Restoring the Forgotten: Seiko Elnix 1970s Hybrid Watch Comes Back to Life
Вставка
- Опубліковано 20 січ 2024
- In this video I tackle a very interesting genre of watch the Seiko Elnix. An electro mechanical watch that were around in the early to mid 70s. Fully mechanical movement with balance wheel but powered by a battery.
This one is in a terrible state but can I work my magic to get it going again? watch to find out.
Please checkout Andy's website for a stunning selection of vintage Seikos www.thevintagejapanesewatchco...
My Second Channel: / @mywatchreviews
My tool affiliate links page. Items do not cost you any more and I earn a small commission. All tools are hand picked by myself. myretrowatches.com/tool-sale-l...
A donation to the channel can be made here. www.buymeacoffee.com/MyRetroW...
Like to buy a T-Shirt? then please look here: teespring.com/stores/my-retro...
Thank you for your support.
My website: myretrowatches.com/
My Facebook Group - Retro & Vintage Watches & Restorations. In here you will find a very large friendly community where no question is too silly and you will find no watch snobbery.
Stuck on a WATCH REPAIR? join and get answers from the watchmaking collective.
/ retro.vintage.watches....
My Instagram: / myretrowatches
Email. michael@myretrowatches.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About me:
My name is Mike and I am a hobbyist watchmaker. I am completely self-taught in watch repair and restoration. My channel is all about my journey of hobbyist of watchmaking. I have watch repair tutorials, watch restorations and watch repair videos. Some of my content you can easily follow along to if you are working on the same watch movement. My main focus is to document my journey and inspire more people into this wonderful hobby and demonstrate that this hobby can be very rewarding. I do not profess to be a professional watchmaker and in my videos, I show all my mistakes, mishaps, highs and lows and keep everything as honest as possible. It is easy to edit all the mistakes out and make my videos look perfect but I believe that keeping it real reflects the true reality of this hobby. So what are you waiting for? please check out my watch repair and restoration videos, get inspired and start your own watchmaking journey.
#watchrepair #watchrestoration #watchmaking
What a fascinating movement, battery power without quartz! Or mechanical without mainspring...love it. Thank you for sharing.
I bought one because of your video and I can say I am not disappointed at all. This watch is amazing, the ticking is incredible. To anyone thinking of buying one do it you won’t be disappointed.
Yes please, do the Citizen as well. Love your work and your videos.
What a great video and certainly an interesting blend of battery and mechanical power! I'm intrigued. Maybe I could get me one someday to have a go at. Thanks again Mike!
Joe
Thank you
Absolutely Fascinating !!!! And its an electric watch that i like looking at !!!!! Great video !!!!!!
Hi Mike! That watch is a crazy design! Never seen anything like it. I appreciate you showing this watch to us. I am glad you rescued those watches and put them back in service with the exception of the one in the video. At least you got spare parts out of it. Great video.
Thank you and I am pleased your enjoyed this one .
Love the dial, so interesting and good looking
This is one of your best restorations. Great job!
Thanks for that. For me it’s the 100 year old Omega as that was the biggest challenge
@@MyRetroWatches yes, that was also an epic one.
Andy Windle is a top bloke, he repaired a quartz watch for me that none of the local watch repairers wanted to touch 🤙
He’s a good lad. I’m lucky to know him personally as he is local to me.
@@MyRetroWatches I wanted to visit him when I was working in Hatton, but didn't get any free time, as it was just too busy. I'd like to take a trip up at some point, visit my friends at the rescue ranch, and maybe take the train to one of the watch shows
Yes please do the Citizen as well. Really enjoy your videos.
Citizen is in production
Loved this warts and all video Mike and your glee when it finally fires up which I totally identify with. I bought a lovely Citizen Cosmotron X8 “Transistorised” date coded to June 1970 a year or so ago as like you, was fascinated by the technology of combining electronics with a mechanical balance wheel movement. To think this technology was being developed in the late 1960’s is truly mind blowing! I haven’t plucked up the courage to service it myself so it goes without saying I would love to see your Citizen with that beautiful faceted crystal the subject of a video in the future to perhaps inspire the confidence to give mine a go!👍
Excellent video. I'd love to see the Citizen done, too.
Fantastic vid Mike, once again your close up work is superb. Not seen one of these stripped before 👍
Thank you. I do try hard to make better quality videos (image wise) now so its nice its appreciated because it takes a long time to edit these now.
That’s such a fun design! Truly amazing how electrical engineering overlapped with the more traditional mechanical train/balance escapement during this time period. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Its a fascinating hybrid. I’m now working on the Citizen which is just as bonkers and that one is 36,000 VPH . Thanks for watching Chris.
Very interesting thanks
Great video Mike, well done 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks mate, always appreciate it from you.
Let's (you) go for it....😅 Love your channel, I know you Cando it !!
Thanks for posting Mike. Looking forward to the next
Great video Mike - love to see the Citizen being repaired and serviced.
Citizen is in production!
Thanks for this - they're lovely watches. I look forward to seeing the Cosmotron.
I have my elnix blue dial with that faceted glass and give it to my wife . Beautiful watch.
Haven’t read all the comments or watched the full video (am watching now) however, a mild solution of warmed vinegar would remove all the sulfate from the battery. You have my interest peaked although I have a NOS EL-3702 date, 11 jewels. The Goddard’s works as it is a mild acid. Vinegar is cheaper though and I use it on electronic boards as well as metal. Cheers, Geoff
Andy's vintage shop is great
I have already purchased a few watches from him and no problems...the products are as described
Recommended for lovers of old Japanese watches.. mainly from the Seiko brand
Interesting video thank you, I wished i had the time 20 years ago i may have had a try at watch repair
Of course I want to see you work on the Citizen as well.
Thanks for the video the seiko is an interesting one ! I think the citizen would be interesting with its own quirks so a yes please from me.
Thanks for watching! Citizen is being recorded now!
Hi, great video :) and YES, I wanna see Citizen also :)
Got it! Thanks
Well done again Mike.
Thanks for the video. Couple tips, when handling batteries, use plastic tweezers as you short the battery using metal tweezers. 35:35 Plus, if the battery insulator is missing, polyamide tape works great. Also, you can use a slurry of water and baking soda to neutralize the corrosive from the battery.
Thank you. I largely use fibre ended tweezers and didnt realise in this video I used steel, actually thought I used my fingers!
I was using the silver dip because I have cleaned up tarnish off wheels before with good results. I didnt realise it was going to dissolve the electorates!
Yes please do the Citizen as well
Great video Mike, very interesting. Thanks for sharing. If you need a new home for your scrap main plate id be interested in buying it for a holder project. 👍
Really cool watch. You did a great job on it Mike. Thank you
I'm glad you like it.
I have an elnix and a citizen cosmotron GX (tuning fork), love these little and almost forgotten pieces of engineering. Thanks for the video as always, this one will make me appreciate my elnix even more.
I thought Citizen tuning forks were only the Hisonic range which I own. Didn’t know one as a cosmotron so will have to look into that.
Thanks for watching
Bellas piezas de una tecnología híbrida que son de llamar la atención. El único pero es el cuidado y mantenimiento.
Salú2 desde Puebla México.
What a movement!!!?? I know a lot of Seiko's, but I did not know this one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I even gave my wife(she my late wife now) a Seiko 5 mechanical automatic, and at the time said to her; TAKE THIS FOR A WATCH YOU LITTLE PSYCHO!!!!!!!!!!!!! RE
Really enjoyed this video. Followed every move. Oooh Ah Contona!
Haha! Not heard that for years
It's like an alternate universe movement where quartz was never discovered! The thing I found the strangest was the idea of actively introducing magnetism into it. Very strange, and yes, would love to see the Cosmotron.
Hi Endy yes magnets in a (largely) mechanical watch is an interesting concept. I like how the whole train works in reverse. Made for an interesting video subject I think.
Of course i wanna see the citizen! 🤩
Its now in production!
I LOVED hearing the excitement in your voice when it began to run. A NEW place for you
R53t4teu6eyuei
4eyew7iiuqgge87rygjheuu😂
Ilier3uu😢😂
Iwgwehehwj😂😢😊😅❤
Yewityo66euwui😂😢🎉
The best thing I've found to regulate is a spring bar tool. It never slips off.
Very true, its a good idea.
Great work as always mate. Arent they amazing novements! Looking forward to you getting around to the 38 series another one you'll love.
quartz? I do have a Seiko Morpho 38 in dire need of work but like most of my projects they remain waiting!
Yes the 3803 morpho. Movements are a work of art with a couple of challenges in terms of setting them up correctly! They're built like a brick outhouse.
@@gadgetstop didn’t know it was you I was talking to Andy!
This is ridiculous. I ran out of things to work on on the workbench so I pulled out a lovely Timex electric and have been exploring it all weekend. I can't stand working on Timex but I think this one I might give a shot now that you have uploaded this. Thank you so much!
I absolutely love the one on the mesh strap.
Yes me too. That one surprised me as it was looking awful on arrival with a cracked and badly scratched crystal which I replaced. The mesh I added too.
Great job Mike! and what an interesting movement never knew that was a thing, nice looking watches to
Thanks, yes these are an interesting thing to work on.
Loved this , i lile unusual stuff , nice repair as usual
Thanks 👍
Ooh... yes. I picked up an el 330 with a gorgeous wave patterned dial i have been meaning to tear down soon. thanks for the preview on the movement inside!
The EL330 is totally different. I’ve just done one myself. Interesting movements but the way they power the balance is very strange and requires a bit of setting up.
I liked the 330 so much I’ve got another 2 coming !
I'll have to figure out how to show it to you after its done. I saw the dial and it was way too unique to let it go. It is metallic green with a 3d wave like pattern embossed onto the surface that fades into a lighter green in the lower areas. almost looks like Lilly pads on a pond. I had never seen a Seiko dial like that before but after researching, it is authentic. Anyway thanks for the reply! @@MyRetroWatches
Great vid Mike.
These and the similar Swissonic watches are fascinating and I’m definitely going to look at getting a seiko elnix sometime.
Looking forward to your cosmotron video sometime soon!!
Cheers
Simon
Thanks Simon I will have to take a look at the Swiss ones one day.
PS. I gave your vid a massive like. Thanks for the vid.....
Thank you.
I'd love to see the citizen! BTW, I've learned a lot from your videos!
Glad to hear it as it makes the effort worthwhile. Citizen will be filmed!
Hi Mike, i enjoyed watching, great video, thank you, looks like fun servicing/fixing one of those, i've seen them before i didn't know they were a higher beat hybrid movement though, looking forward to see the Citizen and how their movement is constructed hope that is higher beat. Bloody electrolytes, cheers mate.
The Citizen is 36,000 so even better!
What an interesting movement indeed, shame it wasn’t salvageable ! But still a good watch, pardon the pun 😅 keep safe buddy
Great vid! Cosmotron, yes please Sir. 😁 funny enough as it happens I'm watching your vid wearing a French Lip "Nautic-Ski" diver with lip's R148 electronic movement. Which is _kinda- similar in how it works. Not as high frequency though and more old school(they were one of the first to do the electric thing). Your Seiko is clearly more up to date.
Vinegar is great to clean up battery leakage as it neutralises the basic residue from the battery. As you have a acid-base reaction you need to give it a wash afterwards.
By coincidence, I had just set the time on my Seiko Elnix when I clicked on UA-cam and saw this video :)
Enjoyed that one Michael! Fascinated by the Seiko engineering that makes it tick. Really good video and as always clear shots and explanation. I can see me wanting to have a go at one of those. Would love to see a video of the Citizen. Thanks for sharing the knowledge mate!
Clive mate thanks. These are a lot of fun and I really like how the train works backwards.
Thank you for showing us this. I've heard of these, but I can't say I've ever seen one. Very interesting design inside. I especially like the blue one towards the end with the vertical facets. I'd like to see the Citizen too if you're up for it. Thanks for another great video, cheers!
Thanks. Yes the blue facet one is fantastic, does not come well over film and photo as its much nicer in real. Citizen will be filmed. Thanks for watching.
Hi. As a soviet watch fan I can tell you that there is an electromechanical Luch with the 3055 caliber. By the way, please do the Citizen, as well ;)
I have never heard nor seen anything like this before. You did an admirable job considering what you had to work with. And I love the damaged dial because I'd never see it, and it adds to the story of the watch itself. And isn't that really what an old watch does?
There is patina on a dial which I like but this is just damage from an owner leaving a battery in there to explode. It might tell a story but if I had changed the crystal out for new I think it would have looked awful. The movement will work again as I will just re-service once I have found a donor dial. Thanks for watching,
@@MyRetroWatches I agree. I can say that I spent way more time looking up this watch and a few other very fascinating watches of the same era. I have to thank you for this video because I've now found a new watch I want to add to strange collection! (Sure, the dial shows the lack care by a previous owner, but it still looks cool to me!) And I love your channel, and have for a while because you show a love for what you do.
Hi Mike, I’m happy and sad for all the effort you put into the watch. Loved the little clip insert at 1:24. I can appreciate the eBay gamble. I do it a lot on various stuff and have a good rate of satisfaction over disappointment. The end “doner” watches seem to have become the receivers. 😆😆 Cheers 🍻
Thanks. The blue one will eventually be recommissioned . Just a matter of time, pun intended 😂
Having developed a bit of an affinity for the Cosmotron range then I'd love to see you do one of those.
Feel some sort of odd need to point out that Citizen were first to market globally with the electronic balance concept.
The 780x movement type would be interesting I think due to the unusual quickset day/date mechanism with the 7803s having the flyback seconds hand reset/hack button as well - these also scream along at 36k BPH!
Thanks . My citizen is 7804. The video is now in production. Stripdown was enjoyable!
Yes show the Citizen pls.
Hybrid watches can be fun.
Interesting video, shame the main one didn't work out, but nice watches, I don't know why no one makes them today?
I think I might have mentioned in the past, i've got one branded Winner with an ESA movement.
Not seen these before, enjoyed the video,would like to see the one you are thinking of doing.
Thank you.
I also have a Cosmotron, so yes, I'd like to see that one restored too!
video is in production.
Ye gods! That was a hiroshima in there! Great to see a working example in the end...they are lovely movements 👍
Thanks Clive. Yes it was a real disaster inside but that’s what makes it more of a challenge!
I have the earlier EL370, lovely watch but would love the increased BPH of the Elnix
That’s the model I’m missing. I have just finished working on a EL330 that I liked so much I bought 2 more but they are a totally different movement. Elnix is a good evolution of the series and worthy of ownership.
great job getting the watch going, I would love to see you work on the citizen cosmotron as I have a 1975 7803 day/date with seconds hand reset button on the opposite side to the crown. My one has a small issue with setting the hands when you pull the crown fully out, the hands only move now and then. Cheers My Retro
the Cosmotron is a 7804 I think, I have started to make that video already.
First time I've ever seen one of these movements and it was fascinating thank you - would love to see the citizen under the scope too, be interesting to see how they engineered their version.
The citizen video is in production due to popular demand in the comments😂
Schönen dass sich jemand dieser Uhren annimmt. 😊
Thank you.
Yes please.
I just finished disassembly of the dial side! What took you 14 minutes took me a couple hours... (I posted a question earlier today before this one but I don't see it.)
Hi Bill. Not in the groups right now I have some personal things happening.
If you post in Retro & Vintage Watches & Restorations my friend Andy Windle will give advise on these for you.
@@MyRetroWatches Praying for you!!!
The Cosmotron movement looks very similar to the Seiko. I have 3 of them, and it would be interesting to see a resto on that red dial version.
Well I will certainly be thinking of doing it soon .
I'm trying to repair a 0702 too!!
good luck.
Don't know about this but in general, battery acid/corrosion melts away with warm water without any rubbing/scrubbing.
Amazing repair job👏👏👏🙂
Do you sell one of them?
thanks not yet but I might be selling some watches soon once I have a shopify store sorted out . I will announce in a video when its all setup. Could be a few months away though.
Absolutely do the citizen as well. Also, does a battery powered balance wheel have a soul?
Citizen yes. Soul, yes with these I think as there is a lot of engineering going on and we are still using a balance wheel to regulate with a lovely smooth tick. i find them a really interesting concept. What I didnt say is there was two models before this EL330 and EL370 so the Elnix is the fine tuned version so to speak.
If you would like to purchase any tools & equipment then please see my Amazon affiliate & eBay (I do earn a small commission from any sales.) Thank you.
Link: Link: myretrowatches.co.uk/tool-sale-links/
If you would like to buy any of my T-Shirts then please look here: teespring.com/stores/my-retro-watches
www.buymeacoffee.com/MyRetroWatches
Since the hacking mechanism disconnects the battery, you can pull the crown while you’re not using it and save the battery drain and moulding
Just seen one on eBay where the battery cover has been lost and someone has used an hour hand instead 😂
Abs brilliant, it now means I can prob take on my Soviet 3055 electromechanical Luch as the movements are very alike and there isn't a lot of info on the Soviet one :D
Hello Mike just discovered your channel and have been fascinated with it something I’ve wanted to take up have just stated to collect some tools but I am hesitant to start on a watch in your opinion witch watch to start on risking it may never work again. I have no clean equipment and a bare minimum of tools thank you for your channel and long may you continue
One day soon I need to make a video for beginners although it would just be my opinion nothing more. I would suggest you start with something cheap and something simple. depending on where you are in the world there are 60s-70s dress watches on ebay that don't have and calendar works. These can be good (avoid radium dials) having no calendar means its much less complicated. 15 Jewels would be a good movement. Jewel count does not mean all that much but 15j -17j + are good for placing bridges and wheels . Buy something that you dont mind loosing, I still buy many watches for £20.00 UK each and it keeps me very happy. On this channel I show cheap costing watches more than the expensive ones. I like to prove that you can have just as much fun with them.
Thank you Mike I’m in the uk not far from you Walsall and 68 years old eyes on the way down these days cheers for the reply
@@TheHodsocks I only have one good eye. Once you magnify small things become huge !
Let’s see the cosmotron!!!
Video is in production!
Yes, I would like to see the citizen be repaired.
Thanks, its now in production
Cosmotron, please!
First use a cotton tip with whiskey, than put it in the Buzz-bath, that should help against the chemical dandruff :) Or just use the tools I send you ;)
Thanks for the video! Will be a great help if my Elnix decides to pack it in. Hopefully never
Hopefully it wont! they do need servicing though from time to time
My repair attempt is stuck on a broken 3th wheel.. do you have spares to sell? Thanks
defo do the Citizen
Shame that the project one turned out the way it did in the end after all that work you put into it but what an interesting design. Keep up the good work!
Thanks, its not wasted the others look fantastic and the blue dial will eventually be replaced.
I would think that any oil should be extremely lite as there is no force on the train from mainspring. The balance would be as normal. Very interesting for sure however.
Sound logic. Think the pivots still need some plus the balance shocks
Is there a tool that allows more fine control when adjusting the regulator? I’m visualizing 2 short brass pins to engage the regulator plate, attached to a short vertical bar, with a long pointer at the other end to grip and show how much you’re turning. Seems less risky than fumbling a screwdriver into the hairspring
Thats what the screw is for on this model as you can fine tune it However it was that far out and thats because the balance was not native to the watch as it came out of the blue dialled one so would need beat error correction along with regulation. I have seen people use pegwood or tweezers before however most UA-camrs seem to not film any of their regulation unfortunately.
Only last week I repaired a watch from a guy who attempted regulation and bent the hairspring as a result...
@@MyRetroWatches Thanks for the reply, Mike. It’s all too easy to slip up and bend a hairspring, which was why I thought there has to be a better way, even with a timegrapher. In my recent experience, all it takes is holding the balance cock upside down and flipping the balance wheel upside down, and you’re in for a treat of untangling. FYI Fran Blanch(e?) on YT has an old 1970’s video of Henry Fried, showing how to untangle a hairspring. Somehow I usually can’t make that work and end up bending the hairspring on the regulator pins. Then it’s a couple of hours of needling. What a hobby!
A hybrid movement which seems to be used by several brands, Swissonic?
Yes many made these types of movements.
Hello I couldn't find the link for Andy
It’s in the description but here is the link to his site
www.thevintagejapanesewatchcompany.com/
I think only you would have a spare mainplate for a Seiko Elnix. Honestly, to me the stuff on the dial just looked like 50 years of patina to me. It's to be expected I think.
There is a difference between natural patina and blisters from battery leak. Still an interesting watch movement. thanks for watching.
Is the seiko kinetics based on the same principle ? Of course it use a rechargeable battery instead, I'm just wondering if the balance wheel is "feed" the same way.
As far as I know the kintetic movements are all quartz and its just a rotor that winds to create kinetic energy to power the movement.
In a sense, the Kinetic is the opposite. This is a mechanical watch powered by a battery instead of a mainspring. The Kinetic is a quartz watch that uses movement to charge its battery.
@@jlitwiller Then Seiko explores both "ends" 🙂
Good evening have you ever serviced a Tudor?
sorry no.
@MyRetroWatches
Would you like to?
Is this this precursor to the Spring Drive?
I doubt it but cant say for certain.
Pls show us the Citizen, and I promise that, in TIME, I'll become a model citizen.....RE😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀😀
There is an overwhelming amount of comments for making the CItizen video so I will make this happen.
Confirming that it’s acid- use backing soda and distilled water?