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Post by seikoholic on Oct 16, 2015 13:55:54 GMT -8
Picked this up recently, trying to decide what to do with it. Original owner was apparently a Vietnam vet, though I'm getting this info second-hand. I've owned sorrier examples. This one is the second-roughest, and the first roughest belonged to an industrial underwater welder. This one certainly might have been worn in combat, it sure looks it anyway. Case isn't bad on the top but the sides are heavily hammered, to the point of being almost rounded. The owner had a big metal bracelet or carried heavy metal things all the time or was in a metal environment, close quarters or something. Rotating ring is long gone, looks like it's been gone for decades. Crown / stem are gone too. Movement isn't bad, and despite the lume being grungy the dial itself isn't bad either. I have an original sweep hand, but no rotating ring (though I have an original 6105-8000 insert here). You can see how dirty it was (and is) by my hands.  |
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cd_god
Is a Permanent Fixture
Finna set up a HOOD next door to your richie phuk suburban mansion
Posts: 12,301 
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Post by cd_god on Oct 16, 2015 14:33:26 GMT -8
That one doesn't look to bad at all.
The green lume has to go but with a new crystal and any bezel I bet it would look 10X better which would give you a better visual idea of if you think it is worth saving.
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28A
WIS
Ruining original Seikos since 2015.
Posts: 1,030
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Post by 28A on Oct 16, 2015 14:34:19 GMT -8
That looks better than the original dial on the 6105 I just picked up from a local watchmaker. I did some scrounging through his families boxes of parts before finding a replacement dial and hand set..   |
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Thomas
WIS
Nun Gut
Posts: 1,480
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Post by Thomas on Oct 16, 2015 15:20:29 GMT -8
Hey, we all get old...  But only some of us get beautiful!  - Thomas |
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Adrian-VTA
Global Moderator
Adelaide, South Australia
Posts: 5,327
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Post by Adrian-VTA on Oct 16, 2015 15:50:08 GMT -8
I'd fix it. My criteria for making it worthwhile are met. Dial is OK. The case is near mint.
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Post by seikoholic on Oct 16, 2015 18:11:57 GMT -8
I'd fix it. My criteria for making it worthwhile are met. Dial is OK. The case is near mint. It's a deceptive picture, but not intentionally. The sides of the case, especially the left side, are rounded and hammered. It looks like whoever the owner was wore a bracelet or something further up his wrist from this watch, and it whanged on the side of the case constantly. Something big and metal. But I the dial IS good, yes. If I can find a rotating ring, this one can come back. |
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Post by dringer on Oct 16, 2015 18:34:47 GMT -8
Yep, you can do it. In fact, you HAVE done it before.
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Post by seikoholic on Oct 17, 2015 8:26:15 GMT -8
Yep, you can do it. In fact, you HAVE done it before. without a rotating ring I'm just whistlin' Dixie |
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Post by seikoholic on Oct 17, 2015 19:50:14 GMT -8
Well, thanks to one of our own, I have found a ring. Actually, two folks here pointed me to an auction on Australian eBay. It looks like the case could be nicer, but the goal will be preservation of as much of the original watch as possible. Still thinking about how far to go with that.  |
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Post by seikoholic on Oct 22, 2015 17:42:43 GMT -8
Case w/ rotating ring came in. So, it looks better. Crown is coming, and then I need to decide about reluming. I'll probably go for it.  |
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cd_god
Is a Permanent Fixture
Finna set up a HOOD next door to your richie phuk suburban mansion
Posts: 12,301
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Post by cd_god on Oct 22, 2015 19:12:19 GMT -8
Case w/ rotating ring came in. So, it looks better. Crown is coming, and then I need to decide about reluming. I'll probably go for it. Is that the original case with the bezel swapped onto it or did you swap the movement and parts into the whole donor case? The bezel lume seems to match the dial. Aside from the "rusted out" bezel insert (not sure why they do that) if you keep the insert as is I'd say keep the dial lume as is. |
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28A
WIS
Ruining original Seikos since 2015.
Posts: 1,030
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Post by 28A on Oct 22, 2015 21:46:27 GMT -8
I quite like the dial lume colour there also.. i'd leave it and just clean it up as best as can be. Nothin wrong with a little aging and character!
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Post by condor97 on Oct 23, 2015 16:18:25 GMT -8
That's coming together very nicely. Everything matches very well.
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Post by mikomichael85 on Oct 23, 2015 16:44:06 GMT -8
Did that thing come from the Philippines? |
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Post by seikoholic on Oct 23, 2015 19:54:47 GMT -8
Did that thing come from the Philippines? Well, it spent some serious time in Vietnam apparently, so SE Asia at least. Wet, hot, with lots of bumps and bangs. Not good for lume. |
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Rod
WS Benefactor
Posts: 2,214
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Post by Rod on Oct 23, 2015 21:08:38 GMT -8
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Rod
WS Benefactor
Posts: 2,214
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Post by Rod on Oct 23, 2015 21:39:14 GMT -8
Refurbishing the case.. Notes: use electrical "heat Shrink" over the stem tube for protection, use mylar tape (or similar) wrapped around the case top to protect the crystal retaining ring lip, Resist the temptation to polish until the sanding area looks as bright as a polished part, keep the file and sandpaper square to the surface and rotate/flip the case constantly to maintain an even finish  Hand filed the sides with a set of jewellers files.    Used a finer file untill all divots were removed and the edges were sharp.  Then hand sanded with progressively finer (started with #320 finished with #1500) "wet & Dry" used wet, and wrapped around a Square piece of hardwood until i was happy with the results.  Spun the case in a drill and sanded the top or the case to get the correct finish. Then hand polished the sides and finished with a micro polish   Case back was treated the same. But don't polish the case back "sides", these are left with a sanded fin finish, but polish the top.   |
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28A
WIS
Ruining original Seikos since 2015.
Posts: 1,030
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Post by 28A on Oct 23, 2015 21:49:53 GMT -8
I saw a while ago someone had used an abrasive sanding block with a hole sawed out of the middle the same diameter as the section where the glass sits in, so that when the case is pressed into it just the outter edge gets sanded..
I don't know how they got the case into a drill press but i thought about getting an old dress watch screw down back as they fit into these cases (the threads are all the same) but one with the back completely flat.. and drilling a hole in the back of it and welding a small rod into the center so that it can be mounted in a drill chuck and spun. The case would then be lowered into the sanding block and as it spins around it would get the circled sanding pattern they are known for having.
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Rod
WS Benefactor
Posts: 2,214
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Post by Rod on Oct 23, 2015 22:22:00 GMT -8
I saw a while ago someone had used an abrasive sanding block with a hole sawed out of the middle the same diameter as the section where the glass sits in, so that when the case is pressed into it just the outter edge gets sanded.. I don't know how they got the case into a drill press but i thought about getting an old dress watch screw down back as they fit into these cases (the threads are all the same) but one with the back completely flat.. and drilling a hole in the back of it and welding a small rod into the center so that it can be mounted in a drill chuck and spun. The case would then be lowered into the sanding block and as it spins around it would get the circled sanding pattern they are known for having. That's exactly what i did! great minds think alike |
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28A
WIS
Ruining original Seikos since 2015.
Posts: 1,030
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Post by 28A on Oct 24, 2015 1:01:04 GMT -8
I thought it was a brilliantly simple idea that happened to work so well!
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