Vintage Seiko Silver Wave A229-5050 Digital Chronograph, from August 1979!

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.

🕰️ Seiko SilverWave Overview

SilverWave (also written Silver Wave or Silverwave) is a long-running Seiko name used on a variety of water-resistant and “sport” watches from the 1960s through the 1980s — everything from early Seikomatic waterproof models and compact dive watches to 1970s/80s quartz and digital pieces. It’s an important name in Seiko’s dive/sport-watch story and a favourite among vintage collectors.

Product Description

This is a Seiko Silver Wave A229-5050, a sophisticated digital timepiece from the late 1970s. Silver Wave was the name Seiko used on water-resistant watches, and the emblem on the case back is where the name comes from — the wave first appeared on the 1962 Silver Wave and marks a watch built to get wet. Here it sits on a screw-down case back stamped WATER RESISTANT STAINLESS STEEL.

The case and bracelet are both stainless steel, cut with the sharp angular lines Seiko gave its late-1970s digital sport models. The water resistance and the screw-down back are what separate the Silver Wave versions from Seiko’s plainer LCD watches of the same years.

The chronograph controls are printed around the display in yellow and white — STANDARD LAP and SECTION LAP across the top, SELECT and START·STOP, MODE, LIGHT·SET and LAP-RESET around the edges — with SILVER WAVE on a gold-on-black plaque below the crystal. The top line of the display carries the month and date, with a day-of-week bar above the time.

Technical Details

• Model Reference: A229-5050 on the case back; the dial is printed JAPAN A229-5065 T. A dial code that differs from the case code is normal on these.

• Movement: Seiko A229A Quartz Digital (Made in Japan).

• Case Material: Brushed and polished Stainless Steel.

• Functions:

  • Digital Timekeeping (12-hour).

  • Full Calendar (Month, Date, and Day indicator).

  • Advanced Chronograph with Standard and Section Lap modes.

  • Display backlight for low-light visibility.

• Caseback: Solid stainless steel, screw-down type, stamped WATER RESISTANT STAINLESS STEEL JAPAN-A A229-5050 with serial number 980817, and bearing the Silver Wave emblem.

• Bracelet: Original Seiko stainless steel bracelet, signed clasp, stamped XBA970L.

Watch is fully working (except for the backlight), with good contrast LCD and original Seiko bracelet.

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.

Modes of payment:

• PayPal
• Credit Cards (VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Discover)
• 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.