1978 Seiko Digital

[Chipchap]

I bought a new Seiko in late 1978 and wore it daily until around 1990 where it went into a drawer. I still have it but it is of course flat. I think the battery was taken out a few years ago. Are there any watch shops out there that can ressurect early digitals ? Having owned it 34 years it would be nice to get it going again. I bought my dad the first dual display Seiko for Xmas in 1978 and he left that to my son and it is still working !

Looks a bit like this one.

[Shaw Tarse]

Have you tried a new battery in it?

[Thom987]

I have a Timex from 1978 in a similar situation. I would love to get it going again.

[Chipchap]

Shaw Tarse said:

Have you tried a new battery in it?

Sent GF up to town with it and others a few years back and a watch retailer but not a repairer is alleged to have tried a battery with no joy.

A

[Shaw Tarse]

Chipchap said:

Shaw Tarse said:

Have you tried a new battery in it?

Sent GF up to town with it and others a few years back and a watch retailer but not a repairer is alleged to have tried a battery with no joy.

A

Ah well, my next useless advice contact @gelleruri on twitter

[Chipchap]

Had a good look and it is a model A229-5000A and there is a new one on Ebay at £340 !!!


A

[bry1975]

The battery you need is a Maxell SR926w.

Seiko A229A PDF file-

http://www.digitalwatchlibrary.com/images/seiko_ma...

[Chipchap]

Thanks for the battery model, that did the trick as it works now ! The buttons are all a bit stiff/sticky so I will now get it refurbished now that I know it all works. How cool is that my first ever new wristwatch from 34 years ago and it still works.


A

[Shaw Tarse]

That's good news

[bry1975]

Yup the rubber gaskets tend to stick/melt on the very old lcd models should be an easy fix.

JulesBorel.com still stock some of the A229-5000A parts.

Edited by bry1975 on Monday 7th May 18:08

Edited by bry1975 on Monday 7th May 18:08

Edited by bry1975 on Monday 7th May 18:09

[Chipchap]

Located a chap near Oxford who refurbs these old digitals. £30 seems good value to get all the buttons unstuck, bracelet cleaned, insides all cleaned etc.

So it will be going there very soon.


A

[Chipchap]

Holy thread resurrection but I looked it out tonight again and set the time/date etc. Amazing that a quartz watch is still working fine 37 years later.

[Variomatic]

Oh, I don't know. My normal daily wear is my dad's Adina (Aussie brand, still going) from about 1977 and, before that, a Seiko Silver wave from 1978. Both still going strong, still waterproof enough to swim with, and both likely to out-last me.

Ok, they're both analogue so they don't suffer from display degradation like LCD can, but the real killers for early quartz are (in no particular order) water ingress, battery leakage, mis-handling on battery changes, and assuming that "it's quartz so it can't be fixed".

Nice to see an early digital getting the love it deserves btw