1974 Vintage Seiko 6139-7070 "Aquatimer" Chronograph

Introducing

Seiko 6139-7070 "Aquatimer" Chronograph

Circa 1974

This 6319 sat on the display shelf for a few weeks before I decided to take it home. I think it's best to use the thought process that I went through to illustrate why it sits in my collection today.

First of all, it's blue. Who doesn't like blue?

One of the initial thoughts apart from the dial color was the depth of the face. There were effectively three layers to it - the minute track, inner dial where the day/date window were cut separately, and then the chronograph 30-minute totalizer subdial.

Add in the tachymeter bezel and you've got one heck of a dial to look at. 

Next would be its hands. All white oars. which was what gave me its namesake of the IWC Aquatimer. The straight lines and no nonsense design details accorded the watch its aesthetic style in addition to its functionality. 

Thanks to the hands, the dial faded into the background, only to be admired when you're done telling the time. And I do have to add that the dial in the daylight is too good to be true.

Last but not least is the simple, oft-overlooked detail of how the totalizer subdial cut into the minute track dial. The long printed hour markers at 5 and 7'O have been perfectly cut into, their ends cut into a curve following the subdial's circumference.

Oh yes, time to bring this home.

1974 Vintage Seiko 6139-7070 "Aquatimer" Chronograph

Hour and minute hands with quickset day (push) and date

Eng / Arb day display

Deep blue stepped dial

39mm stainless steel case

44mm lug-to-lug

19mm lug width

6139 automatic chronograph @ 21,600vph

Mineral glass crystal

Seiko Canvas Strap

S$450

Email

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for orders or enquiry

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1985 Vintage Seiko 5 7009-4001 "Alien"

Introducing

Seiko 5 7009-4001 "Alien"

Circa 1985

A year before Sigourney Weaver made the big screen as the Ellen Ripley, this watch made it out of the Daini Seikosha - a bright new light among a sea of conformity.

Calling this guy strange is an understatement. While the Seiko 5 did in deed come in all forms and shapes, it was very odd for something of this combination to be cast out into the market. 

Tonneau shaped case, bright yellow inner bezel, an odd blue guilloche dial gives it a very sporty premise. Which is totally off set with unapologetically dressy dauphine hands and applied hour baton indexes. 

But I guess its ingenuity and uniqueness lie in its contradiction to the normal standards of what made a pleasant looking time piece.

1985 Vintage Seiko 5 7009-4001 "Alien"

Hour, minute and seconds hands with day/date display

Eng / Arb day display

Guilloche bright blue dial

34mm stainless steel case

40mm lug-to-lug

20mm lug width 

7019 automatic movement @ 21,600vph with quickset push for day change

Mineral glass crystal

Seiko stainless steel bracelet

S$70

Email

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for orders or enquiry

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1960s Vintage Nivada Manual Wind "Indigo Blue"

Introducing

Nivida "Indigo Blue"

Circa 1960s

There's some mystery about the color blue when it comes to watches. To some it's a sporty hue -  a piece of the sky taken and placed in the space of the dial, a signal to adventure and a masculine choice in fashion. 

To some others it's a quiet protest against the institution. Hidden under the sleeve is a loud off-color that wouldn't be tolerated by the harsh emotionless corporates and their suits.

This charming Nivada could be the perfect undersleeve moray eel, ready to surprise should anyone be daring enough to peek.

The hour batons and the hands stand blocky and stark against the grainy blue dial, silver printed words marking the spaces on the dial outlined by a minute track.

This, complemented by the matching blue leather strap, gives an ideal reason to stretch out a little to expose the lurking rebellion amidst the routine humdrum of the work day.

1960s Vintage Nivada Manual Wind "Indigo Blue"

Hour, minute and seconds hands

Blue dial with grainy pattern

34mm stainless steel case

40mm lug-to-lug

18mm lug width

Swiss Made manual wind movement @ 18,800vph

Acrylic crystal

Off-market leather strap

S$150

Email

thevintageseiko@gmail.com

for orders or enquiry

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1970s Vintage Orient 46941 Duo Calendar "Sky"

Introducing

Orient 46941 Duo Calendar "Sky"

Circa 1970s

This is the fourth of the the Orient Duo Calendar watches that I have for purchase.

Orient Duo Calendar "Eclipse"

Orient Duo Calendar "Flare"

Orient KD Duo Calendar "Cloud"

But unlike its cousins, Sky comes delivered in stainless steel bracelet, and offers a dressier approach to the Duo Calendar series of watches. 

The Duo Calendar watches offer a complete desk calendar experience for the user, who is able to adjust and view the corresponding days of the week by turning the crown at 4'O. The current day and date are displayed in a window at 3'O and the Japanese calendar is shown down at 6. 

The watch wears large on the modern wrist, and will be a good addition for those looking for something a little different from the usual three-handers. While legibility might become an issue given the busy dial, the additional details that are not common among mechanical watches would be worth the trade-off.

1970s Vintage Orient 46941 Duo Calendar "Sky"

Hour, minute and seconds hands with quickset day-date

Eng / Arb day display

Polished light blue dial

Rotating calendar wheel at 4'O 

41mm stainless steel case

46mm lug-to-lug

20mm lug width

Orient 46941 automatic  @ 21,600vph

Acrylic crystal

Stainless steel strap

S$250

Email

thevintageseiko@gmail.com

for orders or enquiry

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1970s Vintage Orient 46946 KD Duo Calendar "Cloud"

Introducing

Orient 46946 KD Duo Calendar "Cloud"

Circa 1970s

This handsome fella is the younger cousin of two other watches I have previously featured.

Orient 46941 Duo Calendar "Flare", and 

Orient 46941 Duo Calendar "Eclipse".

Cloud comes with am updated calibre, losing the day window and placing the day wheels inwards instead of along the outer regions of the dial. Orient made a good design choice here in my opinion.

On the one hand, losing the day display makes you use the calendar function a lot more. Having to use a function on a watch is always more fun to me, and makes me appreciate the thought that the watchmaker put into getting the timepiece onto the market. 

Next, the outwards spreading dates make it a whole lot easier to read the dates, and also it gives the watch a better symmetry to its design.

As with its cousins, Cloud comes at a sizable 40mm case size excluding the crown , and sits very well on a modern wrist. In a time when watches are more form than function, it's nice to chance upon that gives you the luxury of both.

1970s Vintage Orient 46946 KD Duo Calendar "Cloud"

Hour, minute and seconds hands with quickset date

Gradiated blue dial

Rotating calendar wheel at 4'O 

40mm stainless steel case

44mm lug-to-lug

20mm lug width

Orient 46944 automatic  @ 21,600vph

Acrylic crystal

Aftermarket leather strap

S$250

Email

thevintageseiko@gmail.com

for orders or enquiry

Click here for ordering information

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[SOLD] 1976 Vintage Seiko 5 Sports Speed-Timer 6139-8020 "Anime"

Introducing

Seiko 5 Sports Speed-Timer 6139 "Anime"

Circa 1976

Japanese anime brings to life the vivid imaginations of the ingenious writers through exaggerated movement and speech, and presented to the viewers in an explosion of color highly contrasted. 

That's what I thought of when I looked at the dial on this vintage Speed-Timer.

The whitest white, paired with a awkward blue, bright yellow chronograph hands topping off the weird mix. All highly contrasted against each other in this love-it-or-hate-it offering. 

Away from the abusive color scheme, it's a conventional 6139 automatic chronograph with a 30-minute register, housed in a solid tonneau case. 

It's hard not to notice this watch on the wrist, with its charismatic dial and dysfunctionally matched elements of case, crystal and bracelet. Individually it might not have appealed to the average collector, but t

1976 Vintage Seiko 5 Sports Speed-Timer 6139 "Anime"

Hour and minute hands with quickset day (push) and date

Eng / Arb day display

Cartoon blue dial

39mm stainless steel case

40mm lug-to-lug

20mm lug width

6139 automatic chronograph @ 21,600vph

Acrylic crystal

Seiko stainless steel bracelet

SOLD

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1974 Vintage Seiko Bell-Matic 4006-6031 "Knight"

Introducing

Seiko Bell-Matic 4006-6031 "Knight"

Circa 1974

Armor is meant to protect the soft, vulnerable insides of a knight. Adorned by protectors of yesteryears, the thick pieces of metal were chunky and a heft to move around, but they did their work, and somehow managed to make the wearer look awesome.

The Knight was so-named because of the generous amount of stainless steel devoted to its case. The thicker than usual case makes the watch dial smaller and stands the watch higher above the lucky user's wrist.

Add the polished hour markers and hands into the mix and you've got yourself a very stately timepiece. Strong and tough against the ravages of time, but gentlemanly and distinguished with its textured blue dial and bright red seconds hand.

1974 Vintage Seiko Bell-Matic 4006-6031 "Knight"

Hour, minute, seconds hands with day/date display

Textured blue dial

37mm stainless steel case

42mm lug-to-lug

18mm lug width

4006 automatic alarm movement @ 19,800vph

Acrylic crystal

Seiko stainless steel bracelet

S$340

Email

thevintageseiko@gmail.com

for orders or enquiry

Click here for ordering information

Visit the Catalogue for more selections

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[SOLD] 1980s Vintage Seiko 5 7S26 "Midnight"

Introducing

Seiko 5 7S26 "Midnight"

Circa 1980s

The color blue, and the romantic night sky - both a major selling point for marques touting their latest wares to the horology loving populace. 

And this piece has them both.

Many boys will remember their first favorite color - blue. There's just something about the hue that brings a fascination to the man. It is cool, yet commanding, and exudes a certain luxury to it.

Swiss watch makers have always equated the color with its higher range selection, and oh do the boys sucker for it. Who wouldn't want to be gifted with the envious looks of a fellow man?

Modern styles and classic steel come together in dance with Midnight. The cool polished azure dial radiates outwards to polished steel hour indices, with large roman XII and VI to add that touch of class. 

For the office or a night out, Midnight certain fits all bills.

1980s Vintage Seiko 5 7S26 "Midnight"

Hour, minute and seconds hands with quickset day/date

Eng / Frn day display

Polished blue dial with guilloche outer dial

35mm stainless steel case

40mm lug-to-lug

19mm lug width

7S26 automatic @ 21,600vph

Mineral glass crystal

Seiko Japan stainless steel bracelet

[SOLD]

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1974 Vintage Seiko Bell-Matic 4006-6011 "Eye"

Introducing

Seiko Bell-Matic 4006-6011 "Eye"

Circa 1974

That's a funny name to give a watch.

When I name my watches, I usually write down the first thing that come to mind when I come into contact with it. For this guy, it's how much it resembles an eyeball looking right at you. 

See?

And that is one good looking eye. Cased in a domed acrylic crystal, the textured blue dial contrasts nicely against the white chapter ring, The rest of the dial is alike the other 4006s I've seen - a clean look with straight hour batons all around, the day and date in a windowed frame.

The silver white and blue combination almost made me call this one Knight, but I've reserved that name for another Bell-Matic that's coming your way.

For being clean and crisp, I thought Eye would stick pretty well with this one. One thing you'd also like to note about this Bell-Matic is its unusually long second hand. Something for the collectors I guess.

1974 Vintage Seiko Bell-Matic 4006-6011 "Eye"

Hour, minute, seconds hands with day/date display

Textured blue dial

35mm stainless steel case

40mm lug-to-lug

19mm lug width

4006 automatic alarm movement @ 19,800vph

Acrylic crystal

Aftermarket stainless steel bracelet

S$340

Email

thevintageseiko@gmail.com

for orders or enquiry

Click here for ordering information

Visit the Catalogue for more selections

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