Seiko H127A-5000 ana-digi restoration

[AlexeiJ1]

Hi Everyone,
Recently I have become obsessed with ana digi watches from the 1980's! I really dig the style for some reason.

I was looking on ebay in the low price ranges and I found this little nugget for the princely sum of $5.70 - the shipping from Peru was an inflated $20 AUD - so I got away with it for under $30.

It came well packed in a little padded envelope. It was missing the back, had severe damage, but I didn't see any rust stains on the back.

A view from the side

It is a Seiko H127A-5000 - the year could be between 1979 and 1980 - there is a little bit of info around the internet.

The case back will be an insanely rare part to find so I may have to CNC mill something or potentially 3d print a plastic back.
That is if I can get it working.

The Crystal is trash. I've tried sanding it, will wait till I have some crystal polish - I haven't had much luck polishing mineral crystals.
A new crystal is around $35 - with OEM Seiko writing.

I removed the movement and soaked it in WD40 to loosen all the bolts. It was too seized to attempt opening.
The LCD panel/dial has a crack in it. The sub assembly appears clean, the zebra strips on the LCD were a bit gummed up but cleaned up.

Happily the analogue movement was turning over freely, it wasn't ticking - but likely due to so much grit and much on the contacts.

The only corrosion was on the rotor, and some of the non important chrome plated parts.
I've soaked them in shellite. Cleaned with blutac and then inspected under microscope.
Everything appears fine.

It is a very high end movement with 8 jewels and all metal parts - it would have been top of the line back in the day. Very tiny parts.

The main circuit board is out - my it looks complicated.

Simple plain jane movement - nothing fancy: It's all inside:

The bridge is off and the rotor is next to the movement:

 

Cleaning the case:

Tonight I have finished cleaning everything - I have put it into my movement parts tray - awaiting some time after work tommorow.

If anyone knows how the LCD works please let me know - is the display in the top dial section? Or the next layer down? There is a white mirror presumably to reflect the light off the screen as this is the black model version (there were two models).

Parts look pricey and rare - I've found a dial panel NOS - also crystals online. May have to look for circuit board if its fried -

 

Can't find any bracelets - may have to go non OEM generic  steel band.

 

Goal is to get it running - if its not running - atleast to be a show piece in my cabinet.

More soon

 

[anilv]

Great start!. I haven't had any success with these Ana-digi watches.. Seiko, Citizen.. you name it.. all my attempts failed..

Wish you all the best!

Anilv

[Pip]

Good luck! I have a number of fried ani-digi Seiko watches, mainly H608 from memory? No luck in getting any of them running yet so I’ll be following your progress with interest.


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[AlexeiJ1]

The progress update is coming. I'm just waiting on some time to reassemble the bridge and main gears. The old photocopied charts are shite and you can barely see it.
Due to the rust I didnt photograph the original.

[rogart63]

Love this old ana/digi watches. Hope you get it running again. Have a similar watch somewhere . Don't think it's a Seiko . More like a Ricoh. 

[AlexeiJ1]

What's up WRT peeps!
I finally have some updaaaaaaaaaaatees

The story with the watch above was that it needed a case back and a replacement LCD panel.

I have been watching eBay for a while, there have been 3 watches sold since: $850, $450, $280 for working examples. The former of which was a mint example.

The prices have doubled from 3 years ago, where a mint NOS example cost $300-400.

Anyway - I bought a nice B grade donor watch which was 100% complete, however it had a cracked/bleeding LCD panel.
It only cost me $25 from germany (eBay) which is surprising because nobody else bid on it.
Luckily I knew that Northern Watch Clock Co had a 4510-841 replacement LCD panel for sale for 15 gbp.
It was the correct panel for the donor watch as the original had the dark dial which was possible rarer?

I ordered the part, after paying an absolutely eye watering 25GBP for postage, (it arrived with an 8gbp postage stamp - 14 days after ordering.waaat...). It wasn't packed that well considering how incredibly rare this part is. Cousins as an example posted me a 30x30x30cm carboard box just for a mainspring - atleast it was protected haha!!!

https://imgur.com/uOMXVxu.jpg[/img]

Edited February 24, 2018 by AlexeiJ1

[AlexeiJ1]

All up it owes me around $110 + $50 for the crystal.
Not bad considering I know its an honest watch with several parts replaced (LCD + Crystal + case back gasket) - rather than buying an unknown watch on ebay for $800 which could have a cracked dial.

[SteveT]

well done a lovely looking watch

[Pip]

Great job Alexei, you did superbly to get all that together! 

[Pip]

Right, my turn then Alexei, you have inspired me! Mine is in remarkably good condition cosmetically, it all looks clean inside too so hopefully it will work. It is the black dial one that you think is more rare? So I just need an LCD panel now. It seems you may have bought the last one available, so the hunt is on. If you found anywhere else that had one I'd be grateful if you could lee me know? I need the dark one which is 4510.840 as opposed to your 4510.841 (I think, anyway, not 100% sure difference between 840 black and 841 white).

[Pip]

Do you know, I had taken on so many other projects that I had prettty much forgotten about this one. I've had an ebay search for the panel going for months with no joy yet. But I did see a video a few weeks ago where someone basically squeezed out the lcd bleed on an old lcd watch. I don't have much hope that it's going to work on this one but I will give it a go, nothing to lose and all that.

If anyone does come across a 4510840 lcd panel though, well you know who to tell...!

[rogart63]

Is the Armitron  watch the same lcd? I think maybe i could have one here somewhere. 

[rogart63]

Was a Educatron . Five star movement from Hong Kong. So not the same. 

[Pip]

Was a Educatron . Five star movement from Hong Kong. So not the same. 

Thanks for checking Roger!


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[AlexeiJ1]

On 7/2/2018 at 6:23 PM, Pip said:

Do you know, I had taken on so many other projects that I had prettty much forgotten about this one. I've had an ebay search for the panel going for months with no joy yet. But I did see a video a few weeks ago where someone basically squeezed out the lcd bleed on an old lcd watch. I don't have much hope that it's going to work on this one but I will give it a go, nothing to lose and all that. 

If anyone does come across a 4510840 lcd panel though, well you know who to tell...!

Hiya Pip. I will keep an eye out. I'm looking for another one too as I have 1 more donor one to fix.
Your LCD looks to have a small crack in it.

I am afraid the parts will not come up easily as they are always the first part to crack. I think that people are a bit rough putting the battery in, or there is no shock protection on the case back when it is pressed in, resulting in a crack to the glass.

They are great watches, I've seen a few changes hands recently for only $100.