[8BITMIME]

Hey yall,

I'm in the market for a seiko 6139 6012 (I posted in the wtb yesterday) but that didn't stop me from continuing to search around a bit to see what was out there.

I found two specimen that I was wondering if I could please get a second pair of eyes on

First is a reasonable looking one from a UK seller on chrono24. I recently read the "eBay sellers to avoid" post and was a bit shocked to hear how many of these are coming out of the UK with aftermarket parts so... maybe this sellers no better.

My biggest concern with this one are the chrono hands, they look... too red if that makes sense. It almost looks like it came off the black dial version as shown below

Because the blue ones hands look almost red-orange.

The other one I had my eye on was from a "dealer" in Norway called antika.no . I've never heard of them and can't find much about them online.

The chrono hands on this look the "right" shade of orangeish-red to me, but the lume on the dial markers looks way to good. I think that's probably an indicator that something is amiss, but I'm trying to learn what to look for so it can't hurt to ask.

Thanks!

 

[Grammarofdesign]

So, the one in the first photo should have a 6139B movement and a date around 1972 or later. Except for the chrono sweeper seconds hand, it all looks OEM to me except of course the bracelet.

In the second photo with a blue and a black, I'd say both are all original. Both should have 6139A movements.

The last photo I cannot tell what it is, original or aftermarket dial,I see absolutely nothing wrong with the entire watch but like you say is it 'too good' or 'really well preserved.'? Ask the right questions and go for it, the bracelet is original I think it is probably all original. The chrono sweeper might be aftermarket which would not be a deal breaker for me given how amazing all the rest of it is.

 

[whisper.tick]

So, the one in the first photo should have a 6139B movement and a date around 1972 or later. Except for the chrono sweeper seconds hand, it all looks OEM to me except of course the bracelet.

In the second photo with a blue and a black, I'd say both are all original. Both should have 6139A movements.

The last photo I cannot tell what it is, original or aftermarket dial,I see absolutely nothing wrong with the entire watch but like you say is it 'too good' or 'really well preserved.'? Ask the right questions and go for it, the bracelet is original I think it is probably all original. The chrono sweeper might be aftermarket which would not be a deal breaker for me given how amazing all the rest of it is.

I agree with the above.
First one has both seconds sweep and minute register hands repainted, have a look at the edges. These were cut after painting and therefore the paint should not be beyond the top edge.

Last blue one in the third picture looks correct and very likely to be well preserved.

 

[8BITMIME]

Sorry I should have been more clear - the second Pic (with the blue and the black watches next to each other) is from Vintage Watch Inc which is where all my searching and refernce pictures start from.

i included it because the sweep second color in the first picture looks more like the sweep second on the dial of the black watch in the second. My big reason for including the middle photo was just "hey are they actually different colors or am I crazy".

Ill proceed with caution on the third one, see what the dealer has to say.

For my own reference, what about the hands in the first picture makes it so clear that they have been repainted? The only thing that stuck out to me was the vibrant color.

Thanks!

 

[whisper.tick]

Sorry I should have been more clear - the second Pic (with the blue and the black watches next to each other) is from Vintage Watch Inc which is where all my searching and refernce pictures start from.

i included it because the sweep second color in the first picture looks more like the sweep second on the dial of the black watch in the second. My big reason for including the middle photo was just "hey are they actually different colors or am I crazy".

Ill proceed with caution on the third one, see what the dealer has to say.

For my own reference, what about the hands in the first picture makes it so clear that they have been repainted? The only thing that stuck out to me was the vibrant color.

Thanks!

The hands were pressed from a plate that was already painted the correct colour i.e. tomato red, orange or any colour in between. This means that the colour will only be present on the top surface. Depending on the skill of the person repainting, the painted hands might look lumpy thus deficient of a smooth finish.
A repainted hand will have some of the colour adhering/overruning to the edges. For lack of a better analogy, looks like its dripping from the top.