The Seiko “Ashtray” is a collector nickname for an unusual family of professional divers associated with Seiko’s 7C46 quartz caliber. Its distinctive scalloped bezel inspired the name; it was not an official Seiko model name in the sources describing the watches. Two references anchor the discussion—7C46-6009 and 7C46-6010—but accounts disagree about their case materials and whether the family began in 1985 or 1986. “Mid-1980s” is the safest dating.
What is the Seiko Ashtray?
It is a nickname for a Seiko professional-diver family associated with the 7C46 quartz caliber. Watch coverage places the design among Seiko’s professional divers and describes a reported 600 m water-resistance rating. The family is notable for its unusually shaped bezel and for a screw-down caseback, rather than the monobloc construction used by earlier 600 m Tuna models, according to The Seiko Guy’s Ashtray overview.
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Why is it called the Ashtray?
The nickname refers to the bezel’s scalloped, dish-like outline. Fratello’s Michael Stockton described it as resembling “a conference table ashtray” in his 2018 account of the 7C46-6009. The Seiko Guy also calls the shape ashtray-like. These are explanations of collector shorthand, not evidence that Seiko marketed the watch under that name.
Which Seiko Ashtray references matter?
The two references most often discussed are 7C46-6009 and 7C46-6010. The Seiko Guy identifies the 7C46-6010, also designated SBBN001, as the first model and the 7C46-6009, also designated S23155, as the first export model. That is useful for distinguishing the references, but it does not resolve the material discrepancy between published accounts.
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| Reference | Designation and market description | Material description in published accounts |
|---|---|---|
| 7C46-6010 | SBBN001; identified by The Seiko Guy as the first model. | Fratello’s 2018 account describes it as a later full-titanium version; its 2022 retrospective assigns the material description differently. The mapping remains unresolved. |
| 7C46-6009 | S23155; identified by The Seiko Guy as the first export model. | Fratello’s 2018 account describes stainless steel with a titanium bezel; its 2022 retrospective assigns the material description differently. The mapping remains unresolved. |
The conflicting descriptions appear in Fratello’s 2018 article and 2022 retrospective. Without a period Seiko catalog or examination of the specific watch, do not rely on those accounts alone to identify a reference by its case material. For a vintage example, check its reference markings and seek documentation tied to that exact watch.
When did the Ashtray series appear?
The sources place its emergence in the mid-1980s but disagree on the exact year. The Seiko Guy’s timeline lists the first model in 1985; Fratello dates the 7C46-6009’s debut to 1986 and describes the series as introduced in 1986. Those dates should not be collapsed into a single confirmed launch year. Fratello also places the family’s production endpoint in the early 1990s, an approximate historical account rather than a precise final-production date.
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How does it differ from a Seiko Tuna?
The Ashtray sits in the same broad world of Seiko professional divers, but the cited construction distinction is practical: the Ashtray uses a screw-down caseback, while earlier 600 m Tuna models used a monobloc case, as described by The Seiko Guy. That contrast helps explain why the Ashtray is discussed alongside the Tuna family without treating it as simply another Tuna variant.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What dimensions and water resistance are reported?
The Seiko Guy reports a 600 m water-resistance rating for the Ashtray; the cited coverage does not establish an independent test or specify a named standards body. Fratello’s 2022 retrospective gives dimensions of 45 × 44 mm for the steel-and-titanium version it describes. Because its material-to-reference assignment conflicts with Fratello’s 2018 account, those dimensions should not be attached confidently to either reference without confirming the exact example.
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