Watches

[JC5188]

Just get a Seiko SKX007 for under 200 bucks,
Or their 6309 homage, the SRP777 for under 300 bucks.

They literally still are the poor man's Rolex Sub and a huge bang for the buck.
Way better than getting an invicta or a ton of the other brands in that price range.

They are the basic Seiko Diver. The basic Seiko Diver lineage has gone 6217, 6105 model 1, 6105 model 2, 6306/6309, a short lived non turtle 6309 that looked a lot like the 7002 case, the 7002, then the SKX.
A glance at either and they are obviously Seiko divers.

In the late 60s a service member could get the submariner for like 50 bucks more than the Seiko. By 1980 it was pushing ten times as much. In 1990 twenty times. Which is why you saw Seiko as such a player in SOF in the 80s as the percentage of Sub buyers was going down. We are talking like 130$ vs 1500$ in the mid 80s. When a young E5 in Ranger Bat or out of the Q course and his other service equivalents had an after taxes monthly salary of about 1000$. And when you bought many things out of pocket that are issued like nothing now. When a car payment was about 200$ Or more and insurance the same. There was half the monthly pay gone already even for a single guy. Just to drive around.

By the end of the 1990s, a date Sub was over thirty times the price of a Seiko Diver. They trend has continued.

You could now buy like 40 SKX divers or four Marinemaster for the price of one Submariner. And I don't even like the new ones. I was cool with the slight increase in case size, but all the extra little parts that say Rolex and the extra shininess make me want to puke. It is the modern equivalent of that dude in the 70s with the bright yellow corvette, perm, gold horn medallion, and leisure suit with half the shirt buttons undone.

Plus the really piss me off by not offering a Sub or seadweller no date with the Classic Explorer dial. That would be awesome. I have had a 11610 I got new in 1998 and the framed lumped indices were fancy enough for me. It was that or the SD. In SS. I want a bezel so the regular explorer does not cut it.

Annnnnnd, there's your Seiko diver expert.

Like I said, unless you lived it, like a car guy who knows the difference between a 67 & 68 camaro is a wing window and side markers (mainly), you almost have to learn the hard way. Which gets expensive.


"I just got like, this 5.56 okay? And it's 55 grain ball. And everybody I've ever seen shot with it, it dicks them up."

---Clint Smith
Thunder Ranch

[Sam]

Sent you a PM. Sometimes tapatalk doesn't play well with them. Let me know if it didn't.

ETA...did a bit more research. That's a pretty special watch you have there as far as vintage Seiko goes. Was it a Mil purchase overseas?

"I just got like, this 5.56 okay? And it's 55 grain ball. And everybody I've ever seen shot with it, it dicks them up."

---Clint Smith
Thunder Ranch

Hey man, got your PM, thanks. It was my father's watch, as far as I know it I think he bought it when he went to Hong Kong. Price wise it's not worth a lot but sentimentally it's worth more than gold. It had seen a lot of history.

[Fringe]

Just get a Seiko SKX007 for under 200 bucks,
Or their 6309 homage, the SRP777 for under 300 bucks.

They literally still are the poor man's Rolex Sub and a huge bang for the buck.
Way better than getting an invicta or a ton of the other brands in that price range.

They are the basic Seiko Diver. The basic Seiko Diver lineage has gone 6217, 6105 model 1, 6105 model 2, 6306/6309, a short lived non turtle 6309 that looked a lot like the 7002 case, the 7002, then the SKX.
A glance at either and they are obviously Seiko divers.

In the late 60s a service member could get the submariner for like 50 bucks more than the Seiko. By 1980 it was pushing ten times as much. In 1990 twenty times. Which is why you saw Seiko as such a player in SOF in the 80s as the percentage of Sub buyers was going down. We are talking like 130$ vs 1500$ in the mid 80s. When a young E5 in Ranger Bat or out of the Q course and his other service equivalents had an after taxes monthly salary of about 1000$. And when you bought many things out of pocket that are issued like nothing now. When a car payment was about 200$ Or more and insurance the same. There was half the monthly pay gone already even for a single guy. Just to drive around.

By the end of the 1990s, a date Sub was over thirty times the price of a Seiko Diver. They trend has continued.

You could now buy like 40 SKX divers or four Marinemaster for the price of one Submariner. And I don't even like the new ones. I was cool with the slight increase in case size, but all the extra little parts that say Rolex and the extra shininess make me want to puke. It is the modern equivalent of that dude in the 70s with the bright yellow corvette, perm, gold horn medallion, and leisure suit with half the shirt buttons undone.

Plus the really piss me off by not offering a Sub or seadweller no date with the Classic Explorer dial. That would be awesome. I have had a 11610 I got new in 1998 and the framed lumped indices were fancy enough for me. It was that or the SD. In SS. I want a bezel so the regular explorer does not cut it.

Thanks III, I really appreciate your insite.

[JC5188]

Hey man, got your PM, thanks. It was my father's watch, as far as I know it I think he bought it when he went to Hong Kong. Price wise it's not worth a lot but sentimentally it's worth more than gold. It had seen a lot of history.

Awesome. Yeah I think that was something you had to get from outside the US at the time, which is why I asked. The internet has killed the prices, but has opened up whole new markets to us re: vintage stuff.

Congrats on having a neat piece there. Coin edge bezels are way cool imho.


"I just got like, this 5.56 okay? And it's 55 grain ball. And everybody I've ever seen shot with it, it dicks them up."

---Clint Smith
Thunder Ranch

[Sam]

Congrats on having a neat piece there. Coin edge bezels are way cool imho.


"I just got like, this 5.56 okay? And it's 55 grain ball. And everybody I've ever seen shot with it, it dicks them up."

---Clint Smith
Thunder Ranch

Thanks. I do prefer the coin edge over the kind they put on the 007, that double deck blocky bezel was one of the reasons I sold the 007.

[ramairthree]

JC5188:

You seem to know a lot about Seiko, would you shed some light on this old model please? I know it's at least 45 years old.





The bracelet is not original, it was a replacement when the old rubber strap broke.

Sweet.
A 1972 70m Seiko.
While the 150m true dive watches and 300m professional dive watches were out then,
Seiko had a fantastic variety of 70m chrongraphs, navigators, dive looking watches, etc.
While it is not a model that is worth a fortune,
You have to love the history.

It is from the days of tritium directly applied to indices instead of in little tubes, which ended by the late 80s.

While it is seven half lives or so away from its prime, and lacks its original staying power, exciting it with light can give it a brief little return to some glory.

If you can even find a local real watchmaker anymore, services typically run 1-200 dollars.
I agree with cleaning and servicing, not policshing to try and look new.

[ramairthree]

Annnnnnd, there's your Seiko diver expert.

Like I said, unless you lived it, like a car guy who knows the difference between a 67 & 68 camaro is a wing window and side markers (mainly), you almost have to learn the hard way. Which gets expensive.


"I just got like, this 5.56 okay? And it's 55 grain ball. And everybody I've ever seen shot with it, it dicks them up."

---Clint Smith
Thunder Ranch

Well, to be honest, I only lived the 6309 at the PX era, followed by the 7002 sucks in comparison, etc.
The Vietnam to mid 80s era I had to learn, figure out, or was informed by old timers.
I first saw someone with a new GShock in the late 87 or so.
Dual display Seiko "Arnie" divers were available to sign for if Scout Swimmer or Combat Diver, but most had broken shrouds, not enough for everyone, etc.
By late 90s I fist saw hockey pucks. Your huge digital wonders with every function.

To be honest, a Rolex dive watch, or even the Seiko tends to be, in the SOF community has kind of gone the way of the .45 1911, Randall knife, driving a manual. etc.
I remember being on a team of 5 where two of us could drive a manual like a champ and the other three could not.

[Sam]

Sweet.
A 1972 70m Seiko.
While the 150m true dive watches and 300m professional dive watches were out then,
Seiko had a fantastic variety of 70m chrongraphs, navigators, dive looking watches, etc.
While it is not a model that is worth a fortune,
You have to love the history.

It is from the days of tritium directly applied to indices instead of in little tubes, which ended by the late 80s.

While it is seven half lives or so away from its prime, and lacks its original staying power, exciting it with light can give it a brief little return to some glory.

If you can even find a local real watchmaker anymore, services typically run 1-200 dollars.
I agree with cleaning and servicing, not policshing to try and look new.

Finding a local competent watch maker is my goal, one that can clean up the inside and help it to run better. It does run now but when I move it, it makes a heck of a racket, sounds like the wire spring is loose.

[ramairthree]

Could just be the rotor moving or its loose.

I bought a NOS 1968 Omerga SM 300 that had a rattle.
One of the tiny movement holder screws was loose.
Glad I checked it out.

[contax_shooter]

Could just be the rotor moving or its loose.

I bought a NOS 1968 Omerga SM 300 that had a rattle.
One of the tiny movement holder screws was loose.
Glad I checked it out.

Pics of said SM please!