Everlasting Seiko Five watches

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

New Cigars




PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
7,995
26,613
New York
I have no idea. I just thought that James Bond was the only one who got blinged up with a Rolex! I know that aircrews got a watch that was about the size of a Tudor Oyster 3/4 size but these were all collected up at the wars end and destroyed by running a steam roller over them. One of my school friends 45 years ago had one given to him by an Uncle who was in a POW camp so he was not around when they were collected up. It had the WD and arrow on the face which was black if I remember correctly. It might have been made by Smiths but I am sure there is a watch expert on here who would know far more than myself.
 

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,765
13,789
Humansville Missouri
In the last decade of the nineteenth century watchmakers at Hamilton, Howard, Elgin, Waltham and others all made railroad service watches that would reliably keep time to within 30 seconds plus or minus a week, and would last a lifetime doing it.

Railroad chronometer - Wikipedia - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railroad_chronometer

The $100 automatic watches made by Seiko, Orient, and Parnis (Seagull) often will keep railroad time standards, although they aren’t advertised as that accurate. We don’t need that accuracy. So long as my watch is within two minutes of the atomic clock on my phone, it’s good.

This watch is accurate to within five or ten seconds a week, and looks like it cost a thousand dollars instead of a hundred.

1677CDE6-B8E3-47BD-984C-63B6B764AA37.jpeg
 

jpberg

Lifer
Aug 30, 2011
2,905
6,545
I don’t know about the rest of these Seikos, but I bought this one fresh out of dive school in 1989, right before I hit the dive tank in Seoul.
It’s been through a couple desert excursions, and years of industrial construction.
I know everybody just fucking has to have an automatic because internet pictures, but this has been on my wrist 33 years, and will be for another 33.

6F093EE8-B0FA-4799-90A3-DDFCE8AFEEB6.jpeg
 

AJL67

Lifer
May 26, 2022
4,489
24,341
Florida - Space Coast
I have no idea. I just thought that James Bond was the only one who got blinged up with a Rolex! I know that aircrews got a watch that was about the size of a Tudor Oyster 3/4 size but these were all collected up at the wars end and destroyed by running a steam roller over them. One of my school friends 45 years ago had one given to him by an Uncle who was in a POW camp so he was not around when they were collected up. It had the WD and arrow on the face which was black if I remember correctly. It might have been made by Smiths but I am sure there is a watch expert on here who would know far more than myself.
I wonder where he hid that watch ... sorry Pulp Fiction flashbacks.
 

elessar

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 24, 2019
667
1,398
I've got a Seiko black monster that uses the same 7S26 movement as the 5 series. Been a great watch with unbeatable lume. It's given me years of daily wear but now needs a new movement. It runs really really fast, gaining over 10 minutes a day. I'll probably swap a newer Seiko movement into the case.
 

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,765
13,789
Humansville Missouri
I've got a Seiko black monster that uses the same 7S26 movement as the 5 series. Been a great watch with unbeatable lume. It's given me years of daily wear but now needs a new movement. It runs really really fast, gaining over 10 minutes a day. I'll probably swap a newer Seiko movement into the case.
Somebody that is a watchmaker can explain exactly why, but when a watch begins running about ten minutes a day fast a tiny spring has slipped over a post in the movement and the fix is easy, for a watchmaker.

But if a Seiko five has had any wear at all, a new movement is the way to go, if not an entire replacement watch.
 

elessar

Part of the Furniture Now
Apr 24, 2019
667
1,398
Magnetism of the main spring can cause it also. Unfortunately a lot of wear is the cause here. I can't complain. I've got a decade or more of service from the watch. Just doesn't regulate well anymore. Those movements are getting hard to find though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Briar Lee

Briar Lee

Lifer
Sep 4, 2021
4,765
13,789
Humansville Missouri
There’s always the cheapest version of anything, and it’s hard to beat the Chinese price on one of their “standard movement” automatic watches, as low as $25 for ones like this. I have several of different grades and qualities, and even the rock bottom shelf models keep surprisingly good time.

Don’t expect the same quality as a Seiko, but they aren’t junk.

415692C4-FDBF-4DF5-8228-F0686612ED98.jpeg400121EA-241B-4607-911F-496B66433D9E.jpeg5F7D8841-0C8A-4E95-A9F4-9EF5947EF1A6.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Swiss Army Knife