Description
ALBA (a Seiko brand) vintage quartz watch
QUARTZ MODULE STAMPED “JAPAN”
“Seiko” (精工) is a Japanese word meaning “precision,” “exquisite workmanship,” or “refined craftsmanship.”
It comes from the characters:
- 精 (sei) – fine, precise, refined
- 工 (ko) – craft, workmanship
Originally, Seiko’s watchmaking division was called Seikosha (精工舎), meaning “House of Precision.”
The name first appeared on a watch dial in 1924, shortened from Seikosha and keeping the core meaning; the company itself was renamed Hattori Seiko in 1983 and Seiko Corporation in 1990.
So the brand name literally ties directly to the idea of precision engineering—which is exactly what the company wanted to be known for in its watches.
About the Alba Line
Alba is a Seiko Group brand, launched in Japan in 1979 as a more fashion-minded label alongside the main Seiko range. The name is Italian for “dawn”. Alba’s early watches were quartz from the start, which made them an affordable way into the technology that was just then replacing the mechanical movement.
This watch comes from that opening period. It carries the Y504 quartz module, a three-hand movement with day and date, and the angular, brushed-steel case with a flat pale dial that was typical of Japanese quartz design at the turn of the 1980s.
About This Watch
This is an Alba quartz day-date, case reference Y504-8000 (as engraved on the case back), serial 994854. On Seiko-group serials the first digit is the year and the second the month, so 9 and 9 read September 1979, which fits the early Y504 examples that are dated 1979 by their serials.
The dial is a pale blue-grey with fine vertical brushing, applied baton markers, black hands, a slim blue-grey seconds hand and a day-date window at 3. The day wheel is bilingual, English and kanji. The dial fine print reads Y504-8010 and MOV’T SINGAPORE, while the case back reads Y504-8000; dial and case carry separate code numbers on Seiko-group watches, so that is normal and not a mismatch.
The movement is a Y504A. Its plate is signed Hamazawa, Ltd., marked 2J (two jewels) and UNADJ., and stamped JAPAN, with a Maxell SR43SW silver-oxide cell fitted. Hamazawa was a Japanese movement maker that later became part of the Seiko group. The dial says the movement is from Singapore while the plate says Japan, so we report both marks as they are written rather than picking one. The watch sits on its original steel bracelet, whose folding clasp is stamped ALBA.
Technical Specifications
- Brand: Alba (a Seiko Group brand)
- Model: Quartz day-date
- Reference Number: Y504-8000
- Movement: Caliber Y504A quartz, 2 jewels (plate signed Hamazawa, Ltd., stamped JAPAN)
- Serial Number: 994854
- Production Date: September 1979 (from the serial)
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Case Diameter: Approx. 38 mm (including crown)
- Lug Width: 20 mm
- Dial: Pale blue-grey, brushed, applied baton markers, day-date at 3 o’clock
- Day Wheel: Bilingual, English / kanji
- Crystal: Mineral glass
- Case-back: Steel back marked “STAINLESS STEEL”, “WATER RESISTANT”, Y504-8000 and the serial
- Battery: SR43SW silver-oxide cell (fitted)
- Country of Manufacture: Not established – dial reads MOV’T SINGAPORE, movement plate reads JAPAN
Condition Report
Case: the brushed surfaces show light wear and fine scratches on the top flats and flanks, and the polished edges carry small marks, all visible in the photos. The case back carries several scratches. Dial: pale blue-grey and clean, with a few tiny marks beside the fine print at the lower left. Crystal: no cracks or chips visible. Bracelet: brushed steel with light scratches, and scuffing on the folding clasp, whose ALBA stamp is still clear.
Battery
Seiko-group watches of this period take an SR43 (SR43SW) silver-oxide cell, which is what is fitted now. Have it changed by a watchmaker so the case seal is checked at the same time.
This watch has recently been serviced by a professional watchmaker and keeps good time.
Comes complete with original steel bracelet*.
(*)Note: Stock bracelets are often shortened by previous owners and may not fit you (see bracelet size in the product images). We match the strap to this watch’s lug width, so there is nothing for you to measure — just pick a padded leather strap for Seiko from the options at the top of the page.
This watch ships from 🇺🇦 Ukraine with tracking number
Why Collectors Want This Watch Today
This is a quartz watch from the year the Alba brand began, with the things that make a 1979 Japanese quartz watch fun to wear: a flat brushed pale dial, a day-date with a bilingual English and kanji wheel, and a solid angular steel case on a matching bracelet. It runs on a battery, so there is nothing to wind.
It is not a rarity. The Y504-8000 and -8010 turn up regularly, so the appeal is the early date and the clean period design at a modest price, not scarcity.
Modes of payment:
- PayPal
- Credit Cards (VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover)
- bitcoin
We guarantee the item you receive looks and works exactly as advertised — or your money back.
Seiko lug-width matched leather straps — 18 / 19 / 20 mm
About the watch factory
Seiko Group Corporation (セイコーグループ株式会社, Seikō Gurūpu kabushiki gaisha), commonly known as Seiko, is a Japanese maker of watches, clocks, electronic devices, and semiconductors. Founded in 1881 by Kintarō Hattori in Tokyo, Seiko introduced the world’s first commercial quartz wristwatch in 1969.
Seiko is widely known for its wristwatches. Seiko is one of the few watch companies that is fully vertically integrated. Seiko is able to design and develop all the components of a watch, as well as assemble, adjust, inspect and ship them in-house. Seiko’s mechanical watches consist of approximately 200 parts, and the company has the technology and production facilities to design and manufacture all of these parts internally.
Seiko offers one of the widest ranges of watch technologies in the world—quartz, kinetic, solar, mechanical, and Spring Drive—spanning everything from affordable everyday pieces to six-figure haute horlogerie. Over the decades it has launched multiple global brands, including Lorus, Pulsar, and Alba, while elevating its prestige through innovations like Spring Drive, which helped push Seiko into higher-end territory. In 2017, Grand Seiko was spun off into its own standalone luxury brand, while Credor remains part of Seiko’s own lineup, sold primarily in Japan. Seiko’s own global lineup now includes Grand Seiko, King Seiko, Prospex, Astron, Presage, and Seiko 5 Sports.
Among Seiko’s key lines, Seiko 5 (born in 1963) is the gateway mechanical series known for durability and value; Lord Matic defined 1970s style with faceted crystals and colorful dials; Astron remains Seiko’s flagship GPS-solar tech line; Presage focuses on traditional mechanical craftsmanship with enamel and urushi dials; and Prospex delivers professional-grade dive, field, and pilot watches often embraced by enthusiasts. At the top end, Grand Seiko emphasizes precision, Zaratsu polished design, and movements like Spring Drive, while King Seiko—revived in the 2020s—brings back sharp, elegant 1960s styling with modern calibres.
Finally, Credor represents Seiko’s pinnacle of artisanal watchmaking, producing low-volume pieces in precious metals and showcasing Japanese decorative arts and haute complications from the Micro Artist Studio. Beyond watches, Seiko has also produced various electronic devices and, historically, jewelry and eyewear—though those divisions have since shifted to other companies.
