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Sometimes These Things Just Gotta Be Done.

5K views 18 replies 3 participants last post by  SEIKO7A38 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
In case anybody interested in 7A38's was wondering why :dontgetit: ....

I hadn't flagged eBay item # 110781791508 in the Heads Up On Yet Another 7A38 Franken thread - I hadn't missed it. :tongue_ss:

Orologio uomo marcato Seiko quartz Chronograph
7A38-706A-Gold-WhiteFaceFranken-703B-tanLeatherStrap-eBayItaly-Nov2011-2.jpg


7A38-706A-Gold-WhiteFaceFranken-703B-tanLeatherStrap-eBayItaly-Nov2011-3.jpg


7A38-706A-Gold-WhiteFaceFranken-703B-tanLeatherStrap-eBayItaly-Nov2011-4.jpg


7A38-706A-Gold-WhiteFaceFranken-703B-tanLeatherStrap-eBayItaly-Nov2011-5.jpg


7A38-706A-Gold-WhiteFaceFranken-703B-tanLeatherStrap-eBayItaly-Nov2011-6.jpg


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Au Contraire :tongue2: - I'd seen it, in the first hour it was listed on eBay Italy :shocking: - and already decided to go for it myself. :naughty:

And Yes - I knew it was a Franken from the outset. :yes:
 
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#2 · (Edited by Moderator)
The seller made no claims for 'rarity' - or very much else, for that matter.

In fact, she's just one of these AFFARIINVISTA! eBay proxy sellers, where you bring in your stuff and they sell it for you.

So there was little or no point in asking too many questions about the watch, or its origins.

But some parts of it are rare. :grin:

The arabic number dial is the 720LXS19, which according to Seiko's database is used only in the 7A38-706B SAA084J.

In fact, that would appear to be an error. I've just examined mine's dial and it is clearly printed 727O not 720L. See below.

I've only ever seen one of these - a photo posted by SuperMario_Bros fairly recently on Orologio & Passioni.

He described it as 'his ugly duckling 7A38', but from what I can glean from Seiko's database, Mario's is 'correct and original'.

In fact, I'd already written this as a footnote to another thread, so here's a copy and paste:

Another somewhat belated footnote - and partial answer to my own question:

Oh and has anybody ever seen a black-faced two-tone 7A38-706A or the 7A38-706B with the 720L dial, by the way ? :whistle:
At the time of writing, I still haven't seen an example of the black-faced two-tone 7A38-706A ....

But more recently (in October) I came across my very first sighting of the elusive 7A38-706B. :shocking:

I was reading back through an existing 7Axx thread on Orologio & Passioni, entitled: Census: Seiko 7A28/38/48

I found a couple more pages had been added. Halfway down page 6, on 6th October, 'SuperMario_Bros' had posted this:

.... my ugly duckling 7A38-706B

7A38-706B-StainlessGold-WhiteFace-SuperMario_Bros-OrologiPassioniit.jpg
He's certainly not wrong in calling it an 'ugly duckling'. It shares many components with the two-tone silver-faced 7A38-7060.

But what makes this unique is the off-white non-lume dial, with Arabic / italic Breguet-style numbers, which is reminiscent

of the similar-hued 725O dial of the gold-tone 7A38-7280. The (main and subdial) hands fitted look similar (if not identical) too.

But the strange thing is, that on Seiko's database, the dial part number is shown as (7A38)720LXS19 ('L' indicating Lume).

I've rotated and zoomed in on the photo, and what's actually printed at the bottom of the dial looks more like: 7A38 727O

Which if you study these things as I obsessively as I do :nerd: actually makes a lot more sense ('O' indicates a non-lume dial).

Speaking of which :umnik2: ....

The slightly unusual (for Seiko) subdial division marking is very similar to a couple of the dressy Yema N8's and Orient J39's.

Which points to the designs of various Seiko 7A38's; Yema N8's and Orient J39's having been penned by the same team.

So another very rarely seen 7A38 variant breaks cover. Like my 7A38-724A, it's the only example I've witnessed to date.

Both watches have English / Italian day wheels. With their styling, it makes me wonder if these were only sold in Italy. :lookaround:
 
#3 · (Edited by Moderator)
My original plan, had I won the eBay auction (that was a foregone conclusion - check the timing of my snipe) was ....

to take the dial, Tachymeter dial ring and movement out of this watch, and build it into my 'spare' two-tone 7A38-7060

- thereby, effectively building myself the 7A38-706B (like SuperMario_Bros) which was missing from my collection. :hammer:

When I say 'spare', I have two two-tone silver-grey faced 7A38-7060's.

The second one, I bought on eBay Germany in January this year is almost mint.

The first one, which I bought back in December 2008 is not quite so tidy.

So logically that would have been the one to 'sacrifice' to build my 7A38-706B, right ? :butcher:

7A38-7060-StainlessGoldSilver-eBay-Dec2008-Purchased.jpg


That's the eBay seller's listing photo - the first of any 7A38 that I ever right-clicked and saved - almost exactly 3 years ago.

That's what makes that particular 7A38 a bit special. Although it's been surpassed, it was still only the second I ever bought,

(after my original stainless 7A38-7270). So I was kind of in two minds, as to whether I really had the heart to break it up. :unsure:

So there was little or no point in asking too many questions about the watch, or its origins.
But in fact, I had asked the seller one question. What is the 7A38-706x number on the case-back ?

7A38-706A-Gold-WhiteFaceFranken-703B-tanLeatherStrap-eBayItaly-Nov2011-5.jpg


She had replied 7A38-706A - which given my prior intentions was the wrong answer - not what I was hoping. :(

To properly build myself a two-tone 7A38-706B, of course I needed a case-back with that model number stamped in it.

So, here am I thinking I'm looking at a Franken 7A38-706X made up from: The gold-tone case from a SGP 7A38-7060;

the dial / movement and Tachy ring from a two-tone 7A38-706B, fitted with the case-back from a 7A38-706A. Right ? :huh:

Wrong ! :duh:

Suggest you guys may want to 'refresh' your screens. I'm making this up as I go along. :grin:
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
Anyway, the watch arrived this morning, and despite the scratched and chipped (original) crystal,

the worn gold plating on the bezel, case, pushers and crown, my thoughts were how 'right' it looked. :)

Particularly when compared to the 'ugly ducking' 7A38-706B. Even though I'd convinced myself it was a 'Franken'. :blush:

It really did seem a shame to cannibalize it, because it looked like it had been in that configuration for quite some time.

So I did a quick sanity check on Seiko's database, and sure enough I found what I'd seen previously and expected to find.

The three variations of 7A38-7060 - stainless, two-tone and SGP:

7A38-7060SeikoOz.jpg


The previously known two variations of 706A - stainless and two-tone:

7A38-706ASeikoOz.jpg


.... and the 7A38-706B which came in just two tone:

7A38-706BSeikoOz.jpg


Note the incorrect dial number shown (720L as opposed to 727O).
 
#9 ·
Shouldn't worry about it! Besides it's the journey that makes these articles of interest to me, so it matters not that you might correct yourself.

In my brief infatuations with Seiko divers while perusing those offered directly or indirectly from the Philippines, and also Soviet watches by way of the Ukraine I pretty much adopt an attitude of little trust in the first instance and work backwards anyway.

Ultimately it's got to be a bonus buying a 'parts watch' for the purposes of supporting other projects and receiving an original example instead!

Though... thinking about it.... you still would appear to have the same present challenge of converting your 2nd two-tone 7A38-7060 into a 7A38-706B ...
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#11 · (Edited by Moderator)
.... you still would appear to have the same present challenge of converting your 2nd two-tone 7A38-7060 into a 7A38-706B ...
No, I'll try to be patient. I'm sure one will turn up on eBay sooner or later. They always do, eventually. Failing that .... :whistle:

I suspect I could probably persuade SuperMario_Bros to part with his -706B. I don't think he's exactly enamoured with it. :grin:
 
#13 ·
Excellent!

And, in all this time I have only just this minute tried to find that Seiko database - and out of curiosity threw in 6309 calibre 7040 case search; now there's information I spent a long time putting together from various sources including Jules Borel, Cousins and various posts across forums. Recommended.

Anyway, congrats on your find Paul
biggrin.gif
 
#14 ·
:spamsign:

Paul, :thumbup: congratulations regarding your winning bid.

Just wondered how close you really were. :rolleyes:

Sometimes i bid bid with an attitude of if i buy or if i dont,

normally when i dont really care about the outcome, 'being a Fanken as it were' :butcher:

If this was the case with the 706 it really is a good job this one found its rightful owner.

Another one step closer eh' :big_boss:
 
#15 · (Edited by Moderator)
Paul, :thumbup: congratulations regarding your winning bid. Just wondered how close you really were.
If you look at the bidding history, I placed an initial bid of 50 Euros (against the opening bid of 49.99) on Day # 2:

http://offer.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBids&_trksid=p4340.l2565&rt=nc&item=110781791508
My genuinely last-second maximum bid was a 'throwaway' 67.89 Euros - so there wasn't actually that much leeway. :whistle:

Another one step closer eh' :big_boss:
Indeed, Robert. More by luck than judgement on this particular occasion. :grin:
 
#18 · (Edited by Moderator)
After a few (albeit 7Axx-related) 'distractions' earlier today .... getting back to my own latest 7A38 topic.

Something I forgot to mention was the strap - or my plans for a 'suitable' strap.

The brick red / tan 'Fatto a Mano' leather strap currently fitted isn't in too bad a condition at all.

It's obviously not the original strap - possibly the second or third the watch has been fitted with in its lifetime.

It may even bear some resemblance to the original Seiko p/n BRJ47G strap - if that indeed what was originally fitted.

I'm always torn as to what looks and matches best on a gold-plated 7A38 with a white dial and black markings.

Black (sometimes with white stitching) or Tan. :unsure:

Whereas I don't have many Seiko 7A38's which fall into that category - I do have a number of Yema N8's which do.

Some are on Tan straps; some on black (though usually something a bit exotic, rather than just plain old calf leather).

I'm going to try something a little different on this one. Black AND Tan (and 'exotic'). :whistle:

If you've read Renato's thread in the Russian section: Jetfighter On Kermit Strap - Mach, Look Away! ....

you'll have probably read between the lines that said 'Kermit' strap is winging it's way from Portugal to England.

Nope :no: - I'm not planning to (even trial) fit it on this 7A38-706A (although it has Quick-Change pins !
:partytime:
)

But in posting a photo of an alternate version of the strap from the same supplier, Renato gave me an idea. :naughty:

It's really cool and they sell lots of very cool exotic grained straps. The frog grain also exists in a more brown/beige tone...
20mmFrogGrain-Strapcodecom-FRG2018002RE-SP.jpg


A Black and Tan 'Kermit' strap.
 
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