New 6139-6002

Posts
3,536
Likes
9,594
I decided to buy a chronograph awhile back and after some research decided that the 6139-600x series was the one for me. I bought this one on Ebay from a Venezuelan seller, and he claims it was recently serviced. The watch arrived today and I am mostly happy, it runs great and everything functions correctly, but the day is not properly aligned. It was before it shipped so, I am guessing it took a shock somewhere between Venzuela and Oklahoma. The first is a shot provided by the seller, the second two are from today. I've never serviced a chronograph, so I'll be sending this one off to my watchmaker after the new year.
 
Posts
5,373
Likes
18,671
Did you try pushing in the crown a few times to try to reset it?

Nice sharp case edges. These are very fun watches. I like how interactive they are, turning the internal bezel, pushing in the crown for day and date. Plus historical movement. Nice choice. Congratss
 
Posts
343
Likes
517
If the push to advance the day/date method doesn't work, there is a reasonable chance the day wheel is a little loose on the metal star attached to the back of it. Your watchmaker may be open to removing the hands and dial and correcting this issue (with a punch or little dab of glue).
 
Posts
343
Likes
517
The crown appears not to be correct. It should be flush with the case and slightly dimpled.
 
Posts
3,536
Likes
9,594
Thanks for the advice fellas. Sadly, the suggested method for correcting the date wheel did not work. Which, is okay. I planned on sending it to my watchmaker to give it the once over anyway.

I am really liking this watch. I timed my Jeep in a flying mile yesterday, when the speedo reads 55, it's more like 53mph. I timed my oatmeal this morning using it.

I was curious about the crown because most of the examples I've seen had divits and set flush instead of being domed and protruding slightly. I'll ask my watchmaker if he has the correct crown when I send it in.
 
Posts
21
Likes
190
Thanks for the advice fellas. Sadly, the suggested method for correcting the date wheel did not work. Which, is okay. I planned on sending it to my watchmaker to give it the once over anyway.

I am really liking this watch. I timed my Jeep in a flying mile yesterday, when the speedo reads 55, it's more like 53mph. I timed my oatmeal this morning using it.

I was curious about the crown because most of the examples I've seen had divits and set flush instead of being domed and protruding slightly. I'll ask my watchmaker if he has the correct crown when I send it in.
Only the early watches had the dimple at the crown. This changed some time around ‘70-‘71 IIRC. As for the day not being aligned try shifting the hour and minute hands to around 0630 hrs and use the crown to quick adjust day and date to the day prior to the day and date you are setting to. Then manually advance the hands to the correct time/date etc. This doesn’t always get them aligned but it can. The alignment often screws up when date etc are quick changed in the forbidden zone. Good luck.
 
Posts
3,536
Likes
9,594
Only the early watches had the dimple at the crown. This changed some time around ‘70-‘71 IIRC. As for the day not being aligned try shifting the hour and minute hands to around 0630 hrs and use the crown to quick adjust day and date to the day prior to the day and date you are setting to. Then manually advance the hands to the correct time/date etc. This doesn’t always get them aligned but it can. The alignment often screws up when date etc are quick changed in the forbidden zone. Good luck.

Thanks, that also didn't work. I may try changing the date in the forbidden zone and see if that may correct it.
Edited:
 
Posts
12
Likes
62
A misaligned day is a common issue with the 613x series. The day wheel (made of very thin aluminium) has a cog staked to the underside.

Over the many years these watches have been in use this cog can become loose and slip round. The only solution is to remove the hands & dial, remove the day wheel, re-align the cog (a tricky process) and then re-stake (fix) the cog in this corrected position. This is doable but requires great care as the day wheel is VERY fragile and easily ruined.

All 6139-600x models should have a dimpled crown that sits flush (or almost flush) with the case edge. The nature of the day/date quickset on these models makes them more susceptible to stem fatigue (and breakage) - something which is significantly accelerated with rust (caused by a failed crown gasket).
 
Posts
2,180
Likes
4,358
Only the early watches had the dimple at the crown. This changed some time around ‘70-‘71 IIRC. As for the day not being aligned try shifting the hour and minute hands to around 0630 hrs and use the crown to quick adjust day and date to the day prior to the day and date you are setting to. Then manually advance the hands to the correct time/date etc. This doesn’t always get them aligned but it can. The alignment often screws up when date etc are quick changed in the forbidden zone. Good luck.
Not true all 6139 have dimpled crown.
 
Posts
252
Likes
193
Not true all 6139 have dimpled crown.

All 6139-600x do, which is what Sir Alan had said. He knows more about these watches than most humans walking the face of the earth; if I were closer to my desktop I’d post a couple photos of a silver dial 6139-6002 he brought back from the dead for me. The guy has skills.
 
Posts
252
Likes
193
Thanks, that also didn't work. I may try changing the date in the forbidden zone and see if that may correct it.

The crown/stem assembly on these has four parts — the stem, the crown, a small gear that slides on a rectangular portion of the stem, and a spring that keeps the gear in the correct position. What often happens with 6139-600x is that the crown unscrews and the spring and/or gear gets lost. If you see a 6139-600x with the wrong crown, there’s a decent chance that the assembly may be missing a part or two; if that’s the case, the day or date advance may not work properly.
 
Posts
3,536
Likes
9,594
Well, the stem is a mess in this watch, it's missing parts and that is why the inner bezel doesn't turn. My watch maker didn't even get into the messed up date wheel. The watch is bone dry with no signs of using been serviced in years.
 
Posts
2,180
Likes
4,358
All 6139-600x do, which is what Sir Alan had said. He knows more about these watches than most humans walking the face of the earth; if I were closer to my desktop I’d post a couple photos of a silver dial 6139-6002 he brought back from the dead for me. The guy has skills.
This is not true I have number of 6139 including -600x, 601x , 603x , 6020, 7020 from 1969- mid 70s and they ALL have the recessed dimpled crown. You must have misunderstood.
 
Posts
2,180
Likes
4,358
Well, the stem is a mess in this watch, it's missing parts and that is why the inner bezel doesn't turn. My watch maker didn't even get into the messed up date wheel. The watch is bone dry with no signs of using been serviced in years.
Sorry to hear. The photos appear that your watch has incorrect crown, it should be recessed and barely visible on frontal view, and dimpled. I’m sure your watchmaker can sort it out. Good luck and hope it gets resolved easily! These are really nice watches for have a few and enjoy wearing them.
 
Posts
3,536
Likes
9,594
I'm getting a refund since I feel the watch was not as described, and I'll be staying away from Seikos for awhile.
 
Posts
252
Likes
193
This is not true I have number of 6139 including -600x, 601x , 603x , 6020, 7020 from 1969- mid 70s and they ALL have the recessed dimpled crown. You must have misunderstood.

Perhaps. You wrote “Not true all 6139 have dimpled crown.”

Did you mean, “it is not true that all 6139 have dimpled crowns,” or did you mean “the previous statement is untrue, and all 6139s have dimpled crowns?”

Like you, I probably have 50 - 60 examples of the various references you list (not counting the parts bin), so I’ve got more than a passing familiarity with them. IIRC the -600x/603x crown is larger than either the Pulsations (-602x) or the -601x crown. I’m too lazy to get up and go look up the part numbers, but my aging brain seems to think that the Pogue crown is 5mm, the Pulsations is 4.5mm, and the -601x is 4mm.
 
Posts
1,296
Likes
5,991
I'm getting a refund since I feel the watch was not as described, and I'll be staying away from Seikos for awhile.
Buy a good watch from a reliable source and you'll be happy. Ebay is a minefield of mis-described and often deliberately faked up watches, and there's such a supply of aftermarket bits for 6139-6xxx that it pays to know how to spot them.

What about this "Bruce Lee" on OF? FS - Seiko 6139-6017 Automatic Chronograph Blue Bruce Lee" 1970 Reduced $500 | Omega Forums - $500 is chump change for something like that.
 
Posts
3,536
Likes
9,594
For now I'll do my research so that I know exactly what I am looking for. I don't necessarily think that it is a Seiko issue per se.

My regular watchmaker didn't even want to look at it because he said that he has seen so many that ran for years or even decades without any servicing, that needed parts, or he saw a ton that had been cobbled together (like my example) that he just started avoiding them to save time and hassle.

So taking that under advisement I'll bone up on what to look for, what to avoid, and hopefully in a few months find a good one that isn't a lemon.
 
Posts
3,536
Likes
9,594
Buy a good watch from a reliable source and you'll be happy. Ebay is a minefield of mis-described and often deliberately faked up watches, and there's such a supply of aftermarket bits for 6139-6xxx that it pays to know how to spot them.

What about this "Bruce Lee" on OF? FS - Seiko 6139-6017 Automatic Chronograph Blue Bruce Lee" 1970 Reduced $500 | Omega Forums - $500 is chump change for something like that.
Oh man, I even like the strap.