-0G70, that watch I think have the old capacitor because it lasts only maybe 1 week before stops when not in use.
Regards
/Robert
Hi Robert,
If your Seiko AGS has a reserve power of two months in the drawer, then it is fitted with the Maxell TC-920S lithium cell. The first generation Kinetic Energy Supply Units (KESU) were capacitors and they were good for up to 2 weeks without recharging. There was an old article about Seiko recalling some 5M42 watches that were already shipped with the capacitors and replacing them with the high capacity, lithium ion cells but the specifics were not disclosed. By the time the 5M6x series Kinetic models came out in the early 2000s, they were already fitted with lithium ion cells.
Do note that the Maxell lithium ion cells have a finite lifespan and should be treated like just any device that use rechargeable lithium ion batteries. As the cells age, they begin to lose their ability to hold a sufficient energy charge. Ensuring that your watch is fully charged at all times will help to prolong the battery lifespan, while frequently allowing the watch to go completely dead will shorten its operational life. 🙂
You really scored on that vintage Seiko Spirit SCZD021! I didn’t know that Seiko sold this line as early as 1996. Most of the Seiko Spirit watches that are discussed in various watch forums are the later released models in automatic guise, rather than AGS/Kinetic. Anyway, the other Kinetic watch (5M42-0G70) that you own is from May 1998.
cheers,
Quartzimodo
Hi!!
Surprised for you to write so well in my language!! 🙂
Thanks to your explanations about finding the origin of Seiko models, and to FULL HD videos from youtube, I manage to know that Seiko SNK607 is a 7S26 model! And the KDL45K1 is also 7S something.
So, this is the instructions manual from Seiko site, and seems to have dual language!!!
www.seikowatches.com/support/ib/pdf/SEIKO_4R15_16_35_36_7S26_35_36.pdf
About Portugal, we never have language in anything.. too much football, very little culture… its sad, but I have to leave with it.
Terima kasih! (is it? – power of Google translator! eheheh)
Hi Vix,
The Seiko H601-0010 is a rare analog-digital sports watch. It is somewhat collectible but because it’s not the Seiko watch that appeared in Arnold Schwarzenegger’s action flicks in the mid 80s, it’s just another analog-digital Seiko timepiece. Depending on the dial color and overall condition, a H601-0010 averages about US$150 on eBay.
This watch was likely to have been made on September 1990.
regards,
Quartimodo.
Hi Vix,
Sorry I don’t really comprehend your question. Seiko made the H601-0010 with a variety of dial colors and without a scanned catalog of this actual model, I have no idea how many variations there really are. This is a long discontinued model and whatever you see from the ‘net is what you get.
Just Google for “H601-0010” and you’ll see what I mean.
Quartzimodo
Hello.
Thank you for your earlier answers about my watches.
I have a question about another watch now. Its also an AGS but have a broken movement inside. I have a spare 7M22 movement so I hope I can get a working watch.
Its a 7M22-6B09 and serial: 030150.
I hope you can give me some more info about this watch.
Regards
Robert from Sweden
Hi Robert,
The 7M22-6B09 Kinetic is also known as the SDM100J model. The 7M22 caliber is seldomly seen compared to its more common, sibling calibers like the 3M22 and 5M22 based Kinetics. Since the 7M22 is one of Seiko’s earliest Kinetics, watches with this movement are branded as the “AGS” range. The movement takes the old Matsushita EEWCW 2R4E-334 capacitor (not a rechargeable battery) with a rather short charge lasting up to 72 hours.
I don’t know if this capacitor is interchangeable with the Panasonic ML-920 rechargeable lithium ion cell, as the ML-920 outputs 3 volts at full charge, while the original capacitor has max potential difference of a mere 2.3 Volts. The ML-920 may still drive the movement but I don’t know whether applying the over-voltage will cause any long term ill effects to the watch.
The SDM100J isn’t one of those watches that would pique the average vintage Seiko watch collector’s interest to hunt down for one. Having said that, this model doesn’t have any historical significance or value to it either. There are many other early AGS/Kinetic models that have become largely forgotten, unless it’s a true diver’s watch.
I found as sample case on eBay and maybe you’d be interested in taking a look at this. 🙂
BTW, the 7M22-6B09 is unreservedly from March 1990.
Skål,
Quartzimodo
Hi,
I’ve came across a Seiko SGF719 Serial#: 040925
Movement 7N43
Case/model 9070
It has a non-functioning day/date. Otherwise very sweet condition.
Can you tell me if this was an older, better made version than the newer ones seen on Amazon etc. under $100?
Also I’m assuming it was made april 2000?
Do you think it would be worth having repaired and any idea of it’s value and approx. cost of repair in general?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Mark,
I’m inclined to say that your Seiko SFG719 was made on April 2010, because you can find this watch still being sold by some Amazon merchants. I highly doubt that it dates all the way back to the beginning of the Millennium. Since this is a model that was introduced “fairly recently” (when it comes to watches, six years is considered as recent), I am of the opinion that your watch is more or less the same as the latest 7N43 quartz gents’ models.
I cannot say how much it will cost you in repairs as it depends on the following factors:
1. The country that you live in. Seiko service centers in Southeast Asia generally charge lower than those in the U.S., Australia/New Zealand, South America and Europe.
2. The parts that need to be replaced.
3. Whether you plan to send the watch to a third party watch repair store or to the official Seiko service center in your region.
Is it worth getting repaired? Here’s the rub: you can get a brand new, shiny SGF719 from Amazon for US$99.99 with a one year’s warranty to boot. The only reason you should repair this watch if it carries some sentimental value to you. As for this watch’s value, it shouldn’t get any higher than what you can get it for brand new. Therefore you’re probably looking at fifty bucks thereabouts. 🙂
There are pretty nice looking, newer SGG-series (your watch is the SGF-series) Seiko watches with varying designs too. Check ’em out. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Good morning. I’m looking for a bit of info on a watch my wife gave me on our wedding day…45 years ago. It’s a chronometer, and the serial number (which just befuddles the serial number calculators) is 0n5178. It’s a real Seiko, I had it into the factory once. But I haven’t worn it in decades. Any idea of the value would be wonderful too.
Larry Laatsch
[email protected]
Hi Larry,
I need more information than just your description that your Seiko watch is a “chronometer” and the watch serial numbers. Take a clear photo of it (front and back) and upload to free image upload sites like Tinypic.com. The caliber and caseback codes must be visible and legible in your photos.
thanks.
Quartzimodo
I just asked you (copy of my email) ” Good morning. I’m looking for a bit of info on a watch my wife gave me on our wedding day…45 years ago. It’s a chronometer, and the serial number (which just befuddles the serial number calculators) is 0n5178. It’s a real Seiko, I had it into the factory once. But I haven’t worn it in decades. Any idea of the value would be wonderful too.
Larry Laatsch
[email protected]
and you replied (wow!) rather quickly the following “Hi Larry,
I need more information than just your description that your Seiko watch is a “chronometer" and the watch serial numbers. Take a clear photo of it (front and back) and upload to free image upload sites like Tinypic.com. The caliber and caseback codes must be visible and legible in your photos.
thanks.
Quartzimodo
I’ve made 8 really decent photos of the front and back of the watch, but I don’t see where to send them, as you requested. I’ll see if this message que gives me any option. I did try your website, but OMG, how confusing.
Nope. Can’t attach to this. EXACTLY where do you want them sent or forwarded?
Hi,
I have a Seiko watch that belonged to my late husband, who passed 16 years ago. The watch has not been worn for at least 20 years or more. The metal band is missing 2 pieces of the 3 piece snap together part. I don’t know if it can be repaired or if the band should be replaced. Otherwise the watch is in excellent condition. It has been boxed up for more than 10 years and it started working after a few minutes of handling. I found this site yesterday and have been reading some of the comments looking for my watch but didn’t see any. The watch is a 6117-8000, SN 873109. I’ve read enough that I think it was made in July 1968. It has a navigation timer. Is there anything else you can tell me about the watch and what it might be worth, as I want to sell it? And also, could you direct me to a place that might be interested in buying it (if it’s worth anything)? Thanks for the site and all the info. Amazing. Forever grateful.
Kat
Hi Kathy,
Thank you for asking. I’m sorry to learn that your husband is no longer around and that one of his items which he had left is a Seiko 6117-8000 “Navigator Timer”. You are indeed correct with the date of production; it was manufactured back in July 1968 from the serial number. 🙂
Actually two of the most popular Seiko 6117 models are the 6117-8000 “Navigator Timer” and the 6117-6400 “World Time”. Both watches are based on the same 6117 movement and have a third 24-hour indicator hand, with a total of 4 moving hands including the ticking second hand. The 6117-6400 appears to be easier to find on eBay compared to the 6117-8000 which makes the Navigator Timer slightly more valuable than the World Time model.
To complicate matters a little further, Seiko also made another variation of the 6117-8000, which is the 6117-6410 with an inner rotating 24-hour bezel (manipulated by the main crown) while the 6117-8000 has an externally rotating 24-hour bezel. The 6117-8000 came out earlier than the 6117-6410 and comes in a slim case, while the 6117-6400/6410 models have a wider “cushion shaped” caseback.
A quick check on eBay shows a bevy of 6117 type vintage watches for sale, with asking (Buy-It-Now) prices ranging from US$245 to US$993, depending on the condition of the watch. A mint condition 6117-8000 in its original form, almost no scratches and the caseback details crisp and readable (no modifications or after market parts) may conservatively, fetch at least US$500.
Do note that a mint condition 6117-8000 with a BIN price of US$993 (there’s an ongoing eBay listing as I write this) may not necessarily end with a buyer paying that much for it. If the seller manages to find a buyer who has the money and desperately wants that watch, the buyer will be very fortunate indeed -considering that his piece doesn’t come with the original stainless steel bracelet.
Finding original replacement bands for vintage Seiko watches is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. Most would have been sold by Seiko dealers worldwide and I very much doubt that Seiko Japan has any left that they can spare. Watch bands are one of the outer components of a watch that are often replaced (due to wear-and-tear or missing links); and Seiko itself does not produce spare parts for models that have been out of production after a period of 7-8 years.
It is however, remotely possible that some watch collector somewhere in the world may have unused, original bracelets for the 6117-800 for keepsakes. The problem is whether that collector is willing to part with it in the first place. 🙁
Regardless, the 6117-8000 can also be worn on a lovely leather strap since the watch has “regular” lugs. I have an old brown dialed, 6117-6400 myself that I bought on eBay a decade ago and it came with a dinky, cheap aftermarket bracelet. I don’t like aftermarket bracelets therefore I replaced it with a matching leather band.
You can have a look at 6117-8000 Navigator Timers up for auction or Buy-It-Now listing on eBay to get an idea what your husband’s watch may fetch on the second hand market. Alternatively, you could browse the “FS” (For Sale) listings for this watch here. If that doesn’t work, you may need to register as a member of the SCWF forum first.
BTW, if you’ve decided to sell the watch it’s preferable that you don’t do anything to it (like sending it for a service) if the watch works fine. It’s better to sell it “as is” and let the buyer decide if he would undertake the servicing or accuracy regulating job. Some collectors are finicky and if they are experts at servicing vintage watches, they’d rather do it themselves.
best of luck,
Quartzimodo
Hi Hanneke,
You have a vintage hand-wind Cal 11A Seiko ladies’ watch. It was manufactured by Seiko’s Daini factory back in August 1969 and is very likely to be a U.S. export market model.
Please note that this watch is neither a Kinetic nor an automatic watch. A Kinetic watch is basically a quartz controlled timepiece with electronics that is powered by a capacitor or a rechargeable battery, which in turn is charged via wrist movement. Seiko did not invent the kinetic powered technology until the very late 1980s and it was originally called “Auto Quartz” and later, “AGS” before changing to the patented trade name, “Kinetic”.
Your Seiko is a pure mechanical watch that requires daily winding of its main spring via the crown. Hand-wind only watches have no self-winding (automatic) mechanism and the only way to get it running is to make sure to wind the crown repeatedly (in its locked position) until it feels a little tight. Take care not to over-wind the crown lest you break its main spring.
Automatic watches are called “automatic” as they have a oscillating balance weight inside the watch. As you wear it and move around, the weight spins and automatically winds the main spring. Some automatic watches have an auxiliary hand-winding capability to quickly wind the main spring but most low cost Seiko watches (whether new or vintage) do not. As such they can only be wound through swirling the watch in your hand or by wearing it daily.
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo.
I have been wearing my Step-father’s Seiko almost daily ever since my Mother gave it to me after he passed away in December, 1981.
As far as I can remember, I have only had a new battery installed a few times. The last time, a few years ago, I ask the jeweler if he would give it a thorough cleaning and he refused, saying that he couldn’t clean a quartz watch.
Questions:
Is it true what he says about cleaning a quartz watch?
Can you tell me the approximate age of the watch?
Here is the information from the back:
823958
TL
7646-8049
Water Resistant
Stainless Steel
Thank You.
Hi Ron in Ohio,
I have no record of a caliber called “7646” but Seiko did manufacture quartz watches with the “7546” caliber. I assume that you may have made a typographical error and your father’s old watch is actually the 7546-8049. The 7546 was one of Seiko’s earliest analog quartz movements that came about in the mid 1970s.
I should think the majority of 7546 movements were fitted to gents’ dress watches while a few were made into the old SQ 100 Sports “diver style” timepieces. Your Seiko was manufactured in Feb 1978 by the Seiko Suwa factory in Japan, making it 38 years old this year. 🙂
Can quartz watches be cleaned? Well, it depends on your definition of “watch cleaning”. Mechanical watch movements can be stripped apart right down to the smallest pinion and gear cog, with each removable component given a batch in an ultrasonic cleaning bath. They are then dried carefully and with moving parts re-lubricated and the individual parts reassembled.
When it comes to quartz watches, you have an electronic printed circuit board (PCB), an induction coil and electronic stepping motors that drive the watch hands. The PCB itself consists of micro soldered transistors, a quartz crystal, resistors, capacitors and integrated circuit (IC) chips. You don’t want to dip a quartz watch module into an ultrasonic cleaning bath and there’s no way to repair stepping motors (they are replaced in whole).
At best, the moving parts of a quartz watch module would be the stepper motors which can be slightly lubricated to eliminate unwanted friction and any dirt and grime found on the PCB board cleaned with an electronic contact cleaner spray and dust gently blown away with compressed air. I think the reason your jeweler doesn’t want to “clean” the watch module is because the watch itself is almost four decades old.
Should anything untoward happen to your watch module, there is no way that he is able to rectify mistakes. A simple short circuit can render the entire quartz module useless; and the micro soldered electronic components cannot be individually replaced. In fact, the general practice is to replace the entire watch module; and Seiko no longer carries replacement quartz modules for a watch of that vintage. Furthermore, it’s unlikely that he has a copy of the technical manual for the 7546 quartz movement with instructions detailing the internal movement assembly.
Probably the most your jeweler can do is to use compressed air to rid of any dust that’s accumulated on the watch module and lubricate the stepping motors, but that’s about as safe as it gets. He should be able to clean the inside of the watch crystal and the watch dial, plus the mechanical gears that rotate the calendar disc.
Even Seiko service centers today generally don’t repair faulty quartz modules but replace the entire movement. I can relate to this, as recently I had a late model Seiko 8F56 Perpetual Calendar GMT watch that went dead for some unknown reason. The movement is not serviceable therefore I had to pay for an entirely brand new 8F56 quartz module. Forty years from now, I doubt if Seiko Japan will still carry replacement 8F56 movements.
So there you go. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi Matthew,
My sincerest apologies for not being able to reply to your post in time. 🙁
The “F” letter (or “A”, “G”, etc) followed by the “JAPAN” inscription is believed to denote the case type. It’s one of those cryptic letters that only certain Seiko service center staff may know. So far I have not come across any information that explains what the different letters really stand for, sorry. If I knew what they meant, I would have written a comprehensive post on the caseback symbols long ago. 🙂
Anyway, the 6309-5140 and just about any vintage Seiko watch that resembles a TV screen is a rare find. Not everyone likes the styling though, which is why modern day Seiko watches no longer look like that. Your watch was manufactured by Seiko’s Suwa factory in Japan, circa May 1980.
Wear that rare 6309 in good health. 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi Grant,
Thanks for the compliment. 🙂
Your dad’s Seiko SQ 6923-7099 takes a Seiko/Maxell SR926SW or an Energizer 395/399 1.55 volt, silver oxide cell. I’m not familiar with this caliber and all I can tell is that it was a North American market model and was manufactured by Seiko’s Daini factory. Date of manufacture is most probably June 1984.
From what I’ve gathered, this model is rather unique as it has a faceted crystal – a trend with some Seiko automatic watches back in the 1970s. I don’t recall seeing quartz Seiko dress watches with a faceted glass from the 1980s; but it’s always a pleasant surprise learning about the models that I’ve not seen before. 🙂
Quartzimodo.
HI GOT A OLD “SEIKO QUARTZ” WATCH THAT IS BROKEN, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE YEAR OF PRODUCTION AND TRY TO SHIP IT TO SOMEONE WHO COULD RESTORE IT. THE SERIAL NUMBER OF THIS WATCH IS 1606110478. COULD YOU TELL ME WHEN SHE WAS PRODUCED?
THANKS
JEAN-FRANCOIS CISSELL
[email protected]
Hi Jean-Francois,
I’ll need to see a photo of your actual watch, as the serial number that you gave me doesn’t make any sense actually. You can upload clear photos of your watch to a free image hosting site, like TinyPic and give me the direct links to your images in your follow up reply.
Quartzimodo
Hi Stefan,
Your Seiko 5 7009-3179 would have been made on August 1990 if you’re able to see the text “Mov’t Singapore” at the bottom of the dial. If your dial shows just “JAPAN 7009” then it would have been made 10 years earlier (Aug 1980) in Japan. I’m not sure when this model first came out although the 7009 movement originally came out sometime in the 1970s.
This particular watch is also a U.S. export model, designated by the number “9” at the end of your caseback code.
hope this helps!
Quartzimodo
Hello.
I was wondering if you could help me find out more about my vintage Seiko Lassale. ON the back of the watch etched:
BASE METAL
ST STEEL BACK
6730-5599 (RO)
2D0103
I have done many searches for my watch and have never seen one like the one I own. According to your serial number information I guess it must be from 1982.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Gary
Hi Gary,
Thanks for commenting. I don’t have much information on the short lived Seiko Lassale series but it was a sub-brand which the Seiko company introduced in the early 1980s. The 6730A quartz movement that powers your timepiece has to be a pretty slim module, since Lassale watches tended to be of the wafer thin design.
This 14 jeweled 6730A module was used only for certain models from the Lassale range and was never fitted to other Seiko branded watches. It uses a Seiko or Maxell TR712 silver oxide cell, with an estimated 2 year battery change interval. The 6730A is a very simple complication with just the hour and minute hands and it moves the minute hand every twenty seconds. I presume this is a battery saving feature since the watch’s stepping motor doesn’t have to increment the minute hand precisely every second.
From the serial number which you have furnished, December 1982 has to be the correct manufacturing date as I don’t think the Lassale series survived into well into the 1990s. 🙂
best regards,
Quartzimodo
Hi admin, i just bought seiko5 watch without checking its originality
it says Ref.SNK892K1
there is no sign of where this watch has been made.
there is serial number 565459 on the side of the back near adjustment button(not in the glass)
and case number 7S26-04F0
there is number 501S1 on guarantee card.
for more info, on the store there is couple of this watch for men (larger strap and case)
i hardly found this watch on google thats why i`m affraid. Can u tell me any information about this model please?
Hi Teja,
I’ve never seen this particular model (the SNK892K) before, but rest assured it’s a genuine Seiko 5 watch. 🙂
It’s also a fairly recent model, as indicated by “7S26C” text engraved on the oscillating weight. That means your watch also has to be from June 2015. If this model were from the year 2005, it would have been fitted with the first generation 7S26A movement. Furthermore, back in 2005 Seiko did not mark the see-thru caseback of their Seiko 5 automatics with “5 Bars”, which is equivalent to 50 meters’ water resistance rating.
Your watch, including other Seiko 5 automatics that came out since the mid 1980s is assembled in China. The 7S26C movement is likely to have been produced by Seiko’s factory in Malaysia. However I’m not sure if by the year 2015 the Seiko company had shifted mechanical movement production from Malaysia to China.
When it comes to Seiko 5 watches, only the popular and collectible models are discussed on watch forums – most especially certain vintage Seiko 5 watches. Seiko makes countless models for their Seiko 5 range every year, so it’s difficult to keep track of every single watch model the company has ever produced. If you follow the various Internet watch forums on the Seiko brand, you’ll notice that it’s the Seiko diver’s models, automatic chronographs and mid-range/high end mechanical Seiko watches that are usually discussed. It’s even worse with Seiko/Citizen/Orient wall and table clocks; almost nobody talks about them – so you get no additional information on specific wall and table clocks, let alone reviews. 🙂
It’s the same with Casio timepieces. You can find blogs and sites dedicated to Casio’s popular G-Shock, Pro-Trek and Frogman digital watches, but probably none on Casio’s contemporary Edifice and non-G Shock models.
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo Admin.
Hi there
I bought a wind up Seiko from a man in Canada.
On the dial it says Seiko Super
There is no date window on the face.
the case looks to be about a 30mm
The back case number is: 527792
Above that is: 13025
It’s got a lot of patina on the face. It seems to run fine.
Can you tell me anything about this watch?
Hi John,
You’ve scored a really old Seiko watch there. I had to look it up and found one or two great looking examples on eBay with relatively clean dials, selling for a little more than US$200. I’m afraid I don’t know anything about the history of this particular model but it was designed in the 1950s.
Assuming that back then the old Seikosha company used serial numbers with the first two digits designating the year and month, your watch would have been made in February 1955! The fact that it’s running fine to this day is a great testament to Seiko’s watchmaking technology. Pretty amazing for a 61 year old timepiece. 🙂
As for the patina on the dial, you may want to consider having it professionally cleaned by a watch restorer and the movement regulated for the best time keeping accuracy.
Enjoy your Seiko Super in good health! 🙂
Quartzimodo
Hi,
My grandfather left me his Sekio5 watch recently and although it’s in need of some serious repairs I’d like to know a bit more about it.I have no idea about any history of the watch or when it was made. The back of the case reads:
Sekio
Water resistant
091162
Japan-KY
Stainless Steel 7009-8040
The text on the bottom of the watch face reads:
Japan 7009-850L D
I hope this helps. Any information is greatly appreciated.
Hi Dylan,
You happen to have one of the many variations of the Seiko 5 automatic which Seiko sold since the late 1960s. The 7009A caliber is a fully automatic (non hacking, no auxiliary manual winding) 17 jeweled mechanism. It is an inexpensive Daini manufactured movement and has been fitted to many Seiko and Seiko 5 gents’ watches in its day. The 7009 was finally replaced by the 21 jeweled, 7s26A caliber in 1996.
There is no historical significance attached to this model and it was one of the countless, simple Seiko 5 automatics that were sold back then. Seiko also made many variants based on the -8040 caseback designation and they all have the classic 38mm diameter polished case with 19mm lugs. Only the watch hands and dials differ from one model to another.
You didn’t state what components need to be repaired. If the mechanical innards need to be repaired, it might be much cheaper to find a used Seiko 7009 in good running condition on eBay and have the whole movement from the donor watch transplanted, rather than repaired. 🙂 It doesn’t have to be a specific 7009 Seiko; any 7009 will do fine.
From the serial numbers which you have provided, I would put this watch’s manufacturing date at September 1980.
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
Hi Freddia,
Your Seiko Lassale is an ultra-thin dress quartz watch with just a basic hour and minute hands. The Lassale sub-brand was introduced in 1982 when the Seiko Time Corporation bought over the ailing Swiss based, Jean Lassale Watch company. Seiko kept the Lassale name as to add the “Swiss influence” to this range of watches. Your particular model was meant for export to North America.
Its gold plated band (P/N: ALL76G) is very unique and integral to this watch, which means alternative bracelets may not look good on the watch head. You can wear it on a leather strap, but unfortunately the watch lug design is so narrow that you’ll have to make cut-away modifications to the leather straps in order to fit into the lugs. I wouldn’t recommend modifying the leather band as it is likely to snap off from the watch spring bar.
If it’s not possible to source for a new old stock bracelet from the Seiko service center, you could consider buying this same watch on eBay and transplanting the bracelet onto your watch though.
good luck! 🙂
Quartzimodo.
Hello,
apologize if I spell something wrong,my English is still not the best:)
I’ve got really nice looking-oldskool
Seiko hand winded 17 jewels,
Japan 7625-1910R (says at the front)
7625-1990, 5603959 (at the back)
Can you tell me production date and whatever you may know about?
Thank You very much from Poland 🙂
Hello Adrian,
Your Seiko 7625-1990 is actually an automatic (self-winding) watch, and not the manual hand winding type. This 17 jeweled movement was also used for some Seiko watches such as the Seiko Sea Horse and Seiko Sportsmatic from the 1960s. The 7625 is a simple, low cost mechanism and it’s a low beat movement, rated at 18,000 beats per hour or 5 ticks per second. It is also fitted with Seiko’s patented, anti-shock feature which the company called “DiaShock”.
Seiko no longer made low beat movements after the 7625 and replaced it with calibers like the 6119 (also discontinued), which has the “standard” beat rate of 21,600 bph (6 ticks per second). A higher beat rate equates to improved timekeeping accuracy but at the cost of increased internal wear and tear of the moving components.
Your watch was manufactured in June 1965, making it more than fifty one years old today. 🙂
hope this helps,
Quartzimodo
Hi freek,
A Seiko 7T92-0ED0 would be something like the SND451P, SND449P or SND419P model and it should be an original Seiko watch. If you really want me to “see” whether it’s really genuine, upload clear photos of your watch to TinyPic and reply to this comment with the links to your pics.
Quartzimodo.
Hi Daryl,
The 5Y23 is a basic quartz movement from the late 80s and was fitted to various gents’ watch models under Seiko’s “SQ” line. It’s been long discontinued and it’s likely aren’t any replacement parts available from Seiko Japan. 5Y23 caliber watches are not a collector’s item; they were just one of those basic Seiko quartz watches that were commonly sold at the time. As such, there is no historical significance to this particular watch model.
The 1-jeweled 5Y23 module takes the widely available, Seiko/Maxell SR920SW or Energizer #371 silver oxide button cell. Its nominal operational life is 3 years between battery changes. From a few examples of images of the 5Y23-7050 that I looked at, I would say that your watch was from November 1989.
Quartzimodo Admin.
I am trying to find out information about my seiko watch , I’ve checked it out online but I am not able to get any info on it . The info on the back case is like this 2a32-5140 R0, Japan B with a small lightning like symbol beside it and below that there is a serial number 461879.
It is in amazing condition though I guess it is from the 80’s although the bottom part of the buckle has blackened a bit. Also what’s the small symbol.
Thanks !
Hi Hisham,
You have a Seiko quartz dress watch that was made in June 1984.
The lightning symbol that you see on the watch caseback means that the 2A32 quartz movement was manufactured by Seiko’s Daini (later renamed Seiko Instruments Inc) factory, instead of their Suwa plant in Japan. The 2-jeweled 2A32 module has long been discontinued; and as with many Seiko quartz movements from the early 80s, has an adjustable trimmer condenser (or capacitor) to fine tune the watch’s accuracy. Modern Seiko quartz movements no longer have the trimmer condenser adjustment.
The 2A32 uses a Seiko or Maxell TR621SW silver oxide button cell or its equivalent.
That trident-like symbol at the 12 o’clock position refers to the early Seiko Galaxy line of quartz watches from the 80s. This symbol is somewhat confusing as it resembles the trident that is printed on Seiko’s high end, Seiko Credor models. The company no longer uses that symbol for its Galaxy line in the 1990s; and the Galaxy range itself has since disappeared from the market.
Hope this answers your question and wishing you a Happy New Year! 🙂
Quartzimodo
Ciao Tony,
You have a very nice and rare Seiko 5Y23-6069 and I believe this model was sold in North America. It’s not a diver’s watch but a sporty watch that looks like a diver’s model. 🙂
This is a 1980s model and from its serial number, it was manufactured in June 1988. Not much is known about this particular model and it’s possible that Seiko discontinued it by the mid 1990s. Although it’s a nice looking watch, it’s not really sitting high on most Seiko collectors’ hit lists. This watch was fully assembled in Japan by the Seiko Suwa factory.
I migliori saluti,
Quartzimodo
Hi Denis,
The 7005 is the date-only version of the 7006 caliber (with day display), and both movements came out sometime towards the late 1960s. I am not sure when Seiko discontinued the 7005/7006 series but your particular watch was manufactured on Sept 1973. This watch was made by Seiko’s Daini plant in Japan.
hope that helps,
Quartzimodo
Hi Quartzimodo
Can you tell me anything about a tiny ladies watch left to me by my mother? it is a very small rounded-square gold watch with a yellow face and two gold hands. It has SEIKO above the hands and a tiny lightning bolt symbol below the hands. the glass has tiny bevels all around its edge. it has JAPAN at the bottom of the face.Numbers 8400238 on the back.
the leather band has gold lettering MADE IN CANADA at one end and ??SUEDE/ MMR on the other end. Thank You
Goodmorning Quartzimodo,
I have a stanless steel seiko watch (i don’t know the type) with golden digits and hands. I got for my birthday over 20 years ago and when i got it, i thought it was already an older model. The wristband is broken and i am thinking about having it refurbished.
What i would like to know is how old it is. I think it is at least 30 years old but i am not sure.
The plate says: 7009-449RR
The backcasing says:
135019
stainless steel
water resistant KF > 7009-876A and the letter F inside a square.
Thank you very much in advance.
Greetings fom the Netherlands.
Goedemorgen Mark,
Your Seiko 5 7009-876A was likely to have been manufactured in March, 1991. The 7009 is a 17-jewel, low cost automatic movement that Seiko introduced in the mid 1970s and had a fairly long production run until it was finally replaced with the 7s26A in 1996.
Seiko made lots of 7009 models, especially the -3110 and -867A caseback designs. Models based on these cases were quite popular that even when the company stopped making the 7009 movement, Seiko continued manufacturing Seiko 5 automatics of these designs using the replacement 7s26 caliber.
The Seiko 5 7009-3110 is an example of a best selling Seiko 5 design as its bezel bears a resemblance to the classic Rolex Perpetual Datejust automatic. The -3110 model was quite popular in Asia that Seiko retained this model with the 7s26-3110 for many years. Same looks except for the newer caliber.
The letter “F” inside the square is said to represent the case size but no one has been able to confirm this.
hope this answers your question!
Quartzimodo Admin
Hi
Wonder if you can help me. I have just bought a Yema Paris ladies watch. It’s gold coloured, with a square face with cut-off corners (rather art deco) and lizard skin strap. The numbers on the stainless steel back read R1 CO6 3. I think this may be from during Yema’s period of being owned by Seiko. I don’t know its age.
Sadly it has no battery in it and I can’t find out which size or type to use.
Any information gratefully received!
Kind regards
Anne
Hi Anne,
I found photos of at least one Yema Paris ladies’ watch that uses the old Seiko 7A38 movement. The 7A38 is a quartz chronograph and has two push buttons on the left side of the watch. Since you didn’t mention these stopwatch buttons I guess that your particular watch isn’t a chronograph type watch, and if this watch has only one main crown it’s a “simple” quartz watch.
Now, Seiko made various simple quartz movements when it briefly owned the Yema watch company. The problem is that Seiko did not etch the movement or caliber type on the caseback of your watch and neither did the company use the “standard Seiko” six-digit serial number for Yema timepieces. Finding the production date for your watch would be out of the question as I don’t know what “R1 CO6 3” stands for.
However, if your watch does use a Seiko quartz movement you’ll need to open the caseback and inspect the movement’s circuit board. You should be able to locate the word “Japan” in fine print on the circuit board and just above it would be the movement code. The code may be something like “Y150A”, “2N20A”, “7N22”, etc. If you can furnish me with the exact movement code, there’s a good chance that I can identify its battery type.
You can also take the Yema watch to a watch dealer store that provides battery change services, but most store assistants will need to see the old battery that’s inside the watch for reference. In the mean time, you should also contact the Yema watch company for assistance – in case your watch is fitted with a non-Seiko quartz module.
I’ll be waiting for your response. 🙂
Quartzimodo Admin.
Hi again
Thanks so much for your quick response.
The watch is a simple quartz movement with one crown.
I have opened the case back. Part of the mechanism is marked ‘YMA R1’, I cannot see anything saying ‘Japan’, and the circuit board seems to have ‘two jewels’ and ‘unadjusted’ on it – that’s all. So it probably isn’t a Seiko. It looks to be genuine in terms of wear (and dirt!). I found a picture of one which is outwardly the same at
www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/retro-yema-paris-ladies-quartz-watch-305752363
But it doesn’t tell you much.
I live in the UK so finding a Yema dealer might be tough. I could just take it into a good jeweller and see if they can identify it.
And I will follow the link to the Yema watch company and ask them – thanks for that.
I’m assuming that this lack of information means you cannot help further, but thank you anyway. I’ve learnt a lot.
Kind regards
Anne
Hi Anne,
I didn’t realize you followed up with a response that quickly and I’m glad that you managed to open the caseback up. 🙂
My knowledge on Yema watches is unfortunately limited to specific models that use Seiko movements and it looks like your watch has one that’s made by some other manufacturer. Therefore it’s quite possible that your Yema Paris was made after the Seiko company sold its share back to Yema. In fact, not many Seiko enthusiasts are aware of Seiko’s brief involvement with the Yema brand.
Even then, the only interesting Yema watch was the discontinued Yema Seaspider 200m automatic diver’s watch. It’s not that pretty looking compared to Seiko divers’ models but the Seaspider happens to use the much coveted Seiko 4s15 caliber, which itself has also been out of production for decades. Seiko timepieces that use the 4s15 are collectors’ items and they’re extremely scarce to find. In my opinion, the only thing that draws certain Seiko collectors to the Yema Seaspider is only because it has the 4s15 automatic movement.
The “YMA R1” inscription on your watch circuit board doesn’t refer to any of Seiko’s quartz movements that I know of. “Two jewels” refers to the the number of artificial rubies the movement uses as a solid lubricating medium and it’s likely to be located where the moving parts are. Seiko did produce simple quartz movements that had jewels but these were old movements from the 70s and the 80s. From the 1990s onwards, Seiko quartz movements generally have zero jewels (there was no need for jewels, except for mechanical watches since they have lots of moving parts).
It’s likely that your Yema Paris is using a 1.55 volt silver oxide battery, which is a very common type of disposable watch battery that is used to this day. The problem is not its voltage (all silver oxide cells are rated at 1.55 volts each) but these batteries come in various thickness and sizes. You’ll need the right model so that it fits into the battery compartment properly.
An undersized battery will still get your watch running but there’s a risk of it coming loose if the battery clamp can’t hold it in place properly. An oversized battery on the other hand may be too thick for the clamp and if it’s too tall, you can’t close the caseback without touching the battery (possible short circuiting).
However, some jewelers may fit a battery “shim” or adapter into the compartment to ensure a tight fit in case of having to use undersized batteries. If your jeweler says that he can’t find a battery small enough for your Yema Paris, ask if he can pad the battery with a shim.
BTW, some watch manufacturers may print the battery type on the inside of the caseback. If you can find some kind of code or three-digit number that might be the clue to the battery that’s needed for your watch.
wishing you good luck! 🙂
Quartzimodo Admin.
Hello,
Thanks for such a great forum for people like me who need info about these awesome little watches.
I am trying to keep from making a dumb purchase. Would it be correct for a bellmatic (4006-6049)to be marked “seiko time corp” on the action and inside the back cover? I have not been able to find other watches marked this way.
Thanks,
Scott
I bought a SSB211P1. Seiko Quartz movement.
Caliber on back 8T68-OOAO, serial 660056.
When and where was it made if you can tell? White dial chrograph. Leather strap. Any other history/info would be awesome. I am early in my fall into watch knowledge and I am enjoying the plunge.
Thank you gor your time. Have a great day.
Joe
Hello!
I recently found my grandfather’s watch and I was hoping to date it. The markings on the watch face are Seiko 5 Automatix 21 jewels and then on the bottom in very small lettering is Japan 6119 8090 T AD.
The back of the watch says Stainless Steel 6119-8090 waterproof. On the bottom of the back it says 917249 Japan G.
Is there anything I need to know about how to maintain this watch? It’s a bit dirty near where the band and watch are connected and I don’t want to damage it at all.
I have a 2e20-0800, could be 2e20-0890 that’s what is listed on the front of the watch. I can’t tell if it’s a 0 or a 9 of the second to last digit. It also has a different number on the back, a couple actually, they are; 2e20-5600, can’t tell if the second to last is a 9 or 0 as well, and 639889. It has a 14k solid yellow gold band, but I can’t find any information on it, and the date guide up top doesn’t really apply to a 8 digit code. If you have any more info I’d be grateful, I have pictures I could send as well if that would help.
Thank you very much
John
Hello, great site! I have just purchased a seiko that has a case number of 2e20-5690 RO (the RO is a square around it) on the back. The timepiece has Japan 2e20-0890 R with what appears to be a lightning bolt after it. I can’t find out much on it, if you could provide me with any I’d be most grateful.
Hello Quartzimodo: I have been reading your website on how to determine your Seiko’s build date, plus the comments have been very instructive.
In my case, I have a two-tone Seiko Chronograph Water Resist 100M, black face, 7T32-6M49 A0 serial # 183558. Watch specifics are:
A- 3 chronograph dials are silver, and top to bottom, stopwatch minutes (0-30), watch seconds & alarm
B- Date window is black with white numbers
C- The 12 hour indicators are white rectangles with gold borders
D- Major clock hands are the hour, minute and large stopwatch hand
E- Band is two-tone; the throat links wrap around the horns(?). the band part # 48Z8-G-I stamped on each throat link. The locking clip on the band is stamped SEIKO
F- Watch back is engraved: WATER RESISTANT 10BAR SEIKO 7T32-6M49 A0 MOV*T JAPAN; second row: ST.STEEL + BASE METAL; serial number: 183558
Interpreting the comments, I have determined the following:
1- built in Singapore with a Japan made movement
2- build date = August 1991, watch number 3559; could be 2001, but I doubt it
Interestingly the watch face shows 100M while the watch back is engraved 10 bars.
I don’t know what the 6M49 A0 means. Can you help me?
Thank you
Hi Quartzimodo, interesting site!
My late grandfather brought me here. He led trade missions to Japan in the 70s and, on one visit, was presented with an alarm clock, which came into my possession after he died.
It bears the code QP-701 on a label on the base and it seems there is one on a plinth in the Seiko museum. The Seiko Web site indicates it was the world’s first quartz alarm clock! My grandad told me his was a prototype but I’m not sure how that would even be evident from a mass produced model? It looks identical to the one at Seiko from the pictures, however his has lost a lot of its lacquer from use and, unfortunately the battery compartment cover is missing, presumably it broke at some point. The mechanism is still silky smooth and the alarm works just fine, clearly a quality build!
I’ve emailed Seiko for any more information they can provide but you seem knowledgeable about Seiko products so any observations or knowledge would be great. It struck me as strange that the first quartz alarm clock only debuted in ’76 when quartz wristwatches had been around for a while? Also I wondered how many of these clocks would have been produced?
Cheers, Oli
Hi Quartzimodo, interesting site!
My late grandfather brought me here. He led trade missions to Japan in the 70s and, on one visit, was presented with an alarm clock, which came into my possession after he died.
It bears the code QP-701 on a label on the base and it seems there is one on a plinth in the Seiko museum. The Seiko Web site indicates it was the world’s first quartz alarm clock! My grandad told me his was a prototype but I’m not sure how that would even be evident from a mass produced model? It looks identical to the one at Seiko from the pictures, however his has lost a lot of its lacquer from use and, unfortunately the battery compartment cover is missing, presumably it broke at some point. The mechanism is still silky smooth and the alarm works just fine, clearly a quality build!
I’ve emailed Seiko for any more information they can provide but you seem knowledgeable about Seiko products so any observations or knowledge would be great. It struck me as strange that the first quartz alarm clock only debuted in ’76 when quartz wristwatches had been around for a while? Also I wondered how many of these clocks would have been produced?
Cheers, Oli
I have an old watch my father got overseas it is a Seiko with 33 jewels it is motion winded It has day of week and date on face serial number on back is 960407 and also has 5106-7000 on the back. the band has engraving on the back of each link. I know he wore it in the early 70’s and probably before that. can you help.
Hello. I have a mintish Seiko that I bought new in Thailand in 1975. 6309 8000 and looks like the serial number is 713001. I hardly wore it over the years and now it’s back in service running very well. It’s self-wind. Can I assume the date of manufacture is January 1967? Many thanks and this is a wonderful webpage you have.
I’m interested in a Seiko Quartz watch that seems to be a fairly early quartz by its general appearance…the “serial number” as far as I can tell is 7n89-5009-r1. Can you tell me if this is a modern watch or an early quartz? THANKS for any info you can supply from the scant detail I was able to provide you with…Alan
Hey Quartzimoto,
My mother bought my dad a Seiko 5Y23-8A69 (A4) serial number 038408 decades go. Can you tell me what the manufacture year (March of 19?0) and estimated MSRP was at the time? Is there anything else you may be able to tell me about that line of watch? I’m doing research for a gift. Thanks.
Hello, I want to buy watch with serial no. 542904. It’s diver 150m WR. 4205 – 0155 F0 A. It’s look like brand new watch but seller says it’s from 1985. Dial it’s super clear. Glass it’s clear too. I know that it’s rare. I have a few photos. If you have more time please wrote to me on my mail. I have doubts this watch it’s refabricated. One more. There is a signature of Daini Seikosha. Meaby you can confirm these informations somehow.
I have a Seiko Automatic that I bought in Singapore in, IIRC, 1969. It has a black dial without numbers, & a date window (figs only). At bottom of dial its marked ‘Japan 6308-801L T. On the stainless steel back it has ‘Water-resistant SGP Back Stainless steel 6308 8010’, and serial no 790076. I gave it to my stepfather, & got it back after his death in the 1980s. Am I correct about the year (1967)? It keeps good time, compared with a Seiko 5 Automatic bought a couple of years ago – which doesn’t! I’ve been advised that repair of the newer watch would cost more than its worth. It has 7S26C engraved inside, & 7S26-0480 ‘F’ applied to the clear back. Is it true that this one is valueless? Rgds, Tony K.
Hello Quartzimodo! I hope you can help me find the origins of my watch. I’ve been researching and nothing came up! I wonder if it is a fake Seiko, either way, your professional judgement is best. I would like to contact you further through email during your spare time so you can further examine the pictures. For now, all I know is:
Engraved on the back of the watch from top to bottom :
SEIKO
WATER RESISTANT
ST.STEEL
+BASE METAL
V701-5000[R1]
MADE IN JAPAN
173732
On the box and case there are gold letters at the bottom right corner:
BXNML-1
The overall color is gold and has a black face. There are no numbers, just 3 rectangles representing 3,6,9 and a three spike fork looking symbol for 12. I had it’s battery replaced recently and the watch repairer mentioned that the fork I was talking about is actually a crown? In vietnamese, it roughly translates to Queen Watch or Crown Watch. I’m not quite sure what to make of it.
Thank you so much!
Hello Quartzimodo! I hope you can help me find the origins of my watch. I’ve been researching and nothing came up! I wonder if it is a fake Seiko, either way, your professional judgement is best. I would like to contact you further through email during your spare time so you can further examine the pictures. For now, all I know is:
Engraved on the back of the watch from top to bottom :
SEIKO
WATER RESISTANT
ST.STEEL
+BASE METAL
V701-5000[R1]
MADE IN JAPAN
173732
On the box and case there are gold letters at the bottom right corner:
BXNML-1
The overall color is gold and has a black face. There are no numbers, just 3 rectangles representing 3,6,9 and a three spike fork looking symbol for 12. I had it’s battery replaced recently and the watch repairer mentioned that the fork I was talking about is actually a crown? In vietnamese, it roughly translates to Queen Watch or Crown Watch. I’m not quite sure what to make of it.
Hello! I need some help in locating the origins of my watch. It is a Seiko 5.
It has on the Dial written Automatic with 21 Jewels just above the 6 hour mark and below (in tiny letters) Made in Japan 7s26-0094R2.
On it’s back:
Serial 760938
Water Resistant Japan A
7009-3041F (inside the box)
I searched the serial and movement number on the internet and it says the watch has 17 Jewels whereas mine has written 21 Jewels over its dial. Also I would be glad to know the meaning of F in 7009-3041F (inside the box).
Looking forward to your reply.
Regards,
Kiran
Hi! First of all, congrats for your site, I love it!
I am just starting to turn my Seiko obsession from a dream to a reality, mainly by chance: a friend, upon hearing that I wanted to start a Seiko collection, gave me a simple Seiko he bought in a flea market. It’s identical to this one: i.ebayimg.com/images/g/4cQAAOSwzLhdU3Ty/s-l1600.jpg, i.ebayimg.com/images/g/uRsAAOSwoIFdU3T0/s-l1600.jpg, and i.ebayimg.com/images/g/CJcAAOSw5PJdU3UP/s-l1600.jpg but with a different bracelet.
Anyway, I’m having trouble with trying to date it. The movement/case code is 7009-5019, and the serial number is 010407. My issue is that I cannot find the exact date where the 7009 movement was being used, so I’m not sure if this is an October 1990, October 1980 or October 1970 Seiko.
Could you shed some light here? Thanks!
Hi! First of all, congrats for your site, I love it!
I am just starting to turn my Seiko obsession from a dream to a reality, mainly by chance: a friend, upon hearing that I wanted to start a Seiko collection, gave me a simple Seiko he bought in a flea market. It’s identical to this one: i.ebayimg.com/images/g/4cQAAOSwzLhdU3Ty/s-l1600.jpg, i.ebayimg.com/images/g/uRsAAOSwoIFdU3T0/s-l1600.jpg, and i.ebayimg.com/images/g/CJcAAOSw5PJdU3UP/s-l1600.jpg but with a different bracelet.
Anyway, I’m having trouble with trying to date it. The movement/case code is 7009-5019, and the serial number is 010407. My issue is that I cannot find the exact date where the 7009 movement was being used, so I’m not sure if this is an October 1990, October 1980 or October 1970 Seiko.
Could you shed some light here? Thanks!
Tito
I didn’t buy it from ebay. But yes, the seller was an Indian guy. I got this at a very cheap price. I read your other article about spotting fake seiko. The font and finish on the dial seems very well made and the backcase too. The watch came with a metal strap with Seiko engraved. I opened the backcase. It says 17J and 7009A inside. Thank you for your response.
Hello. I purchased a Seiko watch online at a store for my husband. Upon looking at the booklet it came with it lists the calibre # the watch should have on it. So I look at metal back of watch & it doesnt have any of the #s listed in book. I’m trying to see if this watch is real or fake basically. I purchased from a College University store which was then outsourced to another store & then had sports team logo imprinted inside on watch face.This is what my watch says on metal back… SEIKO Water Resistant 10 Bar Stainless Steel 490659 6N42-00A0. It then has A0 in square box followed by Movement Japan. If this watch is real, does having a 3rd party company inscribe a team logo on face under the glass void its warranty? I paid nearly $300 for this watch or I wouldn’t be so obsessed or upset I think? Well besides that it is a Christmas gift for my husband. Would you be able to email me if you have the time please. [email protected] Thank you so much!!
Hello Quartzimodo Admin, I’ve recently purchased a mechanical Seiko ladies watch (I believe it could be vintage). The back case has numbers 921205 11-5149. The front face has Japan 11 5370R. Are you able to help date this watch? Also can you advise how to troubleshoot the watch? It is currently not moving and when I try to wind it, its already maximum… I was thinking of opening it up myself but I am a novice at watch tinkering. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks! Jess
Hi, I have a 1975 seiko 5 watch
The thing is it’s gold or gold plated and is what I think a custom made watch i need help clearing this up. It had Arabic dates such as the days in the week but it also has English dates for the days in the week. The watch itself is my fathers but he has since passed so I can’t really ask him for the information
It had a black band on the outside of the face that shows the hours in 24 hr format and another showing the 12 hr format it glows in the dark too but I just can’t find this variation of the watch anywhere. Please email me personally as I would like to show you photos so you can be more familiar and see what I am talking about thanks, suhag
Hi Quartzimodo,
I recently purchased another SKX013 to replace my damaged one, but I realised there were some differences in the casebacks of both models.
There are a few differences:
Serial: 520002 vs 3N0255
Date of manufacture: Feb ’05/15 vs Nov ’03/13
Day/Date wheel: Spanish vs Roman
Caseback font: “Deeper”, more depth vs less depth
The one I found strange: “WP Stainless Steel” vs “A Stainless Steel”
Do you know anything about this? Thanks and take care.
Hi Quartzimodo,
I recently purchased another SKX013 to replace my damaged one, but I realised there were some differences in the casebacks of both models.
There are a few differences:
Serial: 520002 vs 3N0255
Date of manufacture: Feb ’05/15 vs Nov ’03/13
Day/Date wheel: Spanish vs Roman
Caseback font: “Deeper” engraving, more depth vs less depth
The one I found strange: “WP Stainless Steel” vs “A Stainless Steel”
Do you know anything about this? Thanks and take care.
Hi Quartzimodo,
I have what appears as an older Seiko. It is round with applied even numerals and markers for odd with a S in gold color and the name Seiko painted under the S with Super painted above the 6. on the back it has a square with what looks like a pelican in it the words stainless steel back then 2 lines of numbers 12061 than under that 548764 then under that the letter S. Would love to know any info and date. Thanks, Steve
Hello, Quartzimodo! My grandmother had given me a Seiko watch in the early 1980s, but it was stolen.
After Grandma died my girlfriend (now wife) bought me one to replace it. It had stopped working about 20 years ago but I had kept it in a dresser drawer. I just got it repaired and am proudly wearing it as a memento not only of my wife’s love, but my grandmother’s as well. I cannot determine the year of manufacture online. Can you help? The caliber (model?) number is 5Y23-6022, and the serial number is 771414. Here’s to your health, and thank you in advance.
Hi there. I have a women’s Seiko quartz watch that has a black face and full gold medal band. The serial number reads 130671 it says bad metal st. Steel back.
Water resistant 3y03-0169 with an A4 in a square surrounding it. The band has the inscribing Z5318(or 9 it’s hard to tell then a dot and a capital I. It doesn’t work so it’s stuck on Lun 8. I don’t know what Lun means if it’s a date it just be another country. The two hands have hollow spots in them but not see through. There’s also a designed SQ in gold just above the 6 position on the clock. All the numbers are just bars not numbers for the time. Please help me figure out when/where this watch is from and possibly what it’s worth? Thank you so much for your time.
Hi, my husband died a few years ago and among his belongings I found a Seiko Scuba Diver’s (battery SB-AN/SR920SW) Watch. Stainless Steel+Plastics. The serial number is 170043 with another ref number 7N36-6AOB with an AO in square surrounding. It has a leather strap. I am wondering if you can help me date this watch and whether it is worth selling or not. I know he must have purchased it many years ago when scuba diving in Saudi Arabia. Many thanks for your help.
Hi, Quartzimodo, wow what a brilliant site.
I’m hoping you can answer two questions I have.
I have inherited a Seiko day/date automatic watch.
The details are:
On the face: ‘DX’ (above 6 o’clock); ‘automatic’ & ’25 jewels’ (at 3 o’clock) and ‘JAPAN 6106-9050T AD’ (beneath 6 o’clock)
On the back: ‘open thru glass 32, push set lever, pull stem’ (in a circular ring); SEIKO, M330 SEALION, WATER PROOF, STAINLESS STEEL, 6106-9010′ (within the circular ring) and ‘921720’ (under the ring) with ‘JAPAN A’ (under).
From your excellent site I have worked out the month it was made (February) in the 9th year of the decade – but which decade? and that it was the 1720th watch of this type made in that month. Am I correct? Which year would the watch have been made?
Also, I can set the time (easy) and discovered how to set the date (by pushing in using in the crown wheel) but cannot work out how to set the day.
Are you able to advise me?
Many thanks in advance.
Steve
Dear Quartzimodo.
First, many 10x for your great help.
Second, I’ve bought the SRN001P1 today.
How can i know where is it made?
The number is 843123.
The caliber is 5M54-0aa0.
10x a lot!