Two Yema N8 'Wrong Un's don't make it right, but ....

[Seiko7A38]

At least they hadn't before - not in my book anyway. Readers interested in non-Seiko branded 7Axx's may remember this old forum thread: The non-Seiko branded 7Axx Franken / Wrong Un's thread. I possibly didn't maintain it as rigorously as I might have, commenting on just the worst non-seiko 7Axx frankens (as I saw them); hence it ran for only two pages.

Something noticeable was that a good number of the Yema N8 based frankens originated (or should I correctly say 'were created') in the Far East, particularly Indonesia and of course the Philippines. The first Yema N8 'franken combination' I wrote about in that thread, back in April 2013, appeared to be a fairly basic drop-in swap, of a N81W53 dial / hands / movement (and Tachymeter ring) into a N81W63 case:

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If you're familiar with the two original dressy Yema N8's in their unmolested forms (which incidentally both came in two different dial variants), then it was fairly obviously a 'wrong un'. Or at least so it appeared at the time. As it had already been sold two months prior to my writing about it, I honestly didn't give it any more thought - not until this morning.

[Seiko7A38]

I browsed Instagram earlier this morning and on first spotting this posted by Indonesian seller hourshorse, incorrectly assumed it was the same Yema N8 Franken, looking a little worse for nearly 10 years worth of wear and tear, finally making another appearance - simply because it comprised the same combination of case and dial.

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It may be fitted with a different leather strap and coincidentally the lume is also missing from the hour and minute hands. However, this is not the same Yema N8 franken watch, but a clone. It has a different case-back serial number: 2668 versus the previous 2457.

[Seiko7A38]

Before I go any further, I will openly admit to the occasional incorrect assumption / conclusion in my research, based on then available knowledge, that I may need to subsequently correct. Even 10 years later I'm still learning, it seems.

To paraphrase Ian Fleming: Once is happenstance (or a definite franken); twice is coincidence, three is a pattern.

Prior to spotting that well-worn example on Instagram earlier this week, the only time I'd ever seen that rather unusual combination of N81W53 dial fitted in a N81W63 case was back in April 2013. Hence, at the time, I logically assumed it to be a franken someone had cobbled together from two watches and condemned it as such. Even today, if you google images on Yema N81W63, it is still the only result returned. All other N81W63's have the more elaborate faux guilloché dial in either all gold or dark blue and silver.

So what should come up in my Buyee saved search notifications overnight, but this - a third example !!

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https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/au ... 1038181564

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Google translates the Japanese description as follows:

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[Seiko7A38]

Not surprisingly, given the asking price, condition and general lack of desirability, the first Yahoo Japan auction for that Yema N81W63 ended without a bid placed, unsold. The Japanese seller re-listed it a couple of times for various shorter durations with the same outcome. That listing ended on 26th February. He re-listed it again, with a new YJ item number at the beginning of March, again as another 7-day auction, which appears to identical to the previous in all respects:

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/au ... 1039900070

So I won't bother taking another screen print. FWIW, that re-listing currently has approx. 14 hours left to run.

Meanwhile, earlier this morning it popped up on eBay, listed by another Japanese cross-platform profiteering re-seller, with an almost laughable Buy-it-Now price of $234.62, which converts to approx. ¥27535 Yen, compared to the bona fide YJ seller's tax inclusive price of ¥17,380 Yen.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Chrono-defec ... 4911658506

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The 8 photos are exactly the same as the YJ listing, but the lackadaisical would-be re-seller hasn't bothered translating the original seller's description. It simply states: 'Please contact us'.

[Seiko7A38]

He re-listed it again, with a new YJ item number at the beginning of March, again as another 7-day auction, which appears to identical to the previous in all respects:

https://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/au ... 1039900070

The original Yahoo Japan seller had continued to re-list that Yema N81W63 'Wrong un' on a weekly basis. He gradually reduced the opening bid price from ¥16,800 Yen to ¥13,000 Yen (plus 10% Japanese Sales Tax). Still no bidders were forthcoming. I'd carried on watching it on my Buyee page, purely out of curiosity. The most recent 7-day re-listing ended on 30th September. I'm not sure whether it was purchased as a 'Prompt Decision' (Buy-it-Now); it's not clear from the Buyee screen, but there are couple of references to a 'Buyout Price'. At the time of writing, it hasn't been re-listed.

https://buyee.jp/item/yahoo/auction/h1039900070

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