Reply With QuoteMy 6138 from 1974 hasn't been serviced for at least 5 years and loses about a minute per week. I have other chronographs from the 70s, notably an RAF issue Hamilton, which are accurate to 10 to 15 seconds per day.
Would appreciate some advice on this.
Recently bought a Seiko 6138 movement chronograph dating from 1972. Thread a few down if interested. The watch had been recently serviced and was advertised as 'keeping excellent time'.
Had it a couple of days now and it seems to be consistently losing around 12 minutes a day. I'm no mechanical expert but I have had others, some modern, some older but all have kept better time than this.
Gone back to the seller (who may well be reading this) to query this. He has qualified his statement by saying "it keeps excellent time for a 40 year old watch". Although he indicated for him it was losing around half the time it seems to be now I have it...
Anyone keen to hear others experiences with similar watches. Basically is -12 mins a day acceptable for a watch of this kind? Or should and could it be better. Wasn't expecting quartz accuracy but this sort of error seems a lot.
My 6138 from 1974 hasn't been serviced for at least 5 years and loses about a minute per week. I have other chronographs from the 70s, notably an RAF issue Hamilton, which are accurate to 10 to 15 seconds per day.
Much depends on who did the service - these are column wheel movements and need to be completely dismantled to be serviced properly, hence the cost - a minimum of £100 to have it done properly.
With the time loss that you're experiencing, it could be that something has worked loose.
Regards
Ian
Although no trees were harmed during the creation of this post, a large number of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.
I've a few 6138/6139's and the time keeping is excellent for 40 year old watches. I personally am happy with a watch of this age to be a minute out per day.
To describe a watch that loses 6 minutes a day as an excellent time keeper is taking the p*ss.
If you've got a vintage watch that has been serviced (cleaned and oiled) and not forgetting that it will have worn parts that are not readily available, I think a minute a day is acceptable.
Cheers,
Neil.
A minute or two a day I'd say. 6 minutes out isn't excellent, surely? Unless it's 1870.
I have many watches from the 60s and 70s and all keep pretty reasonable time - a few seconds per day for the serviced ones, maybe a minute or so out for the ones that need a bit of attention. 12 minutes per day is ridiculous for a recently serviced watch - there's no way at all I'd accept that.
No idea who the seller is, but I'm struggling to see how anyone can describe a watch that's loosing 6 minutes a day as keeping "excellent time for a 40 year old watch" :shock:Originally Posted by rutteger
That 6 minuted loosing a day is a not excellent from any watch and not from 40 years old watch.
If the seller knew that and didn`t told that BEFORE selling it to you then he is con artist.
Personally I think that 30 sec/day could be "excellent from 40 years old middle quality watch".
JP
my 6138 is one of my most accurate vintage watches -- I haven't timed it precisely in terms of secs/day but it runs for days on end and never seems to be more than a minute off.
Thanks for the feedback. Certainly seemed to me 12 mins a day isn't "excellent time" but when the seller restates the fact with such conviction doubt starts to override common sense.
To his credit the seller has offered a refund which doubtlessly I'll be taking him up on.
Thought I'd update this thread.
Decided to send the watch to the chap who serviced it previously who said he'd take a look at it and quote for repair. In the end it needed a complete balance with hair spring and balance cock. Apparently. The price of the repair who a good portion of the original purchase price. With the benefit of hindsight I should've just sent it back for a refund, however given that the chap who repaired it clearly put a lot of time into it decided to pay for the repair and chalk it up to experience. Hey ho.
+1....I agree entirely. What you should see on an old watch with worn parts is bigger variation day-to day ( due to positional variance) than a modern one with less wear. 12 mins/day is not acceptable and I`d be bending the seller's ear about this one.
One more point; is it a lot better if the chrono isn`t running?
Paul
The standard advice for the Seiko 6138 and 6139's is that the chrono should be left running at all times. Otherwise the clutch wears out........ and it looks much better with the large second hand doing its stuff :wink:
Servicing Seiko chronos isn't an easy job. Parts aren't that much around and it's quite a labour intensive job to service Seiko chrono properly. Over the last few years Richard (richie_101 on the forum) has done excellent jobs restoring Seiko chronos. But he stopped doing these, according to his message last Summer. For me, that was the moment I stopped collecting Seiko chronos. I've changed my goal: Valjoux 7733 and 7734 now.
I would suggest that you only buy a vintage Seiko chrono from a well reputated seller and / or with a prove of restoration by a proper watchmaker. Walk away from Asian eBay auctions and a certain Spanish seller (also on eBay). These watches are often bodged!
To get back on topic: a well restored vintage Seiko chrono keeps time perfectly. As good as the moment the watch left the factory. That's the beauty of these old mechanical / automatic watches. When looked after properly, they will go on and on! Like new!
Menno
They do indeed! Plus,i never knew that about the clutch :wink:
Back to the OP....6 minutes a day is (or was now) a load of rubbish,especially with a retrospective "for a 40 year old watch"
Glad you got it sorted out but i think that you should've got a refund or got the seller to foot the bill.....
im a bit late to this thread, but have to agree, thats just plain daft ...I have a 40 year old Zenith el primero and it keeps better time than my more modern stuff........
Glad to hear that.
Whenever I wear one of mine I leave the chrono running as 2 of them dont reset on the 12 and I also like to see it moving otherwise I'm checking to see if it's stopped! I was always worried I might be doing more harm that good but thanks the advice.
I've been wearing my Enicar Sherpa Graph and it is keeping excellent time, to within a few seconds a day.....but I think it is from the '60s rather than the '70s :wink:
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