An unusual and now rarely found Ricoh MLB Opening Series 2004 commemorative watch, produced on the occasion of the historic Major League Baseball Opening Series in Japan.

These games took place on March 30–31, 2004, at the Tokyo Dome and marked one of the early official MLB Season Opening events outside the USA.

The watch features the logos of the two teams on its dial:

• New York Yankees

• Tampa Bay Devil Rays

as well as the MLB logo and the inscription “’04 RICOH MLB Opening Series”.

Ricoh was the main sponsor of the event, which is why this watch was produced as an official event or promotional watch.

Special Features of this Item

The item offered here is in NOS (New Old Stock) condition.

Special features:

• Original protective film on front and case back
• Unworn
• Original box included
• Original instructions in Japanese
• New battery inserted

Especially for event or promotional watches, a complete set in unworn condition is extremely rare.

Historical Background – MLB Opening Series 2004 in Japan

Since the 1990s, MLB has regularly held season-opening games outside the USA, particularly often in Japan.

The 2004 Opening Series at the Tokyo Dome was one of the most prominent of these events.

It took place at a time when baseball was gaining enormous global attention through Japanese stars like Hideki Matsui (Yankees).

Ricoh was one of the major Japanese sponsors of these games and produced various limited fan items – including this watch.

Such event watches were often:

• given to sponsors
• used as promotional items
• or produced in small series for collectors.

Design

The watch has a sporty design, based on classic chronograph sports watches.

Characteristic elements:

• Tachymeter bezel
• Large 39-mm sports case
• Grey dial with team logos
• Red second hand
• Luminescent indices

The design combines MLB event graphics with a classic sports watch layout.

Technical Specifications

Brand: Ricoh

Model: MLB Opening Series 2004 Japan

Movement: Quartz

Functions:

• Hours
• Minutes
• Central seconds

Case: Stainless steel
Crystal: Mineral glass
Bezel: Tachymeter

Dimensions

Diameter without crown: 39.2 mm

Height: 10.4 mm

Lug-to-Lug: 44.8 mm

Lug width: 20 mm

Weight including steel bracelet: 80 g

Bracelet

Original metal bracelet with folding clasp.

The watch is still covered with protective film, which emphasizes its NOS condition.

Condition

• NOS – New Old Stock
• Unworn
• Original protective film front and back
• New battery inserted
• Original box
• Original instructions (Japanese)

Collector's Note

Sports event watches from Japan occupy their own collector's niche.

Models related to the following are particularly interesting:

• MLB Opening Series in Japan
• Sponsor editions
• Complete sets

This model combines several attractive aspects:

• MLB event connection
• Yankees branding
• Ricoh Sponsor Edition
• NOS Condition
• Full Set

The unworn condition with protective films makes this item significantly more interesting for collectors than typical event merchandise watches.

Warranty (used)
This is a used item. The limitation period for claims for defects (statutory warranty) is 12 months from delivery.

Note
Since this is a used watch, no water resistance can be guaranteed. To protect the movement, the watch should not come into contact with water or moisture.