Seiko Yachtman Chronograph, 6138-0017

Age: January, 1972

Dimensions: 40mm wide (w/o crown), 18mm lugs

Features: Day, Date, Chronograph, Tachymeter, 2 sub-dials for 12 hour events, Mineral glass crystal, Water-resistant 70m, Lumed hour markers and hands

Notes: I have been lusting after one of these 6138-001X series watches for some time, and mine finally arrived yesterday. It is a big sucker and sits quite high on the wrist, though comfortably. The bracelet is sort of a fishbone/oyster hybrid. The two sub-dials, one smaller than the other and with a checkerboard pattern, make it one of the more distinctive Seiko chronographs. I wrote a more in-depth review of it here. I look forward to collecting its cousins, the -0010 and -0011.

Seiko Seikomatic-R, 8305-1010

Age: January, 1967

Dimensions: 38mm wide, 20mm lugs

Features: Date, 30 jewel movement, Applied bullet hour markers, Sunburst patterned dial, Glass crystal, Waterproof

Notes: This is a very sleek watch. It must have been considered big for it's age, but it sits gracefully on the wrist as the lugs gently curve downward. The dial is a great blueish-gray with a sunburst pattern and lines drawn to quarter the face. The hour markers are unique and substantial. And the 30 jewel movement keeps the second hand ticking smoothly around its path.

Seiko Quartz Diver, 7N36-6AO9

Age: August, 1991

Dimensions: 42mm wide (w/o crown), 22mm lugs

Features: Day/Date, Screw-down crown, 200m water-resistance, Ratcheting uni-directional bezel, Applied lumed indexes, Fully lumed hands, Hacking second hand, Hardlex crystal, Gray rubber Seiko Z-22 strap

Notes: I really want a white dialed diver in my collection, but I'm not sure this is it. While I love the overall styling and attention to detail (case is brushed on top but polished on the sides, semi-domed crystal), I'm not a fan of the gold trim. The hour indexes are framed in gold tone material, too, and it's a little too much for me. Also, for as nice and big as the watch is, the face is small in diameter, something I've found with the Boss Diver as well.

Seiko Macchina Sportiva Chronograph, SDWA87P

Age: May, 1996

Dimensions: 41mm wide, 13mm/18mm notched lugs

Features: Date, Chronograph, Tachymeter, Alarm, Water-resistant 200m, Giugiaro design, Hardlex crystal

Notes: This is a finely designed and crafted watch. The case has a unique ovoid shape and polished finish on top of the circular satin finished base. The hands are fully lumed. The chronograph sweep hand ticks at .25 seconds, and the top sub-dial tracks time at one hour increments. Hardlex crystal tops it off for durability and readability, and the sturdy 7T32 movement provides years of trouble-free service. This particular watch is lacking the original strap (which is blue sharkskin), so I will put this one up for sale and wait for a better example of this great piece.

Seiko Chronograph, 6138-8020

Age: Feb, 1977

Dimensions: 39mm wide, 18mm lugs

Features: Day, Date, Tachymeter, Two sub-dials, Solid gold-plating

Notes: This beautiful watch was a great score, and my second 6138. Everything about it is in great shape, and it still has the original bracelet. It's my first gold watch, and probably my last as I don't really like the bling. The chronograph function can time up to 12 hour events.

Seiko 5 Sport "Sushi" Diver, 6119-7160

Age: Feb, 1979

Dimensions: 42mm wide, 19mm lugs

Features: Day, Date, Rotating inner-bezel, Waterproof 70m, Applied hour markers, Glass crystal

Notes: I really love these so-called "Sushi-Divers", named because the hour-markers are cylindrical and filled with lume, resulting in a 3-D effect that looks like a sushi roll. This one has a brilliant yellow-orange dial under the scratched crystal. Unfortunately, the inner-bezel doesn't rotate and while the watch is marked "waterproof", which would put it pre-1970, the production calculator puts it at 1979. A red flag for shenanigans, and I'll soon put it up for sale.

Seiko 5, 6119-7480

Age: Feb, 1973

Dimensions: 38mm wide, 16mm lugs

Features: Day, Date

Notes: This was a complete flier purchase, and, unfortunately it needed more work than it was worth. Still, the positives are many: wonderful, shimmering blue dial, black/white day/date combo, grooved hour markers, hidden lugs and a six-sided, scalloped case. I put it up for sale soon after I received it.

Seiko Quartz Chronograph, 7A28-7039

Age: Dec, 1992

Dimensions: 39mm wide, 22mm lug

Features: Tachymeter, 1/20 second measure

Notes: This is one of the cleanest vintage watches I own. It looks brand new; even the lume is still strong enough to be seen in the daylight, as shown in the picture. It's the best looking watch I never wear -- there's no date function, and I have to admit this one taught me it's something I prefer. As it rarely leaves its box, I would sell it if the offer came around.

Seiko Criteria Perpetual Calendar, SLT083P

Age: 2003

Dimensions: 40mm wide, integrated bracelet

Features: Date, Compass rotating inner-bezel, GMT hand, Perpetual calendar, 100m water resistant, Double-clasp locking bracelet, Hardlex crystal, 8F56 Quartz movement

Notes: This watch is a keeper. I bought it several years ago just because; and I rarely keep watches I buy for no special occasion. But this watch is so well-made, and so jammed with features, I can't sell it. The finishes on the bracelet, for example, are a combination of brushed pieces and polished. The chrome hour markers tipped with lume are also numbered from one to 24, so as the GMT hand makes its way around it tells military time. The GMT hand also doubles as a compass with the inner-bezel. The textured dial and domed Hardlex crystal add luxury, and the lume on the sword hands (including an arrow tip on the second hand) are highly readable.

Seiko Chronograph, 6139-6005

Age: Aug, 1973

Dimensions: 40mm wide, 19mm lugs

Features: Day, Date, Chronograph w/30 min sub-dial, Tachymeter, Rotating inner-bezel

Notes: I took a flier on this one, as the seller posted a terrible picture, knowing that it was a bit of a crap-shoot. The case is very crisp, but the outer-bezel insert is badly faded. The inner-bezel is a somewhat rare gray in combination with the black dial. It still has the original bracelet, which is pretty rare on a watch of this age. There are some mechanical problems with it that my watchmaker seemed to shy away from, so I will probably end up selling it at some point.

Seiko Calendar, 7006-6039

Age: June, 1973

Dimensions: 40mm wide, 18mm lug

Features: Day, Date, Month at-a-glance calendar on rotating inner-bezel

Notes: I picked this up on a flier on eBay, and was pleasantly surprised. The case was in fantastic shape, as was the crystal and brilliant blue dial. The inner-bezel was very crisp and turned nicely. The only thing wrong with it was that it was oddly missing the day wheel. I ended up selling it to fund another purchase. There is virtually identical Seiko 5 model, the 7019-6070, and I'm not sure why Seiko would make the two -- perhaps they were meant for different markets.

Seiko Sport Diver, 6106-8100

Age: Feb 1970

Dimensions: 38mm wide, 18mm lug

Features: Bi-directional bezel, Day, Date, Hack

Notes: This is a nice little watch. With a "proof" dial (marked "waterproof" instead of "water-resistant", which came after 1970), this Sport Diver came to me with the bezel unable to turn. After a few minutes with my watchmaker, I had a fully-functional collector's piece in decent shape. I ended up selling it to fund another purchase.

Seiko 5 Sport Diver, SNZD65K

Age: 2007

Dimensions: 40mm wide, Integrated band

Features: Unidirectional bezel, 7s36 movement and exhibition back, Day, Date, Textured dial, 100m water resistance

Notes: I bought this on a flier on eBay and was surprised at the quality I got for the price. The lume was outstanding (but could have used more) and the dial really played with the light nicely. I could almost get away with it as a dress-diver. In the end, I sold it to fund another purchase.

Seiko Sealion M110, 6106-8060

Age: Apr 1968

Dimensions: 36mm wide (approx), 18mm lug (approx)

Features: DX, Split day/date window, Linen textured dial

Notes: I rescued this Seiko from a thrift store. It's crystal was badly scratched, and it was mounted on a Speidel band. My intention was to spend some money fixing it up, but I ended up selling it to fund another purchase. The long hands were quite regal against the baton markers.

Seiko Rally Diver, 6106-8227

Age: Oct 1970

Dimensions: 39mm wide (approx), 20mm lugs

Features: Bi-directional, non-ratcheting bezel, Day, Date

Notes: When I bought this watch years ago, it had a bent stem. The watchmaker I took it to offered me several hundred dollars for it, but I hadn't had it more than a month and didn't want to sell it. It was in fantastic shape, and I recently sold it to fund another purchase.

Omega Seamaster

Age: 1970s

Dimensions: 38mm wide (approx), 20mm lug

Features: Day, Date, COSC certified

Notes: My first Omega, and one of the first legitimate watches I bought for myself. I recently sold it to fund another purchase; I rarely wore it though it was classy and in great shape.