Seiko
Seiko 6309-7040 Turtle
A vintage Seiko 6309-7040 Turtle, one of Seiko’s best-known automatic dive watches of the late 1970s and 1980s.
- Movement
- Seiko Cal. 6309, automatic, 17 jewels
- Current Market Value
- $675
- Year
- 1976–1988
- Case
- Stainless steel
- Size
- Approx. 44 mm
- Condition
- Fair
- Gender
- Men / Unisex
- Acquired
- 2026
Condition
Fair vintage condition with substantial wear to the rotating bezel and visible marks to the stainless-steel case. Dial and hands remain complete and legible. Day-date display at 3 o’clock. Fitted with a later fabric strap. Originality of individual components has not been independently verified.
The Seiko 6309-7040 belongs to the original generation of watches now universally known by collectors as the “Turtle.”
Introduced in 1976 as the successor to the 6105 diver, the 6309 series remained in production for more than a decade. Its broad cushion-shaped stainless-steel case, crown at 4 o’clock and large luminous markers created a shape distinctive enough that Seiko eventually revived it in its modern Turtle family.
Inside is Seiko’s Caliber 6309, a robust 17-jewel automatic movement with day and date display.
This example has clearly seen considerable use. The bezel has substantial wear and the case shows its age, giving it the appearance of a vintage dive watch that was actually worn rather than preserved as a collectible.