$5 at the local flea market. Head only. July 1967 Sportsmatic 5(6619-8070). Last service mark was from 1992. A little beat up but crystal and dial are clean. Movement is clean. Put straight on Timegrapher...0.2 BE, ~9 secs/day. Pinned on an old stretch band and off I go! Everything works, runs like a champ. View attachment 370149
Seriously, where do people find all these brilliant flea markets! I couldn't find any vintage markets (other than clothes) in my town in the UK...
I've found that Seikos are universally pretty cheap. Not only because new ones are super cheap anyway, but because tons of them are automatic only and people think they are broken because they can't wind them. Then they shake it and it runs for a while and then stops. Must be broken. Notice the dial above doesn't say automatic anywhere. nor on the back. Must be a manual wind up. Nope. Fair selection of these at my local flea market, just most of them look like hell, or actually are broken. I live in a big retirement area so lots of sellers at the flea market are guys liquidating estates. They don't know watches, or really much of anything else. They want to sell quick. Great for buyers who know what they are looking at. My list of great finds there over the years is endless.
Been thinking about getting a beater watch for a while and I was contemplating on Seiko. This thread might just seal the deal!
Been wearing this Seiko for the past 2 days, shaking the cobwebs off so to speak. Put on the timegrapher again this morning. Now that's a bit better....1-2secs/day avg.
Seiko watches deserve far more than beater status. If you equate price with quality, you are headed down the wrong path. There are many very active Seiko communities who realize what great watches these are. You can buy a vintage Seiko quartz diver that, once given a COA service, will be bulletproof between very infrequent battery changes. If you want a mechanical watch, Wryfox's experience is very typical. If you are willing to pay a bit more, there are literally thousands of available Seikos for every use and taste. However, be warned, this can become a slippery slope much as Omega and Rolex enthusiasts deal with on an ongoing basis.
Oh yes, my Seiko ranks are increasing rapidly as I come up to speed. I had poo poo'd the idea of pedestrian Seikos and decided I need a Grand Seiko to match my mental status (cause people always tell me I'm mental), but quite frankly I don't really see the advantage. +-$1000 for a Grand Seiko or literally $50-100 for a nice vintage Seiko 5, with far greater selection and local availability.
While I agree you get quite a lot of bang for your buck from $50-100 Seikos, there are things Grand Seiko brings to the table with that price tag, namely movement and case finish quality. Maybe not 10 or 100 times as nice, but definitely something you will not find on the lower end. If I were you, I would try to handle a vintage GS (in good nick) before rushing to judgement on if it's worth it. And then realize that the modern GS are finished even better than that.
See, and I picked up this one: and I'm into it for over £300 so far. And, so far, it's right twice a day.
I've seen so may positive Seiko conversations on OF - it drove me to finally move in that direction! This shows up tomorrow...just dipping my toe for now (the pictures are from the seller and I do not own them). I have to be honest, after chasing Omegas, Breitlings and Heuer's, I LOVE the price point. The fun (tough) part is going to be gaining the necessary level of knowledge to spot the right movements, fakes, etc...
Great. Thanks. After I just convinced myself not.too.buy.a.grand seiko. I'm like a priest in a whorehouse on this board. Must resist.