# What Is It With These People ?



## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

As you probably gathered, I don't miss many (certainly watching, if not bidding on most) eBay auctions for Seiko 7A38's. :search:

From the number of hits these listings receive (sometimes in excess of 500 views), I suspect there are 'a few' like-minded collectors.

So it never ceases to amaze me when I see this sort of thing going on. 

A reasonable-looking but unremarkable 7A38-7070, on an incorrect aftermarket bracelet, was listed on eBay Germany last month.

See: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260815788215&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_500wt_950



> *Sammleruhr-SEIKO-Chronograph-SPORTS 100--Kal 7A38*


















































> *Aus Nachlass!!! Sammleruhr!!!!*
> 
> *
> *
> ...


The auction ended on 17th July, with an equally unremarkable winning bid of 112.11 Euros (approx. Â£98.73).

But something must have gone pear-shaped with the transaction, because it was subsequently re-listed:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260820693034#ht_500wt_950 .... and re-sold for *110 Euros*, as a Buy-it-Now on 19th July.


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> As you probably gathered, I don't miss many .... eBay auctions for Seiko 7A38's. :search:


I also browse most of the major European watch forums, fairly regularly, running searches on 7A38, at least once a week.

I came across this sales post on UhrForum.de yesterday: http://uhrforum.de/seiko-7a38-7070-chronograph-sports-100-a-t82415



> *"SEIKO 7A38-7070", Chronograph Sports 100*
> 
> Hallo Seiko-Freunde,
> 
> ...
















































As you can see, from the above selection on the would-be seller's photos, he has dismantled and cleaned it up a bit ....

But hasn't replaced the scratched crystal; neither has he sourced the correct original, nor even fitted a more 'correct-appearing' Seiko bracelet ....

Nor has he made any attempt to polish out any of the removal tool scratches from the case-back ....

If anything, it looks like he may have added to them. :butcher:


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

Not only that, but when the prat re-assembled (and first photographed) the watch, he managed to get the Tachymeter ring 180Â° out of alignment ....

(See first 2 photos in above post); It took prompting from fellow (Uhr)forum members to get him to correct its orientation:



> Hallo Seiko-Freunde,
> 
> als nachfolgendes Foto vom Werk entstand, wurde beim Einbau der
> 
> ...












It just amazes me, the cheek (maybe it's naivety) of some people. 

This is the third such example I've witnessed on UhrForum.de this year, incidentally.


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## Billtr96sn (Jun 15, 2011)

I am interested in getting a 7A38 one day. What are the 'tells' for a franken or similar?


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## Billtr96sn (Jun 15, 2011)

For example this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SEIKO-7A38-7190-its-original-box-/330600273421?pt=UK_Jewelery_Watches_Watches_MensWatches_GL&hash=item4cf94fd60d looks good to me but I dont like the white dial.


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

Billtr96sn said:


> I am interested in getting a 7A38 one day. What are the 'tells' for a franken or similar?


Unfortunately they're all too common, nowadays, Bill.  Usually they often simply just don't 'look quite right'. 

I've done my best to flag up any examples of 7A38 Frankens on eBay in this thread: Heads Up On Yet Another 7A38 Franken

There's another parallel thread on specifically on Franken 7A38 'Divers', besides: Heads Up On A 'Rare' 7A38 Diver On Ebay

Plenty of photos / examples in those two threads.

Half the 'art' of building any Franken is to make them look 'subtle' - or something like 'correct'.

Just for fun, I've nailed to gether a few 7A38 Frankens myself over the last year. :hammer:

See this other thread: A Few Of My Own 7A38 'Frankens' - Shock, Horror !

Were it not for the fact that I've documented them there, I guess they could fool a few people. :naughty:

Here's my own three examples of a 7A38-7070:










The left and centre are original and correct, as they left the factory ....

The right-hand one is a Franken, which I built myself, recently, fitted with the all-black 709L dial out of a 7A38-7080.


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

Billtr96sn said:


> For example this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SEIKO-7A38-7190-its-original-box-/330600273421?pt=UK_Jewelery_Watches_Watches_MensWatches_GL&hash=item4cf94fd60d looks good to me but I dont like the white dial.


That's a perfectly legitimate 7A38-7190, fitted with the correct 710L silvery-white dial.

The only real problem with it is the bracelet. It's (also) supplied with a non-original bracelet (as stated in the description).

But the original fitment Seiko p/n B1405S bracelet (shown in the first photo) is very short (due to adjustment links removed).

I asked the seller, and he replied that only 2 of the adjustment links remained (out of an original complement of 8, IIRC).


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## Billtr96sn (Jun 15, 2011)

I cannot see any difference in your Franken at all. Am I going blind?


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

Billtr96sn said:


> I cannot see any difference in your Franken at all. Am I going blind?


Yes. :blind: Look at the colours (all black, rather than contrasting dark grey) of the sub-dials, for one thing. :grin:

With apologies for delayed edit .... was just sniping a 7A38 on eBay. :naughty:

Also the (main) hands are slightly thicker on the Franken - they're off a 7A28-7040/-7049. Like I said 'subtle'. :wink2:


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## mel (Dec 6, 2006)

Billtr96sn said:


> I cannot see any difference in your Franken at all. *Am I going blind?*


You will if you don't stop! :lol: Ooops, I see you said "Franken" and *not* Wan**** 

I'm not sure I can see a difference, but then what do I know about Psycho's ? ? :lol:


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

Out of curiosity Paul, what's a fair price for one of these 7A38s? Not the frankens, assembled backwards or scratched like you have used them to file the bars of a prison cell...


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## Billtr96sn (Jun 15, 2011)

I see what you mean now, very subtle.

Are they easy to work on then? I ask as you seem to find a lot of Frankens around.


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

Kutusov said:


> Out of curiosity Paul, what's a fair price for one of these 7A38s?


Anything between $100 and $300 for one in nice condition, depending upon the desirability / comparitive rarity of the model.

But Renato, if, by 'one of these 7A38s', you specifically mean the 7A38-7070, which we were discussing above ....

then you should be able to pick up a nice example for around $250. The equivalent 7A28-7040/9's go up for around $300.

This is my third, which I bought off eBay UK in early July (it's the one in the centre of that group shot in post #6):










I paid Â£155 (approx. $254US) for that one - I only bought it because it had the different later style (narrow white) hands. :blush:


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

Billtr96sn said:


> Are they easy to work on then? I ask as you seem to find a lot of Frankens around.


Relatively so. As long as you don't try dismantling them beyond the train wheel bridge.

I've only ever taken a movement that far apart once (on a badly acid damaged movement). :sweatdrop:

It get's kinda complicated thereon in. See pages 6 and 7 of the Technical Manual: http://www.watchuseek.com/seikocitizen/SeikoTechnicalManuals/7A38A.pdf


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Anything between $100 and $300 for one in nice condition, depending upon the desirability / comparitive rarity of the model.
> 
> But Renato, if, by 'one of these 7A38s', you specifically mean the 7A38-7070, which we were discussing above ....
> 
> then you should be able to pick up a nice example for around $250. The equivalent 7A28-7040/9's go up for around $300.


Thanks!! :thumbsup: Maybe I should start learning this stuff, these are quite nice and I still don't own any Seiko (damn those SBDX001 are expensive...)


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

Kutusov said:


> SEIKO7A38Fan said:
> 
> 
> > Anything between $100 and $300 for one in nice condition, depending upon the desirability / comparitive rarity of the model.
> ...


Maybe you should have gone for that one I PM'd you, Renato. 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270800054715?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_500wt_950



> *Seiko Quartz Chronograph Sports 100*





















It may not have been in pristine condition, but it went for a bargain basement price of *only 54 Euros* (Approx. Â£47). 

I missed the end of the auction; was out to lunch - but, then again I didn't really need a 4th one of these anyway.


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> I came across this sales post on UhrForum.de yesterday: http://uhrforum.de/seiko-7a38-7070-chronograph-sports-100-a-t82415
> 
> 
> 
> ...





> ....... die Uhr ist reserviert, .......
> 
> GruÃŸ novalis


In the meantime, the ex-eBay one offered on UhrForum.de, marked up 60 Euros, with a wrong bracelet fitted is now OHPF. :groan:


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Maybe you should have gone for that one I PM'd you, Renato.


Oh bloody hell... :crybaby: :crybaby: :sadwalk: I obviously should have, all it needed after was a new bezel, the rest is well enough...

I had just ordered a VE Energia and was chasing after a digital watch so I though it wasn't a good timing to be bidding on one of those. Wrong move apparently...

Thanks anyway Paul :thumbsup:


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

Kutusov said:


> SEIKO7A38Fan said:
> 
> 
> > Maybe you should have gone for that one I PM'd you, Renato.
> ...


Thinking about it, I probably should have (auto)sniped it myself. :sadwalk:

I could have put it up FS on another forum for 100 Quid fast profit. :naughty:


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

This probably isn't the best titled (existing) '7A38' thread to post this in, but as the ....

subject is mostly the 7A38-7070 Sports 100 'Diver', I thought I'd make best (re)use of it. :tongue_ss:



SEIKO7A38 said:


> As you probably gathered, I don't miss many (certainly watching, if not bidding on most) eBay auctions for Seiko 7A38's. :search:
> 
> From the number of hits these listings receive (sometimes in excess of 500 views), I suspect there are 'a few' like-minded collectors.


I don't know if you're still looking for one of these, Renato 

But here's an example of what a well-listed half-decent specimen can fetch on eBay.

This auction (listed on eBay Germany, but with world-wide visibility), ended earlier this evening:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/330627375563?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_500wt_1076



> *Seiko Sports 100 Chronograph 7A38-7070 Super Zustand!*












Just that one small-ish photo. The description was all in German - so I won't bother to copy and paste it. :schmoll:

The listing still got *500* views, and the watch sold, after 40 bids for a strong *212.00 Euros* (Approx Â£184.75).



SEIKO7A38 said:


> Kutusov said:
> 
> 
> > Out of curiosity Paul, what's a fair price for one of these 7A38s?
> ...


That's equivalent to US *$294.64*.


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## Kutusov (Apr 19, 2010)

SEIKO7A38 said:


> I don't know if you're still looking for one of these, Renato
> 
> But here's an example of what a well-listed half-decent specimen can fetch on eBay.


I'm not and certainly not for such a price! I have another 3133 incoming and I think I have enough chronos already. My next (and first) Seiko is going to be a Marinemaster 300m (yeah, right...







).

Thanks for the update though! :thumbsup:


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