Background information The 7191 is the second Tanaka style LordMatic watch manufactured by the Suwa factory. The previous model 7190 had a monolithic case. The 7191 looks identical but uses a screw back case and has no parts in common. The design is similar to Tanaka style King Seikos of this period from Suwa, with an elegant dial and clean lines. Seiko offered the 7191 model from 1972 to 1974 in multiple variations.

Background information The Seiko LordMatic 5206-6130 appeared in the 1973 Seiko catalog. The watch exists in two variants: With a white (270) and with a dark (272) dial. Both of them use a stainless steel strap and cost 21.000 yen. To put he price into perspective, a LordMatic 5606-7190 cost 17.000 yen and a King Seiko 5226-6000 35.000 yen. The Daini factory manufactured the watch model from 1972 to 1973 .

Vintage Seiko watches attracted my attention for two reasons: Seiko advertisements for Grand-Seiko watches, which referred to their heritage, and the fact that the 4S15 movement was a re-release of the 52 movement stream from the seventies. We must first define what vintage actually means. Vintage is often used to differentiate products before the period of automated industrial production (usually before 1970). For Seiko watches I would change this to watches before 1975, so before the Quartz domination.

Seiko always offered mechanical watches even after the Quartz revolution they themselves have initiated. The main workhorse movement in the mid-range was the 7000 series that was produced from the seventies until the end of the nineties. In 1996 Seiko introduced the 7S26 family as a successor and replacement for the 7000 series for the mainstream market of automatic watches and has since been a mainstay in mechanical Seiko watches. Origin of all 7S movements, a 7009 movement from the eighties Seiko offered mechanical watches throughout the eighties, and the 7000 movements were besides the 6300 series the movements used, but this is the topic of another article.

I have always had a preference for mechanical watches. My father gave me an Omega Constellation from the seventies. Later I owned an early Glashütte automatic watch, which was powered by an ETA movement. Unfortunately my early watches were either stolen or I lost them.

Some years ago, I discovered by chance the affordable Seiko 5 Sports automatic watch series. Most people know them because of their affordable but very attractive diver models. Although I admire large stainless steel diver watches, I find them uncomfortable to wear because of my rather small wrists. I bought a Seiko 5 Sports SNZG15K1 automatic military style watch. This is a very affordable stainless steel watch, which is available in Germany for about 180 Euro and looks like it costs much more. As with their divers, Seiko has nailed the looks: This is how a military style watch should look like.