JR,
Excellent. You're doing the right thing. A watch with a history is
worth far more than just the cost of a replacement model--this watch
was a gift and has been a traveling companion for all these years.
It's worth it.
Also, the Seiko movements are of excellent quality. Seikos were cheap
in the '60s and '70s because of exchange rates, not quality--your
Seiko probably cost a few weeks wages for the average Japanese worker
back then. Seiko has a great horological history as well--initially
founded in 1881 with thier first wristwatch made in 1913.
http://www.seiko.co.jp/englishmainsection.php?page_is=seiko&sub=3
Anyway, if the big problem is that the crystal is scratched and it's
acrylic (plastic), use some PolyWatch to polish the scratches out. If
you can't find any of that locally, pick up some Brasso at your local
hardware or supermarket. Apply a dab to a rag and polish the crystal
for a few minutes and it'll look like new. If it's really scratched
up, try using a green 3M scotchbrite pad or other fine abrasive pad to
sand the crystal a bit (don't worry--it'll come out), then really work
it down with the brasso. That'll take care of even the nastiest of
nicks. You keep mentioning that your Seiko's not a Rolex, but I use
PolyWatch on my '50s Rolex Air-King every now and then to keep the
crystal clear. If the crystal is not plastic, but rather is a mineral
crystal, then it must be replaced. Get the watch serviced and ask
the watchmaker do replace it at the same time.
If you haven't had the watch serviced in 30 years, it could use it.
The oil has probably dried up. Any competent watchmaker or watch
repairer should be able to service the watch. That's a cleaning,
oiling, and adjusting. The cleaning is disassembling the watch
completely and running the parts through an ultrasonic cleaner.
Oiling is pretty self-explanatory albeit not simple. And adjusting is
ensuring that the watch is in beat and running at the right rate and
everythings a-ok. Also they'll also pressure check the watch to make
sure it's water resistant. Avoide the "one-dip" cleanings, where
they don't disassmeble the watch--it's bad. The watch is running
currently so it probably won't need parts, but if it did the parts for
Seikos of that period are cheap and plentiful so don't worry.
I'd guess a service might run $100, give or take. But hey, that's
only $3.33 per year. :-)
Good luck,
Andy-
Post by JRWell, here is the thing, I don't care if it cost 100 or even up to 500 to
have it fixed and put in really good working order. It is a very attractive
watch with a cool old sort of look with the setting screw at 4 o'clock, a
rotating bezel, day and date functions and a beautiful blue dial. Although
the glass is scratched severly it has a nice shiny blue dial with a "satin"
sort of finish that reflects light nicely and illumenescent markers that
hold light better than almost any modern watch I have seen. I am not
looking to restore it in order to sell it, but to make it my primary time
peice. So anyway, if there is anyone who reads this who can make me a
really good referral it would be nice. Thanks for taking the time to read
this. I was even hoping someone might know a really good jeweler out there
or watch maker who could replace the old movement altogether and put in a
new one as well as a really good quality band and saphire crystal that would
resist scratches. Honestly I'd rather have this old thing working and
looking good, albiet not exactly up to original specs than the finest Rolex
in the world.