I try to keep an eye on auctions on Yahoo Japan – it’s clear that there are some serious collectors in Japan! A couple of recent examples, which caused my jaw to drop somewhat, are, first, a watch strap buckle:

(credit to YJ seller for pic)

This buckle sold for ¥80,000, which is just over $770….Why this price? Well the buckle is for the ‘Glorious Citizen’, the top of the range model from the early 1970s. The watch itself is very rare, but the buckle is probably even rarer. It’s a lot of money for a steel buckle!

And yesterday another auction ended – three or four Seiko and Citizen watches, all described as ‘junk’. Yet the final price was ¥480,000 – that’s over $4,600! In the lot was a diver, but no ordinary one – it was a Chronomaster model from the early 1970s. Certified as a chronometer and rated to 500 meters, this is a very special piece, and highly valued as a result even when in ‘junk’ condition. It looked to be in decent condition, but probably not running:

(credit for pic to YJ seller)

My latest Yahoo Japan purchase was at ¥3000, about $29, so I’m not quite in the serious league yet!!