Seiko Chronograph 'Pogue', 1970s

Dealer description — Analog/Shift

Everyone knows the first watch worn on the Moon was the Omega Speedmaster. Far fewer people know that the first automatic chronograph to travel into space was a Seiko. For years, the distinction was attributed to the Sinn 140 worn by German astronaut Reinhard Furrer aboard Spacelab D1 in 1985. Pogue’s Seiko remained largely overlooked until watch collectors began examining Skylab photographs decades later. There it was: that unmistakable yellow dial on Pogue’s wrist. The discovery transformed the 6139-6000 series into one of the most collectible vintage Seikos and gave it the nickname by which it is now universally known: the “Pogue.” And the movement itself deserves some attention. Introduced in 1969, Seiko’s Calibre 6139 was among the earliest automatic chronograph movements ever brought to market. It combined automatic winding, a column wheel, a vertical clutch, a chronograph, and a day-date display into an impressively compact package, placing Seiko at the forefront of one of watchmaking’s great technical races. Dating to the 1970s, this Reference 6139 features a 41mm stainless steel case, colorful red-and-blue “Pepsi” bezel, barrel-shaped chronograph pushers, and the model’s distinctive recessed crown. The brilliant yellow sunburst dial features applied markers, a day-date display at 3 o’clock, a 30-minute chronograph register at 6, and a rotating internal elapsed-time bezel. This example remains in remarkably honest condition, retaining the strong case geometry and character that make an untouched vintage sports watch so appealing. It is fitted to a correct, Seiko-signed, stainless steel multi-link bracelet with a signed locking clasp. The Pogue occupies an unusual intersection of watchmaking and space history: a technically groundbreaking Japanese chronograph that went into orbit not because NASA selected it, but because an astronaut found it useful enough to bring along. Sometimes the best provenance isn’t planned.