This is an adaptation of a Reddit post covering the first watch project that I sort of documented as a test to gauge interest in this subject. Due to the way this post ended up on the blog, its format is a little different from the upcoming posts. With that heads-up out of the way let’s get started on the first post to start warming things up on the site…
I recently decided to take on watch repair as a hobby and have been fixing up some old watches. I was just finishing up my most recent project and figured that I’d try sharing the before and after.
I picked up this Seiko 7019-7070 with kanji wheel that was manufactured around October 1970. It was pretty beat up and wouldn’t run for more than a few seconds; it definitely has never been serviced in its 47 years.
Although it could look better I am quite pleased with how it turned out as a novice. I know everyone denigrates watch case polishing, which I just did to this watch, but it looked like crap before and the Actus is supposed to be loud so I thought it fitting to restore the shine on the case. There is still a small ding at 2 o-clock but I didn’t think it was worth trying to sand through so I left it. The dial cleaned up easily except for a small blotch in the patina which I didn’t think would be possible to fix. I tried to sand and polish the scratches from the watch glass but that was a useless endeavor and I ended up installing a new one; lesson learned.
The movement needed a good cleaning, a bushing adjusted, and I had to scrap a couple screws from a donor movement to replace some that shot into space. The balance amplitude seems a little low which cost me a ton of time in troubleshooting. After a lot of research I eventually concluded that this looks like it may be normal for Seiko 5s so I decided to stop messing with it. Regardless, its keeping time to +12.5s/d on the wrist with an acceptable power reserve which, to me, is good enough for a cheap vintage watch. Unfortunately, since i thought to make this post after everything was done, I didn’t take photos of the movement while I was working on it so you’ll have to live without those.
Thanks for reading!
Before Photos:
After photos:
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Very nice! I just got a very similar 7019-7070.
The watch seems to be running well enough, but the crystal is a complete disaster.
I can see the OEM Seiko part on eBay (310W13GN), but not thrilled at the price. I see you used a DF300CMH310 for this and a 7019-7060?
Am I right that this crystal is a different profile than the OEM? Any issues fitting it? I’m completely new to all this.
Thanks for these posts. I have a few 7019s now, so I’ll be looking here when I get ready to get inside them.
Yes, the crystal is a different profile but the fit was acceptable for me. In the last photo you can see a very fine ridge between the glass and the bezel. The glass is domed and just a little bit too steep of a slope to line up perfectly. However, the glass is held in securely and the gasket seems to be sealed although I don’t have the ability to really test that.
I have the same exact watch.
The case needs a bit of work and also needs a new Crystal.
Any suggestions how to polish scratches on the case and where to find new suitable crystal?
Thanks a lot
CousinsUK has been my go to for replacement crystal. You’ll need to measure your original crystal carefully and take note of its shape and sort through the large selection they have for the closest match. For polishing, I like to use dialux polishing compound and a buffing wheel.