eBay Finds: Vintage Seiko Edition With a Notched Ref. 6139-6009, King Seiko Ref. 4502-7001, and More

When it comes to shopping for vintage watches on eBay, it can be a gold mine, but it can also be a minefield. Our very own Christoph McNeill (you all might know him as Instagram’s @VintageDiver) wrote a must-read, common sense guide to buying vintage watches on eBay (check out Part 1 and Part 2). So if you’re looking for a vintage watch, but are still a little nervous diving head-first into those murky waters, then don’t worry—we’re here to help.  Today, we have another installment of eBay Finds, our series where we highlight some great vintage gems looking for a new home. Happy hunting!

King Seiko Ref. 4502-7001 Hi-Beat

You simply cannot beat vintage King Seiko in the “bang for your buck” department, and this 1971 KS Ref. 4502-7001, with its hand-wind movement and brilliant “Grammar of Design” case, is a perfect example of why. It features gorgeous case lines and a clean, crisp dial that is near to perfect. Its aesthetics, coupled with the hi-beat movement ticking away inside, add up to a real winner, and one that looks as good today as it did in the ‘70s. To my eye, the case appears unpolished and it even has the original signed crown. The case back medallion does show a tiny bit of wear, but this is relatively common with these models and you often see much worse. As a bonus, it may help keep the final price down.

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Seiko 6139-6009 Chronograph (Resist Dial, Notched Case)

Seiko’s 6139-600X chronographs are extremely popular, and getting more so by the minute. Commonly referred to as the “Pogue” after Col. William Pogue, who wore a yellow-dialed version on his Skylab 4 space mission, this blue-dialed iteration with its “water 70 resist” dial is in original condition. This is important, because these chronos are getting harder and harder to find in all original shape, and this one appears to be correct and unpolished. As I hinted at above, this is an earlier version with the “resist” dial, notched case (note the notch in the case where the crown is), and it has the correct two-piece chrono-seconds hand, as well as the correct narrow H-link bracelet. The starting price is fair considering the condition, so definitely keep an eye on this one.

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Seiko Sportsmatic

Vintage Seikos don’t show up for sale very often with a complete set of box and papers, so here’s a chance to snag a nice Sportsmatic with a full kit. This one has a classic ‘60s style that would make for an excellent dress watch today. The dial does have a tiny bit of patina near the bottom portion, but other than that everything looks super clean. The watch comes on the original Seiko strap with a Seiko-signed buckle, and you also get the inner and outer boxes and paperwork. Looking closely at the papers, you can see this one was sold at a Navy Exchange store. This auction does have a reserve, but given the rarity of the full set that isn’t all too surprising.

CHECK IT OUT HERE