One of the major draws of Seiko’s automatic early dive watch line - which the serviced gold 1964 Seiko 6619-8970 Sportsmatic here counts itself among - were their amazingly simplistic dials and the handset from the famed first Seiko dive watch, the 6217.
And this one here, the gold cased variant, is one of the best 6619's made - surprisingly large for the era, it weighs in at about 38.5mm in width (most from the era were 36mm or smaller). The 6619 was produced in roughly the same era as the nearly identical 7625-8233 and 7005-8062, all three featured the same stunning dial variants and similar size.
The sum of the 6119's features combine to form its single greatest aesthetic quality – symmetry. The nearly invisible hidden crowns coupled with the sparse dial give it a simple, clean symmetrical style hard to find in a watch of any era or price range. Everything is in balance.
Per Fratello’s resident Seiko guru, Michael Stockton, review of the steel-grey brethren of this gold 6619 here, the 6619-8230, it is “…awfully wearable and it provides a bona fide alternative to a lot of [nylon strap]-clad, faux USA-made, silly quartz hipster pieces as well (rant much?). I actually think that is one of Seiko’s best ever and I’ll now do my best to convince you. On the wrist, the Seiko Sportsmatic is a fantastic wear…So, as you can see, it dresses up and down and looks good with almost any color…much like a gray pair of trousers.”
“The size also takes away any complaints from those who think that most vintage non-sports watches are small as this Seiko definitely wears as large or larger than its 38mm. If you’re not a vintage watch person, but are simply reading our site and want a classically styled legitimate timepiece, this is your invitation to stop shopping for watches in the J.Crew catalog – this Seiko is far better than a pricey [nylon strap]-clad Timex.”
Seiko used the quite reliable Calibre 6619 automatic movement – introduced in 1963 – in many of its Sportsmatic models during the same time period in the late 1960s, and used the movement from the mid-to-late 1960's.
This steel-grey 6619 Sportsmatic comes on a Seiko-signed gold bracelet, and with nylon strap, springbar tool, and rugged travel case.
Gold 1964 Seiko 6619-8970 Sportsmatic Automatic Sport Diver
DIAL: Silver Seiko-signed white starburst dial, with applied gold indices and Seiko 5 logo; no imperfections on dial or correct gold handset. The dial hour indices are simple applied ones in the shape of v-channels, with an upward sloping inner bezel that contains minute lines. Day wheel features black font on a white wheel, while the date takes the opposite approach - perfectly designed, and similar to the Seiko MACV-SOG references of the same decade.
CASE: Gold-plated stainless-steel case measures 37mm x 43.5mm, with matching waterproof-signed caseback, inscribed with Seiko 5 dolphin logo. Gold-plating coverage is mostly uniform throughout the case. Seiko introduced Seiko 5 in 1963, adding to the allure of this early model watch.
CRYSTAL: Domed acrylic crystal, no scratches or large cracks.
BAND: This Sportsmatic comes on a gold-plated vintage stainless-steel bracelet, which will fit up to an approx. 7.50 inch wrist; it also comes with a grey nylon strap.
MOVEMENT: 21-jewel 6619 automatic movement, manufactured in November 19674 which beats at 18,000 bph with a limited quickset date (date is quickset, but the day is set by manually moving hands forward, by design). It features Seiko’s magic lever design, allowing winding as the rotor spins in either direction. Although we did not service this watch, it performs as if it has been serviced in the last year.