23 Comments
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John Tocho's avatar

Excellent story! I bought a Seiko 6309 in 1983 as I started Grad School at the University of Minnesota. Wore it nonstop for 5+ years at the U, at the St. Croix, on White Bear. When I started my first real job bought a Cartier Tank over a Rolex Sub because I already had the trusty 6309. At some point the 6309 entered the depths of my closet for over 20 years. When the Seiko 777 was released, I bought that watch and started looking for my 6309. It was still there (with it's original band), I hadn't 'lost' it. It is ever so slightly smaller than the 777, but reminded me of wonderful days gone by. The 6309 was in need of a service, and I just don't know a good place for service. So that's my one and only story of my 'vintage' Seiko diver.

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Jason Heaton's avatar

Besides IWW, which gets high marks unanimously, I've been told that Tom Chase (Chasing Time) up in Grand Rapids, MN, does good work. Worth getting that old one running well again!

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John Tocho's avatar

Thank you Jason for the suggestions. Much appreciated!!

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Bob1035's avatar

Can't recommend International Watch Works enough. I mentioned them earlier and Tom Place seems to be happy with IWW as well!

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John Tocho's avatar

Thank you!

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Matt's avatar

I had my 6309 and 6105 serviced by Spencer Klein and it went great! As a bonus I got a little video evaluation of how they were doing. They were gone a while before he got to them but I think that’ll be true of a lot of good places.

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John Tocho's avatar

Thank you!

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Bob1035's avatar

I was very close to buying this very 6105 Jason, so I'm glad you saved me from it!

FWIW, I have a great 6309 already, that was serviced and relumed by Jack @ IWW. It runs like a top (of course), and looks like a watch from 1979, but glows close to my modern seikos. Well worth the expense IMHO, as I am similar in that I sleep in a watch and like to tell the time early in the AM

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Tom Place's avatar

Been using Jack since around '09. He serviced my '78 6309 as well (now passed on to another owner). Watch ran crazy accurate and went on multiple dives with me. Love that guy!

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Tom Place's avatar

Came in from working on my generator out in the cold.. made a cup of soup and sat down to read this. One of my favorite you've posted. Great stuff.

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Jason Heaton's avatar

Thanks, pal!

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Dieter's avatar

Another great story!

The 6105 is a watch I always liked and I got myself a very early 8110 about 10 years ago. I had it restored and relumed and it has been used in rotation with my other watches for a few years. But I always was a bit scared I would ruin it or get water damage and it ended in the watchbox unused until last year. Had it serviced with the intention of selling it but I don't get around putting it on sale. Maybe I should finally sell it and get myself a new SPB151 or a SPB143 to properly use and pass on to my son later.

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Jason Heaton's avatar

I vote you get it pressure tested and wear the heck out of the old 6105!

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David Brady's avatar

Oh so good Jason!

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John Cook's avatar

Watches are their own time capsule. Good addition to the herd, Jason.

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Keith Partington's avatar

Fantastic.

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Ed Estlow's avatar

Another fine yarn spun, sir! Luv me the Jeep intrusion.

I have the modern 1970S incarnation, an SPB237 to be exact, and though it has no patina yet, I find it quite charming for a watch I once could not understand (those overly funky crown guards). Eventually, lack of understanding gave way to compulsion, and the next time one gazed up at me from an AD's case... well, you know.

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Will Beney's avatar

I treated myself to the SPB151 re-release when I completed my DiveMaster course. Unfortunately it’s needed two services in the year I’ve owned it-both for movement issues but it’s a fantastic watch. That being said it completely lacks the original charm and feeling of the original so I’ll be on the look out for a 6105 soon enough!

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JR Seeger's avatar

Jason,

Another bit of Heaton brilliance! The stories our watches could tell! As the son and grandson of railroad engineers, my collection of family watches hold stories that I can only imagine (especially since those men died before I was an adult). My watch with 50+ years of wear absolutely has stories attached to it. As a geezer, I have started to buy, service and wear other old watches as well as new “rough and tumble” watches like my MKII Paradive, but I’m running out of time for too many new adventures. I can see future adventuritos or adventurettes of course but the “there I was...” sort of stories are probably in the past not the future.

Watches are that small bit of daily wear that live with us when we do wonderful, crazy, or even regrettable acts. That is what makes them so special and what makes your essays so brilliant!

Cheers

JR

Old warrior/new novelist

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Dad's avatar

Your writing gets better as you age as well! Dad

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Matthew's avatar

This story reminds me of the Japanese theory of Kintsugi and the tale of the broken bowl.

This watch is more beautiful for having been used (broken) and the true life of this watch started the moment it received its first scratch.

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Matthew McDonough's avatar

Watches- the best of them, anyway- are _nothing_ if not romantic. This was a great post, Jason.

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Alan Mentzer's avatar

Well done!

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