Vintage Watch | Ricoh Automatic Day-Date “President” (Close to NOS)

Ricoh Automatic Day-Date “President” Style – 21 Jewels, Fluted Bezel (Fully Serviced)

A Japanese day-date that wears the language of a President without the President price. This Ricoh Automatic puts the full weekday at 12, the date at 3, and a coin-edge fluted bezel around a silver sunburst dial — the same silhouette collectors chase on Swiss icons, built by Japan’s often-forgotten fourth in-house watchmaker. The case is in amazing condition. During the last full restoration the lume on the dial and hands was relumed so the watch glows again, leaving the piece close to NOS.

Ricoh’s Watchmaking Story

Most people know Ricoh for copiers and cameras. The watch story is quieter and more interesting. Ricoh began in 1936 as Riken Kankoshi, an optics firm. Its watchmaking arm came from Takano Seimitsu Kogyo, a Nagoya precision house founded in 1938 that moved from clocks into wristwatches. After Takano collapsed in the early 1960s, Riken Optical took it over on 8 May 1962 and renamed it Ricoh Tokei that August.

That made Ricoh the fourth Japanese company to develop its own mechanical movements, after Seiko, Citizen and Orient. In October 1962 it launched the Dynamic automatic — a 33-jewel calibre with instant day-date. Early batches had teething problems; once sorted, Ricoh kept building automatics through the 1960s and 1970s. Quartz arrived in 1971. The parent company later put its energy into imaging, and the watch side faded into Ricoh Elemex. What remains are honest mid-century Japanese machines that never got the collector spotlight Seiko did.

The Rocoh Movement

This example is marked 21 jewels, automatic, with day and date. That specification points to Ricoh’s workhorse 30-series family (from 1966): about 12¾ ligne, 18,000 bph, central seconds, Monorex-type shock protection and a ball-bearing rotor on many variants. Day-date versions in this family typically use the crown for setting. It is not a Seiko 7S or an ETA clone — it is Ricoh’s own architecture, built to be worn.

Close to NOS After Full Restoration

The stainless-steel case is in amazing condition — sharp fluted bezel, clean lines, and a presence that reads far newer than its age. The last full service included a proper relume of the dial plots and hands, restoring night-time visibility rather than leaving dead vintage lume in place. Combined with the clean silver sunburst, the watch sits close to NOS: restored to work and glow as it should, not left tired. 

Why This Is a Strong Day-Date Alternative

A vintage Rolex Day-Date is a different conversation. This Ricoh gives you the same idea on the wrist: spelled-out day at 12, framed date at 3, fluted steel bezel, applied batons, silver sunburst, three-piece steel bracelet. You get a mechanical Japanese automatic from a real manufacturer, in the classic ~36 mm dress-sport size that still works with a shirt cuff — now with a case that looks exceptional and lume that actually works again.

This Watch

Dial codes read JAPAN A 3 40 and 415 F5F — part of Ricoh’s 415-family President-style day-dates of the late 1960s–1970s. Similar fluted Ricoh day-dates measure about 35–36 mm across (roughly 36 × 43 mm without crown on comparable pieces), with ~19 mm lugs. On the steel bracelet as shown. 

A wearable Japanese President silhouette from the house that sat just behind Seiko, Citizen and Orient — The watch is fully restored, and the dial and hand have been professionally relumed, and close to NOS.

Specifications

Maker: Ricoh (Ricoh Tokei / Japan)

Model: Automatic Day-Date, fluted-bezel “President” style

Reference codes : 415 F5F / JAPAN A 3 40

Era: Circa late1960s

Case Diameter: approx. 36 mm

Lug Width: approx. 19 mm

Case Condition: Amazing condition after full restoration

Dial / Hands: Silver sunburst; lume on dial and hands relumed to bring it back to the orignal factory setting

Movement: Automatic, 21 jewels, day-date (Just serviced by our watchmaker in Japan)

Case / Bracelet: Stainless steel with fluted bezel and original Ricoh steel bracelet

Ask if you would like a leather strap option alongside the bracelet, we can do a great deal in top up.