# SEIKO SERIAL # Look-up



## d3gfx (Jan 13, 2008)

This will tell you something about your watch...

I hope this helps out.....

http://www.ittc.ku.edu/~jgauch/watch/seiko.html


----------



## gigfy (Apr 13, 2007)

Thanks d3gfx.

It is a popular site with Seiko collectors and it was a nice surprise when I found/stumbled upon/was shown it. (I can't really remember the first time I saw it). 

Jayhawk has done an outstanding job with the site and if you visit the link at the bottom, the photo database is superb.

One thing to note is for movements that were made for more than 10 years, the first digit of the SN (last digit of the year) is repeated. 

For the two models I'm most familiar with, the 6309 & 7S26 divers were made from 1976-1988 (6309) & 1996-Present (7S26). So for a SN starting with 6, 7, or 8, it would take more info to date it.

The 6309's are a little more straightforward. The calculator doesn't use the case style numbers but the 6309-7040/7049 was made from 1976-1984 and the 6309-729X was made from 1984-1988.

The plethora of 7S26 divers have different case style numbers but to my knowledge, they have remained the same throughout their production life. So for a 7S26-0020 (SKX007/009/011/171) made in 1996, it would not look different from the same model made in 2006. If you could find one NOS that is. ;-)

I have read where the 7002 lume was used on some early SKX divers but that is a level of expertise not bestowed upon a low-life amateur, like myself. :-d

Cheers,
gigfy


----------



## johsch (Jul 30, 2006)

It's OK, but it's a little outdated. It doesn't give the correct date for newer watches manufactured in the last few years.


----------



## Leon Eckell (Feb 13, 2006)

The Seiko date calendar that Jayhawk created is great. There are some glitches in there owing to the fact that while Seiko changes their movements about every ten years but every once in a while they extend the movement life for longer then 10 years.Because Seiko uses the same date code to denote year.This has come into play with the 1976-1987 6309 diver's and the current 7S26 movement. With the earlier 6309 divers you can tell the difference between a 1977 and a 1987, because from 1976 to about 1983/1984 Seiko made the 6309 in cushion cased style and from 1984/1985 to 1987 they were made closer to what the modern 7S26 divers look like. Loosing both the beloved cushion style case and the round hour markers on the dial.

The current SKX series 7S26 divers are harder to date using the Seiko date indicator. The only ones that are easy to identify are the North American SKX173,175 and A35 because they display Movement Singapore from 1996 (or 2002 for the yellow dialed A35) to 2004 and Malaysia from 2005 to current, this is due to United States trade regulations mandating all things sold in the USA must have country or origin on them.

The SKX781 and SKX779 Orange and Black Monster's are the only other watches you can positively date in the 7s26 line because it was made starting in 2000, the oldest is currently 7 years old.

The only other SKX diver that can be dated positively is the orange dialed SKX011K which was made from 1996-1999 along side of its popular SKX011J brother. The K version was denoted by lack of Japan on the dial and no listing of jewel count on the dial. This watch was not popular and thus discontinued.

The others like the SKX 007,009,011J are harder to determined the year due to no outward evidence regarding when it was made.

Cheers

Leon


----------



## gigfy (Apr 13, 2007)

Thanks Leon,

I wondered why all of the Asian websites only sold the 011J and not the 011K. And I didn't realize the 173/175/A35's were made in Singapore until 2004 and then in Malaysia starting in 2005.

If I'm not mistaken, the case style numbers also denote Singapore (0029) and Malaysia (0028) on the 173/175/A35's.

Cheers,
gigfy


----------



## johsch (Jul 30, 2006)

Leon Eckell said:


> The Seiko date calendar that Jayhawk created is great. There are some glitches in there owing to the fact that while Seiko changes their movements about every ten years but every once in a while they extend the movement life for longer then 10 years.Because Seiko uses the same date code to denote year.This has come into play with the 1976-1987 6309 diver's and the current 7S26 movement. With the earlier 6309 divers you can tell the difference between a 1977 and a 1987, because from 1976 to about 1983/1984 Seiko made the 6309 in cushion cased style and from 1984/1985 to 1987 they were made closer to what the modern 7S26 divers look like. Loosing both the beloved cushion style case and the round hour markers on the dial.
> 
> The current SKX series 7S26 divers are harder to date using the Seiko date indicator. The only ones that are easy to identify are the North American SKX173,175 and A35 because they display Movement Singapore from 1996 (or 2002 for the yellow dialed A35) to 2004 and Malaysia from 2005 to current, this is due to United States trade regulations mandating all things sold in the USA must have country or origin on them.
> 
> ...


You are mostly correct but try to date a current Seiko Monster. I put My BM serial number 610695 manufacture date Jan. 2006 and it came up on his calculator Jan. 1996. The newer watches will be 10 years off. We all know that the Monster was not manufactured in 1996.


----------



## Leon Eckell (Feb 13, 2006)

Gigfly:

You are correct, the 4 digit number after the 7S26 is different with the earlier Singapore made one had a different case number then the newer Malaysia.

Johsch:
Yep I forgot that little tidbit after the Monster being made starting in 2000. I meant to put in there that since the Monster series came out in 2000 that if you saw a 6 or 7 in the serial number then you should be aware it is a 2006 or 2007 production watch and not a 1996-1997.

Good eye to catch this err on my part

Cheers
Leon


----------



## Isthmus (Feb 13, 2006)

Josch: Your statements about the accuracy of the date calculator, as it pertains to new watches is not exactly accurate. The calculator doesn't have any problem with new watches or specific models for that matter (it doesn't even use specific model information and can't tell you what model you are entering). what it has problems is with movements that have been in production for more than 10 years, as is the case with the popular 7s movements. When in doubt, the calculator defaults to the earlier decade.


----------



## Torrid (May 20, 2007)

Cool, my Sumo is a July, 07 build. That means its the 6R15B, correct?


----------



## 98GPF (Mar 14, 2007)

So, I tried using this today for my new 6309-7049, but it seems to have disappeared. What would 701056 translate to?


----------



## Isthmus (Feb 13, 2006)

98GPF said:


> So, I tried using this today for my new 6309-7049, but it seems to have disappeared. What would 701056 translate to?


October 1977.

BTW the calculator moved, it is now here:

[SIZE=+0]Seiko Production Date Calculatorhttp://www.csce.uark.edu/~jgauch/tools/seiko.html[/SIZE]


----------



## josephamego1528 (Jun 7, 2010)

d3gfx said:


> This will tell you something about your watch...
> 
> I hope this helps out.....
> 
> http://www.ittc.ku.edu/~jgauch/watch/seiko.html


Sorry, tried the link and it keeps coming back with the following. Error #404 - Page Not Foundhttps://www.watchuseek.com/images/icons/Angry.gif


----------



## Tremec (Jul 11, 2008)

josephamego1528 said:


> Sorry, tried the link and it keeps coming back with the following. Error #404 - Page Not Foundhttps://www.watchuseek.com/images/icons/Angry.gif


super old thread dude, anyway the calculator moved again http://uaf13892.ddns.uark.edu/jgauch/photos/seiko.html


----------



## captain kid (Jan 6, 2010)

Hey, cool page.
Seems my 6309-7290 is from 1978.
Or at least the case back is.


----------



## jkchua (Jul 19, 2008)

Whoa! I did a search on a serial number look up earlier and figured my 6309-7290 is from 1987 June, but the calculator says it's from 1977. Is this correct?

6309-7290 serial number: 761212


----------



## gigfy (Apr 13, 2007)

jkchua said:


> Whoa! I did a search on a serial number look up earlier and figured my 6309-7290 is from 1987 June, but the calculator says it's from 1977. Is this correct?
> 
> 6309-7290 serial number: 761212


The 7290's were made at the end of the production run of the 6309 divers. Yours is from 1987. As I tried to explain above (which was too wordy!) it helps to know a bit about the watch in question. (How to buy a 6309 Diver)

cheers,
gigfy


----------



## jkchua (Jul 19, 2008)

my bad. i figured it out after i posted here, just didn't get back on the thread..

thank you sir :-!

(back reading and the search button really workso|)


----------



## Watch Noob (Nov 8, 2010)

Tremec said:


> super old thread dude, anyway the calculator moved again http://uaf13892.ddns.uark.edu/jgauch/photos/seiko.html


Didn't work for me.


----------



## 3sails (Feb 17, 2010)

Yes, just a Me Too post. I was just using it the other day and is down as I look again. Updates maybe? There are a couple of other model number pages I bookmark for manual and auto info.

Seiko Calibers - TimeZone

Seiko Manual/Hand Wind

another useful
61xx-70xx


----------



## ThomasAn (Aug 1, 2008)

(the calculator link is now stale)
Ok, if my Seiko says 440912, I guess it is 1994, April #0912 ... now how do I figure out what movement that corresponds to ?

EDIT: *I figured it out* (7009)


----------



## Outta Time (Feb 9, 2010)

Anybody have a current link for the calculator? It was a very useful tool.


----------

