Buying guides
Read one of these before you buy. They cover vintage Seiko divers, how to spot a redialed or franken watch, what the numbers on a caseback mean, which movements hack and hand-wind, the 1970s chronographs, and how the Casio square evolved. If you’re new to all this, start with the first-watch guide.
Buying a Vintage Seiko Diver: 6105, Turtle, 7548, 7002 and SKX007
How the Seiko 6105, 6309 Turtle, 7548, 7002 and SKX007 differ, which one to buy, and what to check in the photos of a used Seiko diver.
Read the guide →How to Spot a Redialed or Franken Seiko
Redials and parts-bin franken Seikos are everywhere on eBay. The dial, hand, case back and movement tells that show what you're really buying.
Read the guide →Your First Seiko or Casio: Where to Start
Where a beginner should start with used Seiko and Casio: the F-91W, A168, AE-1200, DW-5600E, SNK809, SRPD55 and SKX, and what each is like to live with.
Read the guide →The Casio Square Explained: From the DW-5000C to the GW-5000
How the square G-Shock grew from the 1983 DW-5000C to the DW-5600C, DW-5600E, GW-M5610 and GW-5000, and how to tell them apart in a listing.
Read the guide →Seiko Reference Numbers Decoded: Calibers, Case Codes and Serials
How to read a Seiko case back: the caliber and case code in 6309-7040, dating the serial number, Suwa and Daini marks, and what the J in SKX007J means.
Read the guide →Seiko Movements Explained: What the Caliber Tells a Buyer
What each Seiko caliber in our catalog means to a buyer: beat rate, hacking, hand-winding, jewels, quartz versus mechanical, and what wears out.
Read the guide →Vintage Seiko Chronographs: The 6139 and 6138
The 1969 Seiko 6139 and the 6138: Pogue, Bullhead, Panda and JPS, how to read the dial and case back, and how to spot redials and frankens.
Read the guide →