Absolutely outstanding, holy cow. I'm midway through starting a watch career, with plans to supplementally attend watchmaking school for a certificate next year. This is the single finest breakdown of a typical watch service I have ever seen, it was like going from having read a book on the subject to seeing it in VR, so to speak. Thank you so much for this!!
When I started there were not many videos on watch repair and most of the time I wasn’t able to see much. I wasn’t very happy so I decided to make my own videos the way I’d like to see them. Glad to hear you enjoyed it! 👍
it's an accomplishment learning and using a scope in your craft...I did when I was in automotive...you will be respected by your peers...composite materials are ok, it's doesn't mean cheap, it's to make the contact points quite and or if too much stress is put on the item the gear i.e. will break not the rest of mechanism...kind regards
Grazie molto interessante, belle inquadratura e ottica superba, da questo video tuttavia emergono tutti i limiti di un calibro che è troppo simile ad un nh 35, finiture top calibri nella fascia media di seiko così così.
You put a lot of work into that video and gave me a great insight into how the motion and keyless works interact as well as how other parts work together. Appreciate you for taking the time to explain all this for a very keen hobbyist and novice. Thanks Leo! 👍
Superb video!! The commentary is a little wild lol, but superb video! Easily the best breakdown and explanations I've seen! Not to mention all the things you were able to capture on camera, very impressive! I wasn't planning on watching the entire thing but I was so fascinated I couldn't stop. Thank you 👍
Thank you! It’s daunting at first but after you’ve serviced a few watches you realise they all work on the same principle, the parts are similar and it becomes easy to remember all the parts.
Thanks for the lovely video. I have the same (Kuzuya) Alpinist and love mine, mines a year older than yours. Did you know... Seiko designer Sakai who worked on development of the first green Alpinist in 1995, the green dial colour was inspired by his green Rover Mini. He is quoted as saying "We had the option of using olive green or military green, the car I was driving at that time was what’s called Almond Green, a rather dark, classic shade of green. I wanted to make the dial color like that with a real sense of depth". When the Sakai Alpinist was redesigned in 2006 by Kuzuya the dial colour was kept identical.
Wow, I never knew that. It’s amazing when you find out how it was created. There is always something nobody would ever expect. And here we have it, the designer’s Mini. It makes you smile. Thank you for the info, much appreciated 👍
I have an early personal import of that JDM watch which is still going strong.I have it on the same bracelet which I can highly recommend , it is a perfect fit.. I always wondered what it looked like inside. Thanks to your great photography now I know.
Great video thanks. On the NH15 version the post for the day wheel is missing, at least it was on the one I bought from cousins. I buy NH36 and break them for spares (about £30 from you know where), you can rob the post and the other bits needed to make 6R15 with day wheel and don't forget to swap the hour wheel. If the stem is in the wrong place you will need a different day wheel, order a JDM one for a bit of flash. The NH36 mainsprings can be used on lots of the 7 series movements but the barrel teeth are cut different to most. The whole escapement is a great upgrade to the older 7 series. Cheers.
Nice to hear you enjoyed it. The NH36 is great for spares, especially at that price. Seiko certainly designed the movements in a way to make the production as cost effective as possible. I don’t mean cheap, they thought of how to reuse whatever they already have to make different movements. I also use the NH36 movements for all kinds of testing. Any work I’m not familiar with as the NH36 movements are cheap and it doesn’t hurt that much when something goes wrong.
Fantastic video. I'm new to the hobby, but it is falling into place for me at the moment. This video was a real shot in the arm for me. You're a really funny guy and a great teacher at the same time. Thanks.
Just fantastic. Ironic, but some of the work you show reminds me of complex fishing reel assembly, even down to the lubricants. Many people will prefer their own lubricant recommendations over factory, especially people like me who help design the reels. I make all sorts of custom oils used not only to lubricate parts but also to tune the reels performance. Oil is used to tame /control and tune spool rotation speeds and feel, as friction modifiers for drag components and water sealing. All of this is used in harmony with centrifugal brake blocks, mechanical friction and magnetic forces to tune and modify spool performance. Seems so simple in theory but in practice a real struggle to get it right (balanced). These reels when properly adjusted and paired with proper line, weights and rod can cast a 5 oz / 150 g weight over 900 ft / 275m. This is huge sport in the UK and a very enjoyable hobby to test yourself. BTW, the color of one of my favorite high-performance casting / multiplier reels is the Abu Garcia 6500 C3CT Mag Elite in nearly the same color as the dial of this Seiko.
Glad you enjoyed it! Probably a little different with watch lubricants. They are highly refined due to the tolerances. We're dealing with hundredths of mm. I have the Seiko greases but favour the Swiss lubricants. I agree, all kinds of mechanisms have to be properly adjusted to run well. It takes time and patience 👍
I bought the eTimer software several months ago after watching one of your videos. Its fantastic and I trust the data much more than the other machine i was using. Great video!
It’s nice. Don't forget to calibrate it though. I like the read out for all six positions and the long term log is great. You’ll see what you’d never see with the timegrapher. But don’t take me wrong, for a quick check, I still use the timegrapher because it’s right there on my desk ready to be used immediately.
Leo, I have a Bergeon 4854 cannon pinion tool. I found the same problem as you. I used some small diameter electrical heat shrink which I heated to size on different sized screw drivers. Sometimes using two or three layers of heat shrink. Each piece of heat shrink being just a few millimeters in length - similar to the scale of a cannon pinion. Now I have a selection of small rubber tubes, with different diameters, which I can fit over small cannon pinions to increase the diameter to suit the Bergeon tool. If you don't have access to heat shrink let me know and I can make a similar selection of tubes for you. They are tiny and can be sent in a letter by post. By the way I very must enjoy your streams.
That’s pretty cool. I have seen few different modifications, including different collets. I just don’t understand why Bergeon doesn’t make it smaller. Or perhaps two or three different collets which could be interchanged as required. Thank you for the offer, very kind. I’m happy with the presto tool, it does the job, it’s quick. I’m just annoyed that they make a tool that’s very much useless unless you work on larger watches. Cheers, Leo
Hi I am thinking of buying the SPB355J1(its the most recent version of the sieko alpinest just in a limited edition).My question is,if the movement still has the plastic parts and if so, would it be a good idea to buy it and still be a reliable watch.Also out of 1 to 10 how hard was it to service as i would want to service it when i need to.
I'm not sure whether it has plastic parts, Seiko watches now generally do. Do not worry about it. They are made of plastic in case the user does something wrong, ie. changes the date when he shouldn't. It's only the plastic part that will break because it's softer than the metal parts it interracts with. You can think of it as a fuse. It's not popular but it's clever. Every watch repairer would give you a differen answer. All depends how well they know the movement and also if it needs any repairs. I have done a fair few Seiko watches and this one didn't need any repairs so it was easy 👍
Oh, he does bracelets now. I bought this Alpinist from Seiya and there were no optional bracelets them days. You had to find your own elsewhere if you didn’t want that dreadful strap it came with.
Thank you for making this video. When I first bought (new) my SARB017 in 2017 it ran well within spec, then it started to run several minutes fast per day, I was always careful with it as far as around anything magnetic, etc. I made one attempt to regulate it myself, which worked for a little while, then it started running fast again; sometimes it ran in spec, now it runs several minutes fast per day again.
As the watch is running fast, it would make you think it’s magnetised but it could anything. After six years of owning it, it really would be good to get it serviced. My recommendation is to service watches at around every 5 years or whenever the timekeeping is no longer what it used to be, whichever comes first. As you’ve had for six years now, the best solution to this would be to get it serviced. Even if you’ve not worn it every single day, the oils and greases will dry out over the years and the timekeeping will suffer.
It would be the best thing to do. It’s not only that it’s running fast. When the oils dry out, and they do, the parts start wearing out and you don’t want that. That can be prevented if it’s serviced, just a like a car.
What a legend this is brilliant! I am currently struggling with a quickset day and date on my 4r36. I took the dial and hands off then realised my crap screwdrivers are useless on the small screws so I put it back together again/ shitting myself whilst doing this. I am hoping the problem is the white plastic date setting wheel? Or a keyless problem? This is my first attempt at a fix so any advise is greatly appreciated before I have to buy a nh36😂. This message is sent from the year 2254 so the movement is 230 years old and Seiko head office is in Preston uk ooooo you’ll be glad to know the term wicked wheel has been adopted. 👍
Oh, wonder how much Seiko costs in 2254, probably millions! Back in the day over 200 years ago it used to cost around £300! It’s very difficult to say what the issue is without seeing it. Did the quick set date stop working and that’s why you took it apart? Or did you take it apart and now the quick set date doesn’t work? Is the white plastic wheel in the right way? Not upside down?
Great video i just ourchased a watch with a 6r35 and i hear that they arrive from the factory all over the map as far as regulation. Good to know the movement can be improved with some tlc. Great video
It will probably take some time to settle. The timekeeping will most likely change over the first few weeks. When I bought mine it was running fast but it was OK after a month or so 👍
Wow! I'm kind of in shock now seeing how many plastic parts are in there. Hopefully these are durable enough. Thank you for detailed explanation how this all works and thank you for the entertainment.
Thank you! I didn't know at the time of making the video but now I know the plastic acts as a fuse. Rather than damaging a whole bunch of parts, it's only the plastic that will break.
The plastics parts are where the quick set day/date happens. If someone changes it at the time when the parts are are engaged, close to midnight, if something breaks, it will only be the plastic
This was a fantastic video for someone who wants to get into watch servicing as a hobby! Thank you very much! Can I ask what bracelet you are using here? The only thing turning me away from the Alpinist is that leather strap :p
In addition to the plastic, I recognize stamped gears and bridges rather than the machined parts I've seen in my fine 1964 Swiss Bulova and lesser 80s Gruen hand wound watches. Plastics might achieve lower friction, perhaps without the need for oil. It's progress, I suppose. Do other brands still machine gears one tooth at a time? If Seiko saves cost and retains durability and timekeeping accuracy, isn't likely other name brands will follow with stamped or plastic parts? p.s. your fine delivery and explanations have earned my instant like and subscribe. Thanks for a great video.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! I’d say the stamped and plastic parts are for cost saving. All ‘inexpensive’ watches will be produced the same way. The more expensive ones will be machined and the very expensive movements will be handmade. It all comes down to cost, speed etc. I wouldn’t say others will follow but all/most brands have their cheaper and more expensive watches and the movements inside will reflect the price, most of the time.
Yeah I don't even know much about watches, but I could see some of those parts were stamped. I like the look of the watch, but the plastic parts sort of put me off it.
Plastic on plastic interface actually makes a lot of sense, especially when there's barely any force required to turn that bezel. If something gets stuck, it's better for the wheel/gear to get its teeth sheared off than to cause some serious damage to the bezel and movement. It applies to other parts of the watch too.
That’s right, the bezel and also the day and date change are plastic which are the parts that the user could damage. There will be less damage if the user does something wrong.
@@MacroTime28800 Ha, didn't expect such a quick answer from my new favourite youtube watchmaking persona :P I understand how in the world of plastic-everything people prefer metal. Too bad plastic has some pretty big advantages here and there, however, plastic pallet fork from certain swiss movements is just too ugly to exist :D
Great video Leo! This is the first video of yours I've seen and you've got yourself a new subscriber. I actually have a SARB017 in for service at the moment but mine was in a much more sorry state. My watch was running for 10-15 seconds when moved, but then stops. I'm hoping all goes well with the service 😅
Thank you for this!! I just built my first watch with nh36 and I was becoming increasingly interested in how all of this works. I think I need some time to get familiar with the terminologies, but I think I also get a lot of dopamine seeing all the gears move by themselves. How did you get into watch servicing in the first place? I'm quite interested in trying it out for myself, mainly trying to disassemble it and reassembling it.
I don't know what everyone says. I don't have any experience with the 6R35 but as far as I know it has increased power reserve. So not many changes from the 6R15. It's not a high grade movement but it's not a bad movement. For what it costs, these movements are fine 👍
I don’t really know that much about the 6R35 but I’d imagine it will be very similar to the 6R15 when it comes to performance. Seiko specifies -15/+25 which is the same for both movements. These movements are not a horological marvel but they are OK. It all depends on how accurate you like your watches to be or what you can live with. Most watches will gain time dial up and dial down and lose time in the crown positions. You can use that to regulate your watches overnight when you put them down. That’s what I do with all my watches.
Now you got me. Oil filled. I remember seeing a diver years ago that was oil filled, between the crystal and the dial if that’s what you mean? Pretty cool 👍
Hey Leo! Great indepth knowledge man, wondering if you could help me out. I have a few nh35 movements, where they start stop intermittently, new movements, suspected shock. I can disassemble and reassemble. What do you think is the issue? Another issue I have is dead movements (again new but have travelled) can I fix by just reassembly?
It’s impossible to say what the issue could be. If there is something wrong, taking it apart, cleaning it and assembling it will not resolve the issue. It might do if it only needs a clean but if there is something wrong, you would have to address that. The NH35 movements are inexpensive, less than £40. You couldn’t get anyone to service a watch for that kind of money and if you do it yourself it’s going to take you some time to do it. In my opinion, the quickest and cheapest way to sort it out would be to swap the movements and put brand new ones in. If you go on eBay and search for NH35, you will find plenty of them, black and white date dials 👍
@leovidalwatches8208 thanks for the reply, i mod quite a lot and get them off aliexpress for around £20, i have around 5 dead ones and thought it might be worth just getting them working. Thanks though and love what you are doing mate, keep it going!
There you go. For £20, it can’t get any better than that. Trying to sort it out, you might need to buy parts (if you can find them), you might need expensive tools and a lot of time. It would most likely end up costing you more than getting new ones
Hello @Macro Time, glad I found this video as I unluckily damaged the front casing of my SARB017 and looking to change the casing.. do you know what alternatives should i get for its casing and the sapphire glass? Thanks a lot, appreciate you doing videos like this. Subbed!
I don’t think you should get an alternative case, I don’t even know whether there is an alternative, you need to get the Seiko case. If the damage is bad and it’s not something that polishing would sort out, I think you’re best sending it to Seiko for a service to get the case replaced and they will also sort out the crystal for you 👍
@@MacroTime28800 Thank you for the reply. I agree.. Yup it's that bad. Already reached out to Seiko. Thank you so very much for the advice! Appreciate it! 🙂⌚🙏
I don’t think so, I would have remembered that. Actually, if it was there, I would have pointed that out in the video and I would have noticed that because I inspect everything.
Thanks you so much, wonderful video. May I ask if you know; does the H10 movement from Hamilton also have plastic? and why did u say it;s ok? doesnt it affect longevity of the watch over the years? thanks a lot in advance.
I’m afraid I don’t know about the H10, I’ve never had one. I see old calibres with plastic and it’s fine so I don’t worry about it. I’ve had old calibres with metal parts that were broken, having all metal parts won’t guarantee you longevity. It will be fine in most cases but anything can break, whether it’s metal or plastic. The plastic will very probably outlive you.
@@MacroTime28800 Ok as you said. The H10 is based on the ETA C07.611, at least now I hear it from an expert that plastic in the movement is fine. Thank you, I really appreciate the time you took to reply. Just subscribed!
That's something I cannot answer. Do you like the watch a lot, more than other watches? Are you prepared to spend the money it costs? If the answer is yes, then go for it 👍
I live in Japan and have this watch. I think it’s about time for a service on it. How much do you charge for your services? Just trying to get an idea of what might be a reasonable cost for getting my Alpinist serviced. If the estimate I get here is not that good, I might even think about asking you to do it, although the shipping costs might become an issue.
I don’t repair watches for living, it’s a hobby for me. I’m looking at Seiko UK website and for the 6R movements their prices start from £190: www.seikoboutique.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Seiko_Client-Price-List.pdf
An observation & question: I noticed that in this video there seems to be a lot more lubrication. I was under the impression from other watchmaker/servicer UA-cam videos (like Wristwatch Revival) that over-lubrication should be avoided. And so, I wonder if you have a different approach to lubrication or if there's something specific about this movement that requires more lubrication, or just simply you have chosen to include more footage with lubrication in the video? Thanks!
It seems like I use a lot but the macro lens is deceiving. Everything looks exaggerated. If I zoomed out and the footage was the same as you see with most channels, it would seem normal. Next time you watch a different channel and you see the grease or oil from distance, stop for a moment, and try to imagine how it would look under macro, sometimes you’d be surprised. I certainly see where you’re coming from. I use a loupe like everyone else and when I then see it on the screen on that scale, it looks like there is a lot. Over-oiling is certainly not good but too little is no good either, it’s got to be somewhere in the middle 👍
Holy crap, after only two vids 6r15 & nh36 I feel way more confident regarding my tasks at hand!! Than you so much for the stellar video and step by step explanation. These parts are becoming more familiar and their functions while not obvious, are falling into perspective. Bravo once again Mr Vidal. Which horological books do you read and recommend for my growing library?? time 4time would like to know. All the best and see you soon. Byron
I have a number of watches in the collection. I was toying with the idea of buying an Alpinist as i don’t own a Japanese watch. What put me off, was the fact that all the compass points never seem to line up. How hard can that be ? I know they are not expensive watches, but it begs the question of how this gets passed their quality control…
Very true. Some of diver bezels don’t align, the compass bezel on the Alpinist doesn’t stay in place… It’s just that little touch missing to make it so much nicer and desirable to a lot more people. I bet they would sell a lot more watches if they got their act together and sorted this out. Think of the reviews, if they were saying, the bezel is perfect, everything aligns, the north stays at 12 o’clock if that’s where you leave it…
The compass ring has some slight play in it. It can be centred again by gently nudging the compass crown around a bit and then it will line up with everything. Certainly not ideal to have this looseness but at least it’s not a permanent misalignment.
Brilliant. So much knowledge I’ll gladly watch it again 🙏🏻. Which de casing unit are you using please. Always get away with the rubber ball until I tried to take my personal watch apart and had no luck.
9:35, why would the power need to be let down before the balance could be removed? Is there something about this movement where leaving the pallet fork in is insufficient?
It didn’t have to be done that way. I was working on several non-hacking movements at the same time and as I don’t like the balance oscillating when I’m removing it, I release the power before removing the balance. This movement, you can pull the crown out to the third position to stop the balance, remove it and then at some point to release the power before taking the pallet fork out. So my mind was still in ‘non-hacking world’ that’s why I released the power at that stage.
Apart from the power reserve, the 6R35 looks exactly the same as the 4R35 (NH35 in its commercial name), Am I right in your opinion? If so it’s great because it’s an excellent movement that can be found at a very affordable price. Thank you very much for the excellent video;)
The 4R and other ‘R’ movements, Seiko reserves for themselves, Seiko watches. The NH movements are almost the same as the ‘R’ movements, the Seiko branding is not on the NH movements and Seiko sells them to other watch brands. Mechanically, from what I can see, they are the same movements. As for the differences between 4R and the 6R, almost the same but there will be differences because of the different power reserve. Different mainspring etc.
And in your opinion, with regular and reasonable use, and servicing the movement every few years if necessary (disassembly and assembly including cleaning), how long can a watch that contains NH35 last? It is clear to me that a complete replacement for the movement can be purchased cheaply ($40+-), but it is important to me not to replace parts in the watch at all if possible. Thanks 🙏
If the watch is serviced regularly, it’s not running dry wearing out parts, it should last for a very long time, many decades, longer than you! If you look at my previous video, you will see what happens if it’s not serviced for a very long time. That watch is 53yo and it now runs perfectly without replacing any parts except adding two more custom made jewels, I wear it every day. It certainly would be considerably cheaper to replace the whole movement rather than service it but it may be important to you that you have a movement inside that has been running for a very long time and all parts are original.
It's amazing that today you can buy a watch for 300 dollars like I bought (San Martin) and you can get a watch with such a high quality finish and a Seiko movement that will last for many years, even a decades. Thank you very much for the excellent and informative videos!!
Now THIS is how all service videos should be done! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This is easily the most comprehensive, concise and easy to understand tutorial I've seen. Thank You!
Great to hear! 🙂
this guy is so sarcastic, i love it. I got all the repair tools from China and they are surprisingly very high quality
Glad you enjoyed it! The Chinese tools can be good. The problem is you never know until you get them
Absolutely outstanding, holy cow. I'm midway through starting a watch career, with plans to supplementally attend watchmaking school for a certificate next year. This is the single finest breakdown of a typical watch service I have ever seen, it was like going from having read a book on the subject to seeing it in VR, so to speak. Thank you so much for this!!
When I started there were not many videos on watch repair and most of the time I wasn’t able to see much. I wasn’t very happy so I decided to make my own videos the way I’d like to see them.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! 👍
Good luck with your career! A great decision!
Hopely you make it.
it's an accomplishment learning and using a scope in your craft...I did when I was in automotive...you will be respected by your peers...composite materials are ok, it's doesn't mean cheap, it's to make the contact points quite and or if too much stress is put on the item the gear i.e. will break not the rest of mechanism...kind regards
Grazie molto interessante, belle inquadratura e ottica superba, da questo video tuttavia emergono tutti i limiti di un calibro che è troppo simile ad un nh 35, finiture top calibri nella fascia media di seiko così così.
You put a lot of work into that video and gave me a great insight into how the motion and keyless works interact as well as how other parts work together. Appreciate you for taking the time to explain all this for a very keen hobbyist and novice. Thanks Leo! 👍
Glad it was helpful! 👍
This was fantastic, the video alone is A+, but with the commentary, this is in a class all it's own. Thank you very much Leo.
Glad you enjoyed it!
A perfect service with added humour...from both of you.
Nice to hear you enjoyed both of us featuring in the video! 😆
Both of them 🤔🤔🤔
Oh, when he talks to himself! Ha! 😂😂
@@4by_yotaguy373 Correct 😁
The model without the Prospex logo is far more desireable for me.
Excellent video, thank you.
Glad you like it!
Fantastic video. Thanks for taking the time to make this! Your macro video recording and editing is fabulous. I learned so much from watching this.
Thank you! Glad to hear you enjoy the macro 👍
Superb video!! The commentary is a little wild lol, but superb video! Easily the best breakdown and explanations I've seen! Not to mention all the things you were able to capture on camera, very impressive! I wasn't planning on watching the entire thing but I was so fascinated I couldn't stop. Thank you 👍
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This is the best watch service video I have watched. Great explanations, especially the keyless works.
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I do not understand how a person can remember all this information. Very nice.
Thank you! It’s daunting at first but after you’ve serviced a few watches you realise they all work on the same principle, the parts are similar and it becomes easy to remember all the parts.
Hands down best one I've watched so far
Thank you!
Wow the old algorithm brought me here and what a nice surprise it was. Great video
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I can only do battery changes and bezel and strap changes on G Shock,but,I love wat ching this man at work.I love his voice too.
Thank you!
What you do here is amazing. Thank you for letting us see this.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Thanks for the lovely video. I have the same (Kuzuya) Alpinist and love mine, mines a year older than yours.
Did you know... Seiko designer Sakai who worked on development of the first green Alpinist in 1995, the green dial colour was inspired by his green Rover Mini.
He is quoted as saying "We had the option of using olive green or military green, the car I was driving at that time was what’s called Almond Green, a rather dark, classic shade of green. I wanted to make the dial color like that with a real sense of depth".
When the Sakai Alpinist was redesigned in 2006 by Kuzuya the dial colour was kept identical.
Wow, I never knew that.
It’s amazing when you find out how it was created. There is always something nobody would ever expect. And here we have it, the designer’s Mini. It makes you smile.
Thank you for the info, much appreciated 👍
I have an early personal import of that JDM watch which is still going strong.I have it on the same bracelet which I can highly recommend , it is a perfect fit..
I always wondered what it looked like inside. Thanks to your great photography now I know.
Nice to know what’s going on inside 👍
this watch looks amazing
Thank you 😊
Great video thanks. On the NH15 version the post for the day wheel is missing, at least it was on the one I bought from cousins. I buy NH36 and break them for spares (about £30 from you know where), you can rob the post and the other bits needed to make 6R15 with day wheel and don't forget to swap the hour wheel. If the stem is in the wrong place you will need a different day wheel, order a JDM one for a bit of flash.
The NH36 mainsprings can be used on lots of the 7 series movements but the barrel teeth are cut different to most. The whole escapement is a great upgrade to the older 7 series. Cheers.
Nice to hear you enjoyed it.
The NH36 is great for spares, especially at that price. Seiko certainly designed the movements in a way to make the production as cost effective as possible. I don’t mean cheap, they thought of how to reuse whatever they already have to make different movements.
I also use the NH36 movements for all kinds of testing. Any work I’m not familiar with as the NH36 movements are cheap and it doesn’t hurt that much when something goes wrong.
Comment....It's just amazing how anyone could even come up with this mechanical design and it even works....just amazing...
Glad you enjoyed it!
If I ever get a fancy watch...I'm sending to you to have any work done and that is a fact. @@MacroTime28800
My favorite watch in my current collection. Now I know what’s going on inside. Thanks
Great to hear! 👍
The re-released ones have a see through case-back, but are now thicker because of that 🥲
What a classic piece! Wish I got it earlier during my college days/early professional career
A very nice watch indeed! 👍
Fantastic video. I'm new to the hobby, but it is falling into place for me at the moment.
This video was a real shot in the arm for me.
You're a really funny guy and a great teacher at the same time.
Thanks.
Thank you! So nice to hear you enjoyed it 😉
This is top-notch videography. Thank you Leo!
Glad you liked it! 😊
WoW, so Well made, I’m a watchmaking student here in Canada, learned from you, keep on posting, cheers
Awesome, thank you!
They still watchmaking schools in Canada?
Just fantastic. Ironic, but some of the work you show reminds me of complex fishing reel assembly, even down to the lubricants. Many people will prefer their own lubricant recommendations over factory, especially people like me who help design the reels. I make all sorts of custom oils used not only to lubricate parts but also to tune the reels performance. Oil is used to tame /control and tune spool rotation speeds and feel, as friction modifiers for drag components and water sealing. All of this is used in harmony with centrifugal brake blocks, mechanical friction and magnetic forces to tune and modify spool performance. Seems so simple in theory but in practice a real struggle to get it right (balanced).
These reels when properly adjusted and paired with proper line, weights and rod can cast a 5 oz / 150 g weight over 900 ft / 275m. This is huge sport in the UK and a very enjoyable hobby to test yourself. BTW, the color of one of my favorite high-performance casting / multiplier reels is the Abu Garcia 6500 C3CT Mag Elite in nearly the same color as the dial of this Seiko.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Probably a little different with watch lubricants. They are highly refined due to the tolerances. We're dealing with hundredths of mm.
I have the Seiko greases but favour the Swiss lubricants.
I agree, all kinds of mechanisms have to be properly adjusted to run well. It takes time and patience 👍
Another fantastic video, really look forward to getting the next one. All the best Leo. 👍
Thank you Captain! I’m glad you enjoy them all 👍
Loved your video Leo! Your humor is great, thx for the content!
Glad you enjoyed it! 👍
Facinating! My first insight into a watchservice. Loved it!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I really enjoy watching your videos. Thank you Leo.
Glad you like them! 👍
I bought the eTimer software several months ago after watching one of your videos. Its fantastic and I trust the data much more than the other machine i was using. Great video!
It’s nice. Don't forget to calibrate it though. I like the read out for all six positions and the long term log is great. You’ll see what you’d never see with the timegrapher. But don’t take me wrong, for a quick check, I still use the timegrapher because it’s right there on my desk ready to be used immediately.
Leo, I have a Bergeon 4854 cannon pinion tool. I found the same problem as you. I used some small diameter electrical heat shrink which I heated to size on different sized screw drivers. Sometimes using two or three layers of heat shrink. Each piece of heat shrink being just a few millimeters in length - similar to the scale of a cannon pinion. Now I have a selection of small rubber tubes, with different diameters, which I can fit over small cannon pinions to increase the diameter to suit the Bergeon tool.
If you don't have access to heat shrink let me know and I can make a similar selection of tubes for you. They are tiny and can be sent in a letter by post. By the way I very must enjoy your streams.
That’s pretty cool. I have seen few different modifications, including different collets. I just don’t understand why Bergeon doesn’t make it smaller. Or perhaps two or three different collets which could be interchanged as required. Thank you for the offer, very kind. I’m happy with the presto tool, it does the job, it’s quick. I’m just annoyed that they make a tool that’s very much useless unless you work on larger watches.
Cheers,
Leo
Hi I am thinking of buying the SPB355J1(its the most recent version of the sieko alpinest just in a limited edition).My question is,if the movement still has the plastic parts and if so, would it be a good idea to buy it and still be a reliable watch.Also out of 1 to 10 how hard was it to service as i would want to service it when i need to.
I'm not sure whether it has plastic parts, Seiko watches now generally do. Do not worry about it. They are made of plastic in case the user does something wrong, ie. changes the date when he shouldn't. It's only the plastic part that will break because it's softer than the metal parts it interracts with. You can think of it as a fuse. It's not popular but it's clever.
Every watch repairer would give you a differen answer. All depends how well they know the movement and also if it needs any repairs. I have done a fair few Seiko watches and this one didn't need any repairs so it was easy 👍
Lovely work on the video. Huge effort paid off on the screen
Glad you liked it 🙂
They look even better with the Astroid Strap-code bracelet on them.
A nice looking bracelet. I had to look it up, I didn’t know about the Asteroid.
Thanks for another great video, Leo! I'm learning a lot from them, and they always cheer me up!
So nice to hear you enjoy them 🙂 Thank you!
Awesome presentation of a beautiful watch.
Glad you like it!
Very entertaining and very informative. Great video.
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Nice job! I bought mine from Seija Japan with the optional bracelet. I love it.
Oh, he does bracelets now. I bought this Alpinist from Seiya and there were no optional bracelets them days. You had to find your own elsewhere if you didn’t want that dreadful strap it came with.
Thank you for making this video. When I first bought (new) my SARB017 in 2017 it ran well within spec, then it started to run several minutes fast per day, I was always careful with it as far as around anything magnetic, etc. I made one attempt to regulate it myself, which worked for a little while, then it started running fast again; sometimes it ran in spec, now it runs several minutes fast per day again.
As the watch is running fast, it would make you think it’s magnetised but it could anything. After six years of owning it, it really would be good to get it serviced.
My recommendation is to service watches at around every 5 years or whenever the timekeeping is no longer what it used to be, whichever comes first.
As you’ve had for six years now, the best solution to this would be to get it serviced. Even if you’ve not worn it every single day, the oils and greases will dry out over the years and the timekeeping will suffer.
@@MacroTime28800 Thanks! I was thinking the same thing about having it serviced.
It would be the best thing to do. It’s not only that it’s running fast. When the oils dry out, and they do, the parts start wearing out and you don’t want that. That can be prevented if it’s serviced, just a like a car.
Amazing knowledge
Thank you!
What a legend this is brilliant! I am currently struggling with a quickset day and date on my 4r36. I took the dial and hands off then realised my crap screwdrivers are useless on the small screws so I put it back together again/ shitting myself whilst doing this. I am hoping the problem is the white plastic date setting wheel? Or a keyless problem? This is my first attempt at a fix so any advise is greatly appreciated before I have to buy a nh36😂. This message is sent from the year 2254 so the movement is 230 years old and Seiko head office is in Preston uk ooooo you’ll be glad to know the term wicked wheel has been adopted. 👍
Oh, wonder how much Seiko costs in 2254, probably millions! Back in the day over 200 years ago it used to cost around £300!
It’s very difficult to say what the issue is without seeing it. Did the quick set date stop working and that’s why you took it apart? Or did you take it apart and now the quick set date doesn’t work? Is the white plastic wheel in the right way? Not upside down?
I just found your channel and it was so very informative. I subbed and plan on watching all your videos.
Awesome! Thank you! 🙂
Great video i just ourchased a watch with a 6r35 and i hear that they arrive from the factory all over the map as far as regulation. Good to know the movement can be improved with some tlc. Great video
It will probably take some time to settle. The timekeeping will most likely change over the first few weeks. When I bought mine it was running fast but it was OK after a month or so 👍
Wow! I'm kind of in shock now seeing how many plastic parts are in there. Hopefully these are durable enough. Thank you for detailed explanation how this all works and thank you for the entertainment.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it! There are a few plastic parts there, they should last a long time 👍
Great video, appreciate the explanation and film work, really enjoyed watching it.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it! 👍
Enjoyed the commentary. I was surprised to find out about the plastic in the Seiko Movement.
Thank you!
I didn't know at the time of making the video but now I know the plastic acts as a fuse. Rather than damaging a whole bunch of parts, it's only the plastic that will break.
@@MacroTime28800 That makes sence,
The plastics parts are where the quick set day/date happens. If someone changes it at the time when the parts are are engaged, close
to midnight, if something breaks, it will only be the plastic
Excellent explanations and amazing camera work. Thank you. Great content.
Glad you liked it! 🙂
Awesome video tutorial and this watch is just stunning.
Thank you!
Fine photographic work!
Many thanks!
This was a fantastic video for someone who wants to get into watch servicing as a hobby! Thank you very much!
Can I ask what bracelet you are using here? The only thing turning me away from the Alpinist is that leather strap :p
It's the Strapcode bracelet 👍
In addition to the plastic, I recognize stamped gears and bridges rather than the machined parts I've seen in my fine 1964 Swiss Bulova and lesser 80s Gruen hand wound watches. Plastics might achieve lower friction, perhaps without the need for oil. It's progress, I suppose. Do other brands still machine gears one tooth at a time? If Seiko saves cost and retains durability and timekeeping accuracy, isn't likely other name brands will follow with stamped or plastic parts?
p.s. your fine delivery and explanations have earned my instant like and subscribe. Thanks for a great video.
Glad to hear you enjoyed it!
I’d say the stamped and plastic parts are for cost saving. All ‘inexpensive’ watches will be produced the same way. The more expensive ones will be machined and the very expensive movements will be handmade. It all comes down to cost, speed etc.
I wouldn’t say others will follow but all/most brands have their cheaper and more expensive watches and the movements inside will reflect the price, most of the time.
Yeah I don't even know much about watches, but I could see some of those parts were stamped. I like the look of the watch, but the plastic parts sort of put me off it.
Own a several seiko watches, love taking care of them. Would love to do some service on them :) great video!
You should!
That's absolutely gorgeous
Thank you! 🙂
Really enjoyed this vid ! Great job man !
Glad you enjoyed it! 👍
Great ending ,glad I stuck around ...
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Superb! Absorbing. Many thanks 👍👍👍
Glad you liked it! 👍
Plastic on plastic interface actually makes a lot of sense, especially when there's barely any force required to turn that bezel. If something gets stuck, it's better for the wheel/gear to get its teeth sheared off than to cause some serious damage to the bezel and movement. It applies to other parts of the watch too.
That’s right, the bezel and also the day and date change are plastic which are the parts that the user could damage. There will be less damage if the user does something wrong.
@@MacroTime28800 Ha, didn't expect such a quick answer from my new favourite youtube watchmaking persona :P I understand how in the world of plastic-everything people prefer metal. Too bad plastic has some pretty big advantages here and there, however, plastic pallet fork from certain swiss movements is just too ugly to exist :D
Wonderful video, perfectly explained. I enjoyed it. I also have this same watch and I love it.
Good to hear you enjoyed it 😊
Great video Leo! This is the first video of yours I've seen and you've got yourself a new subscriber. I actually have a SARB017 in for service at the moment but mine was in a much more sorry state. My watch was running for 10-15 seconds when moved, but then stops. I'm hoping all goes well with the service 😅
Thanks for the sub!
I’m sure your watch will be just fine when you get it back and you’ll be able to enjoy it again 👍
Amazing video Leo ! Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very nice video, and its Great watch too, defintly my alpinist needs this, its loosing time, keep the great content, greetings from mexico!!!
Glad to hear you enjoyed the content! Yes the Alpinist is a very nice watch indeed 👍
As always, great stuff.
Thanks again! 👍
My favourite watch Iv got both the old and new version the SARB17 is best looking.
It's great looking watch. Seiko got this one right 👍
A wheely wicked video!😂 Funny, entertaining and informative… as always.
Wicked! 😄 Glad to hear you enjoyed it 😉
Great video! It reminded me to put on my SARB033.
Good choice!
Thank you for this!! I just built my first watch with nh36 and I was becoming increasingly interested in how all of this works. I think I need some time to get familiar with the terminologies, but I think I also get a lot of dopamine seeing all the gears move by themselves. How did you get into watch servicing in the first place? I'm quite interested in trying it out for myself, mainly trying to disassemble it and reassembling it.
I always liked watches and one day I decided I’d start servicing them myself and I did 🙂
Cracking tutorial Leo, nicely done! And thank you.
My pleasure! 👍
Wow I need to get my serviced soon!
They need doing from time to time 👍
The drink you consume before filming it is quite potent! I'm quite sure it helps you become quite creative with these watch-geeky jokes!
Ha! I take it as a compliment 🙂👍
Thanks Leo I appreciate your video
You are very welcome 👍
Fantastic video Leo, what is your opinion on the 6R35 movement is it as bad as everyone says
I don't know what everyone says. I don't have any experience with the 6R35 but as far as I know it has increased power reserve. So not many changes from the 6R15.
It's not a high grade movement but it's not a bad movement. For what it costs, these movements are fine 👍
@MacroTime28800 thanks for the reply a lot online say very inaccurate and poor positional variance.
I don’t really know that much about the 6R35 but I’d imagine it will be very similar to the 6R15 when it comes to performance. Seiko specifies -15/+25 which is the same for both movements.
These movements are not a horological marvel but they are OK. It all depends on how accurate you like your watches to be or what you can live with. Most watches will gain time dial up and dial down and lose time in the crown positions. You can use that to regulate your watches overnight when you put them down. That’s what I do with all my watches.
@MacroTime28800 thanks for the detailed reply and thanks for the fantastic videos. Also thanks for the self-regulation tip :)
Wow great vid. Really interesting. So many different things types of grease and oil. I was wondering how you feel about oil filled watches?
Now you got me. Oil filled. I remember seeing a diver years ago that was oil filled, between the crystal and the dial if that’s what you mean? Pretty cool 👍
Amazing work. 🥰 I need help. Would you know what size is the bezel & crystal gasket on the SARB017? Thank you.
Thank you!
I don’t know I’m afraid. I didn’t need to change any gaskets because they were in a good condition. I’m sorry I can’t help 😩
Fascinating! Learned so much. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Loved the video! I need to have my SARB 017 serviced. How do I go about getting this done? Can you recommend someone stateside who can do this?
I'm sorry I don't know. I'd Google something along the lines, local watchmaker, Seiko service... I'm sure you'll find someone
What a beautiful watch
Thank you! Glad you like it 🙂
This was very informative! thanks
Glad it was helpful!
very nice piece
Many thanks!
SEIKO ESTE O CAMPANIE DE CEASURI DE LUX DE MÂNĂ DIN JAPONIA!👍🙂🙂
Indeed, a very nice Japanese watch 👍
Master at work.. amazing. Thanks Leo. I always wondered, are you Czech? I love your accent.
You're the first one who got it right! Yes I am 🙂
amazing video quality, great info....thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it! 👍
Hey Leo!
Great indepth knowledge man, wondering if you could help me out.
I have a few nh35 movements, where they start stop intermittently, new movements, suspected shock. I can disassemble and reassemble. What do you think is the issue?
Another issue I have is dead movements (again new but have travelled) can I fix by just reassembly?
It’s impossible to say what the issue could be. If there is something wrong, taking it apart, cleaning it and assembling it will not resolve the issue. It might do if it only needs a clean but if there is something wrong, you would have to address that.
The NH35 movements are inexpensive, less than £40. You couldn’t get anyone to service a watch for that kind of money and if you do it yourself it’s going to take you some time to do it. In my opinion, the quickest and cheapest way to sort it out would be to swap the movements and put brand new ones in.
If you go on eBay and search for NH35, you will find plenty of them, black and white date dials 👍
@leovidalwatches8208 thanks for the reply, i mod quite a lot and get them off aliexpress for around £20, i have around 5 dead ones and thought it might be worth just getting them working.
Thanks though and love what you are doing mate, keep it going!
There you go. For £20, it can’t get any better than that. Trying to sort it out, you might need to buy parts (if you can find them), you might need expensive tools and a lot of time. It would most likely end up costing you more than getting new ones
Great video, Leo.
Glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Good job. Keep it up. Thank you👍
Thank you, I will!
PERFECTION! BRAVO!!!
Hello @Macro Time, glad I found this video as I unluckily damaged the front casing of my SARB017 and looking to change the casing.. do you know what alternatives should i get for its casing and the sapphire glass? Thanks a lot, appreciate you doing videos like this. Subbed!
Many thanks!!
I don’t think you should get an alternative case, I don’t even know whether there is an alternative, you need to get the Seiko case. If the damage is bad and it’s not something that polishing would sort out, I think you’re best sending it to Seiko for a service to get the case replaced and they will also sort out the crystal for you 👍
@@MacroTime28800 Thank you for the reply. I agree.. Yup it's that bad. Already reached out to Seiko. Thank you so very much for the advice! Appreciate it! 🙂⌚🙏
Great video
Does the inside of the caseback has " case China" like the sarb 35?
I don’t think so, I would have remembered that. Actually, if it was there, I would have pointed that out in the video and I would have noticed that because I inspect everything.
I watched the entire video. According to the University of YouTub, I am now a watchmaker. Off to buy a bunch of tiny tools !😎
Cool! I hope you'll enjoy it 👍
Thanks you so much, wonderful video. May I ask if you know; does the H10 movement from Hamilton also have plastic? and why did u say it;s ok? doesnt it affect longevity of the watch over the years? thanks a lot in advance.
I’m afraid I don’t know about the H10, I’ve never had one.
I see old calibres with plastic and it’s fine so I don’t worry about it. I’ve had old calibres with metal parts that were broken, having all metal parts won’t guarantee you longevity. It will be fine in most cases but anything can break, whether it’s metal or plastic.
The plastic will very probably outlive you.
@@MacroTime28800 Ok as you said. The H10 is based on the ETA C07.611, at least now I hear it from an expert that plastic in the movement is fine. Thank you, I really appreciate the time you took to reply. Just subscribed!
Thank you!
Great video sir.
One question please.
Do you recommend the watch for the price asked?
Thank you.
That's something I cannot answer.
Do you like the watch a lot, more than other watches? Are you prepared to spend the money it costs? If the answer is yes, then go for it 👍
Very educational... thank you
Glad it was helpful!
I live in Japan and have this watch. I think it’s about time for a service on it. How much do you charge for your services? Just trying to get an idea of what might be a reasonable cost for getting my Alpinist serviced. If the estimate I get here is not that good, I might even think about asking you to do it, although the shipping costs might become an issue.
I don’t repair watches for living, it’s a hobby for me.
I’m looking at Seiko UK website and for the 6R movements their prices start from £190:
www.seikoboutique.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Seiko_Client-Price-List.pdf
An observation & question: I noticed that in this video there seems to be a lot more lubrication. I was under the impression from other watchmaker/servicer UA-cam videos (like Wristwatch Revival) that over-lubrication should be avoided. And so, I wonder if you have a different approach to lubrication or if there's something specific about this movement that requires more lubrication, or just simply you have chosen to include more footage with lubrication in the video?
Thanks!
It seems like I use a lot but the macro lens is deceiving. Everything looks exaggerated. If I zoomed out and the footage was the same as you see with most channels, it would seem normal. Next time you watch a different channel and you see the grease or oil from distance, stop for a moment, and try to imagine how it would look under macro, sometimes you’d be surprised.
I certainly see where you’re coming from. I use a loupe like everyone else and when I then see it on the screen on that scale, it looks like there is a lot.
Over-oiling is certainly not good but too little is no good either, it’s got to be somewhere in the middle 👍
Holy crap, after only two vids 6r15 & nh36 I feel way more confident regarding my tasks at hand!! Than you so much for the stellar video and step by step explanation. These parts are becoming more familiar and their functions while not obvious, are falling into perspective. Bravo once again Mr Vidal. Which horological books do you read and recommend for my growing library?? time 4time would like to know. All the best and see you soon. Byron
I listed my favourite books in the description 👍
I have a number of watches in the collection. I was toying with the idea of buying an Alpinist as i don’t own a Japanese watch. What put me off, was the fact that all the compass points never seem to line up. How hard can that be ?
I know they are not expensive watches, but it begs the question of how this gets passed their quality control…
Very true. Some of diver bezels don’t align, the compass bezel on the Alpinist doesn’t stay in place… It’s just that little touch missing to make it so much nicer and desirable to a lot more people. I bet they would sell a lot more watches if they got their act together and sorted this out. Think of the reviews, if they were saying, the bezel is perfect, everything aligns, the north stays at 12 o’clock if that’s where you leave it…
The compass ring has some slight play in it. It can be centred again by gently nudging the compass crown around a bit and then it will line up with everything. Certainly not ideal to have this looseness but at least it’s not a permanent misalignment.
Brilliant. So much knowledge I’ll gladly watch it again 🙏🏻. Which de casing unit are you using please. Always get away with the rubber ball until I tried to take my personal watch apart and had no luck.
Nice to hear you enjoyed it!
I have the Bergeon 5700Z but these days you will find copies of that tool for much less than the Bergeon tool 👍
Great job.
Thank you!
9:35, why would the power need to be let down before the balance could be removed? Is there something about this movement where leaving the pallet fork in is insufficient?
It didn’t have to be done that way. I was working on several non-hacking movements at the same time and as I don’t like the balance oscillating when I’m removing it, I release the power before removing the balance. This movement, you can pull the crown out to the third position to stop the balance, remove it and then at some point to release the power before taking the pallet fork out. So my mind was still in ‘non-hacking world’ that’s why I released the power at that stage.
Apart from the power reserve, the 6R35 looks exactly the same as the 4R35 (NH35 in its commercial name), Am I right in your opinion? If so it’s great because it’s an excellent movement that can be found at a very affordable price.
Thank you very much for the excellent video;)
The 4R and other ‘R’ movements, Seiko reserves for themselves, Seiko watches. The NH movements are almost the same as the ‘R’ movements, the Seiko branding is not on the NH movements and Seiko sells them to other watch brands. Mechanically, from what I can see, they are the same movements.
As for the differences between 4R and the 6R, almost the same but there will be differences because of the different power reserve. Different mainspring etc.
And in your opinion, with regular and reasonable use, and servicing the movement every few years if necessary (disassembly and assembly including cleaning), how long can a watch that contains NH35 last?
It is clear to me that a complete replacement for the movement can be purchased cheaply ($40+-), but it is important to me not to replace parts in the watch at all if possible.
Thanks 🙏
If the watch is serviced regularly, it’s not running dry wearing out parts, it should last for a very long time, many decades, longer than you! If you look at my previous video, you will see what happens if it’s not serviced for a very long time. That watch is 53yo and it now runs perfectly without replacing any parts except adding two more custom made jewels, I wear it every day.
It certainly would be considerably cheaper to replace the whole movement rather than service it but it may be important to you that you have a movement inside that has been running for a very long time and all parts are original.
It's amazing that today you can buy a watch for 300 dollars like I bought (San Martin) and you can get a watch with such a high quality finish and a Seiko movement that will last for many years, even a decades.
Thank you very much for the excellent and informative videos!!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it 👍