Seiko Lord Matic 5606-7070 – Caliber 5606A, 23 jewels, Suwa Seikosha – monocoque case – March 1969 – freshly serviced

On this dial, LORD MATIC is written out in full.

This may sound like a minor detail, but it is the hallmark of early Lord Matics. Later, Seiko replaced the lettering with the streamlined LM logo – the same watch, the same technology, but a different look. The fully written-out version appears calmer and more classic; it dates from the time when the line had just been introduced and still had to spell out its name.

This watch was built in March 1969, in the first full year of production for the series.

A case without a back

The case back carries an instruction not addressed to the wearer, but to the watchmaker: OPEN THRU GLASS, PUSH SET LEVER, PULL STEM.

This watch cannot be opened from the back. The back is not a cover, but part of a one-piece case body. To access the movement, one must remove the crystal from the front and work through the dial side.

The reason for this is structural. A watch case usually has three points where water can enter: the crystal, the crown, and the back. The back gasket is the most vulnerable because it runs around the entire circumference and must be reset at every service. Seiko solved this in several series of the late 1960s by eliminating the case back. The fact that this case says “WATER PROOF” rather than the usual “WATER RESIST” is the consequence of this.

For the collector, this has a practical consequence: because the dial side is exposed during every service, many of these watches today bear the marks of unprofessional handling – scratches on the dial, bent hands, damaged indices. A monocoque with an intact dial therefore says more about a watch's maintenance history than any case condition.

The Lord Matic in the Seiko hierarchy

The Lord Matic line (LM) appeared in 1968 and occupied the upscale middle segment at Seiko: above the Seiko 5, and below King Seiko and Grand Seiko. It was manufactured at the Suwa factory – the same plant that developed the Grand Seiko in parallel, while Daini was responsible for the King Seiko. This internal competition between Suwa and Daini was the driving force that brought Japanese watchmaking of the 1960s and 1970s to a world-class level.

Technically, the Lord Matic benefited directly from this. The caliber 5606 belongs to the 56 movement family – the same architecture upon which the King Seiko caliber 5626 and the Grand Seiko caliber 5646 are based. The Lord Matic ran at a lower frequency and with simpler fine adjustment than its more expensive siblings, but the basic construction is the same. This explains why the 5606 series is still considered exceptionally robust and watchmaker-friendly today.

The fact that Seiko gave this mid-range line an elaborate one-piece case in 1969 says a lot about the standards of that era. In later 5606 models, this construction was abandoned.

The Caliber 5606A

• Automatic with additional manual winding – unlike older Seiko automatic movements, the 5606 can also be wound by hand
• Hacking seconds when the crown is pulled, allowing for second-accurate setting
• 23 jewels
• Quick-set for day and date
• Bilingual day wheel, Japanese and English

The bilingual version follows the Japanese calendar convention: Sunday in red, Saturday in blue. In the photo, it shows Friday 金 – a detail not found on European watches that reveals the watch's origin at a glance.

Dial and Case

The dial is executed in a light silver tone with a fine, uniform grain that scatters light instead of reflecting it. The hour markers are applied, faceted batons with polished flanks and deeply recessed edges; at twelve o'clock, they are executed as a double index. This is complemented by wide, polished hands and a fine center-sweep seconds hand.

A slightly raised ring with a dotted minute track encircles the dial, framing it. It is labeled with the applied SEIKO lettering at the top and LORD MATIC / 23 JEWELS as well as the Suwa factory mark at the bottom. The calendar window at three o'clock is framed with an applied border and shows the day and date side by side.

The stainless steel case follows the design language that Taro Tanaka formulated at Seiko as the “Grammar of Design”: flat, sharply defined surfaces instead of rounded transitions, angular lugs with clearly visible facets, and a flat-polished bezel. Tanaka’s principle was that every surface should reflect light in a defined direction – which only works as long as the edges remain sharp.

With a height of 9.3 mm, this watch is flatter than most Lord Matics, which is not a given for a one-piece case. At 36.6 mm in diameter and 42.2 mm lug-to-lug, it remains proportional enough for everyday wear.

Condition

This watch is in good condition.

Technically flawless: it was professionally serviced in Japan in the spring/summer of 2026 – completely disassembled, cleaned, oiled, and regulated. The automatic system, manual winding, hacking seconds, and quick-set for day and date all work perfectly.

The dial is clean and uniform, without major stains or discoloration; isolated small dots are visible upon close inspection, but are barely noticeable when worn. The lettering is complete and sharp, the applied indices are firm and free of corrosion, and the calendar frame is intact. Especially with a monocoque case, this finding is the most important – it shows that the watch has been properly maintained over the decades.

The stainless steel case shows age-appropriate signs of wear, somewhat more clearly in places on the lug edges. The facets and transitions between the polished and brushed surfaces are preserved; the watch has not been over-polished. All case back engravings – reference 5606-7070, serial number, workshop instructions, Suwa symbol – are complete and clearly legible. The crystal is clear with light signs of use.

A new black leather strap with a crocodile grain is fitted.

Technical Specifications

• Brand / Line: Seiko, Lord Matic
• Reference: 5606-7070
• Serial number: 936617
• Production date: March 1969
• Movement: Seiko Caliber 5606A, automatic with manual winding, 23 jewels, hacking seconds
• Manufacturer: Suwa Seikosha, Japan
• Functions: Hours, minutes, center-sweep seconds, day and date with quick-set, bilingual day wheel (Japanese/English)
• Case: Stainless steel, one-piece monocoque case (movement accessed from the front through the crystal)
• Diameter (without crown): 36.6 mm
• Height: 9.3 mm
• Lug-to-lug: 42.2 mm
• Lug width: 18 mm
• Weight (incl. strap): 49 g
• Strap: New black leather strap
• Crystal: Acrylic crystal
• Service: Spring/summer 2026, Japan – complete disassembly, cleaning, oiling, regulation

For whom

For those who prefer the written-out lettering to the logo. Early Lord Matics with “LORD MATIC” on the dial possess a tranquility that the later LM models lack – and they are rarer, because Seiko switched to the shorter version early on.

For collectors interested in Japanese case construction. Monocoque cases were limited to only a few series and a few years at Seiko; an example with an intact dial simultaneously proves a clean maintenance history.

And for anyone looking for a fully equipped automatic movement with manual winding, hacking seconds, and quick-set, without paying the premium for a King Seiko – despite using the same movement architecture.

With a height of 9.3 mm, it slides easily under a shirt cuff.

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

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