This is my last post before going on holidays for the week, and Mitka has started on his first customer watch as well, which he will finish for me to check over when I get back. After 4 1/2 months, and dozens of his own watches serviced, he is ready to roll!
The first Grand Seiko in this workshop, and it belongs to Chris.
The dial has odd spots on it, but apart from that, the watch is looking good…
Lovely case back with the GS logo in the middle.
Certainly not your usual Seiko movement!
Not too bad, bad the movement is dry and dirty.
The bottom plate looks nice, too, and very un-Seiko.
The dial has odd red spots on it, and I try to dissolve them by putting a minimal amount of vinegar on one of the spots outside the minute markers, but I hove no luck – it isn’t impressed by the vinegar at all.
Time to take the movement apart. You can see the little hacking lever.
The gear train, with the hacking lever construction going around it.
With the barrel bridge removed, you can see the full glory of the hacking lever contstruction, which consists of 3 parts!
Now I turn my attention to the bottom plate.
All clean and ready to be put back together.
There are of course no parts to be had, so I re-use the still very spritely mainspring.
The balance cap jewel is put back into place.
Gear train and hacking lever are in place.
I put back together the bottom plate.
Straight as an arrow, and a slightly low amplitude, as all Seikos have.
The movement is cased. Very nice regulator construction.
I re-finish the case to its brushed finish.
Side view with original crown.Nice brushed finish.
Busco una maquinaria 4420 A alguien tiene en venta soy de gdl
Hi, were you able to get this to pass a pressure test?
I’m afraid I don’t remember.
Do you know where I can get a transparent case back for the 4500s?
Would the eBay “5M23 5M63 5M43” or “SKX007 SKX 7002 SKX 6105” would fit? Thx
Don’t go there. Your movement will get magnetised a lot easier …
Hi,
My 4520A developed an issue where the winding mechanism stopped working. The minute hand moves slightly in both directions when I try to wind it but the watch will not start. I think the mainspring is fully wound but the mechanism just will not disengage properly.
My plan was to source a 45KS movement for parts. Do you have any idea what could be wrong and what is the chance the parts from a 4500A in the KS will wokr in the 4520A in the GS? Without parts the local watchmakers won’t really even try to service a vintage GS.
You have to try to find the parts sheets for the two movements and check if the parts are interchangeable. We have some at https://watchguy.co.uk/technical/
Looking for a 4522A balance complete 310451 can you help me?
Hey Jim,
Did you ever find one? I’m currently looking for the same balance for my KS45.
Thaks.
Do you know where i can find the balance complete 310451 for 4522A grand seiko
I’m looking for a 4522A clutch wheel please help me
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Hi!
Cool watches! I can see you are using 52deg lift angle on the timing machine. Do you have information if this is correct or not? I know that Seiko has been “all over the place” in terms of this. I only have one Seiko “HiBeat” vintage, and that is an automatic caliber 5626. They have 56deg lift angle.
Unfortunately, we couldn’t find any definitive information about the lift angle, either, so we stuck to the 52 degrees. You can of course adjust the timegrapher by making the balance swing exactly 180 degrees, and then adjusting the lift angle until you get the 180 degrees on the timegrapher as well…
I was just wondering if this could have anything to do with the typical mediocre amplitude performance of Seiko watches on the timegrapher? Must admit my King Seiko has only about 210-220 deg amplitude even with the setting at 56 deg, however that is not all freshly serviced.
Hi I have a seiko 5h267a10 divers it Is missing the bezel can you help me regards Ian
I am afraid not. Ebay is probably your best chance.
Hi Christian,
Great job! You mentioned that there were no parts to be had. Is that because Seiko does not sell parts to “non authorised ” watch makers or because Seiko does not support older watches?
Thank you again for you great blog.
Regards,
Chris
I’m pretty sure that all authorised service centres send any Grand Seikos back to Japan for a full overhaul (which can be very expensive) so even local Seiko service facilities don’t keep GS parts on hand. They do service older watches (just had a 70s hi-beat ladies’ decently serviced by them) but don’t always have parts for some older and scarcer movements.
Fine and sensitive work, Christian: the 4520A movement is derived from the ‘Astronomical Observatory Chronometer’ calibre, so not to be sniffed at. Any indication of previous services?
Yes, the movement had been serviced before, as there were some scratches on the wheel bridge.
Thanks Nick S!
Hi Christian,
I notice that you use a tool that looks a bit like a low tack sticky cotton bud for handling the smallest parts like cap jewels etc. It looks to be so much safer than tweezers; I reckon one of those would save me a lifetime of searching for the parts that went ping when I least expected.
What is that tool and where can I get one?
It’s called a jewel picker-upper, and Cousins sells them. I wouldn’t want to live without it..
Hello!
Very nice movement! Could you please describe the way you dealt with the duo-fix system on the escape wheel? Did you oil it like you do the Incabloc (oil only on the cap jewel) or did you use another way.
Thank you,
Bogdan
Hi Bogdan,
I oil it in exactly the same way as a shock setting. You put a tiny amount of oil on the endstone, and then turn it and put it on the jewel hole. You then fit the spring back.
You mentioned that Seikos traditionally show a low amplitude … is there a reason for that?
Nice refinish of the case, by the way!
No, I am afraid I have no idea why, but I have never seen a Seiko with a decent amplitude.
Maybe the low amplitude is to save teeth, and I was wondering about the Hi-Beat Diver (6159 movement) you overhauled some time ago…I guess that was the highest amplitude you’ve ever seen on a Seiko (300-ish degrees)?
Hi all. This is my watch and again Christian has done a great job. This watch was manufactured in April 1970
Thanks again Christian. Have a great holiday.
Chris
Out, damned spot, out! What is the dial made of?
Even with the marking it looks very nice… but I cant date it – 70s?
I think it was aluminium. The spots under the microscope were dark red, and looked like they were splashed on…
Hey Christian, I just wanted to ask ther are five wheels in the gear train in this watch but I thought there are usually four wheels in the train. So why one extra wheel?
It’s got one extra wheel to drive the second hand, which is normally done off a centred fourth wheel. But as the fourth wheel sits on the other side, it needs an extra wheel to drive the centre second.
Thanks