SOLD: SEIKO Automatic Diver 7002-7039 Transitional Diver #2

Up for sale is a SEIKO Automatic Diver 7002-7039, also known as "the Transitional Diver". If I recall correctly, this is the first SEIKO Automatic Diver to be rated at 200m. The Transitional Divers were produced in very short period between 1995 and 1996, just before SEIKO released the 7S26 Diver (SKX series) in 1996. Therefore, it is harder to find and probably will become collectible item because it marks the transition from SEIKO 150m Diver to 200m Diver.

Production date: April 1996.
Case dimension:

• Width: 42 mm (excludes crown).
• Thickness: 13 mm.
• Lug: 22 mm.

Description:
As far as I know, all original parts.
Original dial and hands in good condition. Lumes on index markers and hands still glow.
Bezel rotates uni-directionally with 120 clicks. Bezel clicks firmly without play.
Original bezel insert is scratched but can be polished off or replaced (See enclosed pictures. I used strong light to show the scratches. It is not that bad when you see it in person).
Original crystal is scratched.
Case and case back are in good condition and unpolished. There are scratches on lugs. Edges and corners are still well-defined. Factory finish lines are still visible on the top surface of the case.
Movement and date setting mechanism are working well. Service history is unknown but it runs in a shake and accuracy is within spec. Caseback gasket replaced with new genuine SEIKO gasket.
Crown locks in 1.75x full turn.
Water resistant is unknown.
Comes with aftermarket Z22 wave vent rubber strap for SEIKO Diver and new fat spring bars.
Price: SOLD.

The bad: Bezel insert and crystal have scratches.

SOLD: SEIKO Quartz Diver 7548-700B "Desert Storm" Restoration

Watch is SOLD.

One of my favorite vintage SEIKO dive watches is the 7548 Quartz Diver. The design is classic and simple. Its 7548-caliber quartz movement is tough and reliable. General Norman Schwarzkopf, Commander of the Operation Desert Storm, was wearing a SEIKO 7548 when he led one of the strongest military forces in history to kick Iraqi soldiers out of Kuwait in 1991. In 1999, Schwarzkopf donated the watch for a charity auction. It was auctioned under the title "SEIKO Desert Storm" and sold at USD 11,000.

▲ General Norman Schwarzkopf wearing a SEIKO 7548 Quartz Diver. Picture taken from LIFE.

Few days ago, my friend Ariska sent me a 7548-700B from May 1979. At the first glance, it looked bloody messy with painted hands, faded bezel insert, and dirty dial. But upon a closer look, I knew I had found the 7548 I had been looking for. It was a perfect base for a restoration project.

▲ SEIKO 7548-700B before restoration.

The case was very dirty. It was soon dismantled to pieces. Every parts were cleaned and checked. Case is still good and untouched. It has scratches on caseback and lugs but I can live with it. Crown tube was bent, prevented the crown from screwing in. I pressed the crown tube back to its position. The original HARDLEX crystal is still in good condition, slightly polished by previous owner. Caseback is a little bit corroded but still acceptable.

▲ Case completely dismantled.

▲ Case cleaned and assembled.

The original 7548-700B dial is a little bit dirty. But all writings on dial including the dial code are still sharp and crispy. Original hands were replaced with original hands set from SKX007 (7S26) because the design is almost identical. The difference is 7548 has flat-type hands.

▲ Dial before cleaning.

▲ Dial after cleaning and new hands.

Crown-stem assembly was stripped down and cleaned. The original gasket has been worn out but I haven't found a new crown gasket. So I will just temporarily use it until I find a new one. Stem spring is not original, but it functions very well without problems.

▲ Dismantled crown.

All parts were assembled back with new caseback gasket, new bezel gasket, and new aftermarket bezel insert. The insert is the best quality repro I have ever seen. It is almost 100% similar to the original 7548/6309 insert including the correct lume pip, slanted surface, and grainy paint when observed under magnifier.

▲ 7548-700B after restoration.

The 7548 was then put on a high-quality aftermarket GL831 rubber strap. This is the correct type of strap when the watch came out for sale at the end of 1970s. Below picture is comparison shot of 7548 (right) and his more famous successor, the SKX007. Like father, like son.

▲ SEIKO Quartz Diver 7548-700B and SEIKO Automatic Diver 7S26-0020 SKX007.

Below is comparison shot of 6309-7049, 7548-700B, and H558-5009. They were produced and sold in the same period, from the end of 1970s to mid 1980s.

▲ SEIKO 6309-7049, 7548-700B, H558-5009.

SOLD: SEIKO Automatic Diver 6309-7040 SOXA Sharkhunter

Watch is SOLD.

After finishing the Orange SOXA mod for my friend, I planned a second SOXA project for myself. I chose the DOXA SUB750T Sharkhunter as reference. The SUB750T Sharkhunter is reissue of the original Sharkhunter from 1967, which was worn by Jacques-Yves Cousteau, the famous French naval officer and marine explorer.

▲ DOXA SUB750T Sharkhunter. Image taken from DOXA website: http://www.doxawatches.com.

The base for modification is a SEIKO 6309-7040 from 1980s in fair condition. 6309 cushion case is a nice match for the DOXA tonneau case. It is all-original but some parts must go.

▲ SEIKO 6309-7040.

As usual, watch was stripped down to pieces and every parts were cleaned. Some parts were replaced. The original chapter ring was replaced by SOXA chrome chapter ring. Crystal gasket was replaced with a new one. Original crystal was replaced by domed sapphire with AR coating on the underside.

▲ Cleaned cushion cased in exploded view.

The best part of the modification is the power train. Instead of using the original SEIKO 6309A movement, I chose its JDM sibling, SEIKO 6306A with hack feature and Kanji day wheel. The hard-to-find 6306A movement was supplied by my friend, Kucimo Jahja. It was serviced by SEIKO technician and in very good condition. Runs in a shake and only loses 1 second per day on its first day inside the SOXA case.

▲ Power train of the Black SOXA, a JDM SEIKO 6306A movement.

▲ SOXA dial and hands on the 6306A movement.

The original crown was badly scratched. When I dismantled the crown-stem assembly, it turned out that the thread on male stem was broken too. So I replaced the crown with a genuine SEIKO NOS 6309 crown complete with new crown gasket inside. The male stem was also replaced with a used 6309 male stem from my parts inventory.

▲ Front: NOS 6309 crown and replacement male stem.

All parts assembled. A 22 mm solid Anvil bracelet with curved end was added as the final touch. The combination between domed sapphire and chrome chapter ring create illusion as if the dial is floating inside the case. I tried in vain to capture this effect using the camera. It looks more beautiful in person.

SOLD: SEIKO Automatic Diver 7002-7039 Transitional Diver

Up for sale is a SEIKO Automatic Diver 7002-7039, also known as "the Transitional Diver". If I recall correctly, this is the first SEIKO Automatic Diver to be rated at 200m. The Transitional Divers were produced in very short period between 1995 and 1996, just before SEIKO released the 7S26 Diver (SKX series) in 1996. Therefore, it is harder to find and probably will become collectible item because it marks the transition from SEIKO 150m Diver to 200m Diver.

Production date: July 1995.
Case dimension:

• Width: 42 mm (excludes crown).
• Thickness: 13 mm.
• Lug: 22 mm.

Description:
As far as I know, all original parts.
Original dial and hands in good condition. Lumes on index markers and hands still glow.
Bezel rotates uni-directionally with 120 clicks. Bezel clicks firmly without play.
Original bezel insert is in good condition.
Original crystal is in good condition and untouched, has fine scratches but not very noticeable.
Case and case back are in good condition and unpolished. There are swirls and fine scratches due to normal wear but no serious dents. Edges and corners are still well-defined. Factory finish lines are still visible on the top surface of the case.
Movement and date setting mechanism are working well. Previous owner sent this watch to Jack Alexyon IWW for service (tuning, lubrication, and calibration). But I do not know when exactly is the date. Accuracy is within spec.
Crown locks in 1.75x full turn.
Water resistant is unknown.
Comes with high-quality aftermarket GL831 vintage rubber strap for SEIKO Diver and new fat spring bars.
Price: SOLD.