Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Seiko Automatic 17-Jewel Date Men's Watch Ref 7005-8030 SGP Case, circa 1970s, Running
- Maker / attribution
- Seiko (maker)
- Date
- c. 1970s
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Japan
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Auction house
- LiveAuctioneers auction archive
- Lot
- Item 234246991
- Credit line
- Auction lot record: lot 394, EXCLUSIVE WATCHES AND POCKET WATCHES 12, Sphere Auctions LLC (2026), via LiveAuctioneers
- Catalogue title (original)
- Seiko Automatic 17-Jewel Date Men's Watch Ref 7005-8030 SGP Case, circa 1970s, Running (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by LiveAuctioneers auction archive (lot Item 234246991), this is a wristwatch by Seiko, made in Japan, dated c. 1970s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 4 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
Lot description — Sphere Auctions LLC
This vintage Seiko automatic features reference 7005-8030, with the case back stamped "SGP Back St. Steel 7005-8030 / Waterproof / 811186 / Japan-G." The SGP (Seiko Gold Plated) designation confirms a gold-plated case over stainless steel back — a step above standard base metal plating. The dial is signed "Seiko / Automatic / 17 Jewels / Japan 7005-8050R" and presents a champagne-toned field with full Arabic numerals, gold-tone hands, and a date window at 3 o'clock. The movement is the Seiko caliber 7005, a reliable Japanese automatic with date correction, running cleanly at time of listing. The case measures approximately 36mm across as confirmed by digital caliper.The watch is fitted on a stainless steel USA-stamped expansion bracelet. The 7005 caliber was Seiko's workhorse automatic of the 1970s and is well-regarded for reliability and serviceability. The case shows honest vintage wear consistent with its age in its current condition, with the gold plating showing wear through at the case flanks.This watch contains a mechanical movement. It is sold as a vintage timepiece and is offered in its current condition with no warranty expressed or implied.
Historical context
Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.
Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology
Atlas type guide
Automatic (self-winding) watches
Self-winding watches use the wearer's motion to wind the mainspring. Abraham-Louis Perrelet and Breguet made 'perpétuelle' pocket watches with oscillating weights in the late eighteenth century, but the principle only became practical in the wristwatch. John Harwood patented a bumper automatic in 1923; Rolex's Perpetual rotor (1931) winding in one direction, and later bidirectional rotors (Eterna, Felsa Bidynator), established the modern form. Micro-rotors (Universal Genève, Buren) and peripheral rotors made automatic watches thinner.
What to look for
- A semicircular rotor turning 360° over the movement, or a 'bumper' weight that rebounds between springs.
- 'Automatic', 'Perpetual' or 'Self-winding' on the dial.
- A sealed screw-back case, since automatic watches are wound less often by the crown.
Dating clues
- Bumper automatics: 1923–c. 1955.
- Full rotors: from 1931 (Rolex); widespread after c. 1950.
- Micro-rotors: from 1954–1958.
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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