{"product_id":"seiko-chronometer-gehause-nr-1049-kaliber-10a-handaufzug-mit-kleiner-sekunde-juli-1948-frisch-revidiert","title":"Seiko Chronometer – Case No. 1049 – Caliber 10A, manual wind with small seconds – July 1948 – freshly serviced","description":"\u003cdiv role=\"feed\"\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv role=\"article\" tabindex=\"0\"\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis watch is older than everything Seiko is famous for today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eOlder than Grand Seiko, older than King Seiko, older than the 1956 Marvel – the watch that marks the beginning of Seiko's own historical record. It was built in \u003cstrong\u003eJuly 1948\u003c\/strong\u003e, three years after the end of the war, in a country that was just beginning to rebuild its industry.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eWhat an extraordinary gift for someone born in July 1948! \u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eWhy this particular piece is unusual\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eSeiko Chronometers appear on the market in Japan from time to time. You can find them – but you almost never find them in this condition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe vast majority of listings are sold as \"junk\" or \"function unverified\": watches that do not run, have incomplete movements, damaged balance wheels, or refinished dials. The reason is simple. There is no longer a supply of spare parts for a 1948 movement; anyone wishing to repair such a watch needs donor movements, time, and a watchmaker capable of handling calibers from this generation. While a few such watchmakers still exist in Japan, they are rare in Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eDo the math: An unverified watch from Japan costs less, but you have to add the price of shipping, import duties, a full overhaul, and – very likely – spare parts. In the end, you will be far above the price of this watch, without knowing if the movement was even complete to begin with.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis one was fully serviced in Japan in the spring\/summer of 2026 by a specialist (not every watchmaker in Japan can or wants to work on such old chronometers) and is running.\u003c\/strong\u003e That is the real difference compared to what is usually offered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe Seiko Chronometers\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe series appeared in the early 1940s and ran into the 1950s. It was equipped with the best movements Seikosha could build at the time and was aimed at buyers for whom accuracy was more important than anything else.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eA word on the designation to avoid any misunderstanding: \u003cstrong\u003e\"Chronometer\" was a model and quality designation by Seiko itself, not a certification by an independent testing body.\u003c\/strong\u003e An official Japanese chronometer test – the later Japan Chronometer Inspection Institution, which began testing King Seiko and Grand Seiko models in the 1960s – did not yet exist at the time. Seiko used the term to mark its own quality standards and lived up to them technically.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor collectors, these watches are interesting for another reason: they prove that Seiko was already building high-quality watches long before its rise in the 1960s. Exactly twelve years lie between this watch and the first Grand Seiko.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe Caliber 10A\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe watch is powered by a manual-wind movement from the Caliber 10 family with a small seconds hand at six o'clock.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis movement family marks the beginning of Seiko's post-war history. It was used in the late 1940s in both the Tokyo Daini factory and the Suwa factory; \u003cstrong\u003ein 1946, Suwa developed the Caliber 10A from it\u003c\/strong\u003e by giving the second wheel and the third wheel their own bridge and separate cocks. This was a design improvement that directly benefited accuracy – and it occurred in a year when Japan had to rebuild virtually everything from scratch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis line formed the basis for the production that would produce the Marvel ten years later – Seiko's first fully in-house developed movement – and from that came the Crown, King Seiko, and Grand Seiko.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe movements of this era do not yet carry a numerical caliber designation in today's sense; Seiko only introduced the four-digit system in 1964. The classification as a 10A is derived from its design and production period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003ePractically speaking, this means: wind it once a day, no date, no automatic winding, no quick-set. The basic function of mechanical timekeeping, cleanly executed.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eDating\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe case serial number is 875786. According to the Seiko system – first digit is the last digit of the year, second digit is the month – this results in \u003cstrong\u003eJuly 1948\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThis classification is well-founded, even if not formally documented for watches from the 1940s: the Caliber 10A was created in 1946, the Chronometer series ran from the early 1940s, and the mathematically possible alternative of July 1958 is practically ruled out – by that time, the Marvel and Lord Marvel were already in the lineup, and dials of this type were no longer being produced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe dial\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAnyone familiar with 1960s Seiko dials – applied batons, sunburst finishes, minimalism – will find something completely different here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe dial is two-tone: a lighter circle in the center, surrounded by a slightly darker outer ring. The hours are executed as printed Arabic numerals in a bold, slightly archaic font – with the exception of the three and nine o'clock positions, which each feature \u003cstrong\u003ethree parallel lines\u003c\/strong\u003e. These triple bars are the hallmark of the Chronometer dials.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAt six o'clock, the \u003cstrong\u003esmall seconds\u003c\/strong\u003e hand sits in its own recessed sub-dial with a fine guilloché pattern that breaks the light into concentric rings. Small seconds of this type almost completely disappeared from the Japanese lineup with the shift to center seconds in the late 1950s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe dial is labeled in two lines: \u003cem\u003eCHRONOMETER\u003c\/em\u003e above \u003cem\u003eSEIKO\u003c\/em\u003e. Encircling it is a fine printed minute track with turquoise marking dots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eIt is a dial that you do not grasp at a glance, but rather one that you study.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eCase\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe case is chrome-plated, and the case back is made of stainless steel – the standard construction of those years, where the high-stress sealing surface rests on hard material. In addition to the material specification, the case back bears the manufacturer's mark in a rectangle, along with the case number 1049 and the serial number 875786.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eWith a \u003cstrong\u003ediameter of 27.3 mm and 31.5 mm lug-to-lug\u003c\/strong\u003e, the watch is very small by today's standards. It corresponded exactly to what was considered a men's watch in Japan in the 1940s and 1950s: wristwatches had evolved from pocket watches, and they were worn to read the time, not to stand out.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe lug width is 15 mm.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe strap – and a suggestion\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe watch is supplied as it came to us: on a contemporary stainless steel stretch bracelet. We have consciously left it as is. Such a bracelet is part of the appearance of this watch generation, and for a piece of this age, we believe it is more appropriate to show its inherited state rather than to modify it afterwards.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eNevertheless: This watch takes on a completely different look with a leather strap. The warm dial, the brown numerals, and the gold-colored crown harmonize with aged cowhide, while the steel bracelet breaks the tone. Anyone who wants to wear the watch, and not just own it, should consider the swap.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWe are happy to assist with the selection.\u003c\/strong\u003e The 15 mm lug width is no longer common today, and not every strap of this width is proportional to a 27.3 mm case. Simply contact us after your purchase – we will suggest suitable straps and tell you where to find them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote regarding the final image\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe final image is an \u003cstrong\u003eartificial intelligence-generated representation\u003c\/strong\u003e and shows the watch on a brown leather strap. It serves exclusively to illustrate this design possibility. \u003cstrong\u003eThe leather strap shown is not included in the scope of delivery\u003c\/strong\u003e; the watch is delivered on the described stainless steel stretch bracelet. The actual condition of the case, dial, and crystal is determined exclusively by the other photographic images and the condition description below.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c!--nl--\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eCondition\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eTechnically flawless. The watch was professionally serviced in Japan in the spring\/summer of 2026 – completely disassembled, cleaned, oiled, and regulated. Manual winding and small seconds function perfectly.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFrankly: \u003cstrong\u003eThe chrome plating is significantly worn through.\u003c\/strong\u003e The base material is exposed at the bezel edge, the lug tips, and the case flanks; darker zones are visible on the upper case edge. For a watch that is seventy-eight years old and has been worn during that time, this is the rule, not the exception.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe dial shows the traces of its age but has retained its character: the two-tone division is clearly recognizable, the guilloché in the seconds sub-dial is complete, and the numerals, triple bars, and lettering are legible throughout. Occasional small spots and signs of age are present, especially in the lower right area – for printed dials of this era, this is part of the charm and is generally preferred by collectors over restoration. The dial is original and not refinished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eThe case back shows the usual fine scratches from opening and wearing; all engravings are complete and clearly legible. The crystal shows slight signs of use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eTechnical Specifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cul dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eBrand \/ Line:\u003c\/strong\u003e Seiko, Chronometer\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eCase number:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1049\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eSerial number:\u003c\/strong\u003e 875786\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eProduction date:\u003c\/strong\u003e July 1948\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eMovement:\u003c\/strong\u003e Seikosha Caliber 10A, manual-wind, small seconds\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eFunctions:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hours, minutes, small seconds at six o'clock\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eCase:\u003c\/strong\u003e chrome-plated, stainless steel back\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eDiameter (without crown):\u003c\/strong\u003e 27.3 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eHeight:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9.3 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eLug-to-lug:\u003c\/strong\u003e 31.5 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eLug width:\u003c\/strong\u003e 15 mm\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eWeight (incl. bracelet):\u003c\/strong\u003e 34 g\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eStrap:\u003c\/strong\u003e contemporary stainless steel stretch bracelet\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eCrystal:\u003c\/strong\u003e Acrylic crystal\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\u003cli\u003e\n\n\u003cstrong\u003eService:\u003c\/strong\u003e Spring\/Summer 2026, Japan – full disassembly, cleaning, oiling, regulation\u003c\/li\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor whom\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor collectors who want to map the history of Japanese watchmaking in its entirety. The Seiko Chronometer stands before everything that is considered the beginning today – before the Marvel, before the Cronos and Crown, before King Seiko and Grand Seiko. Anyone who collects this line begins here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor anyone looking for a watch from 1948 that actually runs. This is the exception, not the rule, for this series – and the reason why the price difference compared to an unverified watch from Japan is quickly put into perspective.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eFor lovers of small watches: 27.3 mm by 31.5 mm lug-to-lug and 34 g are dimensions that no one builds anymore and that look exceptionally elegant on slender wrists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eAnd for friends of printed dials with guilloché seconds. This manufacturing style disappeared from the Japanese program at the end of the 1950s and never returned.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003eIf you expect a flawless case, this is not the watch for you. If you are looking for a watch that witnessed the reconstruction of Japan and is still doing its duty today, you will find an extraordinary piece here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWarranty (used)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is a used item. The limitation period for claims for defects (statutory warranty) is 12 months from delivery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eNote\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs this is a vintage watch, water resistance cannot be guaranteed. To protect the movement, the watch should not come into contact with water or moisture.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Vintage \u0026 JDM (Japan Domestic Market)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54781111107922,"sku":"A499","price":349.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0911\/3908\/0530\/files\/D772A99C-E24D-4DF2-B3C4-5DFE000DBF37.jpg?v=1789895747","url":"https:\/\/japanese-microbrands.com\/en\/products\/seiko-chronometer-gehause-nr-1049-kaliber-10a-handaufzug-mit-kleiner-sekunde-juli-1948-frisch-revidiert","provider":"Japanese Microbrands - Mario Lenke","version":"1.0","type":"link"}