Absolutely outstanding, holy cow. I'm midway through starting a watch career, with plans to supplementally attend watchmaking school for a certificate next year. This is the single finest breakdown of a typical watch service I have ever seen, it was like going from having read a book on the subject to seeing it in VR, so to speak. Thank you so much for this!!
When I started there were not many videos on watch repair and most of the time I wasn’t able to see much. I wasn’t very happy so I decided to make my own videos the way I’d like to see them. Glad to hear you enjoyed it! 👍
it's an accomplishment learning and using a scope in your craft...I did when I was in automotive...you will be respected by your peers...composite materials are ok, it's doesn't mean cheap, it's to make the contact points quite and or if too much stress is put on the item the gear i.e. will break not the rest of mechanism...kind regards
Grazie molto interessante, belle inquadratura e ottica superba, da questo video tuttavia emergono tutti i limiti di un calibro che è troppo simile ad un nh 35, finiture top calibri nella fascia media di seiko così così.
You put a lot of work into that video and gave me a great insight into how the motion and keyless works interact as well as how other parts work together. Appreciate you for taking the time to explain all this for a very keen hobbyist and novice. Thanks Leo! 👍
Superb video!! The commentary is a little wild lol, but superb video! Easily the best breakdown and explanations I've seen! Not to mention all the things you were able to capture on camera, very impressive! I wasn't planning on watching the entire thing but I was so fascinated I couldn't stop. Thank you 👍
I have an early personal import of that JDM watch which is still going strong.I have it on the same bracelet which I can highly recommend , it is a perfect fit.. I always wondered what it looked like inside. Thanks to your great photography now I know.
Amazing video, I'm planning to take this hobby on and my favourite watch has this movement in it, the slim turtle diver, so your video is my reference. God give you plenty of health cause wisdom you already have.
Fantastic video. I'm new to the hobby, but it is falling into place for me at the moment. This video was a real shot in the arm for me. You're a really funny guy and a great teacher at the same time. Thanks.
Thank you! It’s daunting at first but after you’ve serviced a few watches you realise they all work on the same principle, the parts are similar and it becomes easy to remember all the parts.
Thanks for the lovely video. I have the same (Kuzuya) Alpinist and love mine, mines a year older than yours. Did you know... Seiko designer Sakai who worked on development of the first green Alpinist in 1995, the green dial colour was inspired by his green Rover Mini. He is quoted as saying "We had the option of using olive green or military green, the car I was driving at that time was what’s called Almond Green, a rather dark, classic shade of green. I wanted to make the dial color like that with a real sense of depth". When the Sakai Alpinist was redesigned in 2006 by Kuzuya the dial colour was kept identical.
Wow, I never knew that. It’s amazing when you find out how it was created. There is always something nobody would ever expect. And here we have it, the designer’s Mini. It makes you smile. Thank you for the info, much appreciated 👍
Oh, he does bracelets now. I bought this Alpinist from Seiya and there were no optional bracelets them days. You had to find your own elsewhere if you didn’t want that dreadful strap it came with.
I bought the eTimer software several months ago after watching one of your videos. Its fantastic and I trust the data much more than the other machine i was using. Great video!
It’s nice. Don't forget to calibrate it though. I like the read out for all six positions and the long term log is great. You’ll see what you’d never see with the timegrapher. But don’t take me wrong, for a quick check, I still use the timegrapher because it’s right there on my desk ready to be used immediately.
Hi I am thinking of buying the SPB355J1(its the most recent version of the sieko alpinest just in a limited edition).My question is,if the movement still has the plastic parts and if so, would it be a good idea to buy it and still be a reliable watch.Also out of 1 to 10 how hard was it to service as i would want to service it when i need to.
I'm not sure whether it has plastic parts, Seiko watches now generally do. Do not worry about it. They are made of plastic in case the user does something wrong, ie. changes the date when he shouldn't. It's only the plastic part that will break because it's softer than the metal parts it interracts with. You can think of it as a fuse. It's not popular but it's clever. Every watch repairer would give you a differen answer. All depends how well they know the movement and also if it needs any repairs. I have done a fair few Seiko watches and this one didn't need any repairs so it was easy 👍
Thank you for making this video. When I first bought (new) my SARB017 in 2017 it ran well within spec, then it started to run several minutes fast per day, I was always careful with it as far as around anything magnetic, etc. I made one attempt to regulate it myself, which worked for a little while, then it started running fast again; sometimes it ran in spec, now it runs several minutes fast per day again.
As the watch is running fast, it would make you think it’s magnetised but it could anything. After six years of owning it, it really would be good to get it serviced. My recommendation is to service watches at around every 5 years or whenever the timekeeping is no longer what it used to be, whichever comes first. As you’ve had for six years now, the best solution to this would be to get it serviced. Even if you’ve not worn it every single day, the oils and greases will dry out over the years and the timekeeping will suffer.
It would be the best thing to do. It’s not only that it’s running fast. When the oils dry out, and they do, the parts start wearing out and you don’t want that. That can be prevented if it’s serviced, just a like a car.
Wow! I'm kind of in shock now seeing how many plastic parts are in there. Hopefully these are durable enough. Thank you for detailed explanation how this all works and thank you for the entertainment.
Great video thanks. On the NH15 version the post for the day wheel is missing, at least it was on the one I bought from cousins. I buy NH36 and break them for spares (about £30 from you know where), you can rob the post and the other bits needed to make 6R15 with day wheel and don't forget to swap the hour wheel. If the stem is in the wrong place you will need a different day wheel, order a JDM one for a bit of flash. The NH36 mainsprings can be used on lots of the 7 series movements but the barrel teeth are cut different to most. The whole escapement is a great upgrade to the older 7 series. Cheers.
Nice to hear you enjoyed it. The NH36 is great for spares, especially at that price. Seiko certainly designed the movements in a way to make the production as cost effective as possible. I don’t mean cheap, they thought of how to reuse whatever they already have to make different movements. I also use the NH36 movements for all kinds of testing. Any work I’m not familiar with as the NH36 movements are cheap and it doesn’t hurt that much when something goes wrong.
Thank you! I didn't know at the time of making the video but now I know the plastic acts as a fuse. Rather than damaging a whole bunch of parts, it's only the plastic that will break.
The plastics parts are where the quick set day/date happens. If someone changes it at the time when the parts are are engaged, close to midnight, if something breaks, it will only be the plastic
9:35, why would the power need to be let down before the balance could be removed? Is there something about this movement where leaving the pallet fork in is insufficient?
It didn’t have to be done that way. I was working on several non-hacking movements at the same time and as I don’t like the balance oscillating when I’m removing it, I release the power before removing the balance. This movement, you can pull the crown out to the third position to stop the balance, remove it and then at some point to release the power before taking the pallet fork out. So my mind was still in ‘non-hacking world’ that’s why I released the power at that stage.
Great video Leo! This is the first video of yours I've seen and you've got yourself a new subscriber. I actually have a SARB017 in for service at the moment but mine was in a much more sorry state. My watch was running for 10-15 seconds when moved, but then stops. I'm hoping all goes well with the service 😅
Great video i just ourchased a watch with a 6r35 and i hear that they arrive from the factory all over the map as far as regulation. Good to know the movement can be improved with some tlc. Great video
It will probably take some time to settle. The timekeeping will most likely change over the first few weeks. When I bought mine it was running fast but it was OK after a month or so 👍
Just fantastic. Ironic, but some of the work you show reminds me of complex fishing reel assembly, even down to the lubricants. Many people will prefer their own lubricant recommendations over factory, especially people like me who help design the reels. I make all sorts of custom oils used not only to lubricate parts but also to tune the reels performance. Oil is used to tame /control and tune spool rotation speeds and feel, as friction modifiers for drag components and water sealing. All of this is used in harmony with centrifugal brake blocks, mechanical friction and magnetic forces to tune and modify spool performance. Seems so simple in theory but in practice a real struggle to get it right (balanced). These reels when properly adjusted and paired with proper line, weights and rod can cast a 5 oz / 150 g weight over 900 ft / 275m. This is huge sport in the UK and a very enjoyable hobby to test yourself. BTW, the color of one of my favorite high-performance casting / multiplier reels is the Abu Garcia 6500 C3CT Mag Elite in nearly the same color as the dial of this Seiko.
Glad you enjoyed it! Probably a little different with watch lubricants. They are highly refined due to the tolerances. We're dealing with hundredths of mm. I have the Seiko greases but favour the Swiss lubricants. I agree, all kinds of mechanisms have to be properly adjusted to run well. It takes time and patience 👍
This was a fantastic video for someone who wants to get into watch servicing as a hobby! Thank you very much! Can I ask what bracelet you are using here? The only thing turning me away from the Alpinist is that leather strap :p
Are any of the wheels metal-plated plastic? Some of the surfaces seem a little 'lo-fi' compared to the background metal. I first had this thought at 25:45 and 26:05.
What a legend this is brilliant! I am currently struggling with a quickset day and date on my 4r36. I took the dial and hands off then realised my crap screwdrivers are useless on the small screws so I put it back together again/ shitting myself whilst doing this. I am hoping the problem is the white plastic date setting wheel? Or a keyless problem? This is my first attempt at a fix so any advise is greatly appreciated before I have to buy a nh36😂. This message is sent from the year 2254 so the movement is 230 years old and Seiko head office is in Preston uk ooooo you’ll be glad to know the term wicked wheel has been adopted. 👍
Oh, wonder how much Seiko costs in 2254, probably millions! Back in the day over 200 years ago it used to cost around £300! It’s very difficult to say what the issue is without seeing it. Did the quick set date stop working and that’s why you took it apart? Or did you take it apart and now the quick set date doesn’t work? Is the white plastic wheel in the right way? Not upside down?
Hey Leo! Great indepth knowledge man, wondering if you could help me out. I have a few nh35 movements, where they start stop intermittently, new movements, suspected shock. I can disassemble and reassemble. What do you think is the issue? Another issue I have is dead movements (again new but have travelled) can I fix by just reassembly?
It’s impossible to say what the issue could be. If there is something wrong, taking it apart, cleaning it and assembling it will not resolve the issue. It might do if it only needs a clean but if there is something wrong, you would have to address that. The NH35 movements are inexpensive, less than £40. You couldn’t get anyone to service a watch for that kind of money and if you do it yourself it’s going to take you some time to do it. In my opinion, the quickest and cheapest way to sort it out would be to swap the movements and put brand new ones in. If you go on eBay and search for NH35, you will find plenty of them, black and white date dials 👍
@leovidalwatches8208 thanks for the reply, i mod quite a lot and get them off aliexpress for around £20, i have around 5 dead ones and thought it might be worth just getting them working. Thanks though and love what you are doing mate, keep it going!
There you go. For £20, it can’t get any better than that. Trying to sort it out, you might need to buy parts (if you can find them), you might need expensive tools and a lot of time. It would most likely end up costing you more than getting new ones
Hello @Macro Time, glad I found this video as I unluckily damaged the front casing of my SARB017 and looking to change the casing.. do you know what alternatives should i get for its casing and the sapphire glass? Thanks a lot, appreciate you doing videos like this. Subbed!
I don’t think you should get an alternative case, I don’t even know whether there is an alternative, you need to get the Seiko case. If the damage is bad and it’s not something that polishing would sort out, I think you’re best sending it to Seiko for a service to get the case replaced and they will also sort out the crystal for you 👍
@@MacroTime28800 Thank you for the reply. I agree.. Yup it's that bad. Already reached out to Seiko. Thank you so very much for the advice! Appreciate it! 🙂⌚🙏
Leo, I have a Bergeon 4854 cannon pinion tool. I found the same problem as you. I used some small diameter electrical heat shrink which I heated to size on different sized screw drivers. Sometimes using two or three layers of heat shrink. Each piece of heat shrink being just a few millimeters in length - similar to the scale of a cannon pinion. Now I have a selection of small rubber tubes, with different diameters, which I can fit over small cannon pinions to increase the diameter to suit the Bergeon tool. If you don't have access to heat shrink let me know and I can make a similar selection of tubes for you. They are tiny and can be sent in a letter by post. By the way I very must enjoy your streams.
That’s pretty cool. I have seen few different modifications, including different collets. I just don’t understand why Bergeon doesn’t make it smaller. Or perhaps two or three different collets which could be interchanged as required. Thank you for the offer, very kind. I’m happy with the presto tool, it does the job, it’s quick. I’m just annoyed that they make a tool that’s very much useless unless you work on larger watches. Cheers, Leo
In addition to the plastic, I recognize stamped gears and bridges rather than the machined parts I've seen in my fine 1964 Swiss Bulova and lesser 80s Gruen hand wound watches. Plastics might achieve lower friction, perhaps without the need for oil. It's progress, I suppose. Do other brands still machine gears one tooth at a time? If Seiko saves cost and retains durability and timekeeping accuracy, isn't likely other name brands will follow with stamped or plastic parts? p.s. your fine delivery and explanations have earned my instant like and subscribe. Thanks for a great video.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! I’d say the stamped and plastic parts are for cost saving. All ‘inexpensive’ watches will be produced the same way. The more expensive ones will be machined and the very expensive movements will be handmade. It all comes down to cost, speed etc. I wouldn’t say others will follow but all/most brands have their cheaper and more expensive watches and the movements inside will reflect the price, most of the time.
Yeah I don't even know much about watches, but I could see some of those parts were stamped. I like the look of the watch, but the plastic parts sort of put me off it.
Thank you for the awesome and relaxing to watch video. I have a SUMO 6R15 which I had serviced at the seiko service center in NJ about 2 weeks ago. It was running massively slow and all over the place before that. After service, It seems like it is currently running about -10 to -12 per day. (Surely within spec). I was wondering, after a service, does the watch need some time to settle in? If so, do they tend to speed up a little during the settling in process? I was wondering if that -12 would speed up a bit to something even more pleasing.
Difficult to say. They should have, they might have done, put it on a rotation machine that simulates wrist movement for the movement to settle. I'd say wear it for a month or two and if you're not happy contact a watchmaker to adjust it for you.
They act as fuses. If the day/date is changed close to midnight when it shouldn't be changed, the plastic parts will break, no the other parts they interract with. If they were metal, more parts would be damaged
Thanks you so much, wonderful video. May I ask if you know; does the H10 movement from Hamilton also have plastic? and why did u say it;s ok? doesnt it affect longevity of the watch over the years? thanks a lot in advance.
I’m afraid I don’t know about the H10, I’ve never had one. I see old calibres with plastic and it’s fine so I don’t worry about it. I’ve had old calibres with metal parts that were broken, having all metal parts won’t guarantee you longevity. It will be fine in most cases but anything can break, whether it’s metal or plastic. The plastic will very probably outlive you.
@@MacroTime28800 Ok as you said. The H10 is based on the ETA C07.611, at least now I hear it from an expert that plastic in the movement is fine. Thank you, I really appreciate the time you took to reply. Just subscribed!
Now you got me. Oil filled. I remember seeing a diver years ago that was oil filled, between the crystal and the dial if that’s what you mean? Pretty cool 👍
I don't know what everyone says. I don't have any experience with the 6R35 but as far as I know it has increased power reserve. So not many changes from the 6R15. It's not a high grade movement but it's not a bad movement. For what it costs, these movements are fine 👍
I don’t really know that much about the 6R35 but I’d imagine it will be very similar to the 6R15 when it comes to performance. Seiko specifies -15/+25 which is the same for both movements. These movements are not a horological marvel but they are OK. It all depends on how accurate you like your watches to be or what you can live with. Most watches will gain time dial up and dial down and lose time in the crown positions. You can use that to regulate your watches overnight when you put them down. That’s what I do with all my watches.
I find this astonishing. I myself have a Seiko SARB 017 with the 6r15c movement, not the 6r15d that your video illustrates. Do you know what was improved from version C to D? Many congratulations on the video... a true show.
Glad you enjoyed it! Not a lot has changed. I'm quickly looking in the technical guide and all I can find is this: SEIKO Automatic Mechanical Cal. 6R15C/D are replacement caliber of Cal. 6R15A/B. Cal. C is provided with additional Casing spring at 8H position to set into the case for Cal. A and B. However, Cal.D is not provided with the Casing spring at 8H. I haven't studied the technical guide so maybe I missed something but I don't think so, I think that's the only difference.
Thank you for this!! I just built my first watch with nh36 and I was becoming increasingly interested in how all of this works. I think I need some time to get familiar with the terminologies, but I think I also get a lot of dopamine seeing all the gears move by themselves. How did you get into watch servicing in the first place? I'm quite interested in trying it out for myself, mainly trying to disassemble it and reassembling it.
Plastic on plastic interface actually makes a lot of sense, especially when there's barely any force required to turn that bezel. If something gets stuck, it's better for the wheel/gear to get its teeth sheared off than to cause some serious damage to the bezel and movement. It applies to other parts of the watch too.
That’s right, the bezel and also the day and date change are plastic which are the parts that the user could damage. There will be less damage if the user does something wrong.
@@MacroTime28800 Ha, didn't expect such a quick answer from my new favourite youtube watchmaking persona :P I understand how in the world of plastic-everything people prefer metal. Too bad plastic has some pretty big advantages here and there, however, plastic pallet fork from certain swiss movements is just too ugly to exist :D
I don’t think so, I would have remembered that. Actually, if it was there, I would have pointed that out in the video and I would have noticed that because I inspect everything.
I apoligize for the headache but I have another question: if i have a dive watch and I do scuba diving with it, should the servicing include water pressure chamber seal testing as part of servicing? and would the o-rings/gaskets need to be changed?
It should be done when it’s getting serviced but it won’t do any harm to stress that that you need this to be done because you use the watch for diving. If you go diving often, it would be a good idea to have the gaskets changed and tested for leaks from time to time. I don’t mean a complete service, just new gaskets or at least cleaned a freshly lubricated. If you go diving once or twice a year on a holiday, I wouldn’t worry about it but if you go regularly, I’d recommend looking after the gaskets.
When you did the initial timegrapher it was a fully assembled watch. After the servicing you did a timegrapher w/o the motion works (dial side) installed. How much does this affect the results, and what do mfg usually do for measuring?
The initial timing is for me see what I’m dealing with. I of course do the timing after it’s fully assembled as well but I like to time it when the train is installed before I instal the rest because that helps me to narrow down any issues with the train and the escapement if there are any and saves me the work taking all apart again. If the timing is good, I can proceed with the rest. And if the timing is then off when fully assembled I know there is something not right on the motion side. Otherwise it should be fine. Sorry I don’t know what mfg means.
Thanks for that. MFG = manufacturer. So when Seiko says something like + - 40sec, is that a bare movement or a fully assembled one? And how much does the movement being fully assembled change the timegrapher reading? I guess I initially phrased my question oddly.
I’m not certain how the manufacturer does the timing with mass produced watches. A watchmaker would use a timing machine. Yes the Seiko specification will be for a fully assembled movement in the case. I don’t really find any changes in timing when it’s fully assembled unless there is something wrong and then I will know it’s not the train or escapement issue. It might need tweaking a little bit but not a great deal. I’m guessing that you’re wondering whether there is a big difference between the timing when I did it in the video and when it’s fully assembled. No not really. There would be something wrong that would need sorting out if there was a difference.
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Now THIS is how all service videos should be done! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This is easily the most comprehensive, concise and easy to understand tutorial I've seen. Thank You!
Great to hear! 🙂
this guy is so sarcastic, i love it. I got all the repair tools from China and they are surprisingly very high quality
Glad you enjoyed it! The Chinese tools can be good. The problem is you never know until you get them
@@MacroTime28800do you have some advice on wich chinese tool choose?
check out MyRetroWatches channel, he has a video about them: ruclips.net/video/TGMcWME2czw/видео.html
Absolutely outstanding, holy cow. I'm midway through starting a watch career, with plans to supplementally attend watchmaking school for a certificate next year. This is the single finest breakdown of a typical watch service I have ever seen, it was like going from having read a book on the subject to seeing it in VR, so to speak. Thank you so much for this!!
When I started there were not many videos on watch repair and most of the time I wasn’t able to see much. I wasn’t very happy so I decided to make my own videos the way I’d like to see them.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! 👍
Good luck with your career! A great decision!
Hopely you make it.
it's an accomplishment learning and using a scope in your craft...I did when I was in automotive...you will be respected by your peers...composite materials are ok, it's doesn't mean cheap, it's to make the contact points quite and or if too much stress is put on the item the gear i.e. will break not the rest of mechanism...kind regards
Grazie molto interessante, belle inquadratura e ottica superba, da questo video tuttavia emergono tutti i limiti di un calibro che è troppo simile ad un nh 35, finiture top calibri nella fascia media di seiko così così.
A perfect service with added humour...from both of you.
Nice to hear you enjoyed both of us featuring in the video! 😆
Both of them 🤔🤔🤔
Oh, when he talks to himself! Ha! 😂😂
@@4by_yotaguy373 Correct 😁
You put a lot of work into that video and gave me a great insight into how the motion and keyless works interact as well as how other parts work together. Appreciate you for taking the time to explain all this for a very keen hobbyist and novice. Thanks Leo! 👍
Glad it was helpful! 👍
This is the prettiest watch related video I have ever seen, great video quality, pleasure to hear you speak. Just wow
Thank you! Glad you liked it so much 👍
Superb video!! The commentary is a little wild lol, but superb video! Easily the best breakdown and explanations I've seen! Not to mention all the things you were able to capture on camera, very impressive! I wasn't planning on watching the entire thing but I was so fascinated I couldn't stop. Thank you 👍
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This was fantastic, the video alone is A+, but with the commentary, this is in a class all it's own. Thank you very much Leo.
Glad you enjoyed it!
What you do here is amazing. Thank you for letting us see this.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
This is the best watch service video I have watched. Great explanations, especially the keyless works.
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
The model without the Prospex logo is far more desireable for me.
Excellent video, thank you.
Glad you like it!
Fantastic video. Thanks for taking the time to make this! Your macro video recording and editing is fabulous. I learned so much from watching this.
Thank you! Glad to hear you enjoy the macro 👍
Hands down best one I've watched so far
Thank you!
Wow the old algorithm brought me here and what a nice surprise it was. Great video
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I have an early personal import of that JDM watch which is still going strong.I have it on the same bracelet which I can highly recommend , it is a perfect fit..
I always wondered what it looked like inside. Thanks to your great photography now I know.
Nice to know what’s going on inside 👍
Amazing video, I'm planning to take this hobby on and my favourite watch has this movement in it, the slim turtle diver, so your video is my reference. God give you plenty of health cause wisdom you already have.
It's a great hobby! Glad you enjoyed it 👍
I really enjoy watching your videos. Thank you Leo.
Glad you like them! 👍
I can only do battery changes and bezel and strap changes on G Shock,but,I love wat ching this man at work.I love his voice too.
Thank you!
Fantastic video. I'm new to the hobby, but it is falling into place for me at the moment.
This video was a real shot in the arm for me.
You're a really funny guy and a great teacher at the same time.
Thanks.
Thank you! So nice to hear you enjoyed it 😉
My favorite watch in my current collection. Now I know what’s going on inside. Thanks
Great to hear! 👍
The re-released ones have a see through case-back, but are now thicker because of that 🥲
I just found your channel and it was so very informative. I subbed and plan on watching all your videos.
Awesome! Thank you! 🙂
Loved your video Leo! Your humor is great, thx for the content!
Glad you enjoyed it! 👍
This is top-notch videography. Thank you Leo!
Glad you liked it! 😊
I do not understand how a person can remember all this information. Very nice.
Thank you! It’s daunting at first but after you’ve serviced a few watches you realise they all work on the same principle, the parts are similar and it becomes easy to remember all the parts.
this watch looks amazing
Thank you 😊
Another fantastic video, really look forward to getting the next one. All the best Leo. 👍
Thank you Captain! I’m glad you enjoy them all 👍
WoW, so Well made, I’m a watchmaking student here in Canada, learned from you, keep on posting, cheers
Awesome, thank you!
They still watchmaking schools in Canada?
Facinating! My first insight into a watchservice. Loved it!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Comment....It's just amazing how anyone could even come up with this mechanical design and it even works....just amazing...
Glad you enjoyed it!
If I ever get a fancy watch...I'm sending to you to have any work done and that is a fact. @@MacroTime28800
Lovely work on the video. Huge effort paid off on the screen
Glad you liked it 🙂
What a classic piece! Wish I got it earlier during my college days/early professional career
A very nice watch indeed! 👍
Very entertaining and very informative. Great video.
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Awesome presentation of a beautiful watch.
Glad you like it!
Great video, appreciate the explanation and film work, really enjoyed watching it.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! 👍
Thanks!
Thank you! 😉
Thanks for the lovely video. I have the same (Kuzuya) Alpinist and love mine, mines a year older than yours.
Did you know... Seiko designer Sakai who worked on development of the first green Alpinist in 1995, the green dial colour was inspired by his green Rover Mini.
He is quoted as saying "We had the option of using olive green or military green, the car I was driving at that time was what’s called Almond Green, a rather dark, classic shade of green. I wanted to make the dial color like that with a real sense of depth".
When the Sakai Alpinist was redesigned in 2006 by Kuzuya the dial colour was kept identical.
Wow, I never knew that.
It’s amazing when you find out how it was created. There is always something nobody would ever expect. And here we have it, the designer’s Mini. It makes you smile.
Thank you for the info, much appreciated 👍
Thanks for another great video, Leo! I'm learning a lot from them, and they always cheer me up!
So nice to hear you enjoy them 🙂 Thank you!
Nice job! I bought mine from Seija Japan with the optional bracelet. I love it.
Oh, he does bracelets now. I bought this Alpinist from Seiya and there were no optional bracelets them days. You had to find your own elsewhere if you didn’t want that dreadful strap it came with.
Awesome video tutorial and this watch is just stunning.
Thank you!
Really enjoyed this vid ! Great job man !
Glad you enjoyed it! 👍
Wonderful video, perfectly explained. I enjoyed it. I also have this same watch and I love it.
Good to hear you enjoyed it 😊
Superb! Absorbing. Many thanks 👍👍👍
Glad you liked it! 👍
I bought the eTimer software several months ago after watching one of your videos. Its fantastic and I trust the data much more than the other machine i was using. Great video!
It’s nice. Don't forget to calibrate it though. I like the read out for all six positions and the long term log is great. You’ll see what you’d never see with the timegrapher. But don’t take me wrong, for a quick check, I still use the timegrapher because it’s right there on my desk ready to be used immediately.
Hi I am thinking of buying the SPB355J1(its the most recent version of the sieko alpinest just in a limited edition).My question is,if the movement still has the plastic parts and if so, would it be a good idea to buy it and still be a reliable watch.Also out of 1 to 10 how hard was it to service as i would want to service it when i need to.
I'm not sure whether it has plastic parts, Seiko watches now generally do. Do not worry about it. They are made of plastic in case the user does something wrong, ie. changes the date when he shouldn't. It's only the plastic part that will break because it's softer than the metal parts it interracts with. You can think of it as a fuse. It's not popular but it's clever.
Every watch repairer would give you a differen answer. All depends how well they know the movement and also if it needs any repairs. I have done a fair few Seiko watches and this one didn't need any repairs so it was easy 👍
Thank you for making this video. When I first bought (new) my SARB017 in 2017 it ran well within spec, then it started to run several minutes fast per day, I was always careful with it as far as around anything magnetic, etc. I made one attempt to regulate it myself, which worked for a little while, then it started running fast again; sometimes it ran in spec, now it runs several minutes fast per day again.
As the watch is running fast, it would make you think it’s magnetised but it could anything. After six years of owning it, it really would be good to get it serviced.
My recommendation is to service watches at around every 5 years or whenever the timekeeping is no longer what it used to be, whichever comes first.
As you’ve had for six years now, the best solution to this would be to get it serviced. Even if you’ve not worn it every single day, the oils and greases will dry out over the years and the timekeeping will suffer.
@@MacroTime28800 Thanks! I was thinking the same thing about having it serviced.
It would be the best thing to do. It’s not only that it’s running fast. When the oils dry out, and they do, the parts start wearing out and you don’t want that. That can be prevented if it’s serviced, just a like a car.
Fine photographic work!
Many thanks!
Wow! I'm kind of in shock now seeing how many plastic parts are in there. Hopefully these are durable enough. Thank you for detailed explanation how this all works and thank you for the entertainment.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! There are a few plastic parts there, they should last a long time 👍
A wheely wicked video!😂 Funny, entertaining and informative… as always.
Wicked! 😄 Glad to hear you enjoyed it 😉
Amazing knowledge
Thank you!
Excellent explanations and amazing camera work. Thank you. Great content.
Glad you liked it! 🙂
Very nice video, and its Great watch too, defintly my alpinist needs this, its loosing time, keep the great content, greetings from mexico!!!
Glad to hear you enjoyed the content! Yes the Alpinist is a very nice watch indeed 👍
Great video thanks. On the NH15 version the post for the day wheel is missing, at least it was on the one I bought from cousins. I buy NH36 and break them for spares (about £30 from you know where), you can rob the post and the other bits needed to make 6R15 with day wheel and don't forget to swap the hour wheel. If the stem is in the wrong place you will need a different day wheel, order a JDM one for a bit of flash.
The NH36 mainsprings can be used on lots of the 7 series movements but the barrel teeth are cut different to most. The whole escapement is a great upgrade to the older 7 series. Cheers.
Nice to hear you enjoyed it.
The NH36 is great for spares, especially at that price. Seiko certainly designed the movements in a way to make the production as cost effective as possible. I don’t mean cheap, they thought of how to reuse whatever they already have to make different movements.
I also use the NH36 movements for all kinds of testing. Any work I’m not familiar with as the NH36 movements are cheap and it doesn’t hurt that much when something goes wrong.
Enjoyed the commentary. I was surprised to find out about the plastic in the Seiko Movement.
Thank you!
I didn't know at the time of making the video but now I know the plastic acts as a fuse. Rather than damaging a whole bunch of parts, it's only the plastic that will break.
@@MacroTime28800 That makes sence,
The plastics parts are where the quick set day/date happens. If someone changes it at the time when the parts are are engaged, close
to midnight, if something breaks, it will only be the plastic
Great video! It reminded me to put on my SARB033.
Good choice!
That's absolutely gorgeous
Thank you! 🙂
9:35, why would the power need to be let down before the balance could be removed? Is there something about this movement where leaving the pallet fork in is insufficient?
It didn’t have to be done that way. I was working on several non-hacking movements at the same time and as I don’t like the balance oscillating when I’m removing it, I release the power before removing the balance. This movement, you can pull the crown out to the third position to stop the balance, remove it and then at some point to release the power before taking the pallet fork out. So my mind was still in ‘non-hacking world’ that’s why I released the power at that stage.
Amazing video Leo ! Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Own a several seiko watches, love taking care of them. Would love to do some service on them :) great video!
You should!
Great video Leo! This is the first video of yours I've seen and you've got yourself a new subscriber. I actually have a SARB017 in for service at the moment but mine was in a much more sorry state. My watch was running for 10-15 seconds when moved, but then stops. I'm hoping all goes well with the service 😅
Thanks for the sub!
I’m sure your watch will be just fine when you get it back and you’ll be able to enjoy it again 👍
Great video i just ourchased a watch with a 6r35 and i hear that they arrive from the factory all over the map as far as regulation. Good to know the movement can be improved with some tlc. Great video
It will probably take some time to settle. The timekeeping will most likely change over the first few weeks. When I bought mine it was running fast but it was OK after a month or so 👍
As always, great stuff.
Thanks again! 👍
Great ending ,glad I stuck around ...
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Just fantastic. Ironic, but some of the work you show reminds me of complex fishing reel assembly, even down to the lubricants. Many people will prefer their own lubricant recommendations over factory, especially people like me who help design the reels. I make all sorts of custom oils used not only to lubricate parts but also to tune the reels performance. Oil is used to tame /control and tune spool rotation speeds and feel, as friction modifiers for drag components and water sealing. All of this is used in harmony with centrifugal brake blocks, mechanical friction and magnetic forces to tune and modify spool performance. Seems so simple in theory but in practice a real struggle to get it right (balanced).
These reels when properly adjusted and paired with proper line, weights and rod can cast a 5 oz / 150 g weight over 900 ft / 275m. This is huge sport in the UK and a very enjoyable hobby to test yourself. BTW, the color of one of my favorite high-performance casting / multiplier reels is the Abu Garcia 6500 C3CT Mag Elite in nearly the same color as the dial of this Seiko.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Probably a little different with watch lubricants. They are highly refined due to the tolerances. We're dealing with hundredths of mm.
I have the Seiko greases but favour the Swiss lubricants.
I agree, all kinds of mechanisms have to be properly adjusted to run well. It takes time and patience 👍
They look even better with the Astroid Strap-code bracelet on them.
A nice looking bracelet. I had to look it up, I didn’t know about the Asteroid.
Cracking tutorial Leo, nicely done! And thank you.
My pleasure! 👍
This was a fantastic video for someone who wants to get into watch servicing as a hobby! Thank you very much!
Can I ask what bracelet you are using here? The only thing turning me away from the Alpinist is that leather strap :p
It's the Strapcode bracelet 👍
Fascinating! Learned so much. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wow I need to get my serviced soon!
They need doing from time to time 👍
Hats off to you Sir . ❤❤❤
Thank you!
Thanks Leo I appreciate your video
You are very welcome 👍
This was very informative! thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Are any of the wheels metal-plated plastic? Some of the surfaces seem a little 'lo-fi' compared to the background metal. I first had this thought at 25:45 and 26:05.
I don't think so. These wheels are used for winding the mainspring, there's a lot of pressure there and plastic would quickly fail.
@@MacroTime28800
I appreciated your response!
What a beautiful watch
Thank you! Glad you like it 🙂
What a legend this is brilliant! I am currently struggling with a quickset day and date on my 4r36. I took the dial and hands off then realised my crap screwdrivers are useless on the small screws so I put it back together again/ shitting myself whilst doing this. I am hoping the problem is the white plastic date setting wheel? Or a keyless problem? This is my first attempt at a fix so any advise is greatly appreciated before I have to buy a nh36😂. This message is sent from the year 2254 so the movement is 230 years old and Seiko head office is in Preston uk ooooo you’ll be glad to know the term wicked wheel has been adopted. 👍
Oh, wonder how much Seiko costs in 2254, probably millions! Back in the day over 200 years ago it used to cost around £300!
It’s very difficult to say what the issue is without seeing it. Did the quick set date stop working and that’s why you took it apart? Or did you take it apart and now the quick set date doesn’t work? Is the white plastic wheel in the right way? Not upside down?
Great video, Leo.
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
amazing video quality, great info....thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it! 👍
Good job. Keep it up. Thank you👍
Thank you, I will!
Hey Leo!
Great indepth knowledge man, wondering if you could help me out.
I have a few nh35 movements, where they start stop intermittently, new movements, suspected shock. I can disassemble and reassemble. What do you think is the issue?
Another issue I have is dead movements (again new but have travelled) can I fix by just reassembly?
It’s impossible to say what the issue could be. If there is something wrong, taking it apart, cleaning it and assembling it will not resolve the issue. It might do if it only needs a clean but if there is something wrong, you would have to address that.
The NH35 movements are inexpensive, less than £40. You couldn’t get anyone to service a watch for that kind of money and if you do it yourself it’s going to take you some time to do it. In my opinion, the quickest and cheapest way to sort it out would be to swap the movements and put brand new ones in.
If you go on eBay and search for NH35, you will find plenty of them, black and white date dials 👍
@leovidalwatches8208 thanks for the reply, i mod quite a lot and get them off aliexpress for around £20, i have around 5 dead ones and thought it might be worth just getting them working.
Thanks though and love what you are doing mate, keep it going!
There you go. For £20, it can’t get any better than that. Trying to sort it out, you might need to buy parts (if you can find them), you might need expensive tools and a lot of time. It would most likely end up costing you more than getting new ones
My favourite watch Iv got both the old and new version the SARB17 is best looking.
It's great looking watch. Seiko got this one right 👍
PERFECTION! BRAVO!!!
Hello @Macro Time, glad I found this video as I unluckily damaged the front casing of my SARB017 and looking to change the casing.. do you know what alternatives should i get for its casing and the sapphire glass? Thanks a lot, appreciate you doing videos like this. Subbed!
Many thanks!!
I don’t think you should get an alternative case, I don’t even know whether there is an alternative, you need to get the Seiko case. If the damage is bad and it’s not something that polishing would sort out, I think you’re best sending it to Seiko for a service to get the case replaced and they will also sort out the crystal for you 👍
@@MacroTime28800 Thank you for the reply. I agree.. Yup it's that bad. Already reached out to Seiko. Thank you so very much for the advice! Appreciate it! 🙂⌚🙏
very nice piece
Many thanks!
Leo, I have a Bergeon 4854 cannon pinion tool. I found the same problem as you. I used some small diameter electrical heat shrink which I heated to size on different sized screw drivers. Sometimes using two or three layers of heat shrink. Each piece of heat shrink being just a few millimeters in length - similar to the scale of a cannon pinion. Now I have a selection of small rubber tubes, with different diameters, which I can fit over small cannon pinions to increase the diameter to suit the Bergeon tool.
If you don't have access to heat shrink let me know and I can make a similar selection of tubes for you. They are tiny and can be sent in a letter by post. By the way I very must enjoy your streams.
That’s pretty cool. I have seen few different modifications, including different collets. I just don’t understand why Bergeon doesn’t make it smaller. Or perhaps two or three different collets which could be interchanged as required. Thank you for the offer, very kind. I’m happy with the presto tool, it does the job, it’s quick. I’m just annoyed that they make a tool that’s very much useless unless you work on larger watches.
Cheers,
Leo
In addition to the plastic, I recognize stamped gears and bridges rather than the machined parts I've seen in my fine 1964 Swiss Bulova and lesser 80s Gruen hand wound watches. Plastics might achieve lower friction, perhaps without the need for oil. It's progress, I suppose. Do other brands still machine gears one tooth at a time? If Seiko saves cost and retains durability and timekeeping accuracy, isn't likely other name brands will follow with stamped or plastic parts?
p.s. your fine delivery and explanations have earned my instant like and subscribe. Thanks for a great video.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I’d say the stamped and plastic parts are for cost saving. All ‘inexpensive’ watches will be produced the same way. The more expensive ones will be machined and the very expensive movements will be handmade. It all comes down to cost, speed etc.
I wouldn’t say others will follow but all/most brands have their cheaper and more expensive watches and the movements inside will reflect the price, most of the time.
Yeah I don't even know much about watches, but I could see some of those parts were stamped. I like the look of the watch, but the plastic parts sort of put me off it.
Thank you for the awesome and relaxing to watch video. I have a SUMO 6R15 which I had serviced at the seiko service center in NJ about 2 weeks ago. It was running massively slow and all over the place before that. After service, It seems like it is currently running about -10 to -12 per day. (Surely within spec). I was wondering, after a service, does the watch need some time to settle in? If so, do they tend to speed up a little during the settling in process? I was wondering if that -12 would speed up a bit to something even more pleasing.
Difficult to say. They should have, they might have done, put it on a rotation machine that simulates wrist movement for the movement to settle.
I'd say wear it for a month or two and if you're not happy contact a watchmaker to adjust it for you.
@ thank you!
Master at work.. amazing. Thanks Leo. I always wondered, are you Czech? I love your accent.
You're the first one who got it right! Yes I am 🙂
The drink you consume before filming it is quite potent! I'm quite sure it helps you become quite creative with these watch-geeky jokes!
Ha! I take it as a compliment 🙂👍
Can you (or should you) replace the plastic parts with metal or are they included here to be somewhat sacrificial in case of stripping?
They act as fuses. If the day/date is changed close to midnight when it shouldn't be changed, the plastic parts will break, no the other parts they interract with. If they were metal, more parts would be damaged
Amazing work. 🥰 I need help. Would you know what size is the bezel & crystal gasket on the SARB017? Thank you.
Thank you!
I don’t know I’m afraid. I didn’t need to change any gaskets because they were in a good condition. I’m sorry I can’t help 😩
Very educational... thank you
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks you so much, wonderful video. May I ask if you know; does the H10 movement from Hamilton also have plastic? and why did u say it;s ok? doesnt it affect longevity of the watch over the years? thanks a lot in advance.
I’m afraid I don’t know about the H10, I’ve never had one.
I see old calibres with plastic and it’s fine so I don’t worry about it. I’ve had old calibres with metal parts that were broken, having all metal parts won’t guarantee you longevity. It will be fine in most cases but anything can break, whether it’s metal or plastic.
The plastic will very probably outlive you.
@@MacroTime28800 Ok as you said. The H10 is based on the ETA C07.611, at least now I hear it from an expert that plastic in the movement is fine. Thank you, I really appreciate the time you took to reply. Just subscribed!
Thank you!
Wow great vid. Really interesting. So many different things types of grease and oil. I was wondering how you feel about oil filled watches?
Now you got me. Oil filled. I remember seeing a diver years ago that was oil filled, between the crystal and the dial if that’s what you mean? Pretty cool 👍
Fantastic video Leo, what is your opinion on the 6R35 movement is it as bad as everyone says
I don't know what everyone says. I don't have any experience with the 6R35 but as far as I know it has increased power reserve. So not many changes from the 6R15.
It's not a high grade movement but it's not a bad movement. For what it costs, these movements are fine 👍
@MacroTime28800 thanks for the reply a lot online say very inaccurate and poor positional variance.
I don’t really know that much about the 6R35 but I’d imagine it will be very similar to the 6R15 when it comes to performance. Seiko specifies -15/+25 which is the same for both movements.
These movements are not a horological marvel but they are OK. It all depends on how accurate you like your watches to be or what you can live with. Most watches will gain time dial up and dial down and lose time in the crown positions. You can use that to regulate your watches overnight when you put them down. That’s what I do with all my watches.
@MacroTime28800 thanks for the detailed reply and thanks for the fantastic videos. Also thanks for the self-regulation tip :)
Greetings.
If I understood correctly, the problem with this watch was just a lack of service.
Am I right?
Yes, nothing wrong with this watch, it just needed a service, no actual repairs 👍
I find this astonishing.
I myself have a Seiko SARB 017 with the 6r15c movement, not the 6r15d that your video illustrates.
Do you know what was improved from version C to D?
Many congratulations on the video... a true show.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Not a lot has changed. I'm quickly looking in the technical guide and all I can find is this:
SEIKO Automatic Mechanical Cal. 6R15C/D are replacement caliber of Cal. 6R15A/B.
Cal. C is provided with additional Casing spring at 8H position to set into the case for Cal. A and B.
However, Cal.D is not provided with the Casing spring at 8H.
I haven't studied the technical guide so maybe I missed something but I don't think so, I think that's the only difference.
Thanks for your answer.@@MacroTime28800
Loved the video! I need to have my SARB 017 serviced. How do I go about getting this done? Can you recommend someone stateside who can do this?
I'm sorry I don't know. I'd Google something along the lines, local watchmaker, Seiko service... I'm sure you'll find someone
Thank you for this!! I just built my first watch with nh36 and I was becoming increasingly interested in how all of this works. I think I need some time to get familiar with the terminologies, but I think I also get a lot of dopamine seeing all the gears move by themselves. How did you get into watch servicing in the first place? I'm quite interested in trying it out for myself, mainly trying to disassemble it and reassembling it.
I always liked watches and one day I decided I’d start servicing them myself and I did 🙂
Plastic on plastic interface actually makes a lot of sense, especially when there's barely any force required to turn that bezel. If something gets stuck, it's better for the wheel/gear to get its teeth sheared off than to cause some serious damage to the bezel and movement. It applies to other parts of the watch too.
That’s right, the bezel and also the day and date change are plastic which are the parts that the user could damage. There will be less damage if the user does something wrong.
@@MacroTime28800 Ha, didn't expect such a quick answer from my new favourite youtube watchmaking persona :P I understand how in the world of plastic-everything people prefer metal. Too bad plastic has some pretty big advantages here and there, however, plastic pallet fork from certain swiss movements is just too ugly to exist :D
Great video
Does the inside of the caseback has " case China" like the sarb 35?
I don’t think so, I would have remembered that. Actually, if it was there, I would have pointed that out in the video and I would have noticed that because I inspect everything.
I apoligize for the headache but I have another question: if i have a dive watch and I do scuba diving with it, should the servicing include water pressure chamber seal testing as part of servicing? and would the o-rings/gaskets need to be changed?
It should be done when it’s getting serviced but it won’t do any harm to stress that that you need this to be done because you use the watch for diving. If you go diving often, it would be a good idea to have the gaskets changed and tested for leaks from time to time. I don’t mean a complete service, just new gaskets or at least cleaned a freshly lubricated. If you go diving once or twice a year on a holiday, I wouldn’t worry about it but if you go regularly, I’d recommend looking after the gaskets.
@@MacroTime28800 Noted on this. Thanks for the advice.
You're welcome
When you did the initial timegrapher it was a fully assembled watch. After the servicing you did a timegrapher w/o the motion works (dial side) installed. How much does this affect the results, and what do mfg usually do for measuring?
The initial timing is for me see what I’m dealing with. I of course do the timing after it’s fully assembled as well but I like to time it when the train is installed before I instal the rest because that helps me to narrow down any issues with the train and the escapement if there are any and saves me the work taking all apart again. If the timing is good, I can proceed with the rest. And if the timing is then off when fully assembled I know there is something not right on the motion side. Otherwise it should be fine. Sorry I don’t know what mfg means.
Thanks for that. MFG = manufacturer. So when Seiko says something like + - 40sec, is that a bare movement or a fully assembled one? And how much does the movement being fully assembled change the timegrapher reading? I guess I initially phrased my question oddly.
I’m not certain how the manufacturer does the timing with mass produced watches. A watchmaker would use a timing machine.
Yes the Seiko specification will be for a fully assembled movement in the case. I don’t really find any changes in timing when it’s fully assembled unless there is something wrong and then I will know it’s not the train or escapement issue. It might need tweaking a little bit but not a great deal. I’m guessing that you’re wondering whether there is a big difference between the timing when I did it in the video and when it’s fully assembled. No not really. There would be something wrong that would need sorting out if there was a difference.