The Seiko 6105 Diver's Watch

Seiko is the most well known Japanese watch company. Most people know Seiko as the cheap Japanese watch that security guards and drivers wear. Faux gold versions of Seiko can be seen on the wrists of people who work in Saudi. Because of all this, the image of the Seiko watch company, a giant amongst the manufacturing industries of Japan, has been rendered cheap by most. Seikos are looked down upon by Swiss watch enthusiasts especially since Seikos are not chronometre watches. Chronometre is a grading for a watch which specifies that a watch cannot gain or lose by -4/+6 seconds on a daily basis. Quartz watches are more accurate than any other automatic watch out there. What most people do not know is that Seikos run by their own standards which in some ways can even better than the Swiss standard.

Back in the 60's, Seiko competed with the Swiss watch making companies for the observatory tests. Guess who won? Rolex, Patek, Omega and all the shining stars of the Swiss watch industry didn't even come close. Humble Seiko from Japan bested all of them and the proud Swiss stopped the observatory tests soon after Seiko won. In the 70's, Seiko almost decimated the Swiss watch industry with the quartz revolution. If it weren't for Nicholas Hayek, Seiko would have owned the Swiss watch industry today. Seiko also was seen in a lot of movies from James Bond to Apocalpyse now. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger wore Seiko all the time until he changed to Panerai and then to Audemars Piguet.




Apocalypse Now! (picture borrowed from http://www.larrybiggs.net/)



So going back, the Seiko 6105 is one of the earlier models that Seiko released for its diver's line of watches. The earlier ones such as the 6125 or the 62mas fetch an easy $3,000 to $5,000 on the market today. Heck, the astronomical watches that Seiko made back in the 60's easily fetches well over $100,000 today. The 6105 is an automatic watch with a pin-cushion case. It has a non-hacking movement meaning the seconds hand does not stop when you pull out the crown. It was popularized during the Vietnam war when American GIs bought Seiko watches during their tour of duty. The Americans were pleasantly surprised and that is what started the legend of the 6105. You can see Martin Sheen here wearing a Seiko 6105 in the movie Apocalypse now.



Seiko 6105 before

Last December, I found an old Seiko 6105 amongst my belongings. It was most likely my dad's. It has definitely seen better days and I thought it was probably used as a hockey puck with the way it looked. I shook it and was surprised! The second hand moved! There was still hope for this watch! I didn't really expect that I can still have it fixed properly but I thought I might as well give it a try. I took it to the watchmaker Loy. I knew him to be a Seiko expert and if anyone can fix this watch, it was him. Here is the watch in question.



Seiko 6105 after



Loy opened my watch up and looked at the movement. He said everything was all original inside but the hands needed to be replaced. The old luminova used had already deteriorated and caused damage to the watch's dial. The bezel also needed replacement. He identified it as from 1971. He told me to leave it with him for a few days and told me that fixing the watch will cost me US$50. I came back for it later that week anxious to see what restorations have been done. My jaw dropped when I saw it again. This has got to be the best US$50 I have ever spent. The watch looked new and was made water resistant again. The movement was overhauled and all gaskets were replaced. The dial, hands & bezel were also replaced. The crystal was polished and a new rubber strap was attached. I was impressed!

Here is a lume shot of this fantastic watch taken from my watch box.



Seiko 6105 luminosity




Seiko 6105 with shark mesh bracelet

After a few months of the watch spending time in my watch box, I decided to change the rubber strap to a bracelet. I thought of getting an oyster bracelet for it but decided against it when I saw a cheaper version of Omega's shark mesh bracelet available from an eBay seller from Canada wjean28. When the package arrived, I hurriedly went to the local watchmaker over at Gordons and had him attach it. It was beautiful! This watch which was originally just over $100. Today, this watch easily fetches $500. Here is the watch now fitted with my shark mesh bracelet.

This watch is currently older than me. It is 39 years old. I am hoping that I would be able to pass this magnificent specimen of a Seiko 6105 to my son along with my other watches. Truly Seiko watches are built to last. Any informed watch collector knows this. I dream of being able to afford a Grand Seiko ($3,000 and up) but I know what a lot of watch enthusiasts out there yearn for is the Seiko Credor which is priced at $150,000. Eat your heart out Patek Philippe!