Seiko 7A38 - by the numbers

Seiko7A38 at July 31, 2016 at 9:15 AM

Lazy Sunday afternoon 'beater' - a pretty rough one at that.  My 'well loved', if not often worn champagne dialed Orient J39001-70.

It's a shame how infrequently some of my watches do get to see the light of day. Best I can tell, that's the last time I posted a wrist shot of my 'well loved' somewhat battered champagne dialed two-tone Orient J39001-70. I had to get it out of the watch box yesterday to replace the battery. In that last photo, it's fitted with a rather crude (18mm lug width fitting) Orient two-tone 'Fishbone' bracelet. When I bought the watch off eBay Germany, back in July 2010, it came fitted with a leather strap. So I searched around and for want of anything better, plumped for that substitute bracelet. It was cheap enough, so I bought a couple of them from UK eBay seller moldymeat. Here's the original photos from his August 2010 eBay listing:

I don't think I've posted a wrist shot of this one either - not in its final form, anyway.  It's my Orient J39002-70 'bitza', which started off this thread, 5 years ago, now fitted with an umblemished dial and hands. Looks quite presentable now, but still technically a wrong 'un, though. 

After a lot of faffing about with it this morning, all to no avail, wearing my delightfully pretty little Racer J29028-70 - back in one piece again. 

If you've read the saga of my acquisition of this watch and subsequent repairs, back in late 2014 on Page 4 of the Racer 'Spanish Inquisition' thread then you'll know one of the issues the watch had was a badly glued in replacement crystal. To cut a long story short, I replaced it, almost like for like, with a 1.0mm thick flat round crystal, with a polished bevel edge. Which, I thought suited the watch well, but as I later learned, was in fact wrong.

In recent years, I've bought a black dialed version of the same watch, a Racer J39029-70 and two Orient J39930-007's, all of which use the same watch case (in different finishes) and have domed flat bottomed crystals ! So I bought a Cousins generic p/n DF300CMH310 domed crystal, the thinnest they offer in this profile, with a view to correcting my unforced error, at some later date.

I was going through my watch box this morning, noticed this watch was doing the 'two-second two-step' (low battery indicator), so I thought while I had it out, I'd swap the erroneous crystal for one of the correct profile, which I'd bought ages ago. Pressed the old one out (it was glued in, but came out cleanly), got the Cousins domed crystal out of its packet, offered it up to the watch case and much to my annoyance realized it was too thick (1.0mm) at the edges. The crystal mounting flange on this particular watch case design is only about 0.5mm deep.

So there was nothing for it, but to put the 'wrong' flat one back in for the time being. I'm now struggling to find a 31.0mm Ø domed flat-bottomed round crystal that tapers to 0.5mm at the edge.

Here's a Q&D (literally dirty 'as received') wrist shot of my newest arrival - a Racer J39907-70 with a black dial (that I hadn't seen before), which the postman delivered this morning. Pretty it ain't, but it's got possibilities - it was cheap and surprisingly everything appears to work OK. First thing to go will be that yucky yellow strap. 

Wearing this JAZ N8YZ669, while I'm re-building it's sibling (ex-Franken) N8YZ63.

Sunday morning 'beater'.  Wearing my most recently acquired Racer J39027-70 Breitbling clone (my 4th and probably worst condition example), now with seized pushers sorted and fitted on a Tissot 'Racing' strap.

Here's a couple of Q&D 'as received' wrist shots of my recently acquired RACER J39723-70. Pretty it ain't. In fact, it's a bit of a 'bruiser' and needs some work. I'll write it up in more detail in the relevant thread, presently.

Here's an 'after' shot of that same Racer J39723-70 'battered bruiser', which got a quick fettling yesterday afternoon. Of course, on a bright sunny morning like today, the correct profile replacement domed crystal I've fitted picks up every reflection. 

I was rather pleased to pick up this Cartier Ferrari Formula for a fair price. 

I'd say it is unworn, the only marks coming from long term storage.

An average Yema N8 fresh from Indonesia         

About time I posted something I suppose. The 7A38-6000 certainly seems to be 'flavour of the month' at the moment. So I thought I'd give my original 'Dinky Diver' an outing. Years ago, I fitted it with a non-original vintage Seiko 'Beads of Rice' bracelet, for want of anything better. Still very comfortable - a delight to wear.

While I've got that collection box out, here's my other, almost mint 7A38-6000, on the correct original Seiko p/n G1157S bracelet. I know which of the two I prefer.

I had a problem with my digital camera yesterday - or at least I thought I had. Turned out to be a corrupt USB driver on my desktop PC. So better late than never, here's what would have been yesterday's wrist shot of my 7A38-6060 'beater'.

Wearing my stainless 7A38-7020 SAA009J 'second-string beater' once again this afternoon (it's become one of my regular go to daily wearers).

Obligatory Saturday morning wrist shot of one of my Yema Spationaute III's. Not the best of examples, even after refurbishment, but it has a 'Cadran Drapeux' mission flags dial. I've owned this particular example for 6 years now - hence it's fitted with a Fleurus Navy Shark strap, as I did with most others at the time, before I discovered cheaper (and more comfortable) alternatives.

Just trying on another recently acquired RACER J39908-70. I'll write it up, in more detail in this thread later.

Judging by the number I had to wind the date forward, I hadn't worn this in a while. My 7A38-7070 restored beater (fitted with Yobokies repro' bezel insert).

Afternoon switch to my old favourite modded 7A38-7070, fitted with the all-black 709L dial from a 7A38-7080 (and hands from a 7A28-7040/9)..

This afternoon, I resumed where I'd left off yesterday, going through my collection box which contains my 7A38 'Divers', checking for 'two-second two-step' low battery indicators, replacing any needed and quick-setting the dates. This 7A38-705A can't have been out of the box in a good while, because the date was showing '31'. 

Just replaced the battery in this NOS condition 7A38-7080 SAA033J. Better take it off quick before that matt black coating starts to develop a shine.