Seiko 7A38 - by the numbers

Here's a 'classic' 7A38 Franken to start the new page - like the previous one, fitted with a Cartier Ferrari Formula dial. It was listed earlier this evening, by a German eBay seller as a 5-day auction with an opening bid price of 1 Euro. It should be obvious to most, but in case you didn't recognise it, the 'head only' watch case is from a two-tone 7A38-6090. As you can see, the Cartier Ferrari dial's Roman numerals are partly obscured by the chapter ring.The hands look like they were donated by the 7A38-6090, apart from the unidentified constant seconds hand. All topped off with the wrong case-back off a two-tone 7A38-727A !!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124326948137

Vintage Armbanduhr, Seiko Chronograph Japan, Modellnr. 7A38

Day Date

Mineralglas

Durchmesser ca. 36mm. 

Die Uhr läuft. Die Armbanduhr wird, ohne Uhrenarmband und ohne Verpackung verkauft. 

Dies ist ein Privatverkauf.

Daher keine Garantie, Gewährleistung und/ oder Rücknahme.

Mit der Abgabe eines Gebots erklären Sie sich mit diesen Bedingungen einverstanden und verpflichten sich den Artikel innerhalb von 3 Werktagen zu bezahlen.

Bitte nur bieten, wenn Sie damit einverstanden sind. 

Payment for European Union is only Banktransfer, NO PAYPAL!

That 5-day German eBay auction for a two-tone 7A38-6090 based Ferrari Formula dialed Franken 'head only' ended a few moments ago, selling for 81 Euros after 16 bids. Yeah - I was watching it live, but purely out of curiosity. 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/124326948137

This familiar-looking partly functional 7A38 Franken, based on the watch case and bracelet of a two-tone 7A38-7020, was listed yesterday evening, by a profiteering Dutch eBay re-seller, with a 'pie-in-the-sky' Buy-it-Now price of $195, or the option to make a much lower, more realistic offer. Granted, he has stated in his description that it is fitted with the wrong dial (a 723O dial from a two-tone 7A38-727A) and the wrong case-back (off a two-tone 7A38-7060). But all this person has done to justify his greedily marked-up asking price, for this only partly functional 'parts watch', is to fit a new set of hour and minute hands. He has failed to rectify its earlier faults. 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324308895710

Here I offer a Vintage Seiko 7A38 "Royal Oak" Quartz Chronograph Watch 1980' (Repair / Parts)

Please look at the watch and the conditions the watch is in before bidding on the watch. 

Vintage Seiko 7A38 "Royal Oak" Quartz Men's Watch from the 1980s.

Watch has signs of wear and the glass has scratches. Watch partially works and the chronograph function also works in some part, but a few problems. The large hour and minute hands do not run, the caseback is from another 7A38 watch and so is the dial. When the chronograph is running the hand on the right subdial sometimes skips the turn. The clasp has an engraving on it. The watch is sold as is for repair or parts. 

Dimensions:

Diameter: 3.8 cm

Lug: 1.0 cm

Strap: Original to the watch, 17.5 cm 

You can check out my other listings for other interesting watches, watch parts and watch accessories.

This is of course, yet another instance of Déjà Vu, half-hearted attempt at repair and wilful profiteering on the part of the seller. You can also check out where he bought the watch, by flicking back to near the top of page 11, when it previously featured, listed by a German eBay seller, 5 months ago, in April this year ....

Seiko7A38 at April 19, 2020 at 3:29 PM

This two-tone 7A38-7020 was listed earlier this evening by a German eBay seller, as a 3-day auction, with an opening bid price of 1 Euro. It's obviously missing the minute hand, but there's more wrong with it besides. The dial may be the correct light grey colour, but it's missing the SPORTS 100 logo. The watch has been fitted with the wrong 723O dial (and presumably movement) from a two-tone 7A38-727A.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264705192800

Here's a copy and paste of my subsequent follow-up post:

Originally posted by myself on April 23, 2020 at 9:18 AM:

Checking my eBay watching page, that 3-day German eBay auction for a two-tone 7A38-7020 Franken ended yesterday evening, selling for a mere 45.50 Euros after 18 bids. No more than it deserved, really - apart from being a 'wrong un', it was a effectively a non-runner.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/264705192800

I really do sometimes wonder why I bother. That partly functional Franken based on a two-tone 7A38-7020, listed by the profiteering Dutch eBay re-seller, sold in the early hours of this morning for his greedily marked-up Buy-it-Now price of $195.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324308895710

Keeping this thread updated with all the deceptively mis-represented Frankens on eBay is already time-consuming enough, without going looking for more on other platforms. Earlier this afternoon I checked my Instagram feed to see that I'd received a message from a previously unknown contact netijam. It simply said:

Are you know this piece dude? followed by this mobile phone screen shot

I replied in my typical matter of fact manner:

No I don't know it, but it looks like a Franken watch - 7A38-704B dial (wrong hands) in a 7A38-7280 case and bracelet, with some random dial ring. Is it FS on IG ?

Evidently it was for sale on Instagram and netijam had unwittingly just bought it.

Studying the photos, there's a little more to it than my initial analysis. The 'wrong hands' may be from the 7A38-7280, but re-painted white. The movement has white Day / Date wheels whereas the 7A38-704B has white lettering, black backgrounds. The random unidentified Tachymeter dial ring appears to have been 'cut and shut' at 120. The non-original Seiko branded bracelet clasp is a minor detail.

Here's a google translation of the first section of the Instagram text. The opening bid price of 300K Rupiah equates to only about £15 Quid. No idea what it sold for.

The Instagram seller consultant09 is Alex Marbun, an Indonesian watch-botcher who regularly posts such one-day online auctions. Probably one best avoided.

Here's an interesting one - a very subtle Franken that looks almost like it came from the Seiko factory - and probably should have done, except that Seiko never offered this particular configuration. It's a titanium 7A38-7130 SAA046J, which normally comes with a dark grey, almost black dial (and cream dial ring), that's been fitted* with the off-white dial and hands (presumably the entire movement) from a titanium 7A38-7120 SAA044J. It was listed this morning by a German eBay seller as a 7-day auction, with a sensible opening bid price of 115 Euros, or the option to Buy-it-Now for a very reasonable 161 Euros. I could almost be tempted to have a punt myself, except the seller is blocking bids from outside Germany.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/392994376476

Ich löse nach und nach meine kleine Uhrensammlung auf, da ich nur noch 1 Uhr trage.

Hier ein Seiko Titan Chronograph aus den 70-er oder 80-er Jahren (weiß nicht mehr genau).

Stoppuhrfunktion ist nicht mehr zuverlässig, obwohl sie praktisch nie benutzt wurde.

Immerhin stehen die entsprechenden Zeiger alle auf 0. Gestern wurde eine neue Batterie

eingesetzt. Sollte wieder ein paar Jahre laufen.

- Ref-Nr. 7A38-7130

- Serien-Nr. 535677

- Gehäusedurchmesser 37 mm

- Höhe 10 mm

- weißes Zifferblatt (wurde beim Kauf gegen das originale graue ausgetauscht)

- Hardlex Glas (ohne Kratzer)

- Gewicht ca. 80 g

- Originalarmband (an der Schließe leichte Gebrauchsspuren, Goldauflagen leicht abgetragen)

- Schließe 7- fach verstellbar

- verschraubter Edelstahlboden

- ohne OVP und Gebrauchsanleitung

- ohne Gewährleistung und ohne Rückgabe, da Privatverkauf

*Translating one line of the seller's description reads:

- white dial (exchanged for the original gray one when purchased)

implying it was done by the retailer.

This older thread in another forum section includes photos of the correct versions.

Remember that stainless 7A38-7280 / 7A38-704B Franken, sold* on Instagram at the end of September ? If not, just scroll back to my penultimate post and read my comments. Well, it's back for sale on Instagram, posted earlier this afternoon, by a would be profiteering re-seller. The asking price ? $370 USD !!

Note Friday 13th - Unlucky for somebody. 

There are half a dozen more photos, which I can't be bothered to upload - and a video. The description includes the standard falsehood: with all original parts. (They're just not original to this particular watch.)

Poster VintejWrist starts his spiel: NOT ALL QUARTZ ARE CREATED EQUAL

I couldn't resist adding a comment:

Not all 7A38's were created like that one. Not by Seiko, anyway. In fact, it's quite unique ! LOL !!

*Checking my DM conversation with the previous unfortunate novice buyer netijam, he divulged that he'd foolishly paid 2000 Indonesian Rupiah (approx. £103.80) for it.

Postscript to the above. Although he writes almost perfect English, it transpires the Singaporean Instagram seller vintejwrist evidently hadn't fully comprehended the implication of my cryptic sarcastic comment. He'd DM'd me overnight and after a brief exchange this morning, has deleted his FS post - hence the reason the link that I'd embedded doesn't work any more.

Here's another 'Blast from the Past'. This familiar-looking 7Axx Franken, comprising a light grey 7A38-7260 718L dial / movement fitted in a two-tone 7A48-5000 case (and bracelet) and topped off with the case-back from a stainless 7A38-7020, was listed late yesterday evening, by an Italian eBay seller, as a 3-day auction with an opening bid price of 1 Euro.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114537347437

The watch is working. The crono hands is not on the zero but on 1 minute. 

Has you can see the case back is wrong so I think that some part as been switched with another reference. I sell as is. 

Seiko Speedmaster Chronograph 7a28 7a38 Working READ Description. La condizione "Usato".

This ill-concieved 7Axx Franken has previously been fully documented, listed by 2 other Italian eBay sellers, starting back in September 2018 at the top of page 8 of this thread and most latterly in March this year towards the bottom of page 10, where I wrote:

Seiko7A38 at March 27, 2020 at 9:38 AM

As all the pertinent history of this horrible Franken can be read higher up the page, in my post dated March 13th, I'll refrain from doing the mega-double quote thing. 

Checking my eBay watching page, I noticed that the 7A48-5000 based double-7A38 Franken, listed by an Italian eBay re-seller, two weeks ago, had sold this morning.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/383462690140

Not for his 'pie-in-the-sky' Buy-it-Now price of 199 Euros, but as revealed by the alternative 'true selling price' link, for a much lower offer of 110 Euros.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemVersion&item=383462690140

Note: it last sold for a best offer of 110 Euros.

Bidding on the current 3-day auction has now already reached 103 Euros.

Thankfully, caution or common sense prevailed - no further bids were forthcoming. So that's how the 3-day auction ended yesterday evening, with the 7A38 / 7A48 Franken selling for 103 Euros after 4 bids.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114537347437

Notice how last time I didn't write 'Hopefully that's the last we've seen of it'.

You see, I had an uncanny feeling it would turn up again, like the proverbial bad penny it is. Sure enough, it rocked up on eBay again earlier this morning, listed by would-be profiteering UK re-seller davyboy0194 (whose eBay feedback matches that of the previous winning bidder), with a 'pie-in-the-sky' Buy-it-Now price of £180.

It's obviously the same 7A38 Franken, based on the well-worn case and bracelet of a two-tone 7A48-5000, subject of my three preceding posts and a good many more prior to that. It first graced these pages back in September 2018 and from memory, passed through the hands of at least 3 Italian eBay sellers, before landing in Blighty. So, on the basis that there are already plenty of photos in this thread, I'm only going to bother uploading 3 of the current re-seller's dozen eBay images.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/193799671467

RARE 80'S SEIKO 7A38 SPEEDMASTER CHRONO-ALL FUNCTIONS-GOOD COND-BIG SIZE BRACELET. Condition is "Used". Dispatched with Royal Mail 1st Class==NICE MANS SEIKO SPEEDMASTER IN GOOD ORDER-HAS A LARGE ORIGINAL BRACELET TO FIT MOST WRISTS-CRACKING LOOKING WATCH-

This subtle gold-tone 7A38 Franken was listed yesterday evening by a US eBay seller, as a 6-day auction with an opening bid price of $100 or option to Buy-it-Now for $400, for anybody stupid enough. The clue to it being a 'wrong un' is in the title - 7A38-7000. It's obviously not one of those, but a common-or-garden 7A38-7289. The seller's photos are pretty poor, but closer examination of the third one reveals it's fitted with the 701L dial from a gold- tone 7A38-7000. Presumably it's also fitted with the donor watch's case-back - per the early serial number 3N0005 cited in the description. The reason that there are 'spare links' is because the B1627G bracelet has been fitted with a longer 5-hole adjustable clasp.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154251363484

Seiko Chronograph Watch w/ Band 7A38-7000 with extra links. Condition is "Pre-owned". Shipped with USPS First Class. The Watch face has few light scratches, the overall condition of the watch is very good with very little wear. Every function seems to work good. Keeps excellent time. S/N 3N0005. Have questions, please ask.

I've been otherwise occupied for the last couple of days, but belatedly checking my eBay watching page, I see that the 7A48-5000 cased 7A38 Franken listed by the UK eBay re-seller, 10 days ago, sold on 22nd December. Not for the marked-up Buy-it-Now price of £180, but for an undisclosed best offer.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/193799671467

This horrible 7A38 Franken, nailed together and misrepresented in the best Filipino watch-botcher tradition, was listed last night by someone purporting to be a Spanish eBay seller, as a 5-day auction with an opening bid price of $1. The watch is based on a well-worn 7A38-7069, fitted with the gold 701L dial / movement and most of the hands from a gold-tone 7A38-7000. Check out the weedy remnant of non-original random crown fitted - topped off with a cheap and nasty leather strap.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233857490868

Dial: Seiko Gold Dial, marked Seiko Chronograph Quartz Sports 100M Japan, radium hour, minute, and second hands, hands and indices are in good condition, inner bezel in good condition. dial with some age specks otherwise is in good original condition. 

Movement: High grade Seiko quartz powered cal. 7A38 movement with day date and chronograph feature, has just been cleaned and serviced, a $50 value at no cost to you, runs strong and keeps good time. Minute recorder does not function so please take note. 

Case: Seiko SS case, measures 39 mm. without crown, 41 mm. lug to lug. bezel with plate wear and is in fair condition. Case has just been buffed and polished and is in good condition. 

Serial Numbered: # 700178 

Bracelet: New plush aftermarket leather band. 

Crystal: Mineral Crystal in good condition. 

Crown: Seiko crown and pushers with plate wear and is in fair/good condition. 

Overall: Watch is in good overall condition.

In case you didn't immediately recognise the eBay seller's user ID nippontime (and familiar style of photographs) as I did, may I strongly recommend running a search on the forum. It will return numerous results - all from the earlier part of this thread. To save you the effort, here's a partial quote from the most recent of those results.

Originally posted by myself (in this thread) on April 10th 2018:

The fact that I'm a couple of days late in flagging up this hideous 7A38 Franken will make absolutely NO difference. There will always be some idiot(s) who bid on junk like this.  This mess, purporting to be a gold-tone 7A38-7000 was listed a couple of days ago by the wholly inappropriately named arch Filipino watch botcher restoredwatches a.k.a. jfm_watches and nippontime (real name John Dizon).

Seems that although a leper may never change his spots, he can change his eBay location (from Davao City, Philippines to Barcelona, Spain).

As I've written many times before, there'll always be someone desperate, foolish enough or even willing to bid on junk like this, especially when it has a low start opening bid price of $1. The 5-day auction for that Filipino backstreet-botched 7A38-7069 Franken ended just after midnight, selling for $115.50 after 36 bids.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233857490868