A fully serviced – and upgraded – Seiko automatic chronograph commonly known as a Pogue. Model reference 6139-6002.
HOW DO WE DATE THIS WATCH?
From the serial number on the case back we can accurately date this watch to being made in June 1977.
CONDITION
Colonel William Pogue made unofficial space history when he chose to take his Seiko 6139-6002 into space on the 1973 Skylab mission. It was not authorised by NASA, but he had worn the watch throughout training and found the internal moving bezel very useful when timing rocket burn times. The 6139 movement had already made history when it was launched in 1969 as one of the very first automatic chronograph watches, and despite having no hand winding facility and the effects of reduced gravity in space it still performed admirably and became the first automatic chronograph in space. You can read more about this on the Seiko museum website.
This one was not working correctly and was sent to a specialist in these movements. Not only did he do a full service on the watch, he also jeweled the barrel arbor holes – these had gone egg shaped and the highly skilled work involved in upgrading the holes to synthetic rubies will pay off in years to come. This wasn’t cheap, but the movement is now running perfectly. That includes the quick set date and day (in English or French). The bracelet is a new OEM part and not made by Seiko. The original folded metal bracelets these watches came with do not always survive too well, so this solid link version is another good upgrade. The dial has some patina, and the internal bezel has faded (very common on this model, including the on in the Seiko museum website that was owned by Cnl. Pogue).
This watch will be supplied with our branded presentation box and our Certificate of Authenticity.
Please see the HD video for more detail. All photos and videos are part of the description and are of the actual watch unless mentioned. We do not photoshop any pictures, and the images are copyright of birthyearwatches.com and should not be used without permission.
SIZE
Width with crown 41.4 mm
Width without crown 41.1 mm
Between lugs 19 mm
Lug to lug length 46.2 mm
Case Thickness 13.9 mm
Bracelet will fit a maximum wrist size of 202 mm, plus we have one extra link. The bracelet can be sized for you if you give us your wrist size when placing the order.
All sizes are approximate. The watch is photographed on a wrist of 190mm/7.5 inches.
Included with this watch is a 3 month guarantee and free delivery to UK addresses. If you live outside the UK we can still deliver to most countries. Please see our Worldwide Shipping information, or Contact Us. Payment can be made by most credit or debit cards, bank transfer or PayPal.
From 1st September 2021 we will be planting a tree for every watch we sell, working with the International Tree Foundation (Est 1922) to make this business positive on carbon. By buying anything pre owned you are effectively reusing what already exists, but this takes it further and makes us feel good.