I have been servicing and adjusting a significant number of troubled seikos during the last few years and I feel this is something with value to share.
My take on the erratic seiko low end performance is: the issues with Seiko balance design do exist but misperforming watches fall mainly into 2 main categories:
1.- Check that the spring travel thru the regulator stud - put it back in place if it is out. Reposition the regulator adjustment into maximum gap ( to correct it later back)
2.- Check for spring flatness and paralelism to the to the cock: A simple tweak into the connecting point to the stud or sometimes, reposition the stud back to perpendicular to the cock ( it is a friction fit, and sometimes gets knocked off )
3.- Recenter the hairspring coils and achieve equidistance between the coils. Tipically this involves only reshaping the terminal curve of the spring.
4.- Reshape and soften the bends and angles of the straight length that makes the transition towards the terminal curve and the studs.
5.- Test the corrections and regulate by movind back and forth the regulator stud and progessively turn to narrow the gap ( undo the opening you did in step 1). Use the timegrapher to gauge the final success of your adjustment: if the beat error changes when you move the regulator stud that means that the terminal curve it is not concentric... repeat strps 3 and 4 until you get it right.
With all this you can bring Seiko lower end movements very close to chronometer performance.... sadly enough, this can get knocked off very quickly by a shock - Seiko movements dont provide the ability to lock your corrections.... it is just friction what keeps all in place.
I have made a couple of videos to show you what you can achieve:
-- before:
-- after the service and balance adjustments:
I hope this is useful - at least to give an insight of the source for the issues. A note of caution, this workaround requires a relatively high level of skill, steady hands and.... practice and patience.
My take on the erratic seiko low end performance is: the issues with Seiko balance design do exist but misperforming watches fall mainly into 2 main categories:
- Poor oiling at factory, Seiko uses too much oil/grease and also too viscous for the application point. I beleive they do this to facilitate the robot's task during assembly.
- Troubled balance: Seiko balance design is quite interesting... enables you a very great deal of adjustment easily. If you flip the coin of this, you have the reason of the trouble: It is also easy to knock it off adjustment due to shock.
1.- Check that the spring travel thru the regulator stud - put it back in place if it is out. Reposition the regulator adjustment into maximum gap ( to correct it later back)
2.- Check for spring flatness and paralelism to the to the cock: A simple tweak into the connecting point to the stud or sometimes, reposition the stud back to perpendicular to the cock ( it is a friction fit, and sometimes gets knocked off )
3.- Recenter the hairspring coils and achieve equidistance between the coils. Tipically this involves only reshaping the terminal curve of the spring.
4.- Reshape and soften the bends and angles of the straight length that makes the transition towards the terminal curve and the studs.
5.- Test the corrections and regulate by movind back and forth the regulator stud and progessively turn to narrow the gap ( undo the opening you did in step 1). Use the timegrapher to gauge the final success of your adjustment: if the beat error changes when you move the regulator stud that means that the terminal curve it is not concentric... repeat strps 3 and 4 until you get it right.
With all this you can bring Seiko lower end movements very close to chronometer performance.... sadly enough, this can get knocked off very quickly by a shock - Seiko movements dont provide the ability to lock your corrections.... it is just friction what keeps all in place.
I have made a couple of videos to show you what you can achieve:
-- before:
-- after the service and balance adjustments:
I hope this is useful - at least to give an insight of the source for the issues. A note of caution, this workaround requires a relatively high level of skill, steady hands and.... practice and patience.
