There are many vintage Seiko divers popular with Seiko enthusiasts, and for good reason - Seiko found an original, great looking formula for its divers, and stuck with it. And this 1981 Seiko 2625-001B womens diver - on its original rubber Seiko dive strap and with original Seiko 2625 instructions manual - is a great example of this successful formula.
The dial design is superb, with embossed hour markers and beautiful hands, reminiscent of the Seiko's legendary 6159 divers of the 1960’s and to a lesser extent of the dials on its 6105 dive watches.
The Seiko quartz diver, like the automatic designs that preceeded it, is classic and simple, borrowing heavily from the instantly recognizable earlier Seiko 7002 automatic diver before it and the SKX after.
Women's divers produced by Seiko in the 1970’s and 80’s are beautiful watches with some exquisite details - and less expensive than their larger counterparts for men - but new crystals and bezel inserts can be difficult to find (thankfully not a problem here!)
The quartz movements Seiko designed are tough and reliable – during its heyday, these were popular with armed forces for this same reason. It is a widely held assumption that military personnel wear only military watches.
However, many - including U.S. General Norman Schwarzkopf - certainly didn't. While the Commander of the Operation Desert Storm, the general was wearing a Seiko 7548 when he led at that time the strongest combined military force the world had ever witnessed to evict Iraqi forces from Kuwait in 1991.
This vintage Seiko diver comes on it's original rubber Seiko-signed dive strap, and with nylon strap, rugged travel case, and springbar tool.
1981 Seiko 2625-001B Womens "Pepsi" Diver, w/Original Dive Strap
DIAL: Crisp dark blue Seiko-signed dial, no imperfections; date function at the 3 o'clock position work correctly as designed. Lume shines brightly.
BEZEL: Bi-directional and firmly ratchets with a satisfying click; red and blue "Pepsi" bezel insert has little wear, a relative rarity. Seiko font is crisp and lume pip at 12 o’clock position glows.
CASE: Stainless-steel case measures 33mm (37mm including crown) x 37.5mm, with matching caseback; 17mm lug width.
CRYSTAL: Hardlex crystal, no cracks or deep scratches.
BAND: This Seiko 2625 comes on its original rubber Seiko-signed HL771 dive strap; it also comes with a dark blue nylon strap.
MOVEMENT: Seiko 2625 calibre hacking quartz movement, manufactured in March 1981.
CROWN: Screw-down unsigned stainless-steel crown.
Of note, this Seiko 2625 comes with an original Seiko 2625 instructions manual.