# My Old Seiko Chrono. Bin It, Or Rescue It?



## Johnny_E

The first watch I bought for myself was a black faced Seiko Chronograph - I think it was 1989. I wore it daily but eventually the bracelet gave up. The only thing I could find back then was a cheapo folded steel bracelet which is utter junk.

Asides from this - its a bit sick. Firstly, the second hand on the chrono slipped by 1 second. It didnt quite reset to 12 if you understand what I mean. And now on checking it, the crown is no longer turning the main hands.

So, being new to the world of services etc - what kind of money does a Seiko repair generally cost? Do you think that a Â£99 watch (in 1989) is worth saving and who does this kind of work?

Theres sentiment attached to the watch and I'd like to see it running again (with a proper bracelet back on) but it all depends on the money.

Any thoughts appreciated...


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## chris l

I should send it either to our host for an opinion and an estimate, or to Steve Burrage, for the same.

It's well worth having serviced, and cost effective; it was and is, a damn good watch, and you'll get a buzz wearing it again!

You could look on t'bay for an original bracelet of the right era. A good modern one wouldn't be dear, have a look on the RLT sales pages.

Do you have a picture? Front and back, and one of the innards?

Love to see them.


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## Johnny_E

I'll take some close up shots in daylight tomorrow. I truly adored that watch - and thought I was great in my late teens when I wore it.

If it can be saved - I'd like to.


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## SEIKO7A38

1989 you say - and a black-faced Seiko 'chronograph'. A 3-register quartz chronograph possibly ? :huh:

What are the calibre / model numbers stamped on the caseback ?

If it's a 7A38-xxxx (-7270?) then it's worth saving - and I *may* be able to help you. 

If it's a 7T32-xxxx (-6Axx maybe), then unless it's one with a rarer dial face, probably not worth saving.


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## bry1975

Sounds like the slipped seconds hand simply needs resetting!

Regs

Bry


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## SEIKO7A38

bry1975 said:


> Johnny_E said:
> 
> 
> 
> And now on checking it, the crown is no longer turning the main hands.
> 
> 
> 
> Sounds like the slipped seconds hand simply needs resetting!
Click to expand...

And a broken crown stem replacing maybe ?


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## Johnny_E

OK.. model numbers..

990969 is the serial number and its a 7T32-6A5A :thumbsdown:

3 sub dials - top is mins, 9 o clock dial is secs, 6 o clock dial is the alarm. The case and crystal are pretty much as new. 95% I'd say.


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## SEIKO7A38

So your watch used to look something like this ?










Not a particularly rare 7T32, but if it has sentimental value, it's entirely up to you, whether you spend money getting it fixed up.

To give you some idea what it might be worth, you might want to watch eBay item # 120496734703.

It's a slightly later 7T32-6A0A, and in less desireable gold tone, but the nearest I could find quickly.


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## SEIKO7A38

You might also be interested in eBay item # 220514679780 - as a spares donor for yours. Same watch ?


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## Johnny_E

That's the one alright. I was looking at bracelets and Â£20-25 will source a genuine one. I'm guessing a repair will cost at least Â£50? Are new parts expensive or is it well worth buying that one above for spares? The main crown seems completely disconnected on mine.

I think I will pop off a few emails for a quote. I tried the watch on last night and it's really nice on the wrist. It's my first watch after all and for me, worth it.


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## SEIKO7A38

Suggest you read this earlier thread from 2007:

http://www.thewatchforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=22197

Lots of helpful information in there. Good luck with it.


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## Johnny_E

Thanks for the link. I will take some pics when I get home from work. Meanwhile, I've sent an email off this morning to Ryte Time to see what he reckons it will cost to do.


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> 1989 you say - and a black-faced Seiko 'chronograph'. A 3-register quartz chronograph possibly ? :huh:
> 
> If it's a 7T32-xxxx (-6Axx maybe), *then unless it's one with a rarer dial face*, probably not worth saving.


When I wrote that in my earlier post, this is what I was thinking about:










This is the alternative black dial face found on a rarer version of the 7T32-6A5A.

I had one of these attractive versions pass through my hands a couple of months ago.

I was tempted to hang onto it, but the overall 37mm diameter was a bit small for my tastes.

I prefer my chronos to be just slightly bigger - in the 38mm - 40mm Ã˜ range, ideally.

You might want to consider fitting yours on a plain black calf leather *19mm* strap.

This other 7T32-6A5A black-faced version looked kinda 'military-ish' to my eye ....

Do I hear shouts of "Stick it on a NATO" ?? :huh:  :rofl:


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## Johnny_E

Funny... but I was thinking Bond Nato earlier when I tried it on again. Well, heres some pics:

The case is in decent nick. Looks really mint - but under the flash of my DSLR theres hairline marks abound!










Took the crappy bracelet off. Its actually the top dial (minutes) that is showing as not resetting correctly.



















And what it looks like on the wrist with the ill fitting oyster style bracelet










1st estimate is back... Â£75 is the ballpark figure. In fairness, I guess it will take a fair time to work at if its being fully serviced.

In surfing about today, I noticed (the official vintage Seiko repairer?). Anyone used them for Seiko repairs?


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## gaz64

Glad you've decided to sort it I bought an M4 accutron from keitht and it cost me double the purchase price to have it serviced and repaired but it's worthwhile and more so if you have an attachment to the watch.

Mine purchase service and a new python strap weighed in At Â£200 strictly speaking the watch ain't worth it however it was to me


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## Johnny_E

Thing is gaz.. I've had this watch exactly 20 years! Thats only Â£3.75 a year running costs if you see my angle for justifying this :derisive:

Just hope it can be fixed. Waiting on 1 more quote and then off it goes in the post...


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## SEIKO7A38

Johnny_E said:


> (the official vintage Seiko repairer?). Anyone used them for Seiko repairs?


A quote from their own website:



> We Specialise in Mechanical Chronographs, Bell-Matics and World Time watches.


Which roughly translated (and from my brief experience in dealing with them), means ....

They know b*gger all about 7A38's (and probably care less about 7T32's) - and aren't interested in Quartz watches.

Trust me - save yourself the cost of a wasted phone call. :thumbsdown:


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## Paulus

Interesting thread Johnny

I've got a non-working 7T32, this ones the -7D80, black dial in bimetal, mostly ss with some "gold". It seems to be pretty rare (can't find any images and only a few hits from german and japanese sites)

I've had it about 20 years (dated jan 87) and it has some sentimental value as it was a replacement of an original seiko chrono from my grandfather's collection after he died (sadly I missed out on the 18K rolex datejust!). I've a feeling I lost out on the replacement deal as well as I suspect the original was a much more collectable piece.

Not sure I can bring myself to spend Â£75 to get it working, partly because it's not as much to my taste as yours is

Hope you get many more years satisfaction out of it


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## Johnny_E

Well - 1 week later and we;re making progress.

Thanks to seiko7a38fan's link, I bagged a similar chrono for spares. Got it for Â£2 and the crown works 100%, so thats promising. Got them all wrapped up and they head off later by RMSD to Steve Burrage. Fingers crossed its fixable.

Some pics..

Mine on the left, the spares watch on the right










And flipped over to show the innards










Close up of the spares watch










I've held off on buying a strap until I hear back from Steve as to whether or not it can be repaired. I'm leaning towards sourcing a genuine Seiko Oyster one. Wheres the best place to find them? Failing that, I'll try a NATO. Never really worn anything except steel, so not sure despite their apparent popularity.


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## SEIKO7A38

Johnny_E said:


> Thanks to seiko7a38fan's link, I bagged a similar chrono for spares. Got it for Â£2 ....


Glad to see you got it. 



Johnny_E said:


> I've held off on buying a strap until I hear back from Steve as to whether or not it can be repaired. I'm leaning towards sourcing a genuine Seiko Oyster one. Wheres the best place to find them?


Try searching eBay WORLDWIDE on Seiko 19mm (your watch's lug width) and you'll find a few suitable - though I'm pretty sure those from the Far East won't be genuine Seiko. You could try setting up a saved favourite eBay search on Seiko Z1506* - in case a genuine original band for your watch ever came up (it might be described as Z1506J or Z1506-E). Alternatively you could buy a 20mm solid link oyster bracelet, and carefully narrow the lug end covers to fit your watch.


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## SEIKO7A38

Johnny_E said:


> Failing that, I'll try a NATO. Never really worn anything except steel, so not sure despite their apparent popularity.


Why try something as tacky as a NATO ? :bad: This isn't a military watch, and doesn't look much like one. 

IMHO, it would look far classier on a nice quality lightly padded black leather strap


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## Johnny_E

How does ebay item 230369096033 look to you?.... would have like solid links but this looks like folded steel?


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## SEIKO7A38

Johnny_E said:


> How does ebay item 230369096033 look to you?.... would have like solid links but this looks like folded steel?


Scott's (T of P) stuff is always top notch - but he's not the cheapest.

I've bought a couple of 7A38 NOS bands off him, in the past.

Not sure what that bracelet's originally off.

With that style of longer SQ clasp, it's probably something from early 80's.

Not 7A38 for certain - or something similar looking to a 7A38-7020 (but slightly narrower)

See: http://members.cox.net/watches-3/7A28_7020.html

Should look pretty nice on your 7T32, either way.

Edit: There is one thing to consider. That bracelet's last link sections are the same width as the end pieces. You might want to consider looking for a 19mm lug fitting bracelet with a widest link width that matches the overall width of your watch's lugs ? I guess that'd be around 23mm.


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Not 7A38 for certain - or something similar looking to a *7A38-7020* (but slightly narrower)
> 
> See: http://members.cox.net/watches-3/7A28_7020.html


Got timed out on the editing window.

That should of course read 7A*2*8-7020.


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## SEIKO7A38

Darned nuisance, not being able to PM you this stuff, Johnny. :angry:

Check out eBay # 290378693172.


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## Johnny_E

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Darned nuisance, not being able to PM you this stuff, Johnny. :angry:
> 
> Check out eBay # 290378693172.


Tis a nuisance indeed... but necessary to weed out those who just wanna off load a watch on here I guess. Thats mine indeed - will watch that with interest. Cant see it being as rare as he makes out mind you.

Once I hear back that the watch is fixable (it arrives with Steve today) I'll email T of P to see that this one will fit ok - its the right width, but what about the curvature.


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## SEIKO7A38

Johnny_E said:


> .... it's the right width, but what about the curvature.


To get a decent fit, you may need to slightly alter the radius of the inner curve of the end pieces, by carefully filing / sanding - and for that matter, possibly squeeze them down a bit, to achieve the same correct profile to match the watch lugs. It's fiddly, but relatively easy to do. I've done one myself recently (fitting a non-standard older Seiko bracelet) on a 7A38-7260, which has similar shallow lugs. If I get time, I'll post photos later.


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## jasonm

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Darned nuisance, not being able to PM you this stuff, Johnny. :angry:
> 
> Check out eBay # 290378693172.


You could always post a email address.....


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> To get a decent fit, you may need to slightly alter the radius of the inner curve of the end pieces, by carefully filing / sanding - and for that matter, possibly squeeze them down a bit, to achieve the same correct profile to match the watch lugs. It's fiddly, but relatively easy to do. I've done one myself recently (fitting a non-standard older Seiko bracelet) on a 7A38-7260, which has similar shallow lugs. If I get time, I'll post photos later.


O.K. itâ€™s â€˜laterâ€™ â€" there goes my lunch break ! Excuse the crappy photos, but light wasnâ€™t very good.



SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> There is one thing to consider. That bracelet's last link sections are the same width as the end pieces. You might want to consider looking for a 19mm lug fitting bracelet with a widest link width that matches the overall width of your watch's lugs ?


This is what I was trying to explain ....










The watch on the left is a 7A38-7240, fitted with its original and correct G1285C two-tone bracelet.

Itâ€™s on a 20mm lug width fitting, and a pretty crappy one at that (IMHO). The Seiko end piece adaptors are very ill fitting, and the braceletâ€™s method of attachment to the spring bars is best described as tenuous. When these (rarely) come up on eBay, youâ€™ll usually see them fitted with the wrong bracelet. Now Iâ€™ve obtained an original, I think I understand why so many ended up fitted with something else !

Iâ€™ve got â€˜a fewâ€™ 7A38-7260â€™s (basically the same watch case as the 7A38-7240), and most of them are fitted with leather straps. I picked up a second silver-grey faced two-tone on eBay â€" the watch on the right, fitted with a two-tone Speidel (18mm !!) expansion bracelet, which I used on another 7A38 project. A few months prior, I â€˜d bought (purely â€˜on specâ€™) a NOS two-tone stainless Seiko Z1623 bracelet. It had 20mm curved end pieces, but was obviously designed for a smaller diameter watch (than a 7A38). It was also slightly wider â€" 22mm at the maximum width of the first links. I offered it up to the 7A38-7260, and thought it might work. Thatâ€™s it on the right hand side of the photo above, and below:










As you can see, the extra 2mm width of the bracelet helps it blend quite nicely into the line of the watch lugs.

The re-shaping of the end pieces took me ages, but Iâ€™m very pleased with the result. The end-piece fit is actually a lot better than it appears in my photo, and far far better than on the Seiko 7A38-7240.

What I used (mostly) to re-shape the end pieces was this â€" a 30mm Â½" drive socket, wrapped with 400 grade wet and dry â€" twisting it gently back and forwards, and continually offering the end-pieces up to the watch case. It was quite interesting, too, because the 7A38-726x watch case isnâ€™t a constant radius â€" itâ€™s slightly oval !










I also had to relieve the tabs on the back of the end-pieces â€" quite a lot â€" to clear the back of the watch case, and also to allow the end pieces to fit deeper into the lug recesses, so that the spring bars would line up properly.

I ground these off using a Dremel moto-tool, and a cut-off wheel.










Food for thought ?


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Food for thought ?


More food for thought (for you) â€¦.

Donâ€™t dismiss the idea of a black leather strap (as opposed to a stainless bracelet) for your 7T32.

When I wrote this ....



SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> IMHO, it would look far classier on a nice quality lightly padded black leather strap (before PGTips edited it)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> (NOT a linked image)


.... I was actually thinking of a couple of (other) 7A38â€™s in my collection:










Theyâ€™re both 7A38-706Aâ€™s. Their dial faces arenâ€™t actually black, but the deepest shade of navy blue.

The watch on the left is fitted with the correct original Seiko G1105S stainless bracelet.

That on the right is fitted with a *very* dark navy blue padded Condor 20mm calf leather strap.

It may not be original or correct, but I know which looks more pleasing to my eye â€" the leather strap !

Incidentally, it took me a while to find one that was a deep enough shade of dark blue to match the dial.

This is what it looked like on the sellerâ€™s website (not a linked image) â€" a much lighter shade of blue:










Should you decide to go with the leather strap option, black will be a LOT easier to match.

If you want a direct link to that particular 19mm black strap â€" give me your email address.


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## Johnny_E

I have to say - I prefer the look on the modified bracelet - it seems to blend so much nicer with that watch. I've got a Dremmel so this is definitely an option. Once I get to the stage of buying, I'll post up a few URLs to see which you think will do the best job.

One thing I do want to avoid is a cheap feeling bracelet. The cheapie one I had on it is terrible. I binned it last week. So tinny.


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## SEIKO7A38

Johnny_E said:


> I have to say - I prefer the look on the modified bracelet - it seems to blend so much nicer with that watch. I've got a Dremmel so this is definitely an option. Once I get to the stage of buying, I'll post up a few URLs to see which you think will do the best job.
> 
> One thing I do want to avoid is a cheap feeling bracelet. The cheapie one I had on it is terrible. I binned it last week. So tinny.


Pity you didn't keep the lug end covers from your original Seiko bracelet ....

They would have made fitting a lot easier. Most bracelets use a 9-10mm centre link fixing.


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## jezz59

Hi, anything with sentimental value is worth resurecting, especialy a chronograph , I bet I know what would set that off if it proves difficult to get a decent bracelet for it, a tan Hirsch liberty! all the best anyway.


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## Johnny_E

@seiko7a38fan: I know... I should've kept those end pieces. The watch has been a non runner for over 10 years, so they're long gone.

@jez59: A tan Hirsch liberty? Well... its becoming my catch phrase.. I'm off to Google.

Oh... and a bit of REALLY good news just arrived in my inbox. Steve says its going to be fixable :clapping: Mine and the spare one I sent have the same problem - the plastic teeth on the minute and hour wheels are stripped. Must be a common failure point.

REALLY pleased bout this... my old chrono will live again. YES!!

Time to start homing in on a strap/bracelet. Yeah... off to Google again :taunt:


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## SEIKO7A38

Johnny_E said:


> Mine and the spare one I sent have the same problem - the *plastic teeth* on the minute and hour wheels are stripped. Must be a common failure point.


Yup - very common problem with 7T32's. 

That's (at least) one area where the 7A38's are far better - they have an all metal gear train.


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## Johnny_E

Yeah - and he said that this then buggers up the date wheel. Oh well, I'm sure it'll last a good few years now once fully serviced.


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## SEIKO7A38

Johnny_E said:


> Yeah - and he said that this then buggers up the date wheel.


Which unfortunately *is* also a problem on otherwise tougher 7A38's. 

They also have a plastic day / date changeover wheel - an achilles heel ! :angry:


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## Johnny_E

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Should you decide to go with the leather strap option, black will be a LOT easier to match.
> 
> If you want a direct link to that particular 19mm black strap â€" give me your email address.


After much browsing... I came back to the pic above - the watch on the right. What a lovely look. Thats what I want to go for.

I want something thats really nice quality (can spend up to Â£30), black, with white stitching to accent the white hands on my chrono. I'd ideally like a slight matt finish. My PMs are up and running now I've passed the 50 post mark, so if anyone can help me out with links I'd appreciate it very much. I found one I'd really like in the UK (Brooklands was the strap design name), but theyre sold out.

Oh - and 19mm is a bu**er to find. Some sites say a supple 20mm will fit fine without a problem. True?.. or just someone who cant get 19's and wants a sale anyway?


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## SEIKO7A38

Johnny_E said:


> After much browsing... I came back to the pic above - the watch on the right. What a lovely look. Thats what I want to go for.


Thanks. I knew you'd come around to my way of thinking, eventually. :grin:



Johnny_E said:


> I want something thats really nice quality (can spend up to Â£30), black, with white stitching to accent the white hands on my chrono. I'd ideally like a slight matt finish. My PMs are up and running now I've passed the 50 post mark, so if anyone can help me out with links I'd appreciate it very much. I found one I'd really like in the UK (Brooklands was the strap design name), but theyre sold out.


If I remember correctly, that 'Brooklands (MkII)' strap is on the same website I was thinking of.

I was going to PM you a link to it, but I suspect you've found it already.

Most of their straps are by well-known makes, but they give them their own names.

That very dark navy blue calf (Condor) strap I used on the 7A38-706A above is their 'Aerosport Mk2'.

The 'Aerosport Mk1' is slightly less padded, and might suit your 7T32's slim lugs better.

It also comes in a nice semi-matt black - unfortunately they're only available in 20mm fittings.



Johnny_E said:


> Oh - and 19mm is a bu**er to find. Some sites say a supple 20mm will fit fine without a problem. True?.. or just someone who cant get 19's and wants a sale anyway?


Now I'll definately have to PM you a link to another watch strap website. They've got plenty of black 19mm straps.


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## Johnny_E

Thanks again for the pointers. A yummy 19mm Rios (Germany) black strap with white stitching is winging its way over to me. And my wife has tonight offered to pay for the whole refurb as a Christmas pressie! Excellent.


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## SEIKO7A38

Johnny_E said:


> Thanks again for the pointers. A yummy 19mm Rios (Germany) black strap with white stitching ....


Glad you found something to your liking. You didn't exactly skimp did you ? :huh:

If it's the one I'm thinking of, it probably cost more than the eBay resale value of the watch !


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## Johnny_E

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Glad you found something to your liking. You didn't exactly skimp did you ? :huh:
> 
> If it's the one I'm thinking of, it probably cost more than the eBay resale value of the watch !


 :man_in_love: Yes - that's the one. The watch case is being polished along with the service. If I was buying a brand new Seiko chrono made in Japan I'd be paying similar money in total. But this way, I get to wear my 1st watch all over again.


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## SEIKO7A38

Johnny_E said:


> I want something thats really nice quality (can spend up to Â£30), black, with white stitching to accent the white hands on my chrono. I'd ideally like a slight matt finish. My PMs are up and running now I've passed the 50 post mark, so if anyone can help me out with links I'd appreciate it very much. I found one I'd really like in the UK *(Brooklands MkII was the strap design name), but they're sold out.*


Yes, I really wanted one of those myself, (in 22mm Black, with white stitching) for my Yema Flygraf. 

Just on the off-chance, I phoned the seller this afternoon - to see if he could come up with one ....

And they're now back in stock, as of today !! :clap:


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## Johnny_E

Very nice! Its a lovely strap that.

Wee update on my chrono... it would seem that these 7T32 parts are becoming scarce as Steve Burrage is still awaiting parts.

I just hope that it can be repaired. Its a long wait, but hopefully will be worth it in the end.


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## SEIKO7A38

Johnny_E said:


> Very nice! Its a lovely strap that.


Yes, it is - but way too 'hefty' (IMO) for a relatively slim chrono' like your 7T32.


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## Johnny_E

Got a phone call last night from Steve (Rytetime). He still cant get the materials he needs for this 7T32. Only Seiko have any left - and they arent handing them out! So, the only option open to him is for Seiko to service the watch themselves.

Steve has kindly offered to send the watch on to them on my behalf. The cost from Seiko is a flat Â£85 - to include a full strip down and repair.

Estimated wait from Seiko is 3 weeks... so we're nearly there! Looking forward to wearing my 1st watch again soon :thumbsup:


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## DaveS

Johnny_E said:


> Got a phone call last night from Steve (Rytetime). He still cant get the materials he needs for this 7T32. Only Seiko have any left - and they arent handing them out! So, the only option open to him is for Seiko to service the watch themselves.
> 
> Steve has kindly offered to send the watch on to them on my behalf. The cost from Seiko is a flat Â£85 - to include a full strip down and repair.
> 
> Estimated wait from Seiko is 3 weeks... so we're nearly there! Looking forward to wearing my 1st watch again soon :thumbsup:


Steve had the same problem with a 7T27 I sent to him. Both movements share some of the parts. I sent it to Seiko and the qouted me Â£87.35 including vat and postage. They did however warn that they may not have the parts to repair it. Still, I haven't heard anything from them yet so hopefully "no news is good news"


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## Johnny_E

Well, nearly 6 months later we're nearly there!



> Hi John,
> 
> Good news for you as we should have the parts this week and then we can finish it off for you so hopefully I will be in touch in about a week.
> 
> Regards Steve.


'Should' and 'Hopefully' both appear in Steves email... but lets hope this is the end to this 7T32 saga! :not_i:


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## Walnuts

I'm only a new member so I only just saw this thread but I've enjoyed reading through it and looking forward to your pics.


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> So your watch used to look something like this ?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Not a particularly rare 7T32, but if it has sentimental value ....
> 
> it's entirely up to you, whether you spend money getting it fixed up.





Johnny_E said:


> Well, nearly 6 months later we're nearly there!
> 
> 'Should' and 'Hopefully' both appear in Steves email... but lets hope this is the end to this 7T32 saga! :not_i:


In hindsight, buying something like this tidy working 7T32-6A5A on original bracelet, which just ended on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300423701249

*Nice Vintage SEIKO Alarm Chronograph watch 7T32 - 6A5A*










.... might just have been a lot simpler, quicker and much cheaper solution - even if used for parts, eh John ? :huh:


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## Johnny_E

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> In hindsight, buying something like this tidy working 7T32-6A5A on original bracelet, which just ended on eBay:
> 
> http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300423701249
> 
> .... might just have been a lot simpler, quicker and much cheaper solution - even if used for parts, eh John ? :huh:


I did toy with that idea - and it does make a lot of sense... BUT... this is my 1st watch I ever bought myself and I want that very same watch (and mechanism) to live on. Its like Trigger and his old broom... new handle, new brush - but its still the original isnt it? :naughty:

The other thing that has become so evident to me is - 7T32's are failing big style now that they're on a few years - so one like this on eBay may well run today, but how much life is left in it? I did buy a parts watch off ebay (same model exactly) but on stripping it, Steve found there to be too much wear to the crucial plastic gears to make it usable.

So, I really do think that even knowing what 2nd hand ones sell for (Â£30-50), I'd still take this same path. I will have my old watch back, fully serviced with brand new plastic bits inside. I guess sentiment throws any equation off the scale doesnt it :yes:

Fingers crossed this is the final wait.


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## Drum2000

Hats off for staying the course and investing in a little history!


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## Johnny_E

6 months after starting this thread, I'm happy to draw it to a happy conclusion :thumbsup:

I present to you, my 1st watch - my 1989 7T32-6A5A























































Special word of thanks must go to Seiko7a38fan for all of his help and info - and of course, Stephen Burrage. The moral of this story folks... if you have a 7T32 that you cherish, get it in for a service now! The plastic date wheels could give at any time, so get fresh ones in while Seiko still have them.


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## Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Johnny_E said:


> The first watch I bought for myself was a black faced Seiko Chronograph - I think it was 1989. I wore it daily but eventually the bracelet gave up. The only thing I could find back then was a cheapo folded steel bracelet which is utter junk.
> 
> Asides from this - its a bit sick. Firstly, the second hand on the chrono slipped by 1 second. It didnt quite reset to 12 if you understand what I mean. And now on checking it, the crown is no longer turning the main hands.
> 
> So, being new to the world of services etc - what kind of money does a Seiko repair generally cost? Do you think that a Â£99 watch (in 1989) is worth saving and who does this kind of work?
> 
> Theres sentiment attached to the watch and I'd like to see it running again (with a proper bracelet back on) but it all depends on the money.
> 
> Any thoughts appreciated...


If it has sentimental value, then rescue it, buy a new cheapo watch to use as an everyday watch, say a Sekonda or Accurist from ?????

until you fall in love with a suitable repalcement

I can only tell you from experience that a servicing of a Seiko Automatic 5 was billed to me at Â£43

I assume they would charge less for Quartz, but then if you wanted a replacement strap, the price would go up

this is all small potatoes, it's worth it. 43 pounds is nothing, people spend 3 Grand+ a decade on their mobile Phone expenditure

GO FOR IT

*EDIT*

THAT'LL TEACH ME









I see you've done it


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## SEIKO7A38

Johnny_E said:


> 6 months after starting this thread, I'm happy to draw it to a happy conclusion :thumbsup:
> 
> I present to you, my 1st watch - my 1989 7T32-6A5A


:clap: Well done, John. :clap: Congratulations on having the patience and persistence to see it through. :thumbup:

Wear it in good health - I'm sure you'll always treasure it from now on. :cheers:

Apologies if any of my well-meant advice 'threw you a curved ball', at any stage of the game. :hypocrite:

And I promise not to PM you any more links to 7T32-6Axx's on eBay - EVER !! :rofl2:

PS - I have a minty gold-plated 7T32-6A60 (white dial with Roman numerals) for sale, if you're interested.


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## ollyhock

laying a watch to rest is always hard, i tend to be a coward and put it on ebay as a non runner and let somebody else make the decision


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## Johnny_E

Thus Spoke Zarathustra said:


> *EDIT*
> 
> THAT'LL TEACH ME
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I see you've done it


 :taunt:



SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> :clap: Well done, John. :clap: Congratulations on having the patience and persistence to see it through. :thumbup:
> 
> Wear it in good health - I'm sure you'll always treasure it from now on. :cheers:
> 
> Apologies if any of my well-meant advice 'threw you a curved ball', at any stage of the game. :hypocrite:
> 
> And I promise not to PM you any more links to 7T32-6Axx's on eBay - EVER !! :rofl2:
> 
> PS - I have a minty gold-plated 7T32-6A60 (white dial with Roman numerals) for sale, if you're interested.


Aye - we got there in the end :drinks: As for another 7T32.... :stop: I must resist.... Have an electronic Seiko to go to silverhawk for a service - and I should really send my Titus over too (stiff crown). So.... I'll pass this time.

Oh - add to that - that I was a total numpty last night. Was in the garage, leaned heavily on the bonnet of my Audi Coupe to reach something off a shelf... and "popped" the bonnet. I've left a ruddy big dent in it







Its gonna need to go to the bodyshop. Cant even look at it! Oh well, it had a few stone chips - and the front valance was the same. Just wasnt ready to spend the Â£Â£s just yet - but I cant live with it being dinged. What a tube.


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