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 Sportsmatic Line
Before the Seiko 5 Sports line existed, there was Sportsmatic — Seiko’s automatic line from the early-to-late 1960s, and the direct ancestor of everything that followed. Sportsmatic was Seiko’s answer to a simple problem: automatic watches were still seen as a premium feature, and Seiko wanted to put one on the wrist of an ordinary working man without the ordinary price tag.
The Movement: The line ran on a family of automatic movements drawn from both of Seiko’s factories. Daini Seikosha supplied the 17-jewel calibres — the early cal. 820 and 2451 through the later 7625 — while Suwa Seikosha’s 21-jewel cal. 6619 arrived in 1963 and was fitted to Sportsmatic 5 watches from late 1964, bringing the day-date display with a quick-set date. Beating at 18,000 vph, none of them offered a manual-wind option — you simply wound them by wearing them.
The Lineup: Sportsmatic came in several variants over the decade: the base Sportsmatic, the Sportsmatic Calendar (with date window), and the Sportsmatic 5 (which added day display alongside the date). Case designs ranged from classic round profiles in the early 1960s to the faceted “cushion” shapes of the late ’60s, often called “TV cases” today for their rounded-rectangle silhouette.
It’s the line where Seiko worked out the formula — reliability, automatic winding, approachable price — that the Seiko 5 would later formalize and brand more aggressively from 1968 onward.
About This Watch
This is a Sportsmatic from the later half of the line, after Seiko moved to its four-plus-four reference system. The case-back is engraved STAINLESS STEEL 7625-8140 WATER PROOF around a central SEIKO logo, and the 7625 prefix names the movement inside: Seiko’s calibre 7625, the 17-jewel Daini Seikosha automatic that replaced the earlier cal. 820. The movement plate itself is stamped 17 JEWELS · 7625, and the dial’s own code line, JAPAN 7625-8510S AD, opens with the same calibre number. The digits after it are Seiko’s dial code, which is a separate catalogue number from the case code and is not expected to match it.
The serial number 7D01031 on the case-back dates the watch to December 1967: in Seiko’s serials of this period the first digit gives the year and the second the month, with D standing for December.
The charcoal-grey sunburst dial is the reason to look twice at this one. It shifts from near-black to a warm smoky grey as the light moves across it, set off by applied faceted baton markers (doubled at 12), polished baton hands, a slim sweep seconds hand and a framed date window at 3 o’clock. A finely knurled chapter ring runs around the edge of the dial. The round stainless steel case has long, sharply angled lugs and a polished bezel, and the signature line under the centre reads simply Sportsmatic · 17 Jewels with Seiko’s lightning-bolt automatic logo.
It arrives on a new black leather strap with cream contrast stitching.
Technical Specifications
- Brand: Seiko
- Line: Sportsmatic
- Reference Number: 7625-8140 (case-back)
- Movement: Seiko cal. 7625, automatic (self-winding), 17 jewels, 18,000 vph, date
- Serial Number: 7D01031 (case-back)
- Production Date: December 1967
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Case Diameter: Approx. 38 mm (excluding crown)
- Dial: Charcoal-grey sunburst with applied faceted baton markers and date at 3 o’clock
- Crystal: Acrylic
- Case-back: Stainless steel, engraved STAINLESS STEEL 7625-8140 WATER PROOF
- Country of Manufacture: Japan
Condition Report
Honest vintage condition, with the wear you would expect on a watch that has been worn for over half a century. The steel case keeps its shape and its sharp lug lines, with light handling marks and a few small marks on the lug edges. The charcoal sunburst dial is even across the centre, and every marker and hand is present and correct; there are small age marks on the dial, and rust spots on the inner bezel (the knurled chapter ring around the dial) between 11 and 2 o’clock, visible in the close-up photos. The acrylic crystal is clear. The case-back engraving and serial are crisp and fully legible; the inner rim of the case-back shows age-related discolouration, which is not visible when the watch is worn. The black leather strap is new. Although the case-back is marked WATER PROOF, at this age the watch should not be considered water resistant — please keep it dry.
This watch has recently been serviced by a professional watchmaker and keeps good time.
Comes complete with a new black leather strap*.
(*)Note: 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
The Sportsmatic sits right at the start of the story that ends with the Seiko 5 — the point at which Seiko decided an automatic watch ought to be an ordinary thing to own. This one comes from the very end of that run: a 1967 watch on the 7625 calibre, still wearing the Sportsmatic name on the dial just before the Seiko 5 took over as the company’s everyday automatic.
These were built in large numbers and they turn up regularly, so this is not a scarce watch. Most of the ones that surface have silver or white dials; the charcoal-grey sunburst is the less common and more characterful choice, and it makes a plain round 38 mm steel case look considerably more modern than its age. Serviced, running and on a new strap, it remains an affordable way into 1960s Japanese automatic watchmaking.
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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.
