# Seiko 5 Accuracy



## Garry (Feb 25, 2003)

Bought an SK53 from Roy a while back for work. Tested the timekeeping recently and found it's gaining just 7 seconds per week......amazing!.

Anyone else seen such accuracy from a " 5 ".??

G.


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Many times, someone last week said that theirs was keeping about the same sort of accuracy. Great watches for the price.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Hi Garry,

I donâ€™t own a â€œ5â€ but wouldnâ€™t doubt that an auto can be very accurate. I got a second hand Vostok auto for Â£10, picture dial(yuk). When I first got it, it ran at about +3 seconds a day. Iâ€™ve used it for about two weeks and itâ€™s settled to about +1 second a day! It must be faulty, surely a humble Vostok canâ€™t be that good?

I think a Seiko auto, well regulated and worn all the time should be capable of being very accurate. But that may be the key. I've heard people complain about the accuracy of autos only to find that they let them run down!







I guess they need wearing to get the best from them.

Take care,

Stan.


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## Garry (Feb 25, 2003)

Hi Stan,

As you say, auto's need to be worn to keep a consistent mainspring tension to help accuracy, but I was amazed at the accuracy of this " cheap " Seiko considering it's bashed around every day at work and treated with NIL respect.

Cheers

G.


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## Garry (Feb 25, 2003)

Sorry Roy,

Missed your post......

Yep....amazing for the price and highly recommended. Mine gets bashed daily beyond belief and still manages great timekeeping.

G.


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

My experience of the 7s26 is that they always seem to be set up on the fast side.

Nearly all mine are at around +20 per day although I do have one that stays within a couple of seconds which shows what the movement is capable of.

It may sound an odd thing to say and this is only my experience, (before anyone jumps down my throat), but I find the movement stays a lot more settled overnight when left to rest on it's side, crown up.


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## Garry (Feb 25, 2003)

Hi Andy,

I've never tried this different resting overnight position thing.....mine just gets left as it comes off, although, on avaerage it would be face up I suppose. Needless to say though, I remain very impressed with the 7s26.

Cheers

G.


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

My recently bought 5 with salmon pink dial gains just 1.5s per day.

I've been both surprised and impressed with this movement.

See the Me and my Seiko thread below started by PG Tips


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## dashcracker (Sep 1, 2003)

Stan, (still hilarious!)

if you think the picture dial is yuk, why did you buy it? Just a question that popped into my head, I've been on the p*ss tonight. (Retirement party).

Regards

Mike (dashcracker)


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Hi Mike,

Why did I buy it? You've got me there!









No, I bought it off Praybay, and it realy isn't bad. The picture is quite nice but the dial is blue with black numerals and thin hands. Ok in good light, but to my old eyes it sucks in low light. If I could see well enough I'd re-dial it!









I can't complain about something that cost a tenner and keeps very good time.









Take care,

Stan.


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## MarkF (Jul 5, 2003)

Hi Stan,

What is with these pics? I see a load of good looking Vostok's ruined by bloody submarines, tanks and jetfighters etc!

Somebody need to have a quiet word with their design dept


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Hi Mark,

I was thinking the same thing. I noticed that the Vostoks Roy sells are of the more sedate style. Vostok make good watches, while the "made in ussr" and red star thing was quite cool 10 or 15 years ago it is getting a bit "old" now.

I bet they could produce a nice looking military watch if they tried. I've seen Vostok chronos with Poljot movements but the things still have picture dials









Take care,

Stan.


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## Guest (Sep 7, 2003)

If i'm honest most of mine were duff out of the box. I had one run as badly as +30 per day and another that ran +10 but no better than that. Onto the Ticko-print they all went and they came down to within 10 seconds per week. On the other hand i had a 7S36 (the 23 jeweled varient) in a 39 quid jobby from Argos that ran +2 per day. Its just the luck of the draw i suppose. Ive got 5 watches with the 7S26 movement, heres how they performed out of the box...

Black Monster: +11

Orange Monster: +15

009: +10

007: +30

Black dial seiko 5: +20

Position wise they all seemed to display the same traits to a greater or lesser degree with dial-up being the worst for gaining time. Isochronism is also an issue but one which only comes into play when the movement is in a lower state of wind than it would ever be in normal conditions. The 7S26 is good but i dont see why they didnt add a hacking lever which would have added virtually ziltch to the cost of production and made our lives a lot easier when syncing the watch to an accurate source. Ive had my 007 for 3 years now (the longest of all my 7s26's), i wore it almost every day for 2 years and it has never missed a beat. Now ive started wearing more of my collection rather than leaving them in the drawer, it doesnt get as much use, but i'm sure it would go on for several more years before it needs any attention. I regulated it to about +3 per day on the wrist 3 years ago and it still runs +3 today. Quite remarkable really.


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## Guest (Sep 7, 2003)

Just to add to that, my SKX171 (that i missed off from the list) ran +25 out of the box!


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

I'm still really an Omega man, with a strong liking for Oris and Tissot mechanicals, but I have come to respect the 7S26, and several other Seikos.

I have two 5's running within 3 s + per day, and my 779 also.

I'm particularly impressed with the toughness and durability of the 7s26, but just wish it had the hacking facility. Otherwise my liking for Seiko has much increased, and I'm getting interested in some of the old diverss like below:-

This is the model of watch which was worn by Martin Sheen in the film "Apocalypse Now" which makes it quite collectible. Dimensions are: width 44 mm, lug to lug 47 mm, thickness 13 mm


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## ericp (Feb 23, 2003)

Speaking of watches in films...

I purchased the actual watch worn by "Bough" in the Johnny English film last week.

Its excellent







)


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

I am hearing so many good reports on the latest generation 7S26's, especially the divers.

I'm beginning to wonder if Seiko have had a re-vamp of there quality control.

I'd be interested to work out an average from those owners of these who have checked the accuracy of there divers watches.

Particularly these.


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## pauluspaolo (Feb 24, 2003)

What quality control issues have Seiko had?

Cheers

Paul


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

I'm reading more and more of incredible accuracy from the humble 7s26.

I have loads of these and most are at around +20 on average.

Regulating a watch at the end of the production process is an aspect of quality control, don't you think.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Cheers Andy,

I had thought of getting a (5), but I've read similar reports. Argrot are selling some for Â£45 and I was tempted. I'd like another Citizen (7), but they are impossible to get in the UK. I've had mine for 10 years and it's been great. Even after this long it's giving +7secs a day.

I guess, if I buy a (5) from Roy, I should be safe. If it ran less than well, I'm sure he'd sort it!

I don't have an issue with Japanese watches, and am certainly not a snob, I love 'em.

Cheers,

Stan.


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

OH Dear









My comments have been taken completely the wrong way.

I was simply remarking (tongue in cheek) that perhaps Seiko were giving more consideration to the accuracy of there auto's. It's just that stories of near chronometer accuracy are becoming popular.

There are ABSOLUTELY NO quality control issues with Seiko 5's as a whole.

It's just my opinion but I believe that in there price range they cannot be beaten as an honest all round proposition.

Stan you seem to be implying that I may be a watch snob with derogatory opinions toward Japanese watches.





































Well I suggest you talk to some of the old sweats like Neil, Griff and even Roy etc. about that. I think they'd find that very funny.

I don't think anyone here is a bigger Japanese watch enthusiast than me but that does not mean I won't be critical if I have an opinion.

By the way Seiko are my favourite watches. I could open my own shop with my collection of them


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## Guest (Sep 11, 2003)

Andy

I must admit I heard reports of most new Seikos running about 20-30 secs fast out of the box.

I wonder if they are supposed to bed in a bit after running in?

I think my black job is a fair bit better than that.

I'll have a check.

Neil.


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

Just for info my "5" is bang on 2 sec fast every day no matter how I leave it over night.


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

Can concur with that PG........my salmon pink 5 is 1.5 s + per day, and I'm as chuffed as little mint balls!!!


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## Andy (Feb 23, 2003)

neil said:


> Andy
> 
> I must admit I heard reports of most new Seikos running about 20-30 secs fast out of the box.


 Thats been my experience.

In fact I remember a while back on a well known make related forum







a member started a thread asking "why Seiko's are set up so fast"

Griff, PG,


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## pg tips (May 16, 2003)

Andy,

I'm





















Sekio, best watch in the world!


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Andy,

I was in no way implying you were any kind of snob, my friend.

That was simply a statement about me. Some don't like Japanese watches, I do.

Cheers,

Stan.


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