[Brian Burrows]

Morning guys...

Vintage Smiths Military...

 

[Dave Dorson]

I keep looking at military watches, but I've seen a car I want so I'm not* buying any more watches at the moment.

*Unless a cheap 300M tuna comes on the market with a 7C46 movement inside.

 

[Mr.Orange]

I keep looking at military watches, but I've seen a car I want so I'm not* buying any more watches at the moment.

*Unless a cheap 300M tuna comes on the market with a 7C46 movement inside.

Pfft! Quartz watches... blah blah blah!

I'm still waiting for some dials I ordered a month ago, without which I can't start my watch assembly. 😕

 

[Dave Dorson]

Pfft! Quartz watches... blah blah blah!

I'm still waiting for some dials I ordered a month ago, without which I can't start my watch assembly. 😕

Where did you order from?

There's quartz and then there's quartz...not all quartz is equal.

 

[al_kaholik]

There's quartz and then there's quartz...not all quartz is equal.

Agree. One that hits the markers all the time, every time, or perhaps a mechaquartz, worlds apart from the ubiquitous in every cheap watch module!

 

[Dave Dorson]

Agree. One that hits the markers all the time, every time, or perhaps a mechaquartz, worlds apart from the ubiquitous in every cheap watch module!

I think me being such a Seikopath (as Brian would say!) means I have a bit of an affinity to quartz anyway.

I'm certainly a huge fan of the earlier Seiko quartz movements, but the 7c46 is really a marvel in itself.

It's designed to be serviceable, its got 7 jewels, it's got a 5 year battery life, the service interval is something obscene as well, there are people with early 1980's ones that are still running well within COSC standards and that have never had more than a battery change in their lifetime.

They don't use stepper motors like other quartz movements, instead they have a dual rate trimmer, which not only keeps it massively accurate, and allows it to run massive hands, due to the high torque gear train, but it also means the battery lasts a LOT longer than a conventional quartz movement does.

The Tuna as a watch is a bit of a feat of engineering, and although they are properly marmite in their aesthetic and they are "massive" in terms of their dimensions, they actually wear really, really nicely, due to a very compact lug to lug measurement and the way the shroud tapers. I've got a mini-tuna with an automatic movement in my collection, infact I'm wearing it now.. it's a Seiko "yellow fin" baby tuna, and although it won't work well at all with a shirt, due to the height of the watch, it works fine under a hoody and is a fun watch to wear. It doesn't quite scratch that itch though.

 

[Mr.Orange]

Where did you order from?

There's quartz and then there's quartz...not all quartz is equal.

The dials are coming from Spain, as the guy was the only one on ebay that had the Seiko dials that I wanted. If they don't turn up, he can send me some more.

As far as quartz watches go, most of my collection are quartz. I like the 'pick a watch and go' aspect, it's more convenient than having to set and wind one before you go anywhere.

 

[Dave Dorson]

I managed to get myself to an antiques fair in Peterboghorror yesterday to see what was about. Got my friend a lovely vintage handbag for her birthday, and got the wife a beautiful vintage compact mirror and makeup set.

Of course I went looking for watches. There were some nice watches there and some utter rubbish that was massively over priced, but in amongst all that there were a few reasonable ones.

While it was nice to get my hands on some watches and view them, there were a lot of people who had priced at the best they could find on eBay prices and weren't open to sensible discussion, and a few who just didn't grasp that what they were trying to sell simply wasn't worth the asking price in the condition it was in.

Still, I did manage to get a couple of "needs a battery mate" gamble watches.

93 ladies with a sapphire crystal and an 81 ana Digi

The ana Digi is missing the alarm spring and needs a good going over, it's quite poorly but I don't have one and it's worth me taking the time on it.

The smaller one I'll end up fixing and gifting to someone.

I also picked up these two pretty much identical SQ100s with 36ish mm cases. Both of which are in decent order to be honest. One has a couple of light marks on the crystal that I might attempt to diamond polish out later today, and the cases are in good order and they work well. The date doesn't tick over and bang on midnight on one of them but that's just hand removal and realignment, that said it's not like it's long after so I won't bother, they had both changed over before 6am this morning.

They both need a good clean, and I will replace the case back gaskets as a matter of course.

These could be from 1989 or 99, they made them for ages and they're a great every day watch if you don't want a larger case. Given the SQ marking on the clasp I suspect these are both 89 watches though, as later ones simply had Seiko marked on them.

With smaller cases coming back into fashion there is a decent market for these now. They're not a brilliant watch but they remain cheap, and because it's a Seiko it's made of the right stuff, a solid if not special Seiko quartz movement, mineral glass crystal and a good stainless steel case with a screw down case back, and a tickle of lume on the hands and some dots around the hour markers.

Pretty much everyone will either of had one of these, or know someone who did, as they were good, reliable and reasonably priced. It's the beetle of the watch world. 🤣

 

[clatters69]

I bought this from a spiv on The Strand about 25 years ago and wore it for maybe 20 years. The bezel, which I couldn't stop myself from spinning, fell off one day and got lost, so I put the watch into a drawer, where it has stayed ever since. Does anyone know if a replacement bezel is possible and, if so, where to source one? if I can get it up and running then my son can have it.

 

[Dave Dorson]

I bought this from a spiv on The Strand about 25 years ago and wore it for maybe 20 years. The bezel, which I couldn't stop myself from spinning, fell off one day and got lost, so I put the watch into a drawer, where it has stayed ever since. Does anyone know if a replacement bezel is possible and, if so, where to source one? if I can get it up and running then my son can have it.


View attachment 302148

I'd not even know where to look outside of eBay and car boot sales, you might be lucky and find one on another spares lot that fits.

 

[clatters69]

Thanks. I'll keep an eye out. In the meantime it's back into the drawer. I should have left the bezel alone.

 

[Dave Dorson]

Thanks. I'll keep an eye out. In the meantime it's back into the drawer. I should have left the bezel alone.

Clean it and wear it without the bezel. Pretend you're making a statement 😂

 

[clatters69]

I could unload it to a Shoreditch Tw*t at twice the price of a new one.

 

[al_kaholik]

Thanks. I'll keep an eye out. In the meantime it's back into the drawer. I should have left the bezel alone.

Send it for a service and ask for it to be replaced. They’ll do it, you cry once and have a watch to wear and good to go