Birthday Watch December 1964! Seiko Queen 1020-0010 DAINI 23J Mechanical Watch (OH)

A BIRTHDAY WATCH IS A WATCH THAT WAS PRODUCED THE SAME MONTH AND YEAR AS SOMEONE'S BIRTHDAY.

Make: Seiko
Type: Mechanical
Model: Queen Seiko
Year of Production: December 1964
Movement: 1020
BPH: 19,800
Number of Jewels: 23
Hand and Dial: 3D Gold-Filled Baton Indices with Dauphine Hands
Width: 19mm
Lug to Lug Height: 24.5mm
Thickness: 8.5mm
Lug Width: 9mm
Bracelet: Hi-End Hi-Quality Tessuflex Brand Vintage Expendable SS Gold Bracelet
Pouch / Box: Brand-New EVA Type Zipper Pouch

According to most reliable online sources, the Seikosha DAINI factory produced the first King Seiko in 1961 to compete with the Grand Seiko made by the Seikosha SUWA that made its debut in 1960.

The first King Seiko AKA 44KS is manual winding, 25 jewel movement which is a mechanical 18,000 BHP with a snap-down case-back. The 44KS is in fact a 4402 movement. It was so good in design, accuracy and reliability that it was adopted and installed into the world's first Grand Seiko and named 44GS that became the all-time great Grand Seiko and a highly Collectible.

It is fact that even though DAINI and SUWA were "friendly competitors," they did share many movements due to the insatiable demand.

Seiko ceased production of the King range in 1975 to allow the emergence of the Grand Seiko as the undisputed high-end Seiko timepiece.

Because of its success and keeping tabs with the female consumer market, Seiko decided to also launch a Queen Seiko in 1964. So, for Seiko Collectors and Vintage fans, this is the FIRST GENERATION Queen Seiko 1020-0010 DAINI in NEAR MINT condition. This is a highly favoured Collectible especially in Gold-Filled format.

This super scarce December 1964 Queen Seiko has a beautiful Ivory-White sunburst dial, 3D 14K Gold-Filled Baton Indices and Dauphine Hands are all in NEAR MINT condition after undergoing a thorough cleaning.

Its standard sized cylindrical shaped gold-filled case also underwent a deep cleaning and buffed as best as possible albeit a few minor scratches that are barely noticeable to the naked eye. The gold medallion located on the case-back is present and in NEAR MINT condition. The mineral crystal was replaced and is in mint condition.

The Seiko unsigned crown is located at the traditional 3H position and is nicely tucked away to prevent damage or snags.

Its movement was carefully stripped and meticulously cleaned via ultrasonic immersion, oiled, re-assembled and calibrated on 27 February 2024. In short, it was given an overhaul and not a general servicing and should be able to operate unhindered until the next servicing thereby providing the owner peace of mind.

Equipped with the highly prized 1020A movement that is only found in the Queen Seiko, it has 23 Jewels and operate at 19,800 beats per hour (BPH) giving it excellent accuracy and longevity. The time-grapher, after 60 hours of calibration, shows superb readings i.e. rate of 0 seconds every 24 hours and amplitude of 274 in a straight and centered line! Such readings are truly exceptional even by brand new modern automatic watch standards whereby the acceptable tolerance is -20 to + 40 seconds a day! This is a testament to the quality, excellent power reserve and longevity for such a vintage timepiece, the meticulous care provided over the years, and of course the painstaking calibration conducted.

The case width and height are approximately 19mm (without crown) and 24.5mm respectively. The lug width is 9mm and the expendable Gold-Filled bracelet can accommodate wrists from 14.0cm up to 21.0cm.

A hi-end hi-quality Italian Tessuflex 1960s vintage expendable gold-filled SS bracelet comes with the watch. This hi-end bracelet is valued at S$ 100.00 thereabouts.

To the best of our experience and knowledge, everything within the case including the crown is 100% Seiko original and do not contain aftermarket or modified parts.

Due to its age, this timepiece has not been water-resistant tested.

The pictures provided shows the watch in NEAR MINT condition, and the movement within squeaky clean and well maintained. It has also been demagnetised to improve parts reliability, minimise wear & tear, and improve accuracy. The only drawback is the lack of documentation and original box, so an after-market box / case is provided.

Bear in mind that this watch has seen many of the previous owners’ ups and downs in life, and should be cherished and preserved for the next generation to savour such engineering beauty.

Yes, there are many other same / similar models in the market, BUT none as beautifully aged and as well maintained as what you see here. Hence, it is a no-brainer that this one-of-a-kind watch will make an extremely beautiful birthday present for special someone born in the month of December 1964, and its value will appreciate over time. 

Do also bear in mind that it will cost between S$ 180.00 to S$ 200.00 for a proper overhaul, an estimated S$ 80.00 to calibrate (depending on watch condition), and S$ 100.00 to clean and polish including tightening of bracelet links - these costs do not apply when purchasing this timepiece. So, if anyone was to sell such a timepiece at a low price yet claim that it has been serviced, one has to ask what kind of servicing was conducted, if any.

This is a highly COLLECTIBLE FIRST GENERATION GOLD-FILLED Queen Seiko 1020 in NEAR MINT condition, so, be unique and wear something that is almost impossible to source in such fine condition or buy it for that special someone!