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1975 Seiko Automatic with emerald green dial was practically soaked in oil

jmarcott86
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jmarcott86 New Member

jmarcott86

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I bought a 1975 Seiko automatic with a really nice emerald green and gold dial, and the entire watch was so sticky with old oil that I almost wonder if whoever serviced it last just dunked it in oil to try to get it working. I thought at first that the hairspring was kinked, but removing the balance and a close inspection under the microscope revealed that it was just caked with old sticky oil, and most of the coils were sticking to each other.

I tried cleaning it in lighter fluid three times before I ultimately gave up and ordered some L&R 556 fluid and an ultrasonic cleaner. With the movement given an actual proper cleaning, the balance swung free and clear and I had high hopes that I would get a usable watch in the end. On the plus side, I have an ultrasonic cleaner now, and it made cleaning up the watch case much easier.

The crystal was completely destroyed so I had to source a new one along with a new band, but the dial only had a few spots where oil seemed to have seeped through from behind. I didn't want to touch it much, but was able to gently dab up most of it with some rodico. Unfortunately there was one spot where a small drop of oil had gotten under the clear coat and destroyed the paint underneath. As soon as I touched that part it all came away leaving a spot of bare metal. The rest of the watch looks good enough though that I can ignore this small blemish, and with everything cleaned up and a bit of regulating it's running really nicely.

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Here are a couple of shots I took for reference before the cleaning (didn't take any of the sticky balance, sorry)

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s-l1600.thumb.jpg.c8e5d55d7ff66b1c507c0b268fe89fa8.jpg

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      By JohnR725 · Posted

      interesting strategy for an electric watch which typically will have permanent magnets that really don't like to be demagnetized even if they are listed as permanent. typically I've given up with that question because it's wishful thinking that anyone would have test equipment beyond the DVM. Test equipment for electric watch would be a variable voltage power supply, some way of measuring microamp current and a DVM for resistance and voltage.   while they look almost identical at least to the casual  observer I don't think this is a 9154 which is why attached the technical up above for 9150. But to be thorough I will attach the technical for the 9154 and some images I  found on the Internet so 9150 as for contacts for the coil assembly with one home attached to a screw. than the 9154 only has three contacts the 9154 as a different coil arrangement were now it only has three terminals none of which are attached to the screw. So the image down below of this watch is a 9150. Although not the same all of the cleaning procedures testing etc. will all be identical other than the coil resistances current consumption will probably be a little bit different.   yes the joys of YouTube watch repair where nobody ever reads the tech sheet and is unaware of the impending doom that they typically never have but anyone following will. Yes you definitely want to look at the tech guide before you even begin the disassemble or it will be not a happy outcome.   if you are hoping for a quick squirt of lighter fluid and the watch would run I think you're out of luck. Electric watches typically have very little power and require the gear train to be extremely free moving in other words no sticky oil at all. in addition to when people change batteries it's very bad to get anything like old battery corrosion or anything else into an electric watch. So basically no quick fix here. 3540_ETA 9154.pdf
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