More evidence the 1960’s and 1970’s were a golden era for Seiko is evident in its long-running 700X line – like this oddly large for the era full-serviced exceptional Deep Blue-dialed 1973 Seiko 7005-8062 sport diver here - and this is one of the best examples we've seen in recent years.
The 700X line debuted in 1969 and was produced until the 1990’s, when it was replaced by Seiko’s famed 7S26 line - the example here differs from most 7005s, in that it features a quite large case for the 1970s era.
Aside from its large size, this 7005 example also features a crosshair dial – the vertical and horizontal lines intersecting in the centre. The dial design aesthetic cleanly breaks up the dial and organises it into quadrants that help visualise the time.
The 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. 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 was all metal in construction.
Seiko produced two other nearly identical models around the same time period - the 6619-8230 and 7625-8230, using earlier calibres. All three models share the same handset with Seiko’s inaugural dive watch, the Seiko 62MAS (Ref. 6217-8000/1). Despite Seiko's early dive watches suffering from design flaws (allowing moisture ingress) and had a tendency to suffer from corroded hands, but remain highly sought after. Many of these watches - the 7005/6619/7625 divers - have been plundered for their handsets, redering good examples of these watches more and more scarce.
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 sizable 7005 comes on a leather rally strap, and with nylon strap, spring bar tool, and rugged travel case.
1973 Seiko 7005-8062 Deep Blue Sport Diver Automatic
DIAL: Fantastic deep blue Seiko-signed crosshair dial, with applied hour markers - no blemishes. Date function works as designed. Correct hands retain luminescence following exposure to strong light.
CASE: Stainless-steel case measures 40mm x 46mm, with matching caseback.
CRYSTAL: Acrylic domed crystal,scratch and crack-free.
BAND: This 7005 diver comes on a light brown leather rally strap; it also comes with a dark blue nylon strap.
MOVEMENT: Seiko 17-jewel 7005A automatic movement, beating at 21,600 bph, manufactured in July 1973. We have performed a full service on this Seiko 7005 Deep Blue.
CROWN: Unsigned stainless-steel crown, nearly entirely recessed.