Seiko 7A38 - by the numbers

Hello All;

In 2003 I bought 15 or so Seiko quartz chronographs from a military surplus specialist, they were a mixture of Generation 1 and 2 and about half of them had a problem of one kind or another. If I remember correctly, I paid around £40 each for them.

As military issue watches, they all had black dials, apart from one of them; this one:

Which looked completely out of place, but when I turned it over I discovered this

Now let's be frank; anyone with an engraving machine could put those markings on a case back; but what is much more difficult to create is the ridges seen on the case back caused by the very abraisive NATO strap, these take years to create.

Some checking reveals that the engraving refers to the Hydrographic Survey department of the Royal Navy, who are responsible for charts and  navigation, and because of the way that navigation was done in the old days, they are also responsible for all timekeeping instruments.

As far as I know, this is the only one of these to surface, has anyone else ever seen one?

Enjoy

James

I think, and Paul will have more info. that you have a civilian case ( spring bars ) with a military back fitted ?   

Don. Check your own stainless 7A28-7020. That's also a 'civilian' case-back (which has been engraved post-manufacture).

All the stampings, below and including the word SEIKO are standard SPR007J markings.

And Yes, those are definitely (over-compressed) universal style spring bars, rather than fixed bars, as you correctly pointed out.

As to the authenticity and validity of the engraving, I'm not in any position to comment. I don't do 'military' remember ? 

Hi All

No arguments, it is a 100% civilian watch which has been 'press ganged' into military usage; but that is what makes it so interesting.