Ricoh Dynamic Auto 45 Jewels – Rare Set with Period Ricoh Dynamic Auto Box – Early 1960s, Serviced

Anyone looking for Japanese vintage watches beyond the beaten paths of Seiko and Citizen will sooner or later come across one of the most fascinating outsiders in Japanese watchmaking history: Ricoh. Especially in recent years, the brand – and particularly the Dynamic Auto series offered here – has increasingly become the focus of serious collectors. What was long considered an insider tip is increasingly recognized for what it is: independent, technically ambitious Japanese watchmaking from its heyday. The Dynamic Auto 45 Jewels offered here is not just any model, but Ricoh's most prestigious statement from the first half of the 1960s.

About the brand and model: Ricoh – today known worldwide as an office equipment and camera manufacturer – entered the watch business through the acquisition of Takano Seimitsu Kogyo (Takano). The "Dynamic Auto" line became the company's top automatic line after this acquisition; its first model appeared in October 1962.

The story behind the "45 Jewels" – the Jewel War of the 1960s: This period saw one of the most curious episodes in watch history, still told with a smile among collectors today – the so-called "Jewel War." Technically, a hand-wound movement only needs about 17 jewels, with a practically sensible maximum of around 23 to 25; automatic movements add a few more for the winding mechanism. Anything beyond that is hardly necessary horologically. In the 1960s, however, manufacturers discovered the number of jewels as a marketing tool and outdid each other: 39 became 53, 65, 75 – up to the legendary 100-jewel watches. In 1964, Orient launched the "Grand Prix 100" (89 rubies and 11 sapphires), and the American Waltham countered with a 100-jewel model whose 17 functional bearing jewels were simply supplemented by 83 tiny rubies around the winding rotor. Many of these extra jewels were purely decorative – some, according to watchmakers, were literally glued to unused parts of the main plate just to meet the quota; some "mystery bags" didn't even have the full 17 actual bearing jewels. Only international standardization (ISO 1112, 1974) put an end to this by prohibiting the counting of non-functional jewels in advertising.

And this is where the Ricoh becomes interesting: Its 45-jewel movement is one of the honest representatives of this era. Ricoh added an additional 12-jewel ruby ball bearing on the rotor axis to the solid 33-jewel base caliber 54710, creating the caliber 54722. Unlike the glued-on decorative beads of some competitors, this ball bearing is a real, functional component: it ensures a particularly smooth, quiet automatic winding. The "45 Jewels" on the dial are therefore not a bluff, but genuinely installed and technically comprehensible – and in 1962/63, no other Japanese manufacturer could offer this number. A small but subtle point for anyone who wears the watch and knows its history.

About the watch itself: The silver sunburst dial features the characteristic cursive "Dynamic Auto" signature with the distinctive Ricoh "R" logo, as well as the inscription "45 Jewels Waterproof"; the date is classically positioned at 3 o'clock. The applied indices with their black and white accents and the angular "Dolphin" hands give the piece a uniquely independent, slightly stately appearance of the early 1960s. The case back is signed with Ricoh "R", "Automatic · Calendar", "All Stainless Steel" and "Water Proof", as well as the case number 57117. The accompanying stainless steel bracelet is the original, "R"-signed Ricoh bracelet – a detail that is rarely found intact after over 60 years.

Condition: The watch is in very good condition with only minor signs of age and wear typical for its age on the case. The dial and crystal are in perfect condition. The watch was professionally serviced in Japan in spring 2026 and purchased directly from the watchmaker – so it's not just "sort of" running, but freshly overhauled.

Dimensions: Diameter approx. 36.7 mm (without crown), Lug-to-Lug 46 mm, Height approx. 10.4 mm, Lug width 19.5 mm. Weight including original steel bracelet approx. 79 g.

The highlight: 

This watch comes with an original Ricoh "Dynamic Auto" presentation box – a sculptural, black and cream-lined display box that practically screams the sixties and early seventies, its design language almost reminiscent of the tailfin era of old Cadillacs.

It's important for us to provide transparent classification: The box bears the inscription "Dynamic Auto 33 Jewels". Based on the very scarce sources still available today, it is plausible that Ricoh might also have delivered the 45-Jewels variant in such Dynamic Auto boxes. The background could be that the 45-Jewels caliber was technically based on the 33-Jewels base movement and achieved the namesake 45 jewels through an additional 12-jewel ruby ball bearing on the rotor.

However, this original combination can no longer be definitively proven or guaranteed after more than 60 years. Therefore, we deliberately do not describe this offer as a fully documented full set.

Rather, we see it as a very beautiful, contemporaneously coherent, and exceptionally rare set: a Ricoh Dynamic Auto 45 Jewels with an original "R"-signed stainless steel bracelet, a fresh Japanese service, and an original Ricoh Dynamic Auto presentation box from the same model family. It is precisely this combination that makes the piece particularly appealing to collectors of Japanese vintage watches – without promising more than can be reliably substantiated today.

Technical Data

• Brand: Ricoh (リコー)
• Model / Line: Dynamic Auto „45 Jewels"
• Case back engraving: „Automatic · Calendar · All Stainless Steel · Water Proof", Case/serial number 57117 (no separate reference number)
• Caliber: Ricoh 54722, Automatic, 45 jewels (33-jewel base caliber 54710 + 12-jewel ruby ball bearing on the rotor axis), Date
• Production period: early/mid-1960s (45-jewel flagship from 1962/63; no established serial number dating scheme exists for Ricoh)
• Origin: Ricoh / Takano Seimitsu Kogyo, Japan
• Case: Stainless steel, screw-down back with Ricoh signature
• Case diameter: approx. 36.7 mm (without crown)
• Height: approx. 10.4 mm
• Lug-to-Lug: 46 mm
• Lug width: 19 mm
• Bracelet: original, „R"-signed Ricoh stainless steel bracelet
• Weight: approx. 79 g (incl. original bracelet)
• Dial: silver sunburst, applied indices, signature „Dynamic Auto" with Ricoh-„R", inscription „45 Jewels Waterproof"
• Hands: black „Dolphin" hands
• Crown: Original crown
• Crystal: Acrylic/Plexiglass
• Water resistance (original): „Water Proof" (no longer tested, no guarantee)
• Scope of delivery: Watch with original „R“-signed Ricoh stainless steel bracelet and original Ricoh „Dynamic Auto“ presentation box from the same model family with box inscription „33 Jewels“
• Condition:
  • Movement professionally serviced in Japan in spring 2026, runs perfectly
  • Dial in perfect condition
  • Crystal in perfect condition
  • Case with minor, usage-typical signs of wear

Special Features

• 45-jewel flagship from Ricoh's "Jewel War" phase – Caliber 54722 with a genuine 12-jewel ruby ball bearing on the rotor (technically one of the "honest" high-jewel solutions of the era)
• Particularly smooth, quiet automatic winding thanks to the ball bearing rotor
• Original, "R"-signed Ricoh stainless steel bracelet – rarely found intact after over 60 years
• With an extremely rare original Ricoh "Dynamic Auto 33" presentation box – hardly found even in Japan
• Freshly serviced in Japan (spring 2026), purchased directly from the watchmaker
• Perfect dial and crystal
• Ricoh – and especially the Dynamic Auto series – increasingly in the focus of serious collectors

Warranty (used)
This is a used vintage watch, professionally serviced in Japan in spring 2026. We provide the statutory warranty for used goods of 12 months. Signs of age and wear due to use do not constitute a defect.

Note
Despite the historical dial and case back inscriptions "Waterproof" / "Water Proof," this vintage watch is no longer waterproof; no water resistance is guaranteed. To protect the movement, the watch should not come into contact with water or moisture.