23 - are the cause of the differing calibre designations). This array later settled down to the 7S25/7S26/7S35/7S36 movements (day/date variations and number of jewels - 21 vs. They were designed primarily for mass production using the latest in manufacturing technology there are those who maintain the movements are not touched by human hands at all during assembly, the very antithesis of what aficionados have come to envision as modern watchmaking. Over decades of production, many different movements have powered the watches carrying the Seiko 5 badge - sometimes different movements in a single model at the same time. To us however, movement durability seems a bit more important than the location of the crown. Perhaps this is because the two movements, while significant, were not unique to the Seiko 5. It’s interesting that Seiko doesn’t specifically state the Diaflex and Diashock systems - or overall movement durability - in their list. However, Seiko’s website states a slightly different, somewhat more general set of attributes:Ĥ.Recessed crown at the 4 o’clock position (Some sources combine Diaflex and Diashock while separating Day and Date.) Tradition (and many an online watch forum entry) says it’s for the following five key attributes of all Seiko 5 watches: So what does the “5” mean anyway? There is some disagreement. In any case, this third attribute was less a technological innovation and more an innovative design criteria for the Seiko 5 sub-brand. Yet another was overall water resistance - although in those days the words “water proof” were used (a labeling that would have the Federal Trade Commission scrambling their lawyers if it occurred today). Another was the Diashock shock-resistant design, Seiko’s answer to the Swiss Incabloc system. The first was the Diaflex mainspring, Seiko’s unbreakable mainspring. When it was introduced in 1963, the Seiko Sportsmatic 5 heralded multiple innovations. In fact, the watches have been signed several different ways - Seiko 5, Seiko 5 Sports, Seiko Sportsmatic 5, Seiko 5 Actus - and used a range of different automatic movements. Instead, hundreds of watches with different designs, intended for different uses, have carried the emblematic shield logo with the 5 in the center. Welcome to Watches You Should Know, a biweekly column highlighting important or little-known watches with interesting backstories and unexpected influence.
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