Seiko Gen 2 Aircrew Watch Refurb

[Back in the Barrel]

Prone as the design is to scratching, my 17 year old Seiko Generation 2 aircrew watch has been looking a little forlorn for a few years, but I was desperate not to hand it back in to stores for fear of losing it/having it replaced by something inferior. I checked with a local jeweller how much it would cost to have my watch refurb'd by Seiko, and quickly realised that it would be a prohibitively expensive exercise. Luckily, Mr ebay came to my rescue, and a few weeks ago I purchased a replacement glass face, which cost £13.70 SEIKO PILOT GENERATION 2 CHRONO REPLACEMENT GLASS 7T27 | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SEIKO-PILOT-GENERATION-2-CHRONO-REPLACEMENT-GLASS-7T27-/250862184964?pt=UK_Jewelery_Watches_Watches_MensWatches_GL&hash=item3a688d2a04) and a further £10 at Timpsons to replace. It now looks spangly new and shiny. Early days, but I'd recommend it to anyone else suffering from an inexplicable degree of sentimentaility for issued timepieces! (I'm pretty sure a replacement glass can be purchased for Gen 1 watches too).

[Wensleydale]

Good as long as it doesn't go "bang" during a depressurisation and fills the cockpit with shards of glass.

[360BakTrak]

I had mine replaced with genuine Seiko glass through a counter in Debenhams; forget which name now. Cost £60 IIRC......less than 3 years on it needs replacing again!!

[NutLoose]

Last time i had one of my watches done it was repaired in Maidenhead and they were the Seiko repair centre

FAQs - Repairs | SEIKO UK Limited (http://www.seiko.co.uk/faqs/repairs)

[ghostnav]

@Wensleydale

Why would it go bang? The volume of air in it is minimal and the surface area too small. As well as the glass being too strong!

[SirToppamHat]

I'd go with Seiko. Get it done with a pressure test certificate and a guarantee. Lots of cowboys out there changing batteries and so on, but one damaged that back of my watch and another failed (diffferent watch) not long after being changed.

Can't fault Seiko Maidenhead and you get it back in a couple of days.

STH

[Wensleydale]

Why would it go bang? The volume of air in it is minimal and the surface area too small. As well as the glass being too strong!


The real thing probably wouldn't.... However, the original post talked of getting a cheap replacement on e-bay.

The volume of air in your inner ear is also remarkably small - I wouldn't want to suffer a depress with a cold though.

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

I think you will find that ear fabric is a lot more squishy than that of a watch, with significantly more sensitive nerves. If you had a watch that was last opened at sea level, even on a high barometric pressure day, and put it on the Moon, its internal pressure is likely to be little more than 15 PSI. Even a plastic Micky Mouse watch should stand that. Going the other way, that's like putting it under about 30 foot of fresh water. What depth is that watch supposed to be water resistent to, in meters?

Besides, the "O" rings and gaskets on a watch that old probably leak like sieve anyway. :8

[Duchess_Driver]

Make sure that when you get anybody to replace the glass that the seals are properly sorted.

Another vote for the Seiko people themselves in Maidenhead.

My 'inferior quality' watch went pop climbing through FL80 the other day - so it does happen!

HTH

DD

[NutherA2]

I'm pretty sure a replacement glass can be purchased for Gen 1 watches too May or may not be wholly relevant, since the watch concerned is not military issue. On my leaving the Queen’s employ in 1974 she wanted my aircrew watch back, so I bought a Seiko Chronograph. About 4 years ago it was clearly in need of some TLC, one hand was off, time-keeping was erratic and the glass was “well used”. I sent it to Premier Watches (Epsom) and was very impressed with their service; the watch now looks and performs the way it should. Their major difficulty was finding a new glass, since none had been made for a lot of years, but they eventually sourced one from Norway at an item cost of £40. The overall service/repair wasn’t cheap, but was money well spent.

[VIProds]

I can thoroughly recommend Seiko servicing. My Gen2 was in need of some TLC, also the minute dial would not zero. For £50 Seiko cleaned it, replaced the battery & seals,reset the dials, pressure tested & returned it with a cetificate/warranty document.

[Back in the Barrel]

Just to set the record straight (sorry it's taken a while), the glass replacement and servicing subsequently overseen by Timpson's was, I have checked, undertaken by Seiko. I have a pressure ceetificate and a one-year guarantee. It cost £53 total, and I have flown with it lots without incident. Of course, PPRuNers will have their own preferences - I merely report my own experience and hope that the debate proves useful to others.

[teeteringhead]

I had a couple of very old - well, 1970s - Seiko non-electric automatics which were in dire need. Seiko wouldn't touch them!

Found a wee man on t'internet who did a brilliant job for a reasonable fee. If anyone wants his contact details please PM - or he's easy-ish to find by Googling.

[Jumping_Jack]

....or you could just hand the watch back.....that said if you have a genuine entitlement then I'm sure Supply won't have it off you! :ok:

[GOLF_BRAVO_ZULU]

I suspect that Supply would gladly take it and it would end its days in a hole in Cumberland. In return, you would be issued with the current Pattern, however inferior that might be.