As the 1964 Tokyo Games were approaching, Seiko chose to mark the occasion with the release of two new models that held Olympic relevance, and would lay the ground work for some pretty historic milestones later on: the 6217 World Time, and the 45899 Monopusher Chronograph. Both were embossed with the Olympic torch on the case back, and after the games were kept on as regular production models. The World Time evolved several times over the next five years, and the Monopusher would eventually give way to the 6139 just a few years later in 1969. Those five years, however, saw a few variants of Seiko’s 60 second chronograph that would go on to forego the five digit model number of the past, and be renamed for the calibres housed inside; The time only 5719, 5717 date, and the holy grail of all Seiko chronographs, the 5718 (I’ll save the details on that one on the off chance I’m actually able to ever acquire one!) Though production only lasted a few years, these early Seiko single pushers are polished and refined pieces worthy of any efforts to track down your own. This early example from July of ‘64 has plenty of character, and painstaking effort was taken to keep it as original as possible. The dial, originally a silver sunburst, has a developed a soft pink patina over most of the surface beneath the glossy lacquer finish. The applied markers noting the hours have mostly kept their polished finish after careful cleaning, and second/minute notations are printed outside each in a clean thin font.  Broad, sharply tapered dauphines with a beveled polished finish count the hours and minutes. They have retained their original “mint” luminous, and along with the dial plots, show some visible patina. The chronograph sweep is long and slender with a lengthy tail that makes it easy to follow around the dial. The minute chapter has 1/5th second hashes set over a satin cross grain finish. The original knurled bezel is a black “count up” style with white inlay for contrast. When I received this piece, the bezel was split at the zero marker, and most of the inlay was missing or illegible due to many decades of grime build up. The upper edge also bears some visible wear. I repaired the break with an epoxy resin to ensure a secure bond, and refinished the upper surface with several rounds of high grit sanding to even out the finish. Finally, I replaced the white enamel inlay by hand to restore its original appearance. I installed a new bezel spring, and it rotates smoothly in either direction as it should. As there are no replacement bezels to be sourced, restoring the original was the only option, and was certainly worth the effort. The case is a timeless design with reaching tapered and beveled lugs, and a lean profile. The “olympic torch” embossed etching on the case back has mostly worn away from wear, but can still be partially made out with close inspection. It’s unpolished and all original aside from a replacement crystal, and we’ve paired it with a smooth dark brown leather for a contrasting finish. It winds and sets smoothly, and post service it’s keeping near perfect time. The single pusher starts, stops, and resets the sweep hand, and operation is smooth and responsive. At 37.5mm, its a dream on the wrist, and sure to be a highlight in any collection. 

CNS Retro Smooth Brown Leather with White Stitch

Serviced 8/23

Diameter- 37.5mm

Lugs- 18mm