There is some evidence of the existence of a relationship between Meade and Nihon Seiko in the early 1970’s. This photo from a Meade catalog of unknown date indicates a pretty clear resemblance to the Unitron and Polarex Model 114:
Additonally, the Meade 400 Series 4 Inch Equatorial Refractors which were introduced in the 1970’s, have a mount and selection of accessories highly characteristic of the Unitron/Polarex line.
