# The Seiko 7T32 And Me...



## kevkojak

Just posted this on the other side and thought I'd repeat myself for the none dark-siders and hard of hearing. Just a bit of noise about my first real 'collection', before I became a vintage Omega addict collector!

When I got into collecting watches I wanted to focus on something interesting, not too old, fairly inexpensive as well as cheap and easy to maintain. Oh, and preferably a chrono.

Enter the Seiko 7T32 calibre alarm chronograph!

The 7T32 produced in large numbers for over a decade - coming into production mid-1988 and finally giving way completely to the 7T62 by 2002 - was one of Seiko's finest watch calibres.

A 4 button alarm chronograph with separate crowns to set the time and the alarm. (The subsequent 'upgraded' 7T62 and current 7T92 movements are 3 button affairs, missing the extra crown, which are a pain in the ar5e to set the alarm on).

High quality steel case and bracelet, yet lightweight due to the fact that a large portion of the movement used plastic gears, this was a comfortable watch despite its often hefty dimensions (for the time). These started at 38mm, but were used in watches as large as 44mm which proved very popular in the States and their own market of Japan, where bigger is always better!

Due to the fact that the 7T32 alarm chrono was around for so long there are plenty of colour combinations to be found! The popular versions now tend to be the very vibrant colour dials, the military versions and the 'Panda' dials - however even these sought after models will rarely set you back more than Â£100.

The more common variants can be picked up for next to nothing - with Â£20-Â£50 being a realistic ballpark figure for a good condition runner and often still with the box and papers.

Servicing on these isn't too cheap as replacement parts are becoming thin on the ground, in fact I think Seiko have stopped supplying them to third parties. Fortunately, 'donor' watches are easy to come by for the time being, although prices are slowly on the rise (possibly for that reason). On the plus side, these are pretty bulletproof. I have only ever had trouble with one of mine and it was a quick fix!

I have probably owned 14 or 15 of these seiko's in the last ten years, and even though my tastes change and my collection heads in new directions, I honestly can't ever see my collection without one.

Here is the cheapest one I've ever bought. Cost me Â£16 on e.bay but when it arrived the glass was chipped. I e.mailed the seller asking if it was posted out that way (didn't ask for a penny back and didn't intend to) and was immediately refunded half - meaning that it cost me the princely sum of Â£8 (ok, plus Â£20 for a sapphlex fitted!)

Light metallic blue dial with dark blue sub-dials. Works for me!










This navy blue with silver sub's was a little more expensive, but was a favourite and a daily wearer for quite some time.










And this one has a special place since it belonged to my Dad. It was his only 'proper' watch and his pride and joy. This is the last watch I would ever sell and I will maintain this piece regardless of the costs for as long as parts are available!










Last one.

I've actually owned two of these. This one with the blue dial with orange trim and detail, and the opposite with orange dial and blue detail on a blue sharkskin strap. This was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, more famous for designing cars but well known for his insane concept versions of the Seiko Speedmaster (used in the movie 'Aliens').

Seiko commissioned Giugiaro for a range of 7T32 based chronographs which were unveiled at the 1996 Basel watch fair, winning the crowds over and gaining immediate acclaim for their garish designs.

On their release these retailed at just over Â£400, which was an incredible amount of money. These were the days when mid-hundreds would buy you a fairly high end Swiss piece. Obviously the Giugiaro didn't sell in huge quantities (I found a NOS example in 2004, 8 years after release!), and today it is a relatively rare model.

Even so, a good condition one of these can cost between Â£50 and Â£100, very rarely more.



















Colourful, interesting, plenty of choice, older without being quite vintage, yet somehow still current.

And (for now at least) *affordable*.


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## kevkojak

I know a lot of our members have one or two of these lurking in those watch boxes. Feel free to share a photo or two!


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## William2

Love your dad's yellow watch. I was looking for a new watch (preferably Seiko) with a yellow face the other day, but could only find enormous watches too big for my wrist.


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## woody77

hi i have this one from 1997,i have had a few over last few years nice watches this one is very light .all the best woody77


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## hermann

Hi,

I like the 7T32 too!

Here are two common ones (the Panda I donÂ´t have anymore)










And here is a rather rare 7T42-7A10 with titanium case and saphire glasses (I hope you donÂ´t mind showing a 7T42...)


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## amh82

Your fathers yellow faced one is a beauty, and the Â£8 light blue faced one sounds like a steal!!

I must say, the Titanium 7T42 above is lovley. Something about Titanium with red, very nice!


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## Sir Alan

Mine says hello 










I bought this in the duty free in Grenada (Carribean) just before we flew home. I was the last passenger to board, it took me ages to hmm and ha, and then of course it took them even longer to find the box and instructions!!

It doesn't get too much wrist time, but it brings back fond memories.


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## Roger the Dodger

Here's my yellow 7T32 that I got off the bay a couple of years ago. I paid £48 IIRC, and it was a bit of a punt because the sellers pic was small and out of focus. I was pleasantly surprised when it turned up, that the only thing wrong with it was a sticky pusher. I remember Paul (Seikofan) giving me great advice on removing the various parts and cleaning years of wabi and wrist cheese from it and the bracelet, which resulted in the item I have today. Like Kev, it's one of my favourites...BTW, Kev...now that Paul's gone, and with your obvious enthusiasm for this model, have you thought about a name change...Seikofan7T32 for instance! :lol:


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## kevkojak

Roger the Dodger said:


> Here's my yellow 7T32 that I got off the bay a couple of years ago. I paid £48 IIRC, and it was a bit of a punt because the sellers pic was small and out of focus. I was pleasantly surprised when it turned up, that the only thing wrong with it was a sticky pusher. I remember Paul (Seikofan) giving me great advice on removing the various parts and cleaning years of wabi and wrist cheese from it and the bracelet, which resulted in the item I have today. Like Kev, it's one of my favourites...BTW, Kev...now that Paul's gone, and with your obvious enthusiasm for this model, have you thought about a name change...Seikofan7T32 for instance! :lol:


 Tempting Roger, but these are just a bit of a low budget bit of fun now. I still have a couple, and still look regularly on e.bay for good ones going, but I'm an Omega man now and no going back.


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## kevkojak

There is an Orange Giugiaro 7T32 finishing tomorrow on a popular auction site if anyone is interested - exactly the same as my old one but on a battered strap.

Should go cheapish.


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## SimonD

I bought this one new in 1999 and for sentimental reasons it will always be my favourite watch.










This pic was taken recently after a clean and polish. I put a new crystal in a couple of years ago.










This one I've had for about 4 years and it was my daily until last year.

I got it with a badly scratched bezel and crystal.

I replaced the crystal and polished the bezel and it was my daily for a year.










I like the 7T32s and there are one or two I'd like to own but they don't come up that often.


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## shoestring

Nice interesting selection of watches i especialy like your Dads yellow one, the style is still very current as you say in your piece it sounds like this type of watch is a good choice to start a collection as not to old & inexpensive to buy hmmm food for thought :thumbup:


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## Sir Alan

SimonD said:


> I bought this one new in 1999 and for sentimental reasons it will always be my favourite watch.
> 
> .....


I really like this - a lovely watch.


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## kes

agree - that yellow watch is great. my list of watches to get , just keeps getting longer


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## BarryW

Some more in this crowd:

http://s88.photobucket.com/albums/k186/barryw1964/Stuuf%20for%20sale/


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## kevkojak

Some beauties in there Barry, a couple I've never seen before.

Pair of Giugiaro's as well. Sweet!


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## xtriple

Bought this a few months ago from a chap on TZ. It's a '96 and I love the bracelet and the bezel - they were my reason for buying it really! It#s in lovely, nearly unmarked condition and I've since paired it with a T62.


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## vinn

very interesting. nice looking watches. I have one quartz crono, 15 jewels - don't recall the name. vin


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## kevkojak

Holy thread resurrection Batman! :batman:

Six years almost to the day for this to be brought back from the dead...


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## Roger the Dodger

A nice blue 7F70 just went for £81 on the bay. Had it bookmarked on my 'watch' list too, then promptly forgot about it...would have had a max bid of £100 on it if I'd been on the ball.... :sadwalk:

BTW, that yellow 'Daytona' is awesome......


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## Mark Synge

I have a 7t32 - 784A. Seiko say they no longer have the parts to repair it. Can anyone point me in the direction of a possible repairer or even where I could buy a replacement?

Thanks

Mark Synge


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## spinynorman

Mark Synge said:


> I have a 7t32 - 784A. Seiko say they no longer have the parts to repair it. Can anyone point me in the direction of a possible repairer or even where I could buy a replacement?
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Mark Synge


 Are you sure that's the right model number? The second block of characters is usually a number, followed by a letter and two more numbers.

My experience is repairers run away from these, non-availability of parts being one of the issues. To find a replacement, you'll have to buy used. Look on Ebay and Chrono24, for example.


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## spikewestyorks

try a pusar or a lorus y82 movment watch its a t732


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## Meli

Does anyone have any info on this model? Case code 5A60. I'm interested in finding out the model name, production year span, and any other interesting info. I've just purchased one.

Thanks in advance, from Melbourne Australia.


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## tick-tock-tittle-tattle

Currently own 35 x 7T32 / Y182 watches, and I have around 50 modules for spares.

They are all getting sold as I no longer have any love for them even though a Seiko 7T32 watch started me off watch collecting.

Great watches when they are working...and a complete pain in the 4rse when they aren't working.


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## spinynorman

Meli said:


> Does anyone have any info on this model? Case code 5A60. I'm interested in finding out the model name, production year span, and any other interesting info. I've just purchased one.
> 
> Thanks in advance, from Melbourne Australia.


 I don't get an image from the link you posted. These seem pretty hard to photograph, could only find one picture that's at all clear. If anyone knows anything about it, it'll be @kevkojak or @Roger the Dodger.


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## tick-tock-tittle-tattle

spinynorman said:


> I don't get an image from the link you posted. These seem pretty hard to photograph, could only find one picture that's at all clear. If anyone knows anything about it, it'll be @kevkojak or @Roger the Dodger.


 picture of the back would be really handy and then I can tell you the year and month of production, and its production number and factory it came from.


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## spinynorman

tick-tock-tittle-tattle said:


> picture of the back would be really handy and then I can tell you the year and month of production, and its production number and factory it came from.


 Yes, so could I. That's not the OP's watch though. :biggrin:

I see why their picture doesn't show now, it's replaced by a Yahoo Japan message saying it's no longer accessible from the UK.


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## kevkojak

The 5A60 was a really low production watch, in fact I don't think it even made it to Europe as they lumped it in with the Japanese Market SUS models (budget sport range).

Square(ish) case so I guess a cousin of the Monaco models from the mid 1990s, however this was one of the later models (I've seen serial numbers from 1997 and 1998) so it came out close to the end of the life of the 7t32.


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