SPECIFICATIONS
Eye-catching Seiko chronograph, aka “Blue Eye,” with a monobloc steel case and powered by the legendary Seiko 6139 self-winding chronograph movement from the 1970s.
Monobloc steel case measuring 40.5mm
Lug-to-lug measuring 41.4mm
Lug 20mm
Original Bump Pushers
Original Crown
Original Hardlex Crystal
Seiko’s Semi-Integrated Bracelet
Seiko 6139 Automatic Chronograph Movement Inside
ANALYSIS
This watch is a piece of watchmaking history. There have been many competitions between various watchmakers over time, but none as exciting as the race to be the first to launch the first self-winding chronograph in history. Zenith/ Movado/ Mondia with their “El Primero” were in a tight race with the large consortium of Heuer/ Breitling/ Buren/ Hamilton/ Dubois-Depraz and their “Caliber 11.” It was 1969, and for a handful of months, Zenith was the first to officially announce its chronograph caliber project. This was happening in Europe.
On the other side of the world, however, Seiko was on its own, and in January 1969 it had already launched its automatic column-wheel chronograph movement, called the 6139. The 6139 movement powered Seiko chronographs from 1969 to 1979 in countless model variations, and this 6139/8029 “Blue Eye” is one of them.
The dial is black with a contrasting white peripheral minute track. The Seiko logo is applied at the center at 12 o’clock, with the wording Chronograph Automatic immediately below. The hour markers are tritium baton indices. The dial features a single subdial in a beautiful azure blue that counts up to 30 minutes. At 3 o’clock is a dual window for the day and date.
This dual complication in the 6139 movement conceals another interesting technical feature: the day/date is a rapid-correct function activated by pressing the crown, which is hidden inside the side of the single-piece steel case. An intuitive and mechanically fascinating system. The hour and minute hands are pencil-shaped and feature a white luminescent coating; the minute hand and chronograph hand are a sporty orange.
Completing this piece of all-time watchmaking history with a racing feel is a semi-integrated steel bracelet.
