Seiko and the Intimate Accessory

Tastes evolve over time and so does a collection. While my first love includes Art Deco watches from the 1920s and 1930s, my collection is not exclusively those eras or that aesthetic.

My eclectic taste includes a growing interest in Seiko watches. I've featured a couple in previous blogs but thought I'd devote this post to just Seiko. Cool, iconic, inexpensive (many) and plenty in the marketplace to choose from; this is perhaps why Seiko has a place in my collection.

Seiko's founder Kintaro Hattori

 

"The wristwatch is an intimate accessory.

The best watches live in harmony and

interact with the wearer, and

their functions offer a reassuring and

emotional satisfying bond."

The above quote is attributed to Seiko's founder. Maybe a bit sappy and probably written for marketing purposes, it stuck with me none the less.

1975 Seiko 6138-2020 Panda

Yah, I added a couple of popular iconic Seiko's to my collection including the Panda above and the Captain Willard I featured in another post here and pictured below. But I've also added some modern, some humble vintage and some that fall somewhere in between.

1972 6105-8020 Captain Willard

I do have a growing selection of modern diver's too, including the SKX009 staple below despite the fact that I've never gone diving; does going swimming with some of them count? As Hodinkee wrote in "The (Almost) Inexplicable Popularity Of the Diver's Watch", I share some of the editorials irrational (and perhaps rational) reasoning for having diver watches in my collection.

2017 SKX009

Then there is the multitude of chronographs to choose from, both modern and vintage including the Panda above. I haven't really found the need to time anything; although I did time how long it took me to completely dissemble a chronograph once.

1975 7015-5029 Monaco

Part collecting is also having fun with accessories like sourcing a modern take of the original strap for the Monaco above (the original strap I still have safely tucked away). I found Reef at Wristwatchme (link is to Instagram, his website is under construction) to put his spin on the original; I think he did a great job.

A "modern" chronograph 1997 7T34-6A90 Flightmaster

And the last watch picked from my Seiko collection, a sports model from the mid 1960s below. Humble, simple, and inexpensive.

1966 6619-8190 "Sportsmatic 5"

Finally, I wish all of you well during these trying times. I recognize speaking about watches may not reflect the reality of many facing some extremely difficult circumstances, it does provide however, at least for me, an escape and distraction from these hard times.

Stay safe, #stayhome and #plankthecurve.