# seiko 5 quartz



## Guest (Aug 4, 2015)

really? i have acquired some quartz watches, some are seiko 5 quartz, my initial thought was FAKES !! but being nosey i opened them up and all have vintage Seiko quartz movements from the 70`s era, anyway a quick search online and there are a few mentions of Seiko releasing the "5" models with quartz movements for a very short period and these watches are quite rare, can anyone confirm this, they are Seiko build quality bar 1 which is obvious crap. i was wondering if there was a language translation issue in the 70`s and seiko did not realise quick enough what they had done, just a thought

check out seiko 7123--8460-p, mine has an angled dial which would suit a driver if worn on the left hand, i will post pics later on if anyone is interested


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## ETCHY (Aug 3, 2004)

I'd like to see pics. A Seiko 5 quartz sounds like a great grab & go watch.

Dave


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## Guest (Aug 4, 2015)

after further googling,it seems they are real, i have 3, 2 will work i think, the 3rd has bits missing, also a vintage citizen with what looks like an unusual movement. pics later, eldest daughter passed her exams with flying colours and was promised a nice meal out, so will post again later this evening


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## kevkojak (May 14, 2009)

Here you go Bruce;

The "5" stands for the watch's 5 principal attributes:

1. Diaflex (unbreakable mainspring), 
2. Diashock (Seiko's shock resistant design, equivalent to the Swiss "Incabloc"), 
3. Automatic winding, 
4. day/date indication, and 
5. Water resistant.

The 5 logo has been applied to a wide variety of calibers and styles and is one of the few sub-brands still in use today. *As an aside, there are some early 1980's intro level quartz models that attempted to capitalize on the recognition of the 5 logo and were branded as Seiko 5's, even though they did not meet the definition of the 5 logo. Apparently this did not work well and was not used for very long. Finding vintage seiko 5 quartz watches is generally uncommon.*


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## Guest (Aug 4, 2015)

cheers Kev :thumbsup: what's the chance of getting 3 at once/ i think the seller thought hey were fakes


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## BarryW (Feb 20, 2004)

I was once told by the UK sales manager of Seiko that 5 stood for seconds, hours , minutes, day and date. Which makes more sense as it also applies to quartz - which the above does not


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## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

This is very interesting and may I just add to the debate? Not long ago, a watch dealer I know brought in to the market where he has a cabinet a number of unused Seiko 5 mechanical automatic watches, which he said came from a French jeweller who had found them lying in a stock room. I have bought one or two of these, and they work fine, although I haven't opened them up to examine the movements. However, I do wonder about the quality of these examples in general terms. It is almost as though the watches were made by a company other than Seiko, perhaps in agreement with Seiko themselves, and then branded as Seiko 5 automatics. There is a sort of black "rim" beneath the glass that goes round the edge of the dial, and it appears that this sort of ring or rim has slightly come away from the glass in places, and is not completely even. The hands and the date window also just don't seem to have the sort of quality one associates with Seiko watches. Did Seiko go through a bad period in the 1970s/early 1980s? Or was something else afoot with these models?

I would be most interested to hear your thoughts.


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## Guest (Aug 4, 2015)

BarryW said:


> I was once told by the UK sales manager of Seiko that 5 stood for seconds, hours , minutes, day and date. Which makes more sense as it also applies to quartz - which the above does not


and i was told it was ....day,date,automatic, water resistant and shock resistant ??



> This is very interesting and may I just add to the debate? Not long ago, a watch dealer I know brought in to the market where he has a cabinet a number of unused Seiko 5 mechanical automatic watches, which he said came from a French jeweller who had found them lying in a stock room. I have bought one or two of these, and they work fine, although I haven't opened them up to examine the movements. However, I do wonder about the quality of these examples in general terms. It is almost as though the watches were made by a company other than Seiko, perhaps in agreement with Seiko themselves, and then branded as Seiko 5 automatics. There is a sort of black "rim" beneath the glass that goes round the edge of the dial, and it appears that this sort of ring or rim has slightly come away from the glass in places, and is not completely even. The hands and the date window also just don't seem to have the sort of quality one associates with Seiko watches. Did Seiko go through a bad period in the 1970s/early 1980s? Or was something else afoot with these models?
> 
> I would be most interested to hear your thoughts.


you should post some pics Honour then some can tell you if they are real enough, i have only ever seen one fake and from a distance you couldn't tell, but up close it was a real shambles, i think if you check them under a loupe you will be able to tell if they are real, the details should be perfect, allowing of course for age related issues


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## Guest (Aug 4, 2015)

first is an 8c23-612L, the movement has been stripped for parts but still has a nice dial and hands so heading for the spares box



















this is a 7123-8460-P, this is saveable, the movement is a little "hairy" from a leaked battery, but i reckon it will be ok with a clean and service, i thought {DUH !! } that it was a "drivers" dial as it was in a strange position, but the dial feet had come away from the movement :wacko:



















next a lovely shimmering blue dialed 8c23-6100, ticks away happily, but will service it anyway, in far better nick than my crappy pics show



















also with the job lot was this very nice titanium v73-0P00, new battery and off it went.









there were a few other that i have not got around to yet, but i am well pleased about the quartz 5`s, they all need a bit of TLC but will come up nice i think...............B


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## BarryW (Feb 20, 2004)

Bruce said:


> BarryW said:
> 
> 
> > I was once told by the UK sales manager of Seiko that 5 stood for seconds, hours , minutes, day and date. Which makes more sense as it also applies to quartz - which the above does not
> ...


Well it was the UK sales manager who told me - so i suspect he would know what he is talking about. And if what you say is true then these Quartz 5's are fake


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## Guest (Aug 5, 2015)

BarryW said:


> Bruce said:
> 
> 
> > BarryW said:
> ...


i dont know what the true meaning is and its not really important, but these quartz 5`s are not fake, i suppose the only way to find out what the 5 means would be to contact seiko diectly

update: initially the"5" meant...Automatic winding,day/date display,water resistance,recessed crown at 4 position and durable case and bracelet [ this is from seiko themselves]


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## BarryW (Feb 20, 2004)

Bruce said:


> BarryW said:
> 
> 
> > Bruce said:
> ...


Yeah i did - i spoke to the sales manager - thats as direct as it gets


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## Guest (Aug 5, 2015)

BarryW said:


> Bruce said:
> 
> 
> > BarryW said:
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if you read my update, this is from seiko, i assume as the watches evolved maybe the "5" now stands for something else


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## BarryW (Feb 20, 2004)

nah - didn't read your update


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## scottswatches (Sep 22, 2009)

BarryW. I work in sales and haven't a clue about most things I sell. The trick is to sound convincing. Kevkojak's list is accurate.

Love the titanium POO model


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## Guest (Aug 5, 2015)

just out of interest i have contacted seiko direct to see in the orginal meaning of "5" has been updated to cover the more modern models

IE it was originaly ..automatic, daydate, water resistant, reccesed crown at 4, durable case and bracelet. [ from Seiko]

i shouldnt be surprised if Kevs list is now accurate


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## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

Fascinating thread, and thanks Bruce, for the advice. I intend to do some photography when I can really use my digital camera, i.e., without excessive pain and stiffness in neck, arm and hand. Actually, I can show a friend of mine the watch and he will be able to examine the movement and tell me if it is a genuine Seiko 5 while I will take another, closer, look at the watches to0 see what the quality is like under magnification.


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## Guest (Aug 6, 2015)

here is the answer from Seiko Japan, straight from the horses mouth so to speak, so i guess this is the definitive answer. the Seiko 5 range have obviously evolved greatly :yes:

Thank you for your email regarding the Seiko 5 model.

The watch had five key attributes :

1. Automatic winding

2. Day/date displayed in a single window

3. Water resistance

4. Recessed crown at the 4 o'clock position

5. Durable case and bracelet

I hope you will find this useful.


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## kevkojak (May 14, 2009)

Bruce said:


> just out of interest i have contacted seiko direct to see in the orginal meaning of "5" has been updated to cover the more modern models
> 
> IE it was originaly ..automatic, daydate, water resistant, reccesed crown at 4, durable case and bracelet. [ from Seiko]
> 
> i shouldnt be surprised if Kevs list is now accurate


Mine was nicked from another forum - didn't sound quite right, but looked convincing enough.

Out of interest, who is the Seiko UK sales manager these days, still Tony? Not seen him for about 6 years.


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## Guest (Aug 6, 2015)

kevkojak said:


> Bruce said:
> 
> 
> > just out of interest i have contacted seiko direct to see in the orginal meaning of "5" has been updated to cover the more modern models
> ...


i still find it amusing that they made quartz 5`s

does Tony exist ?


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## BarryW (Feb 20, 2004)

scottswatches said:


> Bruce said:
> 
> 
> > kevkojak said:
> ...


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## Guest (Aug 6, 2015)

i never asked about the quartz 5`s as they are obviously real, there is little on the web about them , but enough to confirm they are not fakes, also the build quality, movement types and model/seriel numbers all lead to a BIG :thumbsup:


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## kevkojak (May 14, 2009)

Excellent find anyway Bruce, I'll have my eyes peeled for a Quartz 5 now. :naughty:


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## Guest (Aug 11, 2015)

kevkojak said:


> Excellent find anyway Bruce, I'll have my eyes peeled for a Quartz 5 now. :naughty:


not many about and very little info either, i doubt they are worth much, but a nice bit of history, i have 3 of them stripped at the moment and will rebuild once i can source a couple of coils, got too many projects


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## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

There is seemingly just no end to Seiko models and variations. Amazing company that and one of the best to collect. My own Seikos just seem to become more numerous without my conscious attempt to build up a Seiko collection.


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

I have replaced cells in a Seiko 5 for a (sadly now) deceased friend without realising it was in any way rare-ish, I just assumed as did Honor, that it was just another Seiko with a Q movement.

It was a well used watch, worn as a works beater for many years and built like a battleship compared with the usual far east offerings - - from memory it was pretty likely Bruce's 7123 one above :yes:


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## Guest (Aug 12, 2015)

they seem pretty good quality, jeweled movements etc


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