DC Vintage Watches is pleased to offer for bidding this beautiful pre-loved vintage early 1976 Seiko 6139 automatic chronograph, aka the “Helmet,” presented on a dark brown leather NATO strap. This Seiko keeps accurate time for a vintage watch; we timed it with the Twixt app – discussed in this Hodinkee article here – and found that it lost 35.6 seconds a day, within tolerance for a watch of this vintage. The 6139 has day and date displays, and its automatic movement is a known reliable workhorse. The 6139 is a single register chronograph that allows time to be measured in increments of a half-hour. The 6139 is a historical movement, one of the first automatic chronograph movements ever created and ranks up there with the El Primero movement by Zenith/Movado. In the 1970’s, Heuer and the El Primero had taken a foothold of the entire sports watch industry by racing to become the first to produce an automatic chronograph. It has been a feat debated who really won between the two, but in the background of this skirmish, Seiko quietly created one to call their own – the 6139.
This 6139 gets its nickname, “helmet,” from its highly unique case shape. Seiko placed their movements into multiple highly unique cases, leading to a plethora of out of the ordinary shapes and sizes – and for its ability to stand out on the wrist! The 6139 was the first chronograph to have a vertical clutch, a feature considered by many to be one of the hallmarks of a superior automatic chronograph movement. The 6139 also features automatic column wheel timing control and is an integrated chronograph, which means the entire 6139 movement was designed and built to be a chronograph , vice being an automatic movement with a mere timing module added to make it one.
The 6139 does not have an independent constant second hand, and the only time a hand – aside from the hour and minute hands – is in motion is when the chronograph is engaged. One highly unique aspect of this movement is the quick-set date. To set the day, push the crown in all the way until it turns. Then, to set the day, press it a bit more firmly. Finally, a vintage Seiko buyer’s guide, offered by Hodinkee, can be found here
The 6139’s ruggedness and reliability is well-known, as its basic design has been proven over past decades in various forms. To wit, from humble beginnings Seiko was founded in 1881, when Kintarō Hattori's vision for Seiko led him to open a watch shop in Tokyo, Japan. Eleven years later, in 1892, Hattori began to produce clocks under the name Seikosha, translated roughly as “House of Exquisite Workmanship.” Indeed, as recently stated in Hodinkee article, “Ten Vintage Watches That Should Be More Expensive Than They Are, And Why” – “In this list, we’ll take you through ten watches that we think should be selling for more money than they are, and we’ll tell you why. Oh, and there isn't a single Rolex on this list….What is there to say about vintage Seiko besides “great watches for the money?” Seiko has been making mechanical watches since 1913, and Grand Seiko has been around since 1961 – with a host of cool designs and interesting, even high-beat, movements…If you're looking for just a nice old watch, any vintage mechanical Seiko will do.” DC Vintage Watches is happy to offer this 6139 Helmet as another example of the fine workmanship and innovation that continues the Seiko tradition.
As our name indicates, DC Vintage greatly respects classic manual movement timepieces - usually originating from the vintage or retro era spanning from the 1950's to 1990's - for the care taken during this period by Swiss, American, and Japanese companies to ensure owner’s of these timepieces had a keepsake worthy of lasting decades (and most likely longer) - all at an affordable price. We aim to bring these beautiful and interesting watches, the type people will undoubtedly notice on your wrist, to auction winners every week! You won't find anything boring here at DC Vintage Watches - just our unique selection of curated vintage and retro wristwatches!
DCVW has shunned quartz since our inception in 2012, and will continue to solely auction quality manual movements, with an eye to outstanding workmanship!
DIAL: Brilliant and sharply detailed aftermarket white dial with aftermarket black hour, minute, and chronograph hands. Day/date – with Spanish/English variants – at 3 o’clock position works nicely. Grayish-silver chapter ring, with tachymeter, is original. Lume shines faintly, per picture.
CASE: Original 41mm (w/o crown) x 49mm stainless steel case in pre-loved condition.
CRYSTAL: Crystal is scratch-free.
BAND: New 20mm dark brown leather Clockwork Synergy NATO strap - a nice complement to the vintage nature of this Seiko 6139.
MOVEMENT: Original Seiko 6139-7100 automatic movement, manufactured in January 1976.
CROWN: Original unsigned stainless steel crown.
CHRONOGRAPH PUSHERS: Chronograph pushers depress with satisfying click, no stick. Black chronograph main and subdial hands reset with no issue, per picture.
PHOTOS: Are of the actual item for sale and correctly reflect the condition of the vintage watch for sale. Please inspect the pictures closely while disregarding the dust specks/prints on the watch – these pictures are highly detailed and are part of the watch/auction description.
No box & papers, but DC Vintage Watches guarantees this watch is authentic
DC Vintage Watches does not guarantee any water-proofing given the age and vintage nature of the watch up for auction.
Winner, please remit payment within three days from close of auction; DCVW ships same day following receipt of cleared payment.
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Please note, a bid is a binding contract to buy the item in this auction
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WORLDWIDE - $20.00 USD
USA - $5.00
Item location: Washington, D.C., United States
Shipping to: United States, Canada, Europe, Central/South America, Asia, Australia, Africa, and parts of the Middle East
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