More evidence the 1960’s and 1970’s were a golden era for Seiko is evident in its long-running 700X line - such as the 1972 Seiko 7005-7001 JDM here, with its vibrant blue dial.
The 700X line debuted in 1969 - making this one here one of the first produced - and was made until the 1990’s, when it was replaced by Seiko’s famed 7S26 line. The 7005-line featured Seiko’s Magic Lever winding system and allowed the automatic rotor to gather energy in a bi-directional fashion.
Of note, the earlier versions of the 7005 line, like this one, did not suffer from plastic parts (which caused later models to suffer in terms of accuracy), and is all metal in construction.
The 700X line came in several sub-variants, which included the 7005 here, as well as the famed (and much feiko'ed) 7002, 7006, and 7009 - all of which are almost identical and share numerous parts in common (which also makes watch servicing easier and inexpensive). The 7005 is date only, with the 7009 as a day/date and 7002A date only (and with a different auto winding weight).
When comparing the 7S26 to the 7005, the lineage is more than a bit obvious. That said, there remains much in favor for the 7005 vis-a-vis the 7S26 movement, as the calendar mechanism of the 7005/9 remains superior in design and construction, and the overall quality of finish on the 7S26 is substantially lower than its predecessors.
This 7005 comes on a canvas strap, and with a nylon strap, spring bar tool, and rugged travel case.
1972 Seiko 7005-7001 Automatic Dress Watch
DIAL: Vibrant blue Seiko-signed dial with unique raised applied hour indices.
CASE: Stainless-steel case measures 37mm x 43mm, with matching caseback. Brushed finish is full intact, with sharp case lines.
CRYSTAL: Domed acrylic crystal, crack, scratch and blemish-free.
BAND: This Seiko 7005 comes on a beige leather-backed canvas strap; it also comes with a blue, white, and red nylon strap.
MOVEMENT: Seiko 17-jewel 7005 automatic movement, beating at 21,600 bph, manufactured in November 1972.
CROWN: Unsigned stainless-steel crown is nearly entirely recessed.