Seiko 7A38 - by the numbers

Something a little different to start a new page - my newest incoming allegedly non-Seiko 7Axx: a Jean Lassale Thalassa 7A74-017. Arrived this morning - exactly how it came out of the box; needs a little fettling (the bezel, obviously) and a damned good clean.

If I get time this evening, I'll write a bit about the story behind it. 

That's lovely Paul - well done for pursuing this one 

Good to see that your 7T59 has the right day wheel (for you, in Spanish), Julio ! 

A franken today, something I put together last night (along with a couple of others):

it's a 7A28-7040 with a dropped in 7A28-710A movement / dial / hands.

To keep it simple (and quick) I didn't try to swap in the yellow tachmeter ring - I'm not sure the ring from the 701A would fit anyway.

Something bright in the absence of the sun 

That looks realy nice, I am sure the combination of diver style sports 100 case and yellow dial would have been very succesfull if Seiko had produced it. 

Sir Alan at July 31, 2012 at 9:47 AM

That's lovely Paul - well done for pursuing this one 

Thanks, Simon - I was quite pleased with it the way it was (apart from a few minor issues), but it looks better now,  for a bit of titivation:

Look's the "Dog's Dangley's", Paul ! 

Has everybody else given up with the WRUW thread ? 

Oh well, here's mine for today - a stainless 7A38-7130. I've posted it here before, I'm sure, but that was in 'as received' condition.

Now (long since) fitted with a replacement crystal, the crown stem ground to the correct length, and generally given a good clean. 

I've been wearing some of my non-Seiko watches lately Paul 

Today I did start off with this:

but my latest arrival (a Casio Oceanus OCW-650T DBE) was waiting for me when I got to work...........

The above is a "bitsa" (not sure it's a Franken as such).  Made up from a 7A38-701A that came with a very faded bezel, and hands which I swapped into a 7A38-7010.  I really like the cross hatched dial of the 701A.

My newest incoming 7A38, which odd as it may appear, is actually meant to look like that. The stainless 7A38-7120 SAA091J:

Well, not quite exactly like that - it's obviously in dire need of a replacement crystal and a damned good clean for starters. 

Nice Paul - I didn't realise this style came in stainless (I assumed it was titanium only).

That bezel will polish up nicely methinks 

There are actually 5 variants in this little 7A38-7120 / -7130 / 713A sub-group, Simon - though I've never actually seen a 7A38-713A.

They're all subtly different. Obviously the stainless versions don't have the TITANIUM logo on the dial, and oddly they're marked up as Sports 150 as opposed to Sports 100 (on the Ti) - yet they use the same crown, pusher and case-back seals. Obviously a sales ploy. Like the Ti models, the stainless versions (apart from the bezel on this one), are mostly coated - in very similar anodised finishes. Check out the stainless cream-dialed 7A38-7130 I posted on Sunday. 

Yes, the bezel should (and will) polish up nicely, because unlike the very similar appearing bezel on the Ti 7A38-7120, this one is plain polished stainless, as opposed to being coated. In fact, the bezel on my 'resto project' is slightly better (about its only saving grace), so I may yet swap them over. Depends how difficult it is to part it from the gash case, without inflicting any damage on the lug ends.

Yeh - I know you're all probably fed up of me posting photos of them, but they are my favourite '7A38'. 

There is of course a simple answer - you could always share a wrist shot of one of yours, to break up the sea of blue. 

This afternoon, I've been briefly wearing my newest incoming 43mm Yema Spationaute III (N80P76) - the NOS one, and my 4th. 

Or should I say I've been wearing most of it .... of more anon. 

Then I swapped over to 'Old Yeller' ....

If you're interested, the write-up is in the last few posts: 

http://www.seiko7a38.com/apps/forums/topics/show/7159406-my-newest-incoming-yema-spationaute-iii-and-strap-changes-

What an ugly day is today. But there's no problem 'cause my 7A28-6040 is always here to chill me out

That is a very pretty little watch, Arpad.  If 'pretty' could ever be deemed a suitable adjective. 

What an ugly day is today.

Yes, it's definitely 'Ugly' day today.  Wearing probably my tattiest, and certainly my ugliest 7A38 today - my beater 7A38-6060.

Still done nothing with it - not even bothered to try sourcing a replacement crystal yet ... but I do have a new strap on order for it. 

Bit of a 'nostalgia trip' for me, today. 

Earlier this morning, I was posting in the 'Heads Up on yet another 7A38 Franken' thread, and needed a 'comparison' photo.

I could have sworn I'd posted one of a two-tone 7A38-7060 in the 'WRUW' thread before at some point - but it seems I hadn't. 

So I had to quickly get the watch out of one of my collection boxes and rattle off a Q&D shot.

Why the nostalgia trip ? 

Well this is the very first 7A38 I bought on eBay (the second after my original stainless 7A38-7270) back in December 2008.

If cost me less than 50 Quid, and had just been serviced, too. 

It's since been re-brushed in a few places and I've fitted a better set of main hands (the lume on the originals was a bit iffy) ....

I later bought another example, in mint almost N.O.S. condition on eBay Germany - but I've never had the heart to move this one on.

To make amends for my earlier oversight, here's my other nicer, almost pristine condition 7A38-7060 SAA016J:

I bought this one on eBay Germany in January 2011 for 76.00 Euros. The clasp is unmarked, and the inspection sticker almost virgin:

It's slightly different to the other one, which was fitted (from new) with a 5-hole 25mm clasp; this one has the usual 35mm 7-hole clasp. If you fancy one of these, eBay Germany is far and away the best place to look - they're abundant over there (minor understatement). However, I would strongly advise against considering the one currently offered by eBay seller Sonntagsuhr (item # 221095221857). Apart from the less-than-perfect condition and his ridiculous 179.00 Euros asking price - he paid only 43.59 Euros for it himself. 

Check out the relevant  thread in the members' section: http://www.seiko7a38.com/apps/forums/topics/show/7813518