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The Editor is located in Australia and may be contacted by email - gregandsuesmith@iinet.net.au

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Charging A Seiko Kinetic Watch – SKA 787

I have a small collection of Seiko watches and I wanted a representative from the Kinetic range but I had read that there were difficulties keeping them charged. Fortunately, I think I have a fix, at least for the SKA787 (shown left).

A 70's Seiko With A Mesmerising Dial

Seiko are famous for producing stunning watch dials and improvements in technology have enabled them to up their game in recent years, but I have just received a Seiko watch with a truly mesmerising dial that was made 50 years ago. The watch is a Seiko model 2002 (3803-7070) produced in 1973, and is quite rare. It is a quartz watch from an era when quartz was king and these watches were more expensive than their mechanical counterparts. Seiko housed these sophisticated and highly accurate movements in chunky stainless cases and decorated them with some lovely dials. This particular watch has an emerald green dial with a corduroy style stripe that would have been completely at home in the 70’s. And there is a lot going on. I will forgive those who believe the following photos are of different watches, because how you angle the light changes the appearance. In the photo on the left the centre spindle appears to be located on a light green stripe. At a different angle the order...

A Vintage Watch With Minimalist Bling – Seiko 6619-7001 Weekdater

Yeah, I know – “minimalist” and “bling” are not usually bedmates, and in its time this watch was probably considered neither, but whatever the description, this is an intriguing watch.

I Can’t Mod This Watch! - Seiko SNZH55 "55 Fathoms"

Modding watches is a thing… a big thing. In fact it has been explained as one of the driving forces behind design decisions by some of our biggest watch manufacturers as they examine what enthusiasts do to their products. However I recently purchased a watch specifically for modding and changed my mind. It was just too good to play around with.

Nobody calls this a cushion case watch, but….

In the wonderful world of watches there are many engaging design choices and one of them (cushion shaped cases) has a strong following. Strangely none of the discussions we found online about cushion case watches included the watch you see on the left.

Seiko Champion - When Less Is More

Seiko Champion Calendar 860 7622-8980 In the huge back catalog of watches made by Japan's Seiko Watch Corporation there are many examples of minimalist dials. The classic styling of Grand Seiko probably first comes to mind, but there are minimalist watches from other sub-brands including the one featured in this article. This is a Seiko Champion Calendar 860 from 1964. Ironically, it can be accused of having too much writing on the dial, but those incredibly small indexes, and large expanses of luscious cream dial, surely qualify it as a minimalist watch. And the indexes are worthy of their own paragraph. "Less is more" definitely applies here. Small pillars of an incredibly shiny metal (palladium, rhodium, chrome ? - see below) are located at 5 minute intervals on a circular ridged track. That ridged track is actually three layers forming the outer minute track, with each layer set slightly back from the other. Despite their small size the indexes are incredibly reflecti...

Watch Workbench: Sticking Stem Release Button On Vintage Seiko Movement

Seiko 6119-6040: I have been resurrecting an old Seiko 6119, and struck a problem that is apparently not uncommon. The stem would not lock into place. When you pulled the crown to set the time, it would come out of the case, stem and all – clearly not a good thing. I found a solution that hopefully will help others. The watch originally arrived without a crown and stem which might have been due to this issue. I took a crown and stem from a donor 6119 and set about resurrecting what is a very attractive vintage watch. The issue lies with the Stem Release Button which enables removal of the stem and allows you to separate the movement and dial from the case for cleaning or repair. Normally the button would bounce back into its correct position ready for reassembly but with this watch the button stayed down in the release position and would not re-engage the stem after assembly. This photo shows the Stem Release Button in its correct position before re-inserting the stem. Two basic ...

A Remarkable Chronograph – The Seiko Speed Timer 7015-8000

Seiko 7015-8000 When two life interests crossover it can have a significant impact, and my latest watch, with its motor racing connections, is quiet remarkable. Let me explain. With some 50 watches in my collection, it is normal for me to put on a different watch each day. I do this to keep each watch relevant, and because I just love the luxury of having a choice of significant watches. But this Seiko Speed Timer 7015-8000 has now been on my wrist for ten days straight. That is most unusual. The reason for its longevity is twofold. Firstly, it is a significant watch in its own right (with a couple of tricks up its sleeve). And secondly it is a watch connected with motor racing/rallying which has been a passion since I discovered the joys of motor vehicles in the 60’s. I had an unnatural interest in all things automotive and could reel of the engine size, and power rating of most cars with a sporty pretension available at that time. Rallying was a key interest, and probably one of...

A Marvelous Vintage Seiko

Seiko Marvel 14035 A statement on the current Seiko Epson Corporation website makes it clear that the Marvel watch from 1957 was a very important watch, and arguably, the most significant in Seiko’s history. It reads “The Seiko Marvel was the first original mechanical watch made by Epson”. In the lead up to the release of the Marvel, the movements that powered many of Seiko’s wrist watches were sourced from the Swiss watch company, Moeris. In 1950 Seiko introduced the Super, their first central seconds watch, with a redesigned wheel train although it is believed the movement otherwise remained a Moeris design. But in 1957 Seiko introduced the Marvel, its first wristwatch to be designed and manufactured entirely in-house. This set the pattern for decades of amazing innovation by Seiko including Japanese firsts and world firsts. The Marvel came in a number of versions including 17, 19, and 21 jewels, anti-shock, and Diashock. The watch in my collection is a 1957 19 jewel version wit...

An Inexpensive Watch With Vintage Style And A Useful Party Trick

Humble watches don't always look great but this one is a standout. The Seiko 5T32 was a late 1980’s watch that incorporated many design features of more expensive watches. It has the unusual notation on the dial “EQUIPMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL” which is probably the least impressive element of its design but the rest is pure class. The case includes both polished and brushed surfaces, not unlike my Grand Seiko SBGX009. The dial is a delicious cream colour without any flashy sunburst effects, and the date window is perfectly proportioned. If you have to have a date window it should be as unobtrusive as this one. The stepped bezel adds a vintage look. The hour numerals are in sharply contrasting black and the font has an art decor look to it. The railway track incorporating the minute indices is quite traditional and yet timeless (see what I did there) because many modern watches include the feature. I just love small seconds watches, and although this isn’t a small seconds watch, the a...

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