Seiko 7A38 - by the numbers

Something new and a bit special (to me) to start the page. I'm just trying on my latest incoming Orient J39701-70 with the (1985) Indianapolis 500 dial branding, which finally arrived yesterday. Apart from being in NOS condition, and having that logo, it's the first J39x01-70 I've discovered that actually has a pure matt black dial. 

From one end of the cosmetic appearance scale to the other. I cobbled this grey dialed J39001-70 'beater' together yesterday, from an assortment of parts watches. I didn't have enough links to make up the proper SA160 bracelet, so for the time being, I've used the ubiquitous 20mm 'Feiko', fitted with an ORIENT logo'd clasp.

Wearing my 7A38-701A SAA003J, which I just finished fettling this morning.

Here's a Q&D wrist shot of my recently acquired almost NOS JDM 7A38-6050 SJS058, now fitted with a notched Fluco 22mm silicone strap, in place of the original Seiko p/n GK54A leather strap, which was beginning to disintegrate.

Hopefully, I've managed to clean all the literally bloody thumbprints off it.

Today with my "new" 7a38-7260 

Due to the nCov restriction (I'm from Italy) I can't change glass and watch strap 

I've been messing about with my three blingy 7A38-6109 SAA114J's this afternoon, swapping parts around between them. This is my first example (actually my second purchase), which I've now owned over 10 years, since February 2010. All I've done to this one, so far, is to fit an additional bracelet adjustment link (which I robbed from my recently acquired 7A38-6109 sample case / bracelet). It now has 4 (removable) adjustment links per side, which gives a better fit on my 7½" wrist - so much more comfortable; slightly loose, instead of pinching, as before. 

Better late than never, here are a couple of wrist shots, taken earlier today of my other two blingy 7A38-6109 SAA114J's. This one still needs some more work. 

The one below is a 'motorized' sample case build, which I finished this morning. 

Wearing my 'second string' stainless 7A38-7000 SAA007J this morning. First time in a good while. It had started losing big time, until it reached the point where it finally ground to a halt.  Recently back from a movement service by Simon (Sir Alan) ....

.....and, calibrated by him, now accurate to +0.13 seconds / day.

This morning I'm trying on my most recently acquired Yema Spationaute III. 

There's a reason - of more anon, here in this thread.

Seiko7A38 at November 10, 2017 at 7:55 AM

I'm pretty sure I've used the phrase Subtitled: Big Time Loser in this thread at least once before. Well sadly this is another case in point. Somewhat belatedly (pun intended), here's an 'as received' shot of my RACER J39914-70, which I acquired a couple of months ago, but has spent the best part of that time in the airing cupboard.  I actually took this photo about 12:30 (without re-setting the hands for once) - that's how much time it had lost since I last reset it.  I'll write up about its timekeeping issues in more detail in the RACER J39 thread, presently.

You may recall the above quoted post from a few years ago. I eventually got round to sending that RACER J39914-70 to Simon (Sir Alan) for a movement service, a week ago. It returned this morning. It's a 100X times better timekeeper now ! 

I've fitted that cardboard consistency burgundy Orient branded leather strap, which originally came fitted to my first NOS RACER J39908-70, that I'd earmarked for this watch. I couldn't make up my mind between these two less than stellar wrist shots.

Now I need to source a suitable replacement for that scuffed crystal. It's slightly odd in that protrudes nearly 1mm above the bezel lip - but I've since established that it is actually correct and original.

Here's a couple of 'as received' shots of my newest incoming stainless 7A38-6020 SAA041J, which Parcel Farce finally managed to deliver this lunchtime - at allegedly their third attempt.  For the price I paid, I'm pretty well pleased with its condition. Obviously it needs a replacement crystal, but it may get treated to more than that. 

Wearing my recently acquired 'bargain-basement' priced JAZ N8YZ669 panda this morning. Just needed a new battery and a quick clean and the job's a good 'un. 

I bought another 7A38-702H off eBay in the States last month. It wasn't as if I really needed another one, but judging by the eBay seller's photos, it was in pretty good condition, with minimal wear to the gold-plated bezel and nice crisp edges to the watch case - completely devoid of dings. As usual, because it was listed using eBay's dysfunctional GSP programme, once again, I had to avail myself of the most excellent forwarding services of forum member PHK (Paul in Vegas).

At my behest, Paul uses USPS First Class International (small packet), which normally takes a week (sometimes less) to arrive. This took 3 weeks from when he posted it, to my being able to collect it from the Royal Fail sorting office, first thing this morning. It had cleared UK Customs (HWDC) last Monday (6th April) !!

Anyway, enough of the rant. Here it is, more or less as received - I had to add a couple of spare adjustment links to the bracelet, to fit my wrist.

I have just failed abysmally at my first attempt at contributing to Soshul Meedya. Yesterday I finally caved in and created an Instagram account - mostly, I'll admit, to enable me to contact a couple of users. Seeing as I've somehow already managed to gain 4 followers, I thought I should at least upload a photo. So I took this Q&D shot of my brown-coated 7A38-6020 SAA043J this morning to use as a 'test mule'.

Of course, being totally ignorant (meaning that I usually totally ignore it) of the way Soshul Meedya works, I hadn't previously given any thought to how I was actually going to upload it. Apparently Instagram is a mobile app that most people access through their phones. I've been accessing it from my desktop PC. Evidently I need to have a Facebook account and / or let Instagram know what my mobile number is, before I can proceed to the next stage where I get to see the magic upload + sign. That's not going to happen !

I think it's a great idea as it's really easy to find pictures of the watches by checking hashtags. With your collection there, it would be a lot easier to find great reference photos of the models. Then maybe you can place a link to your posts that direct people to the forums so that people can learn more.

Rowan. I'm not impressed, by what I've seen on Instagram so far, regarding other users' inconsistent creation and use of hashtags. O.K., searching on #seiko7a38 currently returns some 1570 posts, which is probably the majority of the photos.

I'll admit I was amazed to find that Fred Force 10 '7A38', using it, incidentally. 

But if, for example, you take the brown-coated 7A38-6020, which I was planning to upload to Instagram as my first 'test mule': a search on hashtag #7a386020 returns 7 images and #seiko7a386020 also returns 7 - but 3 of them are other different photos; only 3 are common results - and the last photo isn't even of a watch !! 

What's more that well-worn brown-coated 7A38-6020 for sale by the Indonesian seller a couple of weeks ago, whose post included 6 photos, didn't bother to use either of those model specific hashtags !  'Easy to find' ? Erm, I don't think so. 

I've also just realized that there's another hashtag #7a38 (without Seiko) that some people are using, which currently returns a lower result of 1171 posts. Yes - there's much commonality with #seiko7a38, but also a good many other different photos.

Hello everyone, there is a Westworld Serrac vibe to this one. love it. 7A28 7010 (i think) jdm (i'm sure)

To stay in the same "genre" (oh oh another westworld reference) 7a28 7079

I nearly didn't bother posting this morning's wrist shot, but I've relented. So here's two for the price of one - two variations on the 7A28-728A theme: the common-or-garden SAA122J and somewhat scarcer, rather more restrained SAA128J.

Something went wrong with my previous post and I can't erase it. [Now Deleted]. 

Seiko 7a38 7140...and I would love to find the black one with dark grey dial (-714A).