Regular readers will know the 62 series calibres are my favourite vintage Seiko movements, you’ll also know the 62mas is my favourite vintage Seiko divers watch. Another one has been across the bench today so here’s a peek at what I had to contend with. The watch arrived to me after having a relume so the hands are in the little container. As you can see it’s a little scruffy with its scratched crystal but it has the basis of a good honest watch.
A peep at the back tells us this is a horseshoe embossed example from April 1967.
A look inside shows us it’s a bit grubby but it’s all there.
With the rotor and autowind bridge removed I spy a sea of 3 in 1 oil!
It was everywhere, this is better than finding a dried out rusty movement though. Marginally!
With the dial removed you can see where the oil has spread right through to the between the top plate and dial. The owner was very fortunate it hadn’t spread through to the surface of the dial or even floated all the calendar wheel numerals off as these are only transfer printed on.
Tons of oil below the top plate.
It keeps on coming!
What you don’t want to see is a balance with all the coils stuck together!
Still swimming in oil….
….and yet more oil.
The movement was fully stripped ready for cleaning.
As the movement components were in the cleaner I removed the old crystal and ultrasonically cleaned the case parts.
After cleaning it all looked a lot better.
If you’re fitting a new crystal in a vintage Seiko you need a vintage Seiko press.
Looking much better with a bezel that now rotates smoothly.
The dial had been relumed but the chrome lume frames were a little corroded.
A length of sharpened pegwood and a bit of effort cleaned them up a lot better than they were.
After inspection reassembly began with the mainspring as is usual for me.
The hairspring was pretty misshapen, both with the coils and in the vertical plane. It didn’t respond at all to correction so a NOS balance/hairspring assembly was fitted and tweaked.
The motion work completed.
And the calendar side ready for the top plate.
The dial and handset refitted.
The movement recased and ticking away nicely.
And here she is finished, it’s come a long way from when it arrived, a nice original example in great honest condition!
The Watch Bloke 
I need a hairspring and balance removed and replaced on my original assembly. Can you do this. It’s a 6127-7000. Can you help?
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I would imagine it’s a 6217-7000 you’re talking about, the World Time watch? It’s pointless replacing a balance if the rest of the movement isn’t in good clean, healthy, lubricated running condition so although it’s a straightforward job your watch may also need a full movement service.
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