# 7A38_7270 History



## WRK (Jan 12, 2010)

Hello from across the pond!! I'm a brand new member to the forum and a watch lover to say the least! I've owned a couple Seiko watches for quite some time. One needs a major service and the other( my trusty 7A38) is in remarkable condition and keeps superb time! Noticeably better than my Swiss quartz Gevril. Are these watches actually of any real monetary value or more of the sentimental value as I feel? This watch seems quite sturdy. I'm also quite fascinated by the RAF connection with Seiko and if anyone can provide me with information sources on the Seiko/RAF relationship I'd be greatly appreciative! BTW anyone from Lakenheath or Sutton?? I lived there for several years! Haven't been back but most certainly will! Miss the sweets and the amazing gardens of England!! :thumbup: Not too keen on blood pudding however. :death:

Bill( Salt Lake City,Utah)


----------



## vamos666 (May 20, 2009)

Welcome to RLT! Enjoy your time here, there will be someone along in a bit to answer your 7A38 questions.

Until then, how about some pictures?

Oh, and it's 'Black Pudding' by the way!


----------



## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

vamos666 said:


> .... there will be someone along in a bit to answer your 7A38 questions.


Who ?? Me ??? :blush:

Welcome to RLT, Bill.


----------



## vamos666 (May 20, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> vamos666 said:
> 
> 
> > .... there will be someone along in a bit to answer your 7A38 questions.
> ...


I was going to quote your name but i thought it would be a bit cheeky! I thought you wouldn't hang around 'though!


----------



## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

WRK said:


> ... the other( my trusty 7A38) is in remarkable condition and keeps superb time!


Here's a photo of a couple of my 7A38-7270's (I've got a few more 7A38-727x's besides these):










The watch on the right is my original stainless black-faced 7A38-7270 which I've owned for 20+ years.

It hasn't been restored, and everything is as original, apart from the ....

battery which was last changed in October 2005.

It's still running on that same battery, and hasn't been adjusted for GMT / BST in that time.

It was syncronised with GMT a few days after the battery was changed ....

And now appears to have lost a total of 6 seconds in 4 years or so. :lookaround:

So I guess it's about time I gave it a proper service !! :blush:

The watch on the right is another similar 7A38-7270 which I bought on eBay for Â£50 in January last year.

The seller described it thus:



> VINTAGE SEIKO QUARTZ CHRONOGRAPH 7A38-7270
> 
> This auction is for a Seiko quartz chronograph watch for spares or repair only.
> 
> ...


I bought this with the original intention of breaking it up for spares for my original.

In fact, all that was wrong with it was sticky pushers, and one seized pusher switch lever.

I recently decided to give it a good clean up .... and at the same time, customize it slightly.

It's now fitted with a NOS black chrome bezel (off a 7A38-7180/-7290) and a NOS p/n Z337 bracelet.

Not original - and maybe sacrilige to some, but I like the way it looks. Maybe better than my original ?


----------



## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

WRK said:


> Are these watches actually of any real monetary value or more of the sentimental value as I feel?


You can still pick them up fairly cheaply on eBay, Bill.

I've bought quite a few NOS (new boxed) examples for less than $200.

The most I've seen them sell for is around $500 - but those were rarer 7A38 models.

Some of the 7A38 Diver's variants, and the mythical 7A38-701B 'Vulcan' command best prices.

They're grossly undervalued, IMHO. But I'm not complaining. Grabbing up as many as I can.


----------



## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

WRK said:


> I'm also quite fascinated by the RAF connection with Seiko and if anyone can provide me with information sources on the Seiko/RAF relationship I'd be greatly appreciative!


The pukka MOD issued Seiko quartz chronographs used by the RAF were the:

*7A28*-7120 (Generation 1) and *7T27*-7A20 (Generation 2). Try googling them, or searching eBay in the UK. (Loads of 'em).

There were NEVER any military issued Seiko 7A38's.

The myths that have grown up around the 7A38-701B 'RAF Vulcan' and more recently the 7A38-7070 ....

.... are IMHO based on circumstantial evidence / fabrication / wishful thinking on the owner / seller's part.

None of these watches have ever been found stamped with proper NSN numbers / issue dates or broad arrow markings.


----------



## DMP (Jun 6, 2008)

Welcome to the forum WRK, I've also had a long & happy relationship with a 7A38 (in my case, a 7029):


----------



## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

DMP said:


> .... I've also had a long & happy relationship with a 7A38 (in my case, a 7029)


Yeh .... it's gotta be all of 6 months with that one now, hasn't it Dave ? :huh:

About time you took some different photos of it. I've seen that one posted at least 6 times. :rofl:


----------



## WRK (Jan 12, 2010)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> WRK said:
> 
> 
> > ... the other( my trusty 7A38) is in remarkable condition and keeps superb time!
> ...


----------



## WRK (Jan 12, 2010)

WRK said:


> SEIKO7A38Fan said:
> 
> 
> > WRK said:
> ...


I do like the mods with the black bezel!! Nicely done! My watch is exactly like your unmodified example! All the buttons work perfectly and it is amazingly accurate! :thumbup: The crystal is scratched a bit after 20 years so I'm looking for a replacement. My other Seiko is a dress watch from about 1981. I bought it when I was in the Air Force. I'll dig it out of storage.It a rectangular faced digital analog model with a leather band that needs replacing. As I recall I paid around 245 dollars back then for it which was a fortune for me at the time! I've been meaning to get it restored. Do you know if Seiko offers a restoration service for older watches?? :doctor: Thanks!


----------



## WRK (Jan 12, 2010)

vamos666 said:


> Welcome to RLT! Enjoy your time here, there will be someone along in a bit to answer your 7A38 questions.
> 
> Until then, how about some pictures?
> 
> Oh, and it's 'Black Pudding' by the way!


Thank you! That's right! How could I forget a delicacy such as black pudding?? lol


----------



## WRK (Jan 12, 2010)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> WRK said:
> 
> 
> > I'm also quite fascinated by the RAF connection with Seiko and if anyone can provide me with information sources on the Seiko/RAF relationship I'd be greatly appreciative!
> ...


Thanks for the info! I thought it sounded odd that the proud RAF with all it's tradition and history would wear a Japanese watch of all things. :comando: So the Vulcan was actually more of a commemorative edition is that correct? :lookaround:


----------



## DMP (Jun 6, 2008)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> DMP said:
> 
> 
> > .... I've also had a long & happy relationship with a 7A38 (in my case, a 7029)
> ...


My relationship with the 7A38-7029 started when I bought one new in 1983. It was, unfortunately, stolen in 1990. I finally found another one 6 months ago. So "yeh", I have had a long and happy relationship with this model, just as I said. Am I entitled to some 7A38 cred and/or an opinion now? :huh:


----------



## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

WRK said:


> SEIKO7A38Fan said:
> 
> 
> > The pukka MOD issued Seiko quartz chronographs used by the RAF were the:
> ...


No, the RAF definately wore MOD-issued Seikos, but they were not 7A38's - see above.

The mythical 7A38-701B 'Vulcan' was a standard retail model available to the general public:










There's a few threads on RLT (and other watch fora) discussing the Seiko 7A38 'Vulcan' myth.

This is probably the most recent, and certainly the longest: http://www.thewatchforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=42608


----------



## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

WRK said:


> I do like the mods with the black bezel!! Nicely done!


Thanks, Bill.

It actually happened in two stages. I'd been debating whether to break the second 'beater' up for spares. I'd already robbed it's bracelet to use in restoring a silver-faced 7A38-727A. I was browsing eBay, and a certain UK seller who sometimes manages to get hold of NOS Seiko bracelets, and saw the Z337 bracelet. Liked it, and thought it might fit (which it did with a bit of tweaking) and match the watch's black face. Then later on I needed a stainless 7A38-727x bezel to restore a 7A38-727B (it gets complicated). So I robbed this watch again. But in the meantime, I'd done a little research into where the Z337 bracelet was originally used. It was on a Seiko 8223-704B. Then I happened to see one of those on eBay:










So this is where my inspiration came from, though it's been done on a few current Seiko models recently.



WRK said:


> The crystal is scratched a bit after 20 years so I'm looking for a replacement.


You should be able to get one from Jules Borel in Kansas.

IIRC, they stock it under an alternate Seiko part number: 310W62GN00


----------



## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

Sorry, Bill .... I missed replying to these parts of your post:



WRK said:


> As I recall I paid around 245 dollars back then for it which was a fortune for me at the time! I've been meaning to get it restored. Do you know if Seiko offers a restoration service for older watches?? :doctor: Thanks!


Only $245 ?? Sounds like you got yourself a real bargain at the time, Bill.

Most of the NOS 7A38's that I've come across Stateside have had price tags in the range $325 - $395 !

Seiko UK don't offer any such (cosmetic restoration) service, so I expect it's the same on your side of the pond.

There are certainly private individuals and small companies who would undertake such work ....

Suggest you try asking the same question on the Seiko / Citizen forum. (Google 'SCWF').


----------



## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> There are certainly private individuals and small companies who would undertake such work ....
> 
> Suggest you try asking the same question on the Seiko / Citizen forum. (Google 'SCWF').


Hint: Suggest it might be worth your following the thread started today (January 15th) at 12:33pm on SCWF. :thumbup:


----------

