Seiko Caliber 4T53

The Seiko caliber 4T53 is a quartz chronograph watch movement with a 3-6-9 layout.

This movement is essentially the Seiko-only version of the cal. VD53, meaning that it is typically only found in watches produced by Seiko. Microbrands and other watch companies will use the VD53.

Seconds Hand:

The notable feature of this movement is that it is a chronograph with a central running seconds hand.

Most chronograph watches have a central chronograph seconds hand which stays fixed at the 12:00 position until the chronograph is activated. Traditional chronograph layouts like this usually place the running seconds hand in a subdial, creating a “small seconds” complication. This style is used because the central chronograph hand replicates the functionality of a standard mechanical stopwatch, where there precise position of the stopped hand can be read more clearly with a larger diameter of outside markers on the dial.

The 4T53 reverses that norm by making the central seconds hand operate similarly to a standard 3-hander watch, while the chronograph seconds is out of the way of the main time until activated.

Watch Culture:

Some enthusiasts may prefer to see the current seconds rather than a stationary hand doing nothing when not in use, but it depends on the watch. As this configuration and functionality is similar to the Seiko VD53, an interesting example is the Invicta Speedway, a Rolex Daytona lookalike. When the model first came out, Invicta was using a Miyota quartz chronograph with a standard chrono seconds hand.

Years later, the brand switched to a Seiko quartz chronograph with a running central seconds hand – all else remained the same between the two versions, except for the seconds hand functionality.

Needless to say, collectors were displeased about the change and the original central chrono seconds models are still more desirable. This is mostly due to the fact that the stationary/fixed central seconds hand looks more like the Daytona, but also because a ticking central hand makes it more obvious that the watch is quartz.

Replacement Prices:

At the time of this post, replacement prices for the calibre 4T53 were found for $35.95 USD. Keep in mind, that as this is a caliber that is reserved for Seiko branded watches, it may be difficult to find a replacement from parts resellers.

Additional Resources:

• Seiko official instructions manual (pdf)