This is the mark of an honest business person. Everything is shown and an honest assessment and recomendation is given. If only more people acted in such a fashion....
Surely we're not getting to the stage where we are congratulating people for being honest? This video is not about honesty. This video is about watching a master watchsmith, at the height of his powers, with decades of expertise and knowledge plying his trade. This video should be in the Smithsonian
@@serialcoins We'll agree to disagree then. I've known Spencer for many, many years and now count him has a friend because of his diligence, care, mastery, and HONESTY! His assessment in this video, of the state this piece and its less-than-ideal candidacy for a thorough restoration, is absolutely indicative of his honesty in a business that is rife with hacks and con artists.
Thank you for sharing the opening. I too thought it would have been much much worse than it is. How deep are the pockets for the rebuild of this. I can see it being very expensive to repair, but what a story to go with it. To have that running accurately and on the wrist again would be a great story. If it were mine in that situation, I'd be crazy enough to get it fixed just for the story, but that's me, and my wife would kill me for it. Lol Tough decision for the owner I'm sure. Please keep us posted as to what happens. Great video Spencer.
Man oh man it must be tough to just stop there and resist the temptation to rip into it. If only for curiosity sake! I do hope the customer decides to have that watch repaired, it's a beauty!
What tool did you use to get the bezel off, a bezel knife or something fancier? Did I see right that the face of the case was removed by turning it clockwise?
To me it did not look as bad as I thought it would inside, I was expecting to see a solid lump of rust for a movement, also the dial looked pretty good considering it had been in the sea for some time. Cheers for sharing that grand opening we have all been waiting for.
Not sure, are there any not dangely vintage bracelets at all? I don't know but maybe they were just that way because of production tolerances. I have seen very loose Rolexes as well.
The brace itself on the MM300 is very nicely made. Certainly better than some other Seiko divers, as it should be. I’ve tried lots of different straps and bracelets on mine but keep coming back to the original bracelet.
That was an epic case opening, Spencer. The barnacles should've been left intact, and then the entire watch be suspended in a lucite cube. A Modern Art Masterpiece for the mantlepiece! Although it'd be cool if the original owner of the watch saw this video and was like "Spencer, money is no object, you MUST resurrect my lost watch for me!" LOL
Hello Spencer. I didn't expect that! How could water even get into a Marinemaster!🤔 So I think that something like that shouldn't actually happen with a €3000 watch!# She couldn't have been in the water for that terribly long, as there weren`t any crystalline deposits to be seen. And if she was found on the beach, she certainly wouldn't have been lost far from the beach. But it's true, the place where the band was damaged is clearly the weakest link on the band and mine was already broken! Think I'd better do not leave mine on my wrist while swimming, but instead take my Homage watch from Steeldive.😎 But thanks a lot for open the watch, so I could see the "machine" for the very first time!😃
How did the case fail? I mean, crown was threaded in, so... what happened? Static water pressure well below the 300M shouldn't cause the pressure vessel to fail. Did the salt water rust cause the seals and gasket system to fail?
Awesome case opening. Truly great to see how it's done. I own the same watch as well. Thank you as well for tracing and highlighting the issues from the bracelet SB to the gasket failure. It may be costly to restore this. It may be better for the owner to procure a pre-owned one. Shopping in japan has a brand new one for sale.
I’ve owned the previous version (SBDX001) since 2013, As I wear it on this bracelet daily, I find this interesting. Even though a piece has sheared off, it can still be worn safely as the stubby bit can still be placed in the hole and is also secured twice. By the look of the damage on the links, it’s certainly taken a hit, maybe dropped and a propeller chewed it and spat it into the sea. It could’ve dropped whilst trying to be put on with a damaged bracelet. I’m not sure, but I don’t this happened during the diving itself. I’d love to know how though, I find it intriguing.
Hi Spencer, I really enjoy watching your videos. I have a question regarding a 7010 Tuna can. I was lucky enough to find one at an antique store in mint condition. When I went to replace the battery one of the stepped screws launched into oblivion. Luckily I was able to find a replacement on eBay. The issue is, the new screw went in but doesn't tighten it just keeps spinning. And Unfortunatel it won’t back out. Any idea what happened and how I can remove the screw? Thanks for any help you can offer.
I'm sure it's dead. The finder didn't seem to care at all despite how many times I warned him this would happen. I should have refused to open it, honestly.
GREAT video, and obviously one our little community here has been waiting for. I think this is actually the first time I've ever seen a Marinemaster opened on video; considering mine is due for service this was very helpful to me personally. Tough call for the owner on what to do with it, as much as I'd love to see you work all your magic tricks on it I think I have to agree with you that it's just too far gone at this point. I do have to say this isn't a very good look for Seiko, seeing how this watch can't have spent much time near the 300m water-resistance threshold if indeed any at all. Compare this result to the 1977 Citizen 52-0110 Challenge Diver found off Long Reef Beach in Australia in 1983 that was unbreached and still running, despite being so encrusted with barnacles and other sea life researchers estimated it was submerged in the South Pacific Ocean for *2-3 years*! EDIT 1: Watching this through again, is it just me or did the balance wheel actually rotate a few times times at 8:40?? EDIT 2: Also, note the change in the position of the seconds hand throughout the course of the video: Start = 36 2:11 = 37 5:53 = 49 9:45 = 54.5 10:03 - 10:07 = *Actually ticking* from 54.5 to 58.5 End = 58.5 Seems to me like this movement is trying very hard to run!!
It was, yes, and then the oxygen got in and started working as I warned the owner it would, and it locked up a few hours later. In an hour from opening, the dial was stained rust red - lume, markers, chapter ring.
The case was ruined. Replacement cases more or less don't exist. The movement parts do exist but Seiko won't sell to anyone outside of their ecosystem, including the major parts warehouses. And after the owner decided not to move ahead, the rest of the watch was doomed.
@@SpencerKleinVintageWatch I remember, one time I replaced most gears of a rusty, old MM300. I used an NH35. Some parts are compatible, i guess. A watch never dies for good 😀
@@SpencerKleinVintageWatch - It sucks, but you can't blame Seiko (or any watch company) for not selling parts to the general public. Spencer Klein or other hobbyists with professional skills wouldn't be a problem, but imagine the freaks out there buying bunches of parts and wanting to "return" them for various reasons including some really rare parts. It would be a total nightmare even with a "no return" policy. People will dispute credit card charges, etc like freaky people do nowadays with their online shopping mentality.....
a citizen challege diver was lost in 1977 then found on an australian beach in 1983 covered in barnacles ..........it still worked ..........and this is a MARINEMASTER ????
Yeah. It's hard to not feel just a bit disappointed in Seiko with this one. It should have been dry inside. I still can't believe it rusted worm holes right into the case.
Am I the only one thinking that there's really something off about the backstory of this watch? It's difficult to understand how that level of water ingress could have happened without the crown being unscrewed (certainly, the crystal was firmly screwed down). One can only speculate, but the reported history of the watch sounds quite unlikely.
I read the owners post on Reddit. The Boss found it on a log in Hawaii and sent photos with crown completely out. New owner removed bezel and found a hole ( by 8) with sand in and had concerns about quality of steel. I’m not sure, but I think it’s meant to be there to place the ring before you press the bezel on, I’m sure there’s another at 2. I’m not a watchmaker by the way. Anyway, new owner put bezel back on, and wanted to salvage a Marinemaster Disaster to a Marinemaster Miracle and have the only MMM300. However, I don’t think owner knew the job in hand, and wanted to find someone to repair the case and keep hands and dial. In the end it was sent to Seiko but no further updates. There is a lengthy post about owners endeavour. There was another post by someone else claiming you can request to get period correct dial and hands etc. It was also suggested the watch should have gone straight to Seiko and owner should not have opened bezel. There was another ‘backstory’ post about how it got damaged, but debunked and picked apart as there was no link found to the person who had originally owned it, and another person found it on a log. This post was deleted Comparison have been made about Citizen, another beach find which had barnacles on it, That owner, after rinsing it, immediately sent it off and got it restored - for a price, I imagine the Marinemaster will be expensive.
So the seals failed? I realize this was found in the most ridiculous of circumstances but forgive for thinking that still should not have happened. This watch isn't _that_ old.
A possible solution for preventing rusting once you crack a case that maintains water is a small vacuum chamber. It is the same principal as is used on residential homes, commercial buildings and automotive air conditioning units when a vacuum pump is connected to a system. All of the moisture and some of the particulate matter is drawn off.
The watch just needed to be completely taken apart as quickly as possible, getting the moisture out ASAP. Vacuum chamber is a neat idea, not sure how that might affect anything else in the watch movement.
Within an hour of opening the watch, as I warned the owner, the oxygen getting inside kick-started the rust hardcore. The dial and lume and markers turned a rusty stained brown / red, and the movement seized.
I would have expected this watch case to be better, I’ve heard stories about much worse conditions where the watches resisted better to water intrusion
@@SpencerKleinVintageWatch hahaha - no - they are Seikos that need “help”. My ‘famous’ Shogun that Seiko service handed back to me with a curious note: “not reliable between 13:00 and 18:00…” which never ever ran again. A beautiful UFO that needs a going over. A few tired Bellmatics. And half 6119’s, 6100’s and 6102’s… no more than 12 or 13 in total!
SBDX017 with MIMS technology. Second gen MM300 by the color the lume and the Propsex logo on the crown. The question is can you get the parts for repair for one of these? My vote, fix it. What a story if you could get it going again.
That's what happens when someone doesn't follow manufacturer's protocols re: rinsing watch of salt water. The best machine in the world will fail if its not maintained.
It is really weird seeing what appears to be a 2015 MM300 in this condition given that 99% of them are 'safe queens' or 'desk divers'. I am truly surprised this watch has leaked. Not sure if you remember the story, but some years ago I got a 6105 that was dredged off the bottom of a river in Oregon back in the 1980s and it hadn't leaked at all. The story of how the 6105 was saved from a watery grave is almost cooler than the watch itself, and the same is true here. Would be nice to see it running again, but 8L35 parts are tough to find.
Hey Aaron! I'm always glad to see you've posted. I think about your 6105 pretty regularly, actually. I'll tell this story in the video for today (June 10 2022). Do you still have that watch? I remember the day you posted about it.
This is why I wouldn't ever use the wetsuit extension on the MM300. Whsts happened here is hes caught the watch on a line or snagged it and the bracelet extension has failed at its weakest point. I use a NATO when wearing my MM300 on the water. If its likely to be a very harsh environment I wear an Elliot Brown on an oem bracelet. Built like a tank, super strong bracelet with integrared extension
I agree Spencer, I would leave it alone unless a replacement movement can be sourced economically. I think it obvious you are trying to protect the owner as it will be very expensive whilst at the same time resisting the temptation to get stuck in! Maybe better just to buy a new one. I do admit i expected a block of rust but I respect your opinion and trust you always want to do right by the owner. Unless for sentimental reasons some watches just economically don't work out. Yes it's sad but we need to listen to our heads and not our hearts. I'm sure he could sell as is and make back some money back on the usable parts. If I were the owner I would never wear the same watch with that crappy bracelet EVER AGAIN. I really do expect more from Seiko's flagship diver. The bracelet is just really bad design. It just makes me start to think what watches to real divers actually wear? I really would be interested to know if you think any actually wear Seiko to go deep water diving or do they look for something else. I mean I think you will agree most new Seiko have poor accuracy tolerances out of the factory and need adjusting before they are even put on the wrist, when in fact they could be dialed in with ease by Seiko. I can't help but think accuracy is SUPER important if wanting to find out how much air you have left at 300 metres. I just wouldn't be able to trust something with my life when Seiko can't be bothered to care.
So Elliot Brown tested one of their Bloxworth Chronographs by chucking it in Poole Harbour where they are based and leaving it under 30ft of water for 12 months. Came up covered in barnacles but once cleaned, as good as new.
Sometimes you've got to face a total-loss, if the repair parts/effort/hours is going to cost more than the price of a replacement, then it's up for the owner to decide. Personally, i'd get a new Marinemaster.
My sincere hope was that the owner would simply do that - buy a "good used" example for way less than what this one would cost to bring back, and then I was hoping I could buy the flooded one off him. I would have done everything I could have, and someday it would have come back to life. not sure that'll happen now.
I would have hit it with a hair dryer to gently dry everything out once it was open. I"ll bet it's possible too to downgrade the movement and build a custom spacer, once the dial is saved. If it were my watch it would live on as a cheap quartz and a good story.
This does'nt bode well for the repputation of the watch.If it is a 300mtre rated diver how did so much water get in?Have you read a Hodinkee story by Jason Heaton regarding his finding a "cheap" watch on one of his dives and only needing minor work to get it working again
Write off.. sadly, and its not especially easy to get parts for the 8 series movement. Seiko build these in a monastery half way up Mount Fuji by blind master watchmaking monks who also make katanas for weebos. I just send my one back to Seiko as Ive mot found any independent who is prepared to tackle it
First time in my live that i see a Watch full of sea water opened and closed again without a general cleaning to eliminate rush and salt 🤦🏻♂️ you wasted time! It was clear that water was inside 🤷♂️ normally a trick is to leave the watch in a cup of rice 🍚 with unscrewed crown. Better if at 40-45 Celsius of temperature.
@@SpencerKleinVintageWatch now is clear… In Italian we say, 'like giving pearls to swine' a customer who owns a piece of that quality and so sought after cannot let it die in a sea water bath 🤦🏻♂️
Seems to be true of almost anything. "Warranty" means "pay us more money for a promise we'll never honor.". The one time - the ONE TIME that a warranty helped us it did so because we absolute refused to let the dealership get out of it. We had to work work work and boy they weren't happy about it. If they could have gotten out of it, they would have.
Where do you propose I get one? Seiko doesn't even sell parts for the 8L's, never mind complete movements. A Seiko Authorized Dealer or Seiko Japan, period.
They found a Rolex sub covered in barnacles and rust in Australia that I don't think leaked. It was down for years and the guy was able to return it to the owner who lost it. This is an embarrassment for Seiko. I wonder if my Chinese Seiko homage MM running an NH35 would fare better? It might...
![[TECH] - SEIKO 8L35 Teardown - Is It ANY Good?](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/S1_OtmL8e3Y/mqdefault.jpg)
This is the mark of an honest business person. Everything is shown and an honest assessment and recomendation is given. If only more people acted in such a fashion....
Surely we're not getting to the stage where we are congratulating people for being honest?
This video is not about honesty. This video is about watching a master watchsmith, at the height of his powers, with decades of expertise and knowledge plying his trade. This video should be in the Smithsonian
@@serialcoins We'll agree to disagree then. I've known Spencer for many, many years and now count him has a friend because of his diligence, care, mastery, and HONESTY! His assessment in this video, of the state this piece and its less-than-ideal candidacy for a thorough restoration, is absolutely indicative of his honesty in a business that is rife with hacks and con artists.
Thank you for sharing the opening. I too thought it would have been much much worse than it is. How deep are the pockets for the rebuild of this. I can see it being very expensive to repair, but what a story to go with it. To have that running accurately and on the wrist again would be a great story. If it were mine in that situation, I'd be crazy enough to get it fixed just for the story, but that's me, and my wife would kill me for it. Lol
Tough decision for the owner I'm sure. Please keep us posted as to what happens. Great video Spencer.
Man oh man it must be tough to just stop there and resist the temptation to rip into it. If only for curiosity sake! I do hope the customer decides to have that watch repaired, it's a beauty!
Is the ring that takes the whole watch apart and holds everything in left hand threaded?
What tool did you use to get the bezel off, a bezel knife or something fancier? Did I see right that the face of the case was removed by turning it clockwise?
It's the wrong tool I should be using a caseback tool - and I own two of them - but I'm used to using my old set of binocular tools.
@@SpencerKleinVintageWatch Thanks sir.
Been waiting for this one. Awesome!
To me it did not look as bad as I thought it would inside, I was expecting to see a solid lump of rust for a movement, also the dial looked pretty good considering it had been in the sea for some time. Cheers for sharing that grand opening we have all been waiting for.
Within an hour of making the video, the corrosion advanced staining the dial rust and seizing up the movement.
@@SpencerKleinVintageWatch Wow, but still worth saving this beauty, I know you want to, so do we. Cheers Spencer.
@@SpencerKleinVintageWatch is this the final update?
How could you not attempt to resurect it, you know you want to save it?
Why are Seiko bracelets still so flimsy? On a high end Prospex model, that should have not been a failure point on a watch being used as intended.
Not sure, are there any not dangely vintage bracelets at all? I don't know but maybe they were just that way because of production tolerances. I have seen very loose Rolexes as well.
The pin that failed was tiny. Absolutely "the weakest link", and it failed like one.
The brace itself on the MM300 is very nicely made. Certainly better than some other Seiko divers, as it should be. I’ve tried lots of different straps and bracelets on mine but keep coming back to the original bracelet.
just fit a clasp from a Seiko monster, never had any issues in years of wearing my MM
That was an epic case opening, Spencer. The barnacles should've been left intact, and then the entire watch be suspended in a lucite cube. A Modern Art Masterpiece for the mantlepiece! Although it'd be cool if the original owner of the watch saw this video and was like "Spencer, money is no object, you MUST resurrect my lost watch for me!" LOL
Hello Spencer.
I didn't expect that!
How could water even get into a Marinemaster!🤔
So I think that something like that shouldn't actually happen with a €3000 watch!#
She couldn't have been in the water for that terribly long, as there weren`t any crystalline deposits to be seen.
And if she was found on the beach, she certainly wouldn't have been lost far from the beach.
But it's true, the place where the band was damaged is clearly the weakest link on the band and mine was already broken!
Think I'd better do not leave mine on my wrist while swimming, but instead take my Homage watch from Steeldive.😎
But thanks a lot for open the watch, so I could see the "machine" for the very first time!😃
How did the case fail? I mean, crown was threaded in, so... what happened?
Static water pressure well below the 300M shouldn't cause the pressure vessel to fail. Did the salt water rust cause the seals and gasket system to fail?
Spencer explains the case failure at 11 minutes. :)
The watch didn't have an anode, unfortunately, so once a point of failure started all the action concentrated there, and ate a channel inwards.
Awesome case opening. Truly great to see how it's done. I own the same watch as well. Thank you as well for tracing and highlighting the issues from the bracelet SB to the gasket failure. It may be costly to restore this. It may be better for the owner to procure a pre-owned one. Shopping in japan has a brand new one for sale.
Yeah, he wasn't willing to really let me go for it, and parts availability for me is zero as I am not an AD.
I’ve owned the previous version (SBDX001) since 2013, As I wear it on this bracelet daily, I find this interesting.
Even though a piece has sheared off, it can still be worn safely as the stubby bit can still be placed in the hole and is also secured twice.
By the look of the damage on the links, it’s certainly taken a hit, maybe dropped and a propeller chewed it and spat it into the sea. It could’ve dropped whilst trying to be put on with a damaged bracelet. I’m not sure, but I don’t this happened during the diving itself. I’d love to know how though, I find it intriguing.
Is the MM300 suposse to withstand 300 m water pressure?. Found it on the beach sound not more than 10 m water depth.
In theory, yes. It wasn't the depth that overcame the resistance, it was the time of exposure, I think.
DId you noticed it started to run at 10.03 in the video?
Yes, of course. It didn't keep running though, one the corrosion set in. I could have saved it.
Oh my god been waiting for this since I saw it.. good luck 😮
How can the watch get to this point? Was it a lack of maintenance or that it was sitting on the bottom of the ocean for a while?
The dive clasp springbar broke while the owner was in the ocean, apparently.
Hi Spencer, I really enjoy watching your videos. I have a question regarding a 7010 Tuna can. I was lucky enough to find one at an antique store in mint condition. When I went to replace the battery one of the stepped screws launched into oblivion. Luckily I was able to find a replacement on eBay. The issue is, the new screw went in but doesn't tighten it just keeps spinning. And Unfortunatel it won’t back out. Any idea what happened and how I can remove the screw? Thanks for any help you can offer.
Does anyone know the fate of this watch? I can't imagine it was salvageable in any way if actions were not immediately taken upon opening.
I'm sure it's dead. The finder didn't seem to care at all despite how many times I warned him this would happen. I should have refused to open it, honestly.
@@SpencerKleinVintageWatch this bothers me more then it should.
@@colescrustycars It's best not to think about it.
I would love to see this restored!
Me too. Maybe it'll happen someday.
Wow, that was indeed an epic failure by the bracelet. This was very educational, thank you Spencer.
You're very welcome!
Take of hands and dial, and put the movement in lighter fluid or someting to fluch out all salt inside the movement, to prevent more rust?
Someone needs to pay me to do that.
Dear owner, that's a watch with a hell of a story to tell. Please ask Our fine friend Spencer to bring it back to life.
GREAT video, and obviously one our little community here has been waiting for. I think this is actually the first time I've ever seen a Marinemaster opened on video; considering mine is due for service this was very helpful to me personally. Tough call for the owner on what to do with it, as much as I'd love to see you work all your magic tricks on it I think I have to agree with you that it's just too far gone at this point. I do have to say this isn't a very good look for Seiko, seeing how this watch can't have spent much time near the 300m water-resistance threshold if indeed any at all. Compare this result to the 1977 Citizen 52-0110 Challenge Diver found off Long Reef Beach in Australia in 1983 that was unbreached and still running, despite being so encrusted with barnacles and other sea life researchers estimated it was submerged in the South Pacific Ocean for *2-3 years*!
EDIT 1: Watching this through again, is it just me or did the balance wheel actually rotate a few times times at 8:40??
EDIT 2: Also, note the change in the position of the seconds hand throughout the course of the video:
Start = 36
2:11 = 37
5:53 = 49
9:45 = 54.5
10:03 - 10:07 = *Actually ticking* from 54.5 to 58.5
End = 58.5
Seems to me like this movement is trying very hard to run!!
It was, yes, and then the oxygen got in and started working as I warned the owner it would, and it locked up a few hours later. In an hour from opening, the dial was stained rust red - lume, markers, chapter ring.
All the more reason to use a NATO strap. Great video.
I had assumed that it would be able to handle being underwater as it is rated to 300 m. How deep was it under the water?
No idea. It was apparently washed up on the beach.
It doesn't look like it was too long under water either. Seiko should fix this thing, this is an embarrassment for the company.
Nato straps for water.
Dis is not a cheap watch why did it leak
not an expensive job, actually. it's more the craftmanship into it that makes it expensive. The parts are all easily replaceable actually.
The case was ruined. Replacement cases more or less don't exist. The movement parts do exist but Seiko won't sell to anyone outside of their ecosystem, including the major parts warehouses. And after the owner decided not to move ahead, the rest of the watch was doomed.
@@SpencerKleinVintageWatch I remember, one time I replaced most gears of a rusty, old MM300. I used an NH35. Some parts are compatible, i guess. A watch never dies for good 😀
Yeah the 8L is based on a lot of the 7x movement family; the 6R15s moreso I believe. Definitely a lot of 7x DNA.
@@SpencerKleinVintageWatch - It sucks, but you can't blame Seiko (or any watch company) for not selling parts to the general public. Spencer Klein or other hobbyists with professional skills wouldn't be a problem, but imagine the freaks out there buying
bunches of parts and wanting to "return" them for various reasons including some really rare parts. It would be a total nightmare even with a "no return" policy. People will dispute credit card charges, etc like freaky people do nowadays with their online shopping mentality.....
a citizen challege diver was lost in 1977 then found on an australian beach in 1983 covered in barnacles ..........it still worked ..........and this is a MARINEMASTER ????
Yeah. It's hard to not feel just a bit disappointed in Seiko with this one. It should have been dry inside. I still can't believe it rusted worm holes right into the case.
Seiko should fix this thing no questions asked. Water damage to a flagship dive watch, embarrassing. This was my dream watch, I don't know anymore.
The bracelet looked like it went through a boat prop before rolling around in the surf for ages.
If the crown is not tightnend proberly no watch not even a Rolex will be waterproof.
@@henrikberger7504 who would buy an expensive dive watch and not know that ?
Am I the only one thinking that there's really something off about the backstory of this watch? It's difficult to understand how that level of water ingress could have happened without the crown being unscrewed (certainly, the crystal was firmly screwed down). One can only speculate, but the reported history of the watch sounds quite unlikely.
I read the owners post on Reddit. The Boss found it on a log in Hawaii and sent photos with crown completely out.
New owner removed bezel and found a hole ( by 8) with sand in and had concerns about quality of steel. I’m not sure, but I think it’s meant to be there to place the ring before you press the bezel on, I’m sure there’s another at 2. I’m not a watchmaker by the way.
Anyway, new owner put bezel back on, and wanted to salvage a Marinemaster Disaster to a Marinemaster Miracle and have the only MMM300. However, I don’t think owner knew the job in hand, and wanted to find someone to repair the case and keep hands and dial. In the end it was sent to Seiko but no further updates. There is a lengthy post about owners endeavour.
There was another post by someone else claiming you can request to get period correct dial and hands etc. It was also suggested the watch should have gone straight to Seiko and owner should not have opened bezel.
There was another ‘backstory’ post about how it got damaged, but debunked and picked apart as there was no link found to the person who had originally owned it, and another person found it on a log. This post was deleted
Comparison have been made about Citizen, another beach find which had barnacles on it, That owner, after rinsing it, immediately sent it off and got it restored - for a price, I imagine the Marinemaster will be expensive.
So the seals failed? I realize this was found in the most ridiculous of circumstances but forgive for thinking that still should not have happened. This watch isn't _that_ old.
The crystal / screw down ring failed, and yes the seals were not great either, but it's the rust that did it.
A possible solution for preventing rusting once you crack a case that maintains water is a small vacuum chamber. It is the same principal as is used on residential homes, commercial buildings and automotive air conditioning units when a vacuum pump is connected to a system. All of the moisture and some of the particulate matter is drawn off.
The watch just needed to be completely taken apart as quickly as possible, getting the moisture out ASAP. Vacuum chamber is a neat idea, not sure how that might affect anything else in the watch movement.
Thanks for showing us Spence, that salt water is no joke.
Within an hour of opening the watch, as I warned the owner, the oxygen getting inside kick-started the rust hardcore. The dial and lume and markers turned a rusty stained brown / red, and the movement seized.
Wow crazy yo think someone lost this beauty out in the beach
300 mm 다이버 제품 오픈 하는 이영상으로 처음 보는데 궁금증이 해결 되었습니다. 정말 잘 보았습니다. 굿~~
I would have expected this watch case to be better, I’ve heard stories about much worse conditions where the watches resisted better to water intrusion
Seiko should fix this no questions asked.
I have a drawer with four watches in a "Spencer Klein" bag... someday...someday.
Are they mine or something? Did I work on them?
@@SpencerKleinVintageWatch hahaha - no - they are Seikos that need “help”. My ‘famous’ Shogun that Seiko service handed back to me with a curious note: “not reliable between 13:00 and 18:00…” which never ever ran again. A beautiful UFO that needs a going over. A few tired Bellmatics. And half 6119’s, 6100’s and 6102’s… no more than 12 or 13 in total!
SBDX017 with MIMS technology. Second gen MM300 by the color the lume and the Propsex logo on the crown. The question is can you get the parts for repair for one of these? My vote, fix it. What a story if you could get it going again.
I can't get parts, that's the unfortunate thing. Only ADs or Seiko Japan themselves AFAIK.
great video
"What's the phone number that's keep calling you?"
"Nobody, darling! A lunatic claims that I stole his Seiko watch."
Great vid Spencer 👌
I'm one of lifes great pessimists and I definitely would tell you to put that one in the bin.
Can't believe an apex modern Seiko diver didn't remain airtight but a Citizen covered in barnacles did.
That's what happens when someone doesn't follow manufacturer's protocols re: rinsing watch of salt water. The best machine in the world will fail if its not maintained.
It is really weird seeing what appears to be a 2015 MM300 in this condition given that 99% of them are 'safe queens' or 'desk divers'. I am truly surprised this watch has leaked. Not sure if you remember the story, but some years ago I got a 6105 that was dredged off the bottom of a river in Oregon back in the 1980s and it hadn't leaked at all.
The story of how the 6105 was saved from a watery grave is almost cooler than the watch itself, and the same is true here. Would be nice to see it running again, but 8L35 parts are tough to find.
Hey Aaron! I'm always glad to see you've posted. I think about your 6105 pretty regularly, actually. I'll tell this story in the video for today (June 10 2022). Do you still have that watch? I remember the day you posted about it.
This is why I wouldn't ever use the wetsuit extension on the MM300. Whsts happened here is hes caught the watch on a line or snagged it and the bracelet extension has failed at its weakest point. I use a NATO when wearing my MM300 on the water. If its likely to be a very harsh environment I wear an Elliot Brown on an oem bracelet. Built like a tank, super strong bracelet with integrared extension
I agree Spencer, I would leave it alone unless a replacement movement can be sourced economically. I think it obvious you are trying to protect the owner as it will be very expensive whilst at the same time resisting the temptation to get stuck in! Maybe better just to buy a new one. I do admit i expected a block of rust but I respect your opinion and trust you always want to do right by the owner. Unless for sentimental reasons some watches just economically don't work out. Yes it's sad but we need to listen to our heads and not our hearts. I'm sure he could sell as is and make back some money back on the usable parts. If I were the owner I would never wear the same watch with that crappy bracelet EVER AGAIN. I really do expect more from Seiko's flagship diver. The bracelet is just really bad design. It just makes me start to think what watches to real divers actually wear? I really would be interested to know if you think any actually wear Seiko to go deep water diving or do they look for something else. I mean I think you will agree most new Seiko have poor accuracy tolerances out of the factory and need adjusting before they are even put on the wrist, when in fact they could be dialed in with ease by Seiko. I can't help but think accuracy is SUPER important if wanting to find out how much air you have left at 300 metres. I just wouldn't be able to trust something with my life when Seiko can't be bothered to care.
So Elliot Brown tested one of their Bloxworth Chronographs by chucking it in Poole Harbour where they are based and leaving it under 30ft of water for 12 months. Came up covered in barnacles but once cleaned, as good as new.
I'd talk to seiko and explain what happened...
It’s a $2000 watch all day. I’d put the money into it.
Problem is that the parts aren't available from anyone who isn't Seiko or a Seiko Authorized Dealer. I'm neither.
Sometimes you've got to face a total-loss, if the repair parts/effort/hours is going to cost more than the price of a replacement, then it's up for the owner to decide.
Personally, i'd get a new Marinemaster.
My sincere hope was that the owner would simply do that - buy a "good used" example for way less than what this one would cost to bring back, and then I was hoping I could buy the flooded one off him. I would have done everything I could have, and someday it would have come back to life. not sure that'll happen now.
I would have hit it with a hair dryer to gently dry everything out once it was open. I"ll bet it's possible too to downgrade the movement and build a custom spacer, once the dial is saved. If it were my watch it would live on as a cheap quartz and a good story.
Put it in the freeze..
$3000 for a new one
This does'nt bode well for the repputation of the watch.If it is a 300mtre rated diver how did so much water get in?Have you read a Hodinkee story by Jason Heaton regarding his finding a "cheap" watch on one of his dives and only needing minor work to get it working again
Throw in an nh35 in that B lol
Write off.. sadly, and its not especially easy to get parts for the 8 series movement. Seiko build these in a monastery half way up Mount Fuji by blind master watchmaking monks who also make katanas for weebos.
I just send my one back to Seiko as Ive mot found any independent who is prepared to tackle it
Hi Spencer. That tiny clasp is criminal. BTW Please look for my recent email. My Aussie Pogue has gone south. Thanks, Tom
He only needs a new case, new dial, new crystal, new crown and new movement...
Actually, pretty much all of that was fine barring a cleaning, and the rust-through could be laser-welded by a jeweler. I could have brought it back.
First time in my live that i see a Watch full of sea water opened and closed again without a general cleaning to eliminate rush and salt 🤦🏻♂️ you wasted time! It was clear that water was inside 🤷♂️ normally a trick is to leave the watch in a cup of rice 🍚 with unscrewed crown. Better if at 40-45 Celsius of temperature.
I go over all of this in the video - it was up to the owner. He insisted it be opened, and then refused service. I did what I could.
@@SpencerKleinVintageWatch now is clear… In Italian we say, 'like giving pearls to swine' a customer who owns a piece of that quality and so sought after cannot let it die in a sea water bath 🤦🏻♂️
Seiko should fix that watch no questions asked. Water damage to a flagship dive watch. That is embarrassing....
How about Turning it into the police station lost and found
I am starting to learn watch manufacturers have a lot of false promises to make you think their products are good but once you buy it your on your own
Seems to be true of almost anything. "Warranty" means "pay us more money for a promise we'll never honor.". The one time - the ONE TIME that a warranty helped us it did so because we absolute refused to let the dealership get out of it. We had to work work work and boy they weren't happy about it. If they could have gotten out of it, they would have.
Poor mm
Just put in a new movement, it’s not rocket science 🤔
Where do you propose I get one? Seiko doesn't even sell parts for the 8L's, never mind complete movements. A Seiko Authorized Dealer or Seiko Japan, period.
@@SpencerKleinVintageWatch Maybe Seiya could help? Worth shooting him an email.
They found a Rolex sub covered in barnacles and rust in Australia that I don't think leaked. It was down for years and the guy was able to return it to the owner who lost it. This is an embarrassment for Seiko. I wonder if my Chinese Seiko homage MM running an NH35 would fare better? It might...