Will it ever run again? Rust Restoration of Destroyed 80's Seiko Diver | Seiko 6309 service
In this video I will be restoring a severely water damaged 80's Seiko diver's watch. As usual for me lately it's pretty beat up, the case is full of dents and scratches. There's sooooo much damage caused by the ingress of water and the list of replacement parts is as long as my arm. Why bother then you may ask? Well, because I can!!
Have a look and see all the fun that awaits us in this watch. There's the obligatory case restoration, but many of the cosmetic parts couldn't be saved; I ended up having to use a lot of aftermarket parts to complete the restoration. Sit back, relax and see some interesting watchmaking skills along the way as well!!
If you'd like to join the Bearded Community, just hit up the "Join" button under the video for exclusive project updates and help pick the which projects are next!
Follow me on Instagram for in between updates or just to say hi: @the_bearded_watchmaker
#Seiko #watchrepair #watchrestoration
**************************************
These are Amazon affiliate links to some of the equipment used in these videos. Purchasing anything through them helps to support the channel.
**************************************
Tools:
AmScope Stereo Microscope: amzn.to/3dSW44b
AmScope 0.5X Barlow Lens: amzn.to/3BQK9Mi
Timegrapher No.1900: amzn.to/3fvthTS
Bergeon Stand with 9 Screwdrivers: amzn.to/3rcQufV
Bergeon Soft Gel Casing Cushion: amzn.to/3E0F7PL
Bergeon 8008 Rubber Ball: amzn.to/3rgW0hy
Bergeon 4040 movement holder: amzn.to/3dQ4KIw
Bergeon Watch Spring Bar Tool: amzn.to/3E4wCTU
Bergeon Rodico: amzn.to/3ftqZod
Bergeon 55-710 Set of 4 Oilers: amzn.to/3SBczR6
Bergeon 7808-V mat Bench top: amzn.to/3RiGsVd
Bergeon 5733 Rubber Blower: amzn.to/3UIqAye
Bergeon 4932 Back case Opener Knife: amzn.to/3UJy8AJ
Bergeon 7010 Polymide Plastic Stick: amzn.to/3rhws45
Bergeon 7404 Watch Hands Setting Tool: amzn.to/3E1D52a
Bergeon 7922 Tool for Closing Barrels: amzn.to/3dMb0Bd
Bergeon Presto Hand and Cannon pinion Remover: amzn.to/3rfTtEm
Dumont Tweezers Style 3: amzn.to/3CgzsDW
***************************************
Cameras and Audio:
Top View Camera, Fujifilm XS10: amzn.to/3BKndOs
Lens, Fujifilm XF55-200mmF3.5-4.8 R LM OIS: amzn.to/3SDbW9x
FUJIFILM Macro Extension Tube MCEX-16: amzn.to/3SlGJIp
FUJIFILM Macro Extension Tube MCEX-11: amzn.to/3rbVeT4
Side View Camera, Fujifilm XT4: amzn.to/3xZoFM9
7artisans 60mm F2.8 II APS-C Format Macro Lens: amzn.to/3fubGvz
General View Camera, Sony ZV1: amzn.to/3Cgtwe8
Atomos Ninja V recording monitor: amzn.to/3fpL1Qi
Osee T5 4k monitor: amzn.to/3y3etC7
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 3rd Gen USB Audio Interface: amzn.to/3ffblfR
Rode Procaster: amzn.to/3RgENzr
Rode NTH-100 Professional Over-ear Headphones: amzn.to/3DXaJ96
VIJIM K22 Key Light - 11": amzn.to/3Cjh65y
***************************************
Video Editing Equipment:
2021 Apple MacBook Pro: amzn.to/3SmIwg7
Davinci Resolve Speed Editor: amzn.to/3SFGLKR
SAMSUNG T7 1TB SSD: amzn.to/3LRYtZe
Well done my friend. That was a rough movement to begin with. Evapo-Rust is a great product product. Where can I get some of those dried sausages. 😀
Thank you Alex, genuinely much appreciated!!! Heh, afraid you're gonna have to come visit me in South Africa my man. It's a local delicacy and even expats can't get it perfect without our local spices. So when can I pick you up at the airport?
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker I think those dried sausages should go down with a large tankard of beer, but probably that would be _too_ relaxing for watchmaking.
Usually they do go down well with an ale. The rest of the video would suck though 🤣
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker Yeah, must agree that during watchmaking alcohol is good only as a cleaning solution and not taken internally.
Nice video 😊👍
So sad that you didnt use the old bezel, dial and hands, the patina was beatiful
I bought a quartz version of this watch back in 1978 from the Dutch PX in Rheindahlen - a 'Divers 150' with day and date in French and English. I'm wearing it at this very minute. It keeps excellent time, the batteries seem to last about 4 years, and if I told you it was a year old, you'd believe me. Far more accurate than any of my spiffy watches, it has been a faithful servant for forty-five years. I might even make a very short KZhead movie of it to show you!
Would love to hear stories about it !!
No stories, just total reliability and a four or five year battery life!!@@AhmadSleeq
It was refreshing to see you use an ultrasonic cleaner to clean your parts. It makes hobby watchmaking seem more accessible to those of us who don't have a "dedicated watch cleaning machine" budget. It's informative and it shows a path forward for aspiring watchmakers.
Thank you Kerry, and I sure hope you do get into the hobby as it’s very rewarding. The Ultrasonic wash does as good a job as a dedicated watch cleaning machine, but it takes a lot longer and is less convenient. But if you don’t do this professionally where expediency is an issue it works really well
I like your expertise and dedication towards that watch. So far the best simple restoration for a Seiko 6309 divers.
The bearded watchmaker is now the bearded wonder. Keep well from New Zealand 🇳🇿 The mighty All Blacks are on the way.
Hahahaha thanks Bruce! It’s a pity all the cosmetics were so far gone, I would’ve loved to at least keep some of the original bits. We will have to see how mighty the All Blacks will be after the 13th ;D
Beautiful watch and wonderful job .
Wow! A-MA-ZING!!!
The dried sausage (droe worst) to others Is my favourite past time snack,Not abundant in Scotland but their are SA butchers here and there do a grand job.👌
Very nice work bringing it back!! Thank you for posting!
Thank you! Only a pleasure
Breathtakingly stunning!!!!! Wow 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
So amazing when the balance comes back to life
Beautiful now a watch anyone would be proud to wear, well done on saving this wonderful watch
Incredible! Good job!
Thank you very much!
Beautiful restoration
well done Sir..... my humble bow.....
Great job! I actually liked the look of the case the way it was though! ….and the bezel.
Wow! Superb transformation 👍
Thank you Nicholas!
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker Will you restore a 1975 accutron?
Well done!
Love Seiko in 80' 90' have 3 or 4 this model hear in Brazil congrats your job is amazing
Very well done my friend.
This is the first time I have ever gone on BOB to look at cool watches and found an even cooler watch channel! I have to admit I am super tempted!!!
Hi Johan, haha I didn’t think BoB would yield a viewer but I’m glad it did! Thank you! Go check out BoB again, I recently added a few more classics
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker I saw! Some of those are awesome!!!!
@@johanvandersandt8904 don't just look, you gotta buy lol!
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker You have no idea how badly I want to!!! I have the wors luck as well as my Hilux of all things also broke this month. Hopefully I will have enough left to maybe pick one up! The SNK809 and this diver in particular are very tempting! 🥲
@@johanvandersandt8904 hahaha, I thought Hilux's don't break?! No worries my man, don't get yourself into trouble. After I clear out the excess Seiko's, and going to climb into my pile of Tags as well (a few vids in future on those as well)
Excelente trabajo. Vi todo el vídeo y cada vez más me apasionan los relojes y los trabajos como los que haces. Saludos.🎉
Happy to find a new watchmaker video ! Starting far away with a over used seiko Pepsi, and finished with a great and shinny result ! I really love that kind of restoration ! Thank you for sharing ! Of course I will take rame to see your other restoration video ! ✨👌
Thank you Alain!
Before was original.....after fake....congratulation for a good job.👍
Great job!
Great job Gert!
Thank you very much Tom!
Brilliant job
Thank you!
Outstanding!!
Thank you sir!
great restoration.
Felicidades excelente trabajo hermoso reloj saiko que te siga yendo súper bien desde chile
The SKX009 vibe was very strong right at the end. ♥️
Hahaha, yeah. I'm a sucker for any Pepsi.
Un autentico relojero . Mis felicitaciones desde España
22:17 That was pure joy when the watch started beating again.
Super watch sir 👍
Thank you, I love these Seiko divers!
Wow… black dial of these is my daily seiko, would love to find a Pepsi. I look for lots of “patina”. The original dial,hands and bezel ❤️. Thanks for this. 👍.
Thank you sir!
Good luck with your Channel and i wish you and your Family all the best of the World
Thank you, that is very kind of you!
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker You are welcome
Espectaculaaaaarrrr !!!!!!
Thank you Antonio!
Very nice video!
Thank you very much David!
I have that same watch in my storage locker. Actually I have about two or three other Seiko's in storage as well. Seiko is my favorite watch brand. Accurate and not a wallet buster, and they do look good as well as wear well. I used to have a Bell Matic in my small collection but I don't know if I still have it. I do however have the Seiko quartz version of the old Bell matic.I'm not crazy about the quartz though. For whatever reason I was never crazy about it after I got it. Weird but true.
Ottimo lavoro complimenti hai molto talento, tuttavia non amo la filosofia del ripristino con parti palesemente Aftermarket, io certo di lasciare memoria del passato anche se brutto
Very interesting video thank you
Thank you for watching Ron!
Great Job! and nice video content
Thank you Jasmijn!
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker Steven my friend took over his mother's business when she passed away in 2017. Steven himself is terminally ill and does some repairs for some customers. Steven likes your channel with beautiful content
Ah, I’m sorry to hear about your friend Jasmijn! Please send Steven my regards and best wishes!
Great good job🌹🙏
Was wondering where you purchased the bezel opener you used at time stamp 9:04, thanks
Just discovered your channel. Love it. Also a SAffer. Die droewors made me look where you from 😂
Hahaha thanks man, and welcome!
Good show friend!
gussl’s Franck Muller replica shows extraordinary attention to detail.
Thanks for sharing the content, really nicely done. Can you provide more info on how to purchase the bezel removal tool similar to the one you use...
Hi Ivan, thank you! It’s just a cheap tool I bought locally a long time ago - it does look like an AliExpress tool so you should be able to find it there. Sorry I can’t post links here on YT
Dried Sausage? WTF?? No man. Droewors. Jy weet mos dis droewors. Oh, nice result with that Seiko 😀
Haha, dankie man! Net 1.8% van die subscribers kom van SA af so ek moes maar die naam opfoeter.
Droewors ja 🤣🤣🤣
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker as ek mag vra kan ek my watches na jou to bring want jou werk is baie goed en ffff mooi 🤙👏
Hey mnr, weereens dankie! Jis man ek's maar kriewelrig om op ander manne se goete te werk. As ek my goed breek kan ek net kwaad wees vir myself, as ek jou goed breek is almal kwaad vir my :D
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker oh ok ek vir staan my maat maar dis reg so🤙
Excellent! What cleaning fluid are you using?
wowww my dream watch
Well done . Quedo increíble
Thank you Luis!
That's not dried sausage that's droewors 🤙 great restoration first time seeing a cleaning method like that using the ultra sonic 👏👏👏 love the vid keep up the good work 🤙👏🇿🇦⌚😋😝
Hahaha, I already got lambasted for that one :) Thank you, much appreciated!
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker it's a pleasure 🤙😝
good!!!
well done
Thank you Ed
Superb restoration 👌Im doing a seiko 6139 restoration at the moment and sourcing parts is a time consuming thing!! Im interested in the cleaning solution you use - water based? i use L&R cleaning solution through a watch cleaning machine and get good results but you results look fantastic!! Great project and fantastic result!!
Thank you Carl! A 6139 is on the list of movements I want to still do on the channel. I just need to come across the right watch (broken, but salvageable). I hear you on sourcing parts, it's easily the most painful part (and expensive) of any restoration, so I can certainly understand your frustration! I generally focus on a project like this one and then buy a few cheap broken $20 watches that uses similar movements. They're a great source of bulk parts and saves a lot of time sourcing individual bits. Admittedly, doing this for a 6139 will be a little more difficult :) I use a locally (South African) made product that's ammonia based, then I do two rinses with Hexane (yes, I'm aware people used it for cleaning, but you can't argue with results). I don't use any water at all, as I'd have to then use IPA to get rid of it (which I avoid because of shellac issues on the pallet fork). As you've seen, I do this in an Ultrasonic. To be honest, we can't get the fancy Elma and L&R cleaners here; If it was available locally then I'd just be using that. Also, remember that I did have to replace a few parts that had just too much rust damage, especially around the keyless works. So my process certainly isn't magical ;)
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker Hey thanks for the detailed reply👍you may well know but if you ever do a 6139 and need a new mainspring (impossible to find!!) a ETA 2892 fits perfectly amd gives better amplitude than stock! just fitted it to mince and great trace on the timegrapher
@@carlrees5574 Hey Carl, yeah I use the GR25341X mainsprings for these (for ETA2892). Just remember you get two types, you want the one with the smaller inner coil diameter for use with 6xxx arbours. As far as amplitude is concerned - it's very difficult to get better than 230 deg on these 6xxx series movements. No one knows what it's supposed to be from factory so most of us aim for that. Taking care of how the pallet fork and escapement is treated and oiled has a bigger impact on amplitude than a new mainspring - based on my own experimenting though. I'd love more input from other watchmakers on this
Subscribed!
i love that ghosted bezel...i would have kept it.
Goof job! Thx for vid. I have a question. The jubilee bracelet is the same like SKX?
Great job. Did u consider keeping oroginal dial and bezel for that grungy look?
Thank you! I did keep those aside yes. I’m not near experienced enough to do any real dial restoration work (although I think that dial is beyond saving) so I’m saving it for when I have a bit more experience with those. Leaving it like that would’ve been a bit too rough for my taste
Just found your channel. Well done. Can I ask what tool you were using to polish the train gear pivots and where one might obtain it?
Hi, thank you! They’re called pin polishers and I bought them from Cousins. I can’t link here for some reason, but you get the fine one (grey) and you get the mandrel to hold it in. Should come right up when you search for it.
These Seikos tend to fail on the crown gasket. People seem to think that changing the back gasket is all that's needed.
what do you use to clean the pivots? is it available on amazon? also what sizes is your arbor vise? thank you, I'm just getting started with this hobby.
Ey guy it's birbdad again. That red hand setting tool you got there is that a nice one or one of those cheapo chinese ones? Also great work on this. Beautiful piece!
Hey my man, that's the Horotec one. They're not that expensive so no reason to go for the cheapo ones. And thanks!
fantastic job restoring the movement but, I would have left the dial and bezel insert original, with the patina... even the case was better unpolished
Appearances suggest, the watch survived a catastrophe of biblical proportions. And with your talents, it will live on to conquer yet another time.
Thank you sir! Much appreciated!
Wow....i say wow....
Thank you kindly Roberto!
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you!
Great video. I was mesmerized. Thank you! I have a question which I hope is not too forward of me: can one make a living bringing these type of watches back to life? The cost of parts and skilled labor would be significant. FYI I’m not planning to become a watchmaker myself lol - just wondering.
Thank you Robert!. Man that's a good question and to be honest, I doubt this watch would be worth reviving by a watchmaker that does it for a living. If it's a tier 1 brand, then maybe but even then it may just be too far gone (Parts costs skyrocket on tier 1 brands). Alex (It's About Time - he commented earlier) is a watchmaker by trade and he's probably a better person to ask. As for me, I do this for a hobby and enjoyment. Doing a hobby for a living is the quickest way to lose any desire for it ;D
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker … pretty much what I expected - 40 year old medium priced watch wouldn’t make for a cost effective repair. Look forward to your next video. Thanks for your reply.
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker when one turns a hobby into a vocation, one must then find new hobbies.
@@67nearmint absolutely!
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker That's a brilliant answer, Gert. Watching you at work resonates with your passion. I certainly agree, add the element of money and the passion goes up in smoke. Treat it like a hobby and it will justify the big black-expenditure hole that will go on growing and keeping the smile. Excellent work with this piece Gert. Passion, skill, patience met boerewors! Pragtige werk Mnr Gert!
Nice job. Love how this turned out. Can I ask what you used for a cleaning solution?
Thank you! I use a local jeweller solution which is ammonia based for cleaning, then use hexane as rinse. Works very well although due care should be taken using hexane
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker Hexane as rinse? how good is it? I think I've heard it as a cleaning fluid but not rinse. Is it shellac friendly?
@Agustin Aguilar yeah. I've gone through a few different concoctions (we can't get proper Elma or L&R cleaners in South Africa, else I would've just used that) and tried advice of a local jeweller which seems to work real well. Ammoniated solution for initial clean and surface rust removal, then hexane rinse (I do it twice). Initially I rinsed with distilled water then IPA but that didn't leave parts shiny enough. And IPA was an issue (for me) with shellac. Hexane doesn't displace water like IPA, so I cut the water rinse out and just rinse with Hexane as rinse now. Beauty is that Hexane evaporates real quick so there's no drying needed nor does it affect shellac (which was a big issue for me). I've done maybe 5 movements using this process and I'm happy so far. Granted, I'm no scientist or chemical expert so I can't say if this is the best approach for every possible scenario
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker I was used to pure naphtha for cleaning and IPA for rinse, now I'm using Elma 1:9 (water and amonia based) and then water followed by IPA, but of course I remove the balance and pallet fork before the IPA bath. My next watch to service will be a BellMatic and I might try your hexane tip, thank you for that.
@@a.aguilar Awesome, let me know what you think once you've tried it as I'm curious
Any idea on the back story to how this watch got damaged in the first place? Was the crown left open? Gasket failed? Or did someone just randomly find it in the water?
Was this water resistant after the servicing? Beaufitul work!
Thank you Agustin! I have replaced all seals and gaskets to protect against dust ingress, but the case back has had heavy pitting from previous rust. Once this has happened it’s impossible to guarantee water resistance any more without replacing case / case back.
Question. How do the surfaces on the movement have so many scratches since the case is closed? Or are these from manufacturing and the camera can catch things the eye can't?
nice
what watch are you wearing on your wrist? it's really beautiful.
26:16 The watch is smiling now. 😊
Muuuuch happier yeah
@@TheBeardedWatchmakerI have a problem that when you install the 6309 in the case, there is a ring on the back of the machine and then on the bottom cover, what effect does that ring have? and the Seiko skx 7s26 does not have a base ring.
@@hiroshiagasa7974 Hi Hiroshi, I’m trying to figure out which ring you specifically referring to? On the 6309 divers there’s a steel spacer ring that helps clamp the movement in the case. The 7S26 has a thicker plastic spacer ring that’s part of the movement, so it doesn’t need an additional ring to clamp the movement once the case back is installed.
I have an old seiko pepsi I've had for many years its pretty rough non working. How much is a rebuild such as this id love to get it back to something of a watch again
👌👌
Thank you Dave!
i noticed you skipped out the hardest part of winding the mainspring lol 14:54 the end always jams up inside those winders and breaks off. these mainsprings are so brittle, i replaced with an eta 2892 mainspring.
Hello. ThankYou. Can You Fix mine ? It’s been in a Box for nearly 30 Years… ‘Loved That Watch. Still Do,,, but It has Slept a Very Long Time…. The Watch& I are Both Veterans (CAF, 031). ‘Would Love for It to Be Restored,,, Many Memories, Danger& Fun. It Deserves Proper Restoration. Respect 🫡 👌🇨🇦
Hi Marc, I would love to but with me based in South Africa the logistics probably won’t make sense. I do love the 6309’s though
I am sad to say your droëwors will make you even more thirty as you work. 😄 On a serious note, (and also being from South Africa) I have noticed not too many local people interested in restoring old watches, especially digital (which I enjoy). Have you noticed this from a mechanical watch point of view? Such a great job you did. 🤙🏼
Thank you very much Daud! Yeah, not much in the way of any kind of watchmaking in South Africa. There’s a handful of hobbyists I’ve come across through this channel, but having to import most replacement parts and having no reliable and cheap shipping options discourages many. I’m hoping to get more locals involved so that we can pool resources a little and make this hobby more accessible. Let me know if you interested and we can chat offline
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker Most welcome, bearded one! 😄 I am very interested, yes, but more from a vintage digital watch point of view. It is true high import costs discouraged many and some people and a jeweller (would you believe) bluntly once told me that "they do not work on cheap Japanese rubbish". This was on a vintage G-Shock that had a stubborn broken screw and I just needed friendly advice how to remove. Another local I once knew refused to divulge where he purchases his old and neglected vintage watches from. So my experience has not been too positive on locals apart from you and very and I mean very small amount of nice people who do not want to make our rare hobby a headache. I cannot send you my contact number here or my email. But you will find it published on my KZhead channel description. If you send email, I can send you my full details and we can chat from there?
#great like
why would you change that beautiful bezel?
how did you deal with the pitting on the caseback?
Heh, I didn’t. Short of laser welding the pitting there’s not much else you can do. Best you can hope for is making the internals dust proof. Making a cheap vintage diver waterproof to original spec isn’t financially viable, considering what even pristine examples sell for
Hello! Interesting video, thx. Why u dont use elma cleaner machine how does everyone vlogers do it? )))
Because they’re really expensive new? Hard to find used one for reasonable money in my country (South Africa)? For small volumes using an Ultrasonic machine is perfectly fine. That being said, I’ve recently acquired a watch cleaning machine so I’ll be using that in future videos.
Eish Droewors. I am hungry now
Only the best Springbok from Gariep ;D
top
now that watch is over 50 usd!
Haha yeah, now it can get some wrist time
President Ford had campaign button of WIN (Whip Inflation Now). It's time for this again.
i have a Seiko 'Black Knight' Kinetic for 20 years. i wear every day. HOW DOES THIS WATCH GET SO SCRATCHED? even the back? did they carry it around in a bag of rocks......
what is the watch you used in this video
Please tell us what two watches you are wearing in this production?
Did you install a replacement rotor?
Yessir I did. The old one was just too far gone
@@TheBeardedWatchmaker your job is so excellent.
Thank you Jeffrey!
Starting with original parts, and finished with totally aftermarket parts. 😢😢😢
I have a 90 skx diver needing some love .I had it since I was in the Navy ,refuse to throw it away call me or give me info to send it to you. I would be honored .amazing talent.
Hi Victor, thank you very much! Afraid I’m based in South Africa so shipping to me and back would be prohibitively expensive. I’m assuming you are US based? If so, I would suggest contacting either Alex Hamilton (thewatchsmith.org) or Spencer Klein (kleinvintagewatch.com) to do the service for you. You’ll be in good hands with either.
Very nice video. I like it better when you tell me what's going on but I get that constantly talking or voice-over might be a drag.
Hi, thank you! Man, doing voice overs is one thing I agonise over every time I think of a new video. To be honest, the videos where I keep my trap shut do better than the ones where I yap all the time. These videos take an incredible amount of time to make so I'd prefer it if they do well. But yeah I agree, they're less informative if I don't explain what's going on. If the channel grows enough I'll try and do voice overs again as a test.
вы их продаете?
Hi, I'm afraid I don't sell these. It wouldn't be practical shipping wise with me being in South Africa anyway
I need 1watch of seiko
Hi, not sure if I follow you?
So, 150 m, right? Oh yeah
Yeah, it’s only on the 2nd gen 7002’s in the 90’s where they were rated for 200m. And of course the Pro Tuna’s where rated for 600m
list a shipping address
See my earlier comment my man