Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
We at Power Wheels Magazine are known to be gluttons for punishment. We seem to take on difficult projects – cars, motorcycles, guitars, watches and, ahem… PR work – that some people will not touch with a 10-foot pole. In the past, we’ve taken on, worked on, and restored projects that have been left for dead or were becoming too expensive to continue. We just felt compelled to see an unfinished project through, even if it costs us a lot of time, effort, or money.
We took on this Seiko Diver’s Watch even after the seller informed us that it was a “Seiko Mod” or a Seiko that was heavily-modified and customized. The case back showed a 6309-729A reference number and its serial number indicated that the case back came from a Slim Turtle from October 1986 with a “Pepsi” bezel. However, the stainless steel case looks and feels more like a Seiko Scuba Diver’s 7002, which lends itself well to aftremarket modifications and customization. We have a couple of Seiko Mods in our collection.
Moreover, the highly-regarded Seiko 6309 automatic movement, which powered the 1976-1988 Seiko Turtle 6309-7040/7049 used by the U.S. Military, features a day/date complication while our diver’s watch only has a date complication. This leads us to believe that our project watch is indeed a Seiko 7002 that was modified to look like a modernized 1965 Seiko 62MAS, Seiko’s first-ever professional diver’s watch.
The black dial of our project watch lists a “Japan 6127T” script between the 6 and 7 o’clock indices, which appears to be intended for the 62MAS and its Seiko 6127 movement. The baton-style hour and minute hands, the stick seconds hand with a square-ended “popsicle” at the end, and the lume-filled indices further allude to a modernized 62MAS, albeit with indices that are a bit too thick.
The “Modernized 62MAS” look would have been more convincing if only the crown is at the 3 o’clock position, unlike our Seiko Mod 7002 with its crown at 4 o’clock. With its 42 mm case diameter, 45 mm lug-to-lug length, and 13 mm thickness, our Seiko’s case matches the Slim Turtle’s dimensions, but not the 62MAS’s, which has a 37 mm case diameter, 46 mm length and 14 mm thickness.
The luminescence of our diver’s watch give it away as a highly-modified project watch. Original painted-on classic Lumibrite used in decades-old diver’s watches often turns into a creamy tan or off-white after years of use but the lume on our Seiko Mod looks fresh and glows bright. Moreover, the concept of a “modernized 62MAS” may already be outdated since Seiko already came out with limited-edition 62MAS factory recreations, such as the Prospex SLA037J1.
Knowing what we know now, we realize that we are in a conundrum. Should we keep and enjoy this Seiko Mod as it is – a modernized 62MAS tribute or should we turn it back into a 7002? It may be a lot easier to just buy an original Slim Turtle with a Pepsi bezel (to add an authentic 6309-729A to our collection) or chase after an original 1965 Seiko 62MAS or just look for a Prospex SLA037J1. But we at Power Wheels Magazine always seem to do things the hard way. After all, we’re known to be gluttons for punishment.
Model: Seiko 7002 “Seiko Mod”
Reference No.: To Be Verified
Month/Year of Manufacture: To Be Verified
Type: Scuba Diver’s
Movement: Self-Winding/Automatic
Caliber: To Be Verified
No. of Jewels: To Be Verified
Diameter: 41.5 mm
Thickness: 13.2 mm
Lug-to-lug Length: 45 mm
Lug Width: 22 mm
Weight: 132 grams
