Jump to content

Seiko H127A-5000 ana-digi restoration


Recommended Posts

Hi Everyone,
Recently I have become obsessed with ana digi watches from the 1980's! I really dig the style for some reason.

I was looking on ebay in the low price ranges and I found this little nugget for the princely sum of $5.70 - the shipping from Peru was an inflated $20 AUD - so I got away with it for under $30.

It came well packed in a little padded envelope. It was missing the back, had severe damage, but I didn't see any rust stains on the back.

EJ3StcW.jpg

A view from the side
uVxnNus.jpg

It is a Seiko H127A-5000 - the year could be between 1979 and 1980 - there is a little bit of info around the internet.

YEnlLqn.jpg

The case back will be an insanely rare part to find so I may have to CNC mill something or potentially 3d print a plastic back.
That is if I can get it working.

The Crystal is trash. I've tried sanding it, will wait till I have some crystal polish - I haven't had much luck polishing mineral crystals.
A new crystal is around $35 - with OEM Seiko writing.

I removed the movement and soaked it in WD40 to loosen all the bolts. It was too seized to attempt opening.
The LCD panel/dial has a crack in it. The sub assembly appears clean, the zebra strips on the LCD were a bit gummed up but cleaned up.

Happily the analogue movement was turning over freely, it wasn't ticking - but likely due to so much grit and much on the contacts.

The only corrosion was on the rotor, and some of the non important chrome plated parts.
I've soaked them in shellite. Cleaned with blutac and then inspected under microscope.
Everything appears fine.

It is a very high end movement with 8 jewels and all metal parts - it would have been top of the line back in the day. Very tiny parts.

hocsQBR.jpg

The main circuit board is out - my it looks complicated.

9M8yESE.jpg

Simple plain jane movement - nothing fancy: It's all inside:
xDz7v8Z.jpg

The bridge is off and the rotor is next to the movement:
UN9x5yp.jpg

 

Cleaning the case:

vih6QtM.jpg

Tonight I have finished cleaning everything - I have put it into my movement parts tray - awaiting some time after work tommorow.

If anyone knows how the LCD works please let me know - is the display in the top dial section? Or the next layer down? There is a white mirror presumably to reflect the light off the screen as this is the black model version (there were two models).


Parts look pricey and rare - I've found a dial panel NOS - also crystals online. May have to look for circuit board if its fried -

 

Can't find any bracelets - may have to go non OEM generic  steel band.

 

Goal is to get it running - if its not running - atleast to be a show piece in my cabinet.

More soon :)

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good luck! I have a number of fried ani-digi Seiko watches, mainly H608 from memory? No luck in getting any of them running yet so I’ll be following your progress with interest.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 months later...

What's up WRT peeps!
I finally have some updaaaaaaaaaaatees :)

The story with the watch above was that it needed a case back and a replacement LCD panel.

I have been watching eBay for a while, there have been 3 watches sold since: $850, $450, $280 for working examples. The former of which was a mint example.

The prices have doubled from 3 years ago, where a mint NOS example cost $300-400.

Anyway - I bought a nice B grade donor watch which was 100% complete, however it had a cracked/bleeding LCD panel.
It only cost me $25 from germany (eBay) which is surprising because nobody else bid on it.
Luckily I knew that Northern Watch Clock Co had a 4510-841 replacement LCD panel for sale for 15 gbp.
It was the correct panel for the donor watch as the original had the dark dial which was possible rarer?


I ordered the part, after paying an absolutely eye watering 25GBP for postage, (it arrived with an 8gbp postage stamp - 14 days after ordering.waaat...). It wasn't packed that well considering how incredibly rare this part is. Cousins as an example posted me a 30x30x30cm carboard box just for a mainspring - atleast it was protected haha!!!

gH6UXZq.jpg

xAKdpiP.jpg

cGsDb9S.jpg

EfW6ahu.jpg

Ltyjfvk.jpg

rXu1r4N.jpg

q0tMuNz.jpg

dLPOKMg.jpg

tAdnPso.jpg

DzfHQb8.jpg

X7S1rXR.jpg

scrlHZu.jpg

QdlaAON.jpg

rtUJFCg.jpg

https://imgur.com/uOMXVxu.jpg[/img]

Edited by AlexeiJ1
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Right, my turn then Alexei, you have inspired me! Mine is in remarkably good condition cosmetically, it all looks clean inside too so hopefully it will work. It is the black dial one that you think is more rare? So I just need an LCD panel now. It seems you may have bought the last one available, so the hunt is on. If you found anywhere else that had one I'd be grateful if you could lee me know? I need the dark one which is 4510.840 as opposed to your 4510.841 (I think, anyway, not 100% sure difference between 840 black and 841 white).

40813950601_21ce093782_o_d.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

Do you know, I had taken on so many other projects that I had prettty much forgotten about this one. I've had an ebay search for the panel going for months with no joy yet. But I did see a video a few weeks ago where someone basically squeezed out the lcd bleed on an old lcd watch. I don't have much hope that it's going to work on this one but I will give it a go, nothing to lose and all that.

If anyone does come across a 4510840 lcd panel though, well you know who to tell...!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 7/2/2018 at 6:23 PM, Pip said:

Do you know, I had taken on so many other projects that I had prettty much forgotten about this one. I've had an ebay search for the panel going for months with no joy yet. But I did see a video a few weeks ago where someone basically squeezed out the lcd bleed on an old lcd watch. I don't have much hope that it's going to work on this one but I will give it a go, nothing to lose and all that. 

If anyone does come across a 4510840 lcd panel though, well you know who to tell...!

Hiya Pip. I will keep an eye out. I'm looking for another one too as I have 1 more donor one to fix.
Your LCD looks to have a small crack in it.

I am afraid the parts will not come up easily as they are always the first part to crack. I think that people are a bit rough putting the battery in, or there is no shock protection on the case back when it is pressed in, resulting in a crack to the glass.

They are great watches, I've seen a few changes hands recently for only $100.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Similar Content

  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • The tube external thread is about 3.8mm, not easy to measure as the thread is nearly gone. The inner thread is about 2.25mm - I'll measure it properly when I get it out. The crown is 5.2mm. It's original Rolex with crown, so would be a shame to have to use a generic
    • someday in the future some unsuspecting watchmaker attempts to adjust the pallet stones, does the UV glue soften in or with heat?    the unfortunate problem of timekeeping is you do have to have a functional escapement. the amusements I have with this and other groups is the obsession with some sort of magical target amplitude or you're a failure in watch repair. On a different group somebody with a pocket watch had way too much amplitude and tried everything except the logical solution. The groups decision was put the proper mainspring as typically American pocket watches even Rolex has differing strength mainsprings for the same watch. But this person was so scared the new mainspring it might take the amplitude too low and he would be I guess a failure. I am wondering if maybe YouTube personalities are spreading this bizarre obsession? then using the term timekeeping is too simplistic we need numbers. So I snipped out something with numbers something may be easy to recognize that Omega numbers ETA numbers of various watches. then I did not snip out the fine print which I assume everyone knows for proper timing procedures. In other words fully wound up at zero is fully wound up but a settling time. typically at least 15 minutes to about an hour it varies. This way with a any watch or not wound up at the absolute peak of too much power. then notice test positions it depends upon the grade of the watch but this is only for ETA specifications ideally for troubleshooting you should really look at six positions. Then you get the average rate once again it depends upon the quality grade of the watch. The Delta of the various tests positions. Then? isochronism? True they abbreviated it but that's the word. Just think if you had a properly adjusted escapement a properly shaped mainspring with the nice back curve producing linear power may be little watch fully wound up doing 245°? On this group you would be a failure and you should leave. But if it met all the timing specifications and at the end of 24 hours it was within the timekeeping specifications especially the isochronism and still had the minimum amplitude on the spec sheets you would be fine except on this group where you would be a failure because you were supposed to get that magical amplitude whatever the heck it is yes I really do get annoyed with the target amplitude or death attitude on these graphs so isochronism the effect of amplitude. This is where if you hit some magical 300° and your mainspring sock and other factors in your crashed 200° you would be extremely unlikely to ever get this isochronism number you do much better with a consistent amplitude over the running span. This is also why the power reserves become important as you tend to get more linear timekeeping with longer power reserves as it gives more even mainspring power oh and then for those of you recovering from your heart attack over minimum amplitude of the 190°. But notice at that lower amplitude the isochronism number is much bigger there only timing and three positions Delta's bigger. Plus a slightly shorter power reserve. So customers only care if their watch keeps time they don't typically care about amplitude. Although I see on the Rolex discussion group for some of them of timing machines and they are concerned about their amplitude. But typical people don't have timing machines they just care of the watch keeps time. Watch companies as we'd see below have timing specifications and timekeeping is the most important. With unfortunately you still have to have a functional escapement and enough amplitude consistent amplitude to keep the timekeeping.
    • Sorry, I meant a side profile showing how high the seconds hand sits above the minute hand.
    • I'm not sure if the hand is original or a replacement, but it has been in use for a while as it has worn a divot in the center of the crystal. This is the side profile (bezel not 100% seated):
    • for this particular Seiko movements there is a special movement holder specifically for the sweep chronograph hand. It allows you to push the button in for returning to zero and hold it in place. While pushing the second hand on it the proper location. It also provides support underneath C don't knock the jewel allowed because it requires a lot of force to put the chronograph hand on. For instance this is why a lot of Swiss chronograph watches when you go to remove the hands they will disintegrate because they been put on with so much force that they basically are considered non-removable and in the service centers they would get an entire replacement hand kit which we do not get so chronograph hands need to go on typically very very tight as others have mentioned there's a lot of force on them when the returning to zero.
×
×
  • Create New...