During the Vietnam conflict a couple of Seiko variants found their way onto the wrists of many enlisted men and special forces operatives alike. Whether purchased at exchanges or issued by CISO to MAC-V SOG operatives, three in particular have been documented and verified by first hand accounts, and through photographic evidence provided by Frank Greco in his book Running Recon: A Photo Journey with SOG Special Ops Along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The first iteration of of these fabled watches was the 6619-8060, followed a couple of years later by the 6119-8100 that would take its place, and ends with the Daini 7005-8030. However, there are two other models are nearly identical to these known issued models, but a lack of hard evidence to support their inclusion makes best guesses and Greco’s account the closest corroboration we have to the actual truth. Outside of Greco’s mentions, there is also the 6619-8280, which is the earliest model bearing this format, and was likely the model that inspired Baker to choose its replacement for his operatives. The other is the 6106-8219 DX variant. With production dates from as early as 1969, the DX model falls well within the MAC V-SOG timeline, as the group operated through 1972 before being disbanded. As to the lack of evidence, even the known issued models carried no government insignia or markings as they were issued or given to those who might need the plausible deniability that could surely be compromised by wearing a watch that was marked as US military property. All peripheral equipment issued to SOG operatives was purposefully left sterile. For most collectors, Greco’s book is canon, but I, and many others, remain unconvinced that the DX was not also originally built for this purpose.

This example from July of 1969 is an absolute stunner. Featuring a dark, charcoal gray sunburst dial with a lacquered finish, it is marked in crisply painted Arabic numerals in a khaki green luminous material. Large baton hands with matching luminous windows make for superior legibility along with a long and lean polished sweep. A subtle minute track resides at the edge of the dial,  and a day/date aperture at three o’clock. The case is in stainless steel with a slim profile, and short beveled lugs that create a soft tonneau shape. Unlike its predecessors, it has a screw down case back, and the 6106B makes it the only model in the line up with a hack for seconds setting. It’s unpolished and completely original aside from a replacement crystal, and post service it’s keeping near perfect time. We’ve paired it with a camo canvas over leather strap for militaristic finish in keeping with its heritage. If a vintage military watch steeped in clandestine history is on your list, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better looking, or more storied one than this.

Kvarnsjo Leather Camouflage Canvas/Leather with Full Brown Stitch

Serviced 7/31/20

Diameter- 36mm

Lugs- 19mm