Vintage Seiko Chronograph UFO ref. 6138-0011 – Serviced, 1974

Seiko’s automatic chronographs, especially those produced in the 70s, occupy a special place in people’s hearts. So special, in fact, that certain enthusiasts have built their entire collections around the fabled cal. 6139 – Seiko’s first self-winding chronograph movement – and its worthy successor, the cal. 6138. And why wouldn’t you?
The two movements power some of the brand’s most acclaimed watches, including the Pogue, the Kakume, the John Player Special, and the Panda Chronograph. And let’s not forget the UFO – or Yachtman, as it is otherwise known – which may not have the Pogue’s cool backstory, but has nonetheless equaled it in popularity.
The ref. 6138-0011’s first nickname is derived from the shape of its case, its resemblance to a flying saucer being rather difficult to ignore, while its second traces back to Seiko’s failed attempt to market the watch as a yachting chronograph. Failed, in the sense that marketing soon proved unnecessary for the JDM model, which caught on faster than you could say セイコーは王様.
Not long after, the watch attained pop-star status, appearing in numerous Japanese films and TV shows as well as in Western movies like Jean-Paul Belmondo’s Le Magnifique and Chris Columbus’s Bicentennial Man. Hell, it was even featured in a McDonald’s ad!
The specific watch on offer here dates to 1974 and is among the better examples we’ve recently come across. Neither the case nor the dial has been refinished or otherwise tampered with, and all internal and external components are original. Only the bracelet is a modern day remake of the original, but still – feels and looks better than a leather strap.
The cal. 6138 inside was just serviced in 05.2021 by our in-house watchmaker and is ticking per spec.

The watch is covered by 6 months of limited warranty from ChronoTimepieces.