The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

7A28, 7A38 and 7A48 (plus 7A34, 7A36, 7A07 and 7A54)
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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

Post by Seiko7A38 »

Seiko7A38 wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 10:11 amToday is Le Quatorze Juillet (Bastille Day), France's national holiday, so being a bit of a Francophile ....
In hindsight, instead of posting that succession of blingy gold-plated Yema N8's, I probably should have been wearing my much-loved original Yema Spationaute III Aragatz 'bitza' - so 3 days late, on this bright sunny blue SATurday morning. :)

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I say 'much loved' (and I still fondly remember building this watch from a cheap beater parts donor and a secondhand 'mission flags' dial, which cost me all of 5 Euros), but nowadays it tends to lead a sheltered life, rarely being taken out the collection box. When I did so earlier this morning, the date was showing as SAT / 30, which gives you some idea how long it had been since it last came out. Shame on me. :oops: In truth, I've taken it off straight after the wrist shot, because it looks like today is going to be warm (forecast high is 28°C) and I don't want to risk any sweat staining on the strap, which is still in 'as new' condition. It's not original, but it holds significant sentimental value and is irreplaceable. It's a long since discontinued* German made Colditz Pazifik 'Echt Haifisch'. Yes 'Colditz' - and according to their website the company still exists, but the 'shop' is password protected ! :roll:

The watch has received a few upgrades over the years, including fitment of the correct original Yema double-domed crystal and original correct silver-painted hands (re-lumed by James Hyman to glow blue). Unlike my wardrobe, my preferred style of wrist shots has also evolved. Here's one from my photo archive, which was probably the first wrist shot I ever took of this watch on 24/01/2010. Pretty damned awful innit ? :lol:

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*In fact, I scrolled through Colditz's online .pdf catalogue and on page 40 found that they still listed a 'Pazifik' strap:

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Except it's 'Pazifik' in name only, evidently less padded with white stitching. The same 22mm generic blue shark strap could once easily be found on eBay Germany, listed as 'Bob' brand and by other vendors.

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

Post by Seiko7A38 »

Although it's really too warm to be messing about with watches (and too sunny to be taking wrist shots of watches with domed crystals), I'm still gradually working my way through my collection of Yema Spationaute III's and N8 Flygrafs, checking and deciding which have crystals badly scratched enough to warrant sending off to Ben Levy for polishing.

This 38mm 'reduced', model # N808696 has a short light scratch just above the 'RTZ' of QUARTZ. I've lived with it for over 10 years so I think I'll continue to do so for the time being, pending the results of the first batch that I send Ben.

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If you compare this 38mm 'reduced' with the couple of examples I posted on the previous page, you'll notice that it's fitted with different gold plated hour and minute hands (compared to theirs outlined in black). I'm not sure if these were a factory fitment, or a mod done at the behest of a previous owner. If you scroll down to the bottom of the previous page, you'll see that they're the same hands used on both versions of the dressy N81W53. Whether they're correct and original for this watch or not, I quite like them. They go well with the gold-plated hour batons.

Although I haven't worn it for many years, I've posted a few wrist shots of this watch in the old forum's WRUW thread.
Seiko7A38 wrote: Sat Jul 17, 2021 9:41 amUnlike my wardrobe, my preferred style of wrist shots has also evolved. Here's one from my photo archive ....
Here's another library image from my archives, that almost pre-dates the old forum, taken in February 2011. ;)

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

Post by Seiko7A38 »

Here's a quick and dirty (literally) 'as received' wrist shot of my newest incoming 'bargain priced' Orient J39701-70, which the postman delivered about half a hour ago. All I've done is re-set the hands and day / date. It's a bit rough around the edges, but everything works perfectly. It came with a full length p/n SA160 bracelet, with the full original complement of adjustment links, which I'd already checked and confirmed beforehand with the Lebanese eBay seller.

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As I'd hinted in the Orient J39701-70 - Indianapolis 500 Logo Variants thread, it's likely destined for greater things. :arrow:

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

Post by Seiko7A38 »

Same watch (almost). :P Different day - different dial / movement. :)

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

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Something a bit topical ....
Seiko7A38 wrote: Thu Jul 22, 2021 6:40 amI'll post a photo of one in the WRUW thread presently.
Plus you can't beat the feel of cold steel on a warm summer morning. Wearing one of my stainless 7A38-727A SAA131J's.

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When discussing this model's 726L dial, I'll often refer to it as 'silvery-white'. In photos like the one above, taken in the shade, it can appear a pearlescent white. However, if you let the light play on it, it's much closer to a silver metallic.

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

Post by Seiko7A38 »

This morning I'm wearing an old friend, for the first time in 6 months. This used to be one of a pair of almost identical watches that I regularly wore to work (before I fully retired in January). It's a common or garden stainless 7A38-7280, which I refurbished myself, fitted with my preferred white crystal gasket and Seiko 5-hole adjustment clasp mods.

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The same watch has featured in a couple of threads on the old archived forum. Here's a couple of photos I'd posted of it, taken quite by chance, almost exactly 10 years ago (albeit less one day) - on 24th July 2011. :D

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

Post by Seiko7A38 »

Wearing another of my Yema Spationaute III Aragatz's on this grey overcast, rather than blue SATurday morning.

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Incidentally, it's this one (s/n 6-239), now fitted with a ZRC 'Veau Nautic' strap and Cousins generic replacement crystal.

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

Post by Seiko7A38 »

SATurday afternoon swap for another remarkably similar appearing Yema Spationaute III Aragatz.

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This one is still fitted with its original Yema crystal, which has a couple of small scratches that I can live with for now. Apart from wearing the same ZRC 'Veau Nautic' strap in a lighter shade of blue, the other reason this example looks so similar is that it's very likely from the same manufacturing batch. This one has a serial number 6-334, 95 units higher.

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

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Apart from the fact that I'd got it out to replace its battery, this one's for recently joined forum member Mat ;) - who's looking for a stainless white dialed 7A38. Unfortunately this model doesn't actually meet his requirements, because Mat prefers longer batons (or indices as he refers to them and recessed sub-dials), neither of which this variant has. Here's a couple of quick shots grabbed between the drizzle and showers of one of my stainless 7A38-727B SAA149J's.

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This second shot probably shows the off-white 7230 dial colour better.
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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

Post by Seiko7A38 »

Just to make a change from variations of 7A38 .... I'm wearing a 7T32 (of sorts) this sunny Monday morning. This blingy RACER HFA018-70 BreitBling clone landed on the doormat about half a hour ago, from even sunnier Tenerife. 8-)

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

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Yeah O.K., so it's not blue Saturday, but I wanted to try on this combination, while I still had the collection box open. Afternoon swap for another 7T32 BreitBling Clone; this time an Orient branded HFA001-70. I've just fitted it with that Orient blue shark strap I'd mentioned in this thread a few months ago.

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

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Seiko7A38 wrote: Thu Jul 08, 2021 1:56 pm .... the German market variant of two-tone 7A38-728A, the SAA128J, without the gold sub-dial rings.
I make no apologies for the fairly recent re-post (from 3 weeks ago). :P I'm not running out of different watches to post (far from it), but I've just replaced the battery in this one. (It was doing the two-second two-step last time I had it out).

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

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Seiko7A38 wrote: Sun Jul 25, 2021 10:56 am Apart from the fact that I'd got it out to replace its battery, this one's for recently joined forum member Mat ;) - who's looking for a stainless white dialed 7A38. Unfortunately this model doesn't actually meet his requirements, because Mat prefers longer batons (or indices as he refers to them and recessed sub-dials), neither of which this variant has. Here's a couple of quick shots grabbed between the drizzle and showers of one of my stainless 7A38-727B SAA149J's.
Nice one, even with short indices. :mrgreen:

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

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Afternoon swap for the more commonly seen version of the two-tone 7A38-728A SAA122J (with the gold sub-dial rings).

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This one's been in my collection for a long time. I distinctly remember it as one of my first 'bargain buy' 7A38's - winning an eBay UK auction in July 2009, for a mere £30.50. :D This was the seller's only listing photo. Those were the days. :lol:

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

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Not wishing to lower the tone of this thread :P but sometimes you just gotta 'fess up to your earlier indiscretions ! :oops:
Seiko7A38 wrote: Tue Jul 27, 2021 12:31 pmIt was once a 7A38-702H, best described as your typical steaming Filipino polished turd, too. It's very very shiny. :lol:

The resultant watch is what I call a proper polished turd ! :lol: I'm not sure whether I dare post a photo of it. :P
It's a pity the sky is overcast this morning, otherwise it would be glinting in the sunlight. :roll: As threatened, here's that ex-badingski 7A38-702H, now fitted with the equally highly polished non-original bracelet that originally came on the SpeedTimerKollektion 7A38-7020 franken.

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

Post by Seiko7A38 »

After that horror, I guess I should post something a bit decent, to make amends. So here's one of my better examples of the ever-popular stainless 7A38-7020 SAA009J, in almost mint condition. :)

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

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Afternoon swap for the US market equivalent 7A38-7029 SAA013J. This example is a salesman's sample case re-build. :)

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

Post by Seiko7A38 »

Going through my watch boxes this morning, I noticed this 7A38-7010 SAA001J was doing the 'two-second two-step' (low battery indicator), so I've just fitted a replacement Seizaiken #394. Thought I'd carry on wearing it for a while at least. Note to self: closer examination of my photo reveals it needs a good clean anyway. :oops:

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

Post by Seiko7A38 »

Here's a couple of Q&D 'as received' shots of my newest incoming non-Seiko 7A38 - another Yema N81W53, which UPS delivered this lunchtime. For the moment at least, it's still on the original prominently ribbed Yema strap. That's likely to be changed for something 'dressier', more in keeping with the watch head, as I've done with my previous N81W53's - especially as the buckle end came unglued when I took it off ! :o :x

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Re: The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

Post by Seiko7A38 »

Obligatory blue SATurday morning wear for me - another Yema Spationaute III Aragatz from my collection. Image
This one, a very early first year production example, s/n 1 004, is fitted with a very comfortable RIOS shark grain strap.

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