Seiko 7A38 - by the numbers

Seiko7A38 at May 21, 2017 at 6:43 AM

My apologies to readers for having taken this thread slightly 'off track' (derailed it even) - but not entirely.

This topic was originally intended as a source of information, where we could discuss spare parts (specifically 7Axx crystals and gaskets) and where necessary, help fellow enthusiasts by identifying suitable alternative parts, when the original Seiko components had become obsolete and no longer available. There are other threads in the eBay section, where one could have complained about blatantly 'speculative' over-pricing of spare parts by less scrupulous eBay sellers, for example here.

Of course the (lack of) availability of 30 year old Seiko spare parts is indirectly connected to pricing and hence the need to start looking for cheaper alternative substitutes .... Which is the reason that I'd chosen to take a sarcastic poke at forum member Christian, in this thread, for his recent eBay listing of a p/n 310W64GN00 crystal (allegedly 'the last one', in what has to be said is a rather tatty looking packet) with a borderline extortionate Buy-it-Now asking price of 49 Euros.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/232335608590

To which he'd responded ....

I've seen a few worse examples of blatant profiteering by eBay sellers, since then, particularly concerning this sought-after obsolete crystal, Seiko p/n 310W64GN00. In the last week of March 2020, a US eBay seller onlyjbennet, who had evidently purchased inventory from a closed watch material house, listed 5 of them, initially with a borderline extortionate Buy-it-Now price of $85 each !!

I didn't add it to my eBay watching page at the time, because I'd already exceeded the maximum number of 300 items. I thought I'd taken a screen print, but I if I did, I can't find it now.  So you'll have to take my word for it. However, after a lengthy trawl though my old emails, I found the saved search notification, dated 27th March.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/333559543104

My purpose in posting that latest example of utter greed and profiteering by eBay sellers will do nothing to solve the problem. All I can do is continue to highlight it.

No. I posted it as a recent comparison and an introduction to this 'heads up'.

Hopefully, in the very near future a decent substitute crystal will be available.

A few months ago, Bryan Hibbins (a.k.a. Bry1975 on forums and Tog_man .... on eBay) posted this thread on SCWF: Seiko Rare Glass 7A28 7A38 310W64GN00

They've been a long time coming.

Bryan sent me a sample earlier in the week, asking me to test it. I pressed it into an empty 7A28-7040 gash watch case I had lying around. It looks fine to me.

I purchased what should be new AD006BA12 and 0Z0060B01 gaskets (for > $6 each!) as well as some generic micro O-rings (about $1) that should 0.60 ID, 1.50 OD and, as follows from the ID and OD, 0.45 mm thick.

Here's picture with dimensions marked.  The axial thickness is 0.70 for the AD006BA12 and 0.50 for the 0Z0060B01.  The 0Z0060B01 looks like it has a circular section.  The used ones I've seen on stems are much flatter.  Perhaps they get that way after 30 years in a case tube?  Or maybe the design has changed?  I don't know when my gasket was made or if it's truely a genuine Seiko gasket.  It looks like a slightly thicker generic gasket would be very close substitute.

The AD006BA12 has a pointed cross section ">" and is larger.

It looks like the forum software auto-sizes the image to be a certain width.  If one right-clicks and "open image in a new tab", it should show the full resolution original.

This afternoon, Bry listed his repro' 310W64GN00 substitute crystals on eBay.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254637940840

Quality aftermarket Seiko mineral glass

7A28-7040/9, 7A38-7070/80 

Part number 310W64GN00 

2mm thickness. Correct polished chamfer size. 

Any queries please message me. Happy ebaying.

Seiko7A38 at June 28, 2020 at 10:06 AM

This afternoon, Bry listed his repro' 310W64GN00 substitute crystals on eBay.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254637940840

 

Quality aftermarket Seiko mineral glass

7A28-7040/9, 7A38-7070/80 

Part number 310W64GN00 

2mm thickness. Correct polished chamfer size. 

Any queries please message me. Happy ebaying.

Felix. Please read and comply with this thread before you make another post. 

Although I was the primary instigator of these reproduction substitute crystals, in suggesting them to Bryan, I no longer wish to be associated with them, nor him.

To put it politely, Bryan can be economic with the truth at times - particularly in the manner that he mis-represents some of his eBay offerings. Since I last looked at it, Bryan has made a number of revisions to that listing, including changing the title.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/254637940840

His use of the term 'OEM' (Original Equipment Manufacturer) constitutes FRAUD.