Self winding watch questions

[alejandrino]

I love watches and have chronos by Breitling, Citizen and Seiko( I love automatic chronograph. My love is my Seiko bullhead chrono which I had for God knows how long and still functions well. Fraction of the worth compared to my Breitling but works just as well. Seikos have tough movements as loing as you maintain it.

 

[Mr. Bad Example]

My Rolex is OK sitting for a weekend, any longer, though and it will need winding. I got it as a refurb back in (IIRC) '84 or thereabouts. It went back for service around '97 or so and has been fine since. I don't know if your Seiko will hold up as well, but I do like mechanical watches.

 

[Foilist]

I have a Citizen Eco-drive Calibre something or other (I forget the exact model). It is a cool watch with some interesting features, and has worked reliably for a number of years now.

I'd love to get a nice auto winder like a Seiko 5 series, but I can't find a model that has Roman numerals and a strap rather than a metal bracelet (my preference).

I had a cheap-o auto that gained about five minutes a week and quit working after two years. It was junk, but it served the purpose of making me like autos.

 

[BlackHills]

I'd love to get a nice auto winder like a Seiko 5 series, but I can't find a model that has Roman numerals and a strap rather than a metal bracelet (my preference).

If you find one you like that doesn't take a proprietary bracelet (and most Seikos don't) then you could always swap the bracelet out for a strap.

 

[Josh K]

I have a Citizen Eco-drive Calibre something or other (I forget the exact model). It is a cool watch with some interesting features, and has worked reliably for a number of years now.

I'd love to get a nice auto winder like a Seiko 5 series, but I can't find a model that has Roman numerals and a strap rather than a metal bracelet (my preference).

I had a cheap-o auto that gained about five minutes a week and quit working after two years. It was junk, but it served the purpose of making me like autos.

What about the EcoZilla?

 

[Bruceter]

....... I'm pretty sure that uses the 7S26 movement.....

This is the movement that I have, it does have a "B" on the end of the # though. One question I have is that when I pull the crown out to set the watch, the second hand doesn't stop. Is this normal for this type of movement?

Bruceter

 

[heysox]

This is the movement that I have, it does have a "B" on the end of the # though. One question I have is that when I pull the crown out to set the watch, the second hand doesn't stop. Is this normal for this type of movement?

Bruceter

The Seiko movements that have been discussed do not 'hack'. When the crown is pulled out, the movement keeps on ticking. Normal for these movements.

 

[Bruceter]

Thanks for that info, didn't know if it was supposed to do that or not.
Kinda wish it did though.

Bruceter

 

[Josh K]

Thanks for that info, didn't know if it was supposed to do that or not.
Kinda wish it did though.

Bruceter

FYI If it hacks you can wind it backwards or forwards to set the time. If it doesn't hack then you can only wind it forward.

My main gripe with Seiko's is that you can't manually (handwind) the automatics. I just would rather handwind 5-10 turns and then wear it to charge instead of shaking it.

 

[Blue Sky]

Here's an excellent site on the Seiko 7S26 automatic watch movement: http://www.thepurists.com/watch/features/8ohms/7s26/. My Seiko Diver's Automatic 200 M. keeps excellent time (loses about 3 seconds a day, which is tolerable), probably as good or better than watches costing 10x as much.

Thank you very much for this link!

 

[LUW]

FYI If it hacks you can wind it backwards or forwards to set the time. If it doesn't hack then you can only wind it forward.

My main gripe with Seiko's is that you can't manually (handwind) the automatics. I just would rather handwind 5-10 turns and then wear it to charge instead of shaking it.

If the movement is hackable or not, you can wind it forward or backward regardless. And Seiko does have movements, like the 6R15 of the awesome Sumo, that are hackable and can be hand wound.

 

[Josh K]

If the movement is hackable or not, you can wind it forward or backward regardless. And Seiko does have movements, like the 6R15 of the awesome Sumo, that are hackable and can be hand wound.

Winding a nonhacking movement backwards can cause things to break, it's not recommended.

 

[LUW]

Not really. For instance, with the old Seiko 5 (6119), the ONLY way to set the day is to advance the time after midnight, when the day changes, then turn the hands backwards until about 10 pm and then advance again to change another day. You do that as many times as you need until you get the date set. This is the same with my new Orient 300 m diver.

My dad has been doing that to his Seiko 5 since 1969 and it's not hackable. Nor is my banana Orient 300 m.

 

[Josh K]

Not really. For instance, with the old Seiko 5 (6119), the ONLY way to set the day is to advance the time after midnight, when the day changes, then turn the hands backwards until about 10 pm and then advance again to change another day. You do that as many times as you need until you get the date set. This is the same with my new Orient 300 m diver.

My dad has been doing that to his Seiko 5 since 1969 and it's not hackable. Nor is my banana Orient 300 m.

Interesting, I have never seen that done.

 

[BlackHills]

Winding a nonhacking movement backwards can cause things to break, it's not recommended.

For some movements that's true but not for all of them.

Not really. For instance, with the old Seiko 5 (6119), the ONLY way to set the day is to advance the time after midnight, when the day changes, then turn the hands backwards until about 10 pm and then advance again to change another day. You do that as many times as you need until you get the date set. This is the same with my new Orient 300 m diver.

I had a Poljot that worked the same way. They called it a "semi-quickset" and the date could be changed by passing midnight, turning the hands back past 7 and then back to midnight again.

 

[Robert.B]

I've had a Seiko Diver for some years. You may have to shake/agitate it for a minute or more daily if not worn to keep it running. I found it easier to let it stop if I don't plan to wear it for a while, and then re-set the time/date/day when I use it again. Your choice, of course.

i have a diver too, it states 30 seconds side to side movement and it will last 3 days i believe it was...love mine, had it 10 years without an issue, it doesnt get as much use due to my cell phone being good enough and having a 1920 zenith gold pocket watch for formal wear...but i still break it out for camping and diving.

Seiko is one of my favorite non-swiss brands...otherwise i'd go broke buying Zenith watches

 

[LUW]

Though I have quite a few Swiss watches, I honestly think it's pretty hard to beat Seiko in terms of bang-for-the-buck when it comes to autos. Orient is also very good, but in terms of range of models Seiko is king.

If you look at quartz watches then the crown goes to Citizen and Casio. Citizen has the coolest "dress quartz", but if you want something bomb-proof, you have to get a G-Shock. I don't know if you are aware of this, but the only thing that would survive a nuclear holocaust along with the cockroaches are the G-Shocks .

 

[Robert.B]

Seiko has a japanese only line of watches that rival swiss made for dress watches...solid gold case, a few diamond embellishments and all the bells and whistles. Guy I know living in Japan told me about them, but the cost is up there with the big makers otherwise I'd own one now.

I have had more issues with my Zenith then I've had with my Seiko...granted my Zenith is 90 years old

 

[LUW]

You're talking about the Grand Seikos. Haute horologie at it's finest .

Unfortunately, they can only be serviced in Japan, since Seiko does not sell parts for them. So if you needed to send it in for maintenance and it needed new parts, only Seiko Japan could fix it . Most of the "Japan Domestic Models" (JDM) have that problem.

If it wasn't for that, I would lust after the Marine Master 300 m instead of "just" an Omega Planet Ocean .

 

[Robert.B]

damn thats a nice diving watch, craps on my diver (i have a SKX171 with the 7S26-7020 Caliber, and a presidential imitation band)...and yeah that's the name, they came up on watchuseek forums and their was several members who own them. The Japanese only models would be a hit in the US and elsewhere if they began distributing them!!!