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Repairing/Modding my original Black Monster SKX779, Modding my SKX173

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skx173 skx779
2K views 7 replies 3 participants last post by  wtokyo 
#1 ·
This is the first time I am repairing/modding a watch so please forgive me if some of my questions seem simple or obvious.
My SKX779, which I bought in 2013, is no longer working properly. Up until a few months ago, it had been running +6 sec/day, which was great. (I had a complete overhaul done on the watch in mid-2015.) Beginning in January the watch sped up from +6 sec/day to over +20 sec/day a few weeks ago. However, within the last 2 weeks, the watch slowed up so now it is running 15-20 minutes per day slow. Eventually, it just stopped, even though I was wearing the watch when it happened. I can restart the watch but eventually it just stops, even though the watch is fully charged.

I contacted one of the repair people frequently mentioned on this site and he said that he could service the 7S26 movement and get it working for years to come. First question, do you think this is a reasonable "promise". He will charge $125.

I contacted another shop who said that the 7S26 had been discontinued and the best they could offer was to service the movement for $85. I have no way of knowing if the extra $40 is worth it.

Several people have suggested getting a new 7S26 C movement, but the only 7S26 movement I have seen advertised was an "A" model. The price of the movement was $75. However, then I would have to find someone to install it. (I physically can't make any changes myself.)

Any ideas where I could get a 7S26 C movement and get it installed.

If i can get the watch running again, I wanted to mod it. I also own a Seiko SKX173, which also uses the 7S26 movement (it has a black bezel vs. the silver of the SKX779. Is it possible to take the bezel from a SKX173 and put it on the SKX779? (BTW, the SKX173 is the same as the SKX007, only the lume markers are different.) Just curious, has anyone cerakoted a SKX779?

Lastly, I have long wanted to put a Japanese kanji/English day date wheel on one of my watches. I found 2 places online that said that they had kanji wheels that would fit any Seiko with an 7S26 movement. The price ranged from $19-$23. Could any watchmaker install a day/date wheel or does this require special expertise in modding watches?

Although it would probably be cheaper to buy a 2nd generation Monster than repair my existing watch, I have grown attached to the original monster because it is easy to read and the lume is outstanding.
Thanks for any ideas.
 
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#3 ·
The woman I spoke to at Seiko in New Jersey said that all versions had been discontinued. However, I could tell that she very little interest in my call so I don't know if her info is accurate. However, given that the woman I spoke to at the watch repair facility independently confirmed what the woman at Seiko said, I tend to believe that all versions have been discontinued.

In your message, there appears to be a word missing. You said that I would have to get a different XXX to fit the new movement since it is different than the 7S26's.
 
#8 ·
Thank you for pointing this out. I just went to the Amazon website and could clearly see the 7S26 marking on the caseback. I need to do some investigating.

BTW, my watch has once again come back to life. I put the watch back on at 12:00 and 6 hours later, the watch gained only 2 seconds, which works out to just 8 seconds per day. Can anyone explain how/why the watch can have these periods of good accuracy followed by times when the watch just stops, even though I had been wearing it.
 
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