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.”
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 Business-A Line
The Business-A dial name appeared during 1967 on Seiko’s 83-series automatics, aimed at the Japanese salaried professional.
It did not replace the Seikomatic-R. The two ran side by side on the same 83-series calibers, the Seikomatic-R badge carrying the older, more formal name and Business-A the one aimed at a younger office buyer; Seiko sold several of the same case references under both. Either way the movement is an automatic with Diashock shock protection, running at 18,000 bph.
The name was deliberately straightforward: “Business” for the white-collar audience it served, “A” for automatic. No clever portmanteau — just a clear statement of purpose for the dress watch of Japan’s post-war business generation.
The 83-series calibers powering the Business-A were a genuine step up from entry-level Seiko offerings: 27 to 30 jewels when most mid-market automatics offered 17–21, with Diashock protecting the balance staff through decades of daily wear. The day-date at 3 o’clock added practical utility without cluttering the dial, with a quickset date; the day is set by cycling the hands past midnight.
The Business-A occupies the sweet spot between the Seiko 5 (entry-level) and the King Seiko (luxury). Many were sold on period bracelets, and plenty have since been swapped for straps or lost links along the way. Because it was replaced so quickly by the Lord Matic and its new 56xx movement, the Business-A had one of the shortest production runs of any Seiko line of the era — roughly 1967 to 1969.
About This Watch
This example is a Seiko Business-A, reference 8346-8000, with the serial number 8103985 stamped on the case back — dating it to January 1968, a year into the line’s short run.
The dial is silver with a fine vertical linen finish that catches the light in narrow bands rather than the broad sweep of a sunburst. It carries applied faceted baton markers with a doubled marker at 12, slim polished baton hands, and a thin sweep seconds hand. Day and date sit together in a single framed aperture at 3 o’clock, the day printed in English with Sunday in red and Saturday in blue. Below the centre the dial reads BUSINESS-A / DIASHOCK 27 JEWELS, and the foot is coded JAPAN 8346-8021T AD.
Inside is the automatic caliber 8346A, stamped JAPAN 8346A on the plate and SEIKO 27 JEWELS on the rotor. Built by Suwa Seikosha as the 27-jewel version of the 30-jewel 8306A, it runs at 18,000 bph with Diashock shock protection, winds both automatically and by hand, and quicksets the date; the day is advanced by cycling the hands past midnight.
The stainless steel case is engraved STAINLESS STEEL 8346 – 8000 WATER PROOF around the Seiko medallion on the case back. The watch comes on a vintage steel mesh bracelet with folded steel end pieces, which suits its dress-but-not-formal character.
Technical Specifications
- Brand: Seiko
- Line: Business-A
- Reference Number: 8346-8000
- Movement: Automatic caliber 8346A, 27 jewels, 18,000 bph, Diashock, hand-winding, quickset date
- Serial Number: 8103985
- Production Date: January 1968
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Case Diameter: Approx. 36 mm (excluding crown)
- Dial: Silver linen finish, applied faceted baton markers, day-date aperture at 3
- Crystal: Acrylic
- Case-back: Stainless steel, engraved “STAINLESS STEEL 8346 – 8000 WATER PROOF” with Seiko medallion
- Country of Manufacture: Japan
Condition Report
The silver linen dial is in very good condition: the vertical brushing is intact and the printing is crisp. Under magnification there is light speckling in the upper centre of the dial and a scatter of small dark specks — visible in the close-up photographs, but not obvious at arm’s length. The applied markers and the hands are clean and unmarked.
The stainless steel case is in good vintage condition. It holds its shape and the lugs keep their definition, with light scratches and handling marks across the polished flanks and the bezel edge consistent with age and wear. The case back carries the usual field of fine scratches around the medallion, and the engraving remains fully legible.
The acrylic crystal has light surface marks. The vintage steel mesh bracelet is complete and in good condition, with no broken or missing links; its fitted length is shown against the measuring cylinder in the product images.
This watch has recently been serviced by a professional watchmaker and keeps good time.
Comes complete with vintage steel expansion bracelet*.
(*)Note: 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
The Business-A is one of the easier ways into 1960s Suwa Seikosha watchmaking. The caliber 8346A is a 27-jewel automatic with hand-winding and a quickset date — a genuinely well-built mid-range movement — and at roughly 36 mm the case wears the way a vintage dress watch is meant to: on the wrist rather than over it.
These are not rare watches. Seiko built them in quantity for the Japanese office market and they turn up regularly. What is less common is an honest, unmessed-with example: a dial that has not been refinished, a case that has not been polished soft, and a movement that runs as it should. This one has been serviced and comes complete on a period mesh bracelet.
Part of the line’s appeal is simply how briefly it existed — the Business-A name lasted roughly 1967 to 1969 before the Lord Matic and the 56xx series took over Seiko’s mid-range — and part of it is where it sits: between the Seiko 5 and the King Seiko, without asking either one’s price.
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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.
