# 7a38 Chronograph - Are Parts Still Available?



## pauluspaolo

I've been given this Seiko 7A38 quartz chronograph. The watch still keeps good time & the day/date change over at midnight still, but the chronograph is utterly dead & none of the buttons do anything. I took the back off thinking that some of the buttons might just be stuck, or not making contact, & I was presented with the grubbiest, blackest looking movement I've ever seen & not being a watchmaker/repairer I don't want to start taking the thing apart (though come to think of it thats never stopped me taking watches apart before







!)

I was wondering if it's worth sending it in for repair - I'd certainly like to get it fully operational again - but I've no idea if spares are available for these models still.

Anyone have any idea what the spares situation is like for these?

Here's a picture of the watch - cosmetically it's in good condition but wait till you see the movement!!

Here's the movement - I'm amazed the watch is running at all


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## MarkF

Nice Paul.







Why not use it as it is if it's keeping good time? I can't see how it would be viable to have it looked at, repaired and cleaned, unless you have fallen in love with it.

Are those sub-dials discoloured? I like the contrast anyway.


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## K.I.T.T.

Well here is a link to the service guide for that movt. [Although you've probably already looked at it...]

http://service.seiko.com.au/Service2/tg/data/7A38A.pdf

Don't these Quartz chronos need resetting after a battery change...

Looks like it could be a nice watch with some potential...














Although all that black stuff doesn't look good

















Mike


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## pauluspaolo

I suppose I could use it as it is but my girlfriend gave me it (it belonged to her late husband) so I thought that it'd be nice to get it working properly again. I may well be wrong but I thought it was something of a landmark in chronograph movements as it was one of the first fully jewelled (15 of 'em) quartz chrongraph movements ever made??

Not sure if the subdias have discooured or if the watch was built that way - it looks good though especially with the black hands. The watch case & bracelet are filthy dirty (you could grow things in the "wrist cheese" under the clasp!!), it really needs dismantling completely & putting in an ultrasonic cleaner. Unfortunately ours at work is out of action at the mo









Thanks for the movement info Mike - I'll print that off I think


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## K.I.T.T.

Well that movt is apparently one of the all-metal quartz chronograph movements which Seiko produced in the 1980's... They were and still are meant to be remarkably accurate. [isn't the RAF Vulcan Chrono a 7a38???]









So if you can get it fixed it's going to be a decent addition to your more compact collection...
















I think that is well worth a rescue attempt... Mind you'll have to get a nice strap for it... if the original isn't salvageable... Have to get the ultrasonic cleaner fixed!!!









Mike


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## pauluspaolo

K.I.T.T. said:


> Well that movt is apparently one of the all-metal quartz chronograph movements which Seiko produced in the 1980's... They were and still are meant to be remarkably accurate. [isn't the RAF Vulcan Chrono a 7a38???]
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> I think that is well worth a rescue attempt... Mind you'll have to get a nice strap for it... if the original isn't salvageable... Have to get the ultrasonic cleaner fixed!!!
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> Mike


Hi Mike,

I think it's worth making a few enquiries to see if it can be repaired - I've contacted Roy (who says it's an obsolete movement) so my next port of call will be the watch repairers at Birstall. Also the service manual that you provided a link for lists various reset procedures so I'll have a go at those tonight when I get home - you never know it may still work, though I have my doubts! It was fitted with a reasonable quality folded link bracelet but it was easier to take the photos with it removed, it isn't signed Seiko so I'm not sure it's the original one or not (it looks good though). .

BTW the ultrasonic cleaner at work isn't broken it's just impossible to get to at the moment as there's a lot of work going on in the laboratories over the summer, at the moment they're a hard hat/no-go area unfortunately


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## jasonm

I think your best bet might be a flea bay donor watch, I seem to remember some fugly gold tone jobbies with this movement that you may find cheapish?


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## Foggy

Here's what it should look like, Paul. Looks like there is some damage to the part in the centre of yours (ie it's bent). It's important for this part (don't know the technical term for it) to be positioned correctly for the chrono to work properly.










Worth getting fixed if you can. The 7A series of chronographs are superb.

Cheers

Foggy


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## K.I.T.T.

Foggy said:


> Here's what it should look like, Paul. Looks like there is some damage to the part in the centre of yours (ie it's bent). It's important for this part (don't know the technical term for it) to be positioned correctly for the chrono to work properly.
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Nice one Paul sounds like it's got the Foggy
















So at least now you'll have a nice Chrono. project 

Mike


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## cug

You can also contact Seiko repair at:

Coserv - Mahwah

1111 Macarthur Blvd

Mahwah, NJ 07430-2124

201-529-3316 phone

201-529-4525 fax

This watch has some rather unique features; see: link.

- Aldo



pauluspaolo said:


> I've been given this Seiko 7A38 quartz chronograph. The watch still keeps good time & the day/date change over at midnight still, but the chronograph is utterly dead & none of the buttons do anything. I took the back off thinking that some of the buttons might just be stuck, or not making contact, & I was presented with the grubbiest, blackest looking movement I've ever seen & not being a watchmaker/repairer I don't want to start taking the thing apart (though come to think of it thats never stopped me taking watches apart before
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> !)
> 
> I was wondering if it's worth sending it in for repair - I'd certainly like to get it fully operational again - but I've no idea if spares are available for these models still.
> 
> Anyone have any idea what the spares situation is like for these?
> 
> Here's a picture of the watch - cosmetically it's in good condition but wait till you see the movement!!
> 
> Here's the movement - I'm amazed the watch is running at all


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## Chromejob

cug said:


> This watch has some rather unique features; see: link....


That's a 7A48, and the most attractive of the cases IMHO. I have a 7A48-7000, and have loved it since the day I bought it.

If the 7A38 is anything like it, *it's worth the effort to restore*. They are truly lovely watches.


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## SEIKO7A38

Does anyone know the Seiko part number for the case-back sealing gasket for the Seiko 7A38-7xxx series ?

Or more to the point where I can get hold of a couple ?


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Does anyone know the Seiko part number for the case-back sealing gasket for the Seiko 7A38-7xxx series ?
> 
> *Or more to the point where I can get hold of a couple ?*


Sorry for the 'bump', but I need an answer .... and 2 case-back gaskets for a couple of 7A38's I've bought on eBay recently.

One of them the gasket has been caught in the threads, and twisted / flattened :yucky: - the other is missing it altogether !


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## pg tips

with over 3000 views of the thread I think you haven't had an answer because no body knows. Have you tried the seiko and citizen forum (scwf) on network54?


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## bry1975

A standard thin gasket will fit the 7A38 caseback chap!

I've got two ere.


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## SEIKO7A38

bry1975 said:


> A standard thin gasket will fit the 7A38 caseback chap!
> 
> I've got two ere.


Could you PM me your email address, please Bry. Seeing as I can't PM you (yet). Thanks.


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## bry1975

read my about me page.


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## SEIKO7A38

bry1975 said:


> read my about me page.


You mean look at your profile ? Seems a newbie can't do that either.












> The error returned was:
> 
> Sorry, but you do not have permission to use this feature. If you are not logged in, you may do so using the form below if available.


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## bry1975

satintime @ gmail.com


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Does anyone know the Seiko part number for the case-back sealing gasket for the Seiko 7A38-7xxx series ?


Answering my own questions again. 

I did find out the answer from another watch forum (where the same question had been asked a couple of times).

It's FE318BA12. Same P/N is used almost across all of the 7A28 range too.


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## SEIKO7A38

SEIKO7A38Fan said:


> Does anyone know the Seiko part number for the case-back sealing gasket for the Seiko 7A38-7xxx series ?
> 
> Or more to the point where I can get hold of a couple ?


I was looking back through some of the old 7A38 threads tonight, and found this one. :wink2:

In fact, if you google 'Seiko 7A38', this thread is nearly always the first result returned. :bored:

It also appears to be where I made my first ever post on RLT - asking a 'dumb (7A38) newbie' question. :bag:

But I never did get a proper answer. 

So for any other 7A38 newbies out there, here's the definitive answer :smartass:

The correct Seiko part numbers for case-back gasket*s* (there are two) used on 7A38's (and most 7Axx's) are:

*FH3181B01* used on plain case-back models - e.g. all the 7A38-72xx series, and ....

*FH3180B0A* used on Sports 100 and SQ100 models with 'silverwave' casebacks.

Initially I used *FE318BA12* - a substitute p/n available from Labanda in Oz ....

and have also successfully experimented using Cousins' Flat Rubber Gaskets, p/n's 31803420C and 31603300C.

So there you go.


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## night

Paul I say fix the watch, u wanted too enjoy the function of the watch, if u are going town it. I have 3 of the watches and love them, it is a great watch. Don't send to Seiko, find an independent watch smith, one it will be much cheaper and two Seiko told me they do not really mess with repairing Seikos that old, because in their word- repairing a watch that old will cost more than the watch is worth, they don't realize that watch may have sentimental value to the persons want the wat repaired and cleaned. Next option is try to repair it urself, that is the sole reason I started learning watch repair. I clean / repair my own watches, because I would rather put the cost of repairs into restoring my own vintage watches, I'm too picky on my watches. I cherish my watch collection and love my watches so much.


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## habanerosmith

That was posted 15 years ago... I reckon he'll have got it fixed by now


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