Alright, let’s talk about this “half moon seiko” project I got myself into a while back. It wasn’t exactly planned, more like one of those ideas that just sort of… happens when you’re browsing online too late at night, you know?
How It All Began
So, I had this perfectly good Seiko, a reliable workhorse, nothing fancy. But it was, well, a bit plain. I’d seen these modded Seikos floating around, guys doing all sorts of crazy stuff to them. And then I spotted it – a day wheel, but instead of the usual boring letters, it had this cool “half moon” indicator that filled up as the week went on. Looked slick. I thought, “Yeah, I want that.”
First thing was getting the part. That itself was a bit of a hunt. You find all sorts of stuff out there, some good, some… not so good. Eventually, I found a half moon day wheel that looked decent enough for my Seiko movement.
Diving In – The Messy Part
Now, I’ve tinkered with things before, but watches are a whole different ball game. Everything is tiny. Seriously, you breathe too hard and a screw flies off into another dimension.
Here’s roughly how it went down:
- Cracking it open: Getting the case back off was easy enough. Standard stuff.
- Crown out: Then came releasing the stem and crown. Always a bit nerve-wracking that first time you press that little dimple. You’re always thinking, “Am I going to break it?”
- Movement out: The whole movement, dial and hands attached, came out. Looks like a little mechanical heart.
- Hands off: This is where the sweat started. Those hands are pressed on tight, and they bend if you even look at them wrong. I used one of those hand-puller tools, super carefully. Managed not to send the second hand into orbit, which was a win.
- Dial off: The dial was usually held by a couple of tiny clips or screws. Once that was off, I could finally see the old day and date wheels.
- The Swap: Getting the old day wheel off and the new “half moon” one on. This was surprisingly straightforward, just a c-clip holding it in place on this particular movement. Clicked the new one in. That was the “half moon seiko” moment, I guess.
- Reassembly – The Real Test: Putting it all back is where things can go sideways fast. Getting the dial on without any dust underneath? Good luck. Then setting the hands… oh boy. You have to get them perfectly aligned at midnight so the date changes correctly. And you have to press them on just right, not too hard, not too soft. I must have reset those hands three or four times. My fingers were cramping up.
Why Bother With This Fiddly Stuff?
You know, sometimes I ask myself why I put myself through this. It’s not like I need a custom watch. I guess it started a few years back. I was working this job, real grind, you know? Everything was about hitting targets, pushing things out, no real soul to it. Felt like I was just a cog. And everything around me felt disposable. Your phone breaks, you buy a new one. Toaster dies, new toaster. Nothing was made to last, or to be fixed.
So, messing with these mechanical watches, it’s like the opposite of that. It’s something you can actually understand, something you can take apart and put back together. There’s a craft to it, even if I’m just a clumsy amateur. It’s satisfying to make something work again, or to make it your own. It’s a small thing, but it feels… real. More real than staring at spreadsheets all day, that’s for sure. It’s my way of pushing back against all that disposable nonsense, I suppose. Plus, it’s cheaper than buying a brand new fancy watch every time I get an itch for something different.
The Finished Piece
Anyway, back to the Seiko. After a bit more cursing and one tiny screw that decided to go on an adventure under my desk (found it eventually!), I got it all buttoned up. Wound it up, set the time, and watched that half moon day indicator. It actually worked! It looked pretty cool, subtle but different.
Was it perfect? Nah. If you look really close, there’s probably a tiny speck of dust I missed under the crystal. But it’s mine. I did that. And every time I check the day, I get a little reminder of the struggle and, yeah, the satisfaction of making something with my own hands. That half moon seiko isn’t just a watch anymore; it’s a story.
