Wednesday, January 1, 2014

EXTREMELY RARE HATTORI SEIKOSHA WWI MILITARY WATCHES











BRAND/JENAMA : EXTREMELY RARE HATTORI SEIKOSHA WWI MILITARY WATCHES
MODEL : NATION
MOVEMENT :SUPRARE SEIKOSHA MANUAL WINDING MOVEMENT
ORIGIN : JAPAN
SERIAL NO. : none
CIRCA : 1920"s
CASING : SOLID STAINLESS STEEL
FUNCTION : HOUR, MINUTES, SUB SECOND AT 6:00
DIAL: WHITE CREAM WITH CIRCULAR TEXTURED AROUND HOUR MAKER
BEZEL: SOLID STAINLESS STEEL 
MARKINGS : DIAL
BAND :
 REPLACEMENT BLACK LEATHER MILITARY BUND BAND FIT 8" WRIST
LUGS SIZE: 12mm WIRELUGS
BAND WIDTH: 14mm
LENS/CERMIN : ACRYLIC CRYSTAL
MEASUREMENT : 24mm WITHOUT  CROWN X 30mm LUG TO LUG
WATER RESISTANT: NO - VINTAGE WWI WATCH, WATERPROOF WATCH HAS NOT BEEN INVENTED YET
CONDITION : EXCELLENT WORKING CONDITION
PRICE/HARGA: PERSONAL COLLECTION BUT WILLING TO LET GO FOR USD2,500 (RETAIL APPRAISAL FOR THIS EXTREMELY RARE TIME PIECE IS BETWEEN USD2,700 TO USD3,500 DEPENDING ON THE CONDITION OF THE WATCH ) 
LISTING: USD2500.00 SOLD: RM1000


BRIEF INFORMATION ON SEIKO WRISTWATCHES


The company started with the name Seiko in 1938. However, the original ancestor of the company was a business run by a local clockmaker in Tokyo by the name, Kintaro Hattori. The business was named K. Hattori and later it evolved into a company by the name Seiko corporation, Tokyo. The business originally started as a clock and jewellery shop and in 1892. It began production of clocks under the name Seikosha, which later evolved into Seiko.

In 1917,  DAINI SEIKOSHA WAS SEEKING WESTERN TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE THEIR CAPABILITIES TO PRODUCE MODERN WATCHES. THEY INVITED SWISS AND AMERICAN WATCH COMPANIES TO JAPAN. THEY DID WHAT THE JAPANESE DO BEST. UNDER THE BANNER OF POSSIBLE EXPORTS, THESE COMPANIES WOULD, IN FACT, TEACH THE JAPANESE WOW TO MAKE WATCHES THAT, BY THE 1950'S, WOULD COMPETE TOE TO TOE, WITH THE ENTIRE GLOBAL WATCH COMMUNITY.

MANY EARLY SEIKOSHA MILITARY WATCHES HAD WALTHAM MOVEMENTS! IN ADDITION, SWISS TECHNOLOGY AND FINISHING TECHNIQUES CAN BE FOUND IN THE LIMITED ANTIQUE VINTAGE TIME PIECES, SUCH AS THIS 1929/30 SEIKOSHA NATION MOVEMENT WITH ITS "SWISS BARS" FINISH. 



NOTE  "NATION" IS LISTED AS A SEIKO  ON PAGE 28 IN THE BOOK "Museum of Japanese Made Watches".  WHAT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT SEIKO WAS NOT A SEPARATE  COMPANY IN 1929. 

Initially the company was named K. Hattori & Co in 1918. Later named as Hattori Seiko & Co in 1983. Finally, in 1990 it became Seiko corporations. It established various companies under its name such as Seiko Watch Corporation, and became a holding corporation in 2001 and was finally named as Seiko Holdings Corporation in 2007. Although the company produces many different types of clocks and watches, it is particularly famous for its wristwatches.

In 1924, the first watch under the name Seiko was produced. Seiko also has the honour of producing the first quartz watch in the world under the name Astron. Thus by this fact only, one can get a basic idea of the rank of Seiko watches in the world of wristwatches. When this watch was first introduced, its cost was more than that of a medium sized car. However, this watch was a breakthrough in technology and set a new standard, which is being followed to this day.
In 1985 Seiko and orient watches set up a joint factory, which produces millions of watches each year. Seiko watches are known for their reliability and accuracy in time keeping, which is why their watches have been used for official time keeping in major sports events and the Olympic Games, which is also an honourable rank for the company.
The company produces different lines of watches of which, the most famous are Seiko 5, Grand Seiko, King Seiko and Credor. Collectors, due to their high esteem and unique features, treasure these watches as prized possessions. Seiko mechanical watches are especially considered as prized possession by collectors. When it comes to Seiko classic watches, the older a watch, the more precious it is.
Seiko wristwatches range from 50$ to 100,000$, which is certainly a price tag for luxury and high esteem. The Seiko kinetic watches being produced these days take the major portion of their sales in the modern era as they combine the self-energising feature of automatic watches with the high accuracy of quartz in time keeping.

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