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Newbie celebrates minor acheivement: Seiko SKX007

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NewToWatches Watch Enthusiast

NewToWatches

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I bought a slightly modded Seiko SKX007 off of eBay, about which in general a more experienced man than I here aptly quoted Obi Wan Kenobi: "you will never find a  more wretched hive of scum and villainy." LOL.  To be fair, the watch was accurately described cosmetically, more or less, but I didn't take the time to read the description.  One thing that wasn't entirely accurate was the representation that the watch "works well."  Well, it did run, but not to expectations.  The amplitude was low, the beat error high and the rotor felt sluggish.  So what's a newby to do?  Well, a full service of the 7S26 is still a bit beyond my skill set.  So I replaced the movement with an NH36, which meant removing the hands and dial from the 7S26 and mounting them on the new movement.  I also discovered (last to know) that the crown and stem were not a clean "switch over" between the two movements so I measured, cut, and filed the new stem that came with the NH36 movement and epoxied the crown on to it.  Now I know that this hardly qualifies as watchmaking, but I have to admit feeling a bit proud that the watch is now better regulated, that I managed not to bend or lose the hands, that the epoxy is only on the intended part and that the thing is back together with no extra bits sitting in the tray.   Or, more precisely, you have to celebrate your small triumphs along the way to some level of actual competence.

Remember that feeling when you first got parts to play well together to resemble a functioning timepiece?  Well it's been a pretty good morning so far. My family appears to be tolerating this with an air of bemusement, as in, "I wonder what crazy scheme Dad's up to now?"  But you all will get it.

Happy Wednesday  . . .

 

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jdm Distinguished Member

jdm

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33 minutes ago, NewToWatches said:

 I also discovered (last to know) that the crown and stem were not a clean "switch over" between the two movements

That has been mentioned here and in other forums very many times. Also the day disk and mov't spacer ring must be carried over, because they are different. Worth to do research before going hands on to something new.

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so I measured cut, and filed the new stem that came with the NH36 movement and epoxied the crown on to it.

Really. A fitting crown that can be screwed to the stem is cheap on Ebay.

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NewToWatches Watch Enthusiast

NewToWatches

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55 minutes ago, jdm said:

That has been mentioned here and in other forums very many times. Also the day disk and mov't spacer ring must be carried over, because they are different. Worth to do research before going hands on to something new.

Really. A fitting crown that can be screwed to the stem is cheap on Ebay.

Thanks for the tips.  Perhaps I will do that when I am up to servicing the 7S26 movement.  In my case, the stem came with the new movement and the crown came with the 7S26.  Nothing is as cheap as the part you already have. ? Always glad to hear from those who are more experienced (which at this point is nearly everyone). ?

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watchweasol Distinguished Member

watchweasol

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Hi Well done you a triumph in deed,  as jdm mentioned there are crowns to be had on ebay/cousins uk,  and is a more permanent fix, but that can be done later if you can get the other crown off but no matter stems are cheap enough. Once again well done, we all started some where not always successfully.?

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spectre6000 Distinguished Member

spectre6000

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I believe a 7S26 crown will fit on a NH36 stem (having done this myself recently. Low strength Loctite is the preferred adhesive (I forget if it's the blue or green formulation). Something like $3-4 at your favorite FLAPS (Friendly Local Auto Parts Store) if you can't find it at a hardware store. 

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NewToWatches Watch Enthusiast

NewToWatches

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15 hours ago, spectre6000 said:

I believe a 7S26 crown will fit on a NH36 stem (having done this myself recently. Low strength Loctite is the preferred adhesive (I forget if it's the blue or green formulation). Something like $3-4 at your favorite FLAPS (Friendly Local Auto Parts Store) if you can't find it at a hardware store. 

Yup!  The 7S26 crown worked fine.  I used a bit of Jeweler's epoxy to affix the crown to the stem.  If I had to remove it, I'd get out the heat gun and warm everything up.  Most ordinary adhesives will soften under heat.  I have been happy with how the project has turned out.   Funnily enough, I had thought the day/date would have to be rejiggered with the change-over, but the watch has been running fine with no day/date problems. 

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bklake WRT Addict

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Most but not all SKX crowns an stems are a one piece unit.  I think it was the very first ones that had a 2 piece crown and stem.  If it has visible threads it can be removed.  If the shaft is smooth all the way to the crown it is a one piece unit. 

In the early days of modding these with NH36/4R36  movements, the stem and crown was a big stumbling block.  The OEM parts solution was to use a SARB059 crown-stem.  Seiko stopped selling them several years ago.  The after market has stepped up and you can get a triple gasket crown with a stem that will work in both the 7S26 and 4R36.  Not very expensive and it is a big step up in sealing compared to the original. 

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jdm Distinguished Member

jdm

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On 1/7/2021 at 5:37 PM, NewToWatches said:

The 7S26 crown worked fine.  I used a bit of Jeweler's epoxy to affix the crown to the stem

On a screw down crown the stem must attach only to the sliding inner section of the crown, otherwise when operating the crown it will unwantedly move to the various positions, which prevents its normal use. 

If instead you have cut and glued two portions of the stem there is to see if that joint can hold to repeated twisting and pulling forces. 

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NewToWatches Watch Enthusiast

NewToWatches

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7 hours ago, bklake said:

Most but not all SKX crowns an stems are a one piece unit.  I think it was the very first ones that had a 2 piece crown and stem.  If it has visible threads it can be removed.  If the shaft is smooth all the way to the crown it is a one piece unit. 

In the early days of modding these with NH36/4R36  movements, the stem and crown was a big stumbling block.  The OEM parts solution was to use a SARB059 crown-stem.  Seiko stopped selling them several years ago.  The after market has stepped up and you can get a triple gasket crown with a stem that will work in both the 7S26 and 4R36.  Not very expensive and it is a big step up in sealing compared to the original. 

Hmm.  On mine, the 7S26 crown was screwed (and presumably glued) onto the stem.  The threads of the stem were plainly visible,so it honestly never occured to me that unscrewing the stem would be a problem.  I placed the stem in a pin vise, and unscrewed the original crown with very little fuss.  The NH36 movement came with an extra threaded stem. so I assumed moving the 7S36 crown from one movement to the other was no big deal and an expected part of the changeover.   Seems to be working fine with a little silicone grease on the stem and gasket.  To be fair, I haven't pressure tested it and don't plan to in the immediate future (no tester).

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bklake WRT Addict

bklake

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It has been said that the earliest ones had a threaded stem.  Finding the date of manufacture on a Seiko is easy.  First number is the year, second number is month.  The problem with the SKX is production spanned 90s, 00s, and 10s.  You can narrow down the 90s if it has a 7S26A.  The 7s26B didn't last long, probably 00s and most have the 7S26C. 

If your movement was a 7S26A then it is should be an early SKX.  If it had a 7S26B or C, things get a little murky.  There have been knock offs and fakes that would not have used standard Seiko parts.  Threaded aftermarket crowns have been available for many years.  One popular seller of used Seiko stuff from the Philippines quietly changed his description of many of the watches he had listed.  They were listed as 7S26-0020 early on but something wasn't quite right with them.  He changed the listings to something like Seiko styled diver.  Without seeing your watch, I have no way of telling if it was one of the odd balls. 

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