Seiko 7A38 - by the numbers

Sir Alan at November 16, 2012 at 10:58 AM

Maybe this put people off Paul?

SEIKO 7A28-7100 SPEEDMASTER of

it did not work as well on a new battery.

Who can repair, please!, Or to take part

will be considered junk.

In commenting on that cosmetically very nice, but faulty JDM 7A28-7100, last November, Simon was correct in his assessment ....

Japanese buyers don't seem to be very keen on (or at least don't like paying very much for) what they regard as 'junk watches'. 

What we enthusiasts might rather more optimistically call 'restoration projects'.

As I've written elsewhere, one of my own personal favorite 7A28's (though I've resisted the temptation so far) is the JDM 7A28-701A.

I spotted this one on Yahoo Japan, last Sunday afternoon, after it had only been listed for an hour or so. Opening bid was ONE Yen.

http://page11.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n118380071

1円～ SEIKO セイコー スピードマスター 7A28-701A クロノグラフ

Apart from the three listing photos above, there was a further 'collage' of larger photos embedded in the listing description (which unfortunately due to size limitations imposed by Photobucket, can't be included in this post). The watch appeared to be in lightly worn condition, with traces of the case-back sticker remaining; no wear at all to the silver anodised finish - just in need of a good clean.

Unfortunately, the description included this sentence:

We had tested with a new battery, the chronograph function worked, but the clock function usually did not work.

So I watched the auction ending earlier this afternoon, around 2:30pm UK time. Here's a screen print with less than a minute to go:

That's how it ended, after 48 bids by 9 different bidders - at only 10,500 Yen - equivalent to a mere $100 or £66 !

Yet you'll often see these watches on Yahoo Japan with opening bid prices of 20,000 Yen and sometimes B-I-N's of 50,000 Yen. 

Worst case, if this particular 7A28-701A couldn't be repaired by something as simple as a replacement coil or PCB ....

Then a dial / hands / movement  swap from a working $50 common-or-garden gold-tone 7A28-7029 donor would be the answer.

Maybe I should have gone for it this time. 

I had a sneaking suspicion this might go hyper-warp-drive-sonic. 

I spotted this lightly used Speedmaster bracelet for a JDM 7A28-7000 Ripley Aliens on Yahoo Japan when it was first listed 7 days ago:

http://page11.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n124087320

セイコー スピードマスター　7A28-7000の純正ベルト

Opening bid was 3000 Yen. By lunchtime today bidding had climbed to 5,750 Yen. But I had to go out and missed the ending ....

It eventually sold for 24,000 Yen - that's equivalent to $245 / £158 ! 

Looking at the discrepancy in the start / finish times, I suspect the auction was extended .... and then some !

I had a little run at this one, with help from a 'friend' 

Another Yahoo Japan auction for a faulty JDM 7A28 has just ended a few minutes ago.

This time it was a tidy-looking example of the scarce 7A28-7110, with minimal rubbing wear to the vulnerable black chrome coating:

http://page7.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g122685130

セイコー スピードマスター クロノグラフ 7A28-7110 QZ 訳有 B61

The seller's description included:  We had to replace the battery, but the time part will not work. Stopwatch part works.

Opening bid price was 1000 Yen. It sold for 11,000 Yen (equivalent to $116.60 US /  £74.25 GBP) after 15 bids by 7 different bidders. 

Should make a nice restoration project - even if it requires a complete movement swap.

There hasn't been anything of interest, in the way of 7A38's, listed on Yahoo Japan recently - not until this morning, when this NOS gold-tone 7A38-7280 SAA124J came up. Very commonly found Stateside, but not often in this condition - usually far from it, in fact.

http://page16.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u50690863

デッドストック　セイコー　クロノグラフ　７A38-7280

Opening bid price is a pretty reasonable (for NOS with tags) 20,000 Yen - equivalent to approx. $197.60 USD / £132.60 GBP.

The seller has also listed a used two-tone 7A38-7060 for the same ¥20K opening bid price, which I'd consider a tad over-ambitious.

http://page18.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/w88632796

Belated Edit: Both these 7A38's subsequently sold for the 20,000 Yen opening bid price - in fact, to the same sole bidder / buyer. 

As I've written many times before, if you're looking for a JDM Seiko 7Axx, be it a JDM specific model, or the JDM variation of a 'normal' export model - the best place to find one in decent condition is Yahoo Japan auctions. However, you'll often end up paying more for it.

One of the most commonly seen JDM 7A28's on Yahoo Japan is the 7A28-7040 Diver. They differ from the 'normal' export version in lacking 'SPORTS 100' on their dials and having CHRONOGRAPH printed above QUARTZ - as opposed to Chronograph beneath it.

They also have the SpeedMaster logo stamped on the bracelet clasp, instead of SEIKO SQ (the bracelet has a different AA number).

I wouldn't have bothered mentioning them again here, but I happened to cite one (as a comparison) in another thread earlier today.

I wrote:

I suggest that you'd do rather better to have a look on Yahoo Japan auctions. Always plenty of decent examples to be found there.  

http://auctions.search.yahoo.co.jp/search?p=7A28 This one looks very tidy: http://page22.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/l212977389

From memory, at the time I looked at it, there were still 3 hours of the auction to run and the bidding then at a reasonable 17,000 Yen.

http://page22.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/l212977389

美品！SEIKO スピードマスター クロノグラフ 7A28-7040！

It finished rather higher at a whopping 57,000 Yen (approx. $580 / £360) after 50 bids by 6 different bidders. 

A tidy sum for a relatively common 7A28 (JDM or otherwise) - but then it was a very tidy example ! 

Looks as though it's not over yet. Has been re-listed:

http://page3.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/c421345625

Speaking of JDM 7A28-7040's and Yahoo Japan ....

It's not often that you see outright frankens listed on there (apart from some of the crap bought off eBay for resale by 'swotlab').

But here's one - a 7A28-701A dial in a 7A28-7040 case, on an incorrect replacement bracelet - probably off some Seiko digital:

http://page9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k169124813

Seiko Chronograph 7A28

The sellers description (as translated by Google) reads:

I sent for collection arrangement. Part number is 7A28-701A. It is an exhibition of the body only. There is a feeling of use, there is rubbing scratches and the bezel and body. Please look at the pictures the pain condition of the dial and minute hand. There is no scratches on the glass. Belt is OK to about 20 cm with an adjustable size. Size is about 3.8 cm with a round part with the exception of the button. There is no problem to function as a clock. Chronograph also normally works. After understanding, please bid more. Bid of the more nervous I will refuse. It is old, and the person who understands because it is a full article to the last I am waiting for the bid ....

So, reading between the lines, it may well also be fitted with the case-back from the 7A28-701A donor. The rather optimistic opening bid price of 18,000 Yen (approx. $185  / £115) should hopefully be enough to deter all but the most ill-informed punters, anyway.

I'm only going to bother commenting on auctions for 'significantly rarer 7A38's that I've seen on there, and watched the endings of.

If anybody else wants to comment on other 7Axx's (7A28's are much more common in Japan), please feel free to add to this thread.

Then again, if nobody else can be bothered, from time to time I may have to comment on the odd extremely rare 7A28, like this:

http://page7.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g131978459

セイコー ブリジストン クロノグラフ 両ツノ 7A28-7140 希少F220

I've only ever seen one of these myself before - on Yahoo Japan Auctions, back in August 2010. I wrote about it then here on RLT.

Here's a copy and paste of the bulk of my post:

I looked on there, searching on Seiko 7A38 earlier tonight. Nada.

So I thought I'd just see what 7A28's were listed (there's always plenty on Yahoo Japan Auctions). 

Top of the search result were a couple of Guigiaro 7A28's (going cheap).

Further down the page, the usual tempting crop of JDM 7A28 Speedmasters .....

I scrolled down the page a bit more, and found this: http://page8.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/h144087074

スピードマスター　7A28　ブリヂストン特別仕様　ジウジ

A Bridgestone Motorsport liveried Seiko 7A28 !

The case design appears very similar to that of the 7A28-7090 Yacht Timer (but in black chrome plate) ....

.... and squinting at the photo of the case-back, maybe it's stamped 7A28-7110 - but who knows ? 

But the asking price ?  .....

How about ¥300,000 Yen ???  

That's £2,230 (GBP) or $3480 (USD)!!! 

Well now, with this new listing, we know how that almost illegible case-back stamping from 3 years ago actually read - 7A28-7140. 

In hindsight, what I then thought might read 7A28-7110, is in fact a different black chrome JDM 7A28 - as shown higher up this page.

I began checking on that Bridgestone Motorsport 7A28-7140 auction yesterday afternoon - wondering what it might eventually sell for.

With 24 hours to go it had reached 40,000 Yen after 20 bids:

With 6 hours to go, after 28 bids, it was up to 45,000 Yen:

Into the final 10 minutes, (hence a potential extension, should anybody else bid) it had reached 48,000 Yen, after 33 bids:

The auction was indeed extended, but only the once, by 5 minutes. It ended at 15:34 (UK time) instead of the scheduled 15:29:

http://page7.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/g131978459

The 7A28-7140 sold for 56,000 Yen (approx. £354 GBP / $572.50 US) after 38 bids by 9 different bidders.

Although quite expensive, in relative terms - nothing like the ridiculous price asked by the previous would-be Japanese seller. 

Looking at the winning ID, I suspect it'll probably soon be heading on its way to join a burgeoning 7Axx collection 'Down Under'. 

Last Sunday, a NOS 7A28-7090 Yacht Timer with box, papers and tags, was listed on Yahoo Japan Auctions, with an opening bid price of 69,800 Yen (equivalent to $678.50 USD / £415 GBP) - almost double its original retail sticker price (35,000 Yen) in 1984:

http://page9.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/k166685744

デッドストック SEIKO セイコー ヨットタイマー 7A28-7090

By the time I saw it, there was already an opening bid placed, by loa***** (feedback rating 19386) an ID which I immediately recognized as belonging to one of the YJ proxy bidding services:

That's how it stayed almost the whole week - until this afternoon, when a second bidder joined in. The auction was originally scheduled to end at 3:23pm (UK time), but due to late bids placed by both bidders, there were three 5 minute extensions:

The slugging match over, bidding ended a few moments ago at 83,800 Yen (approx. $815 USD / £ 498.50 GBP).

At the risk of becoming boringly repetitive ....

I suspect from the winning ID, this will be yet another heading on its way to join a burgeoning 7Axx collection 'Down Under'.  

Bit of an odd one, this - and for the moment I'm not quite sure what to make of it. 

Yesterday Japanese seller Serena_Special listed a 7A38 on Yahoo Japan auctions:

http://page16.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/u55281712

★SEIKO/セイコー 7A38搭載 クロノグラフ/1980年代/超レア品★

24 hours later, there are still no photos included in the listing. The reason it intrigued me is that the title and description appear to be an almost direct copy and paste of their listing for a 7A38-6030 back in November last year, which is documented in the model thread. 

http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/178775095

★SEIKO/セイコー 7A38搭載 クロノグラフ/1980年代/超レア品★

The immediately obvious difference with this new listing is the opening bid price of 59,500 Yen, compared to 49,500 on the previous.

Where it differs more subtly is in some of the detail sections of the description (as translated by google):

"7A38" Seiko category)is the model deployment ● "7A38" movement, but it has been released as "overseas mainly" Because, domestic distribution amount is probably a (very small amount) it is very small. (Date display is optional switchable "English · MON / TUE / WED / THU / FRI / SAT = blue letters / SUN = red character" or of "Arabic" seems to be a big overseas model)

... ... * Case stainless steel (combination)

... ... * genuine belt, stainless steel (combination)

... ... * Dial White

Hmm. So a two-tone, on a bracelet, with a white dial and English / Arabic day wheel. Your guess is as good as mine. Or maybe not. 

I had a pretty good idea it might be a 7A38-7289 or 7A38-728A and it turned out to be the latter (not that there's much difference).

The seller finally got around to uploading 3 photos to their listing today - although they seem to be a day ahead with the date. 

It may look a very tidy example - almost new going by condition of the JWC inspection sticker on the case-book, but that 59,500 Yen opening bid price equates to £349 GBP / $570 USD, and when you can pick up mint examples for under $200 on eBay - No Chance !

A 7A28-7160 Honda F1 was listed on Yahoo Japan auctions earlier today (as 'Junk') !! 

http://page13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/r111223401

【ジャンク】ＨＯＮＤＡ　Ｆ－１レーシングチーム７Ａ２８クロノ

From a quick google translation of the seller's description, it sounds like it's suffering from a recalcitrant chrono' sweep second hand.

I like that. 

Oh man, this is up my street.  

It may have been classed as 'Junk', but it looks like a few people were interested in that 7A28-7160 Honda F1. It's a rare JDM model.

The auction was a 3-day listing, originally scheduled to end on Sunday afternoon UK time at 14:25 (GMT).

For the last 24 hours bidding had stalled @ 18,400 Yen after 21 bids by 5 different bidders. 15 minutes to go it was @ 18,900 Yen.

Someone bid in the last 10 minutes, so the auction was automatically extended by a further 5 minutes.

It just ended @ 21,400 Yen (approx. $210 USD / £125.50 GBP) after 25 bids (same 5 bidders). Not a bad buy in the circumstances.

See: http://pageinfo13.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/show/bid_hist?aID=r111223401

I may as well tack this on here for the YJ watchers among us. I can't be bothered to add it to the Yet another 7Axx bracelet thread.

It should be pretty obvious to most that ....

The 7A28-7040 listed by serena_special: http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/178916167

and the tatty 7A38-7029 listed by gen96g: http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e147953607

.... are both fitted with non-original replacement bracelets. Neither of which are mentioned in the seller's descriptions. 

The Honda 80's example was truly up my love for 80's turbo F1 but unfortunately someone really wanted it more! Oh well