Seiko 7A38 - by the numbers

Those of you who've read Mark McArthur Christie's superb 7Axx blog article on Worn & Wound and studied his photos, like myself, may possibly have noticed the water staining around the perimeter of the dial on his stainless 7A38-7060.

It's hard to miss with the clarity of the photos he posted:

I'd already recognised this watch from (much) earlier photos of it I'd seen posted on TZ-UK and a lengthy PM conversation I'd had with Chris Rennie (forum member Prospex44) back in January 2013, concerning the then condition of this watch and its prior ownership.

That Mark's article also featured a 7A28-7039 ....

.... clouded the issue for a few moments and albeit briefly had me scratching my head. 

But once I took that watch into account, it didn't take me long to find Chris's FS advert on TZ-UK, which dates from February 2013:

http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?251321 FS: Seiko 7A28-7039 & Seiko 7A38-7060 Chronographs - Both SOLD

Here's just a couple of Chris's photos from his TZ-UK FS advert:

(Note the matching scratches on the bezel inlay of the 7A28-7039 between '120' and '140'.)

Here, the stainless 7A38-7060 may be shown fitted with a non-original replacement bracelet, but even in this dark photo, you can just about discern the water staining around the top of the dial - if you squint hard at Chris's photo and know what you're looking for. 

Here's a photo of the very same 7A38-7060 that Chris sent me, embedded in a PM dated 6th January 2013:

Chris's comment above the photo read: Here it is Paul - as you can see, the domed plexi doesn't do the dial any favors ....

It wasn't the incorrect replacement bracelet fitted, nor the staining around the dial which 'clicked' with me, but the 'domed plexi' crystal.

So I asked the question:

Chris. You didn't by any chance happen to buy this 7A38-7060 from Foggy (Ian Fogden) did you ? 

He was trying to sell a stainless 7A38-7060 fitted with a domed acrylic crystal as far back as 2006.

Can't find the original (TZ-UK) FS adverts, but here are a few of the photos of it (in various iterations) that I right-clicked and saved:

Chris's reply was: Yes, I did indeed buy it from Foggy! You have a very good eye Sir!

At the time I sent my PM, I obviously wasn't trying hard enough, to find Foggy's various original TZ-UK musings about his 7A38. 

Here's where Foggy found it in April 2004: http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?4948 A good morning at the boot sale

His FS advert from June 2006: http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?19016 FS: Seiko 7A38-7060 15-jewel chrono WITHDRAWN

Now I've located it again, I see that FS advert thread included the 3 photos that I'd embedded in my PM to Chris Rennie. It starts off:

Hi all. 

Vintage 15 jewel quartz with the excellent 7A38 movement (same calibre as the RAF issued 1st gen Seiko but with addition of day/date). Works perfectly, with all the chrono functions spot on.

Down side : needs a new mineral glass as scratched quite badly. Slight dial damage at the 2,3,4 minute markers near the tachy scale.

Not too bad at all, however. Caseback has initials DE scratched on. Not deep at all, so would polish out if it bothered you. 

A cheap fully working 7A38 at £45, firm. That included UK postage.

Email address is ian.fogden@btinternetNOSPAM.com (remove NOSPAM)

The black leather strap fitted at the start of that long-running advert should now look familiar from Mark's Worn & Wound photos.

In his subsequent efforts to sell it, Foggy fitted the domed acrylic crystal and the two different non-original replacement bracelets.

He ended (before withdrawing it):

Thanks for the reality check, Les, David & Si. On reflection there's no point "giving" it away at £45, so I'm going to keep it in the collection. Another change to the bracelet, this time a Seiko Jubilee. That's how I'm going to keep it. 

From Foggy's 2006 TZ-UK FS advert: Caseback has initials DE scratched on. Not deep at all, so would polish out if it bothered you.

I dunno about having a good eye, but you'd have to have be blind to have missed it in Chris's last photo in his own TZ-UK FS advert:

So, how come Chris Rennie ended up buying this 7A38-7060 off Ian Fogden some 6 years and more later, you may well ask. 

Well that's something between Chris and Ian that I suspect we'll never get to the bottom of.

But oddly enough, on 20th January 2013, Foggy made this post on TZ-UK's Sales Corner:

http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.php?248883 FS: Projects for charity

Hi all. 

These 3 are ones I have picked up over the years (boot sales, antiques markets etc.), and been stuck in the drawer and never got around to doing anything with. I'm busy getting some of my more interesting projects sorted out now, so the chances are even more likely that I'll never get around to sorting these. Maybe you have some time?

Those three projects included a 7A38. It wasn't the 7A38-7060 which Chris Rennie had bought off him a fortnight earlier ....

but a tatty stainless 7A38-7000. Presumably Chris's recent purchase of the 7A38-7060 prompted Foggy to have a further 'clear out'.

The irony of all this, is if you read Mark's article, underneath the 'borrowed' wrist shot photo of my 7A38-701B 'Vulcan', he wrote:

And because there were so many made – and made well – there is still the chance of turning one up at a boot sale ....

Which if I've done my little bit of online detective work properly is where his 7A38-7060 first turned up, nearly 10 years ago ! 

History of the 7A28-7039 which Mark (MMC) bought from Chris Rennie at the same time ? 

Can't be bothered to research it, quite honestly. Remember: I don't do 7A28's - just 7A38's. 

But I dare say that if you were to prepared to trawl through Chris's eBay feedback (as a buyer) to around late January 2013 time ....

.... I'm sure it's in there somewhere, if it wasn't that one.

That is insane detective work. 

You ain't seen nuthin' yet. 

OK     Maybe the guy that assembled the watch in Japan ?  

The GAL, actually, Don ! 

That's Cool !!

Seiko7A38 at February 25, 2014 at 7:23 PM

The GAL, actually, Don ! 

LOL!!!!!

You're a classic Paul- love the humour!!!!

Regards

Con

Thanks Con.

I try to be self-deprecating occasionally.  Sometimes I take this business (particularly the practice of re-selling) FAR too seriously.