Seiko Bullhead

We’ve joined forces with our friends at 10:25 Vintage, a New York-based operation with a shared enthusiasm for interesting vintage timepieces, to bring you a robust handpicked collection that is both exceptional and affordable. Perfect for the discerning collector on a budget, these pieces provide an excellent entry point to the joys of vintage watches. 

To many people, Seiko is just another inexpensive watch brand - but if you’ve made it to this far, you know that nothing could be further from the truth. 

For over 135 years, Seiko has been cranking out innovative and impeccably engineered watches at every price point, from entry level Seiko 5s to world-class high horology Grand Seikos. Underpinning Seiko's efforts has been the mass production of reliable and accurate movements capable of being paired with a wide array of case and dial configurations. And though the Swiss often get all the glory for producing the first automatic chronograph in 1969, Seiko quietly released the 6139, a rugged automatic chronograph unit as early as May of the same year.

In 1970, they made a few tweaks, including an hour totalizer and a new quickset system and released the Calibre 6138. Like its predecessor, the 6138 could be found in a number of unique dial and case configurations that have maintained collector interest through the years, in models such the Yachtsman and Kakune, often known better by their nicknames as the "UFO" and "Big Blue" respectively.

One of the most distinctive and popular executions of the 6138 is this particular model, the 6138-0049, or as its more commonly known, the Bullhead. In this execution, the movement was turned 90 degrees, resulting in subsidiary dial placement at 9:00 and 3:00, and the crown and pushers on top of the case. Sporting a large, thick steel case and unique brown & gold color patterning to the dial, the Bullhead has a truly unmistakeable profile and stands out amongst vintage chronographs of the era. Completemented by their rugged automatic chronograph movement, the Bullhead makes a compelling addition to any collection.