The Orient Mako "TYPE II"

ORIENT "Black Mako II" 200M
Caliber 469 Twenty one jewels
47mm case diameter

I did not immediately go after the Mako II when it was first launched. Somehow, the lack of a lume pip on the bezel and the unprotected push button (for a 200M water resistant watch??) at 2 o'clock stopped me in my tracks. Many discussions went on the watch forums, affectionately calling this the Mako "Hogrider". I think this nickname sounded weird so I prefer to use "Mako II" instead.

This is a hefty chunk of cold steel with solid bracelet hooking onto the 22mm lugs. The case stands at a massive 47mm! For someone with a small wrist (like myself), I guess I should give the steel a miss and go leather instead (as shown in the later photo).

I bought two of these giant babies - the Black for myself and the Blue for my father (as he already has a black Oris Diver). Compared to the shimmering blue dial of the Blue Mako, the Mako II is a tad more of a metallic matted finish.

(The above photograph of the movement was taken from a Watchuseek thread posted by "lan61t")

The Mako II on leather seems less fierce; I don't think I have the built nor the aura to carry such a huge watch in full steel!

Cool Vintage "Dick Tracy-like" LC Watch

My usual watch hunting ground for vintage watches brought me face-to-face with this Citizen Quartz Crystron LC watch with chronograph dual time. Looks like a Dick Tracy gadget watch! Very secret agent flavor to it. This piece is new-old-stock with hangtags, brown from years of humidity.

An interesting feature of LCD watches from this era is the battery case cover which is on the outside of the caseback (like the Swatch).

What Day is it?

I found this chart on day wheel (posted by "axb") on Watchuseek forum, that seems quite a useful info for collectors. Now we know what language the day wheels are in other than in English.

Another 8M catch!

SEIKO Quartz Alarm Chronograph
Sport-Tech Series (NOS)
Caliber 8M25-8010

Another unexpected find to add to my 8M series (found here and here).

One fine day, Mr. Goh from K2 sent me an MMS of a new-old-stock Seiko, knowing that I am into early Seiko quartz especially the 8M series (with the function dial at 6 o'clock and function selector via crown turning). Such a beauty this piece is, gun-metal finishing and olive green leather strap. All original with hang tag and label but unfortunately no instruction manual and no papers. I am very satisfied with this catch as she adds to my current 8M series collection.

An early marketing poster showing the Sport-Tech series, featuring this watch.


(This poster picture is from the internet and is not my own. Acknowledgement given to the owner.)

Seiko Coutura Kinetic

My uncle bought for himself a new Seiko Coutura Kinetic from the States. So I thought I share a scan on my blog. Definitely a Seiko I will not buy. One man's meat, another man's poison!

The Fujitsubo

SEIKO Automatic Chronograph 6138 "Tokei Zara"
Caliber 6138-0020 Twenty-one jewels
Dated: April 1972

This piece was quite hard to come by and little did I expect two 6138s (the "Jumbo" and the "Tokei Zara") to appear before me. So I did what any good'o WIS will do when undecided - Buy both.

The "Tokei Zara" or Fujitsubo means a chemical dish or bowl due to the shape of the case. Mr. Goh of K2 Watch has fully overhauled this piece and changed a clean original crystal but there was some work for me still. I will need to clean up the original full length bracelet and sourced for a NOS minute hand as the lume job done on the original minute hand was disastrous. Both was easily done in two weeks and a pristine Tokei Zara is the result!



This model is the domestic model with the word "Speed-Timer" on the dial. The blue subdial at 6 o'clock with matching yellow hand is the most outstanding detail of this watch.




This picture was taken before my cleaning was done. Look at the grim and dirt that was between the bracelet links!

Quiet Elegance

SEIKO Quartz Sports 150 (NOS)
Caliber 7N42-800A

Another of an early discontinued Seiko quartz. These two-tone version has a subtle touch of gold. It marvels me the quality of the early worksmanship and finishing when Seiko was still fully cased in Japan.