Seiko 7A38 - by the numbers

I've been meaning to write up this topic for a couple of weekends, but just haven't managed to find the time before. Yes I concede, I could have just as easily added these few posts on to a number of similar pre-existing threads, for example: 

My newest incoming Orient J39 - variations on a theme part # 99

But it's an interesting little story in its own right - for a couple of reasons.

The 'part #99' does have a certain significance though, as you'll see. 

As I've done previously, I'm going to copy and paste an older post (yet again):

I'm going to start off this thread by copying and pasting something I've written / quoted a number of times before ....

Harking back to this vague statement included in an email reply which I received from the Orient Watch Co., back in February 2010:

We had several type of J39 chronograph models until 1990 year, but it is regret to say that we do not have such records in hand now.

.... You've gotta wonder just exactly how many different variations of J39 they produced. Or at least I do, anyway. 

Particularly when you start adding the Racer branded versions and looking at different dial / colour combinations. 

Because that several type(s) quoted by Orient Watch Co. seems to be endless - as do the permutations / model numbers. 

So just in case new readers haven't already got the message: a really enjoyable part of my collecting is discovering 'new' hitherto unseen variations of Orient J39's (and for that matter, their RACER branded counterparts) - and adding examples of them to my burgeoning collection, whenever possible.

This particular story goes back a number of years - to April 2011 in fact.

At that time, I still had no real idea of the sheer scale of the number of Orient J39 variants produced - that vague email reply from Orient Watch Co., gave no indication whatsoever. The first 4 Orient J39's I'd acquired were all variations of the J39x01-70 'Diver', with different colour dials in 2 different two-tone case finishes.

Then, in April 2011, I spotted this dressy gold-plated model, which squinting hard appeared to be an Orient J39, that I hadn't seen before, listed by an Italian eBay seller. This was the only photo in his listing and Yes, it was upside down in the presentation box ! I can't find the original eBay listing (obviously long since disappeared into the ether) but I do know from searching an old thread on RLT (where I wrote at the time) that the listing was titled simply 'orologio orient' (in lower case) and that there was no mention of any case-back model number. 

Here's a rather better photo I took of it, not long after receiving it:

I've posted a number of photos of this watch in the WRUW thread over the years, including at least one decent close-up wrist shot.

It is of course my ever so slightly blingy J39909-80. 

I've checked my photo folders (and searched this forum and others ad nauseam) and I don't think I've seen another example of this model since. Yes, there are a number of examples of the '7A48 moonphase' version, model # J38909-80, many of which are documented in this J38 dedicated thread, including a decent example owned by forum member Don, but my J39909-80 currently remains a unique example in collector's hands.

I've previously written, a number of times, in various threads in this forum section, about Orient's apparent lack of consistency in their allocation of case-back model numbers. One pattern that has emerged is that the third number digit of the J39xxx-x0 model number usually signifies the case finish - as follows:

J399xx-x0 - '9' = Gold Plated.

J397xx-x0 - '7' = Stainless Steel (uncoated, though not in every instance).

J396xx-x0 - '6' = Gunmetal Coated (though again there are odd exceptions).

J390xx-x0 - '0' = The 'Default' case finish option.

So you can imagine my surprise when this J39009-80 popped up in my eBay saved favourite search notifications 3 weekends ago (on Sunday 21st January), listed by an Italian eBay seller, as a one-day auction with an opening bid price of 29 Euros ! 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391965923184

Orologio ORIENT crono Uomo MOD. j39009-80 cs VINTAGE

BELLISSIMO ORIENT MECCANISMO FUNZIONANTE PERFETTAMENTE,

L'UNICA COSA CHE NON MI SPIEGO è LA LANCETTA LUNGA DEL CRONO NON SI MUOVE RIPETO UNICA PECCA, PER IL RESTO FUNZIONA TUTTO

CINTURINO PARI AL NUOVO VETRO OK

FATE OFFERTE SOLO SE VERAMENTE INTERESSATI

VALORE AL DI SOPRA DEI 200€

Although I was a little unsure about the 'burnt gold' finish at the time, it had a black dial, which was of identical design to that of my J39909-80 and the seller's photo of the case-back (complete with protective film and Orient hologram sticker in place) clearly showed it was a J39009-80, rather than a J39909-80. So naturally, I absolutely had to have it ! 

I was, I'll admit a little nervous about the seller having valued it at 200 Euros, in his description (which I wasn't prepared to pay, no matter how rare it might be) - having seen so many ended auctions re-listed by Italian eBay sellers because the item didn't achieve what they'd hoped it might. Anyway, I duly placed a minimal opening bid of 29.67 Euros as a statement of intent and added it to my eBay watching page.

I didn't really expect anyone else to bid against me, but because of my worry of possibly winning it too cheaply (as far as the seller was concerned), I also set up an automated snipe 'killer' bid of 129.67 Euros. As it transpired, someone (a member of this forum, whom I worked with at the same company a couple of years ago and regarded as a something of a protégé) decided to try and snipe me. Fortunately he didn't bid high enough, and I won the auction for 112 Euros. 

The auction ended late afternoon. As the listing was set up for shipment only to Italy, I sent the eBay seller a request for an invoice, including the cost of postage to England. When I got home from work, later that evening, I checked my email to be greeted with these !! 

Indeed, by the time I read those messages, the seller had already re-listed it !!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391965923184

This time as 3-day auction listing, with the same opening bid price of 29 Euros:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391966665837

Initially I was absolutely livid.  But realizing that the seller wrote and understood English (far better than most Italian eBay sellers I've encountered), I decided to try and change his mind. I don't give up easily.  Let's just say it took a number of messages and a few hours to bring him round to my way of thinking. He quoted me a reasonable price for sending it by DHL and later refunded 5 Euros of that, as it turned out to be cheaper than his original estimate. I paid him via PayPal direct, rather than through eBay (which obviously I couldn't do, as he'd cancelled my order) and he subsequently ended the re-listing later that evening. The error having been his re-listing it, when it was already as good as sold - to me. 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/391966665837

That was on Monday 22nd January. The seller promptly shipped the watch the following day and it arrived on Thursday 25th - a superb performance by DHL, seeing as this was their 'Economy' service. I've done little else with the watch, other than to post a 'Q&D as received' wrist shot in the WRUW thread a couple of Sundays ago, to mixed reviews. Well, only one from Achim, actually. 

One other thing I did was to rectify a problem hinted at in the seller's description:

L'UNICA COSA CHE NON MI SPIEGO è LA LANCETTA LUNGA DEL CRONO NON SI MUOVE ....

Yup it was suffering from the classic self-inflicted chrono' fault - a displaced finger tension spring, very quickly rectified.

I also swapped the cheap and nasty undersized alkaline battery for a Seizaiken #394 and fitted an O-ring case-back gasket (there wasn't any as received). 

One thing I had decided, before I even received the watch, was that the 'new' strap fitted by the seller had to go. To my eyes, although it may have had a 'vintage' look, it was unnecessarily crude. So it turned out to be. Clearly not genuine U.S. Air Force issue (more like a vintage repro' fake), it did come with an authentically rusted buckle.

Apart from it's crudeness, I also wanted something in black leather to match the watch. The cases of the J39009-80 (and J39909-80) are pretty unique by Orient J39 standards. Most of the dressy models have a 19mm lug width, whereas this case model has only 18mm - which for the size of the (38.5mm ∅) watch case is possibly slightly disproportionately small (IMHO). Typically, I had plenty of cheap and nasty thin 18mm black leather straps in my stock drawer, but nothing that really looked 'vintage' nor was hefty enough to fill the lugs properly. So for expediency's sake, I ordered an 18mm 'Atlas' from TSS Watchworx, which sort of fitted the bill. I would have preferred a non-tapering strap (this tapers to 16mm at the buckle). Not sure if this is a permanent fixture, but if it becomes one, I guess I'll have to do something about ageing that gilt buckle, to tone it down. An overnight soak in vinegar might do the trick.  It doesn't look so bad fitted to the watch.

The above shot captures the 'burnt gold' / antique bronze finish of the watch case quite well. I did take a few of it as a 'head only', just before I fitted the strap, in an effort to show the overall finish. This was the best of them:

Whereas there is clearly an element of rubbing wear (of the sprayed black outer coating), it is incredibly even. Almost like Orient intended it to give it that 'antique' worn look. However, underneath is a different story. 

Apart from where it has been scratched on the underside of the lugs, it's almost an even flat matt black. Note the case finish designation abbreviation 'GRUP' stamped on the case-back. Another new one to me. 

I haven't quite finished yet.  Time permitting, I'll add a couple more posts tomorrow. For the time being, here are a couple more wrist shots I took this afternoon, slightly different to that which I posted in the WRUW thread earlier.