# Old Seiko Chrono Bought Today.



## Guest (Feb 1, 2005)

I know we have some Seiko freaks on this forum so here's one for you.

Bought some old watches today and one was this 5717-8990

Never seen one before, a one button chronograph. The dial has a bit of lacquer lift but its running OK apart from the chrono. However with some adjustment of the crown wheel the chrono will run so obviously needs cleaning and adjustment.

Movement is a 21j 5717A.

Does the Olympic torch on the caseback have any significance?

Anyone know anything about it? Please say it's very valuable.


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## K.I.T.T. (Sep 5, 2003)

Well the seiko date calculator says it's from April 1966... Was an Olympics held in that year?????

Lovely looking watch... You've got another good purchase there Neil... Is it still working ok????

Mike


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## ESL (Jan 27, 2004)

I like the look of that one Neil, unusual column-wheel layout.


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## mach 0.0013137 (Jan 10, 2005)

I don`t know anything about it apart from the fact its seriously cool
















also I seem to have gone a strange shade of green







lucky bugger


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Hi Neil....





















You bugger!!!!

Yes its quite valuable.....April 1966 comemorating the olympics, just searched some old threads somewhere else and some went for between 300-500 $ on eboy....Well done ......Get it fettled and it could be a nice earner...









Or let one of us Seiko freaks be very happy







( Ooo oo me sir, pick me!!!)


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

That is very rare. Last one I sold was four years ago on Ebay to a Japanese collector.

It was is slightly better condition and fetched Â£300.


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

66 was not an Olympic year but 76 was.







or they made them two years in advance.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

> or they made them two years in advance.


Probably ....Japanese efficiency


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## K.I.T.T. (Sep 5, 2003)

I think that 1964 was the Tokyo Olympics though....

Mike


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Yeah , your right Mike....More searching has turned up that this was Seikos first chronograph...


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## K.I.T.T. (Sep 5, 2003)

It could be:

5th Asian Games 1966 Bangkok (Thailand)

I have a torch emblem on the back of a 2505 Ladies watch which looks very similar... It was made for the Asian Games... but that one has 'Asian Games' across the torch emblem...

Mike


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

No Mike, it was deffo the '64 Tokyo Olympics.....


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

I can see Neil rubbing his hands together.


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## K.I.T.T. (Sep 5, 2003)

I don't blame him


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Come on Neil, we know your reading this!!









Stop ringing the travel agent


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## K.I.T.T. (Sep 5, 2003)

Or is it the estate agent....!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Guest (Feb 1, 2005)

Yahoo!









Thanks very much Gents. Very interesting history.

The watch is not perfect, but probably worth the Â£15 I gave for it.


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## namaste (May 8, 2003)

Another amazing find by Mr Neil! Congratulations and thanks for sharing!


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## K.I.T.T. (Sep 5, 2003)

Â£15!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!










































































You have a 'Knack' of getting a good deal...!!!!!!!!!

Congrats on a very good deal!

Mike


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

> but _probably _worth the Â£15 I gave for it


I sounds to me you have doubts Neil....I can help


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## K.I.T.T. (Sep 5, 2003)




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## ESL (Jan 27, 2004)

Great find Neil, worth a bit of sympathetic restoring methinks? At the very least a service and adjustment anyway.

Well Done.


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## Stately (Dec 4, 2004)

"Please say it's very valuable.









Don't laugh Neil.

Actually.

It is quite valuable.

That was the first automatic Seiko chrono ever produced and the fact that it was produced with the commerative case back makes it all the more desirable.

I'd say between Â£250-400

More expensive than some Omega's of the era


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## Guest (Feb 2, 2005)

Stately said:


> "Please say it's very valuable.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hello Stately

It is not actually an automatic chronograph.









.......and not worth as much as any Omega chronograph of the era.









BTW welcome to the forum.


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## Guest (Feb 2, 2005)

K.I.T.T. said:


> Â£15!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks Mike.

It's not really a knack, I've been collecting and buying watches for about 25 years so like my chum Foggy I usually have a good idea of the value of what I am looking at.









I have very little knowledge of Seikos compared to many but I knew it was an early model, I had never seen a one button Seiko chrono before or one with that back.

Therefore I guessed it must be reasonably rare.


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## Stately (Dec 4, 2004)

Neil.

My mistake, although I didn't actually mean to say automatic.

Just a bit sleepy.

Got auto's on the brain at the moment.

No excuse to someone who never makes mistakes I suppose









There is one of those on display in the Seiko Institute of Horology in Tokyo by the way.


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## Guest (Feb 2, 2005)

Stately said:


> Neil.
> 
> My mistake, although I didn't actually mean to say automatic.
> 
> ...


That is true, I never make mistakes.

















Thanks for the info re the Seiko institute.


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## Simon (Feb 23, 2003)

Hi everyone, I am a long time lurker but this intrigued me enough to post. I've been after this watch for many a year, my father had one when I was young (long since lost, the watch and my father) and I've been looking for one for sentimental reasons for ages. I used to post want to buy's on some forums but never got a response so gave up a few years ago now. I've been doing a weekly google on olympics and seiko for ages just on the off chance along with the main watch forums and ebay but with very little success. I did find one once but got snipped (I think that's the term my computer skills amount to very little) at the last second.

Then, all of a sudden I find this posting here and one on ebay in the same week! ebay #4966029124. (sorry I don't know how to do do the link thing)

Is this the same watch or have 2 come into circulation at the same time I wonder? I'm assuming it is one in the same, too much of a co-incidence for anything else so hopefully Neil I will be able to get it after all.

Thank you

Simon.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Hi Simon,

Welcome to the forum.

I'll take a look at that, I quite fancy a Seiko chrono too. I only have one Seiko and that's a kinetic, fine watch but not a chrono.


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## K.I.T.T. (Sep 5, 2003)

Hello Simon

If you don't win the eBay auction the best place to find another one is of course going to be the WTB on the Seiko & Citizen Watch Forum...

Good luck with the eBay Auction although I think that you'll have some competition since as you've already discovered it isn't a common watch... But since you've been looking for so long & have compelling sentimental reasons for acquiring the watch you'll probably be willing to go much further than the average Seiko collector... But hardcore Seiko collectors are in my experience a very tenacious bunch... and that is a hardcore Seiko collectors watch...

Mike


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

Hi Simon, welcome to the forum....Ive looked at the ebay item and it does seem to be the same one, its a rare one indeed, good luck if you go for it, if you have any more questions im sure Neil will be able to oblige.....


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## Guest (Feb 9, 2005)

Yes it is my Seiko.

I started it at 99p with no reserve so everyone can have a go. That's what auctions are all about.

To be honest I didn't have much interest in the watch but I realised it was rare which is why I bought it.

I didn't want to sell it privately because they come up so rarely and I had no idea of the value.

Roy sold his for Â£300 some years back, however there a a few faults with mine, lacquer lifting on dial, chrono not working correctly so very difficult to judge.

Ebay will find the true value and all Seiko collectors worldwide will get a chance to bid on it.

I think a lot of people will be interested in the final price as it will act as a benchmark for future sales and if it fetches a decent amount I think quite a few other original Seiko chrono's will appear out of the woodwork as they did when the Speedmaster 125 went through the roof.


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## K.I.T.T. (Sep 5, 2003)

Hello Neil

I think that is the right thing to do... As you say...



> Ebay will find the true value and all Seiko collectors worldwide will get a chance to bid on it.


Good luck























Mike


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## ODA223 (Feb 11, 2009)

neil said:


> I know we have some Seiko freaks on this forum so here's one for you.
> 
> Bought some old watches today and one was this 5717-8990
> 
> ...


NEIL

I HAVE ONE OF THESE WATCHES THAT I PURCHASED JULY 3, 1967 IN SOUTH VIETNAM FROM AN ARMY PX. THE CLERK TOLD ME THIS WATCH WAS ONLY AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNATIONAL MARKET AND NOT AVAILABLE IN THE U.S.A. THE TORCH ON THE BACK TELLS YOU THE WATCH IS A COMMERATIVE FOR THE ASIAN GAMES THAT WERE HELD IN BANGKOK THAILAND IN 1966. I HAVE ONLY SEEN TWO OF THESE WATCHES, BOTH IN 1967, MY COMMANDING OFFICER HAD ONE I HAD THE OTHER. HE WANTED TO TRADE FOR MINE BECAUSE IT HAD A LUMINUS DIAL. THIS IS A RUGGED WATCH IN SPITE OF IT'S SMALL SIZE. A PROVEN COMBAT TESTED WATCH IS WHAT THIS ANIMAL IS, WATER PROOF, SHOCK PROOF, AND BLOOD PROOF. YES, BLOOD PROOF. MY WATCH WAS DRENCHED IN MY BLOOD FOR THREE WEEKS BEFORE IT WAS RETURNED TO ME SO I COULD CLEAN IT. THE WATCH HAD THE CRYSTAL REPLACED IN THE MID 1970'S AND CLEANED. THAT WAS THE LAST TIME IT WAS CLEANED AND STILL KEEPS GOOD TIME AND FUNCTIONS LIKE A CHAMP. THE WATCH WAS STOLEN IN 1987 WHEN MY HOUSE WAS BROKEN INTO AND RECOVERED BY ME FROM A LOCAL PAWN SHOP TWO YEARS LATER. THE ONLY THING I KNOW ABOUT THE VALUE IS MINE IS PRICELESS. I PAID $26 FOR IT IN 1967. FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

[email protected]


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## Guest (Feb 18, 2009)

The posting is 4 years old, and Neil has not been seen on this forum for 4 years, therefore I think it unlikely that you'll get a SHOUT from him.


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