Seiko – Watch Case

22 Nov 2019

Dressy Seiko 5 Actus

My Watchbox 7019-7060, Seiko, Seiko 5, Seiko Actus

A few weeks ago I was able to find an old Seiko 5 Actus from May 1976. In general, buying watches on eBay can be tricky and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone looking for their first watch or just starting with their new collection. However, if you're patient and know what to look for, you can find something really cool and at a price you wouldn't expect. The watch wasn't in a great condition and I knew it would require some work. Once it arrived, I've noticed that the bracelet was glued on to the case and there was…

26 Dec 2018

By Michal

1 Comment

Seiko Spirit SCVE005

My Watchbox SCVE005, Seiko, SeikoJDM

I got the Seiko Spirit SCVE005 in September 2017. Now, more than a year later, I'm still not sure how I feel about the purchase. There are a few details about this piece I really love and appreciate, like its Bauhaus design, the dark-blue accent or a beautiful, silver dial. On the other hand, it frustrates me sometimes. To the point that I am considering selling it. Here is why... The watch is big. The case is only 40mm wide, which doesn't make it super large on a wrist, but it is 13mm thick. A bit too thick if you…

22 Dec 2018

By Michal

1 Comment

That crystal had a rough life

eBay, Seiko Kakume 6138-0030 6138, 6138-0030, eBay, Seiko

Once I took the watch apart, I couldn't help myself but to work on the crystal. I did some research and find out that the Seiko branded Hardlex Crystal is somewhere around 7 on the hardness scale from 0 to 10. I also find out that it is possible to remove scratches with a few different levels of sand paper. First I started with a thicker grit of 800 until the deeper scratches disappeared. That initial process was taking quite a long time so I moved down a bit and tried 400 grit. Then I move on to a very…

21 Dec 2018

By Michal

0 Comments

The initial disassembly.

eBay, My Watchbox, Seiko Kakume 6138-0030 6138-0030, Kakume, Repair, Seiko

I waited a whole five minutes before I decided to open the watch and take a look at the movement. And yeah...I didn't stop after lifting the back cover. I didn't have my tool box with me at that time but I still managed to take off the blue outer bezel and remove the crystal. Unfortunately while taking out the movement I removed the stem and made a mistake while doing so. I wiggled the movement before putting it back and couldn't get stem back in place. That is a whole different story that lead to another adventure I will…

21 Dec 2018

By Michal

0 Comments

My first eBay watch.

eBay, Seiko Kakume 6138-0030 6138, eBay, Kakume, Seiko

I can’t say it was an impulse buy, but I wasn’t really planning in advance. I sometimes browse eBay for used Seiko 6138 or Seiko 6139 models but didn’t actually think I will find one worth buying. Somehow, this time was different and after a few exchanges with the seller to make sure that the watch runs, is authentic and wasn’t serviced for a long time, I decided to buy Seiko 6138-0030, aka Kakume. The history of the Seiko 6138 and 6139 models is really interesting and I will definately write more about it in the future. You can see…