History of Seiko(No. 49)

35 Quartz-Astron†

World's first quartz watch
Released 25 Dec 1969
Calibre 35A
Hand soldered hybrid integrated circuit featuring 76 transistors and 84 resistors 29 capacitors total 189 elements onto a ceramic substrate
18K gold one-piece case
Later released with a date
Later released in stainless steel
New price Yen450,000 or $1,250

Full article Seiko Quartz-Astron

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36 Series†

Very short lived predecessor to the 39 Series
Rectangular stainless case
Cal 36 with back & forth motor instead of stepping motor, and 2x batteries.
Beyond rare and probably not even sold to the public.

Full article Seiko 3602

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38 Series Stainless Steel†

First true production quartz watch calibre 3800 series 1971 with in house CMOS IC. Prototype finished April 1971, first watches shipped Nov 1971, 3823 released Dec 1971.

Earliest watch I've seen dated May 1971, latest 1978 (both 3823)

Regarding John Hall. At Intersil, Hoerni, a Swiss native, received venture funding from Swiss watchmaker Omega to develop a wristwatch IC. Though Hoerni and Hall created a successful design, Omega decided not to put it into production. Hoerni went to Japan and received an order for the watch chips from Seiko Chairman Shoji Hattori. Seiko used these chips to create the world's first quartz watch, the “Astron”, in 1969. Hattori, recognizing the potential of this design and future ones, funded Hall's start-up company, Micro Power Systems (MPS), in 1971.

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3800†

Nine variants

Ref	Case	Dial	Notes
-3000	Silver	Snowflake	Pocket watch	85.000	x
-7030		7030 Arabic		66.000
		7030 batons		66.000
		7120
-3020 38SQ-087	18K	White Roman VFA	Pocket watch 790.000 1974
-3000 38SQ-016	18K	Gilt Roman numerals VFA	Pocket watch 580.000 1972 990.000 1975
-3010 38SQ-077	18K	White Roman numerals VFA	Pocket watch 790.000 1975
38SQ-024	Platinum?	Blue Roman numerals VFA	Integrated bracelet 2.600.000 1972
38SQ-026	18K	Brown Roman numerals VFA	Integrated bracelet 850.000 1972

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3802 38QTC†

20 variants

Ref	Case	Dial	Notes
-7000		Silvered
-7010		7010	68.000	x
		7020
-7020		7030 Silvered	70.000 1972 73.000 1974	x
-7020		Blue
-7020		Green
-7021		7030 Silvered	Seems same as above
		7040
-7030		7030 Silvered Arabic	71.000 strap 1974
		Silvered batons	71.000 strap
		7120 Snowflake arabic numerals
		Black
-7031	One piece	7030 Silvered	Jul 74	x
		Snowflake Arabic
-7060		Snowflake	73.000 1973	x
-7070	One piece	Silvered QT	73.000 strap 1974	x
	One piece	Blue QT	73.000 strap 1974
-7110		Silvered QT		x
		Blue

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3803 38QTW†

30 variants

Ref	Case	Dial	Notes
-5000	Snap on	Silver	82.000 1974	x
	Snap on	Black	82.000 1974
-5010-G		Green	82.000 1974	x
		Blue	82.000 1974
-7000	Two-piece	Silvered	Oct 1971	x
-7010	One piece	Silvered	69.000 1972 73.000 strap 1974	x
-7020		Silvered	75.000 1972 78.000 1974	x
		Gray
		Blue
		Green
		Fading blue
-7030		Silver	76.000 strap 1974
		Blue	76.000 strap 1974
-7050		Silvered	May 73	x
		Black linen	Seems same as -7020. Aug 72	x
		White railroad		x
		Black railroad		x
-7060		Snowflake	78.000 1973	x
-7061		Blue	Faceted crystal 81.000 1974
-7070		Striped silver		x
		Striped blue	Apr 73 Italy	x
-7080	Octagonal	Silvered		x
		Green-blue	85.000 1974	x
-7090	One piece	Silvered	78.000 strap 1974	x
		Brown QT	78.000 strap 1974
-7100		Blue QT	83.000 1974	x
-7110		Silvered QT	80.000 1974	x
		Blue QT	80.000 1974
-8000-G		Silvered QT		x
		Blue QT

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3819†

GMT, 2 variants

Ref	Case	Dial	Notes
-7000			80.000 1974
-7009		Silvered 2002

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3820†

3 variants

Ref	Case	Dial	Notes
-6000	18K	Wood? VFA	520.000 1974
	18K	Tiger eye	VFA
	18K white	Agate VFA	530.000 1974

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3823 38SQW†

18 variants

Ref	Case	Dial	Notes
-5005	18K gold snap-on back	Gilt VFA	695.000
-5010	18K gold	Gilt	695.000
	18K gold	Brown VFA	695.000
-7000	One piece	White-cream Non VFA	135.000 1972 141.000 1974
		Blue	Non VFA May 71- 135.000 1972 141.000 1974	x
		White-cream VFA
	18K gold	7005TKT Gilt VFA	1973
-7001	One piece	Silvered	VFA plain crystal	x
		Silvered	VFA Faceted	x
		Snowflake VFA Roman	150.000 1974
-7010	Stainless steel	Blue & silver
-7030	18K gold	Gilt VFA
	White gold
-7040			139.000 strap 1974
???	18K white		400.000 1972
???	18K		390.000
???	18K + bracelet		535.000 1972
???	18K		360.000 1972

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3862†

11 variants

Ref	Case	Dial	Notes
-5010	Snap on	Silvered QR	46.000 strap 1974	x
		Blue QR	46.000 strap 1974
-7000		Silvered	45.000 1974	x
-7001		Silvered		x
-7010		Silvered QR	48.000	x
		Blue QR	48.000 1974	x
-7020		Silvered QR	42.000 strap 1974	x
-8000		Blue green QR	51.000	x
		Green
-8010		Silvered	53.000 1974
-8020		Blue	50.000 1974

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3863†

28 variants

Ref	Case	Dial	Notes
-5009		Silvered		x
		Blue
-5010		Red	49.000 strap 1974
-7000		7000T Silvered QR	48.000 strap 1974
		Blue
-7001		7000T Silvered QR
-7010		Silvered QR	51.000 56.000 1974
		Blue black QR	51.000 56.000 1974
		Purple QR	56.000 1974
		Black w Roman numerals QR	53.000 1974
		Fading black w Roman numerals QR	53.000 1974
		Green QR	51.000
-7020		Green & gold QR	Faceted 55.000 1974
		Blue	Faceted 55.000 1974
-7039		Silvered		x
-7049		Blue 3003		x
-7059		Silvered 3003		x
-8000		Silvered QR faceted	54.000 1974	x
		Navy blue QR 8000T faceted	54.000 1974
		Blue QR faceted	54.000 1974	x
		Green QR faceted	54.000 1974
		Honey	54.000 1974
-8010		Silvered
		Blue
		Purple
-8020		Silvered	53.000 1974
		Black	53.000 1974
		Blue	53.000 1974

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3870†

2 variants

Ref	Case	Dial	Notes
-0010		Silvered	Pocket watch
	Nickel	White 0010T	Pocket watch	386x style Gilt movement

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3883†

Superior One model 2 variants

Ref	Case	Dial	Notes
-7000	One piece	Silvered	220.000 1974
		Blue-Green	220.000 1974

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39 series†

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3922†

Ref	Case	Dial	Notes
-504A		Blue
-5010		Blue	Jul 1971
		Brown
-5011
39SQC-014			90.000 1972
39SQC-016			90.000 1972
39SQC-022	18K		400.000 1972
39SQC-026	18K		400.000 1972
39SQC-036	18K	Integrated bracelet	880.000 1972
39SQC-037	18K	Integrated bracelet	880.000 1972

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3923†

Ref	Case	Dial	Notes
-5010		Blue
		Green
-5020
39SQW-014			95.000 1972

History of Seiko (No. 49)