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Seiko 5 automatic vintage8/11/2023 ![]() ![]() A typical Seiko 5 watch costs well under $500 you can readily find a vintage or model for less than $100 on eBay or Amazon. Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms and Omega’s Aqua Terra.Īn added bonus of mass produced movements is the economy of scale. The sheer numbers of watches out there, along with the numerous movements used, provide plenty of parts for modifying to give homage to other, more expensive watches, e.g. There’s also quite a “modding” subculture: guys who, like shade-tree mechanics of old, modify their Seiko 5s to their liking. That fact, combined with a very attractive price point, allows one to have multiple “beaters.” It comes in dozens of styles, from dress to diver and everything in between. The 5 enjoys a status as a watch for daily wear, called a “daily beater” by many (we cringe a bit at the moniker, even if it is accurate). In short, guys who love their Seiko 5s are as varied as the watch itself. A few are looking for purchasing advice, and others are just showing off new acquisitions. Some are looking for parts for repair or modifying. Many posters are looking to buy, sell or trade. ![]() Get on any of the major watch forums and you’ll find scores of threads about the Seiko 5. This is particularly favorable for a watch intended for the markets of Southeast Asia where maintenance facilities may have been at a premium. ![]() In short, the Seiko 5 has always had a movement that, while not pretty, is a game-day piece, running year in and year out for decades with a minimum of fuss or maintenance. These movements are iconic in and of themselves, and have been the motor inside a wide range of modern Seiko timepieces. 23 - are the cause of the differing calibre designations). This array later settled down to the 7S25/7S26/7S35/7S36 movements (day/date variations and number of jewels - 21 vs. They were designed primarily for mass production using the latest in manufacturing technology there are those who maintain the movements are not touched by human hands at all during assembly, the very antithesis of what aficionados have come to envision as modern watchmaking. Over decades of production, many different movements have powered the watches carrying the Seiko 5 badge - sometimes different movements in a single model at the same time. To us however, movement durability seems a bit more important than the location of the crown. Perhaps this is because the two movements, while significant, were not unique to the Seiko 5. It’s interesting that Seiko doesn’t specifically state the Diaflex and Diashock systems - or overall movement durability - in their list. However, Seiko’s website states a slightly different, somewhat more general set of attributes:Ĥ.Recessed crown at the 4 o’clock position (Some sources combine Diaflex and Diashock while separating Day and Date.) Tradition (and many an online watch forum entry) says it’s for the following five key attributes of all Seiko 5 watches: ![]() So what does the “5” mean anyway? There is some disagreement. In any case, this third attribute was less a technological innovation and more an innovative design criteria for the Seiko 5 sub-brand. Yet another was overall water resistance - although in those days the words “water proof” were used (a labeling that would have the Federal Trade Commission scrambling their lawyers if it occurred today). Another was the Diashock shock-resistant design, Seiko’s answer to the Swiss Incabloc system. The first was the Diaflex mainspring, Seiko’s unbreakable mainspring. When it was introduced in 1963, the Seiko Sportsmatic 5 heralded multiple innovations. In fact, the watches have been signed several different ways - Seiko 5, Seiko 5 Sports, Seiko Sportsmatic 5, Seiko 5 Actus - and used a range of different automatic movements. Instead, hundreds of watches with different designs, intended for different uses, have carried the emblematic shield logo with the 5 in the center. Welcome to Watches You Should Know, a biweekly column highlighting important or little-known watches with interesting backstories and unexpected influence. ![]()
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