27 Apr 2010

SOLD: SEIKO Automatic Diver 6309-7040 Orange SOXA

Watch is SOLD.

Last weekend I spent my whole Saturday doing a long overdue project: the Orange SOXA. SOXA stands for SEIKO-DOXA, a SEIKO diver, usually based on the cushion case 6309-704x, modified to follow the design and style of DOXA dive watch.

DOXA is a swiss watch company known for making dive watches. They are often referred to as "the inventor of orange" because they are the first to introduce the iconic orange-faced dive watch in 1967. The watch I used as reference is DOXA SUB 600T Professional pictured below (picture taken from: scubawatch.org)


Here is our watch for the project. It is a badly abused 6309-7040 from 1981. Dial, hands, and bezel insert are useless. Movement and movement spacer ring are eaten away by rust. Crystal retainer ring is broken and goes directly to the trash bin. But the cushion case is still in good shape with some minor defect on the bezel interface. 


First, I completely dismantled it to pieces. Every parts were cleaned and checked thoroughly. Parts with excessive corrosion were trashed and replaced with parts taken from donor, which is also a 6309 diver.


The crown-stem assembly was also dismantled and cleaned. Crown thread is worn out and damaged, but the crown stem is still good. Another crown from donor was thrown in to replace the damaged crown.


The original 6309A movement was badly corroded. It was replaced with a newer movement from donor.


Now it is time for the new SOXA parts to enter. A new orange SOXA dial and new black SOXA hands were installed. The installation process took a long time to make sure the dial sits perfectly in the center and hands perfectly aligned. Hands must be installed on the first effort, no second or third chance. If you remove and reinstall the hands, they will not be perfectly press-fit anymore. Date changes only a few minutes after midnight.


Case and other parts were assembled together. A new crystal retainer ring, new crystal gasket, and new caseback gasket were thrown in. A new SOXA silver chapter ring replaced the old 6309-704x chapter ring.


The tired bezel insert was replaced with a fresh stainless steel insert made for SEIKO diver.


Movement and crown-stem assembly were slotted in. Case back was closed and bezel snapped in. 6309A movement run with a shake. The orange face looks so fresh and full of energy. The old 6309-7040 has come back into life, reborn as Orange SOXA.


Anvil bracelet was put on to complete the work. Orange SOXA is ready for action now. It is adorable and visually stands out among the crowd. The reliable 6309A power train inside the cushion case will serve for another decades to come. One of the most beautiful modified SEIKO I have ever seen.


The project does not end here. I plan to replace the original crystal with a domed sapphire crystal with AR coating and replace the straight end links on the bracelet with curved end links made for 6309-704x. Update will come soon.

▲ Update: Courtesy shot from the new proud owner of the Orange SOXA.

21 Apr 2010

SOLD: SEIKO Automatic Diver 6309-7040 Black Calendar


Up for sale is a SEIKO Automatic Diver 6309-7040.

Production date: June 1983.
Case dimension:
  • Width: 44 mm (excludes crown).
  • Thickness: 13 mm.
  • Lug: 22 mm.
Description:
As far as I know, all original parts except for the bezel insert and black day-date wheels.
Original dial in good condition but has blemish near 10 0'clock index marker. Lume on index markers still glows faintly.
Modified black day-date wheels, original SEIKO parts.
Original hands have been relumed in the past. Glow faintly.
Bezel rotates bi-directionally and clicks evenly with no play.
Bezel insert is original but from a 7002 diver, has scratches.
Original crystal has been polished and clean.
Case and case back are in nice condition, sympathetically polished. Edges and corners are still well-defined.
Movement and day-date setting mechanism are working well. Movement was serviced and regulated on January 2010. Accuracy is within spec.
Original crown has scratches, locks in 1.5x full turn.
Not water-pressure tested. Water resistant is unknown.
Comes with brand new aftermarket SEIKO Z22 flat vent rubber strap and new SEIKO fat spring bars.
Price: SOLD.

The bad: Bezel insert is original but from a 7002 diver.









19 Apr 2010

How to Install the Domed Sapphire Crystal on SEIKO 6309-7040


One of my friend sent me a SEIKO 6309-7040 and asked me to replace the original crystal with a new domed sapphire crystal with blue AR (anti-reflection) coating on the inside. The new crystal together with the new crystal gasket arrived few days ago. So I spent my quiet Saturday morning to do crystal replacement. I took some photographs during the process and think it would be nice to share it here.

I started by completely stripping down the watch. Details of removing bezel and crystal retainer ring can be read in the links on the right side panels of this blog. I compiled them from various sources under the category "SEIKO Diver Technical Resources". Below is how it looks after complete dismantling.

▲ Dismantled SEIKO 6309-7040.

I found out that the naked cushion case is full of dirt. It is no surprise for a 31 year-old dive watch. So I decided to clean the case first before I proceed with the new crystal. I used my old Victorinox Swiss Army multi-tools to do most of the work. I purchased this Swiss Army almost 10 years ago and it has been serving me very well. Notice the dirt on the edge of the blade. Be careful not to scratch the internal stepped wall around the crystal gasket. If it is scratched, the case will most likely lose its watertight properties.

▲ Cleaning the case.

After lightly scratching out dirt with Swiss Army blade, I used WD-40 to clean the external and internal surface of the case. The same process was applied to the crystal retainer ring. Be careful when you dismantle or clean the retainer ring because it is one of the most fragile parts of the 6309-704x diver. Also be careful not to cut your fingers once the retainer ring comes of.

▲ Cleaned case and crystal retainer ring.

Before we go on with the assembly, here is a comparison shot of the old original crystal (left) and the new domed sapphire crystal. Looking at the clarity of the sapphire makes me smile and forget all the waiting... and the price I must pay for it.

▲ Comparison of original crystal (left) and new domed sapphire crystal.

Next, put all the parts back into the case. Don't forget to apply some grease on the new crystal gasket. I use the original SEIKO Silicon Grease. Make sure the crystal and gasket sits properly in the center and lies flat. Take your time and do the best in this phase because it is very important.

▲ Assembling the parts.

Ensure all parts sits properly inside the case and then bring the assembly under the press. Again, make sure the assembly sits properly on the press. Use a cone-type press head with the same outer diameter as the crystal retainer ring.

▲ Using press to fit the crystal retainer ring.

After fitting the crystal retainer ring, check again to make sure the crystal is centered and lying flat. The best way to do this is by fitting the bezel and running your fingertip along the gap between crystal and bezel insert. If everything is OK, clean the inside of the crystal and case with dust remover and dust blower. Now we can slip the movement back into the case and close the caseback. It is almost finish now.

▲ Fully assembled 6309-7040.

Since the domed sapphire gives a very classic look, put on a fitting flat vent Z22 rubber or, if possible, an original GL831. Now sit back, have a cup of coffee, and enjoy the beauty of the domed sapphire crystal. :-)