Reference Cities - Changes over the Years

A Collectible Evolution

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SEIKO's digital generation of world time watches saw several intriguing iterations of the reference city usage and notation. In some versions the cities are listed as abbreviations, in others full city names are used. Some versions show time zone offsets, others do not. In most versions the world time cities read clockwise, but with the A239 they read counter-clockwise.

These models provide a portal back in time, to an era when watch technology was perhaps evolving faster than the geo-political landscape.

In all there are at least 7 different dial frames, produced between 1977 and 1988, some in a single color, some in two colors and one in three colors. There are 14 different dial frames in all.

Cities that started on the original bezel but were eventually dropped

Cities that were added after the original version

Version 1

The International PAN AM

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The inaugural digital world time came in two versions, the M158-5009, intended for the North American market, and this M158-5000, for the rest of the world. This international version dial frame came in only one color, black.

Total Cities: 22 + GMT = 23
Total Markers: 29

Map of the Cities, 1977 - 1979

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Version 2

The North American PAN AM

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The M158-5009 dial frame is almost identical in terms of city and time zone counts. There is one change with the reference cities:

• Rome is added to the Paris city marker, as abbreviation PAR/ROM

The other more obvious differences are that the cities are abbreviated and the time zone markers include hour offset notation.

This version was produced in both black and gold frames.

Total Cities: 23 + GMT = 24
Total Markers: 29

Map of the Cities, 1977 - 1979

Additions in Green, Removals in Red

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Version 3

The Alarm

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In 1979 SEIKO again updated the cities dial frame for the new A358 series, replacing the M158.

This new series of watches maintained the abbreviated city names used on the M158-5009 with the following changes:

• Tehran (THR) Removed
• Wellington (WLG) Removed

Total Cities: 21 + GMT = 22
Total Markers: 28

Map of the Cities, April 1979 - 1980

Additions in Green, Removals in Red

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Version 4

The WOPR (pronounced WHOPPER)

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In 1979 SEIKO released another Digital World Time alongside the A358. This is a unique watch in the Digital Generation, with no direct predecessor or successor.

The dial frame on this watch was re-imagined. Because there was a full map screen on the watch display that handled the selection of time zone, the reference cities around the edge of the dial are less important. GMT/London moved to the bottom of the dial frame, and the time zones are marked around the dial counter-clockwise. This is opposite of all other watches in this series.

Compared to the A358, we see slightly more simplification in the marked reference cities.

• Rangoon (RGN) Removed
• Singapore (SIN) Removed

Total Cities: 19 + GMT = 20
Total Markers: 0

Map of the Cities, December 1979 - 1980

Additions in Green, Removals in Red

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Version 5

The TWA

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In 1984 SEIKO started production of the A708, a budget world time option without alarm. This watch was produced through 1988. It is the successor of the A358 and reminiscent of the original M158-5000 in case design and size.

The dial frame on this version returned to full cities names, at least on the 5000 models. There are 5010 models, but no photos have been found as of this writing.

The changes include:

• Tehran is added back
• Peking is added for the first time
• Guam is added
• Anchorage is added

Total Cities: 23 + GMT = 24
Total Markers: 16

Map of the Cities, 1984 - 1988

Additions in Green, Removals in Red

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Version 6

The Frankenstein

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In 1984 SIEKO produced the A718 models as premium alternatives to the A708. These watches are exceedingly hard to come by. Unlike the A708, the dial frame cities are again abbreviated.

This model is referred to as the Frankenstein, in part due to the prominent pushers, reminiscent of the pegs in Frankenstein's monster's head and neck, and in part because this is the first model to include Germany (Frankfurt) as a reference city.

The changes compared to the A708 include:

• Tehran is added back
• The Paris/Rome time zone is updated to FRA/PAR/ROM (adding Frankfurt, Germany)
• Peking is added
• Anchorage is added
• The New York time zone is updated to NYC/YUL (New York/Montreal)
• The Rio de Janeiro time zone is updated to BUE/RIO (Buenos Aires/Rio de Janeiro)

Total Cities: 26 + GMT = 27
Total Markers: 28

Map of the Cities, 1984

Additions in Green, Removals in Red

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Version 7

The John Cleese

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The A718-5030 is an alternate version of the A718-5010, with a different case, a juggling of the functional indicators, and the removal of the prominent SPORTS 100 label at the bottom of the dial frame.

This version is often referred to as the "John Cleese", after the actor who wore it in the 1986 film Clockwise.

There is just one small change was made to the reference cities:

• YUL/NYC is flipped to read NYC/YUL (New York/Montreal)

Total Cities: 26 + GMT = 27
Total Markers: 28

Map of the Cities, 1984

Additions in Green, Removals in Red

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Rarity Index

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Based on cataloged production numbers, here is a list of dial frames by production rarity across the series.

NOTE: the rarity of a specific dial frame is based on the following calculation:

(((colorExamples / modelExamples) * modelProduction) / totalProduction) * 100

• colorExamples = Total Count of this specific Dial Frame Color in data set
• modelExamples = Total Count of this specific Model in data set
• modelProduction = Minimum Production for this specific Model
• totalProduction = Total (minimum) Production of all watches in this generation

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