Part 7: "Project" watch planning and our project 6309s.

[TheTigerUK]

I tend to loosely plan my next project in advance and decide what i want and what i want to pay and what end result i am after and get any parts ordered i need so as when i receive what ever i don't have to wait to long.

So for this project i decided i wanted to get hold of a 6309 that wanted work but it was not a basket case and this is the one i found, poor pictures on ebay but from what i could see looked like it was all original so i went for it knowing that minimum it would require was a new crystal, bezel insert, gaskets and what else  well that would be the surprise LoL

I received it today and a quick look over showed it to be better than i hoped for, it does need a crystal and insert and it would appear that the click ball is also missing but the crown locks down with four turns and looking at the case back it has no signs that it has ever been opened or opened roughly.

So after this quick survey back in the draw it has gone until we start the project but at the moment if no bad surprises i feel it is the ideal candidate for the project.

Sellers picture


A couple of pictures taken today.

[JohnN]

I wonder what's under that bezel!   

[TheTigerUK]

I wonder what's under that bezel!   

What ever is under it i am sure that if i mixed it with water it might live again !! 

[howie77]

Good score Tiger! .. and one of the 7049 US variants if I've got that right?


Lucky one what with getting the crown stem in good fettle, looks like your onto a winner. Hope the glass retaining ring is equally sound, tho no major deal to replace eh!


cheers, H

[TheTigerUK]

Thanks Howie, and as you know there are no differences though between the 7040(rest of the world) and 7049 (States) just the markets they were sold in.

[speedbird119]

Now that is what I call patina...


Would you like us to post our own project cases in this thread, or start out own?


Best,


Mike

[ADB]

...
Would you like us to post our own project cases in this thread, or start out own?
...

Ideally, both. 

No, seriously, here is my idea:

• Each one of us starts his/her own thread on his/her project, and posts in it as he/she progresses.
• We can also have some "checkpoint" threads where we all post. One of these is of course the "This is what I started with" thread. And another one is the "This is what I ended up with" (pile of parts picture) thread. 

[TheTigerUK]

Now that is what I call patina...


Would you like us to post our own project cases in this thread, or start out own?


Best,


Mike

Personally i think it would be better and less messy if we all post our project watches in this section/post and at the end of the project have a post to show off our finished project.

As we progress through each stage i think it would be good for all of us to show the specific part of the watch we are working on, for example when we get to step one taking the case back off it would be nice to see each guys rear end  and the first view of the movement and so on step by step.

[speedbird119]

Personally i think it would be better and less messy if we all post our project watches in this section/post and at the end of the project have a post to show off our finished project.

As we progress through each stage i think it would be good for all of us to show the specific part of the watch we are working on, for example when we get to step one taking the case back off it would be nice to see each guys rear end  and the first view of the movement and so on step by step.

OK, just so I/we are clear, I post my starting point here in "Step 7" when I get the watch in. Then when we are ready to begin on 9/1, we all post our opening the case back step in the "Step 8" post, same for Step 9, and so on, etc...


Does that make sense, and do I understand correctly?  Thanks!


Best,


Mike

[TheTigerUK]

OK, just so I/we are clear, I post my starting point here in "Step 7" when I get the watch in. Then when we are ready to begin on 9/1, we all post our opening the case back step in the "Step 8" post, same for Step 9, and so on, etc...


Does that make sense, and do I understand correctly?  Thanks!


Best,


Mike

Thats how i see us doing it Mike and it will stop the project getting fragmented.

[speedbird119]

Great, really looking forward to this group project. So much will be gained from it.


Thanks again for hosting it John.


Best,


Mike

[TheTigerUK]

I have been asked by a couple of guys for "things" to look out for when buying a 6309 (there are some good posts on how to buy a 6309 on the main forum).

Obvious things to look out for which will save you problems (and $$$) later on are :

• Does the crown screw down, if it dosent this is not always the case tube it can be a poor crown, if it is the case then you have a problem.
• Is the movement ring and spring present as these are often corroded and can be difficult to get hold of in good condition.
• Is there any corrosion in the case back threads or to the face of the case back which if present can affect the seal faces.
• Is the dial damaged because if keeping original again really nice ones are not to easy to get hold of.
• Poor hands are not to much of a problem as the flat after market ones are very good.
• A poor movement all though a bind is not a major problem as there are plenty of 6309s about.

As my mate back then said :

•     “It is unwise to pay too  much, but it is worse to pay too little. When you pay too much, you  lose a little money—that is all. When you pay too little you sometimes lose  everything because the thing you bought was incapable of doing the thing it was  bought to do ... If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well to add  something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will have enough to pay  for something better.”
  — John Ruskin (1819-1900)
   

[clockworks]

Both of my 6309's have been modded. Is there a good source for quality repro 6309 dials? I'm thinking about putting one of them back to original.

[TheTigerUK]

There are as you know lots of after market 6309 "original" dials and they seem to come in varying qualities, i have seen some really good ones but also a lot of poor ones, i think you need to search one out but i would personally be more tempted to buy an original Seiko dial if as you say you are returning your mod back to original because if you use an after market one your mod will still be a mod.

[iButrusCor]

Thats how i see us doing it Mike and it will stop the project getting fragmented.

This format also has the added benefit of allowing participants to go at their own comfort rate. As the reach each step, they can post in the appropriate one. Some will be faster and some will be slower; this format will keep everything in the right places and provide an excellent resource for those who are having difficulty at any particular step 

[kai_h]

Well my eBay special turned up today ($81 USD from an Aussie seller) and I'm well impressed with the condition it's in. So much so that I gave it a shake, it started running, I set the time (day/date quickset works, hands move smoothly) and put it on my wrist...


The strap is a Z-22 in the soft sticky rubber, the case and crystal aren't marked that badly at all and there's very little evidence of corrosion inside.


I'm going to have to get another one to really have a crack at for this project that's in worse condition!

[TheTigerUK]

Well my eBay special turned up today ($81 USD from an Aussie seller) and I'm well impressed with the condition it's in. So much so that I gave it a shake, it started running, I set the time (day/date quickset works, hands move smoothly) and put it on my wrist...


The strap is a Z-22 in the soft sticky rubber, the case and crystal aren't marked that badly at all and there's very little evidence of corrosion inside.


I'm going to have to get another one to really have a crack at for this project that's in worse condition!

Sounds good have you a picture ?

[kai_h]

Sounds good have you a picture ?

Sure do!



More pix over here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/automaticapix/4882076772/in/set-72157624701530446/lightbox/


Now the serial number is 703327 so it's either made in October 1977 or October 1987 - is there any way I can narrow it down more than this?

The crystal has a few scratches, the crown is pretty banged up, but still screws down well. The index on the bezel doesn't line up with the 12 mark. I can't see any corrosion on the hands or dial. There are the expected scratches on the case back. There are a few "signatures" inside the caseback and a bit of surface discolouration or corrosion on the weight, but from what I can see the rest of the movement looks to be clean.

I'm very happy with the strap it's on, nice soft and pliable rubber - it was very comfortable to wear today and was a fair bit lighter than the black BFK I've been wearing for the past two weeks.

[TheTigerUK]

It wont be 77 as that is when the 6309-704X started, your model is the one that is easier to find and i don't know why but less sought after. Possible because so many guys like the 704X because of the cushion case.

[SxSDoublegun]

That looks like my 6309 case, but since mine was "receintly serviced" it has poor quality aftermarket dial and hands.  So any of you guys that are going to mod your watch and not re-use your origional Seiko dials and hands, I'll take them off your hands.  My project is a restore to as close to origional as possible project.
 
 
Max

[kai_h]

Looking at mine in more detail, I suspect it's an aftermarket dial. The Suwa logo is more of a circle with lumps (don't have a macro lens to show it clearly) rather than a well defined swirl. I can't compare the hands to OEM ones, but they look OK... The bezel also looks OK, but the chapter ring looks like the index marks on it were hand-painted.

[ADB]

Guys,
AFAIK the way to tell an original dial is to check whether the day/date window cutout is beveled or not. Beveled = original, not beveled = aftermarket. Here is mine:



Beveled: check!
Cheers,

[kai_h]

Mine ... Dodgy Suwa Logo = Check!, Beveled = FAIL.
Fake-o-rama!

[TheTigerUK]

Guys,
AFAIK the way to tell an original dial is to check whether the day/date window cutout is beveled or not. Beveled = original, not beveled = aftermarket. Here is mine:



Beveled: check!
Cheers,

The bevelled day window is a great way of checking for originality but...............not all the later original dials especially the Hong Kong ones had a bevelled window.

[ADB]

Thanks John, I stand corrected! 

Also now I am curious! What do the Hong Kong original dials look like?
Cheers,