An elegant and rare Seiko Olympic Commemorative Watch, produced in October 1997 as an official commemorative model for the XVIII Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan in 1998.

The watch bears the Olympic rings and the license notice “© 1993 NAOC TM” on the dial, identifying it as an official collectible authorized by the Games’ organizing committee.

With its extremely flat case, classic dress watch design and exceptional Olympic dial, this model is particularly interesting for both Seiko collectors and Olympic memorabilia collectors.

Historical Background – Seiko and the Olympic Games

Seiko is one of the companies with the longest tradition in Olympic timekeeping.

The decisive milestone was in 1964 at the Tokyo Olympics, when Seiko was first recorded as the official timekeeper of the Games. For these Games, Seiko developed fully electronic timekeeping systems for sporting events for the first time.

Since then, Seiko has been responsible for numerous international sporting events:

• official timekeeping
• E result display
• start and finish systems
• data transmission for TV broadcasts

Seiko also played an important role in timekeeping technology at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.

In parallel, Seiko regularly produced officially licensed Olympic commemorative models, which today constitute their own collecting area.

Meaning of the designation “© 1993 NAOC TM”

The inscription below the Olympic rings reads:

© 1993 NAOC™

NAOC stands for:

Nagano Olympic Organizing Committee

This was the official organizing committee for the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.

The designation means that the design of the watch was officially licensed by the Organizing Committee and the Olympic trademarks may be used.

Dial

The minimalist silver-colored dial is complemented by an extraordinary graphic motif in the center.

Below the design are:

• the Olympic Rings
• the designation © 1993 NAOC TM

The combination of a classic dress watch layout and an Olympic motif makes the dial particularly interesting.

Case

The elegant gold-plated case has a particularly flat profile of just 6.5 mm.

The stainless steel back bears the reference:

7N21-8A00

as well as the serial number:

705035

This serial number shows that the watch was produced in October 1997 – just a few months before the start of the Nagano Winter Games in February 1998.

Movement

Inside, the proven Seiko Quartz Caliber 7N21 works.

This movement is considered very reliable and has been used in numerous high-quality Seiko dress watches.

Bracelet

The watch comes with the original Seiko leather strap including Seiko clasp.

The strap is used, but is in good condition and perfectly matches the elegant character of the watch.

Technical Data

Manufacturer: Seiko
Model: Olympic Commemorative Watch (Nagano Winter Olympics)
Reference: 7N21-8A00
Caliber: Seiko Quartz 7N21

Production Date: October 1997

Case Diameter: 34 mm
Lug-to-Lug: 40.4 mm
Height: 6.5 mm
Lug Width: 18 mm

Weight incl. bracelet: 27 g

Material: gold-plated case (base metal),
Case back: stainless steel

Glass: Hardlex

Strap: original Seiko leather strap with Seiko clasp

Condition

Very good vintage condition.

• Dial very clean
• Case with only minor signs of wear
• Original Seiko leather strap in good condition
• Watch runs reliably

Please note the high-resolution photos – these are part of the description.

Collector's Note

Seiko watches related to the Olympic Games form their own collecting area within the brand.

Models that are particularly sought after are those that:

• Were officially licensed by the Organizing Committee
• Bear the Olympic rings directly on the dial
• were produced in Japan

The present model meets all these criteria.

As many of these watches were originally intended as merchandise for the Japanese market, they are relatively rare outside Japan today.

The combination of:

• Olympic collector's value
• elegant design
• very flat case
• original Seiko strap

Makes this watch an attractive collector's item from Seiko's Olympic history.

 

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