DCVW presents for bidding a vintage late 1977 Seiko 6139-7100 blue-dialed automatic chronograph, presented on a Clockwork Synergy over/under nylon strap; this 6139 (which debuted in 1969) keeps accurate time for a vintage watch. This 6139 gets its nickname, “helmet,” from its highly unique case shape.
The 6139 - a historical movement in its own right - was one of the first automatic chronograph movements created and ranks up there with the El Primero movement by Zenith/Movado. Back 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. For an interesting background of this skirmish, and a comparison between the Zenith and the 6139, check out this Fratello article, "Seiko 6139 versus Zenith El Primero A386," Monochrome's, "It Was 40 Years Ago? The First Automatic Chronograph," and Hodinkee's, "Seiko 6139, The Other First Automatic Chronograph," as well as this in-depth fascinating article on the struggle in "Project 99 - The Race to Develop the World's First Automatic Chronograph." As noted by Fratello, "If you're into vintage watches and you're not buying vintage Seiko, chronographs or otherwise, you need to get with the program. The value to be had is beyond compare and the quality of all the pieces are easily on par (or better) with the bulk of the Swiss pieces from the same era." Furthermore, as noted by respected watch periodical, Hodinkee, "For chronographs, especially bold, well-made chronographs, [Seiko] is where it's at sub-$1,000." Also, check out their, "At The Bench The Restoration Of A Seiko 6139-6005"
The 6139 has day and date displays, and its automatic movement is a known reliable workhorse operating at a frequency of 21,600 bph, and it is a single register chronograph that allows time to be measured in increments of a half-hour. 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. The 6139's ruggedness and reliability is well-known, as its basic design has been proven over past decades in various forms.
Seiko placed their movements into multiple highly unique cases, leading to a plethora of out of the ordinary shapes and sizes - not to mention allowing them the 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 an automatic column wheel timing control, vertical coupling mechanism, and is an integrated chronograph - the first in the world - 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. With this movement, Seiko set the standard, which was followed by the Swiss watch industries 20 years later. The same movement configuration was adopted by Rolex when it made its own in-house movement for the Daytona in 2000, 30 years after Seiko released the caliber 6139 and 6138.
The gold sunburst "Pepsi" 6139-6002 variant of the 6139 is famous for being worn by U.S. astronaut Colonel William Pogue, hence the nickname, "Pogue," during the 1973 Skylab 4 mission. Pogue wore his 6139 - despite not obtaining NASA authorization - to time shuttle engine burns due to his familiarity with the watch and his trust in its capabilities. The actual watch worn by Pogue went for an amazing $6,000 at auction! Check out his interactions with a fan regarding Pogue-s use of the 6139, here. The nickname "Pogue" is commonly associated with the 6002 and 6005 variants of the 6139. The great Seiko blog, WristSushi, devoted an in-depth thread to the Pogue, complete with links to other articles, and its rather unique history, here.
A Worn&Wound article specifically examining the 6139 movement and its variations can be read in, "Affordable Vintage: 1970 Seiko 6139 Chronograph." Related, definitely read this amazing Adventures in Amateur Watch Fettling in-depth examination of the 6139 movement, "Flying Saucer: The Seiko 6139-7020 Speed-Timer." Also, we recommend this excellent article from the same site, "Separated at Birth - A Pair of 6139?s." Finally, Hodinkee wrote a vintage Seiko buyer's guide, "In Depth: Your Vintage Seiko Chronograph Buying Guide," and a similar guide, offered by WatchUSeek, can be found here.
To wit, from humble beginnings Seiko was founded in 1881, when Kintar Hattori's vision 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...What is there to say about vintage Seiko besides 'great watches for the money.' 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 as another example of the fine workmanship and innovation that continues the Seiko tradition - because, let's face it, Seiko's are awesome!
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: Aftermarket detailed black dial, aftermarket minute, hour, and chronograph hands; lume shines (per picture, following exposure to light). Day/date at 3 o'clock position work as designed, with Arabic/English day variants.
CASE: Original 41mm (39.5 w/o crown/pushers) x 49mm stainless steel case in pre-loved condition, with original caseback - case has nice sharp corners.
CRYSTAL: Acrylic crystal, scratch-free.
BAND: New 20mm red, gray, and black over/under Clockwork Synergy nylon strap, with stainless steel hardware. Clockwork Synergy is an established quality strap company, local to DCVW; their website can be found, here.
MOVEMENT: Original Seiko 17-jewel 6139 automatic movement, manufactured in February 1977.
CROWN: Recessed unsigned stainless steel crown.
CHRONOGRAPH PUSHERS: Chronograph pushers depress with satisfying click, no stick. Red chronograph main and subdial hands reset as designed to 0 with no issue.
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. Please note, a bid is a binding contract to buy the item in this auction
Check out this informative HODINKEE article, "Hodinkee Guide To Buying Watches On eBay." Likewise , the following two articles provide a great background, Fratello's, "Buyer's Guide - Beware of the Scammer," and Quill&Pad's, "Six Ways To Spot A Fake Even When You Don?t Know How To Spot A Fake."
INTERNATIONAL BUYERS:
RETURN POLICY:
SHIPPING POLICY:
All of our shipments are insured, included in the shipping cost!
USPS Priority shipping takes approximately 3-6 business days domestic and USPS First Class 14-21 business days delivery time for international; international orders can take longer depending on a country's customs policies.
WORLDWIDE - $17.99 USD
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
Excludes: Italy, Iraq, Yemen, Belarus, Burma, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, and Zimbabwe.
In the unlikely even there is an issue with your purchase, please give DC Vintage Watches the opportunity to correct it.
Negative feedback or opening a case is unnecessary; we strive to do all that we can to ensure your complete satisfaction.
No gambling with our vintage watches, getting better with time!