Description
SEIKO vintage mechanical watch
MADE IN 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.”
In 1924 the company shortened the name to Seiko, keeping the core meaning.
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 Seiko 5 Sports Line
🕰️ The Seiko 5 Sports — the toolwatch side of the Seiko 5
When Seiko launched the Seiko 5 in 1963, it set out five promises — automatic winding, a day-date display, water resistance, a recessed crown at four o’clock, and a durable case and bracelet — and built the most successful mechanical watch family in history around them. The Seiko 5 Sports, introduced in 1968, was the line’s more muscular sibling: it kept all five guarantees but wrapped them in bolder cases, higher water resistance and sportier dials aimed at an active, younger buyer.
First appearing in the 1968 Japanese Domestic Market catalogue, the Sports line was built primarily at Seiko’s Suwa factory and ran on the 6119 and 6106 automatic calibers. The watches leaned into the design language of the era — chunky faceted “cushion” and TV-shaped cases, vivid sunburst dials in blue, green and gunmetal, brightly coloured seconds hands and heavily lumed markers — the look that made late-’60s and early-’70s Seiko so distinctive.
Mechanically the heart of this example is the caliber 6119: a 21-jewel automatic beating at 21,600 vibrations per hour, with a quickset day-date and Seiko’s in-house Diashock shock protection, self-winding only and non-hacking. It was a genuine workhorse — robust, easy to service and accurate enough for daily wear — and it powered a huge share of the Sports line through its production run.
The Seiko 5 Sports sits at the sweet spot of vintage Seiko collecting today: it carries the same honest, over-built reliability that made the Seiko 5 famous, but in the more characterful, sportier packaging collectors now chase. Clean examples from the late 1960s — especially the vivid coloured dials — are exactly the kind of affordable vintage watch the market keeps rediscovering.
About This Watch
This is a Seiko 5 Sports from April 1969, reference 6119-8310 — one of the vivid-dialled automatics that defined the line at the end of the 1960s. Its case-back serial, 940482, dates production to April 1969, the first full year the 5 Sports family was in the catalogue.
The draw here is the dial: a deep blue sunburst that shifts from near-black to bright electric blue as the light moves across it, set with applied faceted hour markers, a framed day-date at three o’clock (day in English) and a slim orange seconds hand that snaps against the blue. It is printed “Seiko 5 Sports — Water 70 Proof — 21 Jewels” and driven by the caliber 6119 automatic: 21 jewels, 21,600 vibrations per hour, a quickset day-date and Seiko’s Diashock shock protection, self-winding and running strong.
The case is Seiko’s faceted stainless-steel “cushion” shape of the era, with the signature recessed crown tucked at four o’clock, and it comes on a vintage steel mesh bracelet.
Technical Specifications
- Brand: Seiko
- Line: Seiko 5 Sports
- Reference Number: 6119-8310
- Movement: Seiko caliber 6119 automatic (self-winding), 21 jewels, 21,600 vph, quickset day-date, Diashock
- Serial Number: 940482
- Production Date: April 1969
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Case Diameter: Approx. 40 mm across (excluding crown), 18 mm lug width
- Dial: Blue sunburst with applied faceted markers and day-date at 3 o’clock (day in English)
- Crystal: Domed mineral glass
- Case-back: Stainless steel, engraved 6119-8310 · SEIKO · WATER PROOF · JAPAN F
- Country of Manufacture: Japan
Condition Report
The blue sunburst dial is clean and bright, with its applied markers, printing and day-date all intact and the orange seconds hand vivid. The stainless-steel cushion case shows light, honest wear consistent with its age — no cracks or damage — and the domed crystal is clear. The quickset day-date changes crisply and the caliber 6119 winds and runs well. Fitted on a new aftermarket steel mesh bracelet with a fold-over clasp (see the product photos for its sizing).
Watch went through a recent service by a professional watch technician and keeps good time.
Comes complete with new aftermarket steel bracelet*.
(*)Note: Stock bracelets are often shortened by previous owners and may not fit you(see bracelet size in the product images). We recommend adding a new Seiko lug width matched leather strap with your order.
This watch ships from 🇺🇦Ukraine with tracking number
Why Collectors Want This Watch Today
Vintage Seiko 5 Sports models from the late 1960s have become one of the most sought-after corners of affordable vintage collecting, and the coloured-dial examples lead the way. A genuine blue sunburst dial like this one — the electric-blue “Water 70 Proof” version of the 6119-8310 — is exactly the look collectors chase from this era, and clean original-dial examples have appreciated steadily over the past few years.
What makes this one worth owning is that it delivers that iconic late-’60s Seiko character — the faceted cushion case, the recessed four o’clock crown, the vivid dial — on a robust, easily serviced automatic movement that will keep running for decades. It is a genuine piece of Seiko history you can wear every day, at a price the market is still catching up on.
Modes of payment:
- PayPal
- Credit Cards (VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover)
We guarantee the item you receive looks and works exactly as advertised — or your money back.
Seiko lug width matched leather straps: 18mm - 19mm - 20mm
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 and Rolex are the only two watch companies considered to be 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 the 2010s, Grand Seiko and Credor were separated into fully independent luxury brands, while Seiko’s own global lineup now includes Grand Seiko, King Seiko, Prospex, Astron, Presage, and Seiko 5 Sports, with Credor remaining primarily Japan-focused.
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.
