Thursday, June 18, 2009

Another 1980's Digital



SOLD
This is my third digital watch (see an earlier post which featured the other two) and is certainly the most pristine of the bunch.
When I bought it (April this year - from Spain) it was working but two functions were intermittent - the light and the alarm.
So I took it to my friendly watchmaker to see if he could do anything for it and he did a fix to the little circuit board which seemed to cure the dual problems but, after a couple of days, the same malfunctions reoccurred.


At that point he hunted through his old stock of spare Seiko parts and, Lo! and Behold! - found an NOS board, including the LCD display! (This watch uses the A133-5000 module).

So now the watch - manufactured in July 1978 - is functioning exactly as intended and is looking superb with its fresh and bright LCD display, unscratched crystal and immaculate case with original bracelet.
It is hard to believe that it is now over 20 years old.

I don't wear it, to be honest - it's too nice to risk damaging.
But it is used: it sits on the desk here in my study at home and acts as a point of reference when I wish to set the correct time on any of my other old manual or automatic watches. The watch is very accurate, gaining less than 30 seconds in a fortnight, which is good enough for me!

7 comments:

  1. Hi,
    I also have a Seiko A133-5000 but the glass has broken (yes, I dropped it) and I need a replacement. Seiko can't help me. Are you aware of anyone that might keep a stoke?

    Regards
    Andy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Andy,
    Regretfully, I have no personal knowledge of where an NOS crystal might be sourced. Your best bet might be to place an enquiry on any of the watch forums which specialise in digitals.
    This one - the Digital Watch Library - may be a good starting point.
    http://www.digitalwatchlibrary.com/

    Good luck in your quest.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am interested in buying the seiko digital wristwatch. U.S.$ price? My e-mail address is reinachrc@embarqmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Expression of interest followed-up via email.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thats my site digitalwatchlibrary.com glad its being used. Just to point out the very nice A133 above is a 1978 not a 1988. Also if you have some nice photos and its not on my site already why dont you post them over and ill add them to the library.

    kind regards

    Adam

    ReplyDelete
  6. Adam,
    Watch has been sold but thanks for the correction on the date f manufacture - I've updated the info.
    Apart from the images above (which enlarge if clicked on - and you are welcome to use them) I have no others, I'm sorry.

    Regards,
    Bruce

    ReplyDelete
  7. Just a note of advice to any fellow collectors who may offer something for sale: BEWARE of this fellow:-
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    I am interested in buying the seiko digital wristwatch. U.S.$ price? My e-mail address is reinachrc@embarqmail.com
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    I sold the watch in question to him.
    He attempted to reverse the payment after I advised him (via email) that the watch was on its way from Australia to Washington State, USA.

    When that attempt to defraud failed he lodged a complaint with PayPal that the watch he received was not the one he had paid for and that it did not work.

    PayPal then "garnishee'd" my account by refunding the payment. But I never had the so-called faulty watch returned.

    Be careful....not only of people like this piece of flotsam but also of PayPal.

    ReplyDelete

Feedback and comments are most welcome.