robswatches

This very nice Seiko chronograph is from 1974. It has the very sophisticated 6138 movement featuring a three register chronograph and differs from most Swiss chronographs in that it doesn’t have a dedicated second hand. But then most Swiss chronos where not automatic wind, didn’t have a date let alone day display and they cost a lot more.

This watch has been beautifully restored (not by me) and I think that it is all original, including the bracelet.

It is signed 4 times and the square sub dials inside a round dial is unusual but looks great.

Without doubt, the most popular of the Seiko chronographs and therefore the most popular of all chronographs.

Nice bright yellow dial with equally bright red and blue bezel featuring a tachymeter scale and a rotating inner divers scale bezel. The rest is standard 6139 two register Chronograph.

I have a story about this model.

My family business became Seiko stockists in late 1977 about the time that Seiko discontinued the mechanical chronographs. Seiko had just introduced digital multifunction watches and that’s what the chrono clientele wanted and what Seiko saw as the future.

Knowing how popular the chronographs had been, especially this model I selected one for stock. It sold for A$165 within days of arriving so a few months later when the Seiko rep came around for the second time, we were selecting models and in the end I said “what about the yellow faced chronograph? I didn’t see it in the range.” He said “Oh that’s discontinued. I remember you selecting it last time, as a mater of fact, that was the last one Seiko Australia had!”  So there you have it, I sold the last Pepsi (as it came to be known) in Australia. And in those days, we were a couple of years behind the rest of the world so it may well have been the last one in the whole World!!! There where still a couple of the three register chronographs, the 6138 calibre, in the range but they retailed for around $225, if I remember correctly, and competing with the latest digital products in which Seiko was leading the way.

This is as basic as the Seiko chronos got. The movements did not vary at all, the 6139A was superseded by the 6139B sometime in the early 70s with some minor technical changes under the dial but the only difference in the many models that Seiko produced was only in the cases. This one has no bezel, no tachymeter scale only a chapter ring that is part of the dial.  It’s also one of the few Seikos of this era with a perspex rather than a crystal glass. So I presume it was the base model.

But, as I said, the functions are the same for all; two register chronograph, day, date and auto wind. I find the two-tone blue a pleasant colour scheme and it was a popular model.