Seiko Lord Matic 5606-7360: What to Buy and What to Avoid

The known 1974-1975 landscape is unusually varied for one reference. Green gradient dials give the 5606-7360 its strongest period character, deep aubergine-brown sunburst dials shift noticeably with the light, and the two-tone blue dial uses a prominent vertical stripe. Applied faceted indices connect these versions, but they do not carry equal visual weight on the wrist.

Value sits first in the dial, then in the case geometry and faceted crystal. Clean gradient color, intact printing and bright applied furniture command the stronger premium because refinishing removes the surface that distinguishes this reference. Of the examples we have photographed, dial color and preservation create a wider spread than the shared 36 mm steel specification.

The green gradient is the clearest recommendation against the quieter aubergine-brown version when you want unmistakable 1970s design. The two-tone blue execution is the more architectural alternative, but its vertical division makes uneven refinishing particularly conspicuous. Bracelet originality can add interest, although a signed bracelet is established for an example rather than every 5606-7360, so it should never be assumed.

At 36 mm excluding the crown, the 5606-7360 wears compactly by current standards, but the cushion-shaped steel case and faceted crystal give it more presence than the diameter implies. The applied indices remain legible against the darker dial centers, while the crystal breaks reflected light across the dial. It works under a cuff without turning into an anonymous round dress watch.

The automatic caliber 5606A and day-date display make the reference practical, but age changes the ownership calculation. No water-resistance figure is established here, and the service history of an individual watch is unknown unless paperwork accompanies it. Buy the case and dial you want, then treat mechanical condition as a separate assessment rather than assuming a running watch has been serviced.

The costliest fault is a redial, especially where a green gradient or two-tone blue layout has been flattened into one color. Moisture spotting and stains also matter because they interrupt large colored surfaces, while polishing softens the case lines that frame the faceted crystal. A cracked, chipped or heavily abraded crystal can distort the very dial effects that justify choosing this reference.

Bracelet stretch matters on an example retaining its signed bracelet, but bracelet condition should not excuse a damaged dial. Replacement crowns and crystals are consumable-part realities, yet any claim of an entirely original watch needs qualification. A correct caliber 5606A does not by itself rule out a married or franken watch if the case, movement and dial did not leave the factory together.

Start with the cleanest factory dial, then choose the case with the clearest surviving edges. Accept light steel wear before softened geometry, and accept an unsigned replacement strap before a stretched bracelet that fits poorly. Against a polished green example with a questionable dial, the sharper aubergine-brown watch is the sounder 5606-7360.