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Lets take a trip Back In Time.......6139 Content

3K views 22 replies 15 participants last post by  Jim W 
#1 ·
I've been collecting 6139's for quite sometime. They used to be one of the best bargains out there before prices were driven up through the roof by Supply + Demand coupled with a few Bloviators with Swollen Ego's (we won't mention any names) making Exaggerated Claims using Bolstering Hype creating such Falsehoods as "True Pogue". (There's only one "True Pogue" and that's the one owned by William Pogue). These claims were just to ask for totally Unreasonable Inflated prices for pieces they were offering for sale. Some fell for the Hype, Hook, Line, + Sinker and over time these prices became the norm. Now it seems like the sky's the limit and prices continue to climb. Supply and Demand is another key factor. There are so many 6139's compiled with aftermarket parts that original examples are getting harder and harder to find. This makes the original examples more desirable which in turn increases their value.
This is where I exit stage right and focus on what I've gathered over the years to keep the hobby going without breaking the budget.
Here are a few samples from back in the "Good Old Days" before Aftermarket Parts and Boobtube Hyped Up Videos..........
71' 6002 Resist
Text Font Paper Recipe


71' 6002 Resist
Text Font History Paper Paper product


73' 6005
Text Yellow Paper Paper product Document


6132 on Speedtimer Bracelet
Text


6000 Proof
Text Watch Font Paper Paper product


6005
Text Font Paper Clock Paper product


6005
Text Font


6005
Text Font Paper


Those days are gone forever and over the years I've heard repeated claims that the bubbles going to burst and prices are going to drop. So far, there's no end in sight and prices continue to climb. At this point I don't think prices are going to drop. The Sky's the Limit..............:)
 
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#4 ·
Timing is Everything :)

Tom you were in the right place at the right time. All the 6139s look to be excellent examples (not beaters or fixers) and purchased around 2008 and for around $100. Well Done Sir! I still drool every time I see your Yellow JDM SpeedTimer.

IIRC the prices up until as late as 2015 remained fairly low and you could still regularly buy good, all original examples for around $250 but I did notice that the earlier and rarer examples had started to move up in price.

Most Seiko Collectors knew that the Best Seikos were incredibly undervalued but Tom knew this long before anyone else.

Congratulations on amassing a First Class 6139 Collection at the Right Time and At the Right Price :) Also Many Thanks for sharing your collection, knowledge, and expertise with the Rest of Us over the many years here on the Forum. Enjoy the Collection! Thank You!

Kyle
 
#5 ·
Yes yes the good old days. It was more fun when taking a flyer to see what was under a fully scratched crystal would yield didn't hurt if you struck out.

Story from way back when:
Larry (Uncle Seiko) bought a fully functional running but ugly duckling of sorts Pogue off me from eBay for $49. He had just rolled out of bed, saw the watch, and reacted by hitting BIN. Then he rubbed his eyeballs, saw my description included an aftermarket plastic crystal, and knowing me he PM'd me asking if I would be so kind to cancel the sale. Of course I did it for him.

Imagine doing that nowadays !!!
 
#6 ·
Hang on to those long enough and they will fund your retirement Tom. You were ahead of your time with wisdom enough to start collecting these before collectors grasp their importance to the watch collecting world.


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#7 ·
Reminds me of when I got into vintage watches, the Citizen 8110 powered 67-9119 I've showcased here was won for $21 in 2011 as a basket case, and a 'donor' 9313 speedy was secured for another $25. 6309s? Anywhere from $20 to 60$ if I'm not mistaken. I remember fretting about spending $20 on a 7002 too! Wish I got into the hobby in 2008/09 instead of blowing my money on diecast model planes!
 
#8 ·
Tom, that was not too long ago either.

You are absolutely correct when you say "This makes the original examples more desirable which in turn increases their value."

It is unfortunate however, that more and more buyers of the frankens we are seeing going for ridiculous prices, would not know the difference between an original example and that which they've bought.
 
#9 ·
I jumped on the pogue train too late for those prices but I have managed in the past 6 months to buy to 2 standard -6002 variants all original for 300 a piece. Thats really my comfortable limit on pogues but evidently the prices are marching on towards 5-600 for less desirable examples. They’re fantastic watches but not in my mind £600 fantastic, although the price I paid would have been looked at as ludicrous some years ago. I currently only have one, and wear it almost daily. One of the best in the fleet.
 
#11 ·
I also regret not picking up a few Sunrises that crossed my path over the years. One in nice condition was offered up at $650 and only needed a new inner bezel which I had. Another very nice example was offered to me at $900. I couldn't swing it at the time and passed letting it go to another member. You know who you are........;)

Once a friend and I gained an interest in a Yellow Speedtimer and discussed it together before going up against each other on the chopping block. I came out on top and yes, we're still friends.......:) Right Larry??...........lol. It was the most I every paid for a watch at the time and now they've tripled in price if not more so in the end it was a good investment.
(Larry has dibs on first refusal if I decide to move it on just like I do on his Sunrise)

Watch Analog watch Watch accessory Fashion accessory Yellow


As you can see I installed a nos bezel on it but may re-install the original just for originality sake. It was pretty decent to start. I just had a nos itching to be used so I put it to good use.
 
#15 ·
I also regret not picking up a few Sunrises that crossed my path over the years. One in nice condition was offered up at $650 and only needed a new inner bezel which I had. Another very nice example was offered to me at $900. I couldn't swing it at the time and passed letting it go to another member. You know who you are........;)

Once a friend and I gained an interest in a Yellow Speedtimer and discussed it together before going up against each other on the chopping block. I came out on top and yes, we're still friends.......:) Right Larry??...........lol. It was the most I every paid for a watch at the time and now they've tripled in price if not more so in the end it was a good investment.
(Larry has dibs on first refusal if I decide to move it on just like I do on his Sunrise)

View attachment 453232

As you can see I installed a nos bezel on it but may re-install the original just for originality sake. It was pretty decent to start. I just had a nos itching to be used so I put it to good use.
hahaha, yes! after we spoke back and forth, i didn't put in my real gung ho snipe! at least the watch went to a watch buddy.... =]

<* shark >>><
 
#12 ·
That may be the best Yellow Speedtimer I have seen Tom. Terrific!
But what you have brought up is probably more common than not with objects that become collectible over time. Proportionally we have the same thing in older Rolex sports models, Pre-moon Speedmasters, Calibre 11/12 Heuer/Hamilton chronographs, etc. Once a certain price point is achieved in a collection of objects, then collectors who are priced out of it move to something at lower cost. Seiko has become that chic new collecting area over the last 10 years as a result.

My guess is that there won’t be a serious bubble barring a world wide financial crisis. Why? Because there is no where for collectors to go after Seiko other than maybe Citizen and Orient which have also started to rise in price. I’ve seen this in the Porsche community where 911 prices drove into 914s. To find a good example now of a 914 gets pretty expensive.


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#13 ·
That may be the best Yellow Speedtimer I have seen Tom. Terrific!
But what you have brought up is probably more common than not with objects that become collectible over time. Proportionally we have the same thing in older Rolex sports models, Pre-moon Speedmasters, Calibre 11/12 Heuer/Hamilton chronographs, etc. Once a certain price point is achieved in a collection of objects, then collectors who are priced out of it move to something at lower cost. Seiko has become that chic new collecting area over the last 10 years as a result.

My guess is that there won’t be a serious bubble barring a world wide financial crisis. Why? Because there is no where for collectors to go after Seiko other than maybe Citizen and Orient which have also started to rise in price. I’ve seen this in the Porsche community where 911 prices drove into 914s. To find a good example now of a 914 gets pretty expensive.


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I certainly agree with this although I think whatever the item is needs to have a certain substance/quality to sustain the new buyers. People aren’t buying pogues or 914s for the hell of it, they’re good models that were perhaps under appreciated that collectors now see the quality in.
 
#17 ·
These showed up all in one of my searches. They won’t sell for these prices but man there are some optimistic sellers.



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#20 · (Edited)
If there’s any consolation, that speedtimer is an absolute beauty Tom! I would be very proud of that one. Btw, did the original insert have the hash at 60?

While prices have substantially gone up for sought after variants, even now, there’s still reasonable deals to be had if not a proof, notch case, speedtimer, ‘71 6005, silvers., etc.
I am as proud of my plain gold dialed 6005 from March’77 as any other for a few reasons; mostly because I found it in unmolested great condition in a lot of 4 on the ‘bay, and after moving the others I only have the cost of Spencer’s service invested. Another is that I actually like the design and factory surfaces. This one retains the general aesthetics that draw me to the Pogue, if we use the term to generalize the 6139-600x’s.
It is currently on one of your crystals that when side to side to that on the sunrise I can’t tell the difference. Great job!!





I’ll be sure to let you know if I ever decide to move the sunrise, Tom. It’s an absolute pleasure to experience on hand. Makes you wonder why there weren’t more produced? To a lesser degree, similarly the orange sumo, SKXA35, Orange shogun, were a little adventurous versus the classic colors, and didn’t sell particularly well when readily available, but then climbed in price due to scarcity.


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#21 ·
That's a Beauty Ray!

The box under the 60 is only on the late bezels. Generally 76' and up from what I can tell.

I hope you won't give me rights to first Refusal on the Sunrise like Larry. I'd rather be in line for first Acceptance ..........:)
 
#22 ·
And the Aussie Pogue that just hammered on our favorite auction site. We’ll see if the buyer actually pays up. This is an amazing price.



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#23 ·
Chrono prices are rising fast, and quite honestly I think they have some catching up to do.
While collectors were concentrating on divers the chrono's could be bought for just a couple of hundred Pounds
Diver prices seem to have peaked. Now there is a mad scramble to snap up 6138's and 6139's especially Pogues.

I am noticing decent 6309’s and 7002’s are completely disappearing from eBay. The same can be said for 6105’s.
62mas are still on offer mainly from Japan at hugely inflated prices. I doubt they are finding buyers.

So, it's all about chrono's at the moment.
 
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