One of the most satisfying parts of collecting and restoring vintage watches is discovering that a “dead” watch is not actually dead at all — just needing proper assembly.

This Seiko 5 with the 7S26-8760 case reference came from a bulk lot of three watches that was cheap to get and a bit of a gamble at NZD $40+ shipped. First impression, it looked rough. The bracelet was missing its clasp which I wonder why? I thought probably used for parts, the watch crystal was all scratched hiding the beauty of blue dial details and the watch doesn’t run at all, no amount of shaking nudge the second hand to move.

After opening the case back, it became obvious this wasn’t a watch destroyed by wear or rust. Instead, it looked like someone had attempted to service or repair the movement and reassembled it incorrectly.

The first issue appeared around the balance assembly. The balance wheel pivot had not been seated correctly, which completely stopped the movement from oscillating. And on closer inspection the hairspring has been out of round, it seems the regulator pins is not properly aligned causing the hairspring to get out of round. Once corrected, the balance wheel by itself on the base starts oscillating, but watch still showed almost no power delivery.

That led to the third fault.

After further troubleshooting, I discovered the barrel arbor had also been installed incorrectly. The mainspring technically had power, but the movement wasn’t properly transferring torque through the train. In simple terms: the watch had energy, but the energy wasn’t reaching the rest of the movement correctly.

Once these issues identified and were corrected, I went ahead with the cleaning process and hoping this would bring this old Seiko back to life once assembled.

I did replace the mainspring with a new one as I had couple extra from my first ever Seiko restoration project.

I also wanted to preserve as much of the watch’s original character as possible, especially the crystal. The original Hardlex crystal carried the subtle etched Seiko 5 logo, a small detail that immediately gives the watch authenticity and period correctness. Replacement crystals for these older Seiko 5 references are already becoming harder to source, and finding one with the correct etched branding is even more difficult, so I decided early on that I wanted to save the original rather than replace it outright.

The restoration itself was intentionally subtle. The case received only a light polish to freshen it up while still retaining the sharpness and honest wear expected from a late-1990s Seiko. The crystal took considerably more time. I started with careful sanding to reduce the deeper scratches, followed by polishing with cerium oxide — the pink polishing compound commonly used for mineral glass restoration. To finish it off, I used Polywatch Glass Polish to refine the surface further and improve clarity. There is still some slight warping visible under certain angles, but I’m genuinely happy with the outcome because the original crystal, complete with its etched Seiko branding, was preserved rather than replaced. To me, keeping those small original details is part of what makes vintage restoration rewarding.

Dating the Watch

Part of the fun with vintage Seikos is learning how to decode their history.

This watch uses the famous Seiko 7S26 automatic movement, first introduced by Seiko in 1996. The 7S26 would go on to become one of the most widely used automatic movements in Seiko history, powering everything from humble Seiko 5 dress watches to iconic SKX divers.

The movement itself was designed around reliability and affordability rather than luxury finishing. It features:

• 21 jewels
• automatic winding
• 21,600 beats per hour
• Seiko’s durable Magic Lever winding system

Unlike modern movements, the 7S26 does not hack or hand-wind, but its reputation for toughness made it legendary among collectors and first-time enthusiasts alike.

The case reference on this watch is 7S26-8760, a design commonly seen in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The serial number begins with:

76XXXX

Using Seiko’s dating system:

• the first digit represents the production year within a decade
• the second digit represents the production month

That places this watch around June 1997 or June 2007. However, based on the case style, dial design, and the earlier production history of this specific reference family, late 1990s production is the more likely scenario.

That means this watch was probably produced not long after the 7S26 movement itself was introduced.

Why Older Seiko 5s Matter

What makes older Seiko 5 models interesting today is that they were never marketed as luxury watches. They were affordable everyday watches designed for students, office workers, and ordinary daily wear.

But decades later, many enthusiasts are rediscovering them because they represent a very honest era of watchmaking:

• compact case sizes
• durable movements
• textured dials
• practical design
• genuine mechanical engineering at accessible prices

This particular watch stands out because of its textured blue dial and minimalist styling. I especially like the applied gold Seiko 5 logo and gold bar indices, which give it a refined, dressy character. Even more impressive is that the lume still glows brightly after all these years and looks fantastic in the dark. Compared to the more famous Seiko divers, this watch has a far more understated personality — subtle, elegant, and very easy to wear daily.

It feels distinctly late-90s Japanese in design — functional, restrained, and quietly stylish.

The Best Restorations Aren’t Always Expensive

Financially, this was also a reminder that some of the best vintage finds are the watches everyone else ignores.

For effectively a tiny fraction of the lot’s cost, this Seiko went from:

• non-running
• incomplete
• likely abandoned after a failed repair attempt

…to a functioning vintage automatic once again.

And honestly, those are the restorations that feel the most rewarding.