====== Seiko Type 19 ======

{{wst>author|[[Foskett, Stephen|Stephen Foskett]] ([[https://grail-watch.com/|Grail Watch]])}}

**Type 19** was a famous [[railway watch]] produced by [[Seiko]] from [[1929]] through [[1971]]. It was a simple pocket watch with bold numerals.

===== History =====
As North America and Europe adopted [[standard time]] and [[railway watch]]es, so too did Japan. Most early railway watches in Japan were provided by [[Waltham]] and [[Elgin]] in the United States or [[Omega]] and [[Zenith]] in Switzerland.

In [[1929]], [[Seikosha]] introduced their own railway watch, the famous Type 19. It used a 7-jewel 19 ligne movement in a 43.18 mm diameter case. The hours were marked with large black serif numerals, 1-5 and 7-12, with a [[small seconds]] subdial at 6 marked on 10-second intervals, 10-60. The dial was printed with "Seikosha", and this helped establish the Tokyo brand across Japan. This was adopted as an officially approved railway watch by the Japan Ministry of Railways in November of that year and would remain so for many decades. Some models specifically say "Railway Watch" on the dial as well.

The Type 19 evolved over the years as the fortunes of Japan rose, fell, and rose again. Versions designed to be hung from the crown and for telephone exchanges were introduced in [[1930]], and a model with 24 hour markings (like the Canadian Railway Watch) came in [[1931]]. By the mid 1930s, a 15-jewel movement was adopted, and a special Seikosha Precision version was produced by [[1940]], but these would not be adopted by the National Rail until [[1960]].

Seikosha began production of versions for the Japanese military in the 1940s, with an Army Precision and Navy Deck version added in [[1941]]. The civilian railroad model resumed production (now called Ref. 91RW) after the war in October [[1945]], though initial quality and materials were rough.

In the 1950s, Seikosha refocused on quality, with an enamel dial version produced in [[1952]] and [[hacking seconds]] added in [[1955]]. The printed name "Seiko" was used from [[1959]] onwards, reflecting the rise in popularity of Seiko wristwatches. Also that year, Seiko introduced a [[Diaflex]] [[mainspring]] and began printing "Second Setting Diaflex" on the dial above the small seconds.

Production of the Type 19 was ended in November [[1971]], with the [[center seconds]] [[Seiko 61RW|61RW]] model offered as a replacement.


{{tag>Watch_models Pocket_watches Railway_watches Seiko_railway_watches Seiko}}