One Gunked Up, Now Touched-Up (Seiko World Cup)

blackbookalpha

2 months ago

Came across this very badly damaged Seiko watch on eBay. I've only seen white/silver dials of this 1990 Seiko Quartz DX World Cup model.

Module is a Seiko quartz caliber 5Y23A, with a very bent, rusty and worn crown and stem.

https://calibercorner.com/seiko-caliber-5y23a/

I tried to see if I can re-use its original crown, but the stem easily broke off when I carefully removed it. Gasket also crumbled to dust during my inspection. I found a replacement stem from a seller in Canada and a compatible (but smaller) crown. Added some fresh silicone grease to help it stay more water resistant.

Manually cleaned the case and replaced all worn gaskets. The gunk smelled like someone's leftover lunch, laying comfortably out in a grassy field. It was unpleasant, but somehow eye-catching when you see one resting near your local park. Gave it a pre-clean and an ultrasonic bath, and that lunch now turned itself into a 5-star gourmet meal.

Mineral crystal was pretty much done. I usually get the whetstones out to practice on my crystal polishing, but the chips on the corners were big enough to pose as a water risk. Thankfully it was easy to swap out the crystal with a proper case press and upgrade it to scratch-resistant sapphire.

I don't have the capacity to fully restore metal yet, but did some light polishing on the bezel and sides of the case. Keeping the dents and scratches on this watch gives it a little bit of character, and also compliments those aged hour and minute hands.

The watch didn't come with its original bracelet. I thought I'd have a bit of fun playing around with more funky strap options. In the end I chose a vintage-style silicone sports strap where the holes highlight the shape of the Spanish-date window.

It's always fun and relieving to bring luster back to an old watch. I've been sporting this thing for a few days and I like how versatile it is as a casual and work-wear piece.

#seiko #soccer #restoration #repair #quartz