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Thread: New arrival, the original mm300, SEIKO 6159

  1. #1
    Master yonsson's Avatar
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    New arrival, the original mm300, SEIKO 6159

    History

    (Picture from mollewatch.com)
    (Bild från Mollewatch.com )
    SEIKO released their first divers watch 1965, the 6217 aka 62MAS with 150m WR.





    A few years later, 1967 SEIKO released the 6215, a divers watch with monoque case and 300m WR which was very good during that time. The watch had an automatic low beat 18000bph movement and was only in production for one year.





    SEIKO, in their strive for perfection, released a new revolutionary divers watch 1968, the 6159-7000. It has a similar look o the 6215 but features a much more suitable movement, a Grand SEIKO hi-beat (36000bph) automatic movement with hack and wind functions. This movement improved the shock resistance and the timekeeping. The 6159-7000 was marketed as the first professional divers watch from SEIKO.



    6159-7000 was available with count up or count down -bezel. Most of them sold with the count up bezel and it has been said that it was possible to switch the count down bezel to a count up bezel free of charge when SEIKO serviced the watch. The 6159-7000 was only produced 1968.





    The 7000 case was replaced by the 7001 case 1969 and the only clear difference was the border on the back simulating a case back. On the picture above you can see the 6215 case and the 6159-7001 case. The 6159-7001 was also only produced for one year (1969).




    What happened then?
    How come the 6215 was only produced for one year and the 6159 only for two years?
    A qualified guess is that this has to do with the letter SEIKO received 1968 from a professional diver. The SAT diver claimed that there were no watches, including the ones from SEIKO that could survive the harsh conditions that was standard during his dives. SEIKO's divers watch did withstand the 350m water pressure but the crystal wasn't protected enough from shocks and the crystal popped in the decompression chamber when the air was a gas mix with helium.


    SEIKO has always strived for perfection and assembled a team right away to develop the next generation of SEIKO professional divers watch, resulting in the first SEIKO Tuna, the 6159-701 released 1975. My guess is SEIKO stopped the production of the 6159-7001 due to this letter telling SEIKO it didn't live up to the requirements of the professional diver.




    Fun facts



    *SEIKOs name for the 6159-7000/7001 in the catalogues are 6159-010 for count up bezel and 6159-011 for count down bezel.


    *There are some examples of 6159-7000/7001 with "water resist" on the dials. This has to do with the change of ISO regulations stating that all water proof watches should be renamed to "water resistant" 1970. Since the 6159 were all produced 1968-1969 they all had "water proof" printed on the dials. If the watch had a dial swap during a service after 1969 then it got a new dial with the print "resist dial".


    *6159 is pictured on three different straps in books by SEIKO but the 6159 was probably only sold with waffle strap, or chocolate bar strap.




    My watch (6159-7001)









    The bezel has faded so the gold accents can only be seen at some angles. The lume is spotted on the hands but I'll gladly take that over a relume. I have a correct NOS seconds hand which I'll fit when I have the time. Everything works correct and the crown screws in perfectly. Really happy with this one. Love the monoque case and the domed crystal.
    Last edited by yonsson; 27th October 2016 at 09:44.

  2. #2
    Grand Master JasonM's Avatar
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    Superb! Very well done, can't have been easy tracking that down.. Would love to see a group shot of your collection now, you have some stunners.
    Cheers..
    Jase

  3. #3
    Master Glen Goyne's Avatar
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    Stunning. And thanks for that post!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    Grand Master
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    great post! something of a grail watch for me, having once owned a very battered example briefly and then sold it because i couldn't get it sorted locally. It started my downfall into wis-dom. doh!
    ktmog6uk
    marchingontogether!



  5. #5
    Master yonsson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by JasonM View Post
    Superb! Very well done, can't have been easy tracking that down.. Would love to see a group shot of your collection now, you have some stunners.
    Thanks, I'll try to take a group shot. :)

  6. #6
    Grand Master Foxy100's Avatar
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    That's superb in every way.
    "A man of little significance"

  7. #7
    Craftsman
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    Thanks - great read and a great watch too.

  8. #8
    Craftsman
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    Great read, thanks for posting, everyday is a learning day.

  9. #9
    Master Thewatchbloke's Avatar
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    A nice groove back example, congratulations

  10. #10
    Master ordo's Avatar
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    I want it! :D

  11. #11
    Master Tazmo61's Avatar
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    What a stunning watch and a fascinating read , thanks for posting .

  12. #12
    Lovely watch.
    Still looking for one in good nick- hope relevant people are taking notice

  13. #13
    Master yonsson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RAJEN View Post
    Lovely watch.
    Still looking for one in good nick- hope relevant people are taking notice
    I recently bid on another example in Japan which had a count down bezel. It got up to £4500 and the reserve price wasn't met so no winners there. And that's excluding VAT and import taxes. So if you are after one in great original condition (it wasn't perfect), then be ready to open up your wallet. :)

  14. #14
    Master
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    Every day's a school day! Fascinating post. Cheers. :-)

    Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

  15. #15
    Master yonsson's Avatar
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    And Duncan just gave me thumbs up on the timegrapher results (thanks) so next stop pressure test. :D

  16. #16
    Master
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    Congratulations, lovely watch and great post.

  17. #17
    Many thanks for that.

    Great post and incredibly educational. Stunning watch as well.

    Best regards

  18. #18
    Master Thewatchbloke's Avatar
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    Once again a lovely watch, from quite late in the production run, from memory the latest I've seen is October 1969 (middle, top row in the photo). I have a few minor history corrections though Johan! The 62mas was first introduced in April 1965 and not 1962, also the 6215-7000 was produced from 1967 through to 1968. Finally it wasn't the transition from 6159-7000 to 7001 that signified the appearance of the border or groove, it first appeared on the 6159-7001 in March 1969, 6159-7001's produced before this date weren't grooved. For those who are interested Seiko never changed a case reference if they didn't change the case construction, the difference between the 7000 and 7001 is that the machining around the chapter ring is thinner on the 6159-7001, it's only a minute difference but it means a chapter ring from a 6159-7001 is slightly larger and won't fit a 7000 case. Below is a picture of various iterations of 6159's that were in for servicing a couple of months ago.


  19. #19
    Master yonsson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thewatchbloke View Post
    Once again a lovely watch, from quite late in the production run, from memory the latest I've seen is October 1969 (middle, top row in the photo). I have a few minor history corrections though Johan! The 62mas was first introduced in April 1965 and not 1962, also the 6215-7000 was produced from 1967 through to 1968. Finally it wasn't the transition from 6159-7000 to 7001 that signified the appearance of the border or groove, it first appeared on the 6159-7001 in March 1969, 6159-7001's produced before this date weren't grooved. For those who are interested Seiko never changed a case reference if they didn't change the case construction, the difference between the 7000 and 7001 is that the machining around the chapter ring is thinner on the 6159-7001, it's only a minute difference but it means a chapter ring from a 6159-7001 is slightly larger and won't fit a 7000 case. Below is a picture of various iterations of 6159's that were in for servicing a couple of months ago.

    Good info Duncan! I have never seen a caseback of a 6215 which was produced 1968 so I draw my conclusions from that, but I guess you have then. SEIKO is very secretive when it comes to production dates on these early models.
    Last edited by yonsson; 27th October 2016 at 09:58.

  20. #20
    It's nice to see another thread on the 6159-7001 on the forum. These are hard to find and are not cheap to buy when you do find one. I also have a modern MM300 which is based on the design of the 6159-7001, but somehow it doesn't quite compare. The MM300 can seem a bit 'chunky', which somehow the 6159-7001 doesn't, it feels much more comfortable on the wrist.

    After some negotiations I have a selection of 6159 variants. It's nice to have examples with both bezel options:
    (sorry the iPhone pic's are not very good)

    The first is a 6159-7000. This is a 1968 watch with a countdown bezel.
    Next is a 6159-7001 from 1969 also with a countdown bezel.
    Then a 6159-7001 from 1969 with a more familiar count up NOS bezel.



    Here's a better photo of the watch on the right of the above picture:


  21. #21
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Superb thread and some good supplementary info from Duncan. These really are great watches.

    Given all of the above, it would be remiss of me if i didn't add a couple of shots of my 6159-7001 from 1969. The case is unpolished but that makes it all the more wearable.



    Last edited by learningtofly; 2nd November 2016 at 15:47.

  22. #22
    Awesome pics, Tony.

  23. #23
    How nice is that!

  24. #24
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    uh..very nice!

  25. #25
    Master Bodo's Avatar
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    Thanks to Duncan for that info. And Jim, Tony, those are superb looking. And great picture, too LTF.

  26. #26
    Master
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    Excellent post. What a watch! Probably the only Seiko diver I would really like to own aside from my 6105 and 6309.

  27. #27
    Journeyman Mathif's Avatar
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    Very cool watch! Love a vintage seiko!

    Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

  28. #28
    this is the BEST looking MM to me ....smaller but very "Japanese"......love the domed chamfered xtral as well!

    Glad to learn that you have the NOS replacement for your hands.

    Last edited by seikomatic; 3rd November 2016 at 09:12.

  29. #29
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    what a great thread thank you.

    what would a count down bezel be used for?

  30. #30
    Master murkeywaters's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by soapy View Post
    what would a count down bezel be used for?
    Counting up!!

  31. #31
    Master murkeywaters's Avatar
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    Really good thread but very dangerous for the wallet, the early MM's if you can call them that are just stunning and a perfect vintage outside of a Rolex

  32. #32
    Great thread and watch, I'd love one of these but have settled for the sbdx012 which was the nearest I could get.

  33. #33
    Journeyman Mathif's Avatar
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    Some really slick seikos!

    Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

  34. #34
    Quote Originally Posted by learningtofly View Post
    Superb thread and some good supplementary info from Duncan. These really are great watches.

    Given all of the above, it would be remiss of me if i didn't add a couple of shots of my 6159-7001 from 1969. The case is unpolished but that makes it all the more wearable.





    wow stunner!

    the 6105 is also very cool - not as desirable but in the same vein. especially with that red dot on the seconds hand...

  35. #35
    Quote Originally Posted by Derivative View Post
    wow stunner!

    the 6105 is also very cool - not as desirable but in the same vein. especially with that red dot on the seconds hand...
    Grrrrrr, Did you have to quote that post?:-)

  36. #36
    Grand Master learningtofly's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RAJEN View Post
    Grrrrrr, Did you have to quote that post?:-)

  37. #37
    Master
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    New arrival, the original mm300, SEIKO 6159

    I was lucky enough to purchase this watch from Johan. This week Brendan returned it from a full service (Cheers!!!) and it looks amazing and is running like a dream. I know there was a thread a while ago discussing the black mould vintage Seiko are susceptible to. As I don't particularly find this attractive, I sourced a set of NOS hands that are now fitted. I can always have the originals fitted again if it takes my fancy but I'm pretty happy with the match.

    When I acquired it the crown was only just screwing down, again, I located a NOS crown and winding stem and with Brendans service it feels perfect now.

    This morning I received a Blue Navy ISOfrane from Crouchy and it's on my wrist ready to go. I'd originally ordered a black ISOfrane from Watchobsession but they managed to ball the order up, still a slightly sore point, but I think the Navy strap works fine.

    Anyway, hers a few pictures, I've also had a 6105 serviced from Brendan and when I have a chance I'll take some side by side pictures for reference.





    Last edited by Rodder; 14th July 2018 at 10:50.

  38. #38
    Master mindforge's Avatar
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    Incredible! Looks almost new.

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