Amongst Seiko lovers, this watch is the pinnacle of desirable watches. This is a proper diver’s watch, worn by professional divers, and it has a 36,000 bph high-speed movement. And, miracle of all miracles, it’s a Seiko and you can hand-wind it! 😉
Jonathan sent this one in, and, as you can see, it’s in need of quite a lot of TLC.
The luminous compound has come off, and the hands are borderline, but the dial isn’t too bad.
This isn’t too bad, but the movement will get a service as well.
The 6159A movement in all its glory.
The base movement without the auto winder.
As many 36,000 bph movements, this one has a sealed barrel as well, so you can’t just replace the mainspring. As the amplitude of the movement isn’t too bad, and I can’t get hold of a new barrel, I will leave the old one in. You can also see the stop lever for the hacking second feature. 
The bottom plate with the date ring. You can see that the escape wheel has cap jewels on both ends as well.
And off into the cleaning machine.
I start reassembly with the four cap jewels.
The base movement back together and beating.
After some adjusting, this is looking very good indeed.
David Bill and Sons did the re-luming, and Charles from WatchGlass Cutting in Abergavenny polished the case. Time to put everything back together!
New gaskets all around.
Waterproof testing is well – no pressure loss whatsoever within one minute.
That’s looking a lot better. The bezel ring is a bit scratched and has lost its luminous dot, but I can’t find a replacement.
Charles did a great job polishing the case.
A great looking watch.
Hi there.
Gerald from Clifton (a suburb just outside Cape Town).
I am a building manager of an apartment complex and we are situated literally next to the sea. Hence, a very high percentage of sea air “pollution”. Pollution in inverted commas as it’s beautiful and fresh, as you would imagine.
Anyway, moving swiftly along..I would very much appreciate your advice. I need to buy an ISO certified divers watch…not quartz..and have approx R6,000 (300-350 pounds Sterling).
Would you/could you part with some hard-learned advice and give me a choice of model no’s to look for.
Thanks a ton/heap/lot
Gerald.
I got a Seiko SKX013K1 that is well within your price bracket, which should withstand the sea air and water for quite a bit. Not sure it’s ISO certified, but I leave that up to you to research.
Hi, how do you set the day of month on seiko 6159 7001. Regards, Terry
I sent a non functioning, bezel off, 6159 to Jack at IWW. He did a terrific job of servicing and assembling the diver I inherited from my dad. Very reasonably priced. Proudly I wear it. NFS.
Nice to give recommendations, but just to say that we don’t endorse this…
I wish I had found your site before I sent my watch to the Seiko Service Center in Mahwah, New Jersey, USA.
I have a SEICO 300m Pro Divers watch: 6159-7001. Very Good condition. It is loosing about 2 minutes a week. Used very little…stored for many years.
The Service Center does not have all of the Gaskets to do the cleaning and assembly. They will do the work if I find the Crystal Gaskets, Stem, Crown gaskets etc.
??? Can you sell me the Gaskets: OM 3005B – lower gasket for glass.
OC 3250B – upper gasket for glass.
FN 3150B – Nylon gasket
OK 0240BOA – Crown gasket
Stem and Crown # __________?
If I send you the watch, and the work is only cleaning and assembly Plus gaskets, can you give me a Rough estimate of cost in US$ ?
SEIKO estimated the cost to be aprx. $120. US, if I can send them the parts.
Thank You for your Help !
Jack Laivins
Hi Jack,
I don’t have those parts, either, I’m afraid. The estimate of $120 is very reasonable.
You can try Spencer Klein 🙂
Great article.
I would love to own a 6159 or 6215 if anyone is willing to part with theirs.
Cheers,
Joel
hi
still looking for a 6159-7001, original 1969, excellent condition, only owner
brgds
Gad
Very beautiful job. This watch is perhaps for sale? Because i’m loking for a 6159/7001 but i can not find it.
Sorry, this is a customer’s watch. I don’t sell watches.
hello luigino, I currently have a Seiko Diver 6159-7001 in my collection, and I am willing to part with it, for a fair price of course. it’s in great condition, we can discuss this further through email, my email is Svenzeno@hotmail.com, I’d be delighted to hear back from you.
-Sven
hi, are you still looking for a 6159 7001 original condition ?
I am, if you have one.
Same here if you still have one.
6159 still around for sale? may i ask current market price? thanks!
Nice work, and great to see one of these beasts here … interesting! Together with the Seiko 6215, it’s a watch I hope never to see for sale anywhere – because then I know I’ll have to part with a lot of money 😉
How do open it? Through the front?
Hi Petter,
Nice to hear from you! Yes, you remove the bezel, and then there is a second bezel that you turn anti-clockwise. That releases the crystal. To get the winding stem out, there is a little lever on the side that you press down, and that’s it.
I should have shown that on the blog!
Hand winds AND hacks? The Seiko accountants must have been on holiday the day this was designed 😉
Does your pressure tester go up (down) to 300m? The one in my local “watch repair” shop does not!
It even has a decent amplitude – unheard of for a Seiko 😉
I use a vacuum tester, which doesn’t really allow you to say much about the depth the watch could go to. I just don’t like water anywhere remotely near a watch.