Seiko 7625E-8050 - Classic

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 >>

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Original Condition

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.

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Uncasing & Strip Down

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 >

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Seiko 7625E Automatic - 17 Jewel Non hacking

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.

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Assembly & Regulation

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. >>

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Timing & Accuracy

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 ).

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Dial, Hands & Recasing

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

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Completed Watch

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 ?