SEIKO Collection the Year 2011

A selection of very special watches from 2011 that make it to 2012.

Happy new year 2012 and all the best for the days to come.

SOLD: SEIKO Automatic Chronograph 6138-0049 "Brown Bullhead"

SEIKO Automatic Chronograph 6138-0049 aka "Brown Bullhead". This is SEIKO iconic driver's chronograph from 1970s. Powered by state-of-the-art SEIKO 6138B movement with three distinctive features: SEIKO's proprietary magic lever self-winding mechanism, the classic column wheel, and vertical coupling. Column wheel and vertical coupling ensure precise chronograph operations and highest level of accuracy, respectively.

The SEIKO 6139 and 6138 series are the first automatic chronograph in the world to feature column wheel and vertical coupling mechanism. They set the standard which is followed by the Swiss watch industries 20 years later. The same movement configuration was adopted by Rolex when it made its own in-house movement for Daytona in the year 2000, 30 years after SEIKO released the calibre 6139 and 6138.

Production date: October 1975.
Case dimension:

• Width: 43 mm (excludes crown).
• Thickness: 15 mm.
• Lug: 19 mm.

Description:
All original.
Original dial and hands are pristine. Lume on dial and hands glow very weakly and fade away quickly.
Bezel insert is in good condition.
Original crystal has scratches. Crystal is untouched and unpolished.
Case and case back are untouched and in fair condition. They have some swirlies and scratches from normal wear. Edges, corners, and original factory brush finish are still clearly visible.
Movement, day-date setting mechanism, and chronograph functions are in good working condition. Fully serviced by SEIKO Service Center, Jakarta on October 2011.
Chronograph second hand resets back to approximately +0.2 second from zero (see picture for reference).
All gaskets (crown, 2x pushers, caseback) were replaced with brand new genuine SEIKO gaskets during last service.
Not water-pressure tested. Water resistant is unknown.
Complete with original Z040S "Fishbone" bracelet with a total length for 7 inch (17,8 cm) wrist. Bracelet has scratches and swirlies.
Price: SOLD.

The case is a work of art as you can see in the following pictures of this untouched example. It is more like a sculpture shaped by an artist, rather than an industrial product made by machines. The case is multi-faceted with combination of mirror polished and brushed finished. The surfaces and lines flow in an organic way. As a driver's watch, the case is slightly tilted up at 12:00 o'clock in order to give better legibility for the user when he/she is driving. The caseback curves down so that it will comfortably hug the wrist. 

▲ The original Z040S "Fishbone" bracelet, known for its flexibility and comfort. I wonder why SEIKO never makes this type of bracelet again.

Below are some macro shots showing details of bezel insert, dial, and hands. Dial and hands are in pristine condition. Note that in the pictures below you may see some scratches on crystal obscure the dial and hands. I keep the original crystal untouched and unpolished. Use these pictures as guidance when you want to buy a Bullhead. Be careful with non-original parts and re-painted hands. This is a good article to read if you plan to buy a SEIKO 6138-004x Bullhead: How to Buy a SEIKO 6138-0040/0049 "Bullhead", a Collector's Buying Guide.

A Homage Shot to SEIKO Diver "Apocalypse"

SEIKO Diver "Apocalypse". A homage shot to the famous "7 heart" scene in Francis Ford Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" (1979). In this classic movie, the main character, Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) wears the iconic SEIKO 6105-811x automatic diver. A fitting watch to a great movie.  

▲ The 7 heart scene

▲ Captain Benjamin Willard (Martin Sheen) in "Apocalypse Now"

SOLD: SEIKO Automatic Diver 6309-7049

Up for sale is my SEIKO Automatic Diver 6309-7049. This example was produced in July 1987 for US market and is one of the last 6309-704x series which was discontinued by the year 1988. 

Production date: July 1987.
Case dimension:

• Width: 44 mm (excludes crown).
• Thickness: 13 mm.
• Lug: 22 mm.

Description:
All original.
Original dial and hands in good condition. Dial is pristine. Hour and minute hand have small blemish as you can see in the detailed pictures below. Lume on dial and hands glow weakly and fade away quickly.
Bezel rotates bi-directionally and clicks evenly with no play.
Bezel insert has small blemish.
Original crystal has several light scratches. Crystal is untouched.
Case and case back are untouched and in nice condition. They have some swirlies from normal wear. Edges, corners, and original factory machining lines on top surface are still sharp.
Movement and day-date setting mechanism are excellent. Fully serviced by SEIKO Service Center, Jakarta on October 2011.
Caseback gasket was replaced with brand new genuine SEIKO gasket on October 2011.
Original crown locks in 2x full turn.
Not water-pressure tested. Water resistant is unknown.
Head only.
Price: SOLD.

▲ Detail of SEIKO AUTOMATIC inscription on dial. 

▲ Detail of WATER 150m RESIST inscription on dial. 

▲ Detail of the US market "CASED HONG KONG" dial code. 

▲ Detail of the "flat" hands. 

▲ Detail of lume pip and grainy silver paint on the bezel insert. 

▲ Original factory machining lines and cut out around the crown. 

▲ Original factory machining lines on the lug. 

REVIEW: William Jean's Marine Master Type II 22 mm Rubber Strap

My friend William Jean just sent me samples of his new creations: two sets of Marine Master type II 22 mm rubber strap, one set in original black and another set in orange. These are 22 mm version of the original SEIKO SBDX001 MM300 20 mm rubber strap. William went further by making the orange colour version.

Unfortunately, I don't have the original MM300 strap with me anymore for comparison. But, I think the Type II strap has the same feeling like the original one. The inner surface also has the same embossed pattern which prevents the strap from sliding around the wrist. The obvious difference is it does not have the Tsunami wave logo at the end of the strap.

I put the black version on my SEIKO SBBN015 Tuna Can. They make very nice combination. The classic pyramid pattern on the strap (derived from the vintage 6217 and 6105 19 mm "Pyramid" rubber strap) makes it stand out and call for attention. The stiffness of the rubber gives better grip and holds the heavy Tuna better than the original Z22 rubber strap.

Below picture is comparison between William's 6105 Type II "Pyramid" rubber strap on the vintage SEIKO 6105-8119 and the new Marine Master type II on SEIKO SBBN015. You can see where the classic pyramid pattern comes from.

The orange version has very nice shade of orange. It is different from SEIKO's shade of orange. William's orange is more reddish. Below you can see the orange Type II compared to SEIKO 6458-600A orange dial. I think the reddish orange is more suitable for the strap than the SEIKO's orange. It reminds me to emergency tools worn by Search and Rescue personnels. 

▲ Marine Master Type II orange strap on Orange SOXA. Picture courtesy of my friend, Erik Hadibroto.

If you are interested, please visit William Jean's online store on ebay.com: wjean28. Thank you for reading.

The First Automatic Chronograph in the World

My new favourite and my current daily beater. SEIKO Automatic Chronograph 6139-6011. The first automatic chronograph in the world. Released silently in early 1969 during "the Great Race of 1969" where Heuer-Leonidas/Breitling/Buren/Depraz & Cie/Hamilton consortium was competing with Zenith to produce world's first automatic chronograph.

Production date: December 1970. Missing the original bracelet, but everything else is original and untouched. Very beautiful.

▲ Scan from "SEIKO Heritage".