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 Seiko’s 11-Series Ladies’ Watches
By the end of the 1960s Seiko was building a complete range of watches for women, and the smallest of them ran on the 11-series: a family of miniature hand-wound calibres measuring roughly 15 × 13 mm and just 3.5 mm high — among the smallest mechanical movements Seiko ever put into series production. The same family powered the company’s pendant and ring watches, where an entire movement had to disappear into a piece of jewellery.
The wristwatches built around them were dress pieces first: tiny cases, bracelets integrated into the case rather than fitted to conventional lugs, plated or steel finishes, and dials signed simply “SEIKO” with the jewel count printed below in place of a line name. Faceted “cut-glass” crystals over deep sunburst dials were a favourite combination of the early 1970s, and they are the reason these watches still catch the eye across a table.
Most 11-series calibres carry 17 jewels. The 21-jewel versions — like the cal. 11A in this watch — were the higher grade of the family, with four shock-protected chatons on the plate instead of two, beating at 21,600 vibrations per hour under Seiko’s own Diashock system. They were built at Daini Seikosha, whose lightning-bolt mark appears on both the dial and the case back.
About This Watch
This is a Seiko ladies’ dress watch, reference 11-0340, carrying serial number 207663 — the leading digits date it to October 1972.
The dial is a deep blue sunburst that runs from near-black at the rim to a violet-blue in open light, with applied polished baton markers, slim baton hands, and the signature “SEIKO” above centre over “21 JEWELS” and the Daini lightning bolt below. Above it sits the faceted “cut-glass” crystal that defines the model: bevelled facets cut around the rim throw light across the dial as the wrist moves.
Behind the dial is caliber 11A, a manual-wind movement with 21 jewels running at 21,600 vibrations per hour with Diashock protection — one of Seiko’s miniature calibres, roughly 15 × 13 mm and about the size of a fingernail. The case back is stamped “WGP BACK ST. STEEL”, Seiko’s marking for a white-gold-plated case closed by a stainless-steel back.
It comes on its period textured steel bracelet, integrated into the case rather than fitted to conventional lugs and fastened by a folding clasp with a safety chain. The clasp carries no maker’s mark, so it is described here as a vintage bracelet rather than a confirmed factory-original one.
Technical Specifications
- Brand: Seiko
- Line: Ladies’ 11-series dress watch
- Reference Number: 11-0340
- Movement: Caliber 11A — manual-wind, 21 jewels, 21,600 vph, Diashock (Daini Seikosha)
- Serial Number: 207663
- Production Date: October 1972
- Case Material: White-gold-plated, with a stainless-steel case back (“WGP BACK ST. STEEL”)
- Case Diameter: Approx. 19 mm (excluding crown)
- Dial: Deep blue sunburst with applied polished baton markers
- Crystal: Faceted “cut-glass” crystal
- Case-back: Snap-on stainless steel, stamped “SEIKO / 207663 / WGP BACK ST. STEEL / 11-0340 / JAPAN-R” with the Daini lightning bolt
- Country of Manufacture: Japan
Condition Report
The blue sunburst dial is excellent — even and unblemished, with every applied marker and both hands clean and intact. The faceted crystal is clear, showing only faint handling marks. The white-gold-plated case is in honest vintage condition: the polished bezel carries a few fine scratches and light marks from wear, while the case-back engraving remains crisp and fully legible. The bracelet shows the most age of any part of the watch — the plating is worn through in places along the mesh and around the clasp, leaving darkened and brassy patches — but it is sound, flexes properly, and the folding clasp and its safety chain both close securely. The movement winds smoothly and runs strong. Please see the photos, which form part of the condition description.
This watch has recently been serviced by a professional watchmaker and keeps good time.
Comes complete with vintage 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
Seiko built these 11-series ladies’ watches in large numbers and this is not a rare reference — what makes it worth owning is that it is a genuinely mechanical watch at a size most makers only ever filled with a battery. Winding it each morning is the whole point: a 21-jewel Diashock movement about the size of a fingernail, made by Daini Seikosha, doing the same job as anything three times its size.
The pairing of the deep blue sunburst dial with the faceted cut-glass crystal is what sells these on sight — the facets keep catching the light and the dial keeps changing colour with it. It wears as jewellery rather than as a piece of equipment, which is exactly what it was designed to do, and it is now serviced and running as it should.
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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.
