Imperial Lord Marvel 5720-9990 | Quirks and Features

The story of Seiko’s Imperial VFA is one that most Seiko enthusiasts, or even general vintage watch lovers, have probably heard before. It’s about a collector’s pursuit of one of the rarest Seikos ever made. The story was published on SJX.com and later cited by several podcasts: the acquisition process features a train ride, a cash deal, and the kind of intrigue you’d expect from a Bond novel.

My acquisition of the Imperial Lord Marvel, however, is far less cinematic. As a Seiko fan, I often find myself browsing Yahoo! Auctions Japan and various dealer sites — sometimes to cross-reference dodgy listings, other times to chase down clean examples of rare models. One late night browsing session led me to Firekids.jp, a renowned Japanese dealer featured by many watch KOLs, including Craft & Tailored in their Tokyo Watch Buyer’s Guide, I simply found this Imperial Lord Marvel listed on Firekids.jp and decided to bring it home.

This rare variant of Lord Marvel has its fair shares of quirks and features, so let's dive into it.

The Dial

Let’s start with the most obvious feature — the Imperial crest of Japan. This is unmistakably the defining feature of the Imperial Lord Marvel and, frankly, of any Lord Marvel ever made. The Imperial House of Japan is represented by the chrysanthemum crest, or kikumon (菊紋), a sixteen petal crest reserved exclusively for the Imperial family. Just like on the Imperial VFA, the crest here is finished in a soft, pale gold with fine, cleaned lines. 

However, there’s one subtle but important difference: on the Imperial VFA, the chrysanthemum sits above the Seiko logo; whereas on the Imperial Lord Marvel, the position is reverse, the crest appears sits below the Seiko logo. 

Look closer and you’ll spot another deviation: the baton indices. On a regular Lord Marvel 5740, you get single batons around the dial with a double baton only at twelve o’clock. The Imperial Lord Marvel is adorned with twelve double batons around the dial giving the dial a stronger, more balanced aesthetic, and as far as I know, the only other Seiko dial with this configuration is the Grand Seiko First (3180) and its later reissues.

The Hands

Moving on to the hands, and again, things get slightly interesting. These hands differ from those on a standard Lord Marvel. Their dagger-shaped design is broader, reminiscent of the Grand Seiko First 3180 and the later 57GS. 

These differences might seem small, but they’re deliberate design decisions. Taken together, they show that the Imperial Lord Marvel received the same elevated level of finishing and thought as Seiko’s early Grand Seiko models. 

The Caseback

Now let’s flip the watch over — and here’s where things get a little mysterious. The caseback is completely bare except for one marking: “Nippon Seiko.” In Japanese, “Nippon” (にっぽん) is one of the ways to pronounce the country’s name, and it’s generally used in more official contexts, whereas “Nihon” (にほん) is what you’d hear in everyday speech. 

Inside the case back you’ll see the engraving 5720-9990. This reference number doesn’t appear anywhere else in Seiko’s catalogue. Interestingly, it seems like the “5720” designation might not be a random one; it links right back to the Grand Seiko First, whose official movement designation later became 5720A. So even from the back, this watch continues the theme of subtle similarities — quietly connecting the Imperial Lord Marvel its more famous Grand Seiko First.

This unicorn has a twin...or more than 1 sibling

Are there any other examples of the Imperial Lord Marvel? Yes — there are. I came across another instance of this model in a discussion thread on a Hong Kong watch forum posted over 12 years ago: https://www.discuss.com.hk/viewthread.php?tid=22256242.

The watch featured there shares the same chrysanthemum crest on the dial and the “Nippon Seiko” engraving on the caseback. Interestingly, that particular example is powered by a 5740A movement, which is a non–high-beat caliber — adding yet another layer of mystery to this already enigmatic variant. One thing’s certain: there’s more than one of these elusive pieces out there.

This Imperial Lord Marvel is now available for sale — an extraordinary opportunity to add a storied and exceptionally rare Seiko to any serious collection.