# The Rarest And Most Expensive Seiko 7Axx Of Them All ?



## SEIKO7A38

I may be slightly premature in posting this , as at the time of writing, the seller hasnâ€™t actually shipped it yet. :sweatdrop:

But a deal has been done; it's paid for â€" and I trust him.









So I'm pleased to announce that I've (hopefully) snagged an example of a *very* rare beast indeed. 

It's not mint â€" far from it, but it is an almost complete and correct example of the model.

In terms of 7Axx rarity factor (and this, like all 7Axx's was a mass-produced quartz chronograph, remember) ....

I'm talking rarer than Guigiaro 7A28's; common-or-garden 7A38 'RAF Vulcans' or 7A48 'Fishing Masters'.

Prior to seeing the photos of my next incoming, I had only seen one other example mentioned on the 'Net ....

.... and as I've since discovered, that particular example was fitted with an incorrect bracelet. :thumbsdown:

In its day, (in the mid 80's) this particular 7A38 cost twice as much as the relatively expensive 7A28 'Aliens' ....

.... and 3 times as much as other 'conventional' 7A38's and indeed some of the 7A28 and 7A38 'Diver' versions.

Anybody like to hazard a guess as to what it is ? :naughty:


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## The Canon Man

They made a 7a for the personal use of Her Majesty ?


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## mel

Naah! it's the famous "Picasso" watch - in pink and blue for Barbie! :lol:

I wouldn't have a clue, but I like to watch threads like this for the knowledge - I might see one at a local car boot sale next week for a Â£5 note! :man_in_love:

What a great forum is :rltb: - yes indeedy! Guys with superb "niche knowledge" to inspire and spur the rest of us onwards! I'll be watching with interest! :notworthy:


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## SEIKO7A38

mel said:


> What a great forum is :rltb: - yes indeedy!


Agreed. :thumbsup: Tried the others (including SCWF) - wasn't too impressed :thumbsdown: and came back to good old











mel said:


> Guys with superb "niche knowledge" to inspire and spur the rest of us onwards! I'll be watching with interest! :notworthy:


I'll take that as a compliment, Mel. 



mel said:


> I might see one at a local car boot sale next week for a Â£5 note! :man_in_love:


Erm. *THAT* I somehow doubt, Mel. :lookaround:



mel said:


> I wouldn't have a clue ....


Well I'll give you all one (or two) :dontgetit: ....

*All* Titanium construction - including surpringly, the case-back ....

.... and fitted with a Sapphire crystal, instead of the usual 'Hardlex'.


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## LuvWatch

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> *All* *Titanium construction* - including surpringly, the case-back ....
> 
> .... and fitted with a Sapphire crystal, instead of the usual 'Hardlex'.


:shutup:

Show some pics you tease 

Derek


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## jss

Well, I've tried to cheat using your own spreadsheet. Is it the 7030?


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## SEIKO7A38

jss said:


> Well, I've tried to cheat using your own spreadsheet.


That's not cheating







.... it's being resourceful. :read:



jss said:


> Is it the 7030?


It is indeed a *7A38-7030*.  Well done that man !! :thumbsup:

I'm not sure which revision of my Excel spreadsheet 7A38 database you have ....

.... because I'm constantly updating it all the time, as I learn more myself :umnik2: ....

But I don't think I've changed the comments field against the 7A38-7030, which simply read:



> *All Titanium*, with unusually large (tapering) square-ended pushers.


So all you had to do to find the answer was to run a search on the spreadsheet on 'All Titanium' .... :yes:


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## SEIKO7A38

LuvWatch said:


> SEIKO7A38Fan said:
> 
> 
> 
> *All* *Titanium construction* - including surpringly, *the case-back* ....
> 
> 
> 
> Show some pics you tease
Click to expand...

A teaser pic.


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## jss

Looking forward to seeing more of this one.

I've only been able to find one website with pictures of this model, and on there I can't see any chrono second hand!! :blind:


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## watchking1

Congrats on your purchase and locating a very ,rare 7A38 indeed !! :notworthy: :notworthy: :notworthy:

But now you are intentionally just being hurtful :crybaby::sweatdrop: :crybaby:



> I'm talking rarer than Guigiaro 7A28's; common-or-garden 7A38 'RAF Vulcans' or 7A48 'Fishing Masters'.


Looks like another to add to my list 

The 7030 should look like this ?

Link


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## SEIKO7A38

jss said:


> I've only been able to find one website with pictures of this model ....


Likewise.











SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Prior to seeing the photos of my next incoming, I had only seen one other example mentioned on the 'Net ....


The only one Iâ€™d ever seen photos of before - and *very likely* the same Japanese website is:

http://www.mr-coo.com/battery/seiko/chrono7a38-7030.html







































SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> .... and as I've since discovered, that particular example was fitted with an incorrect bracelet. :thumbsdown:





jss said:


> .... and on there I can't see any chrono second hand!! :blind:


Not only on the wrong bracelet - *and* missing the chrono sweep second hand







....

.... but if you use Google's translator on that webpage - sadly also water- damaged. :cry2:


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## Paul66

Sounds like you have landed the "Holy Grail" of 7A38's Paul, well done!







I didn't even know there was a titanium 7A38! I look forward to seeing the pics!


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## SEIKO7A38

Paul66 said:


> Sounds like you have landed the "Holy Grail" of 7A38's Paul, well done!


Until it was actually offered to me, out of the blue, I probably wouldn't have classed it as 'a grail' :beee: ....

But if you count any rare model that you haven't seen before, and need to 'complete the set' as 'a grail' ....

.... I'd have possibly thought this one was 'unattainable'. But then there is always 'one more' to be found. :naughty:



Paul66 said:


> I didn't even know there was a titanium 7A38!


Seriously, Paul ? :dontgetit:

The mostly Titanium 7A38*-7120* and 7A38*-7130 * are relatively common (and quite regularly seen on eBay







).



Paul66 said:


> I look forward to seeing the pics!


But first, a little background reading .... :book:


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## SEIKO7A38

So Yes, certainly *very* rare in terms of number of examples seen, but 'the *Most Expensive*' ? :dontgetit:



SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Tried the others (including SCWF) - wasn't too impressed :thumbsdown:


Back half of last year, when I was still posting on the old SCWF (before a certain person took over  ....)

I was trying to glean more information about the 7A38 range, to help build up my knowledge / database ....

I posted this question in the last week of September 2009: http://www.network54.com/Forum/78440/thread/1253968442/



> Does anybody happen to have any Seiko catalogues from 1983 - 1990 (any geography / language)....
> 
> *which include illustrations and product data on the 7A38 range of quartz chronographs*, please?


I didn't get much in the way of replies, and as usual, the thread wandered slightly off topic. fftopic:

But towards the end of the thread, I recieved a couple of very helpful replies from 'Garfre1' 



> Paul I looked through my Japan market Seiko watch catalogs (my latest is 1985).
> 
> *The first 7A38 (model SJS018) appears in the 1984 vol 2 catalog.*
> 
> The 1985 vol 1 catalog has three models, SJS018, SJS028 and SJS038.
> 
> The 1985 vol 2 catalog only has the SJS018.
> 
> 7A28 and 7A48 models appear first in the 1983 vol 2 catalog (15 different models for the 7A28).


My intermediate reply included this:



> So the SJS018 is the 7A38-7030 in Titanium with the square pushers, like this:
> 
> http://mr-coo.com/battery/seiko/chrono7a38-7030.html
> 
> Is there any chance you could post scans of the relevent pages, or just the 7A38 illustrations, please ?


Gary replied with:



> Yes, your statements are correct.
> 
> Info given in the catalog for the SJS018: case 703-705, ATI, YA22A bracelet and listed for *100,000 yen*.
> 
> For the SJS028: 603-603, BCRP, YA28A and 35,000 yen.
> 
> For the SJS038: 604-603, SS, YA29A and 33,000 yen.
> 
> Paul, I don't have a scanner but would be happy to copy the pages and mail them to you if you PM me your address.
> 
> Regards. Gary.


Gary kindly mailed me B&W photocopies of 3 pages: 62-64, from his Japanese 1985 Seiko catalogue (Vol. 1).

I will admit, that after a cursory glance through the pages, I did very little with them, at the time. :blush:

But going back, fairly recently, and looking over them, I noticed that ....

.... other 'expensive' 7Axx models in the 1985 Vol. 1 catalogue included:

7A28-7009 SAY058 Black Aliens â€" 55,000 Yen

7A28-7000 SAY068 Silver Aliens â€" 48,000 Yen

7A28-6000 SAY048 Bishop Aliens â€" 50,000 Yen

All the other 7A28 and 7A38 models in that catalogue ranged from 30-40,000 Yen â€" averaging 33,000 Yen.

That includes all the currently over-priced 'Diver' variants and the ever-popular 'Speedmaster' look-alikes.

Here's my scan, of Gary's B&W photocopy of the catalogue illustration of SJS018 - a.k.a the 7A38-7030:










With currency fluctuations over the last 25 years, it's not easy to work out how much Â¥100,000 Yen is worth today.

From its average of Â¥239 per US$1 in 1985, the rate rose to Â¥128/$1 in 1988 ....

.... virtually doubling its value relative to the dollar. Todayâ€™s rate is Â¥93 / $1US.


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## LuvWatch

Nice work Paul, interesting reading as usual.

There is one on eBay you know :grin: , just been listed - you need a pair :goof:

I think the seller waited for your post so he can add accurate detail to this listing.

Derek


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## jss

> There is one on eBay you know :grin: , just been listed - you need a pair :goof:


I don't think I like this watch. Those large pushers make it look unbalanced to me.

What does the seller mean when he says the inner bezel "rotates fully"?


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## SEIKO7A38

LuvWatch said:


> Nice work Paul, interesting reading as usual.


Cheers, Derek. :wink2:



LuvWatch said:


> There is one on eBay you know :grin: , just been listed - you need a pair :goof:


Thanks for the very timely 'heads up', :thumbsup: .... and the subsequent phone call. hone1:

Yes there definately *was* one listed on eBay last night: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370377149371



LuvWatch said:


> I think the seller waited for your post so he can add accurate detail to this listing.


Well, at least he got this bit right: *MEGA RARE VINTAGE SEIKO titanium 7A38*










.... but the totally inaccurate description ? :dontgetit: ....










.... actually belongs to another totally different previous 'watchcooking' eBay listing. :thumbsdown:



LuvWatch said:


> Show some pics you tease


Anyway .... You wanted to see photos. Click on the eBay listing link above (it's still there, 'live' for 90 days) ....

.... and you'll find 15 or so photos, embedded below the description text - photos of *my* incoming 7A38-7030. 










You'll note from the two photos of the case-back, the serial number is exactly the same *3D5959* ....

In fact, one of the seller's photos is the same 'teaser pic' that I posted on the previous page in post #8


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## SEIKO7A38

jss said:


> I don't think I like this watch. Those large pushers make it look unbalanced to me.


At the moment, I'm a bit ambivalent about it's looks. 

I'm not a big fan of Titanium watches - I like to feel a bit of weight on my wrist.

There certainly are some 'uglier' 7A38's that I'm eventually going to have to buy ....

in order to complete 'the whole set'. This one was going to be a difficult gap to fill ....

So I'm just pleased to have snagged an example of this very rare Japan home market model. :swoon:



jss said:


> What does the seller mean when he says the inner bezel "rotates fully"?


He didn't mean anything at all by it. Well, not relating to this watch, anyway.

I suspect that what the seller *started to do*, is what I do when I sell on eBay ....

Take your last previous similar listing and use it as a 'template' for the next one. :smartass:

What happened, is that the seller started to set up this listing, earlier last week - but never finished editing it :dontgetit: ....

I'll explain presently .... :wink2:


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## SEIKO7A38

So what happened ? :dontgetit:

I've been trading messages through eBay and emails with JosÃ© Sotto ('watchcooking') for nearly a year.

Helping him correct his descriptions, etc. JosÃ© is one of 'da good guys' as far as Iâ€™m concerned. :thumbsup:

Any input I've given him, he has taken in good grace, and amended his eBay listings accordingly.

But in all the time I've been watching and sometimes bidding on them, I'd never actually won one of his auctions. :blush:

Sometime last year â€" I think it was when he listed an average used condition 7A38-7250 in July ....

.... which I bid on and didn't win (I later picked up a mint NOS example from eBay in the States in October) ....

.... I asked JosÃ© that if he ever came up with something interesting (7A38-wise) in nice condition to let me know.

Early last week, he messaged me through eBay saying:

That his supplier wanted $xxx shipped, or I could bid on it on eBay next week, and maybe win it.

.... and attaching links to three photos of that same 7A38-7030 in his Photobucket album.

I then found a couple more photos myself, by changing the image number in the filenames. :naughty:

I wrote back telling Jose that he certainly had my interest ! :shocking:

It may have not been in mint condition, but I knew how rare this model was, so I wasnâ€™t going to pass up the opportunity.

I asked him a load of questions, and also to see a photo of the inside (which doesnâ€™t appear in the eBay listing) ....

.... simply because I knew that watch movements in The Philippines can sometimes suffer from the high humidity.










Looks fine to me. :thumbsup:

We agreed a deal â€" and I told him that I'd pay his supplier's asking price â€" on Friday.

But in the meantime, I nearly backed out on Thursday, when another 7A38 collector who Iâ€™d been trading emails with ....

.... had emailed me a camera phone photo of his 7A38-7030. I thought it might have been for sale â€" it turns out it wasnâ€™t.

In fact, he subsequently wrote (without seeing any photos of it) that if I didn't buy JosÃ©â€™s 7030 â€" he would !!

So I paid JosÃ© on Friday, just as we'd previously agreed â€" and started writing this thread on Sunday. 

Then about 7:15 yesterday, JosÃ©'s listing popped up on eBay. I was kind of upset. :angry: Minor understatement. 

I didnâ€™t actually write  WTF??? :help: in my eBay message to him â€" but that was what I was thinking.

Derek reckoned that there was a simple explanation .... and thankfully, he was right. :good:

JosÃ© had started to set up the listing early last week, while I was deliberating whether to proceed, or not. 

Hence the unfinished (un-edited previous listing) description.

Heâ€™d listed 18 other watches on eBay last week â€" and simply forgot to cancel the listing for the 7A38-7030.

Because (I'd advised him, some time back) of the optimum time for eBay listings to end ....

.... and the time difference (The Philippines are 7 hours ahead of UK), JosÃ© uses eBay's auto-scheduling.

If you look at those other 18 current listings of his, you'll see they're all scheduled to finish 5 minutes apart.

EBay's auto-scheduling came across his unfinished listing for the 7A38-7030 and automatically uploaded it. 

So, if you happened to be reading this, and were one of the people who bid on it, last night :sadwalk: ....

.... whose bids were cancelled this morning, when the listing was apparently 'ended early' :angry: ....

Don't be too disappointed. :down: It shouldn't have been listed in the first place. :blow: It was already sold â€" *to me*.


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## jss

Great story 7A38FAN, that was well worth the wait.

Excitement, intrigue, betrayal, topped off with a happy ending.

What more could we want?


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> I may be slightly premature in posting this , as at the time of writing, the seller hasnâ€™t actually shipped it yet. :sweatdrop:
> 
> But a deal has been done; it's paid for â€" and I trust him.


Prophetic, eh ? 



jss said:


> Great story 7A38FAN, that was well worth the wait.
> 
> Excitement, intrigue, betrayal, topped off with a happy ending.


No 'betrayal' as such - just a 'minor technical hitch', and simple misunderstanding.











jss said:


> What more could we want?


To have it arrive safely !! :sweatdrop: .... but in the meantime, I'm making tentative plans for it .... :lookaround:


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> It's not mint â€" far from it, but it is an almost complete and correct example of the model.


Apart from the obvious knocks (a small one on the bezel near 10 o'clock, and on the pushers) it has picked up ....

.... over 25-odd years of presumably multiple ownership, the watch has a couple of other 'issues' (for me). :thumbsdown:

As is often the case with used Seikos (especially from the Far East), it's had a number of bracelet links removed.

I'd already asked JosÃ©, and he'd written back that it would just fit his 7" wrist - so it isn't going to fit me (as is). 

The chances of my finding another correct original Titanium bracelet for this (Seiko p/n YA22A) are slim to none. <_<

Also, if you look at the eBay listing photos (as I did, before I agreed to buy it) ....

.... you'll notice that it's fitted with a stainless steel shorter type (and non-SQ) Seiko clasp:


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## Clum

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Because (I'd advised him, some time back) of the optimum time for eBay listings to end ....
> 
> .... and the time difference (The Philippines are 7 hours ahead of UK), JosÃ© uses eBay's auto-scheduling.


Aww  Less chance of the rest of us getting bargains then


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## SEIKO7A38

Clum said:


> Aww  Less chance of the rest of us getting bargains then


Not if you're in the same time zone as me - which I know for a fact you are.


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## Clum

hmm, but by 'optimum' didn't you mean the best end time for the seller to get the highest price?


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Also, if you look at the eBay listing photos (as I did, before I agreed to buy it) ....
> 
> .... you'll notice that it's fitted with a stainless steel shorter type (and non-SQ) Seiko clasp:


If you look again at that photo of the 'Mr. Coo' 7A38-7030 on the previous page:










.... you'll see it's fitted with a 'Speedmaster' clasp - as one would expect to find on a 'JDM' 7A38.

I'd already established that particular 7A38-7030 was fitted with an incorrect bracelet ....

.... although I'm still not quite sure what it's from, or if that clasp is the original for the watch. 

I haven't yet seen any other photographic evidence, but I suspect that the bracelet clasp on a 7A38-7030 ....

..... should not only be of the 'Speedmaster' logo'd variety .... but should also be stamped in Titanium.

Anyway .... I think I've found a much cheaper temporary solution. 










It's longer than the original Speedmaster clasp, so if and when I fit it, it gives me sufficient extra length ....

.... I may have a bit of engraving done on it. :naughty: Something along these lines:


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## SEIKO7A38

Clum said:


> hmm, but by 'optimum' didn't you mean the best end time for the seller to get the highest price?


Fer Chris'sake. 

If you'd been following JosÃ©'s auctions a year ago, you'd know they used to finish between 4:00 and 5:00*am*.

Now they usually finish around 6:00 - 7:00*pm* UK time - or around lunchtime across most US time zones.

Ask yourself - where is he most likely to get high(er) bids from ? Europe, USA or the Philippines ?? 

Anyway - if you use an auction sniping tool (as I do myself nowadays), it doesn't make any difference. :naughty:


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## Char1ie

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Clum said:
> 
> 
> 
> hmm, but by 'optimum' didn't you mean the best end time for the seller to get the highest price?
> 
> 
> 
> Anyway - if you use an auction sniping tool (as I do myself nowadays), it doesn't make any difference. :naughty:
Click to expand...

I've been bidding on watches using one of those sniper software things online recently. About nine out of 10 bids failed with some random error message so I went back to the old method of paying too much for stuff ;-)

Charlie


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## Clum

Never bothered with one of those sniping tools myself, takes the fun out of it.

Anyway, I've found that I nearly always lose auctions that end in the evening UK time, but nearly always win ones that end in the middle of the night... So I'm not sure how your 'optimum' timing is best lol.


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> I may be slightly premature in posting this, as at the time of writing, the seller hasnâ€™t actually shipped it yet.
> 
> But a deal has been done; it's paid for â€" and I trust him.


JosÃ© shipped the 7A38-7030 on Monday - emailing me the tracking number on Tuesday. :thumbsup:



SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> To have it arrive safely !! :sweatdrop: .... but in the meantime, I'm making tentative plans for it .... :lookaround:


It arrived lunchtime today, Friday :clap: .... all the way from the Philippines in 4Â½ days. :shocking:

.... and I hadn't even got round to ordering that Titanium Clasp for it, from Cousins UK, yet.











SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> But in all the time I've been watching and sometimes bidding on them, I'd never won one of his auctions. :blush:


It looks just as good, if not better, than it did in JosÃ©'s eBay listing photos.









What can I say ??  A *real* pleasure doing business with you, *at last*, JosÃ© !! :thumbup:


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## LuvWatch

Glad it all worked out to your satisfaction Paul :thumbsup:

Derek


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## watchking1

No pictures = It didn't happen.

Where are the pictures?


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> JosÃ© shipped the 7A38-7030 on Monday - emailing me the tracking number on Tuesday. :thumbsup:
> 
> It arrived lunchtime today, Friday :clap: .... all the way from the Philippines in 4Â½ days. :shocking:





watchking1 said:


> No pictures = It didn't happen.












:tongue2:


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> JosÃ© shipped the 7A38-7030 on Monday - emailing me the tracking number on Tuesday. :thumbsup:
> 
> It arrived lunchtime today, Friday :clap: .... all the way from the Philippines in 4Â½ days. :shocking:





watchking1 said:


> No pictures = It didn't happen.












:tongue2: :tongue2:


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## SEIKO7A38

watchking1 said:


> No pictures = It didn't happen.


Oh Yes it did !! :tongue2: :tongue2: :tongue2:



watchking1 said:


> Where are the pictures?


Well, hereâ€™s a *very* quick and dirty wrist shot, for now  ....



SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> .... and he'd written back that it would just fit his 7" wrist - so it isn't going to fit me (as is).
> 
> .... you'll notice that it's fitted with a stainless steel shorter type (and non-SQ) Seiko clasp ....





SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> .... and I hadn't even got round to ordering that Titanium Clasp for it, from Cousins UK, yet.


Still fitted with that incorrect short stainless Seiko clasp, but with the *temporary* addition of a 16mm clasp extender:


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## SEIKO7A38

LuvWatch said:


> Show some pics you tease





SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Well, hereâ€™s a *very* quick and dirty wrist shot, for now  ....














LuvWatch said:


> Glad it all worked out to your satisfaction Paul :thumbsup:


Cheers, Derek. :thumbsup: .... though you did have me a bit worried last Sunday night, after your eBay 'heads up' post.


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## Paul66

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> LuvWatch said:
> 
> 
> 
> Show some pics you tease
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> SEIKO7A38Fan said:
> 
> 
> 
> Well, hereâ€™s a *very* quick and dirty wrist shot, for now
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ....
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> LuvWatch said:
> 
> 
> 
> Glad it all worked out to your satisfaction Paul
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Cheers, Derek.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .... though you did have me a bit worried last Sunday night, after your eBay 'heads up' post.
Click to expand...

Nice one Paul!







That was a quick ship from the philippines, I would have thought atleast a week!


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## SEIKO7A38

While I had the camera out, this afternoon, I thought I'd pop off another of the 7A38-7030.









With that sapphire crystal (I'm assuming it's the original), it's not easy to photograph head on. :thumbsdown:










Date now corrected, though for the time being (until the novelty wears off) at least, I'm leaving it on Kanji days. :nerd:


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## SEIKO7A38

LuvWatch said:


> There is one on eBay you know :grin: , just been listed - you need a pair :goof:
> 
> I think the seller waited for your post so he can add accurate detail to this listing.


Well, there *IS* one now, Derek ! :tongue2: Funnily enough, listed today by another eBay seller in the Philippines. :lookaround:



> *TITANIUM SEIKO CHRONOGRAPH QUARTZ 7A38-7030 FOR MEN*


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Well, there *IS* one now, Derek ! :tongue2: Funnily enough, listed today by another eBay seller in the Philippines. :lookaround:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *TITANIUM SEIKO CHRONOGRAPH QUARTZ 7A38-7030 FOR MEN*
Click to expand...

Despite the seller stating in his description:



> *Original** titanium bracelet w/c fit up to 7 inches wrist*


.... it's *not* the correct original Seiko p/n YA22A bracelet (which my 7A38-7030 is fitted with).









Not in such good overall condition as mine, either. Apart possibly from having slightly better pusher buttons. 

Also from the damage shown last photo, it looks like some bright spark may have tried to lever off the case-back. :thumbsdown:


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## Guest

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> cost twice as much as the relatively expensive 7A28 'Aliens'


This had my attention! 

For a moment I wondered of yours was the *true black **7A28-6000.*


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> .... another 7A38 collector who Iâ€™d been trading emails with had emailed me a camera phone photo of his 7A38-7030.
> 
> I thought it might have been for sale â€" it turns out it wasnâ€™t.
> 
> In fact, he subsequently wrote (without seeing any photos of it) that if I didn't buy JosÃ©â€™s 7A38-7030 â€" he would !!


I was just re-reading back through the thread, and realized that I'd 'missed a photo opportunity'. :blush:

Here's that camera phone photo, of his 7A38-7030 sent me by that other 7A38 collector:










Despite the grainy photo, it appears to be a pristine example. :thumbsup:

This is the only other Seiko 7A38-7030 that I know of 'in captivity'. :lookaround:

Belongs to someone with an even bigger collection of 7A38's than my own. :notworthy:


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## Paul66

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> SEIKO7A38Fan said:
> 
> 
> 
> .... phone photo of his 7A38-7030.
> 
> Here's that camera phone photo, of his 7A38-7030 sent me by that other 7A38 collector:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I see Chronograph is printed in Red (which matches nicely with the hands) on this one and yellowish on yours and the one for sale. Do you think yours and the other one for sale were once red also?
Click to expand...


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## watchking1

The 7" bracelet is throwing me off this one.

I imagine extra links are tough to find and, as you say, it's not original anyway. :thumbsdown:


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## watch4me

Great watch and congrats


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## SEIKO7A38

Paul66 said:


> I see Chronograph is printed in Red (which matches nicely with the hands) on this one and yellowish on yours and the one for sale. Do you think yours and the other one for sale were once red also?


Hard to say, Paul.  Overall, the dial face of my own 7A38-7030 doesn't appear to have faded appreciably. 

But then look at this small close-up of the dial printing on the 'Mr Coo' 7A38-7030:










Makes you wonder what colour that once might have been. :umnik2:


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## SEIKO7A38

watchking1 said:


> The 7" bracelet is throwing me off this one.
> 
> I imagine extra links are tough to find and, as you say, it's not original anyway. :thumbsdown:


Ignoring for the moment that this watch is fitted with a non-original (non-Seiko?) Titanium? bracelet ....

.... the small 7" wrist size *could* be remedied fairly easily, and very cheaply. Look at the seller's 5th photo:










That bracelet is fitted with a very short clasp, with *zero* provision for adjustment. :thumbsdown:

By replacing it with a longer 'multi-hole' style 16mm Titanium clasp, such as the Cousins item I have fitted to mine:










.... the buyer / wearer should be able to add almost another inch of adjustment - with very little effort.


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## jasonm

I would hazard a guess that the wording would have been red fading to yellow.... Seiko divers of the same era had the words 'water resist' in red on the dial and many of them have faded to yellow..


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Well, there *IS* one now, Derek ! :tongue2: Funnily enough, listed today by another eBay seller in the Philippines. :lookaround:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *TITANIUM SEIKO CHRONOGRAPH QUARTZ 7A38-7030 FOR MEN*
Click to expand...

That eBay auction for the 7A38-7030 ended a few minutes ago.

See: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220633746549

Went for $212.50 after 10 bids - the final selling price doubling from $104.39 in the last few seconds.

Which I reckon is about right for one in that condition, with the wrong bracelet. *Slightly* less than I paid JosÃ©. 

Makes you wonder what a 'minter' like the example in post #42 might go for.


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## watchking1

Well I didn't buy it !!


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## Paul66

watchking1 said:


> Well I didn't buy it !!


Wasn't me!! Wrong bracelet turned me off


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Makes you wonder what a 'minter' like the example in post #42 might go for.


Maybe we won't have to wait too long to find out. :dontgetit:

Nice looking example just listed on Yahoo Japan auctions: http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/138350765

















Opening bid price is a very reasonable Â¥38,000 Yen (equivalent to Â£287.50 GBP or $438.00 USD).

Interestingly, this one doesn't have a 'Speedmaster' clasp as I would have expected. 

In fact, it looks very similar to the plain Cousins 'generic' Ti clasp I have fitted to mine.

I think I'll just be getting SEIKO engraved on it now - not SPEEDMASTER and the helmet logo. :naughty:


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## SEIKO7A38

watchking1 said:


> The 7" bracelet is throwing me off this one.
> 
> *I imagine extra links are tough to find* and, as you say, it's not original anyway. :thumbsdown:


Before you go diving in there, Skip ....









I should point out, that, nice as it may look, this one sadly also has a small bracelet. 

It's got 6 links on one side, and only 5 on the other - one less than my own 7A38-7030.

Each link section effectively adds 10mm to the bracelet length.

Titanium ? Might as well make that 'Unobtainium'. :thumbsdown:


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## watchking1

I was going to take a toss at it until I saw the $440 price tag.

I agree with you on the bracelet as it looks a bit off AND short.

But interesting none the less


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## SEIKO7A38

watchking1 said:


> I agree with you on the bracelet as it looks a bit off AND short.


Well the bracelet may be short, and to use your words 'a bit off', Skip ....

But that plain-ish Titanium clasp with just the Seiko logo *would appear to be **correct* ! :thumbsup:

I emailed the owner of the pristine example, photo shown in post #42, asking him

.... which clasp his 7A38-7030 was fitted with, and if he could send me a photo.









He very kindly obliged:


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> If you look again at that photo of the 'Mr. Coo' 7A38-7030 on the previous page:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .... you'll see it's fitted with a 'Speedmaster' clasp - *as one would expect to find on a 'JDM' 7A38*.
> 
> I'd already established that particular 7A38-7030 was fitted with an incorrect bracelet ....
> 
> .... although I'm still not quite sure what it's from, *or if that clasp is the original for the watch.*


So I can now state with some certainty, that both bracelet *and* clasp on the 'Mr Coo' 7A38-7030 were wrong !


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> SEIKO7A38Fan said:
> 
> 
> 
> Makes you wonder what a 'minter' like the example in post #42 might go for.
> 
> 
> 
> Maybe we won't have to wait too long to find out. :dontgetit:
> 
> Nice looking example just listed on Yahoo Japan auctions: http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/138350765
> 
> Opening bid price is a very reasonable Â¥38,000 Yen (equivalent to Â£287.50 GBP or $438.00 USD).
Click to expand...

That Yahoo Japan auction listing finished yesterday afternoon, with something of a last minute 'snipe-fest'.

After 11 bids, by 4 bidders, the 7A38-7030 sold for Â¥48,500 Yen (equivalent to Â£359 GBP or $554 USD).

See: http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/show/bid_hist?aID=138350765 .... Not bad going.


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## SEIKO7A38

jss said:


> I've only been able to find one website with pictures of this model ....


Another Japanese website with a small photo of a 7A38-7030 has appeared fairly recently. :lookaround:

Found this while surfing yesterday: http://kaitoriman.jp/seiko/watch1301.php

Just one small photo of the 7A38-7030:










A Google translation of the page gives no indication of asking price, nor much else in the way of info, either. :thumbsdown:

http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://kaitoriman.jp/seiko/watch1301.php&ei=GttaTPXYOY_eONqW4OAN&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CDoQ7gEwCA&prev=/search%3Fq%3D7A38-7030%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG


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## watchking1

Looks like a B/M store? Give them a ring...

I love Google translate:



> Brand: Seiko (Seiko)
> 
> ãƒ¢ãƒ‡ãƒ«åï¼šã€€ã‚¯ãƒ­ãƒŽã‚°ãƒ©ãƒ• Model Name: Chronograph
> 
> Ref/åž‹ç•ªï¼šã€€7A38-7030 Ref / model number: 7A38-7030
> 
> ã‚»ã‚¤ã‚³ãƒ¼ã®ã‚¯ãƒ­ãƒŽã‚°ãƒ©ãƒ•ã€‚ Seiko Chronograph. ãƒã‚¿ãƒ³è£½ã§è»½ãç‹‚ã„ã®ãªã„ã‚¯ã‚ªãƒ¼ãƒ„æ™‚è¨ˆã¯å®Ÿç"¨æ€§ãŒé«˜ã„ã§ã™ã€‚ *Lightly infallible quartz titanium is highly practical. *


 :smartass:


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## SEIKO7A38

watchking1 said:


> Looks like a B/M store?


*B/M* Skip ??


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## watchking1

Brick and mortar store as opposed to the internet only store...


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## Paul66

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> jss said:
> 
> 
> 
> I've only been able to find one website with pictures of this model ....
> 
> 
> 
> Another Japanese website with a small photo of a 7A38-7030 has appeared fairly recently.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Found this while surfing yesterday: http://kaitoriman.jp...o/watch1301.php
> 
> Just one small photo of the 7A38-7030:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> A Google translation of the page gives no indication of asking price, nor much else in the way of info, either.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> http://translate.goo...=off&sa=G
Click to expand...

Looks in great shape, I'll have to get my Japanese cousin to give them a call!


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> SEIKO7A38Fan said:
> 
> 
> 
> Well, there *IS* one now, Derek ! :tongue2: Funnily enough, listed today by another eBay seller in the Philippines. :lookaround:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> *TITANIUM SEIKO CHRONOGRAPH QUARTZ 7A38-7030 FOR MEN*
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> That eBay auction for the 7A38-7030 ended a few minutes ago.
> 
> See: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220633746549
> 
> Went for $212.50 after 10 bids - the final selling price doubling from $104.39 in the last few seconds.
> 
> Which I reckon is about right for one in that condition, with the wrong bracelet ....
Click to expand...

Well, whoever bought that 7A38-7030 from that eBay seller in the Philippines obviously wasn't happy with it. 

Because it's back, listed on eBay again. Same serial number - 3D6615:










But this time on a black leather strap, instead of the wrong bracelet:










Not sure how that seller has managed to fit a 20mm leather strap in a 10mm bracelet lug recess ....

But I'd say it's a step in the wrong direction. :thumbsdown:


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## watchking1

Ouch :bull*******:


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## SEIKO7A38

watchking1 said:


> Ouch :bull*******:


You shouldn't be so liberal in your use of the B/S smiley, Skip.









I happen to know for a fact, that when the watch sold previously on eBay, in July, *it was a genuine sale*.









It was bought by a US 7xxx collector. Talked to him (at length) about 7A38's a couple of weeks ago. hone1:

I know he bought the 7A38-7030 - and why he subsequently decided to return it to the seller. :secret:


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## watchking1

> why he subsequently decided to return it to the seller


Please share as I see nothing wrong with the watch head; Just the goofy strap setup.

And I'm not sure where one would find a replacement Seiko Ti bracelet to fit it


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> *TITANIUM SEIKO CHRONOGRAPH QUARTZ 7A38-7030 FOR MEN*
> 
> 
> 
> Because it's back, listed on eBay again. Same serial number - 3D6615:
> 
> But this time on a black leather strap, instead of the wrong bracelet ....
> 
> But I'd say it's a step in the wrong direction. :thumbsdown:
Click to expand...

That *second* eBay auction for the 7A38-7030 ended a few minutes ago: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220654409580

Obviously was a step in the wrong direction, because this time around it only made *$187.50* ....

.... and that was after what might construed as an excessive number of (shill) bids, by a Zero-Feedback bidder. :thumbsdown:

See: http://offer.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&item=220654409580


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## watchking1

It's too bad the eventual buyer didn't step out and let the zero feedback eat it :wallbash:


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## SEIKO7A38

watchking1 said:


> And I'm not sure where one would find a replacement Seiko Ti bracelet to fit it


I reckon the bracelet on this 'Spares or Repairs' 7T42-7A10 would probably have fitted a 7A38-7030: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/290605841638?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649#ht_5970wt_1059



SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> What did actually catch my attention more in that listing was the all-Titanium 7T42-7A10:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Note the over-sized square-off pushers; dial / hand colours; the all-Titanium construction, including the case-back:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It occured to me what a striking resemblence this watch bears to the ultra-rare all-Titanium 7A38-7030. :umnik2:
> 
> Remember this thread ? The Rarest And Most Expensive Seiko 7Axx Of Them All ?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Remember also, that there were a couple of other examples mentioned in that thread - fitted with wrong bracelets ? :huh:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Just wondering what parts might be interchangable between them (besides the bracelet). :think:


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## SEIKO7A38

It's been a while since I'd last seen a tidy example of a 7A38-7030 for sale (on Yahoo Japan), last year. :lookaround:



SEIKO7A38 said:


> Nice looking example just listed on Yahoo Japan auctions: http://page.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/138350765
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Opening bid price is a very reasonable Â¥38,000 Yen (equivalent to Â£287.50 GBP or $438.00 USD).


So thanks to Mike ('Minkle') for reminding me that I needed to have a look. :thumbsup:

Because listed overnight on Yahoo Japan auctions was this: http://page11.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n106120704



> ã‚»ã‚¤ã‚³ãƒ¼ 7A38 ãƒã‚¿ãƒ³ ã‚¯ãƒ­ãƒŽ/ã‚¸ã‚¦ã‚¸ã‚¢ãƒ¼ãƒ­ è‹±ç©ºè» ãƒ€ã‚¤ãƒãƒ¼ VFA






























Similar condition to the previous example in July 2010 (apart from scratched case-back), but this time ....

The seller's opening bid price is a rather ambitious *Â¥79,800* Yen (equivalent to *Â£650* GBP or *$1037* USD) :shocking:

I think I'll pass.


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38 said:


> Because listed overnight on Yahoo Japan auctions was this: http://page11.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/n106120704
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ã‚»ã‚¤ã‚³ãƒ¼ 7A38 ãƒã‚¿ãƒ³ ã‚¯ãƒ­ãƒŽ/ã‚¸ã‚¦ã‚¸ã‚¢ãƒ¼ãƒ­ è‹±ç©ºè» ãƒ€ã‚¤ãƒãƒ¼ VFA
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Similar condition to the previous example in July 2010 (apart from scratched case-back), but this time ....
> 
> The seller's opening bid price is a rather ambitious *Â¥79,800* Yen (equivalent to *Â£650* GBP or *$1037* USD) :shocking:
> 
> I think I'll pass.
Click to expand...

Indeed, any Japanese Seiko collectors were obviously of the same opinion - just 'a bit' too ambitiously priced. :thumbsdown:

The seller re-listed it, over and over again, right up until 24th December - no bids were placed; so went unsold.


----------

