Seiko Lord Marvel 1st generation, carved mark 3 dial, Oct 1959, "Shirokin"

Maker: Seiko
Model: Lord Marvel
Reference: 1st generation LM mark 3 carved dial
Case reference: J14038
Year: 1959 July
Material: Stainless Steel and Gold indices / hands (aka. Shirokin)
Dimensions: 36mm diameter; 11mm thickness
Crystal: Plexiglass
Caliber: 23 jewel Marvel caliber
Service History: December 2023, +9.3 seconds/day
Bracelet/Strap: beige strap by Jones in Tokyo
Lug Width: 18mm
Box/Papers: None

The Seiko Lord Marvel was introduced  in 1958 by Suwa Seikosha and was Seiko’s first ever luxury model. Most Seiko experts agree that there are five dial variations to the 1st generation Lord Marvel (1958~1964). The mark one has an applied “S” with a hand carved “seiko lord marvel” logo. The mark two dial has a carved logo with a cursive writing distinct from the other variations (most notably the L having a loop). The mark three dial (which is the watch being sold here) has the logo carved similar to the mark one but without the applied S. The mark four and five dials both have a printed logo with one being a sun burst dial with the other being a silver hairline dial. The carving of the Lord Marvel logo were hand carved by the same expert craftsmen at the Suwa factory who were carving the logo for the first Grand Seiko. To learn more about the 1st generation Lord Marvel dial variations, we encourage you to read our post here.

The watch we have on offer here is the first generation mark 3 dial with a stainless steel "hamaguri" case with solid gold index and hands on the dial. These stainless steel and gold index/hand combination vintage Seiko watches have been nicknamed "shirokin" (which translates to white and gold) by Japanese collectors and is quite rare for the 1st generation Lord Marvels. The "shirokin" also exists in the 11a indicator, Marvel, Cronos, as well as other Seiko models produced during the same era.

Overall, this 1st generation mark 3 carved Seiko Lord Marvel in Stainless Steel with gold index/hand and SD logo is in excellent condition. Everything on this watch appears to be original except for the crown, which looks to be a replacement crown. The stainless steel case is the highly collectible J14038 "clamshell" variant and retains its sharp edges. The dial is in fantastic vintage condition with very few blemishes and spotting on the dial. The index are made of 14k white gold as indicated by the sun shaped “special dial” SD logo above the six o’clock. The hands are crisp and is the highly desirable and correct “mountain” hands shape. The movement has just been serviced by our watchmaker on December 2023 and is in great condition running at +9.3 seconds/day.

Ships from Japan