Description
SEIKO vintage quartz 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 King Quartz Line
Seiko launched King Quartz in 1975, and both of its watchmaking arms built for it — Suwa Seikosha and Daini Seikosha. In the quartz hierarchy of the day King Quartz sat above the ordinary Seiko Quartz models and below Grand Quartz and Superior: a properly finished everyday watch rather than a flagship, which is exactly what makes the line interesting now.
Daini’s contribution was the 08 series, the best quartz movements that factory put into the line. It came two ways — cal. 0853 with day and date, and cal. 0852 with date only — and was made for a short window of roughly 1975 to 1977. The King Quartz name was retired in 1985, alongside Grand Quartz.
About This Watch
This is a Daini-built King Quartz reference 0852-8001. The case back is engraved SEIKO / 630081 / STAINLESS STEEL JAPAN-A 0852-8001-G, and that serial decodes to March 1976 — right inside the short 08-series production window. The dial foot is marked JAPAN 0852-8000S.
The dial is silver, finished with broad vertical lines that shift between bright and shadowed as the watch moves. At six o’clock it carries two separate marks: the KQ emblem and, below it, a small lightning bolt — Daini Seikosha’s factory mark, which also appears on the case back. Indices are applied, faceted batons with matching baton hands; there is no lume anywhere on this model. The date sits in a framed aperture at three.
Inside is Seiko calibre 0852: a nine-jewel, temperature-compensated quartz movement running at 32,768 Hz, regulated by trimmer condensers and rated to within about ten seconds a month. It hacks, and it drives the date only.
The 37 mm steel case is the classic mid-1970s integrated design — the lugs are hidden inside the case and the bracelet is shaped to meet it. The back is a snap-on steel cover with a screw-in battery hatch marked OPEN and CLOSE. The bracelet is the original Seiko brick-link: the end links are stamped XQB 260 and the clasp is signed with the same KQ emblem that appears on the dial.
Technical Specifications
- Brand: Seiko
- Line: King Quartz
- Reference Number: 0852-8001
- Movement: Seiko calibre 0852 quartz, 9 jewels, 32,768 Hz, date, hacking seconds
- Serial Number: 630081
- Production Date: March 1976
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Case Diameter: Approx. 37 mm (excluding crown)
- Dial: Silver, vertically lined, applied faceted batons, date at 3 o’clock
- Crystal:
- Case-back: Snap-on steel with screw-in battery hatch marked OPEN / CLOSE
- Country of Manufacture: Japan
Condition Report
The dial is clean and bright, with crisp printing and no staining or blemishes; the applied indices and the hands are all intact. The crystal carries light surface marks that catch the light at an angle. The case shows the handling of a fifty-year-old watch — fine scratches across the brushed flanks and a few small nicks along the polished edges — and the case back is scuffed, with tool marks around the battery hatch. The bracelet is the original Seiko brick-link, with the light scuffing and slight slack that vintage links develop; the signed clasp closes securely.
Please look through the photographs, which are of the actual watch you will receive.
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). This King Quartz was designed around its bracelet: the lugs are hidden inside the case and the end links are shaped to it, so an ordinary leather strap will not sit correctly against the case. No strap option is offered for this watch — it is sold on its own bracelet.
This watch ships from 🇺🇦 Ukraine with tracking number
Why Collectors Want This Watch Today
The 08-series King Quartz is the opposite of what people expect from 1970s quartz. It is thick, heavily finished and nine-jewelled, built at Daini to a standard Seiko simply stopped applying once quartz became cheap — and it was only made that way for about two years.
These were not rare watches. King Quartz sold in quantity for a decade, and plenty survive. What has become harder to find is a complete one: the integrated bracelet is the first thing to go missing, and without it the case has hidden lugs that no ordinary strap fits properly. This example still wears its own signed bracelet, and it has been serviced.
At 37 mm on a fitted steel bracelet it also happens to land squarely on what the market wants right now — the mid-1970s integrated-bracelet sports-dress shape — for a small fraction of what that look costs from a Swiss maker.
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 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.
