Vintage King Seiko Wristwatch 5626-7000 Hi-beat 1969 Serviced

SPECIFICATION

Reference: King Seiko 5626-7000
Movement: 5626 Hi-beat
Age: September 1969
Case Size: 36mm
Case Thickness: 10mm
Lug to Lug: 42mm
Lugs: 18mm
Condition: used Seiko watch
Box and Papers: No
Case Material: Stainless Steel
Warranty: 12-Months Warranty UK only

POINTS TO MENTION

• In great pre-owned condition, with light wear
• Case and bezel have some light scratches and marks
• Sunburst dial
• Fully serviced Hi-beat movement
• Upgraded metal quickset gear
• English and Kanji day wheel
• KS signed crown
• Hands have some light paint loss
• Gold medallion is in great condition
• Paired with an unworn black Epsom leather strap

THE WATCH

Dating to September 1969, this King Seiko 5626-7000 has the strong, angular case lines that make the early 56KS models so appealing. The silver sunburst dial softens those polished planes, with the English and Kanji day-date adding a practical touch. The case and bezel show light scratches and marks from use; the hands have some small areas of paint loss, while the gold medallion is in great condition. A KS-signed crown and an unworn black Epsom leather strap complete the picture.

Inside is Suwa Seikosha's 25-jewel automatic calibre 5626, a Hi-Beat movement running at 28,800 vibrations per hour. It has been fully serviced in our own workshop, including an upgraded metal calendar quickset gear.

A BIT OF TRIVIA

The earliest King Seikos were developed by Daini Seikosha and powered by manually wound movements. In 1968, Suwa Seikosha joined the story with its 56KS automatic watches, and the 5626-7000 was among the first. It's a little change in the history of the King Seiko name that represents a much bigger shift in how the watches were made.

This reference also has an unusual piece of case engineering. Rather than opening from the back, its one-piece, or monocoque, case is opened through the front. Yet there is a small access point between the lower lugs that allows a watchmaker to adjust the movement's rate from outside the case. It's a clever detail, neatly hidden away on a watch with an otherwise very straightforward appearance.

OUR THOUGHTS

One of the things I've always appreciated about King Seiko is that it developed an identity quite distinct from Grand Seiko.

The ambition was serious, but these were never simply lesser versions of another collection. They had a character and purpose of their own.

The 56KS family captures that particularly well for me. There's a wonderful mixture of precision, practicality and confidence in the original King Seikos, and it's why I continue to enjoy working with them more than half a century after they were made.