There are many vintage Seiko divers popular with Seiko enthusiasts, and the 6458 – like the seldom seen white-dialed 1984 Seiko 6458-600B here, with its original box, instructions manual, and price tag – is one of these.
The design of the 6458 quartz diver, like the 7548 that followed it, is classic and simple, and borrows heavily from the instantly recognizable earlier Seiko 7002 automatic diver. Its quartz movement is tough and reliable – during its heyday, it was also popular with armed forces for this same reason.
It is a widely held assumption that military personnel wear only military watches. However, many - including U.S. General Norman Schwarzkopf - certainly didn't. While the Commander of the Operation Desert Storm, the general was wearing a Seiko 7548 when he led at that time the strongest combined military force the world had ever witnessed to evict Iraqi forces from Kuwait in 1991.
Dive watch fans - military and non-military alike - understandably desire easily legible and dependable watches, and the 6458 was both comfortable and legible. The 6458 was released in the late 1970s designed to be a middle choice between the 7548 and the women's 26xx caliber; it ceased being made circa 2000.
The 6458 quartz movement had the same functions and performance ratings as the 7548, with the main difference being the case size. The 6458 came in three main variants, with the black dial variant being the most plentiful and the white dial being the most difficult to find - the orange dial variant is falls in between the two.
This vintage Seiko diver comes on a generic stainless-steel vintage bracelet, and with a nylon strap, rugged travel case, and springbar tool.
1984 Seiko 6458-600B Mid-Size JDM Diver
DIAL: White Seiko-signed dial; day and date functions - with Kanji Japanese/English day variants - at the 3 o'clock position work correctly as designed; lume shines brightly.
BEZEL: Bi-directional and firmly ratchets with a satisfying click; bezel insert has slight wear. Lume pip at 12 o’clock position intact and lume works.
CASE: Stainless-steel case measures 39mm x 42mm; matching caseback.
CRYSTAL: Hardlex crystal, no deep scratches.
BAND: This 6458 comes on its original vintage rubber Seiko GL13A strap (the keeper is aftermarket, but strap is original Seiko); it also comes with a black nylon strap.
MOVEMENT: 6458 calibre Seiko quartz movement, manufactured in May 1984.
CROWN: Screw-down unsigned stainless-steel crown.
Please note this Seiko 6458 comes with its original box (sans insert), instructions manual, and price tag.