Vintage Seiko DX (Deluxe) Automatic with Emerald Green Gradient Dial from May 1969

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.

🕰️The Legacy of the Seiko DX Line

The Seiko DX (Deluxe) line runs through the late 1960s and 1970s, the years when Seiko case and dial design moved away from mid-century restraint towards bolder, more geometric shapes. DX stood for “Deluxe”: a step up from the standard Seiko 5 in dial and case presentation, and, on the caliber 6106, a hacking seconds hand the 5 did not have. It stayed one of Seiko’s ordinary, affordable automatic ranges, well below Lord Matic, King Seiko and Grand Seiko.

DX dials and cases are where both of Seiko’s watch factories, Suwa Seikosha and Daini Seikosha, tried out cushion and barrel case shapes, deeply faceted indices and multi-tonal dial gradients.

Mechanically the DX line ran on Seiko’s everyday automatics, most often the caliber 6106. Two features are worth naming on it: hacking seconds, meaning the seconds hand stops when the crown is pulled out so the watch can be set exactly to a time signal, and an instant date change made by pressing the crown inward. Instant day setting came later, with the 6106C; on the 6106A and 6106B the day advances with the hands.

Seiko built these in quantity, and they remain one of the more affordable ways into a vintage Japanese automatic.

Technical Specifications

• Brand: Seiko

• Line: DX (Deluxe) Automatic

• Reference: 6106-8209 (engraved on case back; dial printed 6106-8239T)

• Movement: Caliber 6106B Automatic, 17 Jewels (Daini Seikosha)

• Beat Rate: 21,600 bph

• Complications: Day/date calendar at 3 o’clock, instant date change by pressing the crown, hacking seconds

• Dial: Emerald green gradient with applied faceted indices

• Case Material: Stainless steel

• Case Diameter: Approx. 40 mm (excluding crown)

• Case Back: Screw-down, stamped with reference and serial signatures

• Internal Mechanicals: Signed Daini Seikosha 6106B movement, bridge engraved “SEVENTEEN 17 JEWELS”

• Bracelet: Stainless steel link bracelet with signed Seiko folding clasp

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.

Why Collectors and Enthusiasts Covet This Watch Today

• Late-1960s case and dial: The cushion case with faceted lugs and the graduated emerald green dial are late-1960s Seiko styling at its most confident. The dial runs from bright green at the centre to near-black at the rim, over a copper-toned chapter ring.

• A practical vintage movement: The caliber 6106 is a plain, robust automatic: 17 jewels, 21,600 bph, around 45 hours of reserve. It hacks, which was not standard at this level in 1969, and the date changes instantly with a press of the crown. It does not hand-wind, so the rotor does all the winding.

• Dated to May 1969: The case back serial dates this watch to May 1969, the year Seiko put the first commercial quartz wristwatch, the Astron, on sale that December. It is a mechanical Seiko from the last moment before quartz reached the mainstream.

Modes of payment:

• PayPal
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• bitcoin

We guarantee the item you receive looks and works exactly as advertised — or your money back.

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.