7A38-7029 - Correct Sales Code AA013M or SAA013J ?

[Seiko7A38]

I suspect that were we to do a worldwide poll, most would vote their favourite Seiko 7A38 model as being the stainless 7A38-7020 (SAA009J), or its US export market equivalent 7A38-7029 (SAA013J) - especially since the 'Royal Oak' fervour began. They're certainly in my top 5. I've got half a dozen and more of them in my collection. Thankfully the bulk were purchased years ago, before the rampant price hiking. Most of them are almost mint, but none are truly NOS. My three 7A38-7029's have all been rebuilt with salesman's sample cases and NOS bracelets, so they're almost as good condition.

Although I never actually got around to creating a 7A38-xxxx model specific thread on the old forum, I've written about them with authority on numerous occasions. Here's such an extract from the '7A38-7029 eBay seller flobaca' thread.

7A38-702X-OldForum-Variants-Post.png (70.53 KiB) Viewed 2333 times

You'll notice that again I referred to the 7A38-7029 as SAA013J - and my comment about the 7A38-702H (SAA014J) not being documented on Seiko Oceania's database. That implies that the 7A38-7029 was. Back in June 2009, I copied and pasted 300+ lines of data from Seiko Oceania to create my own Excel spreadsheet database of Seiko 7A38-xxxx variants. Generally I took what I found on Seiko Oceania as being 'gospel', though there were a few obvious errors and omissions.

Here's the data rows for the 7A38-7029 from my spreadsheet:

7A38-7029-SpreadsheetExtract.png (9.61 KiB) Viewed 2323 times

Note the comment on the 4th row: My sample case (is) labelled AA013M.

Having worked in the computer industry for many years, I habitually interpret the abbreviation 'AA' as 'Altered Assembly' and 'M' to mean modified. That can be borne out, to a certain extent, by Seiko's use of AA-prefix bracelet part numbers on JDM variants, where the main difference from the export bracelet is a 'Speedmaster' logo'd clasp. But I digress.

Unfortunately Seiko Oceania discontinued public view access to their database last year, so I can't go back and check. However, my assumption that SAA013J is the correct sales code was reinforced by these two small catalogue images that I saved years ago (although both are missing the 'J' suffix).

7A38-7029-SAA013J-CatalogueIllustration-1.jpg (56.03 KiB) Viewed 2306 times

7A38-7029-SAA013J-CatalogueIllustration-2.jpg (49.41 KiB) Viewed 2306 times

[Seiko7A38]

Per my previous post, I'd always associated the code AA013M with salesman's sample cases, simply because that's the only place I'd ever seen it used. My logic being that AA013M is an altered assembly (without movement) of SAA013J.

Here's a couple of gratuitous shots of my first 7A38-7029 salesman's sample case rebuild, the last one showing the small waxed paper label on the case-back. (Note the protective film is sadly no longer present).

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rsz_7a38-7029-stainless-grey-minesamplecasebuild-p1040946.jpg (154.6 KiB) Viewed 2299 times

rsz_7a38-7029-stainless-grey-minesamplecasebuild-p1040947.jpg (143.18 KiB) Viewed 2299 times

Like most of the salesman's sample cases that I purchased between 2009 and 2012, that one came fairly cheaply as a head only, from my usual source - US eBay seller 49ronnie (the late Ron Canda). Checking my records, the most I ever paid for a 7A38-7029 sample case with partial bracelet was $127.50, back in August 2012. Ah, those were the days.

Some people paid a lot more for them, approaching the kind of money (back in those days) that could have bought you a complete working watch. See this thread in the eBay section of the old forum - and this particularly nice but rather expensive example, which sold for $255 in early December 2012.

7A38-7029-SalesmansSampleCase-Post.png (86.87 KiB) Viewed 2295 times

Here's the photo of the case-back from that particular listing, complete with protective film intact and AA013M label:

rsz_7a38-7029-stainless-samplewatchcase-ebay-nov2012-8.jpg (127.26 KiB) Viewed 2284 times

I've got loads more photos on file, showing 7A38-7029 salesman's sample cases with AA013M labels on the case-back. Not a lot to be gained by uploading them here - you'll have to take my word for it. However these couple are rather more pertinent to where I'm headed. This image is cropped from a larger photo from another eBay listing in January 2013:

7A38-7029-Stainless-SampleWatchCase-eBay-Jan2013-2-Crop.jpg (188.62 KiB) Viewed 2279 times

Note the lower of the black plastic end caps has a label with SAA013. Around the same time, Dutch forum member Harry Buoma received his 7A38-7029 salesman's sample case and kindly emailed me half a dozen photos of it.

rsz_7a38-7029-stainless-samplewatchcase-harrybouma-1-crop.jpg (76.78 KiB) Viewed 2275 times

His first effort was poorly lit and rather grainy, but it was still just possible to read the lower end cap - again SAA013. Thankfully his last shot of the case-back was much better, showing the same intact protective film and AA013M label.

rsz_7a38-7029-stainless-samplewatchcase-harrybouma-6.jpg (89.58 KiB) Viewed 2274 times

So it would appear that the 7A38-7029 salesman's sample cases carried both codes: AA013M and SAA013. Hmm.

[Seiko7A38]

If you've bothered reading this far, you may be wondering by now what had prompted this bout of head-scratching and my rambling online musings. Could self doubts be creeping into my normally infallible persona ?

In the early hours of this morning, a US eBay seller listed (has to be said rather poorly) what appears to be a 7A38-7029 in NOS condition, as a 7-day auction with an opening bid price of $400.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/seiko-quartz ... 3324562200

7A38-7029-Stainless+Grey-(AA013M-NOS)-eBay-March2021-Listing.png (160.53 KiB) Viewed 2265 times

His primary image is best described as frankly abysmal.

rsz_7a38-7029-stainless-grey-aa013m-nos-ebay-march2021-1.jpg (118.07 KiB) Viewed 2263 times

Only his 4th photo shows the watch sharp and clear.

rsz_7a38-7029-stainless-grey-aa013m-nos-ebay-march2021-4.jpg (224.45 KiB) Viewed 2263 times

Note the sentence in his description I've underlined in red. Presumably he's copied the text from the paper hang tag.

7A38-7029-Stainless+Grey-(AA013M-NOS)-eBay-March2021-Description.png (8.63 KiB) Viewed 2265 times

Zooming in on the top right-hand corner of his 4th photo reveals the outer box is also labelled AA013M - not SAA013 !!

7A38-7029-Stainless+Grey-(AA013M-NOS)-eBay-March2021-4-Crop.png (210.81 KiB) Viewed 2262 times

[Seiko7A38]

If you google Seiko AA013M (as I did naturally did earlier today), there are surprisingly few results returned.
One of them is this very old post, dating from September 2004 in this archived thread on TimeZone.com.

7A38-7029-AA013M-Timezone.com-Post-Bob-Sept2004.png (9.2 KiB) Viewed 2256 times

Then there's this one. I'm pretty sure that's the same 'Bob' posting in this thread on WatchuSeek in May 2015:

7A38-7029-AA013M-WatchuSeek-Robmks-May2015-Post-1.png (77.26 KiB) Viewed 2253 times

7A38-7029-AA013M-WatchuSeek-Robmks-May2015-Post-2.png (36.12 KiB) Viewed 2253 times

He's certainly re-posted that same superb photo of his 7A38-7029 AA013M many times on various forums over the years.

7A38-7029-AA013M-WatchUseek-Robmks.jpg (158.11 KiB) Viewed 2253 times

[Seiko7A38]

Not that I doubted his word for a moment, but out of curiosity, I sent Bob a PM via WUS, asking if he could be so kind as to provide a photo of his AA013M box and tag. He replied overnight with this photo:

7A38-7029-Stainless+Grey-AA013M-BoxLabel+Tag-Robmks.jpg (220.27 KiB) Viewed 2239 times

Whereas the hang tag undoubtedly shows Ref. AA013M, the box label appears to be very tidily hand-written (or possibly printed in a Japanese style script) with only AA 013 - without an 'S' prefix or 'M' or 'J' suffix.

[Seiko7A38]

Bob's 'AA013M' box label was obviously different to the printed one I could just make out in the US eBay seller's photo.

Zooming in on the top right-hand corner of his 4th photo reveals the outer box is also labelled AA013M - not SAA013 !!

7A38-7029-Stainless+Grey-(AA013M-NOS)-eBay-March2021-4-Crop.png (210.81 KiB) Viewed 2233 times

I knew I was probably wasting my time asking (particularly in view of his appalling lack of photographic skills), but I sent the US eBay seller a message, asking if he could supply a clear close-up photo of the box label and his paper hang tag. He didn't even bother to reply.

The 7-day auction ended in the early hours of this morning, with the NOS 7A38-7029 AA013M sold for $821 after 15 bids.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/seiko-quartz ... 3324562200

7A38-7029-Stainless+Grey-(AA013M-NOS)-eBay-March2021-Ended-Sold-$821.png (45.77 KiB) Viewed 2226 times

Makes me wonder what it might possibly have made, had it been photographed half decently.