Brand: | Seiko, Seiko Instruments Inc. | ||
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Family: | |||
Height: | 5.32 mm | ||
Jewels: | 24 | ||
Reserve: | 40 hours | ||
Frequency: | 21,600 A/h | ||
Winding: | Automatic, Bi-Directional Automatic Winding, Central Rotor Automatic Winding | ||
Diameter: | 27.40 mm (12 ligne) | ||
Complications: | 24 Hour Hand, Hacking Seconds, Hand Winding | ||
Hands: | 24 Hour Hand at 10:30, Central Hour Hand, Central Minute Hand, Central Seconds Hand, Open Heart at 9:00 |
Distinguishing Technical Characteristics | |||||||||||
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Central-Rotor Automatic Counter-Clockwise Balance Cock Etachron Regulator |
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Production: 2011 – Current | |||||||||||
1910s | 1920s | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s |
Seiko Cal. 4R39A (commonly called just Cal. 4R39) is a mainstream automatic movement with open heart balance at 9:00 and 24 hour subdial at 10:30. It is also offered by Time Module Inc. (TMI) as Cal. NH39A for use by other watch makers. It is closely related to the date-only Cal. 4R35 and the Cal. 4R37 and 4R38.
Cal. 4R39 was introduced around 2011 and used in the Premier Automatic watch with 24-hour Indicator, model SSA021, SSA023, SSA024, SSA213, SSA215, and SSA216. The first series was produced from 2011 through 2013, with the second series introduced in 2014 and produced through 2018.
The 24 hour hand at 10:30 on the dial overlaps the “open heart” balance wheel. It follows the main hour hand and is not independently adjustable.
Seiko 4R39 Operation
The movement can be manually wound with the crown in position 1. Rotate the crown clockwise to wind the mainspring.
The time is set with the crown in second position (pulled all the way out). Rotate the crown clockwise to advance the minute and hour hands and counter-clockwise to turn them backward.
Seiko 4R Family Overview
Introduced in 2008, the Seiko Instruments Inc. (SII) 4R family is a mainstream automatic watch movement used in many Seiko models and offered to third parties by Time Module Inc. (TMI). It is an evolution of the Seiko 7S family of movements, produced since 1996, and is related to the higher-end Seiko 6R family.
All movements in the 4R family operate at 21,600 A/h and measure 12 ligne (27.4 mm) in diameter by 5.32 mm in height. Cal. 4R15 and 4R16 have 22 jewels, Cal. 4R35A has 23 jewels, and all other 4R and NH movements have 24 jewels. The NH series movements sold by Time Module Inc. (TMI) are rated as slightly more accurate from the factory, at -20/+40 rather than -35/+45 for the Seiko branded movements, and some differ in the finish, number of jewels, and rated power reserve.
Seiko 4R Movements
There are two branches of the family: The 4R1x movements (4R15, 4R16) came first and have an advanced Spron 510 mainspring but lack hacking and hand-winding. The 4R3x movements (4R35, 4R36, 4R37, 4R38, 4R39, 4R57, 4R71) appeared after 2010 and have a traditional mainspring but add hacking and hand-winding. The 6R family has both improvements.
There are only a few complicated members of the family, with a 24 hour subdial (4R37 and 4R39), or date by pointer subdial and power reserve indicator (4R57).
Traditional Mainspring Hacking/Hand-Winding | Spron 510 Mainspring | |
Standard | 4R38A NH38A 4R71A (skeleton) NH70A (skeleton) NH71A (skeleton, gilt) | |
Date | 4R35A 4R35B NH35A | 4R15A 4R15B NH15A |
Day and Date | 4R36A NH36A | 4R16A 4R16B NH16A |
Date, 24 Hour Subdial | 4R37A NH37A | |
24 Hour Subdial | 4R39A NH39A | |
Date by Pointer Power Reserve | 4R57A |