Seiko

All the competing companies launched their products in 1969. But in the absence of consensus on what is the criteria of success, that period in the history of horology leaves endless debate about who made the first automatic chronograph.

So here is the timeline of the race that I compiled from several online sources:

• January 1969: Zenith announced a working prototype to the press in Geneva.
• March 1969: Chronomatics announced working prototypes to the press in Geneva.
• April 1969: Both Zenith and Chronomatics showed their pre-production samples at Basel Fair.
• Summer of 1969 (June?): Chronomatics watches became available to the market.
• October 1969: Zenith "El Primero" became available to the market.

What makes it special is on the back.

Some of you who are well-versed Seiko collectors will easily identify the production date from the serial number "910149". The first digit indicates last digit of the production year (9 >> 1969) and the second digit for the month (1 >> January). The rest 4 digits are the order of unit produced (0149 >> 149th unit produced in January 1969).

This particular example is evidence that by January 1969, there were at least 149 units of market-ready Seiko 6139s came out from the factory.

Comparing this fact to the single working prototype showed by Zenith to the press on January 1969, and several working prototypes showed by Chronomatics to the press on March 1969, I think this Seiko is the first automatic chronograph in the world.

Indera

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