Not Every Watch Needs to Be New
One of the most rewarding aspects of watchmaking is not building something new. It's bringing something old back to life.
Recently I acquired a Seiko V657-9010 chronograph from eBay. At first glance, it looked like a typical worn vintage quartz watch. The crystal was heavily scratched, the case and bracelet showed years of wear, and the chronograph was not functioning properly.
Many watches in this condition end up sitting in drawers, being parted out for components, or eventually finding their way to the trash.
This one deserved a second chance.
The Initial Assessment
The watch arrived with several issues:
- Heavy cosmetic scratching
- Cosmetic wear throughout the case and bracelet
- Chronograph hands not resetting correctly
- Dead battery
Fortunately, the dial, hands and movement appeared functionally sound. That made the watch a good candidate for restoration rather than replacement.
One of the lessons learned from working on vintage watches is that appearance can be deceiving. A watch that looks rough externally may only need modest intervention to return to service.
The Restoration Process
Chronograph
The first step was addressing the chronograph issue. After inspection, it became clear the chronograph hands required removal and proper installation. This gets tricky as sub-dial hands are notoriously difficult to remove without damaging the hands or the dial itself.
The removal of the hands was a two-step process. First, I needed to remove the hour, minute and second hand. This was necessary to remove the dial, which was needed to remove the chronograph hands. The most efficient way to remove the sub-dial hands is to carefully remove the dial. The sub-dial hands will pop off which, if done right, doesn't damage the hands, dial or pinion.
Once the hands were removed, I replaced the dial then reset the chronograph and replaced the complete handset. They were aligned to ensure correct operation after start, stop and reset functions.
Crystal
The next step was the crystal. There are two approaches. The first, and easiest approach, is to replace the crystal. The vintage Seiko watches require specific Seiko crystals and gaskets to properly fit. The problem is that they are difficult to get and they are expensive. Since the risk to removing and replacing a crystal is shattering the crystal, purchasing a new one would require purchasing two crystals in case one broke during the initial installation.
The second approach is to polish it. Deep scratches are difficult to polish out without compromising the crystal. However, the scratches were not that deep and was worthwhile to polish. I chose not to remove the crystal from the case for the same reason I didn't replace the crystal. Break it and we are purchasing new crystals. Since the bezel was nearly flush with the crystal, taping over the bezel was easy to do.
How to polish a crystal? Sandpaper. The goal is to start coarse (but not too coarse) then work up to a fine grit which will leave the crystal free of scratches and absolutely clear. For extremely deep scratches, I use sanding wheels on a Dremel. In this case, that wasn't needed, so I used diamond paste, which allows sanding with a felt wheel. Less damage to the crystal and really good results when getting to grits over 10,000. Starting with 600 grit, I worked my way up to 15,000, which left the crystal smooth, free of scratches and crystal clean.
Case and Bracelet
The same approach was taken with the case and bracelet, using silicone wheels, brushes and diamond paste, I restored the entire case to a mirror finish. I then carefully taped the areas that I needed to brush and brushed them to a lightly brushed appearance on the outside of the bezel. The bracelet was done the same way, restoring the brushed finish of the bracelet and gloss finishes on the edges and sides of the buckle.
The goal was never to make the watch look brand new, since polishing has the effect of removing metal and rounding off edges which materially affects the appearance of the case. Instead, I aimed for a high quality restoration, so the watch appears near mint and in such a way that the watch could be repolished in the future if so desired.
Finally, the easiest part of the restoration was the battery. Once a new battery was installed, the watch was tested, a new case back gasket installed and the watch sealed.
The Result
The transformation was substantial. What arrived as a tired and neglected chronograph now presents as a clean, fully functional vintage Seiko ready for everyday wear.
More important, the watch retains its original identity.
The white textured dial remains the focal point of the design, while the restored crystal allows the dial details and sub-dials to be appreciated once again.
This is one of the reasons vintage Seiko chronographs continue to attract collectors. Beneath years of wear, there is often a very capable watch waiting to be rediscovered.
Why Projects Like This Matter
At Forge & Crown, restoration projects serve several purposes. First, they provide an opportunity to continue developing technical watchmaking skills. Every movement, case, crystal, and bracelet presents a unique challenge.
Second, they demonstrate the true condition of many vintage watches available on today's secondary market and the work required to return them to service.
Most importantly, they reinforce a core belief: A watch does not need to be expensive to deserve care and attention.
Whether it is a custom commission, a modern build, or a vintage restoration, the same principles apply:
- Diagnose carefully.
- Preserve what can be preserved.
- Replace only what must be replaced.
- Respect the original design.
Final Thoughts
This Seiko V657-9010 began as an inexpensive eBay purchase. It became something more valuable than that.
Not because of its market value, but because it serves as a reminder that craftsmanship often starts with restoration rather than creation. Sometimes, the most satisfying watch projects are not the ones built from new parts.
They're the ones rescued from being forgotten.
The result: The watch is fully functional and ready for its next owner.
If you are interested in this or any of our restored vintage watches, visit our eBay Store.
Time. Commissioned.
Next in the series: Bench Rescue #2 — Citizen Quartz Chronograph