# My 6138 Review



## messym (May 1, 2005)

Apologies for the large pics and quality.

I first saw the 6138 on a photo montage on another forum. There were two infront of a box for Gran Turismo 4 and I thought they looked fantastic.

I'd always been a motorsport fan and this picture struck a chord with me. I had owned a Tissot PRS516 before, but it had been a quartz version and I was intrigued by the 6138 movement with the vertical clutch etc, as I'd owned automatic watches before and preferred them to battery powered.

In fact the only battery powered watch I own is a Citizen Promaster Chrono that was a present from my wife when we went on our first holiday together.

I saw this 6138-8039 for sale on RLT and ordered it together with a black sharkgrain leather strap. It is quite simply gorgeous and I will be keeping this one for certain.

The 6138-8039 is the smaller version of the 6138, the larger being the 6138-0011 and then the huge bullhead versions.

The dial is black with gold windows and the tachymeter scale is under the crystal as opposed to surrounding it on the larger 6138's. The case is in almost mint condition as is the crystal and caseback. The dial itself has a minute amount of fading on the gold coloured 1/5 second ring inside the tachymeter ring. The hands and datewheel are in excellent condition.

Although I haven't checked the accuracy to any detail, it keeps time well and is a testament to Seiko considering this watch will be approximately 30 yrs old in 2007.

I love the retro look and the leather strap really complements the black dial.

Having fallen for this 6138, I am hoping to acquire another one very soon. This will be a 6138-0011 version, as in the GT4 montage.

Also, the retro bug has truly bitten. I'm coming to the end of my legal training now and so have no longer the need to sell/trade watches on to fund my studying and my student debts. I've also just received a Zeno Explorer with the ETA movement, as I love the design and certainly could not afford the original version.


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## Ironpants (Jul 1, 2005)

Welcome to the club messym.

6138s have some great colour combinations, though I don't like the bullhead and helemet cases. The added benefit is the ability to hand wind and the quick change day/date 

The brown is a great combination and I hope you enjoy wearing it.

Toby


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

This is my area of interest too.

Word of warning though.

The market place has cottoned onto the desireability of these watches and the following they have, and so prices are starting to reflect this.

Nice 6138's ain't cheap anymore, especially the Bullheads which are percieved by many to be Seiko's definitive 70's design.


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## deano42 (Jun 12, 2005)

Ironpants said:


> 6138s have some great colour combinations, though I don't like the bullhead and helemet cases.
> 
> Toby


...phew, that more for me:












Andy said:


> Word of warning though.
> 
> The market place has cottoned onto the desireability of these watches and the following they have, and so prices are starting to reflect this.


This is very ture, but the old advise, "buy the seller" goes a long way.!

Thanks for sharing messym and welcome to the club.

deano


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Glad I got mine, from a great seller too


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

jasonm said:


> Glad I got mine, from a great seller too


That wouldn't be a certain Mr Taylor would it Jase?


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

I think it was originaly, then it was JonW's

Now its mine, all mine I tell ya!!! Mooohooha ha


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## Isthmus (Sep 29, 2005)

Here are two of mine (sadly the one on the right sold last week):



















Here are some pictures of my 6138-0011 with a replacement strap:




























I also have a black bullhead in need of a decen bezel insert and a Helmet-Head like Deano's in need of a new crystal and a good servicing.


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## Ironpants (Jul 1, 2005)

Isthmus said:


>


Now there is another face/case style I like









Toby


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## Isthmus (Sep 29, 2005)

BTW, if you are interested in other 6138's here are some catalog pics of most of the different variants (including yours) from 1976, as well as a few 6139 & 7016 chrono's (Click on the image for a full sized picture):

   

Also if you are interested here is a guide on Bullheads some of use put together. It has good advice on the 6138 movement as well:

*HOW TO BUY A BULLHEAD*


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## deano42 (Jun 12, 2005)

Isthmus said:


> Here are two of mine (sadly the one on the right sold last week):


Its a small world.! It was sold to one of my friends here in Finland.!

Thanks

deano


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