Seiko - 7549-7010 - Men - 1978

Seiko Tuna 7549-7010


Model: Seiko Tuna
Reference number: 7549-7010
Year of manufacture: 1978
Case: 45 mm
Water resistance: tested to 300m / 5bar
Strap: Orange rubber
Dial: patinated, matte black
Movement: cal.7549

n today’s #TBT we take a look at the Seiko 7549-7010 Tuna Can. While I’ll never say “never”, this article likely marks the last of our in-depth articles on vintage models from within this particular line of distinctive divers from one of our favorite brands. But, for many out there, perhaps we’ve chosen to save the best for last. After all, as you’ll come to see, the Tuna Can represents what is likely the most wearable and is certainly the least costly of the lineage if vintage is your target.

We briefly spoke about the Seiko 7549-7010 Tuna Can in our Top Vintage Seiko Divers reference article (if you’ve not yet checked this out, they’re all there!), but I felt that such an important model deserved its own chapter within our #TBT series. After all, since its introduction in 1978, Seiko has offered some version of this smaller, 300M Professional in its lineup without pause (today’s reference is the SBBN031). Automatic Tunas have come and gone as have gold versions, but a stainless quartz shrouded diver with black bezel and dial like you see here has soldiered on now for 40+ consecutive years. For sure, slight changes have occurred over time, but the fact that the general design has remained constant spells success to me. Let’s try to understand why.

For so many people, the idea of a shrouded Seiko diver sounds great, but unless you’re truly a professional diver or have massive arms, these watches are relatively impractical for daily wear. They’re big, tall, heavy, and not overly subtle: a Rolex Submariner they are not. This is where the Seiko 7549-7010 Tuna Can enters the scene as the near-perfect solution. (I’ll get to that “near-perfect” comment shortly.) At 47mm in diameter, the Tuna Can – so named due to its unique stainless shroud – undercut watches such as the 6159 Grandfather Tuna (50.5mm) and the 7549-7000 “Golden Tuna” (49.2mm) by ~2-3mm. That may not sound significant, but on a watch with nearly nonexistent lugs, it’s a big deal. Along with the diameter difference, the Tuna Can loses an important 1mm in height to the aforementioned references. If you’re adrift in my numerical soup, let me put it in practical terms. The well-loved Seiko Turtle (new or old) carries a length of 48mm, so the Tuna Can actually comes in as smaller.

In order to achieve a lower cost point and, perhaps coincidentally, offer a smaller watch, the Seiko 7549-7010 Tuna Can is capable of 300M of water resistance versus the 600M of its more expensive Tuna family members. The “near-perfect” part comes in because Seiko achieved this via a standard case on the watch. Yes, the Tuna Can has a screw-down crown and features an L-shaped crystal gasket, but it employs a traditional screw-in case back in lieu of the monocoque (front-loading) design found on high-depth Tunas. For some, this single detail excludes it from being a real member of the Tuna club. I’m not here to pass judgment, but suffice it to say, the Tuna Can feels like a real diver to me.
Inside the Seiko 7549-7010 Tuna Can, we have the 7549-caliber quartz. We discussed this movement when we reviewed the Golden Tuna from the same period. The Watch Bloke does a nice job of dissecting such a movement and shows us, pictorially, how the movement is derived from the 6309 caliber. As we’ve said, it’s repairable and known to be a highly dependable runner. Yes, it’s quartz, and if you’re not on board with high quality quartz by now, then I’ve likely lost that battle for good. For me, it’s a really satisfying watch to wear and look at; so much so, in fact, that the lack of a purely mechanical heart doesn’t really detract from the wearing experience. Speaking of on the wrist, I generally throw the Tuna Can onto a 22mm NATO, but they look great on rubber, mesh and (gasp!) even leather.