Power Wheels Magazine A Notch Above
Our Timepieces feature for today, Tuesday, September 22, 2026, brings back a lot of familial memories to the author. This 1988 Seiko Quartz SQ 5Y23-8A60 was purchased new for US$295 by the author’s older brother, who was based in the United States after he joined the U.S. Navy in 1985. The brother sent the brand-new Seiko quartz watch, complete with the box, to the Philippines as a gift to their father.
Their father preferred this battery-powered Seiko quartz watch over his old hand-wind wristwatch, a Rado Green Horse that he owned since the 1960s, because it offers the convenience of not having to wind the watch and adjust the time when he wears it. Their father stored the Rado and wore the Seiko proudly to work every day, replaced the battery when needed, and took good care of his eldest son’s gift.
Their father retired in 2004 but he still wore the Seiko Quartz SQ as his daily timepiece. He then enjoyed his golden years with his loving wife, children, and grandchildren, relishing the times when his eldest son would come home from the States to visit for a few weeks. Their father passed away peacefully in 2012 and their mother, who bore the grief of losing her beloved husband of more than 52 years, only started removing their father’s belongings from their bedroom in 2017, five years after his death. That was when the author was able to retrieve their father’s timepieces.
Five years immobile, unused and neglected in storage will cause havoc in any wristwatch, so the author had their father’s two Rado mechanical wristwatches – the Green Horse (Reference No. 345.602) and a gold 1970s dress watch (Reference No. 631.5173.2) – serviced, cleaned and replaced their pitted and corroded steel bracelets with leather straps. Recognizing his older brother’s place in the family, the author offered the Swiss watches to his brother, who respectfully declined, and instead asked for the Seiko quartz watch that he gave their late father some 20 years earlier.
Because the quartz watch sat improperly stored and neglected for five years, the battery had leaked and damaged the Seiko 5Y23 32,768 Hz quartz movement. However, the author took it to AVA Watch Restoration, where they meticulously worked on it until it was restored back to working order. Its classic 36 mm gold-plated Datejust-style case with fluted bezel, gold-tone dial, luminous baton-style hands, and jubilee-style bracelet received some much-needed attention, as well.
The watch was reunited with its original box and its display contents, including the $295 price tag and slip-string tag that lists SDJ 116J (Seiko’s traditional 8-digit case/caliber format) Day Date complication, W R (water resistant design), and W Hardlex Crystal. The vintage watch market currently prices this Seiko SQ from $100 to above $300 (P6,000 to P18,000+), depending on condition, and if the original packaging is included.
While it may have retained its value, this 36-year-old Seiko Quartz isn’t going anywhere except back to the author’s brother. Even though it’s not exactly an antique nor a highly-collectible mechanical timepiece, it’s still a priceless keepsake and heirloom that shares a heartwarming history between a father and his son.
Model: Seiko Quartz SQ
Reference No.: 5Y23-8A60 (SDJ 116J)
Month/Year of Manufacture: November 1988
Type: Dress Watch
Movement: Battery-powered Quartz
Caliber: Seiko 5Y23
No. of Jewels: 17
Diameter: 36 mm
Thickness: 7.7 mm
Lug-to-lug Length: 41.8 mm
Lug Width: 20 mm
Weight: 76 grams
