Seiko 7A38 - by the numbers

This stainless 7A38-7000, in decent used condition (but hardly what you'd call 'rare') was listed earlier this evening by a UK eBay seller, as a 7-day auction, with a possibly over-optimistic opening bid price of £400. As for being 'Sold as found', it has to be said, looking at the last couple of photos, it could benefit from a good clean and a decent quality battery, instead of that cheap and nasty under-sized LR927 alakaline fitted.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254779197004

Rare Vintage Seiko 7a38-7000 Quartz Chronograph from October 1983 - Running. 

For sale is this amazing Seiko 7a38, its in a great condition and all original. One of the more unknown and rarer models of the 7a range, but still has a great sporty design aesthetic with the black dial and grey subdial colours and the funky case shape with square edges. The watch is working great and keeping great time. All functions are working great; quick set day/date work well and transitioning correctly at midnight. Pushers still have a nice solid click to them and work great. Watch comes with its original Seiko SQ bracelet also in a great condition. 

Please read the description and look at the photos carefully, as both will explain and show the watch's honest condition. It is being sold as found.


Specification: 

Model: Seiko 7a38-7000 

Case: Beautiful brushed Stainless Steel case. 

Dial: Original Black and Grey dial in a perfect condition. Dial lume is still bright and clear. Dial signed 'Seiko Quartz Chronograph'. 

Hands: Original White hands with great lume. 

Crystal: Original Hardlex crystal with very minor marks, but not really noticeable. 

Crown: Original crown and pushers all working great. 

Caseback: Screwed down caseback. 

Movement: Seiko 7a38 Movement. 

Functions: All functions are working great. 

Strap: Original Seiko SQ bracelet, in a great condition. 

Please get in touch with any questions or any additional photos. 

Will ship internationally, please get in touch for a quotation.

Incidentally, I did of course immediately recognize the eBay seller's primary image as one he'd posted on Instagram 10 days ago. Presumably as a 'teaser' to solicit interest. That post has since garnered well over 200 likes.

This stainless 7A38-7000, fitted with a non-original replacement Seiko bracelet, was listed earlier this evening, by an Italian eBay seller, with a 'pie-in-the-sky' Buy-it-Now price of 500 Euros, with the option to make a lower, more realistic offer.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/373364241931

Seiko vintage chronograph Panda Brown Compax 7A38 - 7000.

La condizione "Usato". The dial it’s perfect, scratches on the glass. 

For more pictures or more information you can text me or call me directly at +393807324884 

Instagram tempo_perpetuo

Seiko7A38 at November 10, 2020 at 4:56 AM

Seems quite a few stainless 7A38-7000's are getting parted out lately. This empty watch case and 700L dial, with badly degraded lume, were listed earlier this morning by a Norwegian eBay seller, with a Buy-it-Now price of $68.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184529347746

I just happened to be checking my eBay watching page and noticed that stainless 7A38-7000 empty watch case and 700L dial, listed a couple of weeks ago by a Norwegian seller, had sold about 20 minutes ago, for the $68 Buy-it-Now price.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184529347746

Earlier this afternoon, Indonesian dealer edw.chang posted a video on Instagram of this mint stainless 7A38-7000, he's tantalisingly offering for sale. As usual, no price is stated, simply: DM for details.

Using Google to translate the latest comments, indicated it might be expensive:

preloved.watch: Haven't bought it yet, but dare to ask for the price huh.

Reply by edw.chang: @preloved.watch please check dm .... if you dare. 

However, a pleasant exchange of DM's with the Indonesian Instagram seller (Edwin) proved otherwise. He writes very good English. He's asking $450 USD, which in today's marketplace is a very reasonable price for the condition. He also DM'd me this photo (where the Tachymeter ring was mis-aligned - since rectified).

Only shortcoming, which the seller openly divulged, is that the bracelet is missing a couple of adjustment links. Edwin estimates it will fit a 7" - 7¼" wrist.

Meanwhile, yesterday afternoon, this stainless 7A38-7000 was listed on the Italian classified site Subito, by 'our friend' Giuseppe, with a frankly unrealistic asking price of 400 Euros, which he states is not negotiable. Note the amount of stretch between the bracelet links, which appear to have been polished, the non-original clasp and clasp extender fitted, which he describes as: Con bellissimo bracciale originale - 'Con' being the operative word. I suspect this is another 'toe-in-the-water' exercise - a prelude to it appearing on eBay in the very near future.

http://www.subito.it/abbigliamento-accessori/orologio-seiko-7a38-7000-cronograph-acciaio-reggio-calabria-363516826.htm

There's certainly no shortage of stainless 7A38-7000's being offered for sale at the moment - across a variety of different platforms, besides eBay. Unfortunately, it would appear that I'm failing in my efforts to keep track of them all.  No excuse, but since I fell foul of Catawiki a few months ago, my saved searches and all the other annoying irrelevant email notifications that I used to receive from them have stopped. No great loss, because there isn't that much of interest, 7A38-wise that comes up on there and usually when it does, it sells for top dollar. So I have to remember to run my searches manually - which I usually do just once per week. Except last weekend I forgot. 

This stainless 7A38-7000, in decent used cosmetic condition*, was listed last Friday (27th November), by a Dutch seller, as a 6-day auction with an opening bid price of 1 Euro. I'm not sure if there was a reserve. The auction ended yesterday evening, with bidding @ 480 Euros, which after adding Catawiki's 9% commission, gives a total selling price of 523.20 Euros - like I said 'top dollar'.

http://www.catawiki.com/l/42780081-seiko-sport-chronograaf-7a38-7000-men-1990-1999

As you may have gathered, I don't rate Catawiki. In many respects it's no better than eBay, with plenty of covert shill bidding, more than it's fair share of dishonest and incompetent sellers, many of whom resort to regurgitating the same old bullshit. Just take a minute to read Horologeman's story:

*Now go back and check the seller's photos - the Tachymeter ring is mis-aligned in just about every one of them where it's visible. So he checked it ? 

Hardly worth mentioning, by comparison with the previous example, this stainless 7A38-7000 in poor condition, with manky lume, fitted with a non-original possibly Seiko replacement bracelet, was posted For Sale on Instagram earlier this morning. The asking price of 3,500,000 IDR (Rupiah) is equivalent to almost $250 USD, so I'd opine the Indonesian seller is pushing his luck. 

In the early hours of this morning, more or less as predicted, Italian eBay seller daria_21 (one of the ID's belonging to 'Giuseppe') listed this well-worn stainless 7A38-7000, with a 'pie-in-the-sky' Buy-it-Now price of 399 Euros, with the option to make a lower, more realistic offer. As can now clearly be seen in the photos, which are somewhat larger than those in his recent Subito listing, not only is the bracelet fitted with the wrong clasp and an extender, badly stretched, but also appears to have been polished.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303796269850

Orologio Seiko Cronograph 7a38 - 7000 Quartz 40mm SA007J Rare. La condizione "Usato". 

Cedo dalla mia collezione privata raro Seiko Quartz Chronograph 7a38 – 7000 

Cronografi funzionanti e resettabili allo 0 

Dimensioni cassa: 40mm x 41mm Lug to Lug 

Orologio estremamente raro e ricercato in tutto il mondo 

Inserisco l’inserzione con questo profilo poiché approfitto della promozione ‘’zero commissioni di vendita’’ ma il mio profilo professionale principale è: ''oysterdelarge728'' con oltre 600 feedback. 

Sono un collezionista di orologi e soprattutto di Seiko 7a quindi vi garantisco il perfetto funzionamento dell’oggetto. 

ENGLISH TRANSLATION: 

I am selling from my private collection rare Seiko Quartz Chronograph 7a38 - 7000 

Working chronographs and resettable to 0 

Case Dimensions: 40mm x 41mm Lug to Lug 

Extremely rare and sought-after watch all over the world 

I place the ad with this profile because I take advantage of the '' zero sales commissions '' promotion but my main professional profile is: ''oysterdelarge728'' withover 600 feedbacks. 

I am a collector of watches and especially of Seiko 7a so I guarantee you the perfect functioning of the object. 

Worldwide shipping via insured express courier.

Although I hadn't bothered to check before, I was fairly sure that this particular stainless 7A38-7000, case-back s/n 421299 has featured earlier in this thread - besides Giuseppe's Subito listing of 2 days ago (which he's since replaced). I didn't have to go back very far to find it - just to the previous page. It was originally listed by another Italian eBay seller in July this year, who subsequently ended the listing as no longer available. Presumably purchased via the 'back door' by Giuseppe.

Originally posted by myself on July 15, 2020 at 11:51 AM:

Just checking my eBay watching page, I noticed that late yesterday evening, the Italian eBay seller had ended his listing for that well-worn stainless 7A38-7000, fitted with a non-original clasp and extender, as allegedly no longer available.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164279622740

Giuseppe evidently wasn't enamoured with it and tried to sell it on after only three months. I'd forgotten that he'd also previously listed it on Subito in October, asking a risible 500 Euros. That listing didn't include a photo of the non-original clasp and extender, but I did comment on the amount of stretch between the bracelet links.

http://www.subito.it/abbigliamento-accessori/orologio-seiko-7a38-7000-cronografo-raro-acciaio-reggio-calabria-356857991.htm

I'm probably wasting far too much time browsing Instagram lately, but apart from the amusement value, by selectively reading the comments, it also sometimes provides an insight into watches that may soon be coming up for sale - even when they're not overtly being touted as such. Yesterday afternoon, Instagram poster collectionist0, who judging by the links on his profile is a dealer, uploaded this 'wrist roll' video of a stainless 7A38-7000. It's very obviously the same watch which sold in the Catawiki auction only three days ago, for 523.20 Euros (including 9% commission). I wasn't the first person to notice.The 'giveaway' being the mis-aligned Tachymeter ring, which the Instagram poster seems incapable of rectifying himself.

Checking my eBay watching page, I see the well-worn stainless 7A38-7000, with a stretched bracelet, fitted with the wrong clasp and an extender, listed by Italian eBay seller daria_21 (a.k.a. 'Giuseppe') sold this morning for a reduced Buy-it-Now price of 369 Euros.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303796269850

This partially working 700L dial / movement from a stainless 7A38-7000 was listed in the early hours of this morning by an Australian eBay seller, as a 7-day auction, with an opening bid price of $1.99 Au.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164581515317

Pre-Owned/Used 

AUTHENTIC Nice Vintage Gents SEIKO QUARTZ Chronograph 7A38,15j Day/Date Watch Movement ONLY. 

WORKS,KEEPS TIME 

WATCH MOVEMENT ONLY,NO CASING 

THE TOP LEFT/RIGHT PUSHERS ON MOVEMENT HAVE DISINTEGRATED,THEY DO NOT WORK, LOWER RIGHT PUSHER WORKS, ALL SUB DIALS MOVE WHEN PRESSED AS DOES THE MAIN CHRONO HAND. 

MAIN CHRONO SECONDS HAND BENT AS PER PHOTO'S. 

STEM PRESENT,NO CROWN.DAY/DATE QUICKSET WORKS 

GOOD OVERALL CONDITION 

GOOD FOR PROJECT/DONOR 

MADE IN JAPAN,APPROX 80's ERA 

CLASSIC VINTAGE OVERALL PIECE WHICH HOUSES A NICE 7A38A MOVEMENT. 

NICE SIGNED SEIKO JAPAN.CAL.7A38A,15 JEWELS QUARTZ MOVEMENT 

VERY NICE BLACK LIKE TONE DIAL DISPLAY WITH GUNMETAL LIKE TONE FOR TRIPLE SUB DIAL DISPLAY. 

DIAL FEATURES NICE RAISED SILVER TONE HOUR MARKERS WITH CENTERED LUME. 

FIXED OUTER SECONDS/MINUTES RING DISPLAY 

DIAL SIGNED SEIKO QUARTZ Chronograph JAPAN 7A38 

WHITE TONE HOUR HANDS WITH CENTERED LUME 

MATCHING TONE CHRONO HAND & SUB DIAL HANDS 

NICE DAY - DATE WINDOWS AT 3 0'CLOCK POSITION WITH QUICKSET STEM AT 8 0'CLOCK POSITION 

DESPITE ABOVE MENTIONED FACTORS,IN GOOD/OK OVERALL VINTAGE CONDITION (6.9/10) WITH SIGNS OF USE WEAR.DIALS GOOD AS PER PHOTO'S AS ARE THE HANDS.DAY/DATE GOOD,QUICKSET WORKS.STEM GOOD,TIME/DATE CAN BE ADJUSTED.PUSHERS ON MOVEMENT AS STATED ABOVE,ETC. 

(PLEASE REFER TO ABOVE PHOTO'S FOR DETAILED CONDITION AS THIS FORMS THE DESCRIPTION) 

1.WATCH MOVEMENT ONLY & ALL THAT IS IN THE ACTUAL PHOTO'S.NO CASING.

2. MOVEMENT in good/ok overall condition with signs of use,wear.Currently WORKS & KEEPS GOOD TIME.Nice for PROJECT/DONOR,Etc 

Dial Measures Approx 30mm Width Size Without Stem

Since It's An Vintage Piece & Without Casing (NOT SUITABLE FOR ALL WATER ACTIVITIES)

The stainless 7A38-7000 SAA007J certainly appears to be 'flavour of the month' at the moment. This less than ideal example, with degraded dial baton / hands lume, short bracelet fitted with a clasp extender, was listed on Yahoo Japan earlier today, as a 6-day auction with a rather over-optimistic opening bid price of 49,800 Yen.

http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d496717479

Google translates the Japanese seller's description as follows:

★ Original Bracelet Seiko 7A38-7000 Panda Chronograph Quartz Speedmaster SEIKO 7A28 ★ 

◆ Main functions

・ Movement: Quartz Cal.7A38-7000

・ Day-Date function

・ Stopwatch function

・ Hack function

・ Back lid screw back 

◆ Material

・ Windshield: Mineral glass

-Dial case: Stainless steel

-Belt: Stainless steel (SEIKO genuine) 

◆ Size

・ Case width: Approximately 39 mm wide (excluding crown)

・ Thickness: Approximately 11 mm

・Lug width: Approximately 20 mm

・ Arm circumference: Approximately 18.5 cm (including replenishment) 

[Product details / accessories]

・ Watch body, SEIKO genuine stainless steel belt 

- it is a used article, but scratches and dents that overall stand out is small, it can be said that the consideration of beauty products that is before the individual more than 30 years state is.

(Please check the condition with the image)

-There are no scratches on the glass windshield that can be seen at a glance.

-Scratches have been confirmed on the entire case and stainless steel belt.

-Stainless steel belt comes with a rare original belt (inner size about 18.5 cm).

-The dial and chapter ring are in a very beautiful state with almost no stains, stains, print blurring, discoloration, etc.

(The discoloration of the index can be confirmed)

-Paint peeling has been confirmed on the hour and minute hands. 

-There is no problem with the crown operation, such as setting the date and day of the week and setting the time.

-The stopwatch function is operating normally .

-Zero position adjustment of the chronograph hands is operating normally.

-Since it is a quartz watch, the accuracy is good (simple measurement). 

Due to the characteristics of being an antique product, no claim and no return are required. 

In addition, if you have any concerns, please ask a question before bidding.

(Because I am an amateur, I can not know the details)

When you bid, we will consider that you have agreed to the above item description. 

After wrapping the air cushion on both the watch body and the case, put it in the shipping box and pack it securely.

We will ship promptly on the day of payment confirmation or the next day, so thank you. 

Payment

◎ Yahoo! Easy settlement

・ Credit card payment

・ Internet banking remittance

・ Japan Net Bank remittance

・ Other bank transfers

・ Convenience store payment

shipping method

◎ Yafneko! Takkyubin ¥ 657 ～ (Delivery date and time can be specified, with compensation)

◎ Yafneko! Takkyubin Compact ¥ 444 ～ (Delivery date and time can be specified, compensation up to ¥ 30,000)

The highest bidder will be responsible for the fees (bank transfer, cash on delivery) associated with the payment.

We do not accept bid cancellations, cancellations, or returns due to the circumstances of the highest bidder.

Those who have extremely bad evaluation may cancel the bid.

After making a successful bid, please reply within 72 hours from the first contact from here.

Please note that if we cannot contact you, we may delete it due to the circumstances of the highest bidder.

For cash on delivery transactions for "new ID" and "bad evaluation", to prevent mischievous bidding and receipt refusal

We will only accept transactions using "Yahoo! Easy Payment".

Seiko7A38 at November 15, 2020 at 2:11 PM

This stainless 7A38-7000, in decent used condition (but hardly what you'd call 'rare') was listed earlier this evening by a UK eBay seller, as a 7-day auction, with a possibly over-optimistic opening bid price of £400. As for being 'Sold as found', it has to be said, looking at the last couple of photos, it could benefit from a good clean and a decent quality battery, instead of that cheap and nasty under-sized LR927 alakaline fitted.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254779197004

The 7-day Australian eBay auction for a 700L dial / hands and partially working movement ended in the early hours of this morning, selling for $157.49 Au. after 20 bids. I must admit to having placed a few of them. I was interested in it primarily for the dial, with a view to using it to improve my worst example, a.k.a. 'El Caracortada'. However I could see it was already getting away from me, so didn't even bother to set an automated snipe before I went to bed.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/164581515317

The 6-day Yahoo Japan auction for a stainless 7A38-7000, with degraded lume and fitted with a clasp extender, ended a few minutes ago, selling for the opening bid price of ¥49,800 Yen, equivalent to approx.$481.92 USD / £358.98 GBP.

http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/d496717479

Seiko7A38 at December 2, 2020 at 9:46 AM

Earlier this afternoon, Indonesian dealer edw.chang posted a video on Instagram of this mint stainless 7A38-7000, he's tantalisingly offering for sale. As usual, no price is stated, simply: DM for details.

Using Google to translate the latest comments, indicated it might be expensive:

preloved.watch: Haven't bought it yet, but dare to ask for the price huh.

Reply by edw.chang: @preloved.watch please check dm .... if you dare. 

However, a pleasant exchange of DM's with the Indonesian Instagram seller (Edwin) proved otherwise. He writes very good English. He's asking $450 USD, which in today's marketplace is a very reasonable price for the condition. He also DM'd me this photo (where the Tachymeter ring was mis-aligned - since rectified).

Only shortcoming, which the seller openly divulged, is that the bracelet is missing a couple of adjustment links. Edwin estimates it will fit a 7" - 7¼" wrist.

Comparing that mint stainless 7A38-7000 with some of the lesser examples offered on eBay and elsewhere recently, I told the Instagram poster Edwin that I didn't think his asking price of $450 was far off the mark and said I'd try to help him find a buyer.  My only concern was the slightly short bracelet. I sent a DM to avid US collector Robert Lambert, who replied saying that his wrist was actually 7¼" and he might consider buying it. Then everything went quiet for a few weeks.

Seems he bought it.  Yesterday evening, Robert posted this on Instagram.

Something I'd noticed about Roberts's Instagram posts is that he's a little more economic in his use of hashtags, compared to many (including myself). In this recent post for example, he's only tagged it with #seiko7a387000 (not #7a38, #7a387000, #seiko7a38, etc.) I can see I'm going to have to upload some better photos of my mint / NOS examples, otherwise I may soon find myself knocked off the top spot.

Seiko7A38 at November 24, 2020 at 1:19 PM

This stainless 7A38-7000, fitted with a non-original replacement Seiko bracelet, was listed earlier this evening, by an Italian eBay seller, with a 'pie-in-the-sky' Buy-it-Now price of 500 Euros, with the option to make a lower, more realistic offer.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/373364241931

I hadn't bothered adding an update before, but the Italian eBay seller subsequently revised his listing, uploading a couple of better lit photos of the watch, making one of them the new primary image and also added two photos of the dial / movement.

It finally sold earlier this morning. Not for the unchanged 'pie-in-the-sky' Buy-it-Now price of 500 Euros, but for an undisclosed best offer. (The seller had previously rejected quite a few and allowed a couple of others to expire).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/373364241931

Thanks to eBay's decision to deliberately disable the API last August, it's no longer possible to uncover best offer selling prices using WatchCount.com's Look-Up tool. However, their statistics still sometimes make enlightening reading. That stainless 7A38-7000 may have only been an average condition example - and fitted with a non-original replacement bracelet, but over the last 2 months it still managed to attract a remarkable level of interest - including 97 watchers !

This well-worn stainless 7A38-7000 head only, with a shattered crystal, was listed earlier this evening by a US eBay seller, as a 7-day auction with a possibly optimistic opening bid price of $200.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/303856381670

RARE Vintage Seiko Chronograph Quartz Stainless Steel 7A38-7000 A5 Watch 

New battery

Running and all functions working!

Needs new crystal

Dial still looks in good condition

Light wear on case

Case is 36mm 

If you would like to see additional photos or have any further questions, please send a message. 

Please ask questions before bidding! 

Thank you for looking!

ENJOY!