More evidence the 1960’s and 1970’s were a golden era for Seiko is evident in its long-running 700X line - such as the full-serviced 1973 Seiko 7005-7031 automatic here, on a vintage Bambi stainless-steel bracelet. The 700X line debuted in 1969 and was produced until the 1990’s, when it was replaced by Seiko’s famed 7S26 line.
The 7005 line was a midrange offering, which featured Seiko’s Magic Lever winding system, and allowed the automatic rotor to gather energy in a bi-directional fashion. Of note, the earlier versions of the 7005 line, like this one, did not suffer from plastic parts (which caused later models to suffer in terms of accuracy), and was all metal in construction.
The 700X line came in several sub-variants, which included the 7005 here, as well as the 7002, 7006, and 7009, all of which were almost identical and shared numerous parts in common (which also makes watch servicing cheaper). The 7005 was date only, the 7009 a day/date, and the 7002A date only and with a different auto winding weight.
When comparing the 7S26 to the 7005, the lineage is more than a bit obvious. That said, there remains a lot in favor of the 7005, as the calendar mechanism of the 7005/9 was superior in design and construction and the overall quality of finish on the 7S26 is substantially lower than its predecessors.
This 7005 comes on a high-quality vintage stainless-steel Japanese Bambi bracelet, and with nylon strap, spring bar tool, and rugged travel case.
1973 Seiko 7005-7031 Automatic Watch
DIAL: The Seiko-signed dial features unusual raised applied hour indices. Date function works as designed. Seiko did their homework when they designed these dials, and pictures do not do these justice - these dials are amazing to behold in person, and this dial here is no different.
CASE: Stainless-steel case measures 39mm x 43mm, with matching caseback.
CRYSTAL: Acrylic crystal, scratch and blemish-free.
BAND: This 7005 comes on a high-quality vintage stainless-steel Japanese Bambi bracelet, which will fit an approx. 7.75 inch wrist; it also comes with a red, white, and black nylon strap.
MOVEMENT: Seiko 17-jewel 7005 automatic movement, beating at 21,600 bph, manufactured in February 1973. We have performed a full service on this Seiko 7005.
CROWN: Unsigned stainless-steel crown is nearly entirely recessed.