Though much of the attention of vintage fans seems to center around the 613X “Suwa” chronographs , Seiko’s Daini division was answering back with their own 701X calibers that were equally impressive, and in some instances, even ahead of the curve. What they lack in minute and hour registers, they more than make up for with features all their own, and most were never available outside of the Japanese domestic market. This 7017-6020 from July of ‘70 is easily one of the best looking chronographs to come out of the entire era. The flared tonneau case shares mixed finishes with clean lines, and the lugs are nicely proportioned, leaving just enough room to accommodate a strap. It’s topped with a wide, beefy bezel with a slick black insert and silver tachymetric scale. Beneath the domed mineral crystal is a deeply set matte black dial. Long and lean luminous plots mark the hours, and they’re separated by an inset minute track in silver. The hour markers are framed by an orange block chapter ring divided into five minute intervals, and is outset by a silver hours scale for use with the slide rule inner bezel framing the dial. The inner bezel is a gloss black, and rotates via the crown to make up the second half of the slide rule function mapped out on the dial. It is one of the only instances we’ve observed on which the luminous “zero” pip is still in place. The hour hand is a slender all white, and is off set by an over sized minute hand in black and white. Both appear to float just above the dial, and have their original, clean luminous windows. The sweep hand is a bold orange that reaches across the inner bezel, though it does appear to be a replacement from a 6139 model. It is a genuine Seiko sweep hand from the same period, and nearly identical to the original sweep for this reference. It’s seated firmly in place, and resets to zero, but I did want to mention the discrepancy. The framed day date window resides at three and displays the day in either English or Kanji, and both the day and date can be quickset via the crown. The self-winding 7017 is keeping near perfect time post service, and features a “flyback” function that allows the sweep hand to be reset to zero without having to first stop the chronograph mechanism. It is unpolished and completely original aside from a replacement crystal and sweep hand, and we’ve paired it with a tobacco brown suede for a casually rugged fit and finish that’s comfortable on the wrist. This scarce JDM stunner looks as tough as it is to source, and is sure to be a front runner in any rotation.

CNS Oiled Tobacco Suede Leather with Copper Stitch

Serviced 12/23

Diameter- 43mm

Lugs- 19mm