# Seiko SARB035 date change question?



## Scobarandbar (Jan 12, 2015)

Hello all.

Its been a year since I joined the forum so I guess it must be time for a question!

I have just bought a new SARB 0033 from an eBay seller (£209.99) at what I thought was a great price. It looked great and I was thrilled to bits when it arrived and quickly got a lovely leather brown Hirsch strap for it.

I then began wondering why the date didn't change at the first click of the winder (the time changed perfectly on the second click as normal)

I could only change the date by going through a full 24 hour wound cycle. Somethings wrong I thought.....

I have sent it back a couple of days ago and waiting for the refund but was wondering if I should purchase another one from the same dealer or go elsewhere. The watch looked to me to be perfectly genuine and included the Japanese instructions and tags etc, Is that too cheap for this watch and a potential fake?

Thanks for your help in advance.


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## bridgeman (Dec 9, 2008)

No expert on Seiko but,on some makes first pull date changes if turned anti-clockwise ,on others quick set date by turning hands back to 9 then forward to 2 or 3.on others but not Seiko by actually pushing in the crown..

and some indeed by going through the full 24 hours

no English instructions on the net? Just looked and sarb 0033/35 says has 6R15 movement where date set is first click pull and wind anti-clockwise towards you.


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## Guest (Jan 12, 2016)

if it doesn't change on the first click its probably the the date corrector wheel, its made of plastic and breaks easily if the date change is attempted on or around midnight, it is designed to break so as not to damage the movement or it could just be faulty :yes:


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## PC-Magician (Apr 29, 2013)

Sorry to hear that.

Bit surprised they didn't offer to replace the Watch.

I got mine from I think the same seller, and have no issues with it.

It is the genuine article I have no doubt about that, get another you have been very unlucky.

First click position to quickset the date, I can confirm that for sure.

The power reserve is indeed 50 hours I can confirm that as well.

I hope you get another, they are great Watches and look fantastic.

Just one thing the quickset date only changes in one direction, did you try turning both ways?


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## trackrat (Jan 23, 2012)

This video on you tube shows the date change at the first click.

Start the video at 40 seconds.


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## Scobarandbar (Jan 12, 2015)

You guys are great! Thank you so much for your quick responses. I had contacted the e bay company before sending it back and asked for a replacement but they just sent me the 'post it back for a refund' information.

I will see what they say once my money is repaid and ask them if it is possible for an inspection before I order another one.

As far as changing the date I was already aware that auto watches should not have the date changed a few hours on either side of midnight so I hope it was damaged before I got my hands.

The only thing I hope is that I tried winding it anti-clockwise to change the date!! I am sure I did but can't be 100%. (could be embarrassing) The video seems to show that way rather than the clockwise change...

Anyway, I have to say the watch is an absolute cracker and it looks very classy especially on a leather strap. The steel bracelet IMO is not too bad but I think it is better on leather. I suppose for a couple of hundred pounds you can't complain in any way and I definitely want another whatever happens.


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## PC-Magician (Apr 29, 2013)

Scobarandbar said:


> You guys are great! Thank you so much for your quick responses. I had contacted the e bay company before sending it back and asked for a replacement but they just sent me the 'post it back for a refund' information.
> 
> I will see what they say once my money is repaid and ask them if it is possible for an inspection before I order another one.
> 
> ...


 Please let us all know when you got the matter resolved, they are super Watches and as you say very classy.


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## Scobarandbar (Jan 12, 2015)

PC-Magician said:


> Please let us all know when you got the matter resolved, they are super Watches and as you say very classy.


 I will do. Posted it out on Saturday so it may be a day or two before I hear from them.

By the way the steel bracelet was a pig to get off. I had to wreck he pins as the springs in them were very stiff. I bought a box of new pins which were much easier to get the leather one on (I then had put the steel one back on to send it back!)

Thanks again


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## IAmATeaf (Dec 4, 2011)

So when trying to quick set the date did you turn the crown both ways and nothing happened? I've screwed up the plastic date change wheel before but in a 72S6x movement, would hope that the movement in the SARB would be a bit more robust?


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## Scobarandbar (Jan 12, 2015)

IAmATeaf said:


> So when trying to quick set the date did you turn the crown both ways and nothing happened? I've screwed up the plastic date change wheel before but in a 72S6x movement, would hope that the movement in the SARB would be a bit more robust?


 Hello all

As I had said IAmATeaf I think I had turned it both ways but nothing had happened. From day one this was the case and as it was a new purchase I didn't want to mess about with it as the Ebay company may have refused a refund if I had the back off the watch.

On another note just to let you all know I had to send quite a few messages and emails to the company concerned asking them why they had not replied and it got to the point last night when I decided it was time to open a case with ebay

"Oddly enough" I was given a full refund to my paypal account today!

I am not sure why they had not got back sooner but the price they had offered the watch for was amazing and I had not seen anything better elsewhere. I don't know how they did it but it was despatched from the UK yet it is a Japenese domestic market watch!

I am now on the lookout to replace it but I am unsure whether to use them again or use someone else? It was £210.00


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## reggie747 (Sep 10, 2013)

Scobarandbar said:


> I am now on the lookout to replace it but I am unsure whether to use them again or use someone else? It was £210.00


 I'd use them again. The chances of you getting another lemon are pretty remote I think...


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## Thimo2 (Mar 6, 2019)

Hi, I've got a Sarb 033, are you saying that you only turn the winder clockwise to change the date? I've changed the date but didn't pay any attention to what I was doing. I bought my sarb from Seiya for £230 and paid about £40 odd customs, I reckon that this seller must be avoiding import tax (not suggesting anything illegal). Seiya gave me the peace of mind that I wouldn't have any after sales problems. It's a lovely watch, I think you'll have no problems with reordering, sound like you were just unlucky.


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## Scobarandbar (Jan 12, 2015)

reggie747 said:


> I'd use them again. The chances of you getting another lemon are pretty remote I think...


 Thanks. I have just ordered another one which has now arrived and date changes are working fine. Thanks reggie747



Thimo said:


> Hi, I've got a Sarb 033, are you saying that you only turn the winder clockwise to change the date? I've changed the date but didn't pay any attention to what I was doing. I bought my sarb from Seiya for £230 and paid about £40 odd customs, I reckon that this seller must be avoiding import tax (not suggesting anything illegal). Seiya gave me the peace of mind that I wouldn't have any after sales problems. It's a lovely watch, I think you'll have no problems with reordering, sound like you were just unlucky.


 Hi Thimo.

I just went and ordered the same watch off ebay. It is all fine and date changes as it should. ANTICLOCKWISE. I find it hard to understand how they can sell it for this price and they must get through paying duties as it is shipped from UK.

Does anybody know on either side of the 12-00am 'date change time' you are not allowed to change the date as the gears for changing the date are in action?

I am very pleased to say the least and it looks great on a 20mm dark brown Hirsch buffalo strap


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## IAmATeaf (Dec 4, 2011)

I would say 3 hours before and after 12 when the date would change but I always set my watches to 6 o'clock before I quick set the date, always.


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## Guest (Jan 29, 2016)

IAmATeaf said:


> I would say 3 hours before and after 12 when the date would change but I always set my watches to 6 o'clock before I quick set the date, always.


 some say 9pm to 9am to be on the safe side :yes:


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## Scobarandbar (Jan 12, 2015)

Bruce said:


> some say 9pm to 9am to be on the safe side :yes:


 Thanks. This may be a daft question but can you just turn the hands to 6pm, click the winder in and change the date pull the winder out again and then reset the time or do you have to physically wait for the time to be right to change the date?


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## Guest (Jan 29, 2016)

Scobarandbar said:


> Thanks. This may be a daft question but can you just turn the hands to 6pm, click the winder in and change the date pull the winder out again and then reset the time or do you have to physically wait for the time to be right to change the date?


 what i do, and its a habit more than anything, i will turn the hands until the date changes [regardless of date] and if it was say 2pm, i would turn the hand till then and then adjust to the right date, that way you know you have completed a 24 hr cycle and you are away from the " danger zone" ..hope that helps


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## hughlle (Aug 23, 2015)

I'm the same. I wind until it changes the date, continue winding a bit, and then set it. Such a small thing, but it infuriates me on those rare occasions where i simply change the date, to realise i'm 12 hours fast and the date changes at noon/i have to then go all the way through the month.


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## IAmATeaf (Dec 4, 2011)

I do something similar in that I will wind the hands until it does a date change, then wind past to the 6 o'clock position, then quick set the date and then finally set the time.


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## Guest (Jan 29, 2016)

IAmATeaf said:


> I do something similar in that I will wind the hands until it does a date change, then wind past to the 6 o'clock position, then quick set the date and then finally set the time.


 i think this applies to all watches , not just Seiko, i certainly treat all the same, not worth the risk not doing it IMO


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## Scobarandbar (Jan 12, 2015)

IAmATeaf said:


> I do something similar in that I will wind the hands until it does a date change, then wind past to the 6 o'clock position, then quick set the date and then finally set the time.


 Thanks. It makes perfect sense to do it that way really. More importantly for me it is easy to remember as well!

Now to get me a photo storage site so I can post some pics.....


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