A Stunning 40 Year Old Seiko Watch

 

This watch is 40 years old, conforms to my wrist like no other in my collection, and with the aid of an interesting feature, is accurate to within 20 seconds per year. 

The King Seiko 9443-7000 shown here was manufactured in 1983 and followed from Seiko’s run of high end quartz watches that began with the iconic Seiko Astron of 1969 – the watch that initiated the quartz crisis. Through the 70’s and into the mid 80’s Seiko produced some amazingly accurate, high quality quartz watches that were significantly more expensive than their mechanical counterparts.

A little trick up its sleeve…..

Quality was outstanding, but accuracy was a key element, and this watch had a little trick up its sleeve. The 9443 was a twin quartz movement. One quartz crystal did the job of time-keeping as you would expect of any quartz watch, but a second crystal was used to adjust the movement for temperature variations. Expansion and contraction of components in a watch can impact on how it measures time and if you want accuracy you need to allow for those variations. An accuracy rated at plus or minus 20 seconds per year is very impressive.

This type of thermal compensation was a feature of more expensive watches at this time, and in the case of the 9443 movement, a small screw could be adjusted to give the most accurate results. In other words the watch could be tuned.

The King Seiko 9443-7000 has a polished stainless steel case, a white/silver sunburst dial, and a stainless steel bracelet that looks like an integrated bracelet, but in fact can be swapped out for an alternative bracelet or strap. The indices are applied and match the hour and minute hands for slimness. The minute markers are polished, and in the right light show up remarkably well. The watch is generally very easy to read.

The words “Seiko” and “KING QUARTZ” can be found on the dial under the 12 ‘o’clock indice, and a honeycomb logo sits above the 6 ‘o’clock indice. This watch has a double-domed honeycomb logo to signify the Twin Quartz movement. A framed window at 3 ‘o’clock shows the day and date in English and Kanji.

Extreme slimness…..

I noted that this watch conforms to my wrist like no other in my collection and this is partly due to the extreme slimness of the case. With a 7.2mm case thickness and a total weight including bracelet of just 60 grams, the watch melts into your wrist. I really like the sliding clasp which allows minute bracelet adjustment to get just the right fit. The KQ logo on the clasp is a nice touch.

The King Seiko 9443-7000 was a quality watch in its time and the fact that it still operates faultlessly 40 years later is testament to that quality. Add in 20 seconds per year movement accuracy and its high place in my collection is guaranteed.

...............................................................