One of the major draws of Seiko’s automatic early dive watch line - which the oddly large for the era serviced 1964 Seiko 6619-8970 Sportsmatic automatic here counts itself - were their amazingly simplistic dials and the handset from the famed first Seiko dive watch, the 6217.
And this one here is one of the best 6619's made - as noted, it's surprisingly large for the era and weighs in at about 38.5mm in width (most from the era were 36mm or smaller). The 6619 was produced in roughly the same era as the nearly identical 7625-8233 and 7005-8062, with all three featured the same stunning dial variants and similar size.
But why do we label this one here an "NHK?"
Per the Kanji Japanese engravings on the caseback, this Seiko 6619 example here was gifted in 1965 to a loyal employee for 15 years of loyal service to Japan-based public broadcaster, Japan Broadcasting Corporation (Japanese: 日本放送協会, Nippon Hōsō Kyōkai), also known by its Romanized initialism NHK.
NHK's earliest forerunner was the Tokyo Broadcasting Station (東京放送局), founded in 1924 under the leadership of Count Goto Shinpei, which, with separate organizations in Osaka and Nagoya, began radio broadcasts in 1925. The three stations merged under the first incarnation of NHK in August 1926, with the merger and reorganization carried out under the auspices of the pre-war Japanese Ministry of Communications. NHK's second radio network began in 1931, and the third radio network (FM) began in 1937.
In November 1941, the Imperial Japanese Army nationalized all public news agencies and coordinated their efforts via the Information Liaison Confidential Committee. All published and broadcast news reports became official announcements of the Imperial Army General Headquarters in Tokyo for the duration of World War II, to include the infamous Tokyo Rose wartime programs. The NHK also recorded and broadcast the Gyokuon-hōsō, the surrender speech made by Emperor Hirohito, in August 1945.
Following the war, in September 1945, the Allied occupation administration under General Douglas MacArthur banned all international broadcasting by NHK, and repurposed several NHK facilities and frequencies for use by the Far East Network (now known as the American Forces Network). Japan resumed overseas broadcasts in 1952.
Now employing over 10k employees, NHK is Japan’s sole public media organization and is funded by fees from TV-viewing households in Japan. Modelled on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), NHK delivers a wide range of impartial, high-quality programs to audiences in Japan and throughout the world
On the Seiko 6619 here, the sum all its features combine to form its single greatest aesthetic quality – symmetry. The nearly invisible hidden crowns coupled with the sparse dial give it a simple, clean symmetrical style hard to find in a watch of any era or price range. Everything is in balance.
Per Fratello’s resident Seiko guru Michael Stockton's review of the steel-grey 6619, the watch is “…awfully wearable and it provides a bona fide alternative to a lot of [nylon strap]-clad, faux USA-made, silly quartz hipster pieces as well (rant much?). I actually think that is one of Seiko’s best ever and I’ll now do my best to convince you. On the wrist, the Seiko Sportsmatic is a fantastic wear…So, as you can see, it dresses up and down and looks good with almost any color…much like a gray pair of trousers.”
“The size also takes away any complaints from those who think that most vintage non-sports watches are small as this Seiko definitely wears as large or larger than its 38mm. If you’re not a vintage watch person, but are simply reading our site and want a classically styled legitimate timepiece, this is your invitation to stop shopping for watches in the J.Crew catalog – this Seiko is far better than a pricey [nylon strap]-clad Timex.”
Seiko used the quite reliable Calibre 6619 automatic movement – introduced in 1963 – in many of its Sportsmatic models during the same time period in the late 1960s, and used the movement from the mid-to-late 1960's.
This Seiko 6619 Sportsmatic comes on a leather-backed canvas strap, and with nylon strap, springbar tool, and rugged travel case.
1964 Seiko 6619-8970 Sportsmatic "NHK" Automatic Sport Diver
DIAL: Silver Seiko-signed white starburst dial, with applied indices and Seiko 5 logo; no imperfections on dial or correct handset. The dial hour indices are simple applied ones in the shape of v-channels, with an upward sloping inner bezel that contains minute lines. Day wheel features black font on a white wheel, while the date takes the opposite approach - perfectly designed, with a design similar to the Seiko MACV-SOG references of the same decade.
CASE: Stainless-steel case measures 37mm x 43.5mm, with matching waterproof-signed caseback, inscribed with Seiko 5 dolphin logo. Seiko introduced Seiko 5 in 1963, adding to the allure of this early model watch.
CRYSTAL: Domed acrylic crystal, no scratches or cracks.
BAND: This Sportsmatic comes on a leather-backed olive-drap green canvas strap; it also comes with a black, red, and grey nylon strap.
MOVEMENT: 21-jewel 6619 automatic movement, manufactured in October 1964 which beats at 18,000 bph with a limited quickset date (date is quickset, but the day is set by manually moving hands forward, by design). It features Seiko’s magic lever design, allowing winding as the rotor spins in either direction. We have performed a full service on this watch.