Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
We drove a 2026 Denza D8 PHEV full-size SUV to The Hamptons in Cavinti, Caliraya, Laguna this Monday, September 7, 2026. Since Denza is the premium higher-tier car brand of BYD, we thought it appropriate to wear a vintage Seiko 5 Actus SS, which was the higher-end, stylish tier of the Actus lineup for Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) Seiko wristwatches.
Our 1970 Seiko 5 Actus SS 6106-7420 is powered by the 23-jewel Seiko 6106C movement that features a “hacking capability”, which stops the second hand when the crown is pulled out for precise time synchronization to the exact second. This “hacking” feature was promoted by Seiko as “Second Setting” or “SS” for short.
Like the Seikomatic Slimdate and Sportsmatic 5 watches that we previously featured, the Seiko 5 Actus SS features a recessed crown at the 4 o’clock position to emphasize that its automatic movement doesn’t need to be hand-wound every day. The recessed push-in crown is designed to quickly change the day and date.
The 39 mm stainless steel case is only 12.4 mm thick, but it’s a bit long with a lug-to-lug length of around 44 mm. A smooth 36 mm bezel surrounds an acrylic crystal, while silver dauphine hour and minute hands point to silver indices mounted on a satin silver dial. The day-date window features a bilingual day wheel in English and Kanji.
When we acquired this ’70 Seiko 5 Actus SS, it came with an aftermarket steel bracelet that made it feel heavy at 108 grams. We have since changed it with a brown Veloci leather strap that lowered our wristwatch’s weight down to 69 grams. It now looks like a premium field watch that’s very comfortable to wear every day, especially on a long drive to the mountains in a premium SUV.
Model: Seiko 5 Actus SS
Reference No. 6106-7420
Month/Year of Manufacture: February 1970
Type: Casual/Field Watch
Movement: Self-Winding/Automatic
Caliber: Seiko 6106C
No. of Jewels: 23
Diameter: 39 mm
Thickness: 12.4 mm
Lug-to-lug Length: 43.8 mm
Lug Width: 18 mm
Weight: 69 grams
