Seiko's "Weekdater" line up from the 1960's offer some of the cleanest layouts and most enduring case architecture to come out of era. Mid-century modernity and minimalism that's just as relevant today as it was when they were introduced nearly 60 years ago. At the time of its release in 1964, the 6218 was a flagship of the Seikomatic lineup. Considered the automatic equivalent of the then only manually wound GS line, it was built on the 62 base movement that would eventually be the platform for the first self-winding Grand Seikos to hit the market just a few years later. This being the latter “C” version of the 6218, the “tadpole” fine adjuster has been replaced by a slightly more refined “rack and pinion” mechanism for tightening performance. Packed with 35 jewels, it’s one of Seiko’s finest from the era, and packaged in a timepiece with undeniable presence. This example from February of 1965 is just stunning. The dial is a silver satin sunburst topped in a matte lacquer finish. It’s set with polished applied markers with great detailing, and framed with a matte silver chapter ring. A large day/date window sits beneath a polished frame at three, and two lines of well balanced text are printed above the six. The hour and minute hands are giant dauphines with crisp beveled edges that taper to a fine point, and sport a mirror finish. Foregoing a bezel, the case is a thick, flat top design with sharp corners and beveled side lines. The lightly etched case back markings typically wear completely away on this reference, but here, the “crowned dolphin” motif is still somewhat visible. The case back also bears some superficial marring from a slipped tool, though it isn’t detectable by touch. The hacking 6218 is keeping near perfect time post service, and offers quicksetting for the date, and a semi-quickset day. It is unpolished and completely original aside from a replacement crystal, and we’ve paired it with an olive suede with khaki stitching for a versatile and comfortable finish. A beautiful blend of engineering and style, this scarce Seikomatic classic is sure to be a fast favorite in any collection.

CNS Tapered Olive Nubuck Suede with Khaki Stitch

Serviced 1/13/23

Diameter- 37mm

Lugs- 19mm