Seiko Chronograph 'True Cevert'

Overall Condition: Good condition overall. Case shows light wear and light signs of previous polishing. Dial and handset are in great condition showing light patina. Factor bracelet shows wear and light stretch consistent with normal use.

Long time ago, in a galaxy far far away, Seiko was leaps and bounds ahead of their time. Think of them as the Empire, building an horological Death Star that no one, not even the sharpest Swiss Jedi, saw coming.

That Death Star was the 6139 automatic chronograph movement. Dawning in 1969, the 6139 was the first of three automatic chronographs to be launched that year. (Heuer's Calibre 11 and Zenith El-Primero movements were also unveiled around the same time.) But the Japanese set themselves apart by keeping the cost for their 6139 chronographs lower than their Swiss counterparts, producing a stalwart watch that has great value for any collector.

While there are several notable 6139 variants, two of the most famous are those worn by Colonel William Pogue in the Skylab 4 mission and — though never on-screen — by Bruce Lee. The watch we have here lies somewhere in between those two references: Though it’s a monochromatic blue rather than the yellow, red, and blue ‘Pogue’ or the monochromatic black ‘Bruce Lee,’ it’s nonetheless extremely handsome, with a 1970s ‘funk’ quotient all its own!

This particular watch, housed in a 41mm stainless steel case with a smooth bezel, dual chronograph pushers, a captive crown, and an acrylic crystal, features a blue dark dial with a matching pepsi tachymeter scale, a matching blue 30-minute totalizer above 6 o’clock, a day-date display at 3 o’clock, white hour indices, and a lumed ‘sword’ handset with orange chronograph hands. Powered by the automatic Seiko 6139 movement, it comes paired to an awesome stainless steel multi-link bracelet with a signed flip-lock clasp.

The nickname, 'True Cevert,' resides from this particular model's connection with Formula 1 racing legend, Francois Cevert. The 'True' portion of the name refers to the particular Reference Cevert likely wore — a 6139-6009 — confirmed by dated photos of Cevert wearing the watch. There were a handful of dial variations made within a short period of time, and thanks to the deep research by Seiko enthusiasts, the main hallmarks of a 'True Cevert' are a simple line of text at 9 o'clock and a notch located near the crown, like the piece we have presented here.

A superb watch for daily wear, the Ref.6139 is an important piece of horological history as well as a funky 1970s time capsule. Once you try it on, we know you'll love it as much as we do!