Samurai Vintage Co.

Concept:

The first true high beat watch movement in Japan and second in the world. The Seiko Lord Marvel 36000.

When exploring Vintage Seiko dress watches, Grand and King Seiko often come to collector's mind at first because of their high finishing standard and technological development. However, Seiko chooses to give the glory of the 1st high beat movement to Lord Marvel 36000 back in the 1960s. 

During the 1960s, the majority of watch movements beat at 18,000 beats per hour. Watch companies sought to build a high beat movement for higher accuracy. Girard Perregaux comes first in the world on building the first 10 beats per second movement. Shortly after GP, Seiko launched their manual winding caliber 5740C - the first 36,000 bph watch movement in Japan and second in the world and pair it with the Seiko Lord Marvel 36000. 

The technological breakthrough of calibre 5740 fitted in Lord Marvel earns Seiko an important international reputation among watchmaking industries. The calibre not only brought the brand closer to the international stage, it also lays the foundation of the Hi-Beat Grand Seiko movement we see in the market today. 

Specification:

Maker: Seiko

Model: Lord Marvel 5740-8000

Era: 1967 Oct

Case Diameter: 37 mm

Lug to Lug: 41 mm

Lug width: 19 mm

Case Condition: Unpolished cap case with mirror finishing. Minor usage mark on the case but the overall condition is mint!  

Dial Condition: The white sunburst dial some circle aging near 2,3 o'clock mark. But the dial have developed a mild creamy white patina.

Crystal: Original Acrylic Crystal from 1970s 

Movement: 5740 hand winding Hi-beat movement (36,000 bph)

Overall Condition: This Lord Marvel have been serviced in Japan The Seiko Lord Marvel with all the amazing history behind the watch is absolutely essential for your vintage Seiko collection. 

And of course, it comes with any colour of our Kyoto Series Leather Straps. Of course you can pair it up with any straps we have in store by adding just a few extra to make the watch suit your personal taste.  Just let us know which one you like to pair the beauty up with.

Concept:

To many vintage Seiko watch collectors, the 62 Grand Seiko is one of the holy grail in the collection, however the heavy demand from the market means that the 62GS are all pricing at a heavy premium and is out of budget for many of us. Therefore it became our quest to source an alternative from the market for all of our dearest followers.

Specification:

Maker: Seiko

Model: Seikomatic 6206-8970

Era: 1960s 

Case Diameter: 36 mm

Lug to Lug: 42 mm

Lug width: 18 mm

Case Condition: Unpolished case. The design of the small crown means it will take extra grip to adjust the time.   

Dial Condition: Silver Sunburst Dial with bronze / tropical patina on the edge of the dial    

Movement:  6206 automatic movement newly serviced in Japan 

And of course, it comes with any colour of our Kyoto Series Leather Straps. Of course you can pair it up with any straps we have in store by adding just a few extra to make the watch suit your personal taste.  Just let us know which one you like to pair the beauty up with.

Concept:

Citizen Homer Railway Watch 

If you have been to Japan, you will know or heard of the accuracy of the Japanese Railway system, they count their delay in seconds, not mins or hours. 

The ultimate accuracy of train arrival is made available with precision timing. Many of us know that Japanese Railway Company issue Seiko pocket watches to their train drivers, but during our research on Japan Railway Watches, we found that Japan Railway company also issue wristwatches to their staffs. And it is Citizen, not Seiko who dominated the wristwatch of most railway company workers.

Bauhaus Style Design  

In the 1960s to 1970s, Japanese Railway Company worked with Citizen to made wristwatches based on the Citizen caliber 911 with hacking second function to their staff for precision timekeeping. While I am researching the Citizen Homer Railway Watch, I was immediately attracted by the clean and minimal look of the watch. Similar to IWC and Nomos, the dial design of the Citizen Homer was following a Bauhaus style. The black numerals hour marker gives a contrasting and easy to read design to the watch, the small lume pip outside of each numeral working with the beautifully lumed dagger hands enable user to check the time even in the dark. The watch is giving a strong German minimal Bauhaus design to the watch. 

There are small details from the watch case of Citizen Homer Railway Watch that we know Citizen wanted to make a watch for the workers to wear even when they are off their duty, not simply just building a tool. The case was added triangular chamfers on the lugs, making the watch more elegant and wear comfortably on the wrist. Credit to the thin design of the case and the Citizen Caliber 911 movement for keeping the thickness of the Citizen Homer at around 9.75mm only! This makes the watch stay comfortably on the wrist even after a long day.

Issued by Japanese Railway Company to employer

Last but not least, the engraving on the snap case back of the Citizen Homer Railway Watch is the main highlight of the watch.  The information on it can tell us the issue year, individual number and the department in the Japanese Railway Company that issuing the watch.  This specific Citizen Homer was issued in Showa 48 (1973), this is likely the 715th watch issued to the staff that year and was for an employee of the Japanese Railway Company.

One of the Best Choice Vintage Watch  

If you are looking for a 3 handed wrist watch with minimal Bauhaus design or looking for a watch with a story you can happily tell your friends during a gathering, the Citizen Homer Railway Watch will not let you down! With the clean design and history, I think it is fair to say the Homer Railway Watch is one of the most attractive vintage watches at this price point!

Specification:

Maker: Citizen 

Model: Citizen Homer Second Setting Railway Watch 

Era: 1970s

Case Diameter: 36 mm

Lug to Lug: 42 mm

Lug width: 18 mm

Case Condition: Unpolished case with mirror finishing

Dial Condition: Mint White Dial with Black Numeral Marker

Movement: 911 hand-winding movement 

And of course, it comes with any color of our Kyoto Series Leather Straps. Also you can pair it up with any straps we have in store by adding just a few extra to make the watch suit your personal taste.  Just let us know which one you like to pair the beauty up with.

Concept:

If a watch earns its nickname because of its distinct features, I am sure it is a special watch that worth all the watch collector's attention. Selected as one of the most common watches for servicemen back in the Vietnam war, the Seiko Diver is a perfect definition of a tool watch. It's as rugged and hard wearing as it is aesthetically satisfying. Even as the first "Turtles" was released 44 years ago in 1976, one thing is certain... they don't get old.

We have sold 6309 before, but here we are listing a Seiko 7548 Quartz Turtle for the first time. We have sourced a very special example giving the perfect sign of vintage feeling from the watch. This example is from October of 1978, the first year of the launch of the 7548 Diver. During its time of launch, it retailed at 40% higher than it's mechanical brother Seiko 6309 Turtle as Seiko thinks that Quartz is the next big thing in the 70s. The watch is even priced at the same level as an Omega Seamaster Automatic back in 70s. The dial of the Seiko 7548 Quartz Diver is printed with a Suwa Seikosha logo showing the origination of the watch. The case shape we see in the Seiko 7548 and 6309 Turtle is a timeless design essentially here with us today in the form of the automatic 7S26-powered SKX007/9 that can still be found today. 

The matte black dial is in great condition overall with perfectly developed patina throughout the hour plots. The hour and minute hands have retained their original lume and are observed to age with the same colour as the dial. The mineral crystal is scratch-free. The bezel has aged into a light grey colour (same as a vintage Submariners) and rotates smoothly in either direction. The day and date can be quickset via the crown. The case is in mint condition with the original finishes still visible. We have observed the price of Seiko 7548 rising significantly in recent years. And we expect the trend to continue in the upcoming years as this is becoming a timeless collectable class.

We suggest you pair this vintage piece with our Nato strap or our Premium Rubber straps which makes it a perfect all-occasion watch for your day. You will only find it getting rarer for a vintage diver with such an amazing condition, get it before it's gone.

Specification:

Maker: Seiko

Model: 7548-701L

Era: 1978 Oct

Case Diameter: 42 mm

Lug to Lug: 45 mm

Lug Width: 22 mm

Case Condition: Mint condition with minor scratches from its ages 

Dial Condition: Amazingly preserved matt-black dial with evenly developed patina lume plots on the dial.

Bezel Condition: Original bezel aged to a faded grey finishing. Unique colour for this example.

Movement: New battery changed and serviced 7548 quartz movement 

And of course, it comes with any one of the straps we offer in the store. Just let us know which one you like to pair the beauty up with.

Concept:

Manufactured in the 1960s~ King Seiko was considered as their top tier product and internal competitor of Grand Seiko. These top tier Seiko were created as the answer towards the Swiss Watch Industry and Seiko's bridge into the international market. With the ultra-accurate Chronometer rating movements that got Seiko a champion in the Swiss Chronometer Competition, a mirror-finished case with unique design and the master craftsman to build the durable timeless classic, these all add up to create the best vintage dress watch in Japan.

This 44-9990 KS was the first King Seiko model to adopt Seiko's Grammar of Design and the second King Seiko ever made by Seiko. The model has fitted with a unique case shape that helps define the fundamental design element for the future of King Seiko. The two-dimensional faceted curves bezels are carefully detailed so that all surfaces can join with each other by Seiko's craftsman, the slightly bigger 37mm mirror-finished case paired with the sword hand provide a clean yet sharp feeling to the watch. This 44King Seiko certainly brought inspiration to today's Grand Seiko series. 

The watch was made even more collectable when you flip it over and find the case back fitted with a gold medallion with Seiko and thunder Daino-Seiko factory logo stamped on the back. The overall condition of the watch is Epic! These all add up to create one of the best-looking watches Seiko has ever made. 

In 2021, to mark the 140th anniversary of Seiko, Seiko has made a reissue of the 44King Seiko. The reissue not only increased its collectability, it also reminds the world of the impoliteness of 44King Seiko in Seiko's luxury watchmaking history. 

We have made an article covering the 44King Seiko reissue SJE083 before. If you haven't read it yet, here you go!

https://thesamuraivintage.com/blogs/news/king-seiko-re-born-of-a-classic-and-its-king-seiko-44ks-older-brother-from-1965

Specification:

Maker: Seiko

Model: 44-9990

Era: 1968 May

Case Diameter: 36.6 mm

Lug to Lug: 43.3 mm

Lug Width: 19 mm

Case Condition: Amzolutly Amazing Condition! The best condition 44KS we have ever sourced. The gold medallion is in perfect condition. 

Dial Condition: In perfect condition with no sign of ageing found on the dial given its age. In superb condition!

Movement: Fully serviced in Japan, Manual Winding 18,800bph

And of course, it comes with any colour of our Kyoto Series Leather Straps. Of course you can pair it up with any straps we have in store by adding just a few extra to make the watch suit your personal taste.  Just let us know which one you like to pair the beauty up with.

Concept:

This is an interesting one because we source this watch because many of you have asked us on Instagram whether the Orient Weekly Swimmer in my personal collection is up for sale. We know that you guys want it and here it is, we manage to source on in Japan in good condition and we hope to help lovers to get hold of one as sourcing an Orient Weekly in good condition is not an easy task.

Alright, let me talk about the watch. The example we have sourced is a Weekly Auto Orient Swimmer from the 1960s. The Swimmer term may be confusing to you as the watch only have a normal crown instead of the locking crown we see in most diving watch cases today. The reason behind this is because of the technical development on watches and the generally accepted standard on the word "Water Resistance". In the 1960s, most watch company will name their watch waterproof or water resistance as long as they have a rubber o-ring inside their watch crown and their case back, this is changed after the rise of the diving watch standard which requires a screw-down locking crown to prevent water from entering the watch movement. I believe it makes owning this watch much more interesting after knowing the history of the watch and when you look at the case back engraved with a diver, sometimes it will put a smile on your face on the marketing idea they use back in the 60s by Orient.

Besides the segment of the Orient Weekly Swimmer, the movement and the display of the dial on the watch is also interesting. The Orient Weekly Swimmer is fitted with a day-date display and unlike the usual day date where they putting side by side, the Orient is putting a long Kenji day wording at the 6 o'clock position of the watch. The Kenji day wheel is exclusively for the Japanese market and can easily distinguish itself as a JDM watch. The movement of the Orient operates in an interesting way as well, the movement does not offer any quick-set at the watch crown. The movement only offers a date quick set and you can operate the quick set by pressing firm on the button next to the watch crown to jump ahead of the date. In many examples we saw in the market, the quick set function has broken down, the example we found have a perfectly functioning quick set date function and is a rare find in the market.

More on the look of the watch, the Orient Weekly Swimmer are issued in many different dial and case variance. The example we have here today is fitted with a silver sunburst dial with an eye-catching Orient Applied log and Blue Swimmer text which is rare on a vintage watch. The big Kenji Day window is surely the more eye-catching area of the watch! With its 37mm case size, the Orient Weekly feels modern on the wrist and feels just like a modern dress watch nothing like a watch with 50 years of history. The watch is also fitted with a fluted bezel which I am sure will remind us of the most recognisable dress watch in the market the Rolex 1601.

Overall, the design and history of the watch is definitely a nice pick to add to your collection if you are looking for a dress watch with a day-date function.  

Specification:

Maker: Orient

Model: Weekly Auto Orient M-2413-70

Era: 1960s 

Case Diameter: 37 mm

Lug to Lug: 41 mm

Lug width: 18 mm

Case Condition: Unpolished case with brush finish at the lug of the watch 

Dial Condition: The silver sunburst dial with a few dots of aging on the dial. 

Crystal: Original Acrylic Crystal from 1970s the special thing is the edge of the crystal have the crystal shape inside which can only be seen on original crystal 

Movement: Automatic winding movement (18,000 bph)

Overall Condition: This Orient Auto Weekly Swimmer is in a overall good condition and is surely a watch that you can wear in a casual or more formal occasion. If you are looking for a watch with day-date function, this will be a nice choice!

And of course, it comes with any colour of our Kyoto Series Leather Straps. Of course you can pair it up with any straps we have in store by adding just a few extra to make the watch suit your personal taste.  Just let us know which one you like to pair the beauty up with.