Watches can often be more than just an instrument for telling time, for some it is a link to their past, whether the watch is a birthday gift or handed down from father to son a watches value can mean so much more than just its physical value. This watch was sent in for a full work up as the watch previously belonged to the customers father and he wanted it to be brought back to life so it can be enjoyed. So with due care and some tlc lets see what became of this little gem.....

The watch arrived with the front glass and seconds hand missing, the movement was running but not in any way reliably or with accuracy. A service was clear order of the day and some cosmetic parts and clean up was going to be required. Photos below are prior to work starting >

Where and when possible i like to include the strip down of a movement so you can all see the inner workings of the watch. The movement in this case has a fair amount of debris and old oils smeared around the place but this will soon vanish after cleaning.

The casing was in fair condition but every nook and cranny had dirt build up so a good clean was required before any buffing & polishing could be done >>

With the casing cleaning away in the ultrasonic cleaner the now cleaned parts of the movement could be reassembled and lubricated ready for adjustment . Below are photos of re assembly, not necessarily in the correct order.

With the movement serviced and running well once more it could then be mounted back inside the refreshed casing. A new glass and seconds hand were fitted to finish the watch as well as cleaning up and re finishing the original bracelet that had been fitted some many years previous. Returning a watch that has sentimental value back to order always adds to that feel good factor, now returned it can be enjoyed a little longer :)

Its always a pleasure to service a Seiko and this month was made extra special by servicing not one but two Seiko chronographs ( one being my own ). This watch came in for a long overdue service, being a watch thats been handed down the family line the owner wanted it running back in tip top condition.

The watch was running but the chronograph could not be stopped or reset, the date function had also completely ceased and timing was sketchy at best. The most common problems with this watch are often the most dreaded but fortunately the chronograph wheel was not in bad shape and the original winding gear for the inner bezel was still present and rust free.

Due to the holow design of the pushers, years of gunk and sweat can build up inside and wreak all sorts of havoc with the chronograph mechanism. The combiniation of moist sweat, dirt, and body heat can casue the springs inside to rust and become rotted in, cleaning them is usually straight forward but on this occasion the spring is truly rusted in. With patient scratching away at the rust i manage to free the damaged spring and the case can be cleaned up. Its surprising sometimes just how much can get stuck in them pushers  ;(

The pushers now removed the casing parts are stored separately away from movement for their own cleaning, i clean casings with a different machine to prevent contamination of the movement. The front end is built up of several parts including bezel, glass, rubber gasket, inner bezel, bezel spring.
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Below are the pictures ( may not be in order ) of the movement strip down. Fortunately the chronograph wheel was in good order and an expensive replacement would not have to be found, however other parts had started to suffer and they would have to be replaced.
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With the movement clean and damaged parts swapped for new it was time to rebuild and adjust as required. >>
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Timing looking much better and with only a few adjustments she was purring away happily. Its important to note that setting the correct lift angle on the timegrapher is key to getting correct information on the watches condition ( Seiko 6139B / has a 54.5 Degree Lift Angle ). Unlike Swiss movements Seikos run slightly different and a amplitude of 180+ is considered healthy, this movement running at 222 on a half wind is more than enough for me.
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With the movement running well it was time to turn my attention to cleaning up the casing and bracelet. The satin finish had taken a few knocks so a brief touch up and thorough clean should go a long way, along the way a little polish to finish the job. >>

Finishing a Seiko is always very satisfying and this one has been both a pain and pleasure to restore to good order. The reset is not always dead on but the watch now runs well, day & date set correctly, and importantly the chronograph can be started , stopped , and reset  ( albeit not dead on every time due to minor wear ). With watches of this age it is expected to have some flaws, without them they kinda loose some of their charm and character, luckily this has plenty >>

Short Blog

This lovely Seiko chronograph came in a bit of a state but im not one to shy away from a challenge so i set to work returning this gem back to former glory. Yellow is probably my least favourite colour but this Seiko is certainly growing on me :)

As we can see this watch has seen better days but looks to be a good candidate for some tlc....

After a good amount of careful hand polishing, new Seiko Glass, and a tinker under the hood, this Seiko is back on form and ready for a new life. Kept on a temporary shark mesh bracelet this Seiko is now quite the eyecatcher ! :) Now just gotta reset that bottom hand ;)

Info - This Seiko was purchased as part of job lot from www.fullywound.co.uk via their ebay shop, be sure to swing by and check out their site and ebay deals ! Click Here for website > FullyWound

Click Here For Their EBAY Shop > Ebay/Fullywound

Seiko's are one of the few brands that capture such a wide audience of collectors, from the high end Grand Seiko's to the budget conscious  Sports 5, there is something for everybody whatever the budget. With vintage Seiko's pieces growing in popularity there is fierce competition for the scraps left at the Seiko table, and whilst everyone is fighting over the more infamous Pogues & Chrono's i keep a close eye for those more subtle Seiko's that fly under the radar.

If there is one thing Seiko do well its classical design, and none more so than the simple but elegant layout of this next watch, the 7625E-8050 or "The Classic" as i call it. A classical and beautiful watch does not have to cost the earth and fortunately this gem was a bargain, but its clear she was going to need a full spa treatment to get her looking her best. So without further a do lets get to the business end of things >>

As can be seen the glass is badly scratched and will have to be replaced, the casing has age related scratches and damage that should buff up just fine. Fortunately the movement although not working looks to be in good condition and a full service should set things right again.

With the movement removed the casing looks to be in need of a good clean before any buffing & polishing can be done, but it looks good and should come up nicely. Onto the movement strip down >

The movement arrived in not working order and its clear from the strip down that the lack of lubrication and build up of debris and dried oils are preventing a good clean signal. Time to strip the movement down and get her cleaned up > 

With the movement stripped down the more stubborn dried oils were gently lifted with the use of a glass fibre brush before being put into my Brenray cleaner.

With parts cleaned its time to get the movement assembled paying extra attention to lubrication of the balance jewels. The balance is soaked in Renata Essence as a final stage prior to lubrication as this is the best cleaner for removing all unwanted oils/grease/debris, any still dirty jewels are cleaned with pegwood and rodico. >>

With the movement assembled the watch swung into action and before any regulation a quick check on the timegrapher shows a healthy watch once more. The reading is taken after only 3 winds of the mainspring  ( or 1/20th the full power ) showing just how effective a good clean and lubrication can be :)

Now i really can't complain at that now can i ! After a full wind and a few small adjustments the watch settled around  +6 to - 7 ( Amp 220-260/Beat error 0.1ms ).

As with any watch there is little point in putting effort into the movement and leaving the eye candy all banged up. The new glass arrived in quick time ready to be fitted to the newly refinished casing

Choosing the right strap can be tricky but at the end of the day personal choice is what really matters so i decided to go with something new. Fitted is a nice new Shark Skin grain Leather with polished deployment clasp which really compliments the polishing finish of the casing. As always i will let the photos speak for them selves....enjoy :)

With classic looks and superb timing what more can you really need ?