# 7A38 Into 7A34 Will Go ....



## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

Those of you, like me, who have browsed older threads on the old SCWF may also have come across the question:

Is it possible to fit 7A38 or 7A48 movements into a 7A28 watch case ? :hammer:

General concensus seems to be that it isn't, because of their slightly different movement heights. :thumbsdown:

Although I haven't tried it myself, personally, I'm still open-minded to the possibilty. 

If you compare, say the 7A28-702x range with the 7A38-706x range, their watch cases look so similar.

I reckon that by careful selection and possibly with a little judicious milling :butcher: ....

to the underside of the Tachymeter dial ring spacers, it *might* just be do-able.

Funny thing is, nobody seems to have ever asked the same question about the unloved 7A34. 

Indeed, noted 7Axx collector, Hung Pham wrote here: http://members.cox.net/watches-1/7A34_7019.html



> The 7A34 models are not as popular as the other 7Axx models.
> 
> They're too dressy, and the date window at "12" is poorly placed because it's obstructed by the center chrono hand.












So - why not 'move' the date window, and 'undress' them a little ? :naughty:


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

There was a short thread about 7A34's in this section fairly recently: http://www.thewatchforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=53877

There aren't that many variants of 7A34 to choose from - basically just two watch case styles:

There's the 7A34-7000, which came either in two-tone (stainless and gold), or all-over gold plated.

Bit of a strange looking dial, with an ox-bow shaped date window running between 10 and 2 o'clock:










.... but other than the slightly odd pusher / surround treatment, otherwise quite conventional looking (if a tad dressy).

More photos (from the same source) here: http://uaf13892.ddns.uark.edu/jgauch/photos/watches/chrono_quartz/7A34-7000/index.html

Probably a decent size too, because according to Seiko's parts lists, it uses a 31.0mm Ã˜ crystal - like many 7A38's.

There's a nice example currently listed on eBay in the UK - item # 220671139576.

The seller originally had it up as a Buy-it-Now for Â£200+, IIRC - wishful thinking. 

Whatever it goes for, it's still too nice for what I've got planned for my '7A34' project. :butcher:


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> There aren't that many variants of 7A34 to choose from - basically just two watch case styles:
> 
> There's the 7A34-7000, which came either in two-tone (stainless and gold), or all-over gold plated.


Then there's the 7A34-7010/-7019 range.

Most commonly seen is the two-tone stainless 7A38-7010/-7019.

Even available to this day, as 'New Old Stock' from chronograph.com:










Shows how unpopular they must have been, in their day, if there's still unsold stock kicking around. 

Also came in all-over gold-plated finish, there was one for sale on SCWF in May. Went for only $69:










The rarest finish variant of the 7A34-701x sub-species being the Gunmetal and Gold two-tone version:










.... which has a slightly different (read odder-looking) dial to the other two 7A34-7010/-7019 models.

These are a little on the smaller side - watch case is only 37.5mm diameter, with a 28.5mm Ã˜ slightly domed crystal.


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> .... because according to Seiko's parts lists, it uses a 31.0mm Ã˜ crystal - like many 7A38's.


In fact, the 7A34(A) and 7A38(A) - (a.k.a. U7A3430A and U7A3820A) movements have a lot in common. :friends:

I've run a comparison between the bills of material / parts lists between the two ....

They share exactly the same part numbers: circuit board; coils, gear train, etc., etc.

The only differences being in the few component parts used for the date versus day/date complication.

So a cheap 7A34 running 'beater' could be an ideal movement spare parts donor for a sickly 7A38. :hammer:

But *so far*, into my little 7A34 modding project, no working 7A34's have been sacrificed - *yet*. :butcher:


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> But *so far*, into my little 7A34 modding project, no working 7A34's have been sacrificed - *yet*. :butcher:


That's because I picked up a two-tone 7A34-7019 sample case off eBay in the US a couple of weeks ago:




























It only came with half a bracelet, and unfortunately it's an odd 16mm lug fitting, so nothing much else will fit.

So if anyone's got a half a half-decent 7A34-701x bracelet kicking around (Seiko p/n G1312C or Z1453C) ....

.... I'd be grateful. :cheers: .... Otherwise I may have to buy another 7A34-701x to break up for parts. :naughty:

It arrived today, and looks in 10x better condition than the seller's dull-ish eBay listing photos.









There was some light scuffing to the bezel and bracelet's plated sections, but it's buffed up nicely. 

Funnily enough, it came from that same St. Louis based watch dealer who supplied my 7A38-6109 sample case:










Notice anything these two dials have in common ? :umnik2:

Well, if you do, that's what gave me this next idea.


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

In the meantime, as a by-product of knocking up another '7A38 Franken' :hammer: ....

It just so happened that I had a complete 7A38-7289/-728A 'White Roman' dial face and movement 'going spare'. :think:

Not a surprise, really - it slotted straight into the 7A34-7109 sample case and everything aligned perfectly first time. :thumbsup:










The more observant of you may have noticed that I've used a 7A38 crown rather than the smaller 7A34 crown. :umnik2:

No particular reason - just that I happened to have a crown and stem made up already that were the right length. 

Whereas it looks quite a good match for the watch-case, that particular 7A38-7289 7240 dial face won't be staying ....










It's not the best. 

Note the gold painted rings around the subdials appear to be receding .... and the slightly blurred sub-dial printing.

I'd suspect that this dial / movement may have been 'dunked' (in Horolode ?) by a previous watch-botcher / owner. :butcher:


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> It only came with half a bracelet, and unfortunately it's an odd 16mm lug fitting, so nothing much else will fit.
> 
> So if anyone's got a half a half-decent 7A34-701x bracelet kicking around (Seiko p/n G1312C or Z1453C) ....
> 
> .... I'd be grateful. :cheers: .... Otherwise I may have to buy another 7A34-701x to break up for parts. :naughty:


In case any of you were wondering (or cared ) what became of this project ....

.... and I bet some were thinking to themselves, where the heck is he ever going to find another (Â½) bracelet. :lookaround:

I'm pleased to say this little 7A34/7A38 'Franken' project of mine has taken another step towards completion. 

The 7A34-7019 (US model) sample case only came with half a bracelet - Seiko p/n Z1453C.

I'd checked through Seiko's bills of materials / parts list, back in September, and found that ....

the 7A34-7010 (European model) used a different p/n bracelet - G1312C. Odd, I thought, at the time. 

Anyway, I set up saved favourite searches on my eBay page on both part numbers - just in case. 

And last week - Bingo ! :yahoo: See: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380311415004

The seller described it as '15mm' (as opposed to the correct 16mm fitting), but included the p/n G1312C in his description.

Couple of the seller's eBay listing photos for now:



















Needs the slightest bit of buffing on a few of the gold plated link sections, otherwise it's N.O.S., as the seller described. :thumbsup:

As far as I can see, the (rather odd) fitment to the ends of the 7A34-7019 watch-case are identical.


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Then there's the 7A34-7010/-7019 range.
> 
> Most commonly seen is the two-tone stainless 7A38-7010/-7019 ....
> 
> Also came in all-over gold-plated finish, there was one for sale on SCWF in May. Went for only $69:


There was another gold-plated 7A34-7010 on eBay last month - in quite nice condition too.

See: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130477156946










Only 3 bids placed - selling for only $58.50. 

And *No* :no: - I'm *not* about to start collecting 7A34's. :grin:


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## watchking1 (Nov 14, 2007)

Patience and being in the right place at the right time !!

Bravo :thumbup:


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> In case any of you were wondering (or cared ) what became of this project ....


I did eventually manage to get it finished earlier today. :hammer:

Just shows you how far behind I am with some of my projects. :blush:



SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Whereas it looks quite a good match for the watch-case, that particular 7A38-7289 7240 dial face won't be staying ....


Having bought the 7A34-7019 sample case in September last year, I already knew exactly what I was going to fit in it.

What had first temporarily stalled the project (for a good few months) was the lack of the other half of the bracelet.

Because, back in October last year, I'd bought another (second) 7A38-6109 sample case from '49Ronnie' on eBay:












SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Notice anything these two dials have in common ? :umnik2: Well, if you do, that's what gave me this next idea.


Once removed from their respective sample cases, the layout and construction of the two dials is very similar.

Left: Creamy coloured 7A34-7019 701O dial; Right: Pure White 7A38-6109 609L dial.










Can't remember if (or whether) I might have posted this photo before, in another thread, but ....

If you've never seen inside a sample case, before, here's what they look like on the underside:










The hands are held in place by dummy posts, which are taped on, through the back of the dial plate.

You simply pull off the hands (as with a normal movement) and carefully peel off the bits of tape:










7A38-6109 609L dial and hands installed onto a spare rebuilt 7A38 movement:










The 7A34-7019's dial ring spacer is a perfect drop-on fit onto this 7A38 dial ....

unlike some of my other 7A38 Frankens, where I've had to resort to modifying them. :butcher:


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## SEIKO7A38 (Feb 12, 2009)

watchking1 said:


> Patience ....


You could say that, Skip. 

A few Q&D's that I rattled off this afternoon







- some 9 months of gestation later. :blush:














































Conclusions ? :lookaround:

Not sure about having 'CHRONOGRAPH' on the bezel, as well as the (7A38) dial face script. 

It's still a bit on the dressy side, too. But at least the (Day) Date window is in the right place now ! :grin:


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