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 »

Continuing in a similar vein from the bottom of the previous page, I've just switched to my Orient J39002-70, whose white dial is so much easier to photograph. I replaced the battery in this one on Monday, intending to take a wrist shot afterwards, but the weather was crap, absolutely chucking it down with rain all day, so I didn't even bother attempting. So again, a case of better late than never. It's still fitted with the original Orient double ribbed tan leather strap, which it came on, purchased off Subito for a mere 40 Euros in February 2017, as I mentioned in this thread on the old forum.

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

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The title of that thread: Another Orient J39 basket case restoration project - J39002-70 refers not to the watch in my previous post, but another pretty rough example I acquired back in September 2013. It literally was a 'basket case'.

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In a purely coincidental ironic twist, it came fitted with a stainless bracelet. Here's how it looked earlier this morning.

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It's gone through umpteen revisions over the years. The case and Tachymeter ring are actually from two different Orient J38 (7A48) donors, rather than a J39002-70. It's a complete 'bitza'. Hence, if you compare this one with the photo of my completely original example in the previous post, the reason the pusher cups are gold plated (rather than correct silver anodized) and only the word TACHYMETER is printed in red, rather than the complete scale. I didn't bother updating the old forum thread, but from memory, sometime probably early in 2018, it also benefited from a better dial / movement. Prior to that, it probably already comprised component parts from 3 or 4 different donor watches. I'm not even sure if any part of the original J39002-70 'basket case' still remains - not even the case-back. Shades of Trigger's broom. :lol: Incidentally, the doubled-ribbed tan leather strap fitted is a rather nice Certina 19mm.

I didn't need two white dialed Orient J39002-70's in my collection. I'd also been considering robbing the 'bitza' of that Certina strap to use on something else. So courtesy of an Orient p/n AK0106 bracelet and suitably stamped case-back, the 'bitza' Orient J39002-70 morphed into a J39004-70 this afternoon. :D Full details in the latter part of this thread.

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

Post by Seiko7A38 »

Typical Autumn day: grey and overcast. :roll: I held off taking a wrist shot this morning, hoping for an improvement in the natural light. It never came. So here's two for the post of one, from the same corner of one of my J39 collection boxes.

RACER branded J39002-70:

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.... and my gold-tone Orient J39902-70:

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

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Wearing this Yema Spationaute III Aragatz 'Cadran Drapeaux', limited edition number 066 with mission flags dial, on this bright bleu SATurday morning. I've posted a couple of wrists shots of these before (they're my favourite variant), so I quickly checked to make sure this wasn't a re-post. ;) This particular example is fitted with a ZRC shark grain strap.

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

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Not a re-post as such (not for this WRUW thread), but I have written about this watch before here in another thread.
The domed crystal and almost black dial of the stainless 7A38-6020 SAA041J make it difficult to photograph, capturing the dial's detail in sharp focus, without picking up reflections. The natural light seemed almost perfect this morning, so I thought I'd have another try, to see if I could improve on my earlier mostly lacklustre efforts. So on this red SUNday @ 10:10 on 10/10, here are the best of my dozen and more attempts. Still far from 10/10 for photographic skills. :roll:

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

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It's darker sibling, the brown PVD coated 7A38-6020 SAA043J is even more difficult to photograph, having a dark metallic brown dial with gold and orange printing. I was about to return the stainless 7A38-6020 to its slot in my collection box, when I noticed this one was doing 'the two-second two step' (low battery indicator). So I replaced it later this morning. Decided to take a wrist shot this afternoon, while I still had it out - with predictable results. :roll:

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This rather better artificially lit side-by side shot that I took this morning was something of a fluke.

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

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I've been too busy, working on my watches and other stuff, to post much this week, let alone take any wrist shots. I've spent the last two days, re-organizing my collections of 7A38-727x's and 7A38-728x's, splitting them into two separate 24-slot aluminium cases (something I should have done long ago), cataloging and tagging them as I went. Goes without saying, I've replaced literally dozens of batteries as I worked through them. :roll: This was one I did yesterday afternoon: an almost mint stainless 7A38-7289 SAA109J. According to my records, I'd purchased the original watch as far back as March 2009, for $69.99, but later re-built it in August 2010, using a salesman's sample case / bracelet (costing $38).

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

Post by Seiko7A38 »

Sometimes, I have a problem remembering whether I've already posted a wrist shot of a particular watch, either here or later in the old archived forum's WRUW thread, or as turned out to be the case in this instance, in neither of them. :roll:

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This almost mint two-tone 7A38-7280 SAA120J is my original example, owned since May 2009, referred to in that post.

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

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Another one I've just replaced the battery in - my second string, albeit almost mint 7A38-7290 SAA095J.

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

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Seiko7A38 wrote: Fri Oct 15, 2021 10:30 amAnother one I've just replaced the battery in ....
Followed in quick succession by my NOS example. Must admit I was a bit annoyed (with myself) about having to do this one. I'd purchased this NOS 7A38-7290 SAA095J comparatively recently, in October 2019. Since then, it had remained in the Seiko presentation box which it was supplied in. When I came to transfer it to my re-organized 7A38-727x collection box, this morning, I found the battery was completely dead. I'd overlooked checking it when I received it. Turns out the wastrels @ Walton-Willer had fitted an undersized Varta V399. :roll: The replacement Seizaiken #394 I just fitted should be good for 5 years now. :)

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

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When I refer to 'my re-organized 7A38-727x collection box', I'm not just talking about 7A38-7270's, -727A's and B's, but all the related models which used the same 37mm diameter boxed-lugged watch case, including the 7A38-7190's and 7A38-7290's. I started back to front (or should that read back to black), in the bottom R.H. corner of the 24-slot box, attempting to create some semblance of numerical order (latent O.C.D. tendencies creeping in again), finishing this afternoon, in the top L.H. corner, with my NOS 7A38-7180 SAA055J. You guessed - its battery needed replacing too. :roll:

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

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Here's two 'before' (from Friday) and 'after' (post replacement of the tarnished bezel) shots of my 7A38-727A SAA132J.

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

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Still messing about with my '7A38-727x' collection box, trying to figure out which should stay there and which should be hoicked out. Having got them altogether, turns out that I've amassed a few more watches than the 24 slots available. :oops: Here's the best condition of my three examples of the stainless 7A38-727B SAA149J on this overcast Monday morning.

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The poorest condition example, which I built up from two parts watches, purchased back in 2009, will be summarily evicted in favour of this one. It won't get scrapped or sold off (in the foreseeable future), because it holds a certain sentimental value - the dubious distinction of being the only 7A38 dial / movement that I ever fumbled, dropped and caught (with my foot), before it reached the floor ! :lol:

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Incidentally, the stainless 7A38-727B SAA149J appears to have been the last new 7A38 model variant that Seiko ever produced. The sales code SAA149J is numerically the highest found on Seiko's database. Quickly scanning through my photo folders, all the examples I've seen have 91xxxx prefix serial numbers, indicating manufacture in January 1989. (Though Seiko Japan appear to have continued producing batches of earlier models up to at least June 1989.) This model also seems to have been targeted at the UK market, because the majority of them turn up on eBay UK.

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

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As long as the weather holds, I'll try to post a few more from my 7A38-727x collection box this week, for the simple reason that many of them don't get worn very often. Here's a shot my NOS condition gold-tone 7A38-727A SAA126J, which I managed to grab between the showers.

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If elements of this watch look vaguely familiar, it's probably because it's a bit of a Seiko 'parts bin special'. The gold-tone case and p/n B1405G bracelet are the same as were used on the gold-tone 7A38-7190 (SAA056J) and the off-white 723O dial is the same one found in the two-tone 7A38-7270 (SAA094J).

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

Post by Seiko7A38 »

Speaking of gold-tone 7A38-7190 SAA056J's, I'd already posted a couple of rain-spattered wrist shots of my beater here.
While I've still got the box open, here's my other NOS example, which I've owned since May 2009 and hardly ever worn.

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

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I first posted this 3-way side-by-side shot of stainless 7A38-7270 SAA093J's in my original intro' post on the old forum.

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Left to right, the watches are: mine, owned from new since January 1988; a NOS example purchased in June 2011 and another in average worn condition, that I bought in November 2010 for £60, which I re-finished myself, rebrushing the case and bracelet. I remember being quite proud of my efforts at the time. 8-)

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The watch is easy distinguishable from my various other examples, by the novice mistake I made - the bezel's bevelled edge should be satin finished, rather than the incorrect highly polished result I ended up with. It's no longer quite as shiny as it once was, but a quick wipe with a polishing cloth would probably restore it its former blingy glory. :lol:

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Seiko7A38 wrote: Mon Oct 18, 2021 10:03 amStill messing about with my '7A38-727x' collection box, trying to figure out which should stay there and which should be hoicked out. Having got them altogether, turns out that I've amassed a few more watches than the 24 slots available.
My original stainless 7A38-7270, the above re-furbished example and two NOS SAA093J's remain in that collection box. Not sure that I should admit to having amassed so many, but there are another half a dozen more currently 'loose'. :oops:

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

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I've just taken a quick stock check and I'm almost ashamed to admit, that I do indeed currently own a total of 10 (ten!) stainless 7A38-7270 SAA093J's (besides my modded example). With hindsight, I don't know why I continued buying them, other than being a compulsive hoarder and my inability to resist a 'bargain'. :roll: Here's one of the aforementioned 'loose' (and lesser) examples. I bought this one as recently as November 2019, winning an eBay auction by a Thai seller for $95. The case and bracelet have been sympathetically re-brushed (by them), but the hands lume is degraded. Not the best.

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

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Seiko7A38 wrote: Wed Oct 20, 2021 1:02 pmWith hindsight, I don't know why I continued buying them, other than being a compulsive hoarder and my inability to resist a 'bargain'. :roll:
I remember exactly when and why I bought this one though ....
Seiko7A38 wrote: Wed Jun 30, 2021 8:54 am Continuing in dress-down mode. :P This morning I'm wearing one of my cheapest stainless 7A38-7270 SAA093J beaters.
I purchased this example many years ago - more by luck than judgement (I didn't anticipate winning the German eBay auction), on Christmas Eve 2014, for the bargain price of € 13.27 (then equivalent to under a Tenner). :)
No apologies for the re-post. This 'cheap beater' stainless 7A38-7270 has never been put away in any collection box, nor cossetted and remains one of the watches in my regular daily wear rotation.

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It's never been refinished. All I did was replace the scratched crystal. It's instantly recognisable by the ding on the top R.H. corner of the watch case. I've thought about having it laser welded a few times and even got a quote, but then it would lose its unique identity. :|

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

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Seiko7A38 wrote: Wed May 12, 2021 10:19 amWearing this 'restored beater' 7A38-7070 SAA031J (fitted with a Yobokies' repro' bezel insert) this morning. Next job (after finishing off a couple more posts) is to replace the battery in this one. It's doing the two-second two-step. :roll:
Another re-post, a watch that has since joined the roster of regular daily wear rotation: my 'restored beater' 7A38-7070 SAA031J, fitted with a Yobokies' repro' bezel insert.

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

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Wearing another of my 7A38-6060 SAA071J's, one which hasn't seen the light of day in a while, on this overcast SATurday morning. The absence of sunlight at least meant there wasn't the usual problem with reflections off the domed crystal. This one's fitted with a non-original 18mm double ribbed Seiko leather strap, which I believe was normally used on one of the 'Age of Discovery' variants. It came 'pre-notched', so mates up reasonably well with the case lug ends.

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