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 full-serviced 1974 Seiko 7005-7031 "Nissan Prince" automatic here, on a vintage beads-of-rice (BOR) stainless-steel bracelet.  The 700X line debuted in 1969 and was produced until the 1990’s, when it was replaced by Seiko’s famed 7S26 line. 
 
But why do we call this Seiko, a "Nissan Prince?"
 
Per the Kanji Japanese inscriptions on the caseback of this Seiko 7005, it was gifted - probably to a loyal employee - of Nissan Motor Corporation (日産自動車株式会社, Nissan Jidōsha kabushiki gaisha), a Japanese multinational automobile manufacturer headquartered in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan.  The company sells its vehicles under the Nissan and Infiniti brands, and formerly the Datsun brand, with in-house performance tuning products (including cars) under the Nismo and Autech brands.  The company traces back to the beginnings of the 20th century, with the Nissan zaibatsu, Nissan Group. 
 
With over 24,000 employees, over $2.7 billion in profit, and a global footprint consisting of manufacturing plants in 21 countries (and dealerships in 100s more) as of 2023, Nissan is a large conglomerate with a hugely storied past - especially when considering its now-defunct Datsun line of sports cars.  However, it has not been without scandel, most recently with the scandel surrounding its previous CEO, Carlos Ghosn. 
 
Despite being recognized in Japan - to include receiving the Japan Medal with Blue Ribbon in 2004 from the Japanese Government - for the Nissan's turnaround in the midst of an ailing Japanese economy, he was subsequently fired as chairman following his arrest for the alleged under-reporting of his income to Japanese financial authorities and the misuse of company funds.
 
Ghosn would then spectacularly escape from house arrest in Japan inside a large musical instrument box, and flee to his native Lebanon via private jet.  He was assisted by a former U.S. Special Forces veteran and his son - now private security specialists - who were subsequently arrested for their part in the escape; however, Ghosn remains in Lebanon, which does not have an extradition treaty with Japan.  U.S. prosecutors labeled Ghosn's escape "one of the most brazen and well-orchestrated escape acts in recent history."
 
Between mid-2019 and mid-2022, Nissan laid off 12,500 employees, citing a 95% year on year net income fall.  Hiroto Saikawa, the CEO at the time, confirmed the majority of those cuts would be plant workers.  On 23 December 2024, Nissan officially announced an MOU had been entered to merge with fellow Japanese automaker Honda to become the 3rd largest auto company by sales.  Mitsubishi Motors, in which Nissan has 24% ownership, also agreed to join the talks of integration.
 
But what about the "Prince" part of the inscriptions on the caseback?  We speculate this could be in reference to the 1966 merger between Nissan and Prince Motor Company, bringing more upmarket cars, including the Skyline and Gloria, into its selection.  The Prince name was eventually abandoned, and successive Skylines and Glorias bore the Nissan name; however, it appears the Prince name remained in use through at least 1970, with this Seiko here being gifted shortly thereafter.
 
Seiko's 7005 line was a midrange offering, which featured Seiko’s Magic Lever winding system, and allowed the automatic rotor to gather energy in a bi-directional fashion.  The 700X line came in several sub-variants, which included the 7005 here, as well as the 7002, 7006, and 7009, all of which were almost identical and shared numerous parts in common (which also makes watch servicing cheaper).  The 7005 was date only, the 7009 a day/date, and the 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 a lot in favor of the 7005, as the calendar mechanism of the 7005/9 was superior in design and construction and the overall quality of finish on the 7S26 is substantially lower than its predecessors.  
 
This Seiko 7005 comes on a high-quality vintage stainless-steel Japanese TOP bracelet, and with nylon strap, spring bar tool, and rugged travel case.