Sourced from Japan: Automatic Moonphases to Ironware Dials

The Preamble

This weekly newsletter exists for one simple reason - the Japanese watch market is full of interesting watches, but it’s also difficult to navigate, littered with pitfalls, and occasionally expensive in ways that aren’t immediately obvious.

Every Friday, I’ll share a selection of watches that caught my attention across auctions and listings in Japan, along with context around pricing, condition, rarity, and anything else I think is worth knowing before you bid.

Every Sunday, we leave the auction floor and look at the stories behind the watches instead.

For those of you completely unfamiliar with how to buy watches directly from Japanese auctions, please consult our “How To Guide” for buying in Japan.

Seiko “Faceted” SARB001 / 6R15-00D0

My Estimate: ¥200,000 to ¥220,000

↳ Interesting Crystal · Ends Wednesday, 16 September

The Description. The SARB collection has defined the modern era of Seiko. The Seiko Guy has helpfully compiled them all into a single page. There are bound to be some you haven’t seen before, but the SARB001 won’t be one of them. It’s a big hype watch on social media. Perhaps deservedly so? It was the first watch produced in the line-up, and features a rarely seen, modern example of a faceted sapphire crystal made by Seiko.

The Condition. Good condition overall. There are obvious signs the case has been polished. Despite that, there are still several marks and scratches on the case - presumably too deep to be removed by normal polishing. It comes with the original box and papers.

The Functionality. In working condition.

FromJapan Link: Seiko “Faceted” SARB001

Seiko “Automatic Moonphase” 6347-5000

My Estimate: ¥220,000 to ¥260,000

↳ Rare Find · Ends Saturday, 12 September ...