Vintage Seiko Divers Watch

This is the watch I wear every day - a modified 6306-7001. The 6306 is a Japan market only version of the 6309 featuring a Kanji day wheel and a hacking movement and was produced in limited numbers from 1976 to 1978.

This one arrived in quite a sorry state with a modified dial, hands and bezel insert and the movement rattling around in the case due to the movement retaining ring being missing. On the plus side all the threads were good, it was corrosion free and it came fitted with a domed sapphire.

I wanted to return it to original but finding the correct dial is going to be a long and difficult search, so I decided to modify it with a 6105 aftermarket dial and snowflake style hands. The standard 6105 dial is date only so I carefully filed out the window and fitted a surround from an old donor Seiko dial so you can now see the Kanji day wheel. The chapter ring was replaced with a brushed aluminium one which I polished with a dremmel and an original style bezel insert was fitted. The hands are Tudor Snowflake style and have never been used on any production Seiko's but the 6105 dial is quite similar to the Tudor SF and I think this combo works out rather nicely. It will probably draw gasps of horror from some Seiko affectionados but I like it and that's what matters. Finishing it off is a slightly taller domed and coated sapphire and a solid stainless oyster style bracelet with a Seiko clasp.

I'm tempted to give the movement a service as this one's a keeper but it is the most accurate auto I've ever owned and I don't want to upset that. I last set the time on it over a week ago and its currently 3 secs fast according to here - http://wwp.britishsummertime.com/

Here's a before pic from the seller -


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And how it looks now -


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Grate post! I have a few 70's seikos myself, a couple of "Vader" 6139-7160's, a nice bullhead and a few divers.

The last watch i purchased was a Marathon SARs, always temped by more seikos thou!
 
dan smith":2zd6udxi said:
Grate post! I have a few 70's seikos myself, a couple of "Vader" 6139-7160's, a nice bullhead and a few divers.

The last watch i purchased was a Marathon SARs, always temped by more seikos thou!

Cheers, sounds like quite a nice collection you have there. I love the Marathon watches too and keep looking at the GSAR with the tritium tubes. I'll own one some day :cool:

Iwasgoodonce":2zd6udxi said:
My not vintage version stopped working last week.

What model is it? Shoot me a pm if you'd like to get it running again ;)
 
Good news! I just got mine back from the local dealer and it is working again. I really have been lost without it. The really good news is that for some reason Seiko didn't charge. So I have pressure certs and everything. So thanks for the kind offer Fudd, but hopefully it'll be ok for a while.

You really know your way around these things! How do you do your first one? It must be a leap of faith? Are these watches available in smaller ladies' form?
 
Fudd do you work on old Heuers?

By the way next time you drop something small on the floor, put a stocking or tights over the nozzle of a hoover (secure with a rubber band) and vacuum the floor...it will be caught in the stocking.
 
Iwasgoodonce":279rh1g0 said:
Good news! I just got mine back from the local dealer and it is working again. I really have been lost without it. The really good news is that for some reason Seiko didn't charge. So I have pressure certs and everything. So thanks for the kind offer Fudd, but hopefully it'll be ok for a while.

Glad to hear that Seiko sorted your watch. They have a great rep for no quibbles warranty work, unlike some of the major Swiss names...

Iwasgoodonce":279rh1g0 said:
You really know your way around these things! How do you do your first one? It must be a leap of faith? Are these watches available in smaller ladies' form?

I started off by buying a cheap watchmakers tool kit to change batteries a few years ago and it has progressed from there... It was pretty daunting pulling my first movement apart but it was followed by immense satisfaction once I'd put it back together and it started ticking again :D . The Seiko divers do come in ladies sizes but I'm not familiar with the model numbers. This is a good site for Seiko info - http://www.thewatchsite.com/index.php


Bullpup":279rh1g0 said:
Fudd do you work on old Heuers?

By the way next time you drop something small on the floor, put a stocking or tights over the nozzle of a hoover (secure with a rubber band) and vacuum the floor...it will be caught in the stocking.

Tag Heuer and Seiko are the two main brands I concentrate on. Send me a pm with details if you need any help ;)

Good tip that about the hoover. I normally use a large magnet but the hoover trick could still come in useful. Cheers :D
 
The latest addition to the tool chest -

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I've been buying non working/in need of service watches on ebay, fixing them up and then selling them on for a profit (but not always) but with each ad comes the same questions: Has it been waterproof tested and do you have a buy it now price? The BIN question usually gets ignored as it is an auction after all, but the waterproof question always bugs me because I have no answer to that yet I want to be 100% with anything that passes through my hands...

I could take the watch to my local Timpsons branch but they want over £60 for a 50m test and I've sold some nice watches for less than that... The other option is to buy the equipment myself but the industry standard Bergeon 60m machine is about £600... Fortunately the Chinese are making copies of these and and I got this one for about £140 delivered. I doubt it will be a tool for life like the Bergeon stuff is but hopefully it will pay for itself before too long.

To test the watch you pop it in the chamber suspended above the water and the pump it up to 6bar or roughly 60m/200ft/90psi. If any of the gaskets are compromised then the air pressure will seep into the case. Then the watch case is dropped into the water and the air pressure released from the chamber. If pressurised air has previously entered the case then it will now flow out and create a stream of bubbles identifying the weak area in the case. I should also mention that the above pic was just a demo - the movement is always removed for the pressure test so there's no risk of damaging it, especially if its a quartz cos then its fooked.

I've previously been unconcerned about the water resistance of my watches as I'm not a scuba diver. I've always assumed that any 50+m rated watch will be safe in the swimming pool or shower but I tested one 150m rated 6309 case and and it started pissing air bubbles from the crown after I had reduced the pressure by 0.5bar or 5m deep, so you probably wouldn't want to wear it in the rain let alone go swimming with it. It was obviously a failed gasket rather than a fault with the watch but it showed me that WR shouldn't be taken for granted, especially when the watch is over 30 years old.
 
MynameisCasper":24mhnot7 said:
This is cool! Do you have anything for sale at the moment?

Cheers. I have two Seiko 6309's currently for sale, one with the turtle case like in the first post and one with the slim case as pictured inside the pressure tester. I'm waiting on two BubbleBoy domed crystals for these and the slim case one needs a new crown gasket which is also in the post. This is one I sold recently with the BubbleBoy crystal fitted - http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271200255220 If you are interested in one then send me a pm. I can sell these a bit cheaper when there are no ebay fees to worry about ;) .

I also have two Tag Heuers for sale, this ladies one - http://forums.watchuseek.com/f29/tag-he ... 66483.html and a mens midsize one that I have yet to advertise or take a picture of.
 
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