Seiko 6139 6010 "Bruce Lee"

After posting the group of Seikos I just picked up and not seeing a thread for the Bruce Lee Seiko, I thought maybe we could try to get some background on this ref. and maybe stir up some photos from members. I'll give just some basic info. I did see photos in a WTB thread, and maybe there is more info that I have missed.

It is generally accepted that Lee wore the 6139 6010 with black dial during the final few years of his life. It is the only watch seen on his wrist in several photos. He wore it on a non-original rally style bracelet and is thought to have started wearing it in mid to late 1969.

There is discussion regarding the brown and black dials, whether they were all black to start...whether Lee's was brown or black. There were other colors of the ref, at least I know there was a blue dial. I'm too lazy to research.
It just seems to me that given Lee's place in history, an icon, to be sure, that his watch should get some attention, too. Any corrections or additions to my blurb are encouraged. I'll include a few photos.

Here is the one I just got.

Here are some photos of Lee wearing the watch and maybe an example on another wrist. I borrowed those photos from the WTB thread on here. I removed a few photos of Lee with his family because the group included a closeup of just a man's wrist with a similar watch. There is no evidence it is Lee's wrist, and the watch is a version that has the 5 sports markings. According to the article I am including at the bottom, there are no photos that show Lee wearing that version of the watch. All photos show the white 70m proof text.




Below is an example of someone else wearing what is believed to be the ref and style Lee wore.


Here is the best info I could find online. https://www.thewatchsite.com/threads/the-‘bruce-lee’-seiko-6139-6010.339526/#:~:text=After he gave away his,was a Seiko 6139-6010.

It is believed that he had more than one 6010s. The one in the 2nd picture is a Resist and not the 5Sports which appears on his wrist in the 1st one. From long long discussions in the Japan related forums, his mother probably gave him the 5Sports when he visited him in LA and he got the Resist one form HK during a film shooting.

I like them with chocolate dial by the way, very nice!!

"Take things as they are. Punch when you have to punch. Kick when you have to kick."
Bruce Lee

The 6010 in black or browned black is actually hard to find.

I bought this 6139-6011 together with 2 other watches and it seems pretty similar. It is from 1971 and looks in really good shape. I polished the crystal but the case seems original. I am just wondering what the main differences might be between mine and the Bruce Lee one .

Question, how do you define a Bruce Lee? Just the 6139-6010 or any black dialed 601x? I prefer a broad definition, but I'm biased by owing a 6012.

Hello
so far what i know about Bruce Lee watch is :
1. Not JDM, but HK version.. that means not speedtimer...
2. proof-proof cause the earliest he wear in end of 1969..
so should be
6139-6010. black proof proof. with kanji day.

here a long explanation
https://www.thewatchsite.com/thread...3bb9d9f5f17-1627367431-0-gqNtZGzNAzijcnBszQlO
here i put what i believe the correct dial of the watch..

Actually, the Hong Kong watches would have had an English/Chinese day wheel, not English/Kanji
(日 - Sunday. 一 - Monday, 二 - Tuesday, 三 - Wednesday, 四 - Thursday, 五 - Friday, 六 - Saturday)

And according to the collective expertise on the internet, the watch above - a PROOF, black dial non-JDM, is what Bruce Lee was seen wearing.

However, look at ...


and


and



... make me wonder if it was actually a brown-dial.

I'm certain the brown 6139-6010 was not black-gone-brown like a tropical Speedmaster - it's always been brown. Here's mine, from Nov 69:


... but in daylight, it can look dark enough to be almost black:

This is my 6139 6012 don't know very much about it but it needs some tlc.it works but

Here's a true beater watch

Ronny Chieng showed his on Hodinkee Talking Watches, see below.
From 4.57
https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/talking-watches-with-ronny-chieng

My blue 6010

Blue dial is really striking and. I really like the original bracelets. This one’s def on my list

That watch had to put up with some abuse if he wore it for his routines😲

OK, I've been reading all the responses to the brown vs black debate. Is this a black or brown dial?

I would say brown. Look at the contrast between the dial colour and the black chapter ring. Better lighting might help - where did you get the photo?

edit: so it's a black dial, photographed poorly to show that there might be doubt. Point made.

There are enough photos of Bruce Lee wearing a watch which clearly does not have a black dial, that it is certain to me he had a brown dial one. Maybe he had a black one too...