VINTAGE WATCH | King Seiko Vanac 5626

Vintage King Seiko Vanac 5626-7160 — Green Gradient Sunburst, February 1973

A Suwa 56KS Vanac from February 1973 with the green gradient sunburst collectors hunt: pale at the centre, deepening to green at the rim. Reference 5626-7160 wears an integrated steel bracelet with the original buckle. The case is in amazing condition — close to NOS. The movement has just been serviced.

What Seiko King Seiko Vanac Was

By 1972 King Seiko had spent a decade as Daini’s answer to Suwa’s Grand Seiko: sharp Grammar of Design cases, hi-beat movements, silver dress dials. Vanac broke that script. Launched on the Japanese market in June 1972 and built only until about 1974–75, it was KS aimed at a younger buyer — angular or cushion cases, integrated bracelets, faceted crystals, and dials in green, blue, bronze, purple. No gold medallion on the back. The name was never officially explained. The brief was fashion-forward King Seiko, not another silver 5626-7000.

Green gradient 7160 pieces are among the Vanacs that get searched for by name: vintage King Seiko Vanac, King Seiko 5626-7160, 56KS green sunburst.

5626 vs 5246 — Why This Listing Is Different

Two factories built Vanac.

• 56KS Vanac (this watch): Suwa Caliber 5626, 25 jewels, 28,800 bph, bilingual day-date, hacking, hand-wind, crown quick-set. Same 56-family architecture as Lord Matic and 56 Grand Seiko, regulated to King grade (about −6 / +9 sec/day leaving the factory).
• 52KS Vanac Special: Daini Caliber 5246 / 5256, instant midnight calendar jump, often labelled Special.

The King Seiko Vanac in Green Gradient Dial

7160 is the green-grad case. Centre reads almost white or champagne in some light, then the sunburst pulls into green toward the chapter ring — a 1970s Seiko colour trick, not a faded blue. Applied batons, day-date at 3, “JAPAN 5626-7160T” at 6 on original dials. This example keeps that white-to-green fade clean.

Case, Faceted Crystal, Bracelet
Stainless, typically about 35–36 mm across, 40–42 mm lug-to-lug, around 10–12 mm thick including the faceted crystal. Integrated bracelet, original buckle. Faceted Hardlex / cut crystal is the Vanac signature and the part that usually dies first; a clean one matters. This case is amazing — close to NOS. Just serviced.

Their hallmark: faceted crystals mimicking gemstones, refracting light brilliantly. These multi-faceted crystals are prone to scratches, so pristine originals like this one we offer are exceptionally rare.

A 1973 King Seiko Vanac 5626-7160 with the green gradient still intact, the factory bracelet still on it, and a case that has barely been worn.

Specifications

Maker: Seiko / King Seiko (Suwa Seikosha)

Model: Vanac 5626-7160

Era: February 1973

Case Diameter: approx. 35–36 mm

Lug-to-Lug: approx. 40–42 mm

Case Condition: Amazing; close to NOS

Dial: Green gradient sunburst, white centre to green rim

Crystal: Faceted Vanac crystal there is NO usage mark on the crystal in amazing preserved condition

Movement: Automatic Cal. 5626, 28,800 bph, day/date; just serviced

Bracelet: Original integrated steel bracelet, original buckle