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I’m fortunate enough to own a Seiko 6139-6005 Pogue (above left), perhaps the most iconic watch ever made by Seiko. It was one of the first automatic chronometers, sold from the late 1960s into the late 1970s, originally called the Speedtimer but later nicknamed the Pogue after NASA astronaut Bill Pogue wore his aboard Skylab in 1974. It was offered in different colors but the one with the gold sunburst dial is by far the most popular and sought after. Mine was made in 1977; Donna bought it for me at an Air Force base exchange in March 1978 to celebrate my first fighter assignment and I’ve worn it ever since.
A few years ago Seiko asked customers to help design a limited edition version of one of their current automatics, and no surprise, the fans came up with a watch that echoes the colors of the Pogue (above right). I was able to get my hands on one in 2021 and it too is one of my favorites.
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Of course that limited edition watch is not a Pogue. It’s not a chronometer, for one thing, and the bezel isn’t a tachymeter. The colors are only approximate. Worse, it came with a silver second hand (above left), which made it look even less like a Pogue. I asked a friend to swap a red second hand for the silver one, and that helped. I later learned that a German Seiko fan club commissioned an exclusive edition for their members; the German version not only came with a red second hand but also a black background for the day and date (above right), like the original Pogue.
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Here are two more Seiko watches modeled after the Pogue. Both have tachymeter bezels and more correct colors, but there’s one big difference: these two are powered by quartz movements, unlike the mechanical movements of the original and the limited editions described above. Many Seiko fans call these Pogues, but purists are quick to remind everyone there’s only one Pogue. Well, they pass my personal Pogue test and I’d love to have one of each in my collection (and if I could get my hands on one of the German limited editions, that too). On the left, a 7A29-7030 from the 1990s. I sometimes see used ones for sale on eBay. On the right, Seiko’s current offering, a Prospex Speedtimer SSC947. Amazon sells these for $575.
Too bad I’m broke, huh?