Seikosha were an earlier name for Seiko, and this model was the first Japanese made chronograph watch ever.
HOW DO WE DATE THIS WATCH?
Many of these were made of the Japanese military in WW2, which is where we get the date from. However this one does not have any military markings, so much have been for civilian use. The model was launched in 1941, and the factory was destroyed in 1945, so we can not be too far away on the date.
CONDITION
Seiko have history going back to 1881, but the first timepieces to be made by them were in 1892 when the first wall clocks featured their brand name Seikosha. In 1895 this expanded to pocket watches, and the name wasn’t shortened to Seiko on any product until 1924. Japan’s first wrist watch was named Laurel, even though it was made by Seikosha.
This Seikosha pocket chronograph is a beautifully designed and made piece of horology. You have a monopusher set into the crown, so you can start, stop and reset the stopwatch with a single button. The crown also is used to wind and set the hands, but making complex things easy to operate is a skill. The chromed case may surprise some, but it is not unusual on watches made during the conflict years – stainless steel was reserved for more demanding purposes. When compared to one in the Seiko book, the hands, dial crown and even the bow look to be all original. The dial has some patina, but the blued hands are excellent. Everything is working correctly, and we are pleased to offer the oldest Seiko (or Seikosha) we have ever been able to.
This watch will be supplied with our basic 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 54.1 mm (excluding bow)
Width without crown 43.8 mm
Case Thickness 12.4 mm
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.
