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 Seiko Sportsman Line
The Seiko Sportsman series was introduced in the early 1960s as a reliable, highly versatile line of hand-wound timepieces aimed at active everyday wearers. It was Seiko’s entry range, running from about 1960 to the end of the decade alongside the Champion; the earliest models used thin steel cases, and from about 1964 the line moved to larger, sportier ones. The embossed Seahorse on the caseback is Seiko’s water-resistance mark of the period — a seahorse on the hand-wound models, a leaping dolphin on the automatics — so it identifies the case type rather than the tier.
Technical Specifications
- Brand: Seiko
- Model: Sportsman Calendar
- Reference: 14112
- Movement: Seikosha cal. 957 (later renumbered 6602), manual-winding, 17 jewels, Diashock shock protection
- Production Date: June 1963
- Case Material: Stainless steel with polished fixed bezel
- Caseback: Snap-on steel back featuring the distinctive embossed Seahorse emblem
- Dial: Silver sunburst with applied faceted baton indices and polished dauphine hands
- Complications: Date window display at 3 o’clock position
- Lug Width: 18 mm
This watch has recently been serviced by a professional watchmaker and keeps good time.
Comes complete with stainless steel expansion 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 Enthusiasts Covet This Piece Today
The hand-wound Seikosha caliber has no rotor, so the 14112 sits slim and slides under a shirt cuff. The caseback still reads SPORTSMAN WATERPROOF STAINLESS STEEL 14112 around the Seahorse medallion, though the back itself carries the scuffs of six decades of wear. Seiko built the Sportsman in quantity as its entry range, so examples turn up regularly — the appeal here is the mid-1960s dress-sports styling and a clean sunburst dial, not scarcity.
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 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.
