Having family commitments as well as a very busy workshop sometimes it leaves me with less time than id like to add new and interesting posts to this blog, however it's been a while so here's some fresh new posts coming up to entertain you all :) The Seiko Alpinist is a truly great little watch and certainly a popular piece whether your a collector or not, with great looks and a reliable proven mechanical history ( 7S26 onwards etc ) its certainly a winner. Almost sad now that they are no longer made or sold but if you look online your sure to find one or two crop up, even when they do you will part with a small sum for what is a great tool watch. Without doubt a great looking watch, nothing overly complicated just simple and practical with a few useful features thrown in. The look of the watch is somewhat of a mix between new and old, the skeleton hands add to that vintage style look and the casing shape is not too dissimilar to older styles either. With a 6R15 calibre, Seiko have built on their 7SXX/4RXX success and improved on it, manual winding, hacking seconds, rapid date, and well known reliability and timekeeping, so what more could you need :) So how does that rotating bezel work ?? Plastic is often looked upon now as an inferior material and although full metal gear and bezel would be nice they would add to the cost. Further to cost, metal would require some sort of lubrication to keep it turning smooth and reduce wear, fortunately some plastics have self lubricating properties so this is likely the reasoning behind plastic for the gear and bezel ( aside from cost of course ). So let's get the movement out and see the finish on that dial.... The movement used in this watch is a great choice, whilst similar in appearance to the famous 7S26 the 6R15 does have a few extra parts and functions so requires a little more effort to service than its younger generation. Overall the movement is a well engineered marvel, take the success of the earlier design and add real usable features such as hacking and manual winding, a few extras parts and a few simple changes and voila ! For those who want to see the full strip down view the photo gallery below > When the watch arrived it was running 30/60 seconds slow a day but after service it was running a absolute treat, the casing was given a light clean and the whole watch put back together ready for working life again. Having owned many many Seiko's i surprise myself for never having owned one of these, perhaps one day i will but for now returning this one to its happy owner will suffice :) On occasion i do get a brain fart and forget to take photos after a service is finished, so this time no after shots, big apologies , will do better next time :)
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Sold off as scrap this lovely US Import pocket watch has been brought back to working order with some tlc. Not often but every now and again a little unwanted bargain can come your way, this Omega was given up on and sold off as a non starter, often problems are simple to solve but not trying is easier. The movement is a calibre 140, quite slender and well finished, this poor thing had suffered as many do with a broken balance and snapped mainspring. Fortunately i had one balance staff left and that was just enough to get it back in action, shortly after that the original blued mainspring decided to snap so a new one had to be ordered. After some cleaning and tlc the watch was cleaned up and all back together again. This particular model differs from most as this would have been imported into the USA in pieces and then assembled and cased in the US. The casing is made by the well known Wadsworth casing company, whilst normal gold plating may be 10 or 20 microns thick this beauty is a full 80 microns !! There is still some wear & tear and the dial has some age related marks but it all adds to the history of the watch, and now its working again it's history has not been resigned to a drawer. Whilst i don't think pocket watches are making a come back there is still a market for collectors and those who still treasure these stunning pieces. Solid gold pocket watches hold massive value but as gold plating goes , this is probably as good as it gets :) This particular watch is for sale so if it catches your eye then feel free to get in touch or visit my sister site at www.welwynwatchparts.co.uk It's been a while since my last post and for any of you frequent readers then apologies :) This year has seen a massive increase in watch repairs which has taken me away from the PC and more time at the bench, but fear not as i have a few little projects to share. To increase content i shall be simplifying the posts and reducing my waffling on, with only exception to those special jobs which require further exploration. Whilst some work can take time and require many hours at the bench, there are occasions where it is a simple thing that prevents a watch being enjoyed. This little Tissot Seastar had been missing a crown for some time so it was impossible to wear or use the watch. Being of sentimental value ( the best kind ) this watch needed some simple but but much need work, a new working crown & stem and a light polish for the glass. Such a simple thing to lose a crown but such a difference it can make ! Case back scratches removed, glass polished, new crown tube & crown, and then refitted with new stem, a quick check of the running and the watch is back and ready to use. Without doubt this much treasured watch can be enjoyed again, after a long period of rest this workhorse can get back on time. Repairing watches is not just for its own sake but in many cases it reconnects us with those we love and care about, you can't put a price on that kinda happiness and i love what i do :) Whilst most of my blogs feature customer watches, this particular little gem is mine, and whilst not a flashy expensive piece i think its worth a mention as Smiths are a popular brand that are making a come back in the collectors scene. The calibre 600 is not a high grade or superbly finished movement but it is certainly a step up from the el cheapo Smiths that come up on ebay all the time. As well as being due a service the screws heads have been given a polish, small scratches on any movement can detract from its overall look so i think its worth the effort. Not going to go in depth on this one but rather just a nod to Smiths and enjoy a nice simple watch for what it is :) While the movement is still very simple it is nonetheless very reliable and accurate, lacking any shock protection is a bit of a down side but the pivots on the balance are fairly beefy to cope with a knock or two. The movement is cased in a base metal case which has been chrome plated, a little worn and torn but that's fine and part of the character. The dial is all original and although the paint is cracking im keeping things just the way they are, nice fresh dials are great but sometimes the aged or worn look tells more of a story. Its not flash or expensive but it keeps good time and is easy to slip in the pocket so what more could you need :) |
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