Seiko's mid-century line up is something to be admired, and whenever possible, strapped to the wrist. The Sportsmatic line was developed as a versatile array of timepieces built to withstand the rigors of the day-to-day, and look great doing it. The  "5" concept came into being in 1963, and with it, accessible and robust automatics that still capture a wide audience today. This example from December of 1966 bears all the marks of the Seiko 5 model: An automatic movement, a single window displaying both day and date, the crown is recessed and sits at the four o'clock position, a water resistant case design, and of course, a price that's arguably far better than reasonable. 

It sports a charcoal gray dial with a lacquered sunburst finish, a contrasting matte silver chapter with an hour and minute track, and mirror polished and beveled dauphine hands with luminous windows. It’s unpolished and completely original aside from a replacement crystal, and post service, is keeping near perfect time. We’ve paired it with a brown grain leather with cream stitching for a versatile and comfortable fit, and expect it to be a fast favorite on any roster. If you’re in the market for mid-century minimalism at an absolute bargain, this one will be hard to beat.

Kvarnsjo Leather Brown Grain Leather with Full Cream Stitch (cheapestnatostraps.com)

Serviced 10/29/19

Diameter- 36.5mm

Lugs- 19mm