SEIKO BELL-MATIC, RESOLUTION VS OPPORTUNITY

LONG FORMAT ALERT!

OLD GEEZER DRONING ON AND ON ABOUT SEIKO BELL-MATICS WHILE REGULARLY GETTING SIDETRACKED!

I had resolved to not buy any unplanned watches in 2024 in lieu of saving up for a couple of substantial purchases later in the year but yet here we are and it's only mid-March.

Other resolutions in my watch evolution have gone well. No more project watches and no more bargains or spec monsters that didn't bowl me over with their design.

I had begun the hobby buying marquee brands before discovering the joy (and pain!) of both vintage Swiss and Japanese. I quickly developed a passion for both Seiko and Felca (link below) and quietly watched them multiply like rabbits. The prospect of what could be purchased for the price of a single "luxury" watch was both fun and frightening...but mostly fun.

So there I was traipsing through my locally famous Swap Meet, primarily hunting for tools and sneakers.

What say you? Do I have too many tools and sneakers already? Yes but what I DON'T have is a resolution not to buy any more. Hoarder logic baby!

I patted myself on the back for passing up the $2 strap bin while telling little Jack Hoarder"...oh what a good boy am I."

What? Another question!? Do I aleady have too many straps? There you go again...but let's just say perhaps.

So where was I? Oh yeah traipsing through the swap meet crowds on a clear but crisp Los Angeles morning eagerly on the hunt. The smell of fresh churros wafted in the air to the cries of "Pasale! Pasale!". The atmosphere was one hoarder dopamine hit after another.

Then I spotted IT! Amongst a bed of fashion quartz detritus was that a Bell-Matic? Yuuuppp!

Here is where we really get into the weeds and if you're a vintage Seikophile this may be the only part of this long winded jaw-jacking you may find even remotely interesting.

Originally available only in Japan Seiko Bell-Matics were the first self-winding alarm wristwatches with a central rotor. Introduced in November of 1966 the earlier models mostly used a Caliber 4006A that had 27 jewels and a Day-Date display at 3 o'clock.

Like other Seiko calibers a movement ending with a 6 signified a Day-Date feature whereas a caliber ending with a 5 is Date only. Date only Bell-Matics exist but are also rare having been produced only early on in the line's development.

Winding the crown powers the alarm while the auto wind feature powers the time, day & date. It wouldn't do any good to have the ringing alarm deplete the watch reserve so this ingenious approach avoided that problem by powering two seperate spring barrels via two different winding methods but also eliminating the possibility of hand winding in the process.

When I examined the Bell-Matic at the Swap Meet I noted several rare features about it. Though the crystal is played out the lacquered siver sunburst dial is in remarkable condition. While other vintage Seiko colors hold up pretty well the silver sunburst dials are the most prone to both yellowing and degraded lacquer yet this dial still pops!

Owning several other Bell-Matics I recognized that it was almost identical to the elusive Business Bell depicted in the heading above. The Business Bell was part of the Seiko Business-A line of automatic watches briefly marketed to young professionals in the 1960's.

Perhaps the only rarer Bell-Matic is the Dolphin Caseback version that was only produced during the last two months of 1966. The example depicted below is from November of that year.

I noted that the Swap Meet Bell-Matic is a 4006-7010 from February of 1968 with a 27 jewel count. By that year the jewel count for the U.S. market had been reduced to 21 which makes me suspect it is a JDM model.

Flipping it over I could see that the caseback had been personalized and was consistent with the rest of the watch. No rust or obvious signs of abuse were present, just plenty of honest wear and the desirable yet wishful "WATER PROOF" marking.

To avoid import taxes applied to watches with high jewel counts the jewel count for all but the JDM Bell-Matics would drop down first to 21 then to 17 jewels by 1969 as depicted in this July 1969 example also in my collection.

Another unusual feature of the Swap Meet Bell-Matic is the "ramp" style alarm indicator. The alarm setting is controlled by a button at 2 o'clock and MANY Bell-Matic owners do not realize that when it is depressed all the way the alarm button is also the quickset advance for the Date! The Day is advanced by moving the hour hand from 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock like many other conventional watches but the quickset date advance on the Bell-Matic is genius if not obvious.

Many Bell-Matic alarm time indicators look like the red bar with a central white triangle seen above. Below are several other common alarm indicators.

The alarm indicator on the Swap Meet Bell-Matic however is the rarest "ramp" style or diminishing alarm type.

Also found in the Business Bell, the ramp indicator is the most subtle yet best reflects Seiko's "Grammar of Design" philosophy introduced by designer Taro Tanaka and in full bloom by 1967.

These early watches are the purest examples of Tanaka's philosophy and were first found in Grand Seiko and King Seiko models such as the GS 4420-9000 in 1967. Other than the Day-Date feature the Swap Meet Bell-Matic looks very similar to the coveted GS 4420-9000 below minus of course the superior finishing found on GS models.

The Swap Meet wristwatch was shaping up to be quite the Unicorn but what about my New Year's resolution? As I often do I powered the watch and set the correct day and date. I then usually continue to walk around for a bit then return to see if a watch is keeping time. This time I also tested the alarm which caught the attention of the seller who gruffly barked "It works!". Probably not a good time to ask about the price so I handed it back and strolled on.

On a side note the alarm sound of the Bell-Matics produced in the 1960's is preferred by some collectors. By the 1970's the alarm spring struck by the hammer was shortened producing a distinctly different though perhaps louder tone.

As I wandered the aisles I wrestled with whether to go back and see how much the watch was. I had been doing good about not buying a watch every month and was in the midst of my longest dry spell since becoming a "collector".

I looked at some vinyl records and auto parts but hung on to the solitary $50 bill I had brought. Not carrying smaller bills is a rookie move at the Swap Meet but it makes it more necessary to carefully consider a purchase.

As I was leaving about an hour later I just happened to select a path that took me by the booth with the Bell-Matic. What a coincidence!...or not. I asked to see the watch again and asked her how much to which she replied "$170".

A fair price despite the beaten up crystal and no strap. By now I was aware that it wasn't your average Bell-Matic. The working condition, 27 jewel count, ramp style alarm indicator and pristine dial all screamed "Buy Me!".

Produced until 1978 I have a soft spot for the earlier Bell-Matics and have owned a couple including these two below.

Cushion case 4006-6000, July 1969

Integrated bracelet 4006-7020, Oct 1968

Back to this yawn fest though. When last we left Jackie Boy he had learned that $170 was more than triple of what he had in his wallet. There was also a resolution to contend with but in the words of Randle McMurphy "...no man alive could resist that."

The seller watched as I slowly pulled out my wallet and opened it. When she could clearly see that there was just a single $50 bill inside her face flushed red and she angrily placed the watch back into the glass case.

There, it was over. I had made a horribly despicable offer and left it to the Gods to decide my fate. I didn't deserve the watch, I deserved a kick in the pants!

I could guiltily slink off but at least my vow was unbroken. Or was it? I heard "Señor" and turned back towards the booth to see the seller making a give it to me motion with her open hand. Puzzled at the rapid transformation in her demeanor I asked "OK?" and she just nodded affirmatively as she pulled out the watch. I handed over the money and promised to return in the future but she just shrugged and turned away with the resignation that comes with her knowing that she works harder than me.

The lesson, if there is one, is that opportunity will sometimes take one in directions one never intended to go. I had broken a resolution and low balled a decent seller. My happiness with scoring such a find was tempered by other feelings that I hope inform me going forward as there is much room for growth.

Show me your Bell-Matic if you have one and let me know if you were aware that depressing the alarm button all the way advances the date. Also share any corrections to this thread and any additional history. It would be neat if someone finds it to be a useful resource.

For a post I wrote on Felco>Felca>Titoni click here:

https://www.watchcrunch.com/FlatteryCamp/posts/felco-felca-titoni-a-long-winded-collector-s-story-34343