The watch Here is a Seiko Quartz Type II from 1978, featuring a striking blue dial with a subtle pinstripe pattern. Produced during the golden era of quartz technology, this watch is in mint, new old stock condition and still retains its original price tag. The case, crystal, and bracelet are completely scratch-free. The original bracelet, solid and weighty in feel, still carries the factory sticker with resizing instructions, a detail seldom seen after more than four decades.
Details The Seiko 7123 is a quartz movement produced by Seiko’s Daini division in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Slim at just over 3 millimeters thick, it features a day and date display along with a hacking seconds function for precise setting. Beating at the standard quartz frequency of 32,768 Hz and rated at ±15 seconds per month, it represents one of Seiko’s dependable early quartz calibers that combined practicality with accuracy.
The quartz crisis The "quartz crisis" was a major turning point in the watch industry during the 1970s and 1980s, driven by the rise of quartz technology. Companies like Seiko led the way, offering watches that were more accurate, more affordable, and easier to maintain than traditional mechanical models.
With the launch of the first quartz wristwatch, the Astron, in 1969, Seiko showed the world what quartz could achieve. Swiss watchmakers, known for their mechanical craftsmanship, were slow to react and lost much of their market share. The crisis forced the Swiss industry to restructure and helped shape a future where traditional watchmaking and modern quartz innovation could exist side by side.
