Seiko Lord Marvel 1st generation in steel, carved Mark 2 dial, "special dial"

Maker: Seiko
Model: Lord Marvel
Reference: 1st generation, mark 2 dial
Case reference: 14056
Year: May 1959
Material: Stainless Steel
Dimensions: 34mm diameter (excluding cronwn); 9.7mm thickness
Crystal: Plexiglass
Lume: N/A
Caliber: 23 jewel Marvel caliber
Service History: November 2022, +15.1 seconds/day
Bracelet/Strap: blue alligator strap (pictured)
Lug Width: 17mm
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 (which is the example we have here) has a carved logo with a cursive writing distinct from the other variations (most notably the L having a loop). The mark three dial 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. You can read more about the history of the Seiko Lord Marvel here.

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.

Overall, this 1st generation mark 2 carved Seiko Lord Marvel in Stainless Steel with SD logo is in great condition. Compared with the more common Lord Marvel mark 3 dial, the mark 2 dial is quite rare and not many examples appear in the market even in Japan. Everything on this watch appears to be original including the S-mark crown. The stainless steel case is the correct 14056 case ref which were used for the stainless steel cases for the mark 2 dial variants. The case is in fantastic condition with the original bevels prevalent with sharp lugs. Based on our experience handling 1st gen Lord Marvel's in the past, the case looks to be unpolished. The original dial is in good honest condition with some blemishes throughout. The index are made of 14k white gold as indicated by the sun shaped “special dial” SD logo above the six o’clock. The all original hands set is in great condition. The movement was serviced by the previous owner in late 2022 and is currently at -15.1 seconds/day.

Ships from Japan