Seiko World Time Ref 6117-6400

About This Watch:

The Seiko World Time Automatic Ref 6117-6400 was introduced in the late 1960s and featured the first GMT movement produced by Seiko, the Calibre 6117.  The inner rotating bezel on this timepiece lists cities around the globe, which allows you to easily track a second-time zone utilizing the red GMT hand.  

The History:  Seiko began its rich history in 1881 when Kintaro Hattori opened a shop repairing and selling watches in central Tokyo.  Eleven years later, he opened a factory called the Seikosha Factory and began building wall clocks, and later pocket watches.  After an earthquake and fire destroyed the original factory, Hattori reopened with a new vision, which became the beginnings of what we know as Seiko today.  A true pioneer in watchmaking, Seiko developed the first Japanese-made divers watch.

The Watch:  The Seiko 6117-6400 features a 41mm stainless steel case with an acrylic crystal.  The dial is a charcoal color with a linen texture, applied indices with lume plots, and a date window at the 3 o’clock position.  The dial also features an orange 24-hour scale and an inner rotating bezel with major cities worldwide listed for the GMT function.  

The Details:  This Seiko World Time Ref 6117-6400 dates to a production period of May 1974.  The case lines on this piece are still sharp and appear to be unpolished, as wear on the case sides, lugs and case back are consistent with a timepiece of this age and visible in the photographs.  The dial and hands appear to be original. Included with this timepiece is an aftermarket brown leather strap with a stainless steel buckle.