Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
Thank you for browsing our new Timepieces section of your Power Wheels Magazine. To generate more interest in this new section, especially among Seiko watch enthusiasts, we will endeavor to feature a different Seiko wristwatch from our own collection each and every day this September.
This Friday, September 4, 2026, we look at the precursor of the Seiko 5 sports watch series – our Seiko Sportsmatic 5 wristwatch (Reference No. 6619-7010) from April 1965. Designed for people with an active and trendy lifestyle that was prevalent in the 1960s, the Sportsmatic 5 features Seiko’s in-house 21-jewel 6619 automatic movement with their exclusive DiaShock shock-protection system.
The 36 mm case is electroplated with gold (EGP) and features a recessed crown at the 4 o’clock position to further emphasize the Sportsmatic 5’s self-winding movement. The sunburst white dial features a thin crosshair, perhaps an ode to the espionage trend of the time, while square silver indices are located around a light silver outer ring. A day/date window at the 3 o’clock position features the day in English or Kanji, while dauphine hour and minute hands indicate the time.
From the acrylic crystal to the case back, the Sportsmatic 5 measures only around 12.4 mm thick. There’s a figure of a whale engraved in the case back to indicate that this Seiko is waterproof but suitable for the occasional water splash or rain, considering it’s been ticking for 61 years. It’s not a Diver’s Watch, after all.
At 55 grams with the leather strap, the Sportsmatic 5 is a bit heavier than the three Seiko dress watches that we featured here previously. The round case measures around 41mm lug-to-lug with 18 mm squared-off lugs that lend itself well to a gold-plated bracelet that probably came with the wristwatch when it was new.
When we acquired this ’65 Sportsmatic 5, it came with a brown Italian leather strap, but we’re on the hunt for a period-correct matching EGP steel bracelet to bring it back to its original factory look.
Model: Seiko Sportsmatic 5
Reference No. 6619-7010
Month/Year of Manufacture: April 1965
Type: Dress/Casual Watch
Movement: Self-Winding/Automatic
Caliber: Seiko 6619
No. of Jewels: 17
Diameter: 21 mm
Thickness: 12.4 mm
Lug-to-lug Length: 40.8 mm
Lug Width: 18 mm
Weight: 55 grams
