More evidence the 1960’s and 1970’s were a golden era for Seiko is evident in its long-running 700X line – like this oddly large for the era silver crosshair dial 1974 Seiko 7005-8062 here. 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 sizable 7005 automatic comes on a leather rally strap, and with a nylon strap, spring bar tool, and rugged travel case.
1974 Seiko 7005-8062 Sport Diver Automatic
DIAL: Silver Seiko-signed "cross hair" dial and applied hour markers, with matching handset - lume shines. Date function works as designed.
CASE: Stainless-steel case measures 38.5mm x 44.5mm, with matching caseback - quite sizable for the era.
CRYSTAL: Acrylic domed crystal, scratch and crack-free.
BAND: This 7005 comes on a brownish-red leather rally strap, and with a dark blue, orange, and white nylon strap.
MOVEMENT: Seiko 17-jewel 7005A automatic movement, beating at 21,600 bph, manufactured in July 1974.
CROWN: Unsigned stainless-steel crown, almost entirely recessed.