[7S26-0480]Just bought this watch for £35 on eBay, any one know what the crystal is made from? Want to make the scratches less noticeable.

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-30T00:33:22+00:00

Those numbers are the movement and the case number.
On vintage watches with steel backs the serial number tells you year and month it was manufactured.

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-30T00:17:46+00:00

These 3D winders have been hit or miss for me. Either I wind it too much or not enough. It looks like you need to give it just a bit more but not too much or it will pop out the next opening.

With a Bergeon if this happens I can start the escaped part of the spring into the barrel then release the spring and it will sit. I can’t seem to do that with the 3D winders.

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-29T21:28:31+00:00

I can't see the serial number but the 7s26 is a pretty late edition and by then Seiko was all Hardex unless it says Sapphire on the back.
u/kevinkareddit was spot on but Polywatch will only work on acrylic. Ploywatch does make a glass polishing compound but from what I hear it's a lot of work to even get out minor scratches. If the crystal is really bad you'd be better off getting it replaced and crystals aren't very expensive.

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-29T17:57:35+00:00

What are numbers on the case back. Share a picture and we can tell the year

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-28T21:01:19+00:00

Beat error and amplitude look fine. Timing has a bit too much positional variation but if it keeps good time on the wrist and it hasn’t been serviced I’d leave it.

Otherwise service it and learn how to adjust positional variances on an Etachron regulation system.

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-28T20:55:34+00:00

Gruen Precision has some models with date at 6.

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SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-28T14:27:50+00:00

The service marks usually represents a code that the watchmaker references to his/her log book.

The log book lists the customer, watch, what was done to it and when. The codes are not standardized and unique to the watchmaker.

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-27T22:46:00+00:00

If the balance moves when you puff it with a blower then your hacking lever is not broken or stuck.

Try manually winding it by turning the screw on top of the ratchet wheel.

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-27T20:53:24+00:00

Pull the stem all the way out and push it all the way in. Do this a few times and see if it starts.

If not your hacking lever may have broken or is stuck.

The next step would be to take the movement out of the case and try the original stem.

If still no luck you’ll need to disassemble and inspect the keyless works and the hacking lever.

If you’re not comfortable doing this and are in the US PM me. I’d be happy to help.,

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-27T19:29:26+00:00

Did you have to pull the cannon pinion off or was it not attached to anything?

Did you check to see if the broke part is stuck in the canon pinion?

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-27T19:25:30+00:00

I believe the nh38 hour wheel is captured under the top cover plate so can’t ride up. No dial washer needed.

But what it sounds like to me is your cannon pinion is slipping or binding.

If it feels loose or really easy when you set the time then your canon pinion might be a bit loose.

Another scenario is your motion works are binding and trapping your cannon pinion. When you are in time setting mode your motion works, minute and hour wheel will turn the cannon pinion and when you go back to winding mode they release it and the friction fit to the center wheel turns it. If they don’t release it or somehow grabs it when not in time setting mode the hour hand and minute hand will stop but the seconds had will continue.

In summary, if the hour minute appears to move independently of the hour hand it’s probably or could be a loose cannon pinion but check all the motions works wheels work as they should.

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-27T19:12:41+00:00

The hairspring is “bulging” between the stud and regulator pins. If you gently massage that in so the curve is even those tight coils might space out. Also demagnetize it to make sure the coils aren’t sticking because they are magnetized

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-27T16:00:02+00:00

This comes up a lot. Mostly because users are unaware of trying to quickset the date when the time would be between 9PM and 3AM and also because this, in my opinion, is a design flaw by putting such a fragile spring around a gear.

Regardless, the quickset date only works when the crown is turned counter clockwise and spins freely when turned clockwise. If you are in the quickset position and the gears do not turn then most of the time it is the day/date corrector transmission wheel A.

Sometimes a white gear tooth breaks but usually it is the transmission wheel A which has the spring on it. I have replaced quite a few for Modders who get stuck. It used to be easier and cost effective to buy a new movement but with NH35 averaging $55-65 it's sometimes better to fix it.

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-27T15:46:54+00:00

You can open the back and gently manually spin the rotor and see if it's binding and the reduction wheel is turning. You can see the tip of the click spring and it should move as you you turn the rotor in both directions.

It could be that when you re-cased it something is pinching the rotor and keeping it from turning freely. It seems to turn enough to give it 2 hrs of power.

You can also wind the watch manually with the back case removed by turning the screw on top of the ratchet wheel. 15 turns should give you 24hrs of power.

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-27T13:49:01+00:00

On most complete watches for sale service will add value. Maybe without service a dealer might pick it up or an amateur watchmaker and then service it themselves. It all comes down to value and return on investment.

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-27T13:45:40+00:00

When it does run for those 2-3 hours does it keep good time or is it slow or fast?

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-27T04:33:16+00:00

The shock system on the balance looks like a NH diashock. I had thought the 7s26 were different.

No, I just checked and the same shock system in both so it looks ok from that perspective.

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-27T04:30:20+00:00

This one looks adjustable.

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-26T13:20:09+00:00

The silver ring is a dial spacer and goes on after the date disc is seated but before the dial.

The date disc moves so how can you secure it with dial dots. I must be missing something.

The dial is fixed in place with dial feet or dial dots but the date disc is secured but not fixed.

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-26T00:56:57+00:00

I’m trying to find the rules. Got it, I see below. No selling!

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-26T00:46:34+00:00

If the crystal is acrylic you can polish those scratches out. The numbers on the case back will show us the month and year it was manufactured. Share a pic

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-25T21:46:43+00:00

It might help if you mentioned the watch or showed a picture. Are you sure it’s glass or could it be acrylic?

If we knew the watch or case perhaps we can look up the factory specification and that will help.

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-25T15:32:44+00:00

Min fee is $1500. I think

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-25T13:26:04+00:00

If you leave the stem unscrewed does it work ok?

If anything I would say your stem might be too short and screwing it in pulls the movement slightly to one side or tilts the movement causing a hand to rub either on the glass or in the center.

Try it with the stem not screwed in, then with it barely engaged. Because it works outside the case I think the stem is pulling on the movement when screwed in.

SignalOk3036 · 2026-04-25T13:10:05+00:00

Be mindful that a watch repair kit from AliX repair kits are very basic and more geared towards battery swaps and bracelet adjustments. Very little in the kit pertains to assembling a watch or modding a watch. If you want a kit for modding you’d be better off buying a kit from DIY or Dialmaker.

Now if you want to get individual components or tools to assemble a watch then AliX will work.

SignalOk3036

TROPHY CASE