My late father gave me this watch after i graduated high school in 1982. He bought a similar one, a Seiko Sports 100 solar for himself at the same time.
Five years later, while working in the yard with him, i accidently confessed that i liked his more than mine. He immediatley traded me watches and said that he too preferred mine to his!
About a month later, i promptly smashed (and I MEAN SMASHED) the crystal on the Sport 100 so bad all the insides came out. I was heartbroken.
My father came to the rescue once more, and presented me with my graduation present back. I told him no, but of course he wouldnt have it. So it was mine again.
The watch , while well worn and scratched badly, worked perfectly until around 1995, when the battery would no longer hold a charge. It still worked while it was in light, but as soon as it got dark, it died.
I took it to the jewlers to have the battery replaced. They replaced it, but failed to replace the back gasket. The watch got wet in the shower and lost the right half of the display.(the 1 minutes and seconds were gone, the hours and 10 minutes still showed) Even after drying it out thouroghly, and even trying to clean the internal screen contacts after that didnt work, it never recoverd.
I had just got a Swiss Army lancer 100 so i wasnt too worried about it. It had lasted 13 years, not too bad for a digital. I threw it in my bottom dresser drawer. (you know, the junk drawer) and there it sat.
I almost threw it out a couple of times, but had too many fond memories of my father, me and that watch, so it kept returning to the bottom drawer.
My father passed in 2007, and a few times since then i pulled it out and would wear it for short time (even though it was dead). it made me feel good.
Then one day, a couple of months ago, while surfing ebay...I couldnt believe what i found...An identical model A258-5000 silverwave solar, with a broken case. The case was broken where the band attached. the pictures showed the watch face was blank(no display).
I bought it for $10.
As soon as i received it, i put it in the sun and the display came to life!!!
I pulled the module out of the newly aquired watch and swapped it with the damaged module of my graduation present. I put in a new battery and a NEW case back gasket.
I cleaned it the best i could, and it works perfectly once again. The buttons are a little stiff to press, but the display works perfectly, the alarm works, and the solar charger works. The watch is in pretty good condition considering all its been through. The bracelet is almost worn completeley out on it and The crystal is badly scratched. But thats OK. Maybe someday i can find a NOS crystal for it...you never know!
