Seiko 5720-9990 (Imperial Lord Marvel)
The 5720-9990 is commonly called the Imperial Lord Marvel.
The Seiko 5720-9990 is an undocumented Lord Marvel variant from the late 1960s, carrying the sixteen-petal chrysanthemum crest of the Imperial House of Japan on its dial. The reference appears nowhere in Seiko's published catalogue: it is engraved only inside the caseback, and the outside is bare apart from a NIPPON SEIKO stamp. What separates it from a standard Lord Marvel is deliberate rather than incidental. Twelve double baton indices replace the usual single batons, and the broader dagger hands echo the Grand Seiko First rather than the line it nominally belongs to. At least two examples are known, and they do not share the same movement, which is a large part of why the reference remains unresolved.
| Caliber | 5740C |
|---|---|
| Years | 1967 to 1970 |
| Line | Lord Marvel |
| Function | Dress |
| Sub-line | Imperial |
| Known variants | 5740C movement, 36,000 vph hi-beat (example photographed here); 5740A movement, not hi-beat (second known example) |
The dial
The crest is a kikumon, the sixteen-petal chrysanthemum of the Imperial House of Japan, applied in a pale gold with cleanly drawn lines. It also appears on the far better known Imperial VFA, but positioned differently: above the Seiko logo there, below it here. That position is the quickest way to tell which of the two Imperial dials you are looking at.
The indices are the second tell. A standard Lord Marvel 5740 uses single batons with a double only at twelve. This dial carries twelve doubles, a configuration otherwise associated with the Grand Seiko First. The hands follow the same logic, broader and more dagger-like than a normal Lord Marvel.
The caseback
The outside of the caseback is plain except for the words NIPPON SEIKO. Nippon rather than Nihon is the more formal reading of the country name, which fits a watch made for presentation rather than retail. The reference number itself is engraved on the inside of the caseback, alongside a serial.
The movement question
The reference reads 5720 but the movement in this example is a 5740C, the 36,000 vph hi-beat calibre. A second known example, posted to a Hong Kong forum in 2013 with the same crest and the same NIPPON SEIKO caseback, runs a 5740A, which is not a hi-beat. So the reference number does not pin down the movement, and 5720 may instead point at the Grand Seiko First, whose movement was later designated 5720A.
How many exist
Two examples are documented publicly: the one photographed here, sold through a Japanese dealer and later written up in detail, and the forum example from 2013. Given that neither surfaced through official channels, more probably exist unrecorded.
Identification
Check three things together, because any one alone is weak. The crest sits below the Seiko logo, not above it. The dial carries twelve double batons rather than single batons with a double at twelve. The caseback exterior is bare except for NIPPON SEIKO, with the reference engraved inside. The movement is not a reliable identifier. Known examples run both the 5740C hi-beat and the non-hi-beat 5740A.
Authenticity
An Imperial crest is trivial to add to an ordinary Lord Marvel dial, and the value gap between the two is large enough to make it worth someone's time. Treat a crest on its own as evidence of nothing. Because the reference is undocumented, there is no catalogue entry or factory record to check a candidate against. Provenance and the combination of dial, hands and caseback markings are all there is, so buy on the whole watch rather than on the crest.
Market notes
Both publicly documented examples changed hands through dealers rather than at auction, so there is no meaningful price history. Neither sale price is published.
Is 5720-9990 a documented Seiko reference?
No. It does not appear in Seiko's published catalogue, and the number is engraved only inside the caseback rather than outside. That is why it circulates among collectors as an unrecorded model, and why dating rests on the movement and the dial rather than on paperwork.
What does the chrysanthemum crest on the dial mean?
It is the kikumon, the sixteen-petal chrysanthemum of the Imperial House of Japan, which indicates a watch made for Imperial presentation rather than retail sale. The same crest appears on the Imperial VFA, but there it sits above the Seiko logo where here it sits below.
Why does the reference say 5720 when the movement is a 5740?
Nobody has resolved it. The example photographed here runs a 5740C hi-beat and a second known example runs a non-hi-beat 5740A, so the reference does not determine the calibre. One reading is that 5720 points at the Grand Seiko First, whose movement was later designated 5720A, which would fit the other Grand Seiko cues on the dial and hands.
