Description
A July 1978 vintage Seiko King Quartz 5856-5020 SGP on a brand new brown leather strap. The watch is in overall good condition, with some gold-plating coming off (particularly on the crown). However it has a beautiful gold snowflake dial and a new battery. Measures 34 mm in diameter. It features the Seiko Cal. 5856, a high-powered vintage Seiko quartz movement with far less plastic than the modern versions. An early high-end Seiko quartz movement if you will. It would have had an accuracy of ±10 per month and been at the high-end of King Quartz before the release of the King Twin Quartz in 1979. We offer a flat rate for shipping on every order and 30-day free returns. We also offer a 2-month mechanical warranty for every purchase. All prices are in CAD.
Seiko King Quartz History
The Seiko King Quartz first appeared in the Seiko JDM catalogue in 1975 with the calibers 48KQ and 08KQ, the 08KQ that was derived from the previous Seiko QT Quartz line. The King Quartz was positioned right under the Grand Quartz as a high-end, luxury Seiko offering at the time. In 1979, the King Twin Quartz, most popularly the Cal. 9923 was introduced. This had an incredible annual accuracy of ±20 as opposed to the ±10 per month of the earlier King Quartz movements. These high-end Seiko quartz lines of the early 1970s mirrored the hierarchy of the mechanical Seikos, with Seiko Grand Quartz at the top, Seiko King Quartz in the middle, and Seiko Lord Quartz at the bottom.
Seiko History
Seiko was founded as a watch store in 1881 by Kintaro Hattori in Tokyo. By the 1890s it was producing both clocks and pocket watches as Seikosha. And in 1913 Seiko produced Japan's first wristwatch, the Seiko Laurel. Seiko had beat out several other Japanese companies, including other Tokyo clock companies like Tokyo Clock Co. and Japan Pocket Watch Manufacturing Co. By the mid-20th century Seiko produced some of its most important wristwatches that set the stage for its future. In the early 1950s Seiko produced the Seiko Super which then became the Marvel. And in 1960 Seiko released the first Grand Seiko. This marked the beginning of not only the Grand Seiko but also the King Seiko and Lord Matic lines to follow.
Then, in 1969, Seiko released the Astron, the watch that would upend the Swiss watchmaking industry. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Seiko continues to produce extraordinary quartz watches, along with many legendary vintage Seiko dive watches. In modern times Seiko continues to innovate, especially through its Grand Seiko brand.