Reply With QuoteHi
I have mine on a yobokies hammer bracelet, the end links came with it, they were made for the 6105-8110 but fit this watch a treat.
I managed to get myself a Seiko 6138-3002 a couple of months a go, but even though I love this watch it has seen little wrist time, because I can't find a strap that does it justice. I have the original "fishbone" bracelet, which, as many of these are, is really, really, stretched. I've tried it on that and if it were in better condition it'd be perfect, but it's not, so I've taken it off that and put it away so it doesn't get any more stretched than it already is.
I almost never keep a watch on its original strap/bracelet anyway; I can normally find something that looks better than the original, but this watch just refuses to look right on anything. Either it doesn't properly compliment the curve of the lugs, or it's too thin, or the colour clashes with the blue-grey dial, and it just looks silly on a NATO. The 19mm lug width doesn't help either - that especially makes it hard to find an aftermarket bracelet.
So, does anyone have one of these on something other than the original bracelet that actually looks "right" ?
Or, is it possible to get a new bracelet from Seiko that fits this?
Hi
I have mine on a yobokies hammer bracelet, the end links came with it, they were made for the 6105-8110 but fit this watch a treat.
Search ebay with "Seiko 19mm" as the key words and you will see lots of choices, including some after-market Seiko or Seiko lookalikes.
You can't go far wrong with a Rallye:
This is an ATG, no longer available in 19mm (Hi Simon :D )
But they're difficult to find in 19mm, although you can fit a 20mm on without too much trouble.
Regards
Ian
Although no trees were harmed during the creation of this post, a large number of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.
I have mine on a Hirsch 19mm black rallye with yellow stitching. Really suits the watch - will try and gets some pics put up.
I just have had the same dilemma great watch but really needs a bracelet as the way the case is finished, it "looks untidy" between the lugs with a strap.
I'm waiting for this to arrive from E-Bay. The seller, Mr SEIKO has swapped the end pieces for 6138 ones so I did not have to buy them along with the 6139 bracelet.
E-bay listing 250961658014
Remind me to do some photo's if you are still looking in a week or so time :wink:
Mike
Totally agree with this. I somehow get the sense that this watch could look great on a strap, but it does look rather unfinished between the lugs which is a shame. Mine has a few dings and scratches (put there by the previous owner(s)) so I'm considering trying to polish them out at some point. I have also been wondering if it's possible to improve the finish between the lugs. There's a serious risk of ruining it though, so not something I'm planning to try in the very near future.Originally Posted by MIKE...
That looks pretty good in the photo, but I'm not sure black is quite right with that dial. It does look rather good with the strong lighting though. I'm not a huge fan of rallye straps in general, although I can see how they do go with this kind of watch.
Like I said I'm not the biggest fan of rallye straps, but I'd still like to see this. I like the sounds of the yellow stitching. I had yellow or white stitching in mind to go with the dial/hands - the only worry I have about yellow is that it could detract from the contrast of the yellow hands, but it's hard to know without seeing it. If it doesn't diminish the contrast then it could look great.
:shock: :shock: You would be a braver man than me. The trouble is the bezel slightly over hangs the gap between the lugs with the rest not quite so well finished. So anything other than an end piece will never look right :(
Never mind though, great watch and even greater value, despite having to get the bracelet. Large vintage auto chrono (in good nick in my case) with quality bracelet for £250, try doing that with a Swiss brand :wink:
Mike
Mine currently on Hirsch Rallye strap the one with the big holes suits the watch fine until you look a the end where the lugs are and see this "unfinished" bit. Like a scratch on a watch you always notice it or at least I do
mike
Yes, and it's the difference in finish that makes me think it might be possible to make it look better, by polishing the unfinished bit and the bezel around the join, possibly feathering the polish so the top and bottom parts exactly match on the join. That's difficult enough, but it still might not look right because of the big gap, and the join itself is uneven.
I was thinking it might be possible to fill it in with solder, but it's not the sort of thing I've attempted before so I have no idea whether it would work or not. I also don't know if the top and bottom halves of this case need to come apart for servicing and that's why the gap is there to begin with. If that's the case then it wouldn't be a good idea to fill it.
Of course in my mind this all sounds perfectly feasible, but actually doing any of it is another matter :) As I'll probably want to try a cleanup job on this case at some point in the future, I might give it a bit more thought at that time, but I know from experience that even something simple like trying to polish out some a dent or a scratch can have disastrous results if you're not careful.
When I bought mine a year or so ago it came on this Rallye strap with yellow highlights, looks good in the summer months but a bit bright for everyday use. Winter time I wear it on a black DiModell Jumbo with white stitching; I've also tried it on the Hirsch Rallye with the big holes but it doesn't work quite as well 8) .
I know what you mean about the unfinished area between the lugs and would also like to find a bracelet that would work with it. Hopefully someone will be along soon with a link to a good source of remanufactured fishbone bracelets :)
regards
grant
Di Modell Rallye on all my 6138's
Ooh, the yellow clearly does work. I like.When I bought mine a year or so ago it came on this Rallye strap with yellow highlights...
Click on pix to enlarge.
http://home.comcast.net/~njwatch/6138onlaco.jpg
:bootyshake: :bootyshake: :bootyshake:
"A man of little significance"
Strangely that's not the exact case :? The bezel finishes just short of the rest of the case. So yes you could get away with a normal strap. At least compared to mine.
Mike
[quote=MIKE...]Strangely that's not the exact case :? The bezel finishes just short of the rest of the case. So yes you could get away with a normal strap. At least compared to mine.
Mike[/quote:30r5iha6]
You're right, mine's not like that either. I wonder if they changed the case at some point during it's production? I can't see any other differences. I wonder if Joel's one is "correct" and Seiko for whatever reason had to compromise the case to accommodate a larger bracelet end-link. Or maybe it was available new with a strap and that version had a slightly different case than the bracelet version. Some kind of screwup in the sizing of the bracelet might explain why the finish is so poor on this (in that specific place); certainly compared to all other Seikos I've seen. It may have been hacked to make it fit, rather than actually being designed that way.
I wonder if anyone here knows for sure?
Thought I'd post on your thread rather than the other regarding Seiko 6138 bracelets which led here.
Anyhow if you haven't sorted a strap I'd consider going 22mm and notching it - the wider strap looks far better imho. Here is my 6138 UFO on a generic 22mm rally.
Posting Permissions
