Seiko

Browsing the Damjan long and always legendary thread about Seiko watches, I notice a strange (to me) watch.

This watch was posted by Cazalea:


(Picture, of course, by Mike/Cazalea)

Since we live on a small world, here what I saw on the wrist of a dear friend:

(Yes, I agree that his arm demands a shave)

Another pic:

My friend's watch is not identical to Cazalea's (Mike) but VERY similar.

I immediately fired my trusty Android phone and showing to my friend he asked the following question:

They are from the same time or one is newer?

Since I'm not a Seiko guy (I'm working on that, stay tuned), I would like to ask this question to the experts here.

Thanks in advance.

Cheers,

Nilo

if memory serves me correctly; my pictures and information are on an archive drive.

They released several versions (different cases) in the immediate following years, then went to more convention cases and dials.

I wish I still had mine.

TM

(above comments subject to admittedly frequently faulty memory)

Thomas,

My friend will be very thankful for your information and more, about your comment "I wish I still had mine".

Cheers,

Nilo

Both watches have a unique mecha-kinetic movement known as 9T82. 


This message has been edited by cazalea on 2013-07-15 21:39:33

I notice, after I posted the two watches, that yours was titanium cased.

Thank you again, about the movement info.

Cheers,

Nilo

In September 2000, I got one of these (shown below). It's a Seiko SLQ007J Sportura Kinetic Chronograph in steel. As Thomas said, they were available in a variety of case materials and styles starting around 2000. Although mine is not a limited edition, I've seen several seemingly identical watches that ARE part of a limited edition of 1500 (they have limited edition numbers stamped on their warranty cards and casebacks, etc.). I never wear it anymore -- maybe once every few years -- but it's cool to look at and wind up sometimes. You "wind" it by rocking it back and forth until your arm feels like it's about to fall off (200 times, I think, before the second hand stops jumping 2 seconds at a time, which is its low power indicator). Seiko does make a winding device for these, too (model YT02A). I've never seen the winder in person, but I believe it's a plate that you put your watch on dial down and then it spins around. As I recall, there was a common mechanical issue with a non-user-removable battery (though it's kinetic) or capacitor regularly going bad on these -- not holding a charge. That's the limit of my knowledge.

It is a bit of an issue when the power cell goes bad, because it's in the midst of the nicely-decorated movement. They either have to make a trip home to the spa in Japan, or get a slightly dodgy aftermarket redo. 

I recall there was considerable outrage at the mention of this "power cell" problem for those who thought it was a battery (vs. a capacitor). Do you know any more about this "fuel cell"? Was it more like a non-removable battery in that it has a self-contained, gradually depleting energy supply when it's installed (which makes the "kinetic" idea sort of disingenous)? Or was it more like a capacitor in that it stored energy supplied externally for relatively brief period of time? I don't remember if there was ever clarity about that.

As anything in he universe, it expires.

A parts supplier that I use from time to time has some replacements.

Omega, if my mind is working had some watches with similar technology on the late 90's.

Cheers,

Nilo

... because I recall quite a few people needed to get them replaced within a few years of purchasing these watches.

a capacitor powered by rotor, not a successful watch for Omega but the kinetic system really made it big time for Seiko.
a good invention.

G

I remember, years back seeing my watchmaker trying to fix a watch with this movement.

He fixed, after days of work but he stated: "No more!", followed by a stream of words that could make a sailor to blush.

Cheers,

Nilo

i owned one and had no problems with it, but they were a bit small.