Seiko Bullhead Chronograph, 6138-0049

Age: February, 1975

Dimensions: 42mm wide, 19mm 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: This wonderful Bullhead chronograph was too good of a deal to pass up. I've wanted one for years, and my patience paid off. A fine, all original example on fishbone bracelet, it makes a great addition to my 6138 collection. Eventually, I'll get a new crystal and the case needs minor work, but it is an enjoyable watch in just about any state. Keeper!

Seiko 5 Sport "Sushi" Diver, 6119-7163

Age: April, 1970

Dimensions: 42mm wide, 19mm lugs

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

Notes: I just sold this great example of a "proof/proof" sport diver. It was a sweet watch that I owned for about two years and just never wore. I'm trying to give my collection some direction, and this piece was one of the odd ones out. I know it went to the good home of a SCWF member.

Seiko Lord-Matic, 5606-7010

Age: February, 1971

Dimensions: 36mm wide, 18mm lugs

Features: Day, Date

Notes: This was one of Seiko's higher-end offerings. The Lord-Matic movements had a higher jewel count (this one has 25), uni-body construction, and graceful linen dial, chrome baton markers and elongated hands, The original bracelet is swanky; this is a classy and comfortable watch to wear.

Seiko Bell-Matic, 4006-6027

Age: June, 1972

Dimensions: 38mm wide (w/o crown), 18mm lugs

Features: Day, Date, Alarm, Water-resistant 70m

Notes: I really like the colors of this, my first Bell-Matic, and the original bracelet it still has is very funky. But the inner-bezel, which is used to set the alarm, doesn't rotate, so it's been put up for sale. These Bell-Matics are very charming, though, with their mechanical alarms that must be hand-wound with the crown. I'm sure this won't be my last.

Seiko Chronograph, 6139-6005

Age: June, 1973

Dimensions: 40mm wide, 19mm lugs

Features: Day, Date, Chronograph (30 min events), Tachymeter, Rotating inner-bezel, Water-resistant 70m

Notes: This was another try at a good 6139, and my first gold-dialed one. It was a nice example, but I had my sights set on a "proof/proof" from 1970 (which I landed yesterday!). This classic has found a new home.

Seiko Chronograph, 6139-6009

Age: March, 1970

Dimensions: 40mm wide, 19mm lugs

Features: Day, Date, Tachymeter, Chronograph (30 min events), Rotating inner-bezel, Mineral glass crystal, Lumed hour markers, hour and minute hands.

Notes: This is my second attempt at procuring a 6139-600X series. I've decided that I want one with a "proof", or at the very least a "resist", dial. The case is immaculate, but it has some mechanical problems. All that combines in a reluctant catch-and-release situation. The search continues...

Hamilton King Khaki

Age: Circa 2005

Dimensions: 37mm wide (w/o crown), 19mm lugs

Features: Day. Date, Fully lumed hands (including second hand) and Arabic numbered hour markers, Military time markers, Sapphire glass crystal, Swiss quartz movement, Crown guard, Water-resistant to 50m

Notes: I bought this watch because it's younger, more basic cousin was featured in one of my favorite movies, After Hours (1985). This King Khaki has a full day window at 12:00 that makes it a bit dressier; it came on a black leather strap, but I keep it on this gnarled NATO strap because it is too darn hot here to wear any watch on leather. It's really cool to look down at the watch and see all the numbers glowing.

Seiko World Timer, 6117-6400

Age: October, 1969

Dimensions: 40mm wide, 20mm lugs

Features: Date, Rotating Inner-bezel, GMT hand, Recessed crown at 4:00, Case back marked "waterproof"

Notes: I bought this watch about two years ago and just never wear it. It's in perfect condition, but I find myself always attracted to something else in my collection. The city inner-bezel is very cool, and I want to have a GMT watch in my collection, but I don't think this one is it.

Seiko 5 Sportmatic, 6619-8050

Age: June, 1965

Dimensions: 36mm wide, 17mm lugs

Features: Day, Date, Waterproof, 21 jewel movement

Notes: This is a nice example of an early Seiko 5. It has a somewhat rare black/white combo on the day/date wheel. I've included a picture of the caseback because it has a picture of a whale, something I've never seen. Sea lions, dolphins, sea horses, waves, yes. But not this aquatic mammal. It's a sporty but refined watch, clearly not in the same league as the
62mas divers that Seiko featured at the time.

Seiko Arctura Kinetic Chronograph, 7L22-0AA0

Age: June, 2004

Dimensions: 40mm wide, integrated bracelet

Features: Date, Chronograph (45 min events), Sapphire crystal, Kinetic movement, Integrated bracelet, 100m water-resistant, Lumed hands

Notes: I was excited to receive this, but now I find the styling too modern for my taste. I like the recesses, finish and coloring of the dial, and I really appreciate the bracelet's homage to the fishbone bracelet of the old 6138s, but the overall shape of the watch combined with the small time-keeping portion of the dial makes it feel cold and impersonal. Something I find interesting is that the chronograph buttons have a feel like that of a mechanical watch as opposed to a quartz. I have yet to find a kinetic that fully satisfies me. The search continues...

Seiko Black Ion Chronograph, SNDA65

Age: November, 2008

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

Features: Black ion-plated stainless steel case, Hardlex crystal, Chronograph (1/20 second, 12 hr events), 100m water-resistance, Quartz movement, Lumed hour markers and hands

Notes: I bought this watch for myself as a holiday gift late last year. I love it for several reasons: its Sinn-like appearance, light weight, strong lume and durability. I replaced the factory canvas strap with a 22mm Bond Zulu strap, and think it looks great. There is also an orange-striped black Zulu that would look good on it as well. I heartily recommend the SNDA series watches to anyone contemplating buying one. Or two.

Seiko Chronograph, 6139-6040

Age: September, 1976

Dimensions: 38mm wide, 19mm lugs

Features: Day, Date, Tachymeter, Mineral glass crystal, Fully recessed crown

Notes: This is the One That Started It All. My first Seiko, purchased in 2001 on eBay from the notorious Sophon. I should probably feel lucky that I escaped from that transaction with an actual Seiko, and not something cobbled together with an old picture and washing machine parts, seeing as I knew absolutely nothing then. This watch, missing the white part of its outer bezel decal, reminds me of 1/2 of a 6138 because its sub-dial is square-shaped. The pushers don't stick, it keeps fantastic time, has the rare black (and not orange) dial, and takes curved end-pieces of some unique radian (because I can't find a match after all these years for a bracelet), and I'll never, ever sell it.

Seiko 5 Speedtimer, 7017-8000

Age: March, 1971

Dimensions: 38mm wide, 19mm lugs

Features: Day, Date, Pulsimeter, Cushioned case, Fully recessed crown

Notes: This was an impulse buy. The watch is immaculate and the date wheel is English/Kanji. I've never had a Japanese date wheel, so I was very excited to have it. Plus, the pulsimeter instead of a chronograph made it a novel acquisition. (The pulsimeter works by checking your pulse for 15 seconds, as it is a "base 15", and then reading how many beats per minute it shows.) I have another Speedtimer with Kanji datewheel on the way, and the pulsimeter has proven to be unuseful to me (as I'm not a doctor or hypochondriac), so I will probably put this one up for sale to fund something else.