The Seiko Gene Kranz review

[LonArcvarden]

The watch was bought on-line from a Dutch watch dealer who also have a large brick and mortar store. I found one that was 5 Euro cheaper but that dealer was located in the UK, making the final price much higher. They had three left in stock at the time of purchase.


This is the fifth Seiko I bought over the span of 46 years. Two of them were a gift to my dad, the third one (a 1978 150m Quartz diver) was somehow lost, the fourth one, the Seiko 5 I showed earlier, I still own.


Somehow Seiko managed to give this watch a solid and ‘vintage’ feel, through the combination of the crystal, the case shape and the bracelet.


The packaging is, except for the foam insert for the watch, completely made out of cardboard (and it reads ‘Packaging made in China’ on the back). The bracelet was well wrapped in plastic tape but that was easy to remove. Protective stickers on crystal and back. But that is, or should be, standard fare as all my Chinese watches come the same way.


It contains an international warranty booklet with a QR code to scan for the manual, a warning for international customers that because of the construction of the case you should take the watch to your dealer, or send it to your local international service centre in case it needs repair. I did not notice anything special with the case however. And a filled out and stamped warranty card.


Sized for my wrist the watch weighs 127 grams and because of its small size it fits comfortably on the wrist. The unsigned crow is relatively small and because its recessed position in the case a little difficult to wind. The crystal is made from Seiko’s proprietary Hardlex, a hardened mineral material. Still no sapphire. Some say because of the costs but 80 Euro Chinese watches come with sapphire so what is the problem? I don’t really care however.


Seiko used solid links and solid end links for the bracelet and a stamped half-size clasp. And although it has one half-link to tweak the size somewhat, the short clasp leaves only room for two micro adjustments and that could be too few. Furthermore, the pins are made out of two parts: the pin itself, that tapers to the end, and a very small spring-loaded tube to lock the pin at the other end of the link. When you push a pin back in, it can eject the tube and I already lost one. To me it was quite fiddly to get it all back again and I’d rather wish they stuck with either regular push-pins or screwed pins. This construction is the only cause of worry to me. I can imagine that regular push pins and hollow (folded) links and end links were used in the 1970 version.


The case, apart from the polished sides, is completely brushed and has drilled lugs.


The Gene Kranz provenance is, although he wore the original in his daily life, somewhat of a bonus for Seiko. They did nothing to make this happen and the watch didn’t go on any mission. He could also have worn a Timex. But the same goes for the Omega ‘Moonwatch’, all mission worn watches remained government property and the period ones one can purchase were never on any mission.


The smallish size of the watch, both in case size and height, shows how much watches have grown in size over time and how they are starting to shrink again. You must decide for yourselves if this is a good or bad development.


It has gained +10 seconds over 24 hours and I expect that it will stay this way.


Although I’m not a big fan of the day-date complication, it was on the original and Seiko just kept it this way. As they did with the baton hands, the markers and the bi-directional bezel. And the shield logo. To non-WIS this is just another (small) Seiko. I bet no one of my former colleagues even have a clue who Gene Kranz was. And if they do it is not because of his watch.


I have seen pictures of several originals, the first iteration still had ‘Water Proof’ on the dial but that was soon changed to ‘Water Resist’. I do not know what version Gene owned. They also came on a black leather strap but I am not going to follow that route.


It is a watch that truly belongs to my collection because it oozes late 60’s nostalgia.

[ayawoalhassan]

My local Seiko guy has these as well. He's after $695AUD for one - historical looks aside - it seemed a bit steep for a Seiko 5 - most others in the range are about $200AUD less.

[princemeraj]

While I appreciate vintage watch designs, incorporating a custom watch with Seiko movements into my collection has been a game-changer. The ability to create a personalized timepiece with reliable NH movements added both sentimental and practical value to my collection. I found it especially appealing given the customization options, making it an alternative to more expensive watches while maintaining that nostalgic charm.