New to me 7A28-701A

[remi]

Hi,

Looking forward to perusing the forum (particularly the archives) in time. I've got a small collection of mechanical watches from various manufacturers (including Seiko), and have just jumped into my first quartz purchase.

I have a lot of respect for the early Seiko quartz movements and designs- and finally took my first plunge with this 7A28-701A. This one from December 1982, and in what I would call pretty mint condition for a watch that is 39 years old!

It is such a nicely balanced design- 38mm, short lug-to-lug of 42mm, nice and thin; with that 3-level stepped racing dial. Top that off with the sandblasted finish with subtle polished chamfer, and that funky 80's bracelet- and I'm in love. All the little details are so good- and 39yrs later, the movement is working perfectly; the second hand landing precisely on each dial marker.

The crystal has a few chips- and the only thing that bothers me is a slight 'smudge' on the underside (very hard to photograph)- almost looks like it could be very faint condensation but not sure. I may leave it crown open facing up in a sunny spot for a while just in case- but otherwise if need be, is it not too much of a stretch to pop off the crystal to tidy it up?

Thanks for an interesting forum!

Remi

IMG_2752.jpg (80.34 KiB) Viewed 5663 times

IMG_2753.jpg (87.36 KiB) Viewed 5663 times

[Seiko7A38]

Very nice, Remi. Congratulations on your acquisition. Welcome aboard and thanks for your contribution to the forum.

Looking forward to perusing the forum (particularly the archives) in time.

When you get around to browsing the old archived forum, you may find this thread amusing (with regard to that model): Am I finally losing the mental battle ? What's your favourite 7A28 model ?

Before I ultimately decided that I was not going to collect Seiko 7A28's, but concentrate purely on 7A38's (and their so many other-branded derivatives), the 7A28-701A SAY018 was probably right at the top of my list !

[Seiko7A38]

The crystal has a few chips- and the only thing that bothers me is a slight 'smudge' on the underside (very hard to photograph)- almost looks like it could be very faint condensation but not sure. I may leave it crown open facing up in a sunny spot for a while just in case- but otherwise if need be, is it not too much of a stretch to pop off the crystal to tidy it up?

If you decide to replace the chipped crystal, it's Seiko p/n 330W26GN00. I haven't checked availability, but I suspect they're scarce nowadays. Failing that there's the Sternkreuz p/n XMF330.928 replacement available from Cousins UK. Beware of money-grabbing eBay sellers like watchfan700uk, who'd have you pay £17.99 for a cheaper generic crystal.

If you suspect your watch is suffering from moisture ingress, I would do rather more than leave it in a sunny spot with the crown pulled out. I'd rapidly remove the dial / movement from the case and put it somewhere warm (I personally use the airing cupboard above my hot water tank) to dry out properly.

[remi]

Thanks- it's very hard to know what the mark is; only visible under certain light. Looks more like an oily smudge to be honest. Do you know whether it's a tricky job to pop off the crystal on these?

[Seiko7A38]

It could be an oily smudge, Remi. I've found it quite a few times on NOS 7A38's (and Yema N8's, particularly the Flygraf and Spationaute III), where they've been left a long time with a flat run down battery. Before they start leaking fluids, dead batteries will sometimes 'gas'. The fumes filter through the movement, dissolving the oil from the jewels, leaving a greasy deposit on the underside of the crystal. It's easy enough to wipe off from inside the case, with paper towel.

Yes, assuming you've used a crystal press before, it's simplicity itself. Some people recommend removing the bezel first. I don't do it that way (with this style of case, with fixed bezel - 'Divers' are another issue, depending whether the bezel overlaps the crystal), because the white nylon case to bezel gasket is notoriously easy to damage. I press the crystal out from inside the watch case (with the bezel still attached). The important thing being to make sure you've selected a nylon press die that comfortably fits inside the inner diameter of the plastic Tachymeter ring. Failure to do so is a mistake you'll only make once.

[remi]

Thanks- that's very helpful. I don't need to replace the crystal itself, the few chips don't bother me so much - so it sounds like I could just wipe that mark off from the inside of the crystal. Happy to do some searching, but assuming removing the movement/ dial is not too tricky to get access to the inside of the crystal? I have some basic watchmaking tools so won't have trouble getting the back off etc.