At a time when quartz meant LCD displays and designs so far removed from tradition that they were hardly recognizable as wrist watches, Seiko took a step backwards in order to bring watch design forward. Introduced in 1983, the 7A28 was the worlds first analog quartz chronograph, and to say they got it right is an understatement. It is a 15 jewel movement devoid of a single piece of plastic. It can be regulated to dial in performance, and was built in a way that allowed for the replacement of worn components. The same can’t be said for most of the quartz movements seen even today. Two years later, in 1984, the 7A38 and 7A48 were introduced. The ‘38 added a day and date feature along with a whole host of new design layouts, but the ‘48 delivered a complication that at the time was typically associated with high end Swiss mechanicals: the moonphase. This example from September of ‘83 was yet another opportunity for me to marvel at the genius and efficiency of Seiko engineering. It’s the first 7A48 I’ve offered for sale, as well as the first I’ve had the chance to service. I always try to imagine what the mechanics of certain functions look like before I dive in, and though the driving mechanism for the date and moonphase was standard fare, i was more than curious to see how the setting function operated. With the crown in the second position, counter-clockwise rotation advances the moonphase disc, and clockwise, the date. That may sound simple enough, but try to imagine a simple machine that can rotate a pair of stacked wheels in the same direction independently just by changing the directional rotation of the handle. In addition, you have less than two millimeters of height to accommodate it. As it turns out, the date wheel, and the moonphase wheel share a single operating lever that shifts linearly to pull from one side, and push from the other dependent on which direction the wheel it’s attached to is rotated. Perhaps I’ll share a video at some point to better explain, but it is no doubt an impressive feat of engineering. It certainly made me smile. The watch itself is equally impressive. In addition to the three prior sub registers, a nicely balanced fourth sits at 12, with a cutaway window that reveals the moonphase disc in navy and gold. The date is denoted by a matte finished pointer with a crescent tipped tail. The enamel white dial is finished in black print with gold stud markers, and is framed by a deep set chapter with Roman numeral hours. The plating on the rounded bezel does show some wear through, but has overall aged well. The case is a hooded tonneau with a brushed finish and is attached to the original two-toned “H” link bracelet with yellow bar hinges. This one is completely original right down to the hardlex crystal. Post service it is keeping perfect time, and all functions are operating correctly. Great versatility and timeless styling make this one an easy addition to any rotation. 

Original Seiko Two-Tone “H” Link Bracelet in Stainless Steel

Serviced 7/14/20

Diameter- 39.5mm

Lugs- 18mm