The ONE and ONLY WRUW thread - Part Deux !

[Seiko7A38]

I'm wearing another of my NOS Yema Spationaute III Aragatz's on this blue SATurday morning. If they're all beginning to look a bit 'samey', I assure readers that I haven't posted / worn this particular example recently - maybe not in years. According to my spreadsheet records, it's one of three NOS examples I bought from US eBay seller izeldor in late 2012. This is the second which I purchased in September 2012 (for $232.50) When I opened its lacquered wooden presentation box, the date was showing SAT / 5 and needed quick-setting to 19, so it's certainly been a fair old while. The constant seconds hand was also doing the two-second two-step, so I fitted a new battery, as a matter of course.

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[Seiko7A38]

No matter how much I love them, I don't usually post wrist shots of Yema Spationaute III's two days on the trot. Please forgive me on this occasion. I just remembered that 20th August is Jean-Loup Chrétien's birthday. France's first (and eldest) spaceman is 85 today. So I thought I'd break out his 1988 Aragatz mission flown prototype watch in his honour. Bon Anniversaire, JLC !

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[Seiko7A38]

Lately it seems I can't open my collection boxes without finding at least one watch in need of a replacement battery. Today, I'd decided to wear one of my Junghans 24/4610 High Tech Chrono's. As it happened, the first one I picked up was this NOS example, which I purchased back in April 2021 - I straightaway noticed it was doing 'the two-second two step'.

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So my choice was effectively made for me. If you're wondering why the battery was on the point of expiry after little over two years, as I was .... opening up the snap-on case-back, I was horrified to discover one of those cheap and nasty Chinese made Camelion brand batteries. Needless to say it was immediately replaced with my preferred Seizaiken #394.

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[Seiko7A38]

I've been running around this morning, food shopping, collecting prescriptions, etc., so no time to pick anything out. So what better to wear than my everyday 'grab and go' 7A38-7070 SAA031J beater, fitted with Yobokies repro' bezel insert ?

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[Seiko7A38]

Another morning with a lot of running around, including a hospital appointment, so no apologies for wearing the same 'grab and go' 7A38-7070 SAA0031J beater as yesterday.

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[Seiko7A38]

It's been a very long time since I last wore the only 7A28 in my collection - according to this earlier WRUW post, at least 20 months, so I thought I ought to give it an outing. My 7A28-7040 SPR013J. Quote: "It doesn't get worn much, ....".

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[Seiko7A38]

I bought that 7A28-7040 almost exactly 12 years ago. I never planned to collect Seiko 7A28's. That one was purchased for a specific project. I wanted to try building a 7A38 Franken, using that watch case. Being a 7A28, I knew that it was theoretically 1.0 mm too shallow (all the dimensions are documented in a thread on the old archived forum) - and although I could have had it machined internally, I gave up on the idea. Instead I built myself this modded 7A38-7070 using the 709L dialed movement which was once destined for the 7A28 / 7A38 Franken.

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[Seiko7A38]

I'm wearing my old favourite 'Dinky Diver' 7A38-6000 SAA039J, fitted with vintage Seiko 'beads of rice' bracelet, on this blue SATurday morning. Not the most flattering photo of the watch I've ever taken, but what the heck !

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[Seiko7A38]

I'm wearing another of my blingy gold-tone 7A38-6109 SAA114J's this morning. I bought this particular example off eBay in the States in December 2018. It cost a mere $84.99, but subsequently needed the movement servicing, which Simon did in March 2020. It's almost mint, with no loss of gold plating, let down only by a few tiny nicks in the bezel rim.

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[Seiko7A38]

Wearing this stainless Jean Lassale Thalassa 7A74-017 'Swiss Made' 7Axx on this cloudy UK Summer Bank Holiday Monday.

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[Seiko7A38]

Wearing another of my Jean Lassale Thalassas this morning - a two-tone (stainless and 14K gold) 7A74-019. Note this one also has 'SWISS MADE' printed at the bottom of the dial. Had to replace the battery in this one yesterday - a damned fiddly job with those eight tiny 1.0 mm screws !

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[Seiko7A38]

Wearing my other Jean Lassale Thalassa 7A74-019 this morning - the one with 'JAPAN QUARTZ' at the bottom of the dial.

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[Seiko7A38]

Wearing this mint condition stainless 7A38-7020 SAA009J to start the new month.

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[Seiko7A38]

Wearing this Yema Spationaute III Aragatz with commemorative mission flags dial on this blue SATurday morning.

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[Seiko7A38]

It's been a while - thought I'd do a red SUNday. Wearing this Cartier Ferrari Formula Cal. 531, model # F6094801.

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[Seiko7A38]

Wearing my best condition example of one of my favourite Seiko 7A38's this morning - the stainless 7A38-7000 SAA007J.

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[Seiko7A38]

I started into another collection box this morning. Perversely, the first watch I took out was most recently put away in that box - this almost mint stainless 7A38-7060 SAA015J, which I purchased in a Fellows auction in February this year.

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[Seiko7A38]

Next out is this mint example of the common-or-garden two-tone 7A38-7060 SAA016J. I don't think this particular watch has been featured in this forum's WRUW thread before, although I did once refer to it here (as a footnote to that post).

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This example (like most) came from eBay Germany, where they're relatively common. It cost me a mere €76 Euros back in January 2011. This was the seller's only photo, but it gave sufficient indication of the condition of the gold plating.

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[Seiko7A38]

My mint two-tone 7A38-7069 SAA028J, the US export market version of yesterday's watch, gets a rare outing today.

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Unlike the two-tone 7A38-7060, of which I've bought 3 or 4 over the years, I only ever bought one 7A38-7069, in August 2009. Naturally it came from eBay in the States. It cost $175, which I considered expensive at the time, but then it was in very good little worn condition and came as a full set with box, tags and papers. Here's a few of the seller's photos:

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[Seiko7A38]

To the uninitiated, today's watch may look like any other common-or-garden two-tone 7A38-706x, which in terms of common shared components it is, but my 7A38-706A SAA034J is probably one of the rarest Seiko 7A38's in existence.

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This is the only example I've ever seen in nearly 15 years of collecting. See this old archived forum model thread.