# Custom Watch - Seiko "bitsa" Latest



## pauluspaolo (Feb 24, 2003)

Some good news & some bad news as regards the latest mods I had planned for my custom Seiko.

The main mod was to see if the bezel from a 40th anniversary Seiko diver would fit. This watch was released about 3 years ago to comemmorate 40 years of Seiko 5 production. The short answer to this is that no it won't fit the skx007 case (unfortunately). At the same time as ordering the bezel I also ordered a crown & stem from a stainless steel Samurai & this fits the skx007 a treat. So the major mod didn't work but the minor subtler mod did.

Whilst taking the pics I've also noticed that I've clobbered & scratched the 1 o'clock lug as well







I've been wearing the watch all week at work so I suppose some battle scars are to be expected.

Anyway here's a picture of the latest mod - opinions, as always, welcome.


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## odklizec (May 19, 2004)

It's a very nice mod Paul!







I like it!


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## yak (Jun 18, 2005)

How about a SS Samurai Bezel? Would that fit? Would match the new crown too.

What's the current bezel on the watch, can't place it?

How about the skx171 dial? I've added it to my 007 and it looks better with the white divers 200m writing and sliver round the hour markers. I'll take a pic and post it later.

As soon I get my case back from Bry I'll post pics of my other seiko divers too.

Yak.


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## andy100 (Dec 18, 2005)

A lovely looking watch there Paul


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## deano42 (Jun 12, 2005)

Hi Paul

What have you done to the chapter ring, is it just black.??

IMHO I would have put a silver chapter ring in to complement the bezel, as it looks like an add on at the mo...

The hands and dial are a great combo, just does not come together with the chapter ring...

Thanks

deano


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## pauluspaolo (Feb 24, 2003)

Ta for the comments.

To answer a couple of questions raised:



> What have you done to the chapter ring, is it just black.??


I coloured in the chapter ring with a black marker pen as the dial I had fitted before had a minute track printed on it so it looked too busy with two minute tracks. Since then I've changed the dial back to the 007 one which doesn't have a minute track (obviously) - I quite like the minmal look & the watch looks better in the metal than it does in the photo.



> How about a SS Samurai Bezel? Would that fit? Would match the new crown too.
> 
> What's the current bezel on the watch, can't place it?


Not sure about the Samurai bezel - I'm sure I've read somewhere that they don't fit as the skxx007 & Samurai cases are completey different & I don't fancy buying one just to find out that it doesn't fit. The bezel fitted is the skx007 bezel that's been pvd coated & fitted with the stainless steel insert from the 300m tuna can bezel. I think it looks good, it's a bit different & I'll probably keep it especially now that I've found out that the 40th anniversary bezel doesn't fit.


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## johnbaz (Jan 30, 2005)

hi paul

is this the watch that you had from me originally, of which this was the base?.










if so, it's really changed-for the better of course









john


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## pauluspaolo (Feb 24, 2003)

johnbaz said:


> hi paul
> 
> is this the watch that you had from me originally, of which this was the base?.
> 
> ...


That's the one John - that watch donated its movement & the white on black day/date display.

A breakdown of the parts & modifications used in/on the watch so far would probably read something like this:

Seiko 5 - 7s26 movement & white on black day/date display (not sure of the model number but SNK613 is the white dialled version).

Seiko SKX007 - case, caseback, dial, chapter ring, bezel & crystal (the case has been beadblasted & the bezel pvd coated).

Seiko SbbN007 "Tuna Can" - stainless steel bezel insert.

Seiko SNM009 white st. steel Samurai - crown & stem assembly.

Seiko SBDA001 Ti Samurai - hour, minute & seconds hand.

When I originally bought the SKX007 from Mr Crowley (2 or 3 years ago) it had already been fitted with a Yao MOD dial & sword hands. I wore it like that for a while (& liked it very much) but eventually the modifying bug bit & I asked Bry to beadblast the case for me. He mentioned at the same time that he could probably get parts pvd coated so I asked him to pvd coat the bezel - this was done as a test piece (we weren't sure how it would turn out) so cost me nothing beyond postage! I then decided that I wanted a black date display (the day was hidden by the Yao dial) so I found & fitted the 7s26 movement from a Seiko 5 which had black day/date rings. Eventually I realised that because Seiko have made 100's of watches with the 7s26 movement there were 100's of genuine Seiko parts to pick through that would fit the watch. So I then made the decision to modify the watch using nothing but Seiko parts - which has led me to the watch as it is now. I like to think that I've made a watch that Seiko could produce themselves (should they wish to) from the parts bin. So while it's definitely a "bitsa" (a watch that contains bitsa this & bitsa that) I still like to think of it as a genuine Seiko.

I've got absolutely no plans to sell it, I've put that much efort & time into it I wouldn't know what to charge for it anyway! I still consider it to be very much a work in progress & I'm beginning to think that a bit of colour wouldn't go amiss (to match the red script on the dial). So possibly a bit of yellow/orange/red paint on the tip of the seconds hand would look good & maybe a yellow/orange chapter ring! Though possibly this last mod might be a bit over the top??? What do you all think?


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## Chris Webb (Feb 5, 2006)

pauluspaolo said:


> johnbaz said:
> 
> 
> > hi paul
> ...


I'm impressed. So much so I'd like to try and get some of the parts myself and attempt to modify my 007. Could you please advise me ( [email protected] ) where I'd be able to get the Samurai crown and stem assembly. I want to start with nothing too ambitous. Thanks, Chris.


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## andy100 (Dec 18, 2005)

Nice looking mod Paul.

I like the contrast between the original 007 dial and the metal bezel


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