Simplicity, elegance and precision are the factors that Seiko care deeply about. And today I am going to review their beauty from the 60s – the Seiko Seikomatic DayDate 6206-8040.

Take a look at the silver-grey dial with the “baton” indices, as well as dauphine hands. You can hardly miss the Japanese professional watchmaking techniques. The proportions of the dial are nearly perfect. Except for the “Doubled-Stick” hour markers at 12, the rest are all single ones. The “Seiko” badge is applied under the double markers. With the Day-Date aperture at 3 and 6, you can easily get all the information about the “Actual” time, it’s not a simple 3 hander. The polishing and finishing on the dial and case are so great that you won’t let it off your wrist. When looking closely at the “baton” indices, they are faceted on 5 sides. That’s why we must fully appreciate the Japanese watchmakers as this is something that they can accomplish while the Swiss ones don’t.

There is more to discover on the 36mm case of the Seiko Seikomatic DayDate 6206-8040, as its execution resembles the one you see on Grand Seiko. Mine is quite similar when compared to the 62GS except the latter has more angled polishing. The crown on the 6206 is located at 4 and it is fully recessed in the case. So its integrated style won’t bother you when driving. Moreover, it goes well with a leather strap and I think it particularly suits a black one. The lug width of 19mm is less than ideal and goes back to the time when Seiko was quite passionate about this sizing. However, every time I put it on my wrist, I just can’t stop staring at the dial.

Although it is not accurate by today’s modern standards, the 6206-8040 is still an accessory that not only tells you the time but also lets you connect to the past.

“Past” or “Present”, what would you choose?