SKX007 spruce up.

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123713289#Comment_123713289

Cheers B.

If memory serves you had a (Sinn or omega?) clasp you wanted tumbled/refinished. When I get savvier to different media and their finish you're welcome to bung it in.

Thanks Harry, that's an offer I'll definitely take you up on when your happy to try. My bracelet has seen far, far better days 😐

H_Lime

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123726124#Comment_123726124

Shout anytime B and I'll bung it in the tumbler. Sounds rude...

More fun meddling with 7A38's. This one was advertised as a runner with chrono sec hand non functional. When I unscrewed the caseback the central chrono tension finger was absent, easy fix! I raided my nos spare complete movements and swapped one in with a fresh battery fully expecting to turn it over and see it run....but no, mmmmm.

After digging in the pcb is toast, sellers a big fat fibber magee, that was not running. The pcb is potentially fixable, after removing all the corrosion under magnification there's a visible break that could be bridged but I'd rather replace the whole component with a good one. Rest of the watch seems very much unscathed so quite worthwhile.

I have another 7A example that I'm having more fun with, well kinda. Its a practice piece for the full strip and rebuild of the mechanicals under that next green contact layer below the pcb. It's the central bridge. There's like eight or so pivots to align before screwing it all down. It's very easy to get wrong and is notoriously difficult but my tweezer skills are coming on, somewhat. If I can bag this it will mean I can fully strip, clean and oil these movements which is a tall order but I'm after it.

H_Lime

I persisted with the non runner. Swapped in a good pcb and still no joy. Fark.

Spotted a tiny repair on a coil. If you zoom into the pics in the previous post you might just see it. I didn't.

Looks huge and obvious here lol. I checked it resistance and it came back low about 1.4v. It's coil c and is paired with d which should be in and around 2.1v. A and B are 2.6v in spec so raided coil c from the nos movement and threw it back together with the new pc and it's holding perfect time since and all functions are a1.

This pic is a handy instructional on where exactly to take readings.

This came on what could have been a lovely jubilee if the remnants of worn goooold plating was mercilessly removed along with the scratches.

Here is is after a red scotchbrite wheel in the dremel. Rhs is sans plating and free of marks.

Finished it by masking the sides and polished the three central formerly gold links to a mirror finish. Gave it a dip in my new potent but world loudest us cleaner which fizzed the ever living grime out of it.

It came out so well I nicked it for me own 7A28 which Im quite fond of.

Threw an adjustable 16mm clasp on. The mico adjust on the fly is nice.

saccades

Nice, what's the lug width?

I've an old bellmatic where 'I' lost an end piece and I've been looking for a replacement.

H_Lime

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123822505#Comment_123822505

The above is 20mm down to a shade below 16mm at the clasp.

Your Bellmatic, love to see pics. Uncle does some nice bracelets and end links for them.

https://unclestraps.com/collections/bellmatic-1?srsltid=AfmBOooQAYHumFRuTwi5RZio0TbvLCQkm-9z-cyr_NgCgRCQajT5CO7q

saccades

It's had a gentle polish and tidy up (Richard Askham), mechanically.

The bracelet is very tired but the ones for sale on uncle straps are for a different case unfortunately. The leather strap is a custom but with the keeper is too thick to be comfortable. At some point I need to get something to suit it better.

It's serial number confirms it was made the month and year I was born.

I like wearing it to work, the alarm is a delightful clear ring that's obviously not from anything electrical.

H_Lime

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123862855#Comment_123862855

That's awesome and great that it's used daily. The alarm is a practical addition too. Yours appears to be in fantastic condition. Movement looks recently serviced.

I've never handled one but watched several tear down/servicing vids of them and they're on my radar for sure.

So Uncle has no end links that fit this reference, feck that's a pain. Be nice to have it on a bracelet. Maybe set up an ebay reminder to mail you with relevant search terms? I have this set up for various target bits n bobs and you can hit gold ocassionally.

saccades

There is a massive shortage of bracelets for this case unfortunately.

That's what it looked like before it was tidied and serviced.

The back of my fff mod, I sputter coated the rotor in gold, unfortunately the case opener was crap and ended up scoring the case back so I need to sort a replacement at some point.

H_Lime

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123865129#Comment_123865129

Who serviced it for you can I ask? The movement looks immaculate. Was the case refinished also?

I had to Google sputter coated. A very interesting process! Do you do this yourself? It looks very well. You could try and polish out the marks from the caseback tool, it's surprising how a little time and some effort can reverse the marks.

Lastly I have to ask, is the cat watch still working aok?

saccades

Richard Askham, one of the highest rated horologists when it comes to bell-matics and a thoroughly nice chap. This was before COVID and when job security was a thing 😕

He fitted a new crystal and gaskets, serviced the movement (no issues which was good because I hadn't performed my usual level of due diligence as it was my birth month watch), then refinished the case.

I have access to a few sputter coaters, virtually useless for most applications outside SEM, as it deposits the conducting metal to the target, there is no bond of any kind. So the high purity gold you can see will wipe off with a finger leaving a black smudge. But for an untouched rotor, probably no impact to the life of the movement from minimal gold getting loose so why not and use the display back.

CAT watch is 100% awesome still, gets worn on the weekend as I don't want the solvents at work degrading the strap. Still making me grin 😄 a class overhaul by yourself.

H_Lime

Had these oem bits quite some time. Plan was and still is source an oe spb423 (grey bezel) 62mas case and do what seiko should, but won't.

In the mean time I had a gra to make use of them in a titanium case. A field watch, a diver, ehh maybe a fiever?!

Did something similar with the lesser spotted SRPC23K sunburst silver surfer dial and hands, paired it up with a slimmed down all ti case and bracelet with grey ceramic insert.

Imagine if they released an updated skx in ti with an 8L movement, 40mm and 11mm thick. Take my money seiko! Instead they've stripped the skx heritage like an old cruise liner on a beach.

H_Lime

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123866065#Comment_123866065

Sorry I missed you had mentioned who serviced it.

I have a mate in the states who has all bar one every 6139 release, he's missing one obscure varient and is desperate to complete his collection. He has a back catalogue of parts that is awesome. He has a watch maker who literally just services 6139's, like your guy it's always great to go to a specialist.

Recently myself and Wibbs availed of the service Es of one such guy for our Longines Ultronics. Awesome service and the timekeeping is astounding, especially on Wibbs one.

You're putter coater sounds cool as hell. I'm eyeballing old ovens on adverts to experiment with a power coating set up. Reckon I'll get the road if I chance the one in the kitchen.

Delighted to hear the Cat is still operating normally!!

artanevilla

I seem to have lost my SKX009

H_Lime

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123944132#Comment_123944132

Ah feck! That's an awful feeling.

Without trying to sound like McSavage doin Joe Duffy had you it long, was it a very sentimental piece?

artanevilla

10+ years I'd say. My first auto so somewhat sentimental. Might turn up somewhere but not in any of the usual spots.

H_Lime

Argh! Yeah that's a balls for sure.

There's one sure way to make it show up, buy another lol.

In the meantime say a prayer to St Anthony.

Mellor

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123927695#Comment_123927695

If I better put together my own seiko/mod it will a tonal field case. But don't really know what I'd need and can't invest in too many tools for another hobby.

H_Lime

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123944859#Comment_123944859

Case: https://a.aliexpress.com/_EQtM2A8

Movement: https://a.aliexpress.com/_Ezx3ofO

Dial: https://a.aliexpress.com/_EzvM6FW

Hands: https://a.aliexpress.com/_EQVc9fS

Rodico, cushion, hands setting tool, blower: https://a.aliexpress.com/_Ew5xdqC

Case back opener: https://a.aliexpress.com/_EJP8xQC

Calipers: https://a.aliexpress.com/_Ew5AOva

That's kinda all you need and there's kits too which are probably an easier bet than buying loads individually.

The dial and hands are aftermarket aka fake but there's sterile unbranded options out there if you're a conscientious objector . They have greenish tint (C3 lume) in daylight but so too are the hands so should match.

There's loads on you tube for turotials, jump in and give it a go.

LuckyLloyd

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123945201#Comment_123945201

I've been debating buying some tools…anything you'd recommend in terms of screwdrivers?

H_Lime

These are brill

https://a.aliexpress.com/_Ewd0jkU