Seiko 7A38 - by the numbers

I really don't know quite what to make of profiteering US re-seller Flobaca's latest 7A38-7029, which he listed late yesterday evening, as a 7-day auction with an opening bid price of 'only' $100 - low by his usual greedy standards ($350-$450). He's also not bothered to polish the bezel on this one, something which had almost become his trademark. 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/352496231905

PLEASE SEE MY OTHER LISTINGS

NO INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING - USA ONLY !!!

For Sale - SEIKO 7A38 VINTAGE CHRONOGRAPH ***WORKING 4 PARTS OR REPAIR

Case - 38mm w/o crown/ pushers X 43mm lug to lug stainless steel ,shows some normal wear, nice and clean. Please examine the photos using the enlarge feature

Crystal - original flat glass shows some lite wear normal for the age

Dial - grey color raised markers and hands day/ date at 3 in ok conditions some lite spots

The small chronograph hands appear to be not original That's Why I consider it For Parts or Repair.

Movement - JAPAN Seiko 7a38 quartz 15 jewels ,everything works normal. Sets , resets to " O" keeps perfect time Quick set working properly.

Battery Is NEW but I don't guarantee its life.

Back case - stainless steel screw on shows wear and scratches

Band - original stainless steel buckle signed Seiko fits 7.75 inch wrist shows some normal wear.

NOTE - I DON'T TEST WATCHES UNDER WATER NOR FOR WATERPROOFING PLEASE BE ADVISED

THE WATCH WILL BE SHIPPED VIA USPS FIRST CLASS WITH TRACKING NUMBER.

Thank You For Watching And For Your Business

English may not be Florentin Ghinet's native language, but he appears to have mastered the art of understatement. I've highlighted the pertinent phrases in his description in red. I suggest any prospective purchasers do exactly as he suggests and zoom in and look very closely at his photos.

The dial is more honestly described as scabby. The non-original sub-dial hands look like they've been badly re-painted with Tipp-Ex (white correction fluid) - as indeed to a couple of the dial batons. The case-back looks like it's been attacked with an anglegrinder.

Because of the extremely poor state of the case-back - you can just about make out the digits '4' and '2' of the case-back serial number, I've no real chance of finding where or when he bought this one. As we saw on the previous page, earlier this year, he'd bought a couple of 7A38-7029's which had engravings on their case-backs (which he swapped out before re-selling). This butchery may be an example of his efforts to obliterate such an engraving. Then again, the watch may be a complete 'bitza' - made up from parts he had left over. Like I said before, he's had dozens of these things pass through his hands.

US eBay re-seller Flobaca's 7-day auction for that 7A38-7029 in rather poor condition ended late yesterday evening, selling for $205 after 7 bids. If you check the bidding history, the first 6 bids were placed by two low feedback bidders:  j***- (6) and u***a (3). Both ID's have 100% bidding activity with this seller. They could possibly have been legitimate novice bidders, or more likely, shills that were used to inflate the bid price. Academic, because someone else outbid them.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/352496231905

Gentlemen. I give you my prediction for profiteering US eBay re-seller Flobaca's first warmed over 7A38-7029 of 2019. It's going to look something like this.

Except it'll very likely be based on this tired well worn example .... naturally with the bezel typically over-polished in his inimitable manner. 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/392199518572

SEIKO MENS CHRONOGRAPH WATCH 7A38 7029 FOR PRTS REPAIR no reserve

Up for bid is a mans steel seiko the case measuers 38.5mm wide the case is in average conditon the dial llooks good,crystal is poor the band has been repaired,still needs a pin. the quartz movemt does not work this is sold as is for rparts repair Policies I prefer not to use buy it now.I have many repeat customers who want my watches just as much as you do.Buy it now will only be considered for a relisted auction. QUESTIONS ALL MEASUREMENTS DO NOT INCLUDE THE CROWN BOX AND PAPERS ARE NOT INCLUDED UNLESS THEY ARE PICTURED DOMESTIC SHIPPING DELAY Once a watch is paid for in the USA,it will need to be shipped.I can not hold watches after they have been paid for.Ebay keeps track of all late shipments,once a watch is paid for,it is going to be shipped,there will be no vacation delays,please hold off on payment if you need a delay.

The 7-day US eBay auction ended yesterday evening, selling for $74.21 after 21 bids.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/392199518572

Although there were a number of bids placed in the final 10-second snipe-fest, nobody really wanted to pay that much for it. Except a determined Flobaca, using his instantly recognizable alter ego Zenodass44 - with which he won the auction.

Well, if nothing else, you've got to give profiteering US eBay re-seller Flobaca credit for the rate at which he turns these things around !  Just after midnight (UK time) last night, he listed this 7A28-7029, with his typically over-polished trademark bezel, as a 7-day auction with an opening bid of $250. Although I may have got a couple of details wrong in my prediction and this watch doesn't appear to comprise all the component parts of his recent eBay purchase. Of more anon ....

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223310328587

PLEASE SEE MY OTHER LISTINGS

NO INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING - USA ONLY !!!

For Sale - SEIKO 7A38 VINTAGE CHRONOGRAPH ***WORKING PERFECT

Case - 38mm w/o crown/ pushers X 43mm lug to lug stainless steel ,shows some normal wear, nice and clean. Please examine the photos using the enlarge feature

Crystal - original flat glass shows some lite wear normal for the age

Dial - grey color raised markers and hands day/ date at 3 in beautiful conditions

Crown - it is golden color so it's not original but works perfectly fine

Movement - JAPAN Seiko 7a38 quartz 15 jewels ,everything works normal. Sets , resets to " O" keeps perfect time. Quick set day / date working properly.

Battery life is unknown.

Back case - stainless steel screw on and shows an engraving

Band - original stainless steel buckle signed Seiko fits 7.5 inch wrist shows some normal wear.

NOTE - I DON'T TEST WATCHES UNDER WATER NOR FOR WATERPROOFING PLEASE BE ADVISED

THE WATCH WILL BE SHIPPED VIA USPS FIRST CLASS WITH TRACKING NUMBER.

Thank You For Watching And For Your Business.

Although his latest offering shows some possible connection to the 7A38-7029 he's just purchased, in that he obviously had to polish the bezel even more than usual, to remove most of the dings; plus he's replaced that watch's missing crown with a gold plated one, there's the issue of the case-back serial number. It's not 421062 as one might have expected - which would have proven it conclusively.

Presumably he's kept that back and it will emerge on another 7A38-7029 in due course. Instead it's s/n 3N5929 and carries an engraving, which he appears to have made a half-hearted attempt to erase. This 7A38-7029 is another non-runner he bought in October last year (for $81). He's already demonstrated, on a couple of prior occasions, that he's not averse to swapping case-backs. Here follows a couple of partial copy and pastes from my lengthy post on the previous page.

Originally posted by myself on October 17, 2018 at 11:58 AM:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/273487862161

As can be seen from the seller's photos and description, this 7A38-7029 has a completely different serial number: 3N5929. It also carries an engraved inscription: Leonard In Appreciation For 20 Years Morris Landy. Other than that, the watch has no particular distinguishing marks (in terms of dings and scratches).

So how can I be 100% certain this is the same 7A38-7029 he's now selling with case-back 444677 ? I can't. But previous evidence (in the form of the one he listed in May, fitted with a 7A38-7289 case-back), shows that flobaca clearly understands that an engraved case-back devalues a watch. So rather than attempt to erase the engraving, he's just swapped the case-back for another he had spare. He's probably had dozens of these pass through his hands. Although it's probably in there somewhere, I'm not about to start wading through my photo folders looking for s/n 444677 either !

A fairly predictable outcome, despite the distinct lack of bids for most of the week: Flobaca's latest warmed-over 7A38-7029 sold in the early hours of this morning, for the opening bid price of $250.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/223310328587