I don't think anyone has said that. All thats been said is that there are plenty of original ones around, so there is no need to buy aftermarket versions of this particular part. As for the quality of aftermarket gaskets, That would depend on each specific gasket, how well it is made, the material it is made of, and how closely it resembles the original.sharkfinDave said:Just curious. So the aftermarket gaskets are absolute rubbish?
I may be wrong but from what i have seen original 6309 case back gaskets seem to sell any were from $7 or $8 each were as the after market ones are about .50c each, with the originals you know they are to Seiko specifications i don't know about the after market ones but i was sent one by a friend and it seemed to fit well, so you pays your money and makes your choicesharkfinDave said:Just curious. So the aftermarket gaskets are absolute rubbish?
I've never bought any yet. Is there a significant price gap between the two, for someone to not get original?
thanks, Dave.
TheTigerUK said:You mean this could happen to your dial Jonathan ??try finding one of these dials !!! ???
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OMG, John this just made me cringe in pain.
On the bright side, you could redial this into some sort of cool mod.
Good luck with sourcing a dial, hope one lands your way, as I'd love to see yours complete, back to its original. ;)
Cheers, Dave.
tcps760 said:Aftermarket gaskets are fine, as long as they are made to specs. They're "just gaskets," not complex pieces of engineering. I haven't heard of Seiko using special material to make their gaskets - its all about the proper shape/dimension/size. (Wouldn't using NOS 6309 gaskets from the '80s be questionable?...Rubber does deteriate over time doesn't it? Maybe an engineer or chemist can jump in a give their insight.)
I have pressure tested watches with aftermarket gaskets all around, and they consistently pass to 150m with flying colors. However, with that being said...if you buy gaskets off the bay or elsewhere on some random vague internet site, and the caseback gasket is skinny as heck, not uniform in shape, or overall ratty...then commen sense dictates that you don't use it.Some aftermarket gaskets just don't quite fit properly, which causes them to pinch or not seat, which then causes a weakpoint in the integrity of the watch. A lot of reputable watch dealers will pressure test a watch for the owner's peace of mind, however will not provide a guarantee of "water-resistance" due to the possibility of the owner cross-threading the crown when re-sealing it after setting the time, or just plain not tightening it down enough before jumping in the water. My .02
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SKX said:I have had a bad experience with aftermarket case back gaskets. I think the trick is to look at the cross section. The good gaskets are round, the bad are flat. But I'm sticking to the real ones as long as they are available, and they are for all divers back at least to the 6105.
Your are remembering correctly. The L-shaped crystal gaskets on Tuna Cans and on other watches like the Marine Master, are indeed made of a special compound and are unique to seiko. They don't prevent Helium intrusion though, but they do reduce it to a minimum. IIRC there have been some extensive posts by Pin Guan Pete about this in the past, I just don't remember which of his old names he used when he wrote them.Chris said:About SEIKO utilizing any special materials to make their gaskets, I have read on the old SCWF an extensive debate over this. I know for a fact that at least for the tunas, seiko used some kind of chemical compound called L-Buta to concot it. Experts always say that thanks to the tunas crystal gaskets being made from this special rubber, the need for built in He valves are not necessary. This special gasket compensate the variations in built in pressure due to penetration and exit of He molecules. It's reported that no other ordinary gasket would be capable of this performance.