There's something about them. Watch design suddenly seemed to become less inhibited, and we had Seiko, Omega, Heuer and Zenith all coming up with their own take on the concept of a wristwatch with a built-in stopwatch. My passion for and subsequent involvement in motor racing probably meant that I would inevitably develop an interest in chronographs.
One such, the Seiko 6139 "Pogue" was one of the watches which really grabbed my attention back then, and when I started to collect watches I went on the hunt for one. I found this one on eBay a good few years ago, before it became infested with too many frankens and fakes. After a service (again, a few years ago watchmakers weren't as hesitant about servicing Seiko column-wheel chronographs) and an ATG Vintage Racing strap (no longer available), it's one of the watches that I wouldn't sell:
I began to take more of an interest in Seiko's chronographs, and particularly the 6138's. They're easier to live with than the 6139 as they can be hand-wound. They also have beautifully balanced designs, and subtle colours. I have three, two of which have been serviced in my ownership. I must get around to having the Panda done, but it works perfectly and the timekeeping is still perfectly acceptable.
I love the dial texture on this:
And a group shot:
Every so often you see something which makes you catch your breath - something which ticks so many boxes for you, and all at once. Such a watch was the Zenith El Primero 01-0200-415, more easily remembered as the "Big Blue". It's big and it's blue. It has a dial shaped like an early TV set, a square with rounded corners. It has a unique "rocker" for operating the chrono buttons. It's big (I may have mentioned this already) and there aren't many left from the production run of 2000 made up of 1500 with blue dials and 500 with black, which explains why they're difficult to get hold of. I missed out on a couple on SC in the last year or so, and the chance of finding one with an unblemished dial and bezel (polished and a bit vulnerable) is remote.
Remote, but still feasible:
The dial and chapter ring look a bit grey in the above shots, but an iPhone Q&D picks up the colour better:
This watch couldn't be more 70's if it wore flares and platform shoes. There's a good write-up and some history on Worn and Wound here:
http://wornandwound.com/a-look-at-th...imero-tv-case/
The watch isn't perfect - there are a couple of scratches on the crystal, and although it is possible to fit additional bracelet links they're not exactly easy to find. As it is, mine fits a 7.5" wrist, but no more. And the crown, recessed and protected by the rocker is small and fiddly to operate.
I can live with that.
Well, I like them too. And I blame this place, as my collection was limited to year 2000 onwards models before I joined the slippery slope....
In fact I have owned 3 out of the 4 seiko models you have! I have not had a Panda yet but it's only a matter of time...
That Zenith is very nice, I had not come across this before. Excellent find!
Nice vintage chronos.
Love the Zenith👍👍
For many this particular 1970s chrono is an icon, but it left me cold - and the collection very quickly :
On the wrist it just looked nothing to me. There was beauty in the '70s, but I couldn't find it here.
H
Backward Point - I like your taste.
The Zenith has always appealed and has some lovely design features, but the usability of the crown - is it a pain?
Haywood - purely in terms of aesthetics, there are some lovely design features. Out of interest, do you like them in photos but just not on your wrist?
Nice collection there.
Flares and platform shoes, eeee them were he days
Cool collection there, love the Zenith particularly.
Best Regards - Peter
I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.
It's fiddly. Because the crown is relatively tiny and there's not much of a gap between it and the rocker it's hard to wind the watch because you can't turn the crown more than about a quarter of a revolution at a time. The El Primero is different to most movements in that the first click adjusts the hands, the second adjusts the date, so setting the hands with the crown still shrouded by the rocker is, shall we say, time-consuming.Originally Posted by Tahiti
The inside corners of the rocker are quite sharp, which doesn't help either. I still think that it's a fabulous looking watch, and it's an automatic, so the winding issue isn't too much of a problem. Thank you for the kind comments - like most people here, I've gone through a lot of watches in the search for my "niche", and I think I've found it And Haywood - I've seen reports that the Newman Daytona, although a "grail" for many, looks rather small and underwhelming on the wrist. If I could, I'd still like the chance to find out for myself though!
Thanks, Olli.
I'll probably end up selling it to you at some point!
I was very tempted the last time a TV dial Zenith appeared on SC and also whenever the square speedmaster appears. I've a seventies tv dial Omega three hander but my earliest chrono is my eighties Picard.
I'm a big fan of chronographs too, half of my collection in fact but there is always room for more. Especially the panda dial Seiko!
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Lovely collection of chronos.
Thanks, Michael. Now you know why the Planet Ocean went!
The Seikos have become a labour of love. Too many of them have been cobbled together in Filipino sweatshops from bits of other watches - the blue dialled 6138 turned out to be one such. Apparently the dial and chapter ring were glued in place, and it suffered from the broken centre chromo wheel which afflicts this calibre, and is just about unobtainable now, although I've managed to find a couple.
The Zenith lost five seconds in 24 hours, so there's not too much wrong with it. At some point I'll send it to Duncan or Rocco for a service and new crystal, but for now I'm just enjoying it.
Have a good weekend, everybody!
1977
Had just ditched the flares in favour of drainpipes, pointy shoes and a leather jacket as the punk era really took hold
Saw one of these and fell in love with it, more expensive than the one we all know at the time so way beyond my means. Had to wait nearly 40 years......
Excellent 70s collection and in decent nick too - I still have a 6138 3002 in my collection. Aesthetically speaking still one of my all time fav chrono designs.
I'm a fan of 70's design too being a child of the 70's, and that Zenith is an absolute cracker! I'd be well and truly chuffed with that find.
Tahiti / Backward Point :
Some more than others I like in photos, yes. I think the mixed fonts and detail of these exotic or PN dials can add clutter and fuss, though, to a multi-function dial which has a proper purpose. I believe there is a reason they didn't sell too many when they were new. I would always buy another, but with my commercial head alone.
In wear, I find the push-button versions particularly a little dainty and under-whelming. I would be happier with a 6238 or JCK, as that for me is a more balanced design to the scale of the watch.
H
Last edited by Haywood_Milton; 14th May 2016 at 11:21.
I like 'em too
My two
Love them, I still have these two
to be honest though, I have many more from the 80s and nineties.
Dave
It was a bit of a golden age for watches, I think.
M
Here is a photo of the model, if not the actual watch that set me off on this crazy passion of ours
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This 6139 panda is absolutely gorgeous!
All them Seiko's look fab, nice one
Certainly a golden age for Omega IMHO
Omg! This is a true gem!Certainly a golden age for Omega IMHO
It's amazing!
But, I will do what I do everytime a thread like this crops up. Why, oh why, do Seiko not mine their archive of great 70's chronos and reissue them? Not as the cheap Spirit stuff, but a good solid £500 ish auto '70's' chromo. It drives me mad. Though, of course, they ain't making them for me.:)
I love them too! Here are a couple of mine...
This is a picture I snapped a few months back. 70s and 80s have been the core of my collection.
Since then the Tutima and the mark 4.5 have departed.
A rainbow flyback zenith from the 90s has arrived with a Tudor 79260 from the mid 2000.
I love the 70s design but I find the more classic lines to be more versatile and easier to pull off in a lot of different situations!
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Blimey... Tidy little collection that !
This is a picture I snapped a few months back. 70s and 80s have been the core of my collection.
Since then the Tutima and the mark 4.5 have departed.
A rainbow flyback zenith from the 90s has arrived with a Tudor 79260 from the mid 2000.
I love the 70s design but I find the more classic lines to be more versatile and easier to pull off in a lot of different situations!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I think specifically it was combining an automatic movement with a chronograph that makes these 1970s watches so interesting. Sure, 1960s chronographs like the Heuer Carrera and Autavia are great but they grew in size with the automatic movement, with these 40mm-42mm cases similar in size to today's watches. I have Seiko UFO and Bullhead in my collection and neither is going anywhere, both get worn. I like some of the other 6138 and 6139 models but would I wear them instead of the UFO or Bullhead? Probably not. They're remarkably undervalued though, aren't they?
"A man of little significance"
Hi Colin; is your watch the same as mine then?Certainly a golden age for Omega IMHO
Mine is growing on me...
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