Model: 6138-8000 "Baby Panda"
Year: November 1971
Features:
The History. Only produced during 1971 and 1972, the “Baby” Panda is the smaller and rarer version of the 6138-8020 Panda. The Baby Panda’s inclusion of second markers has led to a thinner tachymeter, thus giving it a much cleaner and brighter face. The other key difference is the 6138-8000 features a silver sunburst dial, whereas the 6138-8020 has a silver linen dial. If there are any deep 6138 lore nerds reading this, the Baby Panda I am selling today is the original/first variant featuring small font minute markers on the 6 o’clock subdial. It’s a minor detail, but important if you’re looking for the primary design (there are four Baby Panda designs in total, despite the short two-year production run).
The Dial. The beloved Panda face. In great condition, with the sunburst effect still very visible.
The Bracelet. It comes on the original “Seiko Railroad” bracelet (XAB321). As 6138 enthusiasts will know, it very uncommon to find this collection on the original bracelets. Entire companies have formed (like Uncle Seiko) around replicating the various original chronograph bracelets. It fits up to a 18cm / 7.0” wrist.
Aftermarket. Absolutely no aftermarket parts. It’s becoming all too common to find these (and any other 6138/6139 watch) with franken-parts. The hands, crystal, dial, case, bracelet, and even the lume are original. It’s been in the hands of a single owner for the last thirty years.
Condition: In incredible condition given the age. It was bought from a collector in Japan who has had it under lock and key for decades. The aging is minimal, but there are signs of aging. Some of the hour markers have aged on the surface. There are two small hairline scratches on the crystal (one at 9 o’clock and one at 6 o’clock). The tip of the minute hand has faded from orange to yellow-orange. The case and bracelet show hairline scratches, but both are totally unpolished and the original brushing is visible throughout. The caseback is in very good condition, with minimal wear to the original horseshoe design.
Scope: No box or papers.
Movement: : 6138 Automatic Chronograph. The watch was just serviced by a vintage automatic Seiko specialist in Tokyo. He has been my absolute go-to for vintage automatic repairs for years. There’s always a long waitlist, and he typically doesn’t take on new clients, but he is worth patiently waiting for! As a result, despite being 53 years old, the watch is running beautifully at +/- 6 seconds per day across three positions, and with a strong 290 AMP. Everything works smoothly.
Dimensions:
- Lug to Lug: 43.5mm
- Case Width: 39.5mm
- Case Thickness: 14.0mm
- Lug Width: 19.0mm
