A shimmering green dial with fine vertical pinstriping, gold indices, an angular steel case, and a Kanji day wheel.
This is Japan, 1977.
What "Type II" means
The designation does not refer to a design, but to a price point.
When Seiko introduced the world's first quartz wristwatch with the Astron in 1969, quartz technology was a luxury good. Early quartz watches from the 38 and 48 caliber series cost many times more than a good automatic watch. By the mid-1970s, this had changed: manufacturing became manageable, production numbers increased, and Seiko was able to offer quartz watches to a broad consumer base.
This is exactly why the company introduced the Type II designation in 1976—for quartz watches priced between approximately ¥18,000 and ¥34,000. That was still more than most Seiko automatic watches cost at the time, but it was attainable.
The series ran from 1976 to 1984, peaking in 1979 with around ninety-five models in a single catalog. It declined rapidly thereafter; by the early 1980s, only a few references remained before Seiko replaced the designation with the acronym SQ.
Type II thus marks a concrete moment: the transition of the quartz watch from a technical prestige object to an everyday timepiece. And because these models were built exclusively for the Japanese market, they consistently feature a bilingual day wheel in Kanji and English.
Suwa and Daini
There is a small lightning bolt on the dial and the case back. It means: This watch comes from Daini Seikosha in Tokyo.
For decades, Seiko maintained two completely separate production facilities that competed against each other—Suwa Seikosha in Nagano and Daini in Tokyo. Suwa developed Grand Seiko, Daini developed King Seiko. This competition continued into the quartz era: both factories developed their own quartz calibers, and the Type II series included movements from both houses.
The 4623 caliber
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Analog quartz movement with day and date display
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Quick-set for day and date
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Bilingual day wheel, Japanese and English
- Manufactured by Daini Seikosha
The bilingual day wheel follows the Japanese calendar convention: Sunday in red, Saturday in blue. In the photo, it is Sunday in red—a detail not found on European watches.
A special feature on the back: The case back features its own screw-in battery hatch with an arrow marking and the inscription "OPEN". Battery changes can therefore be performed without opening the entire case back—the main case back seal remains untouched. Seiko used this design for some of their early quartz watches; nobody makes them like this anymore today.
Dial and Case
The dial is the heart of this watch. It features fine vertical pinstriping and a gradient that transitions from a light, almost silvery green in the center to a deep bottle green toward the edges. Depending on the light, the surface appears silver, moss green, or almost black.
The hour markers are applied batons with gold tops and white sides—a two-tone effect that shifts with every change in light. These are accompanied by gold-colored, longitudinally ribbed hands and a slender seconds hand.
The dial is inscribed with SEIKO / QUARTZ at the top, and the Daini emblem, TYPE II, and the lightning bolt symbol at the bottom. The calendar window at three o'clock is framed in gold.
The stainless steel case displays the angular, faceted design language of the late 1970s: brushed tops, polished sides, and wide, tapering lugs. With a diameter of 36.6 mm and a 41.4 mm lug-to-lug distance, it is classically proportioned.
It is fitted with the original Seiko steel bracelet with its articulated construction and a (rare) stretch end link, which gives the watch exceptional wearing comfort.
