There are many vintage Seiko divers popular with collectors, and the Seiko 7548 – like this full-serviced 1981 Seiko 7548-700C diver here, on stainless-steel jubilee bracelet and with original Seiko 7548 diver instructions manual – is one of these.
The design of the 7548 is classic and simple, borrowing heavily from the instantly recognizable earlier Seiko 7002 and 7S26-powered SKX009 automatic divers. Its 7548-caliber quartz movement is tough and reliable – during its heyday, it was also popular with armed forces the world over for this same reason. The same style Seiko diver has also appeared in multiple films, to include an SKX009 on the wrist of Robert Redford in his 2013 action drama sailing film, "All is Lost."
Military forces the world over have long took note of Seiko's SKX family (to include the 7548) of divers, as noted in Watches of Espionage, despite the widely held (false) assumption that military personnel only wear military watches issued to them.
U.S. Army General Norman "Stormin' Norman" Schwarzkopf wore two Seiko watches, one being the Seiko 7548 (nearly identical to the Seiko 7548 here, except the "Pepsi" bezel variant), when he led – at the time – the strongest combined military force the world had ever witnessed to route and then evict Iraqi forces from Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm, aka the 1991 Gulf War.
“I always wore two watches during the [Gulf] war. The one on my left arm was set on Saudi Arabian time and the Seiko on my right arm was set on Eastern Standard Time. That way I could quickly glance at my watches and instantly know the time in both Saudi Arabia and Washington, D.C. Sincerely, H. Norman Schwarzkopf, General, U.S. Army, Retired.” General Schwarzkopf wrote above in a letter to the Antiquorum auction house in the late 1990s when he donated one of his personal wristwatches to a charity auction.
Schwarzkopf’s watch, listed as “Seiko ‘Desert Storm, Diver’s watch,’ No. 469576 Stainless steel, centre second, water-resistant to 150m. gentleman’s quartz wristwatch with day and date, rubber strap and stainless steel buckle,” was almost certainly a Seiko 7548-700F. The mention of quartz in the listing rules out the most commonly assumed watch, the venerable Seiko SKX009. His 7548 garner an impressive $11,000 at charity auction, where it was auctioned under the title "Seiko Desert Storm.”
Per WoE, "Modern day Generals are just as much politicians and diplomats as they are warfighters. Schwarzkopf was the face of the Gulf conflict to the American people, allies, and Iraqis. He likely spent considerable time thinking about how he was perceived by each constituent. While it seems comical now, thirty-plus years ago, the 'double wristing' arguably supported his persona as someone in charge, someone who valued time and someone intensely focused on accomplishing his mission."
"The contrast of the two watches, one a riff on the watch par excellence, and the other a known tool watch, mirrored his position as warrior-diplomat. An effective General can get his hands dirty during the day and stroll right into a state dinner at night looking the part. Our assessment is that these two accessories were intended as a physical display of this dichotomy. The watches were tools–each one for a different job."
This Seiko 7548 diver comes on its rubber Seiko dive strap, and with nylon strap, rugged travel case, Seiko 7548 instructions manual, and springbar tool.
1981 Seiko 7548-700C Dive Watch, w/Original Dive Strap
DIAL: Vibrant orange Seiko-signed dial, with Kanji Japanese/English day variants and date at the chamfered 3 o'clock position work correctly as designed. Dial lettering remains crisply legible, and the water-resist lettering retains its correct blue lettering - no UV fade here. Correct gold hour and minute hands, as well as correct black seconds hand; lume throughout dial and hands shine brightly.
BEZEL: Bi-directional and firmly ratchets with a satisfying click; original black bezel insert (w/correct light gold numbers and indices) remains in overall solid condition with some wear, a relative rarity; lume pip at 12 o’clock position present and in good condition.
CASE: Hefty 44mm x 46mm stainless steel case, with no abnormal scratches or dents. Matching correct caseback.
CRYSTAL: Hardlex crystal, scratch-free.
BAND: This Seiko 7548 comes on what appears to be on a generic stainless-steel jubilee bracelet (with diver clasp), which will fit up to an approx. 8.75 inch wrist; it also comes with a bright orange premium nylon strap.
MOVEMENT: Seiko 7548 calibre quartz movement, five jewels, manufactured in December 1981. We have performed a full service on this Seiko diver.
CROWN: Unsigned stainless-steel crown screws down as designed.
Of note, this Seiko 7548 dive watch comes with an original Seiko 7548 diver instructions manual, in both English and Kanji Japanese languages.
