1979 Seiko SilverWave Z 7123-8250 Cal. 7123 Quartz

Name: 1979 Seiko SilverWave Z 7123-8250 Cal. 7123 Quartz
Brand: Seiko
SKU: TFD-SEIKO-7123-8250-950025
Price: 399.00 USD
Availability: InStock

$399.00

A Seiko Quartz wristwatch, specifically the Seiko SilverWave Z 7123-826L, with a black face and black leather strap featuring red stitching, lies on a wooden surface near a red pen and a red cup with a graphic design.

A Seiko SilverWave Z 7123-826L black dial diver watch with a red-stitched black strap is displayed on a wooden surface next to a red tool and a vintage red oil can.

Close-up of a Seiko SilverWave Z 7123-826L wristwatch, a striking black dial diver watch featuring white markers, day and date display, and a black leather strap with red stitching. The bezel shows precise minute markers.

Close-up of a black dial diver watch, highlighting the Seiko SilverWave Z 7123-826L model with large hour markers and Japan 7123-826L T text on the face. The red black bezel frames the dial, with the number 30 partly visible.

Close-up of a vintage Seiko sports watch face showing bold hour markers, glowing hands, a day-date display, and part of a rotating bezel with red and white markings. The black dial diver watch displays the time at about 7:26:42.

Close-up of a Seiko 7123-826L Quartz SilverWave wristwatch face, showing time, a black dial with white markers, and a date window displaying Japanese kanji and the number 1—an impressive detail that highlights this vintage Seiko sports watch.

Close-up of a Seiko SilverWave Z 7123-826L watch face showing the day as TUE and the date as 1, with a striking red black bezel, luminous markers, silver hands, and classic black dial diver watch styling.

Close-up of a worn vintage Seiko sports watch with a black dial, visible scratches on the bezel, and a black leather strap with red stitching. Part of the 50 marker is visible on the red black bezel, highlighting the character and history of this Seiko 7123-826L.

Close-up of a vintage Seiko sports watch, specifically the Seiko 7123-826L, showing part of the black and white bezel, watch face, and a black strap with red stitching on a wooden surface.

Close-up of a vintage Seiko sports watch with a black leather strap stitched with bright red thread, its worn bezel and visible numbers evoking classic style. This vintage quartz diver features a distinctive red black bezel, resting on a wooden surface.

Close-up of a Seiko 7123-826L black dial diver watch, showing a black bezel with red and white markings, part of a worn metal case, and a black leather strap with red stitching on a wooden surface—capturing the timeless appeal of this vintage quartz diver.

Close-up of a Seiko SilverWave Z 7123-826L’s internal mechanism showing circuit board, gears, and components. The text reads TWO 2 JEWELS JAPAN. Copper coil, screws, and a metal plate are visible within the opened watch case of this vintage quartz diver.

WHY THIS WATCH MATTERS

The Seiko SilverWave Z captures a moment when quartz was still a statement of technical progress rather than simply the default. This 1979 example combines a black day-date dial, bilingual English/Kanji calendar, rotating black-and-red bezel and Seiko caliber 7123 in a configuration that is unusually difficult to find today.

The identifiers are part of the story: the caseback is marked 7123-8250 while the dial is marked 7123-826T. Seiko used separate case/reference and dial codes, so both belong in the permanent record for this watch.

READ THE FULL REFERENCE ROOM DEEP DIVE →

The history, the hunt, period research, and the restoration of this exact watch.

THE HARD DETAILS

Maker	Seiko
Model	SilverWave Z
Case Reference	7123-8250
Dial Marking	7123-826T
Serial	950025
Production	May 1979
Movement	Seiko caliber 7123 quartz
Jewels	2
Frequency	32,768 Hz
Functions	Hours, minutes, seconds, day, date
Day Display	English / Japanese Kanji
Case	Stainless steel
Crystal	Acrylic
Battery	SR1130W / 389 silver oxide
Strap	Aftermarket black leather with red stitching
Water Resistance	Not pressure tested

OPERATING CONDITION

A fresh battery was installed and the watch is running. Time setting, day/date operation and quickset functions are working, and the rotating bezel turns smoothly. Because this is a quartz watch, mechanical timegrapher figures do not apply; operation is documented through direct function checks and inspection.

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WHAT WAS DONE

This watch received a substantial cleaning rather than a cosmetic makeover. The bezel was removed, the movement was removed from the case, and accessible components were deep cleaned. A fresh battery was installed and the caliber 7123 was function-checked.

Work performed
• Battery replaced
• Bezel removed for cleaning
• Movement removed from case
• Case and accessible components deep cleaned

Intentionally preserved
• Dial left cosmetically untouched
• Hands left cosmetically untouched
• No machine polishing

CONDITION & ORIGINALITY

This SilverWave Z shows honest vintage wear. The case, bezel and acrylic crystal carry visible marks from use, and those details remain part of the watch rather than something to hide. The dial and hands appear period-correct; prior service history is unknown.

The current black leather strap with red stitching is aftermarket. The acrylic crystal is believed to be original to the watch and was not replaced by The Found Dial.

THE STORY OF THIS WATCH

This watch was found through an online auction as part of a larger group purchase, exactly the sort of place where an unusual reference can disappear into the background. Once separated from the lot, the details became more interesting: the bilingual JDM-style day wheel, red-and-black bezel, strong late-1970s sport-watch design and the split between the 7123-8250 caseback and 7123-826T dial marking.

That combination is what makes it a natural Found Dial watch: overlooked first, then researched carefully enough that the small clues start to matter.

Want the full story? Read the full Reference Room deep dive for the history of this SilverWave Z, how it was found, the period research behind it, and the restoration that brought it back into service.

REFERENCE & MODEL HISTORY

The SilverWave name appeared across Seiko water-oriented and sport-oriented watches in both mechanical and quartz eras. By the late 1970s, SilverWave Z models were part of Seiko increasingly mature quartz catalog. This watch uses caliber 7123, a compact analog quartz movement with day-date indication and hacking seconds.

For research purposes, preserve both identifiers: 7123-8250 on the caseback and 7123-826T on the dial. They are separate Seiko identifiers and should not be forced into a single matching number.

ABOUT THE BRAND

Seiko was one of the central manufacturers in the development and mass adoption of quartz wristwatches. By 1979, the company had moved beyond the novelty of early quartz and was applying the technology across dress, everyday and sports watches. This SilverWave Z belongs to that transition: technically modern for its era, distinctly Japanese in execution and still mechanically interesting in how much engineering was packed into a compact analog quartz movement.

Explore The Reference Room →

FOUND DETAILS

Source: Online auction, acquired within a group purchase
Approx. Production: May 1979
Serial: 950025
Caseback: 7123-8250
Dial: 7123-826T

WHAT COMES WITH THE WATCH

• The watch shown
• Fitted aftermarket black leather strap with red stitching
• No original box or papers documented

A NOTE ON VINTAGE

Vintage watches carry decades of ownership and service history. The photographs are part of the condition description and are intended to show the watch as accurately as possible. Water resistance should not be assumed unless a listing specifically states that the watch has been pressure tested.

PHOTOGRAPHED PURELY. SOLD HONESTLY.

These photographs are intended to show the watch as accurately as possible—the wear, the patina, the imperfections, and the details that matter. If there is something you want to see more closely before buying, ask.