tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-104247952012-01-29T11:20:57.672-08:00John Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15928803431627716533noreply@blogger.comBlogger91100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424795.post-76366747213758140132011-11-29T09:40:00.000-08:002011-11-29T09:45:03.583-08:00

Now that Bellmatics.com has a new home, I am slowly moving the old posts from here to the special subforum on the SEIKO-Citizen Watch Forum.

John Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15928803431627716533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424795.post-48132748002771438852009-11-19T20:21:00.000-08:002010-11-10T08:31:24.266-08:00

Completed a revision of the website layout and contents to begin emphasizing all variations of each style, even if it is not in my collection. If you have Belle photos to share drop by the website and use "Contact." (Remember to remove the no-spam characters in the TO: field.)regardsJohn

John Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15928803431627716533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424795.post-16214650511172296862009-05-23T10:30:00.000-07:002010-11-20T10:25:49.170-08:00

I am often asked how much someone should spend on a Bell-Matic today. Of course, the answer is "It all depends." You need to consider the apparent condition of the watch, the reputation of the seller, the location of the watch, and whether it looks like someone has mixed different Bell-Matics into one. One thing I can share with you are some original prices from the days when these SEIKO's were

John Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15928803431627716533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424795.post-1136744020183890402008-01-05T10:11:00.000-08:002010-11-20T10:26:56.490-08:00

The 4006-6070 style with the Arabic numerals is a bit of a rarity in the Bell-Matic world. Not the most rare, of course, but it is certainly unique in being the only Bell-Matic with numerals on the dial. As you can see below, when I received this one (overpaid for it, I must admit), it was in pretty sad shape. Naturally, the crystal was a wreck, but the case was also a bit worn... Since the

John Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15928803431627716533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424795.post-1133389660710315682005-11-30T14:19:00.000-08:002010-11-20T10:28:54.141-08:00

Sometimes rarity is only in the eyes of the beholder, but these Bell-Matics are some of the hardest to find. The 4005 movement with date-only is rarely if ever seen at auction or on watch sales forums. This particular 4005 dates to 1968 and came from a private seller in Asia. I hope you enjoy the photos!For more photos of this watch, click on the picture.

John Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15928803431627716533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424795.post-1133386689500825222005-11-30T13:10:00.000-08:002010-11-20T10:31:39.136-08:00

Occasionally a collector has an opportunity that is just too good to pass up. This 4006-7000 from 1969 came to me from a trusted seller who discovered it at an estate sale. The daughter of the man who owned this watch told him how her father used to make the alarm ring to amuse her when she was a little girl. That is the kind of provenance Bell-maniacs live for. This "grail" vintage watch came

John Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15928803431627716533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424795.post-1121797465011510742005-07-19T11:22:00.000-07:002010-11-20T10:32:13.293-08:00

One of the intriguing elements of collecting Bell-Matics is their varied case styles. If you like large cases, the -600x models (and -602x) are as large as 44mm across: "Cushion-case" models are (in my experience) in the -603x realm and are somewhat smaller then these larger -6002 and -602x styles, like this -6030 (one of the earliest of the -603x's, with a "water proof" caseback notation):The -

John Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15928803431627716533noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424795.post-1108853013986712702005-02-19T13:42:00.000-08:002010-11-20T10:49:11.861-08:00

One of the pleasures of collecting vintage watches, particularly SEIKO Bell-Matics, is learning about how they were made (and what they were made of). Asking questions of the vintage SEIKO collectors' communities such as the SEIKO-Citizen Forum and the Poor Man's Watch Forum (PMWF) is a good way to educate yourself. To prepare this posting, I have benefited from the advice of several

John Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15928803431627716533noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10424795.post-1106785518229624012005-01-26T16:24:00.000-08:002010-11-20T10:50:36.370-08:00

Welcome to the Bellmania blog. Here we will consider all things Bell-matic. As in, SEIKO Bell-Matic, an automatic watch manufactured between 1967 and 1977 (or '78). A mechanical alarm watch made in Japan, it was a unique and popular timepiece with a wide range of styles. Feel free to join in the discussion of this vintage SEIKO timepiece. You can also email me.

John Nhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15928803431627716533noreply@blogger.com1