Anyone Worked On A Seiko 7T34 Quartz Movement?

[rogart63]

YM57A it is? Not Y157A 

YM57A 

[ro63rto]

Hi guys. Been doing some much needed gardening.

I'm based in London UK.

Will have to part stripdown to at least test which coils work. Not sure how to test circuit board though.

My multimeter probes are HUGE so a bit of tape and two sewing needles should convert to something I can use.

Rogart, where abouts are you?

[rogart63]

2 hours ago, ro63rto said:

 

Hi guys. Been doing some much needed gardening.

 

I'm based in London UK.

 

Will have to part stripdown to at least test which coils work. Not sure how to test circuit board though.

 

My multimeter probes are HUGE so a bit of tape and two sewing needles should convert to something I can use.

 

Rogart, where abouts are you?

It's Sweden here? So not that far of. Both still inside the EU  

[ro63rto]

It's Sweden here? So not that far of. Both still inside the EU [emoji6] 

Haha. You guys might be...... [emoji16]

[GeorgeClarkson]

ro63rto was so kind, in hte end, to send me his watch to fix, since I do have some experience on this type of movement and have some spares, plus he had found an identical watch to use as donor. I will, with ro63rto's consent, publish some pics I took while working on it and also the videos I made to show that it's working properly.

So here is the first pic... This is what ro63rto sent me: two small plastic boxes, one containing the main watc to build, as it can be read on it, and the second containing the donor watch.

I apologize for the slight yellowish color of almost all the pics I will post, since the camera was not quite able to fix the lighting automatically. It is an old digital camera...

[GeorgeClarkson]

Opening the boxes, the content was very well protected.

[GeorgeClarkson]

I should really post these pics on the walkthrough section...

Anyway, this is what I found inside the "good" watch. The circuit block was completely busted due to acid leak, and the movement presented 2 non working coils and some rust that was blocking the small second wheel to properly turn.

[GeorgeClarkson]

The main plate also presented, on the good watch, a common problem on the Seiko 7Txx series chronographs: the small post on which the setting lever (the squid-like spring) forces onto snapped off. I checked the donor watch and fortunately this post was still intact.

[GeorgeClarkson]

Last but not least, the o-ring on the case back was missing...

After addressing all these issues, I assembled the movement bare, for a test run. Here the video link:

 

[GeorgeClarkson]

The whole watch needed a clean, as you can see from the pics here below.

Edited July 9, 2016 by GeorgeClarkson

[GeorgeClarkson]

The same crud and dirt was preventing the pushers to work properly, making it very hard to use them. After a good case clean, movement clean, and reassembly, I filmed the final result. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

 

[ro63rto]

Thanks again George for your speedy work. [emoji106]

Can't wait to get this watch onto my wrist. Out of all the Flightmaster colour combinations, it is my favorite. [emoji7]

If I find any more I'll know who to send them to [emoji6]

[GeorgeClarkson]

ro63rto it was a pleasure working on this watch. I love working on them, and even if sometimes it is a bit hard they are still pretty serviceable. Professional watchmakers tend to avoid them, suggesting to swap the entire movement... This is getting harder and harder to do, since they are not in production anymore and if you do find a NOS movement it will cost you sometimes more than the watch itself.

It is always a matter of answering the question: is it worth it? For me, servicing them (and not just swapping the movement) is worth all the effort. but it is just my opinion...

[ro63rto]

Quick post of some of the not-so-nice parts of watch repair/restoration.

George sent me some more and said I could post them.

and this is why the pushers wouldn't work [emoji33]

[ramrod]

that is a beautiful watch. i love the color combo. is the spare worth saving also?

[GeorgeClarkson]

43 minutes ago, ramrod said:

that is a beautiful watch. i love the color combo. is the spare worth saving also?

I am working on it actually... The circuit block obviously not, and it will need 2 new coils too, but as far as the movement mechanical parts, they all seem in good order. The case though has special needs, being badly scratched and the glass will need to be replaced too.

[ro63rto]

It's here, it's here, IT'S FINALLY HERE [emoji7] [emoji7] [emoji7]

No thanks AT ALL to MyHermes [emoji35]

Disappeared off their tracking on 18th July. Even they couldn't tell me where it was.

A big thanks to George for the work he put in to get it running. [emoji144]

Now the hunt begins for a worthy strap.

[GeorgeClarkson]

27 minutes ago, ro63rto said:

It's here, it's here, IT'S FINALLY HERE

No thanks AT ALL to MyHermes

Disappeared off their tracking on 18th July. Even they couldn't tell me where it was.

A big thanks to George for the work he put in to get it running.

Now the hunt begins for a worthy strap.

Finally! This is actually a big relief that you finally got it in your hands....

Hope you are satisfied with the "treatment" it received in my hands (of course, not in Hermes hands...) and that the strap you find will make it pop on your wrist, like it deserves!

It is a wonderful watch, and if Hermes people were not too rough on it during the shipment, it should last you decades more.

Regards.

[ro63rto]

Think I may have found the right strap for this watch.

There's a guy on another forum that custom makes leather straps to your size and design/finish.

He just made this one for a member.

I think I will save up and order this with green stitching to match the main chrono hand.

[GeorgeClarkson]

8 minutes ago, ro63rto said:

Think I may have found the right strap for this watch.

There's a guy on another forum that custom makes leather straps to your size and design/finish.

He just made this one for a member.

I think I will save up and order this with green stitching to match the main chrono hand.

Wow that strap looks great! Care to share more info on price (if allowed...)?

[ro63rto]

Wow that strap looks great! Care to share more info on price (if allowed...)?

No idea. As each one is scratch made etc the cost varies depending on leather used and what finish etc. All is dealt with in PMs and no one tells how much they paid.

One repeat customer did hint on cost by saying he had to choose between replacement refrigerator hinge or the strap. The fridge won. [emoji1]

[GeorgeClarkson]

I might as well imagine the conversation of that customer with his wife, on which was more inportant... 

 

If you do buy it, please do not be so secretive and disclose at least if it is in the tens or hundreds....

Edited July 27, 2016 by GeorgeClarkson

[ro63rto]

I might as well imagine the conversation of that customer with his wife, on which was more inportant... [emoji3]

 

If you do buy it, please do not be so secretive and disclose at least if it is in the tens or hundreds.... [emoji14]

I'll certainly let you know.

I really like that strap and think it will suit it perfectly.

[ro63rto]

I might as well imagine the conversation of that customer with his wife, on which was more inportant... [emoji3]

Yes, I can just imagine. [emoji1]

[rogart63]

Have one of this. Have been working on it but can't get the alarm to work? Had one recently that i changed the battery on? There was a alarm sound when i pulled the crown out? My watch doesn't. Where should i start looking? 

Edited August 6, 2016 by rogart63