The 1974 Seiko That Cost as Much as a House Down Payment
Personally? I'd choose the watch.
The Precursor
The featured watch this week has no qualms about being in the spotlight. If you looked this good, wouldn’t you want to be seen? And there’s no need to shoot its “good side” - because every side, whether it’s green, blue or purple, is breathtaking.
Seiko “Morpho” 3883-7000 / Butterfly Wing
Not just a pretty face. Produced in 1974 and priced at ¥235,000, the Seiko 3883 “Morpho” was the most expensive Seiko you could buy‡. Adjusting solely for inflation, it would have cost over $6,000 today. Even compared to Seiko’s own offerings, the Morpho was vastly expensive. A Grand Seiko VFA, the most advanced mechanical watch Seiko had ever produced, cost half a Morpho, while the beloved 6138 Kakume vertical clutch Chronograph only cost a tenth of one!
‡ if we exclude the solid gold watches Seiko produced in the 1970s, which were designed to be bankless stores of value at a time when gold prices had skyrocketed 300% in a year
The Morpho houses the 3883 “Superior” movement - a formidable calibre. This was one of Seiko’s, and indeed the world’s, earliest thermocompensated movements, boasting accuracy of +/-12 seconds per year, which holds its own against Grand Seiko’s modern 9F movements.
While the dial’s shifting greens, blues, and purples are its most striking feature, the 60 individually applied indices are equally impressive. I am personally unaware of another Seiko with this many individually applied indices, so let me know if you come across one! The case also exemplifies Taro Tanaka’s “Grammar of Design” - the philosophy that pursued geometric precision and maximised flat surfaces to showcase Seiko’s expert Zaratsu finishing.
Sadly, the exact method by which the Morpho and Baby Morpho dials achieve their iconic gonio-apparent effect remains a mystery, and Seiko is holding its cards close to its chest as this isn’t a dial type Seiko has made since the 1970s. While both dials exhibit a similar colour “morphing” effect when viewed from different angles, the Morpho, unlike the Baby Morpho with its uniform orientation, aims for organised chaos. The fibres are grouped together yet arranged in sections that point in different directions, causing the dial not only to shift in colour with movement but also to shimmer like a butterfly’s iridescent wing.
If you’re not convinced, it’s definitely a watch you should try to see in person. Alternatively, look out for a video of the Morpho on our Instagram early next week.
The 3883-7000 Morpho is now available to buy on our website.
The watch is in great condition overall. The case is unpolished, preserving its original mix of brushed and zaratsu finishing. There are minor hairline scratches throughout, but these are truly minimal. A small mark is present on the bezel at the 2 o’clock position. The original glass is in pristine condition, and the dial and hands are near-flawless. Although the bracelet is a replacement, it is a period-correct vintage Seiko bracelet in a matching design.
Credor “Pacific” GCBG975 / 4S77-00B0
The Yang to the GCBG973’s Ying. I did a full write-up about the Black Credor Pacific a few weeks ago. More recently I featured a WBC Baseball LE version of the GCBG975, and a lot of people asked after the non-limited edition, non-baseball themed version, so here it is! Please click here to read the full write-up.
This is hardly a novel take, but silver and blue feels like a cheat code when designing an elegant watch. That colour pairing, combined with the layered concentric circles, has me under a spell.
The GCBG975 is now available to buy on our website.
In great condition. Any markings are very small and hard to notice. Full box and papers.
Seiko SARW017 Presage
An understated Presage design. There’s something especially charming about the colour of this watch. I’ve seen countless Seikos over the years, but the SARW017 features a unique matte ivory tone that I haven’t encountered on any other model. The design ethos is clear - keep it subtle. From the indices to the hands and even the case, every element is either matte-finished or brushed, with just a hint of polishing along the case edges to add a touch of contrast.
Inside is the 6R21 calibre, a high-beat upgrade to the standard Presage 6R15 movement. Operating at 28,800 bph, it features 29 jewels and includes a circular day-date complication with power reserve. This calibre is typically found in Seiko's more premium Ananta line rather than in Presage models. But it’s not just the movement that received an upgrade; while most of the Presage collection uses Seiko’s proprietary Hardlex, the SARW017 is fitted with a sapphire crystal featuring anti-reflective coating on the underside.
The SARW017 is now available to buy on our website.
In great condition overall. Any markings are very small and hard to notice. No box or papers.
Seiko SZSB028 TiCTAC
Only one TiCTAC remains unfeatured in this newsletter. My white whale, semi-literally as it is actually white. I’m sure I’ll capture it one day.
You’ll no doubt recognise this as one of the 35th Anniversary watches Seiko designed with TiCTAC, as the greyscale vartiant (SZSB007) featured in the newsletter a couple of weeks ago. This SZSB028 features a metallic-blue, sunburst dial, along with all the Alpinist-esque features that have made this limited release TiCTAC so popular.
The lume has a fauxtina quality, designed to resemble aged tritium, adding a nostalgic touch to this retro-inspired JDM piece. Not only is it an affordable option, but it also has the added allure of mystifying Western Alpinist fans who likely haven’t encountered this watch before.
The SZSB028 is now available to buy on our website.
In almost new condition. The side of the case has some minor marks on it. It comes with the full box and papers.
Seiko SBCJ019 HAQ Alpinist
The classic Seiko Alpinist gets an accuracy upgrade. The SCVF005 Black “Red” Alpinist has the Automatic 4S15 inside - it’s a movement I’ve talked about before in previous newsletters so I won’t bore you with the details. However, this model, the SBCJ019, represents its High Accuracy Quartz counterpart. It’s no Morpho, but at at +/- 20 seconds per year, it won’t let you down.
The case and bracelet are pure titanium making this the perfect lightweight, but robust, sports watch.
The SBCJ019 Alpinist is now available to buy on our website.
In very good condition overall. The crystal, dial and hands are flawless. There are mild hairlines across the case, but nothing particularly noticeable apart from on the edge crown guard where there are two noticeable scratches.
Seiko “Urushi Byakudan-nuri” Lacquer SARW045
Back by popular demand. The SARW045 is not a watch I’ll be covering in detail this week, as I did a full write-up last month.
It’s a beautiful watch with a really thoughtful and intricate design.
The SARW045 is now available to buy on our website.
It is near-new/unworn condition. There is a scratch on the underside of one of the lugs. It looks like someone got a bit sloppy when removing the strap, but the rest of the watch is clean. Full box and papers.
Don’t forget to follow my Instagram to see all of the watches above in full cinematic glory.