History of Seiko(No. 54)

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.

US Patent https://patents.google.com/patent/US3902312A/en

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3800†

Nine variants

Ref		Case	Dial	Notes	Price 1974
-3000		Silver	Snowflake	Pocket watch	85.000	x
-7030	38QT-040	One piece	7030 Arabic		66.000
-7030	38QT-010	One piece	7030 batons		66.000
-7030			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	Price 1972	Price 1973	Price 1974
-7000			Silvered
-7010			7010				68.000	x
-7010	38QTC-040		Silvered 7020				68.000 strap
-7020	38QTC-030		7030 Silvered		70.000		73.000 1974	x
-7020			Blue
-7020			Green
-7021			7030 Silvered
-7021			7040
-7030	38QTC-080		7030 Silvered Arabic				71.000 strap
-7030	38QTC-050		Silvered batons				71.000 strap
-7030			7120 Snowflake arabic numerals
-7030			Black
-7031		One piece	7030 Silvered				Jul 74	x
-7031			Snowflake Arabic
-7060			Snowflake				73.000 1973	x
-7070		One piece	Silvered QT				73.000 strap 1974	x
-7070		One piece	Blue QT				73.000 strap 1974
-7110			Silvered QT					x
-7110			Blue

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3803 38QTW†

30 variants

Ref		Case	Dial	Notes	Price 1972	Price 1974
-5000		Snap on	Silver			82.000 1974	x
-5000		Snap on	Black			82.000 1974
-5010-G			Green			82.000 1974	x
-5010-G			Blue			82.000 1974
-7000		Two-piece	Silvered		Oct 1971		x
-7010	38QTW-040	One piece	Silvered		69.000 1972	73.000 strap 1974	x
-7010		One piece	Black 7010T		Mar 1972
-7020	38QTW-030		Silvered		75.000 1972	78.000 1974	x
-7020			Gray
-7020			Blue
-7020			Green
-7020			Fading blue
-7030	38QTW-050		Silver			76.000 strap 1974
-7030	38QTW-074		Blue			76.000 strap 1974
-7050			Silvered			May 73	x
-7050			Black linen	Seems same as -7020	Aug 72		x
-7050			White railroad				x
-7050			Black railroad				x
-7060			Snowflake			78.000 1973	x
-7061	38QTW-094		Blue	Faceted crystal		81.000 1974
-7070			Striped silver				x
-7070			Striped blue			Apr 73 Italy	x
-7080		Octagonal	Silvered				x
-7080	38QTW-104		Green-blue			85.000 1974	x
-7090		One piece	Silvered			78.000 strap 1974	x
-7090			Brown QT			78.000 strap 1974
-7100	38QTW-114		Blue QT			83.000 1974	x
-7110			Silvered QT			80.000 1974	x
-7110			Blue QT			80.000 1974
-8000-G			Silvered QT				x
-8000-G			Blue QT

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3819†

GMT, 2 variants

Ref		Case	Dial	Notes	Price 1974	Price
-7000	38DQC-010		Silvered Duotime		80.000	80.000
-7009				Silvered 2002

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3820†

3 variants

Ref		Case	Dial	Notes	Price 1972	Price 1973	Price 1974	Price 1975
-6000		18K	Wood? VFA				520.000
	38SQ-024	Platinum	Lapis Roman VFA		2.600.000
	38SQ-026	18K	Tiger eye VFA		850.000
-7010	38SQ-034	Platinum	Lapis? Roman VFA			3.300.000		3.850.000
	38SQ-037	18K	Tiger eye Roman VFA			1.100.000
-6000	38SQ-091	18K white	Black VFA			530.000		530.000
-6000	38SQ-094	18K white	Blue			530.000
-6000	38SQ-096	18K	Red			520.000
	38SQ-097	18K	Tiger eye			520.000
		18K white	Agate VFA				530.000

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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	38SQW-010	One piece	White-cream Non VFA	135.000 1972 141.000 1974 150.000 1975
			Blue	Non VFA May 71- 135.000 1972 141.000 1974	x
	38SQW-014		Black	141.000 1974 150.000 1975
			White-cream VFA
		18K gold	7005TKT Gilt VFA	1973
-7001		One piece	Silvered	VFA plain crystal	x
			Silvered	VFA Faceted	x
	38SQW-050		Snowflake VFA Roman	150.000 1974
-7010		Stainless steel	Blue & silver
-7030		18K gold	Gilt VFA
		White gold
-7040	38SQW-040			139.000 strap 1974 148.000 1975
???		18K white		400.000 1972
???		18K		390.000
???		18K + bracelet		535.000 1972
???		18K		360.000 1972
-7000	38SQW-016	18K	Gold VFA	733.000 bracelet 1973 880.000 1975
-7000	38SQW-016	18K	Gold VFA	460.000 strap 1973 580.000 1975
-5000	38SQW-026	18K	Gold VFA	956.000 1973 1.350.000 1975
-7030	38SQW-037	18K white	Silvered VFA	495.000 1973 620.000 1975
	38SQW-038	18K	Gilt VFA	485.000 1973
-5010	38SQW-047	18K	Gold VFA	1.000.000 1973 1.400.000 1975

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3862†

8 models, 11 dials

Ref		Case	Dial	Notes	Price 1974	Price 1975
-5010		Snap on	Silvered QR		46.000 strap		x
-5010	38QRC-074		Blue QR		46.000 strap	46.000 strap
-7000	38QRC-010		Silvered		45.000 strap		x
-7001			Silvered				x
-7010			Silvered QR		48.000		x
-7010	38QRC-034		Blue QR		48.000	50.000	x
-7020			Silvered QR		42.000 strap		x
-8000			Blue green QR		51.000		x
-8000	38QRC-056		Green			51.000
-8010	38QRC-080		Silvered		53.000	53.000
-8020	38QRC-094		Blue		50.000	50.000

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3863†

28 variants

Ref		Case	Dial	Notes	Price 197?	Price 1974	Price 1975
-5009			Silvered					x
-5009			Blue
-5010	38QRW-068		Red			49.000 strap
-7000	38QRW-010		7000T Silvered QR			48.000 strap
-7000			Blue
-7001			7000T Silvered QR
-7010	38QRW-020		Silvered QR		51.000	51.000 [56.000?]
-7010	38QRW-034		Blue black QR		51.000	51.000	53.000
-7010			Purple QR			56.000
-7010	38QRW-104		Black w Roman numerals QR			53.000
-7010	38QRW-107		Fading black w Roman numerals QR			53.000
-7010	38QRW-026		Green QR			51.000	53.000
-7020	38QRW-047		Green & gold QR	Faceted		55.000
-7020	38QRW-044		Blue & gold QR	Faceted		55.000	57.000
-7039			Silvered					x
-7049			Blue 3003					x
-7059			Silvered 3003					x
-8000	38QRW-050		Silvered QR	Faceted		54.000	54.000	x
-8000	38QRW-055		Navy blue QR 8000T	Faceted		54.000
-8000	38QRW-054		Blue QR	Faceted		54.000		x
-8000	38QRW-056		Green QR	Faceted		54.000
-8000	38QRW-057		Honey			54.000
-8010	38QRW-080		Silvered				56.000
-8010	38QRW-084		Blue				56.000
-8010	38QRW-088		Purple				56.000
-8020			Silvered			53.000
-8020			Black			53.000
-8020	38QRW-094		Blue				53.000
-8020	38QRW-096		Green				53.000

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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 3 dials

Ref		Case	Dial	Notes	Price 1974	Price 1975
-7000	3883-010	One piece	Silvered		220.000	235.000
-7000		One piece	Silvered GFA
-7000	3883-014		Blue-Green		220.000	235.000

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39 series†

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3922†

Ref		Case	Dial	Notes	Price 1972	Price 1973	Price 1974	Price 1975
-504A	SQC-044		Blue					98.000
			Brown
-5011
-5010	39SQC-014		Blue		90.000		94.000	98.000
-5010	39SQC-016		Brown		90.000		94.000	98.000
-5020	39SQC-022	18K	Black		400.000	400.000		477.000
	39SQC-026	18K	Brown		400.000	400.000
	39SQC-036	18K		Integrated bracelet	880.000
	39SQC-037	18K	Gilt	Integrated bracelet	880.000

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3923†

Ref		Case	Dial	Notes	Price 1972	Price 1974	Price 1975
-5010	39SQW-014		Blue			99.000	104.000
-5010	39SQW-017		Green			99.000	104.000
-502A	39SQW-024		Blue			99.000	104.000
-5020	39SQW-030		Silver				104.000
	39SQW-014				95.000

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03 series†

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03†

Ref		Case	Dial	Notes	Price 1973
	03SQ-021	18K white	Silvered		840.000
	03SQ-027	18K	Gilt		830.000

History of Seiko (No. 54)