Did i change the hands? see the follow on video where I give the watch back to Keith here: kzread.info/dash/bejne/n22XqpWzZrOqZ6Q.html

I honestly think a true used tool watch like this deserves new more legible hands, it’s whole life it’s been relied on as a tool not a collectable. Great work 👍

@metatechnologist

Жыл бұрын

Yea it's not a museum piece it's a 'survivor' watch!

@ericdoe2318

24 күн бұрын

I too agree. Noting originality cannot be replicated, a watch like this requires a box to hold the original parts and papers.

Licensed paramedic, guitarist and watch enthusiast here. The comments you made on this video struck a chord with me. I will indeed buy you a coffee. Be well.

Amazing story. People underestimate the benefit of just chatting with people in the hospital with you. They are terrified or hopeless and yet a little chat can go a long way to make them go through their day.

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

So true. Keith made my 5 hours of complete dread and fear so much less.

@naycnay

Жыл бұрын

I've only been hospitalised once and had a rough first night in the ward. The next morning some old lady opposite me struck up a conversation. She was a paraplegic, yet she was also the primary carer for her husband! Anyway, she mentioned Stoke Mandeville hospital and that triggered my memory, as it was highly involved with Jimmy Saville. For those outside the UK, one of the most twisted and insane stories out there. Her life, her struggles, her worries and then her friendship and love for Jimmy. Wild conversations.

I love that you show us the trouble shooting techniques after the bad timegrapher results. Most channels don't do that and it's very helpful.

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Thank you. I like to keep it real!

Cheers, Mike! What a story of grace! I hope that many others will be as genuinely touched as am I at the opportunity that arose from the direst of circumstances. Hats off to you for restoring this watch, its history, and for forging a new friendship in the face of (or perhaps to spite) the circumstances of your cancer. Godspeed, and thank you! 😊

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Daniel. Such a lovely sentiment in your comment. Its the watch gods working in mysterious ways to put Keith and myself together that day.

Made me shed a tear. Didn't expect such a wholesome story on a watch restoration video. Hope you're recovering well

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

I’m doing fine. 90% back to normal

@metatechnologist

Жыл бұрын

Yea me too. Real nice story

Great watch, great story, great video. Thanks for the content, what a gem.

With the different watches I have been in, Seiko’s bi directional auto winder is the slickest one out there. Whoever invented that was a smart cookie.

This is a great story! I like to think that all the scuffs and scrapes, dings and gouges on my watches were from hard use action while in my military service (25 yrs), on the field of battle during the war on terror, some are. But in reality most of the scrapes and dings were from washing my hands in the kitchen sink, getting in and out of the shower, fixing the lawn mower/doing lawn maintenance, or opening the door to my refrigerator. 😂

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Brilliant! for me its door handles. I catch my watches on those all the time. As least with this Seiko we know its seen some action underwater which just adds to the provenance. Thanks for watching and I hope you enjoyed this video.

@Tom_H327

Жыл бұрын

@@MyRetroWatches Absolutely. Its nice to know I'm not the only klutz around these parts. Door handles, YES!

@robertwhitcomb6105

Жыл бұрын

Don’t forget those dings from door frames…

@Tom_H327

Жыл бұрын

@@robertwhitcomb6105 Haha. Yes! My wife always makes fun of me because I bump into, scrape against, step on, or kick away things in my walking path. I my answer is, "Hey, men take up space. I'm a man."

A lovely story! It's always nice to see a tool watch that's been used for it's intended purpose.

This Seiko Willard has more than just one story now - a double story indeed: the lifetime adventure of a Royal Force / Commercial diver, and the special bond between two friends who have met in difficult times. Amazing to be part of this as your subscriber. My sincere wishes to you for a lengthy, healthy life.

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much . lovely comment and I could not say it any better.

What a wonderful story! I love that Keith shared the story with you during your difficult and anxious time. I hope you are getting better. All the best, Neel

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

thank you. We had 5 hours before I was wheeled off to theatre. Keith got discharged that day so we did not meet again until around 6 weeks later when I could finally leave the house!

What a lovely watch and story. Godspeed to you and Keith.

Hold my beer just going to watch Mike restore this Willard. Keep well from New Zealand 🇳🇿

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Bruce.

Hello Mike, I’m new to your channel having seen a dozen or so videos in the past month. I didn’t know of your bout with cancer. I hope all is well. The best part of this story is how heart warming the kindness of some people is. That a few fellows in a hospital room can strike up a conversation and distract from the fear and discomfort you were facing. The watch is but a reminder, a very interesting one in itself at that. Thanks for sharing.

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

The comradery between men! Keith was a proper gentleman that day and something I will never forget. As for the cancer well yes a shocker at only 50 but I seem to be doing okay. I did make a video on it recently on the channel, mainly to make men aware of this disease and what to look out for. Also with my subscribers help raised a whopping £2200 for Prostate Cancer UK

Brilliant video, love watching you work on watches...you make it human! You will beat the cancer and you and your new friend will have many good years ahead to chat about watches!

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Thank you. I am hoping I have already beaten cancer and that it does not come back.

@Anidiotgoescamping

Жыл бұрын

@@MyRetroWatches I am sure you have, I was diagnosed with Folicular non Hodgkins Lymphoma in September 2021, has radiotherapy and have no return of symptoms so far. Keep happy and healthy and keep making your brilliant watch videos!

Have my videos have helped you? why not support the channel in some way You can make a one off donation here in only one click: www.buymeacoffee.com/MyRetroWatches If you would like to purchase any tools & equipment then please see my Amazon affiliate & eBay (I do earn a small commission from any sales.) Thank you. Link: Link: myretrowatches.co.uk/tool-sale-links/ If you would like to buy any of my T-Shirts then please look here: teespring.com/stores/my-retro-watches

@stevendark9567

Жыл бұрын

Enjoy the coffee on me Mike!

@kevinpainter5687

Жыл бұрын

00p8pp⁰

@SuperRaffican

Жыл бұрын

Pfaff $ffffffff$$ffffff$courtesy

@douglasreagan4979

Жыл бұрын

Change the hands.

@andal7404

Жыл бұрын

Have a yard of ale on me.

I purchased my Seiko Divers watch in May 1971 while a patient in the Camp Zama military hospital recovering from wounds received in action in Vietnam. I paid $57 US dollars for it in the Camp Zama PX. I was an avid scuba diver and my watch had over 2000 hrs under water in it's career. I too upgraded to a Rolex, not a Submariner, but a GMT Master. The Seiko while still a fully functional watch was relegated to the safe and the GMT Master became my daily watch. One day in 2015 just out of curiosity I took the Seiko out and wound it up and wore it for the day. After several days of wearing it I found it was gaining time. Seems it was time to get it serviced. It was the first service it ever received. Cleaning, lube and proper adjustment and reseal cost $158 US. The repair man told me what an iconic watch this model Seiko was. He mentioned the fact about it being Martin Sheens watch in the Apocalypse Now movie but he called it a "Turtle", never heard it called a "Willard" because that was Sheens name in the movie. He explained that there was a huge collectors interest in these watches and considering that this was a one owner watch would probably command a premium. I listed the watch on eBay with a starting price of $450. I got 17 private emails in the first hour. I ended up cutting a deal with a bloke from England for $575 US, cutting eBay completely out of the deal. I guess it was a good investment and hope it serves it next owner as well as it did me. 👍

@colescrustycars

7 ай бұрын

Good deal at that price! They are bringing twice that or more lately

@OscarOSullivan

4 ай бұрын

How did it survive all 2,000 hours of diving given the reputation for the Seiko lock crown to fail

@silverhairseeker5539

4 ай бұрын

@@OscarOSullivan think you are confusing the Seiko and the Rolex. My Seiko didn't have a locking crown, protected yes, locking no.

Love the video. Great story. Glad your doing good. I was a hard hat diver back in the 80's in NJ. My dive watch was a Seiko 7548-700f. Still have the watch and do wear it in its original condition other than the band and it still keeps excellent time.

Very Heartwarming Story, from a human perspective as well as from an horological one. Thank you very much. You were both meant to be friends... ❤️❤️❤️❤️

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Thank you sir

Excellent video and story! Thank you for sharing.

Great mix of repair and historical story telling!

I enjoyed every moment of this video, and what an honour for you to service it for a new found friend, both in the same boat together so to speak. I think IMHO you did exactly the right thing to keep the dial lume and hands original, they tell a story of a watch used in a harsh environment as it was designed to be. Besides, if the owner wants to replace them at the next service he can still do so, and the original ones can be either kept safe somewhere or polished and relumed. Good to see that you filmed the initial timegrapher results, it made me feel better about myself as this usually happens to me as well! Well done Mike and pleased you are feeling much better.

Love these! I used to restore them and then, just over a decade ago, released my own modern interpretation using the best movement available from Seiko at the time. Thanks for the great video, mate.

Always a pleasure to watch. Thanks.

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Superb. Pleased you enjoyed this one.

Hi Mike Fantastic video, one of your best in my opinion. Great to have your content to watch again. I loved the back-story and the build with the initial poor performance that you successfully diagnosed and sorted. Well done, Mike. Already looking forward to your next video. Best wishes Simon

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it Simon. More effort went into the production of this one so hopefully it pays off in views. One video has never taken a month before! Happy its been received well so far and comments are positive. See you next week.

This was very special. Your story and the story of your new friend, Kieth Yates, really makes this a very unique piece indeed. You put a lot of work into the disassembly, cleaning and assembly twice!! It wasn’t that easy given the condition of the watch, but you were persistent and you brought it back to life. Plus I now know why people love their Willards and how they got that name. I was treated for Prostate Cancer in 2002. Given my situation, I had the radiation treatment, which I would have needed after an operation anyway. Unfortunately, the Cancer had spread out of my prostate before treatment, so my PSA started climbing back up. I spent the next 12 years just living my life normally, but in 2014 things changed. I thought I had injured a muscle lifting weights, which I had done 3x a week since 1969. Nothing I tried was making it better so I thought it might be the Cancer finally causing problems. A PSA test confirmed my suspicion. My PSA was almost 3,800 which was a way higher than anything I had ever heard of. I was then put on 2 hormone blockers, but I knew that was only a temporary solution, so I looked all over for something I could do. I ended up learning about Rick Simpson and treating Cancer with marijuana oil. That was very fortunate because I followed his instructions and my PSA dropped so fast my Oncologist couldn’t believe it. My chances of surviving the next 5 years was less than 1 in 100. Here I am 8 and a half years years later and I’m still in remission and my PSA is undetectable. I’m only telling you all this in case you might be in the same position one day. They never know if they get it in time until a person’s PSA stays undetectable for a few years. If they didn’t catch it in time, there is still something you can do. Of course, there is no money in marijuana oil for big pharma, so they will never do human trials on it and it won’t ever be an approved treatment. But there are scientific papers that.have figured out the cellular mechanism that marijuana oil does interfere with the Cancer propagating. My Oncologist was very surprised by my remarkable recovery, but he didn’t want to know what I did. He just said, “whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.” I hope you never need this information, but if you do, I hope you look into the Rick Simpson story and “Phoenix Tears”, which is the name they’ve given the oil.

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Is that CBD oil? how did you take it and how much? My fear will be of a occurrence although I just hope for the best right now. Pleasing to read you have still beaten it back to continue onwards and upwards. For pharma its just all about the money

I just recently watched your videos of restoring the Seiko "Pogue" and the "Willard". I happen to be the original owner of both, purchased in '70 and '72 respectively. They're both in original, excellent working condition, since I haven't worn them for the last 50 years. I had no idea what they were worth until I watched your videos. I loved watching you work and listening to your commentaries. Thank you!

Always thoroughly enjoy your stories Mike and im glad there's been some positive outcomes since your diagnosis. Keith sounds like an incredibly interesting character and I can imagine it must be quite an honour to service this piece of history. All the best from Sunny Scotland and thanks again for all the efforts gone into providing this audience with another fantastic watch repair story. Love your work Mike, long may it continue!

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Steven. I’m just trying to forget what happened last year other than spreading awareness as much as I can. Keith was my saviour on the day not that he would admit that! Turns out he is a lovely guy.

Your excitement at producing this video Michael leaps off the screen. Fate played its card the day you entered UHCW for your op. To meet someone who you obviously got along with well ........ but he happened to have a beat up old Seiko for you to think about while being mended yourself! Brilliant video mate, your enthusiasm certainly inspires me to keep learning more about messing with watches. Well Done!

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Clive, mate! nice words and you hit the nail on the head. Keith is a top bloke and I am looking forward to seeing him again soon.

Perfect video Mike! A chance meeting, the watch with a history in a sock drawer long forgotten, the restoration journey, the highs and the lows, ending with triumph and friendship! I enjoyed it from start to finish. 👍

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Hi Max, hope you are doing well pal. Keith has now seen the video and rekindled all his memories to the point the watch means something to him again which is just fantastic. Its a great story of friendship from a bad situation. What a great story though too.

Amazing story. All the best for you, Keith and this beautiful watch with character

This is why I love watches. Each watch has its own story- and some day we hope that we’ll get the opportunity to tell it.

Amazing story and brilliant work.

Great video and an even better story. Keep these coming!!

Amazing what a watch can do to pull two total strangers together. Absolutely love your work Mike, i collect many Seiko divers and it is very nice to see such an iconic piece being given the tender loving care it deserves. Will keep tuning into your channel as always, stay healthy and safe and please keep those goodies coming. Subbing your 2nd channel. Thank you and Godspeed!

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Thank you Hugo. This chance meeting was planned from a higher place! Thanks for the sub on the second channel.

A fantastic restoration. I loved the story, history of the watch and the end result. The crystal change made a huge difference and you have to leave the hands as they are they look great with the bezel.

Beautiful story thanks for sharing

I really enjoyed this. Glad you left it original. Having been through a similar health scare in 2021, it was nice to hear of the friend you made - just when you needed one. Stay well and be sure to keep doing what makes you happy.

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Thank you

Thank you so much for giving us another brilliant video and for sharing Keiths amazing story.

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

A brilliant video, enjoyed the story very much , its amazing how life works , Willard lives on , great . Cherry on the cake new hands .

Those 'Ton' class minehunters were unsung heroes of the 70s and 80s, there were still a LOT of WW2 mines around the coast of Britain, Europe and the far east, as well as other unexploded munitions, the Ton class crews were bobbing around in their plastic boats, in all weathers, locating and remiving these mines, saving lives and keeping the seas and trade routes free. A huge thank you to Keith for his service.

danke für die Story und für das Video!

Absolutely love this video and of course the story with it ! Good job with this Willard, the final result is great ✨👌 Happy New Year Mike, wish you a healthy one and all the best for this 2023 beginning !!

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Hi Alain. Thank you and same for you and your family in 2023

Great video and story, loved the warts and all aspect.

Thank you for yet another great video. Glad to see your are recovering nicely as well. Loved the story about the live of the watch and its owner, I am certain he will be excited to get it back on his arm. Keep up the amazing work!

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it, the story was too much of an opportunity to miss filming this one. I have a new friend as a result so all is good.

Very cool, thanks for sharing the story of that watch.

The story with this watch was really great. It was very cool to see you restore it to return it to its owner who has worn it thru so much. It has to hold a great deal of value to them. I really enjoyed this and I’m also glad that you and the owner are doing well after surgery.

@MyRetroWatches

10 ай бұрын

Thank you. I did an update video where I met Keith to give him his watch back. A lovely man Keith with stories like you would not believe.

Love your vids! Thanks for all your hard work in making them. All the best to you, sir.

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Thank you very much!

What an amazing watch and story. My old man is no saturation diver, but was a crayfish/abalone diver and then recreational diver for many years. When he found out I've been getting into watches recently he said "oh, you might like this", rumaged around through a box at the bottom of a drawer and pulled out his 7s26 dive watch. It's doesn't have anywhere near the amount of character this Capt Willard does, but it's a gorgeous watch and one that will be in my family forever.

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Fantastic story. Any tool watch being use for its purpose needs to be kept in service.

Great video, story, and watch of course. I’ve watched it a couple times, thanks for this.

Great video, great back story and great restoration Mike…as anticipated 😊 What a leisurely way to start my Sunday here ‘down-under’ in Australia with your video while my wife sleeps in 😊 Mike your videos are a great inspiration to us all. Thank you!

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

g'day mate. Hard to believe my videos travel so far! pleased you liked this one. Was a proper labour of love to produce it.

Wonderful job and beautiful watch.

Beautiful - good job !

Beautiful watch. Beautiful story. Beautiful repair work. It was very nice to watch.😊

@MyRetroWatches

7 ай бұрын

Thank you very much!

Awesome job! Really great story and amazing that it bought you close to the owner and adding another story that amazing Seiko

Great video and incredible story!

Thank you for sharing, take care!

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for this! Glad you enjoyed this video sir.

Great Video so glad you got it working again.

Such a nice watch and great results

Nice sympathetic restoration and service Mike and great story. Thanks for sharing.

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

Thanks Mike great watch and video 👍

Wow! Thank you for sharing Keith's and this watch stories! It's wonderful you get new incredible friends during hard times. I hope everything will get better for you. I hope to get into watch repairing in the future too. You made a great job with this watch. Awesome video.

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! this one has a great story between to guys and a watch

Always great to have a real story with a rescue.

Great fiddle tunes there... count me in as a Bluegrass Singer and Guitarist!... love the seiko brand. I acquired a Pulsar v736 6a50 back in 1995. Its quartz, but I love it. I use it all the time..

Fantastic story, thanks for relaying the story

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Really loved this story, just love hearing thr back story of a good watch, what a lovely bloke Keith is :)

Looks great, you’re very talented

Great video! Great story!

Great job!!!

Thank you😊

Great story and I love the watch!

Great story Mike. Thanks for sharing. My wife and I enjoy watching your videos. Keep up the good work

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Thank you both for watching and all the best for 2023

Brilliant video and what a story, thank you 😊

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

Hello, I'm Evandro and I follow your channel here in Brazil and I'm excited to learn this art and start in the world of watchmaking as a hobbyist and enthusiast. Your channel has been inspiring to me and also a huge source of knowledge, especially about the seikos that are idolized here in Brazil alongside their younger brothers, the Orient. Congratulations on your video, a beautiful story of overcoming and I wish you and your friend to recover fully as soon as possible. May God protect and bless you and may you continue to inspire us for many years to come.

@EduardoGardini

Жыл бұрын

Os relógios são testemunhas vivas de fantásticas histórias, tivemos a sorte de conhecer aqui uma delas. Fico imaginando as lembranças que Keith terá enquanto observa o ponteiro de segundos de seu companheiro deslizando pelo mostrador.

Great video !

Excellent and super interesting video. Thanks for sharing.

GREAT JOB

Fantastic video 👍

What a great video, really enjoyed it. Thanks. Just shows how special a watch can be with all the history and stories that they hold. Take care. Danny 👍

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

It’s funny as Keith didn’t see it this way until he watched the video and now he is all very sentimental

Great video and watched it all the way through!

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Pleased you liked it.

Fantastic vid Mike 👍 thoroughly enjoyed it ....a great story and an iconic watch

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Thank you kindly!

Outstanding video Mike, always a pleasure to while away an afternoon chilling watching you rebuild a watch, personally I think the hands are past it and the watch deserves a new set. Take care and stay well.

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Thank you. There are more for changing the hands than not. I find that a bit surprising.

What a SERIOUS case!

A nice story to lightened up my Sunday morning! Thank you for sharing it.

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it!

Hi Mike, a very nice Seiko Willard restoration, well done, and Keith will be very grateful for what you have done, all the best to you both and good health 👍 Greetings from Australia 🍺

Nice work Mike. Very entertaining as always 👍🏼

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Thanks Chris glad you enjoyed it.

Great as usual

Superb job maestro done the piece justice 💙

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Hey Mike! Hope all is good with you. Happy New Year pal.

Fabulous video, and that one is my favourite watch 💯❤️

One of my all time favorite dive watches Mike. My 1st was the 6309 in 1980. From there I dove into the other vintage Seiko divers, including the renowned seiko Willard 6105 family. Wonderful work with this story book example. I hope your doing great brother, my PSA is rising slowly after 18 months post prostatectomy surgery which I thought was a 100% success. So now I'm looking at what comes next. Cheers my friend. 👍

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Jim thanks for your comment and I’m pleased you liked the video. Sorry to hear of your PSA. It’s all our fears right? Certainly is mine but as least there is options, mainly radiotherapy and hormone if its required. I think statistically 30% of prostatectomy patients go on for further treatment. How long are you post op? A few years?

@jimcollins9999

Жыл бұрын

@@MyRetroWatches Hey my friend. Yes really enjoyed the video & work you did on the 6105 Willard. Yeah man, it was a shock to me on the last 2 Bloodworks to see it rising. So it's one more, then we'll be looking at radiotherapy of the surrounding bed. I'm 1.5 years post OP right now, plus 1 week. Cheers buddy! 👍

I love your videos. Your passion for watches is very apparent - keep up the good work!

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Thank you sir

I'm about half way through this video at the moment and will have to watch the rest tomorrow morning. Wonderful story re your friendship with Keith and I wish you both a speedy recovery. Let's be mindful of the Prostrate stuff guys and keep an eye on our plumbing. I went to get mine checked and I told the nurse I'd forgot what I had an appointment for, she said I'm going to check your Prostrate. I said, oh yeah, I couldn't just put my finger on it! BTW, the mention of the Faslane site reminded me that a scene in The Spy Who Loved me was filmed up there.

Fantastic

I could never, EVER do this stuff, but I sure do enjoy watching this. I wish I had a vintage 6105.

Just brilliant!

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

Thank you.

Thank you for a lovely Tuesday morning.

@MyRetroWatches

Жыл бұрын

You are so welcome

Nice to see a dive watch actually used as such!

Fantastic video! Fantastic story! Fantastic watch! Wishing both you and Keith well in your recovery. The Willard is one of my favorite watches of all time. My compromise, as I could not afford the real thing, was to get a Seiko turtle. The 6105 is already a great watch, but this particular example, with its history, is truly special indeed. The case, the bezel, and that dial tell enough of that story. I would opt to replace the hands for the same reason the crystal was replaced: legibility and usability. That said the archivist and preservationist in me would keep them (and the scratched up glass, as well, and perhaps even the replaced parts from the movement-maybe even create a way to display them; a little shadow box or something) as reversibility is the guiding principle in my profession. But that gorgeous watch should continue to be worn and used and loved, and for me that would require hands that can easily be seen.