![]() The first automatic chronograph was released in 1969 – a ground-breaking revelation that Seiko can proudly look back on. ![]() Seiko did beat cutting-edge brands like Breitling, Zenith, and Dubois Dépraz to it. It performed at a rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour – a cut above the standard 18,800 VPH What made this Seiko Chronograph so remarkable was a bilingual (Japanese and English) day-date feature at 3 o’clock. This part of the mechanism worked in conjunction with a centrally mounted rotor. It incorporated Seiko’s Magic lever (enabling the kinetic energy to be utilized regardless of whether the rotor turned clockwise or anticlockwise), which is still used in the company’s watches today. Seiko worked on the concept of the self-winding chronograph while the rest of the Japanese watch industry was focusing on the popular quartz. The Calibre 6139 was Seiko’s first self-winding chronograph, which took around two years to develop. The sub-dial at 6 o’clock is an elapsed minute counter and a running seconds display all in one, framed by a tachymeter scale around the edge of the dial. It features a golf stroke that is operated by the two push-buttons located on the left-hand side of the case. The stainless steel model that encased this caliber was a limited edition, which makes it an incredibly rare piece to come by on the second-hand market today. The elapsed minutes could then be read via the bezel and elapsed seconds via the regular dial. You’d have to align the triangular marker on the bezel with the tip of the minute hand to measure the timing. What made the Seiko Chronograph so interesting is that it had no elapsed time counter to measure anything longer than a minute. It featured a column wheel to control the start, stop, and return-to-zero functions. It was placed inside a 38.2mm wide case made from stainless steel, which sat on the wrist at 11.8mm in height. The watch launched in time for the 1969 Olympics incorporated a 6.1mm thick hand-wound caliber that, when the chronograph mechanism was switched on, would deliver around 38 hours of power at a frequency of 38,800 vibrations per hour. Seiko actually developed the Calibre 5719 first. The Calibre 1939, you may think? Nope – Seiko’s history in the chronograph movement started a little before that. Let’s take a journey through the hands of time and explore the milestones accomplished by Seiko in the development of its first chronograph, right through to some of its modern-day timepieces. Seiko grows its own quartz crystals for its quartz movements in a special facility – how neat is that? In terms of the company’s quartz movements – well, these are, too, made in-house. Its Spring Drive movements are also hand-assembled and entirely made independently from start to finish, albeit in a different manufacturing facility in Japan. They’re then subject to a line of stringent tests to approve of their accuracy and robustness. It’s worth noting that all automatic movements created by Seiko are hand-assembled and arranged with meticulous care and attention inside the brand’s manufacturing facilities. The Grand Seiko and Spring Drive are just two examples of the brand’s excellence in superior watchmaking, but what many don’t know is where it all started, and in particular, how it came to be the developer of the world’s first automatic chronograph movement. Since 1881 Seiko has been a master in creating a staggering range of diverse timekeeping products and is up there with some of the world’s most well-known watch manufacturers. They are the go-to brand if you want the precision of a Japanese movement combined with a sporty, robust, and distinct design. Seiko has been manufacturing quality movements, both quartz and mechanical, for years. When anyone says “Japanese movements,” you automatically think “Seiko,” right? And it’s no surprise as to why.
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