RESTORED! Birthday Watch June 1972! Seiko 5606-5040 Lord Matic JDM Week-Dater "Young Woman Blowing A Popen" SUWA 23J Automatic Watch (OH)

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

Make: Seiko
Type: Automatic
Model: Lord Matic Weekdater SUWA "Young Woman Blowing A Popen"
Year of Production: June 1972
Movement: 5606
BPH: 21,600
Number of Jewels: 23
Hand and Dial: 3D Silver Baton Indices with Stick Hands
Width: 33mm
Lug to Lug Height: 39mm
Thickness: 10mm
Lug Width: 19mm
Strap: Original Seiko Lord Matic Signed SS Bracelet
Pouch / Box: Brand-New EVA Type Zipper Pouch

For those who are unaware of the Seiko Lord Matic's history, please read this short introduction :

"(The) Lord Matic was the mid to high range of automatic watches introduced by Seiko in 1968 and based on the freshly developed 56xx movement. As you might probably know, there was actually two ranges of LM, the one produced by the Suwa factory, based on the 56xx movement and the LM Special introduced a couple of years later by the Daini factory and based on the 52xx movement" ~ Watch & Vintage Magazine.

The Japan Post Co issued an 11-part series of 10 yen stamps celebrating famous ukiyo-e artists between 1956 to 1965. While it is unconfirmed, it most likely was a watchmaker employed by one of the luxury department stores in Japan to use the issued stamps to modify the dial of Seiki Lord-Matic watches between the years 1965 and 1973.

This watch dial is “Young Woman Blowing a Popen” (glass musical instrument), from the series "Ten Classes of Women’s Physiognomy,” by Kitagawa Utamaro published circa 1792.

This beautifully shaped silver case had also undergone a high quality polish while maintaining its super sexy curves. Most imperfections were removed without compromising the case shape. An original crystal was installed and polished.

The crown is original and is located at the 3H position and is nicely tucked away yet easily accessible. The date / day quickset works flawlessly by pulling out the crown to the first level to adjust the date and day via clockwise or counterclockwise. The time is adjusted by pulling the crown out to the second level. Do note that many LM Day / Date models suffer from damage to the day / date quick set, but this baby works perfectly. ONLY USE THE DATE / DAY QUICKSET BETWEEN 4H TO 8H. SO ADJUST THE HOUR HAND TO THIS POSITION BEFORE ADJUSTING THE DATE / DAY.

The day is in English and Kanji - cool!

This timepiece had undergone a complete restoration. It was carefully stripped and meticulously cleaned via ultrasonic immersion, oiled, re-assembled and calibrated on 20 October 2023. It should be able to operate unhindered for the next 5 to 10 years thereby providing the owner peace of mind.

Equipped with the excellent 5606 movement, it has 23 Jewels that operate at 21,600 beats per hour (BPH) giving it excellent accuracy and longevity. The time-grapher, after 60 hours of calibration, shows excellent readings i.e. rate of 0 seconds every 24 hours and amplitude of 203 with a straight and centered line! Such readings are truly exceptional even by brand new modern automatic watch standards whereby the accepted 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 33mm (without crown) and 39mm respectively. The lug width is 19mm and the bracelet can accommodate wrists up to 20cm; hence, this watch is suitable for men and the modern women.

The SS bracelet is original Seiko LM signed. It too underwent ultrasonic cleaning, a good polish and is now in excellent condition.

To the best of our knowledge while overhauling this timepiece, the watch is 100% original Seiko components from this particular watch. No parts were replaced with aftermarket parts or modified regardless its age of 51 years.

Even though the seals and gaskets were replaced, this timepiece has not been water-resistant tested due to its age.

The pictures provided show the watch’s case in near mint condition 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. A nice purposeful carrying case or box will be provided instead.

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

Yes, there are many other same models in the market, BUT almost all are not in the same quality condition and is 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 that special someone born in June 1972! Another no-brainer is the fact that the value of this watch will appreciate over time.

Do also bear in mind that it will cost between S$ 280.00 to S$ 400.00 for a complete restoration, an estimate S$ 80.00 to calibrate, and S$ 120.00 to clean, high quality polish and tighten links for such a watch with bracelet - 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 sort-after June 1972 Collectible "Young Woman Blowing A Popen" Seiko Lord Matic Weekdater in stunning condition; so, be unique and wear something that is almost impossible to source.

This is a must-have for the Seiko die-hard fan, and in fact, any serious watch collector!