For sale here is a
lovely 100% authentic, direct from the British Ministry of Defence, 1984 (First year of issue) Seiko Gen 1 Royal Air Force flight crew issued military
chronograph watch, in excellent military issued condition. There is however
minor evidence of previous use such as small abrasions to the case and glass - see
photos.
In excellent cosmetic condition however there is an issue - * THE CHRONOGRAPH FUNCTION IS NOT WORKING * - the pusher at 4 & 10 o'clock do not do anything; the pusher at 2 o'clock works intermittently and the 1/10s subscale runs but the other chrono hands do not move. The continuous seconds at 6 is working.
Accordingly this will need and service and some spare parts to get back into full working order and is being SOLD AS IS - FOR SPARES OR REPAIR
Below is a bit more about the watch;
This was the first
non-mechanical Quartz chronograph watch issued to Her Majesties armed forces.
It was first issued in 1984 just in time for late Cold War. These watches were only
issued to RAF personnel who actually needed them such as pilots and navigator.
This watch is therefore likely to have been worn by either a Harrier, Tornado or other
RAF aircraft pilot or navigator.
No strap - watch head only.
Measures 37mm diameter
excluding crown and 44mm lug to lug.
Brand new Swiss Renata
battery professionally fitted.
It is in excellent
condition, for a military issued watch, with a very clean crystal, and minimal
evidence of previous use, such as small abrasions to the case suggesting it was
well looked after by the RAF pilot to whom it was issued. The dial is in great
condition and keeping excellent Quartz time however THE CHRONOGRAPH FUNCTION IS NOT WORKING.
The NATO Stock Number
(NSN) that is stamped on the back of military-issued equipment in the case of
the Seiko, here, is 6645-99 7683056, which
decodes as;
6645 = Time Measuring
Instruments
99 = NATO Country code
United Kingdom
768-3056 = individual
part number
Below the NSN and the Broad Arrow mark historically stamped on any number of things indicating they
were property of the Crown is the issue number (0560) and the year it went out
(84), and below that is the actual Seiko serial number.
Below is a bit more
about the Seiko Gen 1;
Seiko claimed numerous
world firsts throughout their years, from the first automatic chronograph, the
first commercial quartz watch (which, at the time, was way more expensive than
mechanical ones), and they also were the first to launch a proper analogue
chronograph watch that happened to be quartz the 7A28.
There were a number of
variants in case style, but the most sought-after of the 7A28 is the
military-issued one known as the RAF Gen 1 (and an RAF Gen 2 came along later
using a different movement). To give it the correct name, it's a Seiko
7A28-7120.
The most obvious
differences between these watches and the consumer 7A28 is that they have fixed
bars on the case (rather than spring bars) a common standard on military
watches, as well as a circled P (for Promethium the luminous material used)
mark on the dial and military insignia on the rear.
The 7A28-7120, now
most often called the Gen 1 (Seiko later supplied a second generation in the
1990s), was first issued to British pilots in October 1984 and was not replaced
until November 1990.
The Gen 1's 37mm
diameter case is simpler than all commercially available 7A28 models; it has a
matte, bead blasted finish, an integrated, unmarked bezel, and fixed strap
bars.
To comply with
military guidelines, Seiko stamped a circle P on the dial, indicating that
Promethium, a mildly radioactive man-made element, was used to illuminate
portions of the dial and hands.
On the case back are
stamped the NATO stock numbers, as well as the watch's individual issue number
and year of issue. The broad arrow (->) symbol indicates that the
watch was property of the British Crown (Ministry of Defence property) and did
not belong to an individual airman.
Like all Seiko 7A28
models, the Gen 1 has a well-designed, functional chronograph with the
stopwatch indicators arranged efficiently around the dial. WHEN WORKING (THIS ONE ISN'T!) the 3:00 o'clock register measures 1/10ths of a second and zips round super
fast, while the large center hand ticks incremental seconds. The 9:00 o'clock register records chronograph
minutes up to 30. Time is displayed with standard center hour and minute
hands and a continuous seconds hand in the bottom register.
The 7A28 movement,
officially introduced by Seiko in 1983, is notable for being the first quartz
analog chronograph, meaning the stopwatch uses hands propelled by a
battery-powered quartz movement. Prior to its introduction in the early
1980s, all previous chronographs had either been analog (with hands) powered by
a mechanical, spring-powered movement, or digital (with a screen) powered by a
quartz movement.
The 7A28 paved the way
for the affordable, reliable, and stylish quartz analog chronographs we see on
the market today. The use of metal gears throughout the 15-jewel containing
movement made it robust and easily repaired, meaning the watches can last a very
long time if well maintained. The 7A28 is generally regarded as being a
Roll Royce of quartz chronograph movements, of much higher quality than the
vast majority of such movements produced today. Collectors have taken note, and
a solid community exists for collecting and maintaining these watches and other
7A28 models.
All in all a lovely
Seiko Gen. 1 7A28-7120 British Royal Air Force military issued 1990 chronograph
watch in excellent military issued condition, BUT SOLD FOR SPARES OR REPAIR AS CHRONOGRAPH FUNCITON NOT WORKING.
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