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Seiko Professional Diver 600m (Ref. 7549-7009) "Golden Tuna", 1978 — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Seiko Professional Diver 600m (Ref. 7549-7009) "Golden Tuna", 1978

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Seiko (maker)
Date
1978
Country of origin
Japan
Object type
Wristwatch
Materials / technique
gold
Dimensions
Case 49 mm
Stock no.
SKO75497009GT
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (SKO75497009GT)
Catalogue title (original)
1978 Seiko Professional Diver 600m (Ref. 7549-7009) "Golden Tuna" (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number SKO75497009GT), this is a wristwatch by Seiko, made in Japan, dated 1978. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: gold. Recorded dimensions: Case 49 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 — Craft & Tailored

Seiko famously invented the Quartz movement and subsequently started the "Quartz Crisis" of the 1970s, which caused many Swiss watch companies of the era to go out of business or pivot their production to battery-based movements. During this watchmaking frenzy, Seiko produced some exceptional quartz movement watches within the company's Professional Diver series. The "Golden Tuna" or the ref. 7549-7009 was Seiko's second iteration of the "Tuna" 600m saturation diving watch, but the first with a Quartz movement. The large 49mm titanium nitrate plated case is gold and black in coloration, hence the nickname, and has a dial design that is very recognizably Seiko from the 1970s. Though the robust case doesn't feature a helium escape valve, the depths the watch could reach were an achievement of Seikos incredible engineering. Notably the "Golden Tuna" ref. 7549-7009 was worn by James Bond, portrayed by Roger Moore in the 1981 Bond film "For Your Eyes Only". Seiko watches are loved by collectors at both the entry-level and by the most decerning collector with a cult-like following. There is a specific sense of satisfaction that comes from wearing a Seiko, that you are a part of a long lineage of excellent watchmaking and extreme attention to detail. Stock # SKO75497009GT Brand Seiko Style Professional Diver 600m Model 7549-7009 Serial 88XXXX Size Men's Material Stainless Steel "Titanium-Plated" Dial Matte Black Millimeters 49 Bracelet Seiko Rubber Strap CASE & BRACELET The unpolished case is exceptionally well preserved showing minimal signs of previous use. The original crystal displays no damage. The original bi-directional ratcheting bezel is in excellent condition with very minimal signs of use. The case retains its original screw-down titanium-plated crown. The case back retains all of its factory markings in perfect condition. The Seiko rubber strap was sourced on the watch and is in unworn condition. DIAL & HANDS The matte black dial is in flawless original condition, showing no damage or age. The lume plots all remain fully intact and display no degradation when inspected under U.V. light inspection. The original hands match the dial and display no degradation when inspected under U.V. light. ACCESSORIES None. The watch is running and keeping time perfectly.

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

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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