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In the most recent installment of our video series What Is On My Wrist, Craft + Tailored’s CEO Cameron Barr submerges into the world of Seiko’s very first purpose-built diver’s watch and explores the unique features that define both the “big crown” and “small crown” versions of the Seiko 62MAS – both legendary pieces of Japanese dive watch history!
The world’s very first purpose-built dive watches started to make their initial appearances during the mid-1950s and by the following decade, Seiko was ready to enter the market with its own wristwatch specifically designed for scuba diving and life below the surface of the ocean. Officially launched in 1965, the Seiko ref. 6217-8000 is more commonly known among collectors and enthusiasts as the 62MAS (with ‘62MAS‘ standing for ‘6217 autoMAtic Selfdater’). Although it lacks many of the design traits that are typically associated with Seiko dive watches, the 62MAS represents the Japanese watchmaker’s original vision for a professional underwater timepiece, and it would go on to serve as the foundation for countless other Seiko divers that would follow over the course of the next several decades.
When the Seiko 62MAS first appeared in 1965, it was fitted with a relatively small winding crown located on the side of its case at the 3 o’clock position. However, after just a few months, the design was updated to the significantly more common “big crown” variety that was fitted to the watch up until the end of its production run in the late 1960s. In addition to being representative of the very earliest versions of the Seiko 6217-8000 that were released during same year that the iconic model made its debut appearance, these “small crown” 62MAS watches are also incredibly rare simply due to how short of a period of time that they remained in production before Seiko switched over to the larger winding crown design.
The Seiko 62MAS isn’t just the brand’s first-ever dive watch; it also holds claim to being Japan’s very first purpose-built diver. Not only is the 62MAS important within the context of Seiko’s brand heritage and the history of dive watches, but it also represents a crucial moment within the greater legacy of Japanese watchmaking. Embodying everything that we love about early dive watches from the golden era of mechanical timekeeping, the Seiko 62MAS represents a stunning value compared to other vintage divers with far less historical significance, and it is easily one of the most important Seiko watches of all time.
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