COLLECTOR SUMMARY
COLLECTOR SUMMARY
A Seiko Lord Quartz QGZ803, powered by caliber 7143 and presented in a compact SGP case with a gold ricepaper dial and original bracelet.
The Lord Quartz line sat just below King Quartz in Seiko's late-1970s hierarchy, offering high precision and premium presentation in a relatively short production window.
The rare 7143 variant, top-of-line positioning within the Lord Quartz range, and clearly defined late-1970s Seiko design language give this watch strong collector character.
For collectors seeking uncommon vintage Seiko quartz with genuine period context, this NOS example offers rarity, condition and a reference that is not easy to source today.
BUYING QUESTIONS
BUYING QUESTIONS
Originality is described as carefully and directly as possible based on what can be observed and verified. Where parts are believed to be original, replaced or uncertain, that should be stated in the listing.
Service status is only represented as stated in the listing. If a watch was serviced or checked, that should be mentioned explicitly rather than assumed.
Timing performance can vary by age, movement type and service history. Any measured rate or performance note should be understood as an observation at the time of listing, not a lifetime guarantee.
Price reflects a mix of rarity, condition, originality, reference desirability and the time spent sourcing, researching and presenting the watch accurately. Some vintage Seiko references are simply much harder to find in honest condition than others.
If you want more detail before buying, additional photos and clarification can be requested.
SPECIFICATIONS
SPECIFICATIONS
COLLECTOR NOTES
COLLECTOR NOTES
In 1978, when the Lord Quartz was introduced and positioned just below the King Quartzes, it was more expensive than a lot of the King Quartz 4823 calibers. Admittedly the 482x was showing its age, but was still perfectly adequate, indeed 40 year onwards these calibers just keep on ticking precisely. But so do the LQ's. The square styled watches in particular, with calibre 7143 were at the top of their range and first to see the light of day. They were depicted in the catalogue right below a modernistic introductory advert. Seiko always did this to present the most prestigious product line watches.
There was no mistake here, this caliber ran at 10 seconds per month! Just like the King Quartz. But unlike the Kings, these Lords are very rare watches to obtain. Either because of the value of the high rollers (costing about 560 euro, inflation corrected) or because the lower range, at 36% percent less (costing about 380 euro), was just cheap enough to simply wear into oblivion. It doesn't help of course that these watches were produced only in a three year span between 1978 and 1980.
That this product line spoke to the imagination is apparent as Seiko has revived the Lord name in a current line of watches, these are much easier to obtain of course. The vintage Lord Quartz however remains a bit of a unicorn - it does not sit in the house of commons with the other types (II) just below it, but is definitely a backbencher these days while the kings get all the glory. Buy them while you can, they won't last forever.
