Seiko 7A38 - by the numbers

To start the new page, here's an auction listing for a 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1, in need of a minor repair, placed yesterday afternoon by a French eBay seller. From his description it might be a simple case of needing a replacement coil (or rotor) on the 30 minute counter.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201456510955

1988 Seiko Gen 1 RAF/RN Issued Chronograph Watch 

Model Ref 7A28-7120 NSN 6645-99 7683056

36mm All Stainless Steel case with correct NSN, Pheon and issue number for 1988. 30mm Black dial with 3 sub dials, fitted with a Black NATO Strap.

Excellent time-keeper. Chronograph and 1/10 Sec hands function and reset correctly but Minute counter is stuck at 12 minutes and does not rotate or reset. Hacking function works as it should and lume is good. 

Good visual condition with a dink to the case between the 5 and 6 O'clock positions and the usual minor contact marks to the case and crystal. 

Please see pictures attached.

Postage is specified within the EU however I can ship worldwide. If so please send me your Zip or postcode in order to determine a price.

All items will be securely packaged and dispatched promptly

Please take a look at my other listings as I have some other fantastic items for sale.

If you have any queries or questions please do not hesitate to contact me and I will be happy to help with any requests. 

Thank you for looking and Good Luck

That French eBay auction for the 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1 in need of minor repair ended yesterday afternoon. It sold for a relatively low £266 after 14 bids.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/201456510955

Seiko7A38 at March 22, 2015 at 2:33 PM

Seiko7A38 at February 9, 2015 at 6:32 AM

Seiko7A38 at December 13, 2014 at 8:09 AM

The greed / stupidity continues. Re-listed for another 30 days at the same ridiculous 'pie-in-the sky' Buy-it-Now price of £1100. 

Or at least it was when first re-listed and I posted that. B-I-N price was reduced yesterday lunchtime - now down to 'only' £950. 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/351250430864

Speaking of stupid 'pie-in-the-sky' Buy-it-Now asking prices for 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1's I was forgetting this one from last year. 

Re-listed yesterday, for another 30-days:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/351309610133

With apologies for the double quote - I'm just carrying forward some 'history' from the previous pages. 

alex001chopper's 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1 is back again - for another 30 days. Now down to 'only' £895. 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/351349456759

With apologies for the multiple quotes within quote - something I usually discourage.  I'd started working my way back through the previous pages of this thread to see when UK seller alex001chopper first listed his speculatively over-priced 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1 on eBay. I didn't go all the way in the end, but the above set of quoted posts show it dates back to at least November last year. 

It appears that it finally sold yesterday afternoon against a Best Offer:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/351575514000

According to Goofbid's eBay Best Offer History tool, the offer he eventually accepted was £650. 

Rather lower than his original 'pie-in-the-sky' Buy-it-Now asking price of £1100. 

This less than ideally titled listing for a 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1 appeared on eBay yesterday lunchtime, listed by a UK seller.

I didn't spot it straight away, nor did any of my related saved searches pick it up. Fine if you're searching on 'Generation 1'. 

It's almost sensibly priced too - @ £450 - compared to some Buy-it-Now prices we've seen lately.  Surprised it's still there. 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252173104223

Great watch in full working order.

Will come with strap.

No scratches on glass.

As I'd suspected, that poorly titled 30-day listing for a 'reasonably priced' 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1 didn't last very long.

Either the seller hadn't done their homework properly or they were looking for a quick sale - they certainly got one.

It sold yesterday evening against a Best Offer:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252173104223

Acording to Goofbid's eBay Best Offer History tool, the hastily accepted offer was for £400.

I have it on good authority that a very nice, almost mint / NOS condition 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1 with a 1988 (first year of) issue date is coming up for sale in the near future. Here's a single appetizer photo, nicked from the seller's online album:

Watch this space. 

So   I blow all of last weeks Ebay sales on one watch       It does have that certain luster to it  

If it does come up for sale (and the seller has reservations about eBay), it's likely to be offered on TZ-UK's Sales Corner. 

The anticipated sale of that mint-ish 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1 still hasn't materialized at the time of writing, but in the meantime ....

here's another lesser condition example which was listed on eBay yesterday as a low start (£1 opening bid) no reserve auction:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161906552134

This is the original Seiko pilot's watch, issued by the British military to helicopter pilots in the 80s and 90s, and also the world's first quartz analog chronograph. It's the ultimate tool watch: clear, well-designed, can take a beating if it has to, but also an interesting bit of watch history. 

This one in good condition and has been well looked after. It had a full service about a year ago. There are a few minor dings and scratches as you would expect from a 25-year-old watch that has seen active service, and the back shows the usual strap rub. All functions work as they should and the hands zero correctly. 

Supplied on an appropriate grey nato band as shown in the pictures. The original brown straps can be found if you hunt around but I think it looks better on one of these. 

I'm fond of this watch but I wear it very seldom so it has to go. It would make a very nice Christmas present for the practically-minded watch-lover in your life (especially if that's you). £1 start, no reserve, free special delivery.

The above UK eBay auction for a 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1 ended a few moments ago, selling for £480.00 after 27 bids.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161906552134

Bidding on that one jumped from £371 to £480 in the closing seconds, so for any disappointed losing bidder, here's another ....

Listed on Sunday evening, again as a low start (£0.99) no reserve auction:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161910033337

Seiko Gen 1 RAF Navy Pilots Issued Watch 1990

This watch is in good working condition with some marks to the crystal and case in line with it's used military status.

99p Start with No Reserve.  I am also selling some other Issued watches so please look at my listings. Happy bidding!

And for those punters with more money than sense, here's another speculatively grossly over-priced 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1 listed by a would-be US eBay seller, with a 'pie-in-the-sky' Buy-it-Now asking price of $1200 !!  (That's £796 in real money). 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252203299416

I assume that if you are looking at this, then you probably know exactly what you're looking at - a highly sought-after vintage military watch. If you don't know the significance of this model, then I recommend Worn & Wound's article on this model (eBay won't let me insert the link).

I really love this watch, but I need to make room in my collection and my wife and I are expecting so I could use the money. This Gen. 1 Seiko RAF Chronograph is 100% genuine military issue from 1988 and is stamped with a unique serial number and the ubiquitous MOD broad arrow.

The watch itself is in excellent condition. The case is not without a few dings (which I did my best to capture in the photos) from the normal wear of a military pilot, but they are really not too noticeable. The watch was serviced by Seiko UK in April 2015. It keeps perfect time, all 3 pushers function, chronograph function works flawlessly, and the crystal is brand new. I will, of course, include the service record.

Included is the original Phoenix "admiralty grey" NATO G10 20mm nylon strap. Also included is the Phoenix reproduction of the issued brown nylon and leather bund strap.

This is an outstanding watch and is becoming increasingly rare, particularly in this condition. I am happy to answer any questions or provide more photos. Don't hesitate to ask. Thanks for looking.

I assume that if you're one of the 14 people watching this listing - and considering buying it at anywhere near that inflated asking price, you clearly haven't been following this thread ! 

That second eBay auction for a 1990-issued 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1 ended about 10 minutes ago, selling for  £511.11 after 17 bids.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161910033337

I can't categorically state that it was shill bid to that price, but 10 of those 17 bids were placed by a zero-feedback bidder 1***h. 

If I were the winning bidder, I'd first be messaging the seller demanding he disclose the identity of the mystery losing bidder. 

I've probably written this a few times before, but don't ever let anyone try to convince you that 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1's are rare ....

'Cos they ain't !  Seiko supplied 11,307 units to the MOD. O.K. so a few may have succumbed to the rigours of combat ....

(Allegedly a favourite pastime was playing conkers with them in the mess) but there are still plenty out there for everbody.

Two more were listed on eBay by UK sellers yesterday:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191760808079

The Iconic Military collector's watch, featuring the first mass-produced quartz chronograph. A beautiful example, with great patina. Hands all zero as they should, crystal is unmarked. On a new NATO strap, the same style as this watch was issued with. Originaly issued to RAF Navigators, it was also a badge of honour for fast-jet pilots and helicopter pilots alike. Much nicer than the more recent Pulsar offerings. This one keeps excellent time, running a second or so fast per day. Great for re-hacking in a hurry. 

This watch flew in RAF service in the 1990s on operations overseas and at home. This watch comes complete with a photocopy of the last page of the pilot's logbook, showing the last flights that the watch operated on in the RAF (Jaguar force). Free special delivery so that you can be confident of having it in time for Christmas. No reserve, we'll let the auction run to completion.

This would have been listed on Watchuseek at a discount but for the recent rule changes there. Thanks for looking!

If I were in the market for one of these, the seller's statement: 'running a second or so fast per day' would give me cause for concern.

Seiko 7Axx's are capable of far better accuracy than that, by dint of a rotary setting switch, graduated in 0.26s per day increments.

See: http://www.seiko7a38.com/otherlinks.htm  and 7Axx Rate adjustment threads on other forums.

Particulary the thread on Watchuseek ! 

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http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291639444255

I will ensure this is posted in time for xmas by special delivery UK only hence the postage cost. Other destinations cant do sorry but will be sent international signed for.

The Seiko 7A28-7120 Chronographs were issued by the Ministry of Defence to RAF pilots for service from October 1984 to November 1990. It was later replaced by the "Gen 2." The 7A28 was the world's first quartz analog chronograph movement. Each issued watch's case back is stamped with the "broad arrow" (indicating that it was manufactured for the MOD), a unique serial number, and the year of manufacture, the last two digits indicate this was manufactured in 1990. The dial is stamped with a "P" indicating that the dial makers were illuminated using Promethium, a mildly radioactive element.

This watch is the last of an era and many collectors will say this is the best Seiko ever made, in particular this one was of the last batch manufactured and the the newest one that can be available from 1990, the mineral glass is in very good condition as the watch is itself as can be seen by the photographs, it is an excellent time keeper and all the functions work perfectly. You will not find much better examples of this type of watch. Please don't hesitate to ask any questions and thanks for looking.

The reason bidding on the the second one is already @ £360 after only two bids is simply because the opening price was £350.

The first of the above two eBay auctions for 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1's ended late last night selling for £580 after 18 bids.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191760808079

That second UK eBay auction for a 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1 ended about 10 minutes ago, selling for £549.89 after 15 bids.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/291639444255

With regard to what I wrote a week or so ago, as a footnote to my post of December 13th ....

I can't categorically state that it was shill bid to that price, but 10 of those 17 bids were placed by a zero-feedback bidder 1***h

That same zero-feedback eBay bidder ID 1***h was also amongst the bidders on the above auction - so perhaps just a 'newbie'. 

Seiko7A38 at December 10, 2015 at 6:13 AM

And for those punters with more money than sense, here's another speculatively grossly over-priced 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1 listed by a would-be US eBay seller, with a 'pie-in-the-sky' Buy-it-Now asking price of $1200 !!  (That's £796 in real money). 

In the ensuing two weeks since I wrote that, the would-be US eBay seller made a number of revisions to the listing:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemRevisionDetails&item=252203299416

The most significant of which was a reduction of his 'pie-in-the-sky' Buy-it-Now price from $1200 to 'only' $1000 on 14th December.

I must admit, I couldn't be arsed to comment on it at the time. Meanwhile the list of 'watchers' increased from 14 to two dozen plus.

It was only this morning, when I was checking my eBay watching page, that I noticed it appeared to have sold for that 'reduced' price,

(equivalent to £669 in real money). Either on Chistmas Eve or in the early hours of Christmas morning (depending on your time zone).

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/252203299416

Presumably a late night impulse buy under the influence of Christmas spirit. 

Unless I've missed any in the last week or two, here's the first eBay listing for a 'Very Rare!' (not) 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1 for 2016 ....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161943870837

*Seiko Military Watch 1986 Issued RAF Gen 1 Chronograph, Gulf War 1, 7A28-7120*

 Very rare! Selling with No Reserve! 1p Start bid! 

In working order and very good condition! Small scratches on glass, one quite deep one but a very easy repair, hard to show in photos.

Stainless steel case Ref 7A28-7120 with British Military Issue Markings: 6645-99 7683056 6921/88 814192

The RAF issued the military model Generation 1 from Oct 1984 until Nov 1990, which makes this a very rare watch.*

The model features a stainless steel case and is powered by the highly-regarded, 15-jewel, quartz 7A28 Seiko movement.

All the usual chronograph functions including split timings and 1/10 sec timing as well as second and minute indicators up to 30 minutes.

Once the chronograph is stopped the hand will move to the correct position indicating the tenths of a second that have elapsed.

As a result of the application of Promethium 147 (the P on the dial), the dial has luminous markers.

The case excluding the crown and pushers measures 37 mm across and has an inter-lug width of 20mm.

The RAF-issued Seiko military Gen 1 watch is considered one of the most sought after military watches.

This is a highly collectable item and would be a great present for an avid collector!

I will be sending the watch with a courier free of charge anywhere to the UK

Please message me for international postage. 

Please look at my other listings as I have many other military watches for sale. Many thanks.

* One of a Limited Edition of 'only' 11,307 ! 

The above eBay auction for a 7A28-7120 RAF Gen. 1 ended yesterday afternoon, selling for £520 after 24 bids. Of those 24 bids, 11 were placed by a zero-feedback bidder, who made much of the later running and ended up the eventual winner.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/161943870837

But don't worry, there will always be another one along to take its place - and another rare opportunity. 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/191787636061

A rare opportunity to obtain such a fine Seiko 7A28 military issued (RAF) quartz chronograph (1984). Full NATO markings on caseback, complete with new strap. Good clean condition, unmarked crystal. 15 Jewelled quartz movement runs and sets smoothly and resets as it should. The battery will be replaced on sale. Please have a look at the detailed photo's as they form major part of the description.