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Seiko 62MAS Diver, ref. 6217-8001, 1967 — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Seiko 62MAS Diver, ref. 6217-8001, 1967

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Seiko (maker)
Date
1967
Country of origin
Japan
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
Stainless Steel
Dimensions
Diameter 38 mm
Stock no.
R123
Credit line
Dealer listing, Watches of Knightsbridge (R123)
Catalogue title (original)
1967 Seiko 62MAS Diver 6217-8001 (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Watches of Knightsbridge (dealer), London (stock number R123), this is a wristwatch by Seiko, made in Japan, dated 1967. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: Stainless Steel. Recorded dimensions: Diameter 38 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Watches of Knightsbridge

A true icon in dive-watch history: the Seiko 6217-8001 “62MAS” — the brand’s inaugural purpose-built diver’s timepiece. Circa 1967, this model played a foundational role in Seiko’s legacy of underwater tool watches.

Specifications — Watches of Knightsbridge

Reference: 6217-8001; Metal: Stainless Steel; Movement: Automatic; Case diameter: 38mm; Bracelet/strap: Vintage Leather Strap & Steel Pin Buckle

Historical context

Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)

Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.

The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking

Atlas type guide

Dive and water-resistant watches

Keeping water and dust out of a wristwatch was a long-standing challenge. Rolex's screw-down Oyster case (1926) and Omega's Marine (1932) were landmarks; in the early 1950s Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms and Rolex's Submariner defined the professional dive watch with rotating bezels for timing dives, luminous dials and high water resistance. The ISO 6425 standard (1982) later codified what a 'diver's watch' must do.

Dive watches became icons of post-war design and exploration, and their evolution — helium escape valves, ceramic bezels, saturation-diving depth ratings — records the history of underwater work.

What to look for

  • Unidirectional or bidirectional rotating bezel with minute markings.
  • Screw-down crown and case back; depth rating printed on the dial.
  • Luminous hands and markers (radium before c. 1960, tritium c. 1960–1998, then Super-LumiNova).
  • Reference numbers on the case between the lugs or inside the back.

Dating clues

  • Screw-down Oyster cases: from 1926.
  • Professional dive watches: from 1953.
  • Tritium 'T' marks on dials: c. 1960–1998.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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