The Seiko 6117 Watches
Seiko Navigator Timer 6117-6410
We all know the Rolex GMT-Master…but what about its more affordable Japanese cousins, the Seiko World Time and Navigator Timer?
The History of Seiko World Time/GMT Watches
Although the most famous function of world time/GMT watches is for pilots, they were also marketed to finance professionals, executives, lawyers, and others who could take advantage of the multiple time zones. Which was the case for the World Time and Navigator Timer. The concept of keeping track of multiple time zones was not new, but in terms of wristwatches it really became prevalent in the second-half of the 20th century, mostly in Europe. When Seiko came around to it in the 1960s, they were already behind companies like Glycine and Rolex. The Seiko Navigator Timer was first released in the mid-1960s, along with the Seiko World Time, which was released in 1964 for the Tokyo Olympics.
Seiko World Time 6117-6400 / Credit: Analog/Shift
The first Seiko World Time hosted the Cal. 6217. On the bezel it had the names of 24 cities, representing time zones, with a bi-directional rotating inner bezel to indicate the time in the wearer’s chosen time zones. The Cal. 6217A was automatic, featured 17 jewels, and had a 18,000 bph. The Seiko Navigator Timer, on the other hand, first used the Cal. 6217 but was upgraded to the Cal. 6117 around 1968. It had 24-hour indicators on the outer bezel and a GMT hand to keep track of the second time zone. The Cal. 6117A also had 17 jewels, but a 21,600 bph and a power reserve of 47 hours. It featured Seiko’s Diashock system and came in the 6117B version, which included hacking seconds. Both the World Time and the Navigator Timer were water resistant and both were relatively expensive for the time.
Generally, the Seiko World Time is the more popular of the two but both fly under the radar as far as vintage Seiko goes. That could be because they are somewhat scarce or the fact that prices are on an increasing trend, but either way they’re a great choice when it comes to unique vintage tool watches.
By: Andres Ibarguen