OT: Watch Talk

[NYCfixie]

Originally Posted by GregL

Glad this thread popped up, as I have a watch question. I have a Seiko 7A28-7039 chronograph that I've had nearly 40 years. It works great, but I managed to lose a bracelet link. Finding a replacement has proven very difficult. Any suggestions from the forum on locating a replacement link?



Thanks,
Greg

If you cannot find on OEM link or complete bracelet via eBay...

Get a new third party bracelet:
https://unclestraps.com/collections/seiko-diver
https://unclestraps.com/collections/other-seiko

[Louis]

Originally Posted by GregL

Glad this thread popped up, as I have a watch question. I have a Seiko 7A28-7039 chronograph that I've had nearly 40 years. It works great, but I managed to lose a bracelet link. Finding a replacement has proven very difficult. Any suggestions from the forum on locating a replacement link?

I would check the WatchUSeek forum.

[Ozz]

Watch Service Question: My Seiko diver was running a little slow, so took it in to have it checked out. Watch guy came back with it needing overhaul...new mainspring, gasket & crystal for $625.

Does this sound about right?

I have had it for about 10 yrs....never had it serviced, and there are some scratches/chips in the crystal I was going to ask about...paid $200 new for it (Seiko Diver - SKX007 (Japan)). They look to be going for about $900 now....

[Louis]

I'd get a second opinion.

[Likes2ridefar]

Originally Posted by Ozz

Watch Service Question: My Seiko diver was running a little slow, so took it in to have it checked out. Watch guy came back with it needing overhaul...new mainspring, gasket & crystal for $625.

Does this sound about right?

I have had it for about 10 yrs....never had it serviced, and there are some scratches/chips in the crystal I was going to ask about...paid $200 new for it (Seiko Diver - SKX007 (Japan)). They look to be going for about $900 now....

Amazon has it for that new. I was going to ask what differentiates from my Pepsi version I paid $178 for in 2015 but I see it costs similar now

[Bikeydany]

Yeah, that's a hefty price for a repair. At $625, you're nearing the cost of a new SKX007

[NYCfixie]

Originally Posted by Ozz

Watch Service Question: My Seiko diver was running a little slow, so took it in to have it checked out. Watch guy came back with it needing overhaul...new mainspring, gasket & crystal for $625. Does this sound about right?

I have had it for about 10 yrs....never had it serviced, and there are some scratches/chips in the crystal I was going to ask about...paid $200 new for it (Seiko Diver - SKX007 (Japan)). They look to be going for about $900 now....

The price for a new one is bit high but scarcity in the market for "new ones", covid, and more people interested in watches has caused all prices to go up.

That price for service is insane. Nobody repairs Seiko movements, you just replace them.

- A new sapphire crystal (that does not scratch like the original mineral crystal) is about $50 and $35 to install.
- A new crystal gasket is about $5 and $0 to install if you are already replacing the crystal.
- A new NH36/4r36 movement (better than the original 7s26 because it hand winds and hacks the seconds hand) is about $75 and $50 to install.
- A new caseback gasket is about $5 and $0 to install because it is no extra labor if you already open the watch to service the movement.

Contact one of the following to have them do the work (as they are both well known in the Seiko modder community):
http://www.newatchworks.com/home.html
https://lume-shot.com/

Originally Posted by Likes2ridefar

Amazon has it for that new. I was going to ask what differentiates from my Pepsi version I paid $178 for in 2015 but I see it costs similar now

SKX009/Pepsi New Old Stock costs a little less than an SKX007 but see the reasons above as to why they are so expensive now.

Originally Posted by Bikeydany

Yeah, that's a hefty price for a repair. At $625, you're nearing the cost of a new SKX007

Not quite but coming very close. See above.

[JedB]

Originally Posted by Ozz

Watch Service Question: My Seiko diver was running a little slow, so took it in to have it checked out. Watch guy came back with it needing overhaul...new mainspring, gasket & crystal for $625.

Does this sound about right?

I have had it for about 10 yrs....never had it serviced, and there are some scratches/chips in the crystal I was going to ask about...paid $200 new for it (Seiko Diver - SKX007 (Japan)). They look to be going for about $900 now....

I would suggest, as others that you get a new crystal and new movement.
The NH-36 movement is pretty reasonable. Crystal is about $50.

Crystals: https://usa.crystaltimes.net/product...hire-crystals/
Make sure you select the SKX007 version/option.

Movements: https://usa.crystaltimes.net/product...ory/movements/
NH36 is a direct replacement.

There's TWO watch repair schools in seattle:
https://northseattle.edu/programs/wa...logy-institute
http://www.norwestschoolofhorology.com/

Alternatively, you can use this guy to modify however you want:
https://fourfortyfourpm.com/
Nathan is great, his pricing is right on the site, and he can even source parts for you.

He did this whole watch for me with parts I supplied.
Highly recommend

[IJWS]

Nice save JedB and NYCFixie! I love it when Paceliners help each other out!

[Ozz]

Originally Posted by JedB

I would suggest, as others that you get a new crystal and new movement.
The NH-36 movement is pretty reasonable. Crystal is about $50.

Crystals: https://usa.crystaltimes.net/product...hire-crystals/
Make sure you select the SKX007 version/option.

Movements: https://usa.crystaltimes.net/product...ory/movements/
NH36 is a direct replacement.

There's TWO watch repair schools in seattle:
https://northseattle.edu/programs/wa...logy-institute
http://www.norwestschoolofhorology.com/

Alternatively, you can use this guy to modify however you want:
https://fourfortyfourpm.com/
Nathan is great, his pricing is right on the site, and he can even source parts for you.

He did this whole watch for me with parts I supplied.
Highly recommend

I am going with Nathan...he is going to do some mods for me as well as swap out the movement to the NH36...all in still about $175 less the the quote I got here locally!

I appreciate all the help from everyone!

Cheers!

[JedB]

Originally Posted by Ozz

I am going with Nathan...he is going to do some mods for me as well as swap out the movement to the NH36...all in still about $175 less the the quote I got here locally!

I appreciate all the help from everyone!

Cheers!

Please tell him Jed, whom he did 4x watches with custom date dials for, sent you his way.

Thank you,
Jed

[rice rocket]

Originally Posted by Ozz

Watch Service Question: My Seiko diver was running a little slow, so took it in to have it checked out. Watch guy came back with it needing overhaul...new mainspring, gasket & crystal for $625.

Does this sound about right?

I have had it for about 10 yrs....never had it serviced, and there are some scratches/chips in the crystal I was going to ask about...paid $200 new for it (Seiko Diver - SKX007 (Japan)). They look to be going for about $900 now....

I personally would just spend zero and just tinker w/ it until it was close.

[NYCfixie]

Originally Posted by IJWS

I just swapped my 42mm Pelagos for the 39mm version. I do really like it. Tudor is on a run right now!

I tried the 39mm Pelagos but thought it was too small for my almost 8" wrist.

When the FXD Blue was announced I was unimpressed. Then the FXD Black was announced and my AD had both so I checked them out side by side. In person I found the black to be boring but really liked the blue. It is a different blue than both the Pelagos 42mm Blue and the BB58 blue which is nice. I have so many "single pass" straps for the FXD at this point it is a bit silly.

Originally Posted by AngryScientist

I travel a bunch for work; which includes time zone changes, of course. In the good old days I’d just keep my watch on “home time” and do the conversion in my head.

Recently I’ve been wearing my Garmin since I’ve been running a lot. Turns out it auto adjusts somewhat randomly to time zone changes. I was in an airport connecting a couple of weeks ago and was oblivious of what the actual local time was as my watch was in between actual time zones.

Full stop. Back to wearing a trusty mechanical automatic watch this week on the road.

I work in tech and still have never been able to make the Apple Watch work (for me).

I purchased a new in 1994 Rolex Explorer II Polar 16570 40mm and had it for 25 years. For the first 15 years it was my only watch. I wore it everyday and it was great GMT watch for both business and personal travel. In 2019, someone offered me too much money for it so I sold it and purchased the newer Rolex Explorer II Polar 216570 42mm (see above in earlier post). Unfortunately, I never connected with the newer version and just sold it after about 5 years of ownership. I no longer travelling for business reasons and do not feel safe wearing a expensive and noticeable watch even for personal travel these days (watch crime keeps going up).

The other nail in the coffin, that was my 42mm Explorer II Polar, is that my father gave me his Tag Heur Carrera Twin Time which he no longer wears. I feel less worried about wearing it these days than I do wearing any Rolex.

[jimcav]

I always hesitate to click on watch threads, b/c I love watches and need to tamp down N+1 urges. it started in the 4th grade when my science project was a scale model of the "1st clock"-- based on a simple line sketch I saw in a book in the school library.

however, my dad was a child of the depression, so it was/is hard for me to spend X on certain things. I vividly remember coming home on leave from the navy and bringing my C40 with shamals, and him commenting on it being a good looking/purposeful looking bike, and then him being silent for at least 20 seconds after my answer on it costing about $2k. I managed to get over spending >X for bikes (mostly b/c I rode to work 4days/week for over 15 years), and now think I should have an X for watches that will mean 1 (ok maybe 3) watches.

To stay on a lower $x, I hunt for vintage stuff, mainly from my birth year, such as a Hamilton Military issue, Omega Dynamic, Hamilton Odyssee--so quite old, somewhat unique, and I like them.

If I had it to do over, I'd have not purchased most of the watches I have owned over the past 20+ years (most of which I no longer have), because I bought them because I couldn't bring myself to buy the watch I really wanted.

[ntb1001]

Originally Posted by NYCfixie

I think it depends and I am glad there are now more smaller and larger options. If shoes, shirts, pants, and other items come in multiple sizes to fit people of different sizes why not watches too?

As a person with a 7-3/4 wrist, most watches <39mm look silly on me. And, the stock leather/rubber/textile straps are never long enough. Bracelets often work for me because they usually come on sport/dive watches and tend to be longer.

I agree with this. I have the same problem. I bought the Rolex SeaDweller 43 last year and the size is perfect for me.




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