There are few things as sweet as getting a newly restored vintage watch. You get the pleasure of nostalgia, along with that special sense of personal touch from a master restorer’s handiwork. It is a good thing as Martha Stewart would say. Bob Thayer is in the business of repairing, restoring, and modifying all types of watches, with a bit of a specialty on Seiko watches. He has something special for sale which I thought would interest you. This watch is one of the Seiko Bell-Matics. A mechanical alarm watch that was extremely popular “back in the day.” They are no longer made, and while these watches can be found, so few are in good condition. In Bob’s capable hands, you get a stunning vintage watch ready for daily duty – with a loud alarm. The watch is available restored, for $325. Here is a intro into the watch by Bob:

*Below content written by Bob Thayer for aBlogtoRead.com*

The Seiko Bell-Matic was produced from late 1966 to 1978. They were made using “4006” automatic movements with 17, 21 or 27 jewels and while most featured the day and date there were a few models that featured the date only. These were identified as a “4005” movement and were only manufactured before 1970. The most outstanding feature on these watches is the mechanical hand-wind alarm. The alarm is wound and set using the crown and engaged using the alarm button. In addition to these functions the crown also serves to set the time and the alarm button can quick-set the date. There is no quick-set feature for the day. I guess Seiko planned on the watch being worn so since the order for days of the week never changes there was no need to set it manually. However the day can be “quick-set” by turning the crown from 9:30PM to 1AM, repeating this back-and-forth until the desired day is reached.

While, for the most part, the Bell-Matic may not be considered rare it is difficult to find one in decent enough condition that warrants the time and expense to restore it. A good percentage of the Bell-Matics I see have rusted cases and/or rusted movements and since parts for these watches can be difficult if not impossible to find it’s always best to start with one in good condition. Also, not all watch makers will work on them.

When a Bell-Matic is restored it is not only a thing of beauty but a very unique and rare timepiece often sought after by collectors. Here is a prime example of a completely restored Seiko Bell-Matic.

Again, this watch is available right now for $325. For more information about the watch or to inquire about purchasing, see Bob Thayers’ restored Seiko Bello-Matic 4006-6021 watch here.