I Am WATCHing You

Moonphase Moonwatch

2012-01-22T13:53:00.002+08:00

Two reasons why I decided on the Moonphase Speedmaster:

(1) Omega rarely has a moonphase complication and I felt there is a iconic linkage between a moonphase and the historic significance of the Moonwatch.

(2) Transparent caseback displaying the beautiful handwinding caliber. Initially I had a thought to replace the steel caseback on my Speedy Moon to a clear sapphire one. With this, I no longer need another clear caseback.

The moon and stars against a blue night sky on the moonphase calendar wheel is truly breathtaking!

The moonphase wheel and pointer date can be set by depressing the two flushed buttons (shown above). To complete the package, Omega included an original tool (shown below) for the date and moonphase setting function.

Japan 2004 Speedmaster

2012-01-22T13:12:00.002+08:00

From a local collector, I was fortunate to be able to own one of 2004 pieces of the Japan edition Speedmaster. This Speedmaster has a unique grey matt dial with orange accents, having a very strong racing flavor. After all, Speedmasters were once marketed with the races during her pre-Moon days.

This limited edition is unique as it does not have any limited edition number. But with only 2004 pieces released in the Japan market in 2004, the warranty card bears a Japan AD stamp with the correct cherry wood Omega box.

A timeless classic

2012-01-22T13:08:00.002+08:00

I think most people started wearing a Casio when they started wearing watches. It is no surprise as Casio watches are one of the most durable timekeepers around and at less than $100 for a basic piece, it is a bargain.

My first watch was a Casio. When I entered the Army, I bought a Casio Mud-Resist G-Shock. It went through the sun, the sea and the sand and finally gave way, not because the quartz module failed but, due to a broken strap. I don't know where I threw it now but I am sure it is still ticking!

Recently I bought a re-issue classic G-Shock. The same timeless design and reliability. It is still a Casio Japanese quartz movement but now cased in China, due to costing. With the gold accents, it still ooze the old time retro charm. Another grab-and-go watch for the weekend!

02:56 GMT

2011-12-25T12:03:00.006+08:00

When I first saw the 40th Anniversary Apollo 11 Speedmaster, I thought it has deviated from the classic Moonwatch look: The red tipped hand is an outstanding touch and so is the small seconds dial which is now an Apollo 11 medallion.

An overall beautiful limited edition piece and a noteworthy point is the red lettering "02:56 GMT" on the dial. What is the significance of "02:56 GMT"? Read on the little extract I took from Omega site.

Extracted from Omega official news release:

The Omega Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch Apollo 11 “40th Anniversary” Limited Edition

The first manned lunar landing on the 20th of July, 1969 was the greatest, most dramatic scientific achievement in human history. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the moon’s surface at 02:56 GMT on the 21st of July, Aldrin was wearing his OMEGA Speedmaster and a legend was born. An interesting footnote: the electronic timing system on the Lunar Module was not functioning correctly so Armstrong had left his watch aboard as a reliable backup.

20 July 1969

2011-12-25T11:56:00.004+08:00

The Omega Moonwatch is an iconic watch and the Speedmaster has a loyal following. With so many limited edition and mission watches in the Moonwatch lineage, it is impossible to acquire all of them.

One of the most classic looking piece is this rare 35th Anniversary piece. I bought this from a Speedmaster collector. The 35th Anniversary has the "Paul Newman" look with black subdials against an off-white dial. This is one of the dressier Speedmasters I see around.

Extracted from Omega official news release:

The Speedmaster Professional 35th Moon Landing Anniversary Edition

Whilst every prestige watch manufacturer looks forward to celebrating an anniversary of one of its timepieces, only Omega can celebrate an anniversary that made one of its watches a legend. On 20 July 2004, it will be 35 years since mankind took its first steps on the moon. And it is thanks to the Omega Speedmaster that we can say he did so at 02:56.20 GMT precisely. Thanks to this unforgettable moment, but more importantly thanks to the expertise and reliability that led to the Speedmaster being selected for manned spaceflight missions in the first place, the Speedmaster Professional Chronograph remains as popular today as ever, with ardent fans and collectors always on the look-out for that special model...

It is a pity our local climate is detrimental to early Omega boxes like the one above, causing the surface to flak easily.

Sea Dweller

2011-11-20T09:54:00.006+08:00

The first Rolex I bought to wear is the Submariner. Recently I sold it to to an Indonesian collector to fund a mint discontinued Sea Dweller.

The earlier Sea Dwellers, I feel, are becoming increasingly harder to come by, especially in mint condition with full box and papers and a recent completed full service, like this example.

One day, I will buy back the Submariner as she is still readily available in the market but the price :)

The Original Gas Escape Valve, a Rolex patent, is shown on the side of the case. It is a circular piston made of titanium, which appears slightly darker than the stainless steel case.

The Sea Dweller is a professional Divers watch that is used by COMEX divers in an extremely hazardous and unforgiving environment deep below sea level. It is noteworthy that the steel grade used in Sea Dwellers is 904L vis-à-vis the 316L used in the Submariner (I stand corrected), increasing the Sea Dweller's corrosion resistance.

As you know, I am no mechanical person but here are two beautiful pictures of the Caliber 3135 (taken from the Internet):

This shot is from "The Rolex Submariner Cal. 3135" by Andrew Babanin.

I will never be able to do this to my Rolex!
This shot is from "Rolex Caliber 3135 – Still worthy of the crown after all these years?" by A.Watchmaker.

Citizen Aqualand Re-issue

2011-10-30T23:05:00.003+08:00

I used to have a pre-owned 1st generation Aqualand but later sold it as I was not so much into Citizen quartz and not want to have one which is too "vintage" as parts are difficult to find for the 1st Gen series.

I think people either love or hate the look of a Aqualand. To me, nothing gets more "toolish" or "gadgety" as the Aqualands. The depth sensor on the left side reminds me of a hidden microphone for secret agents to communicate, a mix of 007 and Dick Tracy!

I met up with a fellow collector, Yeoman, who shared with me the details that the Citizen watchmakers put into their design -

(1) Reinforced holes with steel where the springbars go through. This further strengthen the hole against wear and tear caused by the springbar.

(2)Fabric infused rubber strap as a last line of defence when the rubber strap fails. This picture is taken from Yeoman's blog.

Trying out a Lume shot...

2011-10-29T20:26:00.002+08:00

Surroundings are not dark enough. Still needs LOTS of practice! :)

Sumo (Again?!?)

2011-10-26T18:48:00.003+08:00

I have a Blue Sumo from a late Seiko collector in Canada. The Sumo is by far the most well made Seiko auto at this price range in my view. Since then I have always kept a lookout for the classic black version.

Chuck from Taiwan happened to be selling one seemingly "catch-n-release" mint black one in full bracelet and I thought I should just get it (even though my new guideline is not to have repeat model of different color!).

Swop the bracelet to an Oris-inspired depoyant black rubber.

The black is simply stunning, very sporty compared to the elegant blue...

Finally my own Golden Tuna!

2011-10-11T22:04:00.002+08:00

When I sourced a Golden Tuna SQ for my friend Andy, I thought these 1000m rated Divers are really armed to the teeth for diving - a monocoque case, 1000m water resistant, ceramic Ti case and an evergreen "Tuna can" design. If I can, I should have one nice piece too!

Recently there were collectors talking about the Golden Tuna being reissued in Taiwan. I immediately linked up with my Taiwan collector friend. After some phone calls to Seiko Taiwan AD and some brick and mortar shops, he finally tracked down and secured one brand new piece in Tai Chung. The watch was couriered from Tai Chung to Taipei and finally to Singapore!

As I un-box this rare reissue, I was so excited and proud to finally complete my mini Tuna collection - the All Steel 007, the Classic 015, the Darth Tuna and finally this Golden Tuna!

015 Tuna Returns

2011-10-01T21:55:00.004+08:00

I had earlier bought a mint SBBN015 but sold it shortly after. Recently I decided that I should collect one design each of the Seiko Tuna Quartz. Since I already have the 007 and the Darth Tuna, the 015 should be in. Ended up buying a brand new piece...that's the problem with this hobby - you buy, you see and you buy back the same again!

F1 Race Weekend

2011-10-01T21:44:00.003+08:00

Day 2 Race Weekend we decided to stand along Turn 11 and Turn 12. IWC Ingenieur Chrono today to time the laps...

Day 3 Finals making my way to Al Dente Italian Restaurant for dinner before heading to Bay grandstand. A hot stuffy day so Seiko Darth Tuna does well.

A well maintained vintage piece

2011-08-21T11:59:00.003+08:00

I was tasked by a UK collector to source for some Seiko Divers and the early Titanium Nitride plated "SQ Professional Divers 1000m" was on his "hit-list". Through sheer luck, a local collector was willing to part with his mint piece and so this beautiful 7C46-7009 came to my hands.

I brought her for a quick health check at K2 and all was ok! Fortunately Mr Goh kept one last piece of the NOS glass for me. With a new Seiko 5-year battery installed, she is ready to go!

Very rarely do you see a full complete mint set like this!

The shroud and buckle are all in pristine condition, what a find!

She is now with her new owner and I am proud to have made this happen and deeply thrilled to have held this beautiful yester-year Divers for a short while (for some photo-taking)!

Darth Tuna

2011-07-13T23:34:00.003+08:00

This "Darth" Tuna needs no introduction. I already have the Tuna Emperor and also the SBBN007 Professional 300m. However I rarely wear my Tuna Emperor due to her thickness. So naturally I went on the hunt for the discountinued and venerated SBBN011 Darth Tuna. Some weeks ago I managed to locate a mint piece (full set) through a Hong Kong dealer.

What draws me to the SBBN series is the neat and tidy, no nonsense dial. Just the depth rating and the word "PROFESSIONAL". The Darth Tuna is part of the SEIKO Prospec series.

The monocoque case is made of ceramic coated titanium - lightweight and built like a tank's armour.

The iconic Tuna design, inspired by the barnacles found on sea rocks.

Black Beauty indeed, my Divers row is reaching full strength!

Navihawk "Blue Angels"

2011-07-13T22:58:00.002+08:00

I first encountered this "busy looking" Citizen when I sold one of my watches. The buyer was wearing a Navihawk and I remembered the blue/yellow accents. I was told this watch took a fair deal of beating and yet it still looked presentable and works perfectly! After that encounter I forgot about the Navihawk for awhile as it was never in my cross-hair.

Recently I read somewhere about a fellow WIS's Navihawk and began researching into it, in particular this Blue Angels edition (If you do not happen to know, the Blue Angels is a US Navy F-18 Hornet Aerobatic team.). It seems that the Navihawk served many wearers well over the decade of her production. Probably I should get one and find out more. Another grab-and-go weekend watch!

In my opinion, the Navihawk trademark feature is her busy dial, with digital and analog display. The presence of the sliderule bezel made it busier but probably also made her more toolish (read "professional") looking. There is a world-time function that cycles easily through the major cities.

The marketing aspect here is the unique caseback showing the Blue Angels insignia. Something different from traditional casebacks.

[picture taken from the internet]

The C300 Caliber is a no-jewel metallic quartz movement. Note that the latest version of the Blue Angels is using the Eco-drive movement and has integrated lugs. Personally I prefer conventional quartz i.e. without the Kinetic or the Eco-drive. Simple battery works well for me when it comes to quartz calibers.

The clasp is double locking and the bracelet is of a solid stainless steel jubilee style, versatile with most outfits, any occasions.

Breitling Chrono-Matic 24-H (Limited Edition)

2011-06-25T09:06:00.005+08:00

The appeal of Breitling timepieces revolves around the "busy" pilot dial. When I had my first Breitling, a Chronomat, I somehow felt she wasn't too "Breitling" (some may diasgree) and sold her away shortly. Pateintly waiting for a correctly priced Navitimer or Cosmonaut, I chance upon the Chrono-Matic 24H, with a flyback chronograph.

This is a limited edition version, having only 25 pieces worldwide. The gold letterings on a black dial led by a striking red chrono hand just put everything together in perfect harmony. The brown leather with white stitchings completes the pilot look.

This being a 24-H dial layout does takes some getting used to when reading the time. The pic above actually shows the watch 10mins to four o'clock! It was fun turning our conventional time-telling around and does make a good conversation starter!

The (real) Submariner

2011-06-25T08:34:00.005+08:00

Asians have the mindset of associating Rolex with status, so much so that the brand becomes a grail for WIS and non-WIS alike. In Singapore, the Rolex is one very common brand and is readily found brand new and pre-owned. My parents bought a pair of Rolex in their early years, likewise my sister, and many other relatives.

Probably I should also add an iconic Rolex to my collection. Naturally the Submariner and Sea-Dweller come to mind as I am a Dive watch lover. When a brand new Submariner came my way with a price that beats the AD hands down, I did not hesitate further and brought her home.

Full set complete with all papers, instruction booklet and hangtags, I am a Rollie Sub owner at last!

This is the original Submariner. If you read Rolex literature and catalog, this clean dial version is called "Submariner". The more common version we see in the wild is that with a date window with a bubble (or cyclops) on the glass, is called "Submariner Date". So strictly speaking, there is no such thing as a "No-date Submariner" - a misnomer by many people.

This clean dial (without the date) gives a more balanced look, creating a natural symmetry and aura. This was how the Submariner was born in 1954! The Submariner tradition and heritage is timeless in the Submariner.

True enough, I did not really like the "filmsy" Oyster bracelet. A 5-stripe "James Bond" NATO gives the Submariner her exotic appeal!

Singapore Watch Shops Revisited

2011-06-21T15:05:00.002+08:00

Please see here on watch buying in Singapore (revised version).

Good luck and have fun!

Sharing a Rare Catch and Release

2011-06-19T20:08:00.002+08:00

The JDM SEIKO Titanium Samurai had long been discontinued. I sold my Black Ti Sammy (which was a new old stock full set) to a collector. And then an Orange Sammy came along and it did not stay long with me either; the Ti Sammies are simply too beautiful to wear on my wrist. But I am no keeper now, more a wearer, so off she goes!

Some pictures for the record:

The deep orange markings on the bezel of this Orange Sammy made her one of the most sought after Ti Sammies in the Seiko world!

My 1st Breitling - The Chronomat

2011-06-04T21:23:00.003+08:00

Breitling Chronomat Automatic

When JW put up this piece for sale, I thought it is a good opportunity to get my first Breitling. Breitling's icon is the Navitimer but I read that the Chronomat holds a significant place in Breitling's history. More can be read about here and here.

Although this Chronomat is preowned, the condition is like new for a watch that was purchaed in 2000. The previous owner took great pride and care of his watch as can be evidenced by the regular servicing done at the official Breitling Service Centre.

PS: I sold the Chronomat shortly after as I felt I needed a more "Breitling" Breitling. This is subjective as some collectors feel that the Chronomat also oozes the Breitling appeal. But I thought otherwise.

Classic Pepsi design

2011-06-04T20:53:00.003+08:00

SEIKO 7548-700B 150m Diver

I recently acquired a mint 7548 that looked as if it had sat in a time capsule since her first battery change in 1983 (watch was produced in Oct 1980). The previous owner change the original flat crystal to a dome glass, giving more depth to the dial.

The 7548 caliber is a high-torque, thermo-compensated 7-jewel quartz movement, unsurpassed by the newer quartz movements these days.

This acquisition spurred me to purchase (for the first time) a SKX009. I had the J-version before but sold it as I find the dial too busy with all the redundant wordings! Also I planned to wear my watches and the J-version was one of the drawer queens to go. Now I decided to go for a SKX009K and wear her as much as I will wear this 7548, this is the joy of the hobby: To collect, to admire and to wear.

Here is both of them side by side:

Kanji day wheel shown here as this 7548 was a Japan domestic model at that time, not exported overseas. The exported model had the letters "SQ" on the dial.

I specially requested the SKX009 be on president bracelet; a very comfortable and smart-looking alternative to the rubber strap or the more common jubilee bracelet.

The caseback of the 7548 shows the schedule for battery change. This also gives an indication of the age of the watch.

Somehow I always associated Pepsi bezels with Seiko. I remembered I pestered my father to buy me my first watch and I wanted a Seiko (that looked like the 7548); but I got a Casio instead :)

PAM Base Zero

2011-05-26T22:31:00.005+08:00

One of my first watches was a Panerai replica I bought in Bangkok. It was my daily beater for a week until the crown came loose followed by the locking lever! From that day, I told myself no more replicas; I rather wear a Casio.

As I progressed into this hobby, I see the PAM as a cult watch and never really took interest in the brand. Later on I decided that I must at least own one to complete my Horological equation. Being a minimalist, I naturally chose the Base Zero Logo.

The heart is a modified ETA-6497 and taking on the Caliber code "Manual OP X". Here is a picture I found on the Net. I always love to search for movement pictures (like this one) as I do not think I will even attempt to open the casebacks of any of my watches!

Tha PAM Trademark "Locking crown lever"

The iconic Panerai rubber strap with the polished Tang buckle.

The polished mirror-like finish, my idiot-proof digicam and my shaky hands make photographing the PAM extremely challenging. But being one of the most iconic PAM, one can easily Google the endless drooling pics on the Net.

If you want to just own one Panerai (like me), this is the one!

The Tool Guys

2011-05-26T22:00:00.004+08:00

All along I had the SBBN007 "Tuna" Professional 300m. I was lucky to have bought one of the last pieces back then from Seiya Japan when the SBBN007 was discontinued.

But a true Tuna, in my eyes, should have a black bezel insert. This got me looking at the SBBN015 Marinemaster 300m which is also powered by the 7C46 7-jewels high torque quartz caliber. The price of new SBBN015 is on the high side and I was lucky that "AL" in Hong Kong has a mint piece on bracelet up for sale, I grabbed it.

The first thing I did was to swap the bracelet with the rubber: SBBN015 having the classic old-school look and SBBN007 with the cold "All-Steel" look.

The SBBN015 has a signed crown and hex-screws.

The original bracelet is one hell-piece of steel with double locking clasp and divers' wetsuit extension.

"Titanium + Stainless Steel" - This guy means business!

I have been busy

2011-05-16T13:23:00.008+08:00

Thank you to all who have wrote to me as it seems quiet at my Blog.

Two reasons for this:
(1) I was busy with office work and also community work so had to spend time with family whenever I can make time (pun not intended). So I can't update my blog so frequently (even though I had some watch purchases here and there) now.
(2) I noticed the formatting of Blogspot has changed and my presentation of watch info ran into some problems (compare my IWC post to the others and you can tell the difference). For a while, I was haggling on how to write. It is trivial but I am a detailed person so was kinda stuck.

I recent realised that my Blackberry takes beautiful wrist shots! Sharing some with you here, in the meantime, please bear with my sluggish updates!

Sea-gull Stopwatch

2011-03-13T12:28:00.005+08:00

SEA-GULL 30-min Chronograph
Caliber 1907 Thirty-one jewels
Handwinding with 52-hours power reserve

When I bought my first Sea-gull, I knew it will not be the last. Shortly after I sold my first to a local collector, I garner additional funds for my next purchase.

I am a nostalgia kind of collector. Watches with the vintage-look and flavor of the yester-years attract me. When I spotted this simple Sea-gull Chronograph on a yellowish dial, I knew she is going to a keeper (for now).

The dial color radiates an aura of the old days. It seems like the watch has gone through the decades.

A domed sapphire crystal, Roman numerals, textured dial and an off-centre power reserve de-marche add elegance to this beautiful timepiece.

The big crown makes winding so smooth and buttery, much better than winding my Speedy Pro!

To add class to this watch, Sea-gull adopts a butterfly depoyant clasp.

Sapphire caseback shows off the intricate handwinding movement parts that powers this relatively simple no-nonsense timepiece. Another point to Team SEA-GULL!

The "Flying" Sea-gull

2011-03-13T11:43:00.005+08:00

SEA-GULL "Flying Wheel Mechanical" M163S

Caliber ST25 Twenty-one jewels

Power Reserve indicator

Handwinding Automatic with Hacking

Centre "Flying Wheel" completes one full round in 60 seconds

I was initially skeptical of China brands. Probably a stigma in this part of the world where Chinese produce = Low quality and in the extreme, fakes. When I learn about Tianjin Sea-Gull brand having an AD here in Singapore, I paid no attention.

By coincidence, one of my favourite Seiko AD is carrying the Sea-Gull brand so I thought why not pop by to see how cheap this China brand is, little did I know I will be in for a surprise...

The "Flying Wheel Mechanical" (model 163S) caught my eye and I decide to bring her home. At SGD300+, it is a lot of watch for the money.

Simple yet elegant presentation box with the "SEA-GULL" brand. I was even given a "SEA-GULL" carrier bag. Knowing the shop-owner very well, he gave me a copy of "Time & China" watch magazine featuring all about this Tianjin brand. There is a free subscription form so I have filled up and mailed back, hopefully I do get free future copies!

The Chinese paid attention to details as can be seen on the different dial textures on the same dial face. Blued steel hands with smooth sweep second-hand, this watch goes well with leather strap even though it came original on a polished solid stainless steel bracelet.

Nothing to shout about the movement but I would definitely not call this "cheap and crude". The spinning rotor feels heavy and when swung, you can actually feel the momentum created by the spin! Jeweled movement with hand-winding (to bring the power reserve indicator up) and hacking, I will rate it slightly a notch higher than the basic Seiko 7S26 caliber.

The bracelet comprises of solid stainless steel links. Even the end-links are solid! The butterfly clasp is stamped on underside showing the material of the bracelet. I though the branding presentation on the upperside could have been executed better had it been engraved instead of etched on. But this is trivial.

Platic warranty card is a nice touch in the overall presentation.

I had this watch for a week before selling it. The reason I sold her was that I am so impressed by the Sea-Gull brand that I have decided to top up more funds to get a slightly higher end piece that I will share later on this blog.

Some takeaways:

As a WIS, never judge a watch by name or country of origin;
Chinese brands are not all junk. As my watchmaker (an 80 year-old) puts it: "If the Chinese can send space shuttles into space, watch-making is nothing. It is a matter whether they (the Chinese) want to do it or not."

IWC Ingenieur Chronograph (Ref. 3725)

2011-02-26T03:01:00.010+08:00

After consolidating my Japanese watch collection and my Oris, I decided to go for the iconic pieces of some of the more well-known Swiss brands. IWC is a natural contender on the list. After much thought between a Portuguese Chronograph and an Ingenieur Chronograph, I decided on the latter for her bold cuts and wrist presence. This piece came brand new full set from Richemont (M) Sdn Bhd through an agent.

The Ingenieur houses a IWC 3725 caliber in a soft iron inner case for protection against strong magnetic fields. The movement is automatic and can be handwound to a power reserve of up to 44hours. The caseback is solid stainless steel and has a water resistant of up to 120m with a screw type crown.

The most iconic feature of the Ingenieur Chronograph is the angular case shape and integrated chrono push buttons with integrated lugs. The overall package seems unconventional to some and takes an acquired taste to truly appreciate the looks. The Ingeneiur charmed me with her masculine outlook with a dash of sleek elegance.

Speedy PRO

2011-02-26T02:56:00.005+08:00

OMEGA Speedmaster Professional
Caliber 1861 Eighteen jewels
Manual winding chronograph

To me, the Moon Watch has always been a long-time grail on my wish-list. Watches have come and go through my hands but the Moon Watch has never left my radar. I love the Moon Watch more so due to her rich heritage behind than her classic handsome looks.

However I could never bring myself to buy a brand-new piece asI felt the price has gone too high and not justifiable for a relatively simple complication. But a chance came by to purchase a mint 2005 pre-owned piece on bracelet with full box and all papers, I couldn't hesitate more!

This picture was set against a Swiss-printed Moon Watch book I chanced upon in an old watchshop during my honeymoon in Geneve in 2008. I bought this book back then knowing one day I will be the proud owner of a Moon Watch. I am glad I did not disappoint.

The Moon Watch has one of the cleanest and most legible dial layout - White on black. It is easy to tell the time. By playing with the strap type, the Moon Watch can be easily transformed from a casual sporty look to a formal business look.

The crown is signed with an Omega symbol. Hoever I noted that the crown is not purposely made big for easy winding unlike some HW watches that I have handled.

The Moon Watch NASA space travel heritage is beautifully displayed by the words on the steel caseback.

This movement picture is taken from the Omega Watchprosite here. The detailing and worksmanship speaks of the pride of the brand and tradition behind Omega.

The legendary Speedmaster bracelet's main soul is in this two-button push-release clasp.

The crystal uses Plexiglass which is durable but not scratch resistant. The advantages of using Plexiglass is that it does not shatter like sapphire and scratches can be buffed out easily. A mark of authenticity is noted here - an Omega symbol on the glass above the center pivot.

So far I have enjoyed wearing this watch on a leather strap shown. To me it is like a dream come true!

My 2nd Glycine (after I sold my 1st)

2011-02-26T02:21:00.003+08:00

GLYCINE Airman SST-06
Caliber ETA2893-2 Automatic 21 Jewels
GMT with 3 timezones
Screw crown 20BAR Water Resistant

I sold my 1st Glycine, an Incursore, after I purchased my 1st Panerai (see the resemblance?). The Incursore was quite a hasty purchase so it was back to the research sites for more info into this brand. After reading more,I thought perhaps I should get the pumpkin version of the Airman, which is iconic to the Glycine and carries an extra panache!

If you look at the dial closely, you will notice the tone of the blue deepens as it moves into the top half of the dial. A very subtle detail that I grow to appreciate. The crown at 2 o'clock can only be turned with the use of a coin into the grove. This is to prevent accidental turning that affects teeling the correct time of another timezone.

The steel caseback shows a Boeing Super Sonic Transport (SST) aircraft prototype.

Glycine signed buckle and leather strap. I sold the rubber strap to another collector as I felt this watch shoudl go best with leather.

There is an ornamental "coin-like token" in the Glycine presentation. I supposed you can use it to turn the 2 o'clock crown?

A Glycine screwdriver is included for changing the strap. You will need to unscrew the small screws at the sides of the lugs to get the strap out. This is very challenging as a slip of the tool will leave a deep scratch in the case (which nearly happened to me!) so be very steady and gentle when working on this type of strap bars.

Some shift in collection focus

2011-02-20T19:39:00.004+08:00

Recently, I did a clean up of my current watch collection (again).

For my Japanese collection, I am still with the major brands - SEIKO, ORIENT and CITIZEN. My collection focus for SEIKO has always been in the Divers range which I feel SEIKO is a forerunner. My focus is on JDM Divers and certain iconic vintage ones. I also try to include the vintage chronograph family. Dwelling too deep into vintages means more money spent through trial and error and more time into research. As such, the furthest I go for vintage Seiko is the 6105 Diver and 6138 Chronograph. To achieve a balanced collection focus, I also added a dressy SARB031.

As for ORIENT, I kept, in my opinion, the iconic pieces like the Kingmaster, the blue-dial Rainbow Diver and a 60th Anniversary handwinder. Being a diver lover, who can resist the gold-tone ORIENT-STAR 300m?

CITIZEN has not been a priority for me as I felt the brand has evolved too fast and veering away from conventional curves. I have owned and sold several Ciitizen watches in my journey.

For SWISS Made, I have always been an ORIS fan. But as I grow in this hobby, I open my options for Swiss Made and cleared several pieces in my ORIS collection to make way for other brands. In the next few entries, I will share the iconic pieces that I recently purchased, namely, a GLYCINE, an OMEGA, an IWC and one PANERAI. I have decided to venture into higher end brands but try to just keep one flagship piece of each brand. Can you guess which models of each brand I acquired? ;)

An all-rounded collector should be open to all brands as we explore and grow in the world of Horology. I will also share a recent purchase which many may frown upon due to her "China Made" signature - The SEA-GULL.

So do stay tuned as I try to update the blog regularly. It is tough when I have a 15-month old toddler exploring around trying to get my attention (and my watches) as well!

Another 6306 and this will close my Seiko vintage collection

2011-02-20T19:23:00.003+08:00

Found an excellent condition 6306-7000 which is the rarer variant as compared to the 6306-7001.

Now I will close my vintage diver collection with the 3 Musketeers acquired: 6306, 6309 and 6105.

As for vintage chronograph collection, I am complete as well with the 6138 Bullhead, 6138 Yachtman and 6139 Pogue.

The Alpinist

2011-02-04T22:29:00.002+08:00

SEIKO Alpinist
Caliber 6R15-00E0 Twenty-three jewels
Compass inner bezel (crown at 4 o'clock)
Screw crown at 3 o'clock
Water resistant to 20bar

I was influenced by Martback's writeup of the Alpinist heritage on his "GMT+9" webpage here. In fact I regretted deciding a little late as I thought the cream dial version looked more "Alpinist" to me and alas, it was discontinued awhile back.

The sunburst green dial version is not bad too as I love the way the gold-lined cathedral hands and arabic numerals catches the light.

Dressy 6R15

2011-02-04T22:16:00.003+08:00

SEIKO Automatic SARB031
Caliber 6R15-00V0 Twenty-three jewels
Automatic (can be hand-wind) and hacking

This dressy 6R15 shows a strong influence from traditional Grand Seiko design: Dauphine steel hands without lume material, clean cream-colored dial layout, dome crystal, 36mm diameter-characteristic size of men's watches "those days".

Enjoy the pictorial presentation!

An easy watch to wear under shirt cuffs on those formal business presentation days or when I simply need a breather from "big watches" and "divers".

An Old Citizen Diver

2011-01-23T21:41:00.002+08:00

CITIZEN Automatic Diver
Caliber 8200A Twenty-one jewels
Water Resist 150m

I picked up this well worn diver from ttsugar from Taiwan. A large case diver at 44mm; large relative to the newer Citizen divers you see in the shops now. The movement is clean and robust. It is a pity the glass is no longer in production (as this watch was from the 80s) else I would be able to admire the beautiful patina-ed dial!

This is what I call a Tool Watch

2011-01-02T01:02:00.003+08:00

CITIZEN Professional Diver 300m
aka Eco-Zilla
Eco-drive Caliber B873
Titanium case

At my usual watch haunt, the shop owner gave me a very good price (that I could not refuse) for his last titanium Eco-Zilla. Lightweight and having the cool gun-metal professional look, I could not resist.

I was initially skeptical of the Ecozilla, thinking that the stock rubber strap will be very uncomfortable. But I was wrong! It wears so well and sits ever so balanced. Probably the light-weight plays a big part too. A very masculine watch with that professional tool look to it. The buckle is a double loop through making this watch very secured on the wrist. However it is slightly difficult to remove but not a show-stopper.

(this caliber picture belongs to "absolut beethoven" of SCWF dated 26-Dec-2006)

My First Glycine

2011-01-01T23:22:00.007+08:00

GLYCINE Incursore 3762

ETA 6497 Seventeen jewels

Manual winding

The Incursore series of the Glycine is a true Minimalist.

Very clean simple dial design and layout, making her one of Glycine's iconic representations. The Incursore 3762 only has two cathedral styled hands powered by the reliable 6497 workhorse. The large generous crown makes hand-winding a joy as it winds up smooth as butter!

I bought mine brand new with box and papers at a very reasonable price (much better than the local AD) thus enabling me to own my first Glycine.

Touch-and-Go Diver SKZ325K1

2010-12-12T18:39:00.004+08:00

SEIKO Scuba Diver's 200m
Caliber 7S36-04P0 Twenty three jewels
Distinctive red outlined crown and minute hand
Drilled through lug holes
Antimagnetic Type 1

This is Seiko's latest model in her Diver's range. I was initially drawn to it but sold her later to consolidate my collection. Nevertheless I share this pictorial narrative of this model; which is already fast gaining popularity in the local watch community.

A distinctive feature is the crown and the minute hand which, in the model, are outlined in red. The passing of the minutes are critical in a dive and Seiko probably wanted to increase the legibility of the dial.

This model featured drilled through lug-holes which make strap changing such a breeze! The raised dome crystal is also a nice touch.

The caseback sits slightly recessed and the lugs are seen to be higher.

This "inverted U" symbol shows the antimagnetic properties of the watch. This is the first time I come across this symbol on Seiko Divers. As shared below by a local collector "big-e-294", this is the "Antimagnetic Type 1" symbol.

Seiko's anti-magnetic quality of analogue watches:

1. No inverted U indication: certified level of anti-magnetism: 1,600 A/mYour watch will not be affected by the level of magnetism that ordinary watches can withstand.

2. Inverted U with 1 bar (Type 1): certified level of anti-magnetism: 4,800 A/mYour watch will not be affected by the magnetism generated by household appliances at a distance down to 5cm.

3. Inverted U with 2 bar (Type 2): certified level of anti-magnetism: 16,000 A/mYour watch will not be affected by the magnetism generated by household appliances at a distance down to 1cm.

(taken from Seiko SCEA001 operating manual)

No New Kid on the Block

2010-11-28T18:05:00.003+08:00

ORIENT STAR aka "OS300"
Gold tone - discontinued model and color
Caliber 46N4A Twenty-one jewels
Non-hacking, non-handwinding
Power Reserve up to 40 hours
5mm thick Sapphire glass
He-Gas diving to 300m

I used to own the black OS300 a short period back. However due to the large size, I sold her.

I have since have this void in the Orient Star Divers collection. So when a brand-new gold tone OS300 came around (it is slightly cheaper than what I had paid for my black OS300), I did not hesitate. This time round, I wear her on a canvas textured leather strap and the feel was near perfect, the size is not so big afterall!

Not much to say about this piece so enjoy the photo journal!

My Wife's first Diver

2010-11-28T17:42:00.002+08:00

My wife used to wear a Seiko Kinetic as her weekend watch to bump around the house. However wearing a Kinetic once a week is not going to keep the watch well charged.

So one day when Nathan was putting up two solar PADI Divers for sale, I quickly got her one. The PADI Diver runs by a solar powered quartz movement by Orient. Being in sunny Singapore and by placing the watch facing the window sill daily during her non-wearing days, this little baby still keeps a full charge and ticks away happily.

This is a Japan Domestic Model as shown in this interesting caseback.

There is also a wetsuit extension too!

Screamin' Orange

2010-11-13T13:20:00.003+08:00

SEIKO Orange Monster 200m Divers
Caliber 7S26-0350 Twenty-one jewels

The Black Monster did not grow on me and I finally sold her to another collector. One day I thought to myself I should give the Orange Monster a shot since she is so well spoken about in the circles. When JW had a mint one for sale, I went earlier to queue and she's mine alas!

The Orange Monster has a funky look to it. I am ok with colored dials and already own the Blue Sumo and Yellow Revolver.

Another ORIS Chronograph

2010-11-13T12:02:00.003+08:00

ORIS BC3 Chronograph
Caliber 674 Twenty-five jewels

I finally added this new-old-stock piece to my ORIS collection! A truly beautiful piece with so much racing flavour!

Initially I was hesistant due to a hairline crack on the lume of the minute hand. This put me off for awhile and very soon I forgot about this watch on my wish-list.

Recently I got acquainted with the General Manager of Oris and her watch engineer in the Service Centre, who assured me that parts for this discontinued Oris model is still available. This assurance set my heart at ease and I went ahead to bargain and finally secure this watch from the shop.

The watch came in steel bracelet which I swop out to a black racing leather strap. What an awesome combi!

The Yellow Revolver

2010-10-23T19:33:00.004+08:00

ORIENT STAR 200m aka "Revolver"
Caliber 46N4A Twenty one jewels
40 hours power reserve
Air Diver rated 200m

Some months back I bought the OS300 but sold it to another collector as it was too big for my 6.5in wrist. Somehow the OS300 did not grow on me, sadly.

Recently I re-visited reviews on this OS200 aka "Revolver" due to the unconventional bezel design. Some collectors hate the bezel to the core yet some just love it! I thought with this funky steel bezel and a bright yellow dial, I could pull it off easily so decided to order one in time for my birthday. Till the writing of this post, I did not regret this purchase so hopefully we have a keeper here.

I put on a yellow lined black racing leather strap to further enhance the "yellow" of this watch. The original steel bracelet is substantial but did not quite achieve the "funky yellow" feel I wanted.

A signed crown and drilled through lug holes, standard to the OS diver series.

This is the reliable, no nonsense, undecorated Caliber 46 (picture from the Net) of the OS200. It is using the same movement as in its 300m Big brother. Some collectors argued that the price difference between the two is far too big to justify as both are using the same movement.

Here is an iPhone3 taken wrist shot.

King Master

2010-10-23T19:23:00.003+08:00

ORIENT King Master
In-house caliber 21 jewels
GMT World time

I have been drawn to this King Master series some time back but could not justify buying a brand new one from Japan (as this is a JDM). So when my collector friend Nathan (from Australia) has one minty pre-owned one to let go, I did not hesitate.

It is a beautiful piece with solid stainless steel oyster bracelet. The dial (with the country names) is recessed from the 24-hr bezel, giving the watch depth which is further enhanced by the slightly domed crystal.

The Officer's Watch

2010-10-20T13:29:00.003+08:00

ORIS Big Crown "Commandante"
Caliber 633 Twenty five jewels

Full Arabic numerals dial watches are often associated with the military and officer look. This discontinued Oris is part of the Big Crown Commandante series. It has an off-white dial with painted numerals. The coin-edged bezel and big crown add to her classic timeless look.

Sumo Wrestler

2010-10-17T09:26:00.004+08:00

SEIKO Scuba 200m "SUMO"
Caliber 6R15-00G0 Twenty-three jewels
Handwinding and Hacking movement

It took me a long long long time to finally decide on the Sumo. Fellow collectors asked me why took so long. Even after acquiring the Tuna Emperor and the MM300, I was then still undecided. All along, I thought that the Tuna is too long for my wrist and that the bezel fonts are ugly. One day I met up with fellow collector Brandon and he was wearing a Black Sumo. Coincidentally he has the same wrist size as I do. I tried on his Sumo and it fits perfectly!

And so I revisited all Sumo reviews and finally, I am decided. Noah happened to have a mint used Blue Sumo and I thought why not for a wearer. I had too many black dial Divers so blue is a refreshing change.

When the Sumo finally arrived after a long long ship journey from Canada to Singapore, I was glad it arrived safely and as described. The blue is stunning. The bracelet did not appeal to me now so I am using an Oris-inspired rubber strap with depoyant clasp.

A nice touch is the drilled through lug holes and signed crown. Notice that the bezel is slightly recessed into the case, very aestically done.

(movement picture taken from the Net)

Updates

2010-10-17T08:25:00.003+08:00

I have been busy for past weeks due to house moving. Alomg the way some new watches were added to my collection and will feature them soon. Stay tuned!

In the meantime, Tuna weekend!

No more setting the Date!

2010-09-12T20:15:00.002+08:00

SEIKO Perpetual Calendar Scuba 200
Caliber 8F35-00A0 Eight jewels (I think)
Perpetual calendar till Year 2100
ISO certified Air Diver

It took me a long time to decide on this Diver, the most difficult hurdle being her slightly smaller size compared to the SKX Diver. In the end, I am glad my not-so-huge wrist managed her well!

The 8F35 is one of the best hidden secret in the Seiko quartz world. This caliber's accuracy and thermo-compensated module make her one of the most affordable HEQ (High End Quartz). Some of your famous Swiss brands quartz dwarf beside the 8F35. With Perpetual Calendar means you only need to set the date once and it will auto-correct up to year 2100! (if this baby can last till then!)

Currently she is on a 8-year battery and the next battery change will be in 2018!

A true Diver with snap out diver's wetsuit extension!

True Diver tradition

2010-09-10T12:11:00.003+08:00

SEIKO 6105 Diver

Caliber 6105-8110 Seventeen jewels

Hacking movement

Water Resist 150m

Dated: October 1974

After one 6105 got lost in the mail, I patiently waited to see if another comes around. True enough, after a few months, a UK collector was selling away his vintage divers collection, many of which are mint pre-owned new old stock. I managed to buy an original mint (close to new old stock) 6105 from him. This baby is not cheap, setting me back by at least one grand.

But it is a beautiful piece, all original with even the QC blue sticker still intact! The factory brushed finishing is still crisp with sharp angles and curves.

The 6105 adopts the "push-turn-lock" crown to keep the water out. In those days, this system providesd the required water tightness. There is no screw threads to wear out. The user pulls out the crown, sets the time, push it back it and turn to lock. Most 6105s in the resale market have their small steel studs (shown above) already worn off or broken.

After inspecting with a loupe, I can still see the steel stub there, so I'm glad my 6105 still had this mechanism in perfect work condition even after 30+ years. But I won't wear her close to water for sure!

Marine Master

2010-07-16T11:11:00.005+08:00

SEIKO Marine Master 300m
Caliber 8L35-0010 Twenty six jewels
Hacking and handwinding
Monocoque one-piece steel case reminisent of the original 6159-7001

This piece is known in short as MM300. Her design is an inspiration and a reissue of sorts of the original Seiko 6159-7001. Hyunsuk Seung has an extensive review of the Seiko Hi-Beat Professional 300m documented here.

This watch was shipped to me from Japan via EMS in three working days!

The monocoque one-piece steel case ensured water-tightness. Compared to a screw caseback, this will be easier to maintain and you will not have grim and grit in between the grooves and edges.

This watch sits a tad higher than most dive watches. The solid stainless steel bracelet is comfortable to wear once you have sized it correctly. Be mindful as this bracelet adopts the pin-and-collar system.

The crown is not up to mark here in my opinion. It is an unsigned crown compared to the Tuna Emperor. Likewise the crown is not the telescope type found in earlier 6309 models. At this price point, Seiko could have done a little better. But for me, this is not a show-stopper.

Solid endlinks and fat springbars.

The bracelet has polished link at 2nd and 4th link position. This is a subtle touch and does not make the watch too blingy. Hidden below the double lock clasp is the divers extension mechanism.

The clasp is thick and robust in design and yet wraps very comfortably round the wrist.

The MM300 also came equipped with a soft polyurathane waffle type rubber strap. Although a little long, it is nevertheless very easy to wear.

The trademark "Tsunami" mark on this 20mm wide rubber strap. You can use it on your Sumo too!

Overall, the MM300 is a dressier dive watch suitable with business wear. The bezel has a glossy finish and gives the watch a classier outlook compared to the other range of divers.

An Evening of Grandeur

2010-07-16T08:50:00.014+08:00

A kind invitation by Mr. Peter Chong allowed me to attend the Grand Seiko evening held at Thong Sia Building. Present at the event were around 15 GS owners and fanatics (like myself).

We were honoured to have the gracious presence of some senior staff of Seiko Watch Corporation Japan. From left to right: Mr. Noboru Hosokawa (Engineer), Ms. Chitose Masuda (Master Craftsman) and Mr. Harumitsu Akashi (Senior Manager PR).

The event started with a tour at Thong Sia showroom, showcasing the beautiful and exquisite range of the Grand Seiko.

Grand Seiko started in 1960 and this year coincides with her 50th Anniversary. This piece is the commemorative limited edition GS "Special" Hi-Beat 36000.

This exhibit shows the intricate components of the GS 9R65 Spring Drive caliber (30 jewels). For the first time I handled the Spring Drive and witnessed the glide motion of the second hand; the silence is deafening. The technology involved in the 28 years of research is truly amazing and I awed at the innovation of the Japanese engineers!

Extracted from "Seiko Spring Drive - The Quiet Revolution" describing the seamless glide of the Spring Drive:

"Do the planets shudder or 'tick' noisily as they cross the heavens? Of course not. Time is both continuous and silent, and it is by reflecting these essential characteristics of time itself that Seiko Spring Drive fulfils as the only watch in the world to tell time as Nature itself tells time."

The magnified view of the mechanical GS 9S85 caliber with 37 jewels and a power reserve of 55 hours.

The exploded parts view of the casing of the GS Spring Drive Divers 200m watch.

The Ananta Spring Drive Chronograph. "Ananta" is the Sanskrit word for "Infinite". Seiko has adopted the ancient Japanese art of sword making - Katana, in this range of watches.

Akashi-san has brought over one piece of the Credor 7R08. This magnificent piece has a porcelain dial with the numbers "2", "4" and "7" fired onto the dial. You guessed it, the number symbolises 24/7, the watch runs in her trademark glide motion for 24 hours, 7 days a week!

It is hard to appreciate the movement in this still picture, one can only appreciate the cosmetic through this shot. When I held the Credor in my hands and witnessed the movement in action, I quivered and at that instance, I am glad to be among this GS community. If not, I may never have the chance to hold this timepiece in my life! Kudos to the GS folks!

The next program of the event was a demonstration of assembly of the parts of the Grand Seiko Spring Drive movement by Master Craftsman, Ms Chitose Masuda. Masuda-san was the First Prize winner of the National Skill Competition 1999; she is in the fraternity of the Mastery Studio of Seiko Epson.

The Master and her tools laid out and ready to go into action.

Masuda-san will be assembling these minute components onto the Spring Drive. Just look at the size of those screws!

The Master at work! We were intrigued that Masuda-san was assembling these minute movement parts without the use of a loupe! Her steady hand holding the tweezers picked up part after part in one short and swift motion, amazing!

After the presentation, the group took a stroll over to Kuriya Penthouse at Orchard Central 12F.

More Seiko chat over dinner. We exchanged and admired one another's Seiko while enjoying the fine Japanese cuisine prepared by Chef Omakase Kaiseki.

And what's on my wrist? My trusted Tuna, the Marinemaster 1000m 8L35.

There was a mini Lucky Draw and Masuda-san was given the honour to pick one lucky collector who walked away with "12 Watches". Congrats Lionel!

And what's on our wrists? A group shot of our beloved Seiko, with Japanese sake in the backdrop.

Here I am with the Japan Seiko team.

My appreciation to Pete for organising such a wonderful evening and dinner for the GS fans. I would also like to thank Hosokawa-san, Masuda-san and Akashi-san for their informative and interactive presentation, allowing us an insight into what goes behind the scene at the Seiko Mechanical and Spring Drive workshops.

The welcome pack put together by the Thong Sia team; thank you for facilitating this GS event!

Grand Seiko - The Legend Lives On - 50 years of Dedication to Perfection

ORIENT 60th Anniversary

2010-07-06T17:24:00.004+08:00

ORIENT 60th Anniversary Limited Edition
Caliber 48N40 Twenty one jewels
Manual winding
No. 1190 of 1500

In conjunction with Orient 60th Anniversary, Orient released this limited edition of 1500 pieces (300 in Japan). The watch came in a heavy solid wooden box with velvet interior, a very impressive presentation.

The power reserve gauge moves in incremental as I wind the watch. The cursive fonts on the dial adds to the vintage flavor, steel hands and markers, no lume application.

The caseback is etched the limited edition number, all in cursive font. It looks as though the owner has engraved the words himself to commemorate a certain anniversary day or such. The leather strap is of shiny croc finish and marked Orient on the inside.

The crown is signed Orient and is of a fairly large size for easy handwinding.

The buckle is signed in a consistent fashion as well.

The crystal is mineral glass and of raised dome shaped. Note the equisite touch given to the hands as they curved downwards towards the markers, similar to that of Grand Seiko.

I am The Star

2010-06-26T00:29:00.010+08:00

ORIENT STAR aka "OS300"
Caliber 46N4A Twenty-one jewels
Power Reserve up to 40 hours
5mm thick Sapphire glass
He-Gas diving to 300m

My OS300 came on time from Japan via EMS and in a heavy and solid black watch box.

When I opened the package, I was greeted by the watch, a strap changing tool, an original Orient soft rubber strap, papers and the hangtag. The black box was velvet lined - a nice detail by Orient Star.

My first impression of the OS300 was - This is really a big watch, and my initial worry seemed to be realising! How do I then wear this OS on her original bracelet?

I decided to give a shot to size the heavy solid stainless steel bracelet. The bracelet works on a pin-and-collar system so be very very careful not to lose those "microscopic" collars!

The signed crown is screw type and definitely feels more sturdy and substantial than my Tuna Emperor. The lug holes are drilled through and I am glad as this makes strap changing a breeze! Look at the thickness of the watch - approx. 17mm!

The wetsuit extension works by sliding the catch along the clasp. A neat and elegant design. If you don't dive, you can still use this gadget to loosen your tight watch bracelet on hot days.

The bracelet is an alternate arrangement of brushed main links and polished smaller links. The clasp has the Orient logo etched on which in my opinion is a lacklustre presentation of the Orient brand.

The underside of the clasp is engraved. The direction of the brush finishing is clearly evident.

The OS300 adopts the conventional screw-in caseback and this is a two-piece case design as compared to the much more expensive Seiko Marine Master 300m that uses a monocoque (or one-piece) case. The Orient logo here is raised giving more depth and thought into the design and finish.

The soft rubber or urethane strap is very smooth and has a faint vanilla scent. Although I did not try wearing the OS300 with the rubber strap, I guess the smooth underside may cause some imbalance of the watch on one's wrist. The buckle is signed.

The OS300 looks extremely mean and tool-like in her rubber strap!

Here is an interesting cutaway photo I found on the Net showing the cross-section of the divers watch. You will notice the movement is held between two thick chunks of steel.

Although the bracelet has been sized and ready for wearing, I have yet to start wearing her. But one thing is for sure - you will always feel the presence of the watch on your wrist due to her large unique appearance and massive weight.

Tuna Emperor

2010-05-28T13:43:00.008+08:00

SEIKO Marine Master 1000m
Caliber 8L35-00C0 Twenty-six jewels
Hacking movement and hand winding
Ceramic coated Titanium
Sapphire Crystal

After much deliberation, I am the proud owner of the Tuna Emperor. I ordered two sets (1 for my cousin) from Higuchi Katsu-san and managed to secure a price I cannot refuse. Coupled with the weakened JPY, it has never been more timely.

The presentation in a velvet lined exquisite box.

The monocoque case which can only be opened from the front of the watch. This makes the watch 100% watertight from case point of view.

The ceramic coated shroud held in place by 4 hexagonal allen screws.

A nice touch here - the "S" signed screw down crown.

This is the part I did not care about - the crown. In the normal 300m Tuna quartz, the crown is telescopic type and in this 1000m version, it is just a cap screw. I wonder why the designers left this detail out. But the saving grace is the crown screws in after 4.5 turns (which should be an overkill to keep the water out).

This picture was found on the internet and shows a beautiful shot of the 8L35A undecorated Grand Seiko type movement.

For safety purposes, I feel more secure with closed-loop system (the standard rubber stap is what I termed an "open-loop system) and hence William Jean's sharkskin mesh bracelet works perfectly (though sizing was initially a challenge). The matted PVD combi is great!

And finally, a wrist shot. My initial fear was the Tuna Emperor may look silly on my 6.25 wrist but that fear is unfounded, look at the balance of this massive watch on my puny wrist.

So is this Tuna Emperor worth the RRP of $5,000? For the built, finishing, movement and tradition, I would say yes but not so. Some may argue that 5grand can get a nice Swiss watch but that is where they separate the Seikoholic and the boys.

Another classic range discontinued

2010-05-19T13:28:00.006+08:00

SEIKO Spirit
Caliber 6R15-00A0
23 jewels
Handwinding and automatic with hacking

When I got to know of news that the Spirit series have been discontinued with effect from end March, I wasted no more time and placed my order with Seiya Japan. Both watches arrived safely but were unfortunately slapped with GST charges.

When I held the watches in my hands, I was amazed by the fine worksmanship and quality of these Japan Domestic Models (JDM for short). The handwinding is smooth without the grinding noise and the hacking is a useful feature for synchronising time.

I decided to change the bracelets to leather straps to bring out the vintage classic flavor, and I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that the Spirit uses solid endlinks! This is really a lot of watch for the money and I am glad I did not hesitate this time (I missed the chance on the Blue Spark earlier).

And did I mention that this range comes in sapphire glass? Another point to Seiko!

Trying on new shoes

2010-05-16T18:30:00.003+08:00

Diver watch with pilot strap. Classic and versatile.

Pilot watch with pilot strap on bund - the ultimate German Flieger look!

China Made

2010-05-16T18:09:00.002+08:00

Shanghai Military Reissue

Automatic and hand winding

22 Jewels

I purchased this timepiece in brand new condition from a fellow collector who is based in Shanghai. I thought the watch looked quite interesting with a very military flavor having a big crown and a no-nonsense dial. The red-colored second hand is especially outstanding.

Not your 007

2010-04-11T21:26:00.004+08:00

SEIKO SKX399 Diver's 200m
Automatic Diver's 200m
Caliber 7S26-0020 Twenty-one jewels

This is not your common SKX007 Divers, it is the export variant and relatively rare SKX399. Everything is the same as the normal SKX Divers except for the rectangular-shaped applied lume with chrome outline, giving her a dressier feel than her 007 cousin.

Another joins the Pride

2010-04-11T21:07:00.003+08:00

SEIKO 6306 Divers
Caliber 6306-7001 Twenty-one jewels (Hacking)
Dated: April 1979

You can read more about the comparison between the 6309 and 6306 from a wonderful article written by Harry (Denmark) here:
http://vintageseikoblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/63066309-ramblings.html

Harry is indeed a technically inclined WIS and I have enjoyed reading all his blog entries, you should too!

A Gift for My Wife

2010-04-11T20:15:00.003+08:00

After procrastinating for some time after the birth of our first baby, I finally get down to buying a watch for my beloved wife (who has given us a beautiful & naughty baby girl!).

We headed down to Nanking Watch at Peninsula Shopping Centre. She was about to say "Yes" to a half gold Oris Pointer Date (naturally, as I am an Oris collector) when the staff brought her to the Frederique Constant display showcase and introduced the Frederique Constant Open Heart (FC303 - 25 Jewels) to her.

The FC303 is much bigger at 34mm compared to conventional ladies size of 24mm and hence the wrist presence is more. The black croc leather strap enhances the dress factor of this timepiece. Classic Roman numerals with textured dial layout is timeless. The centre of the dial is an elipse textured recess giving depth and an asymetrical feel to the overall appearance. I replaced the pin buckle with a depoyant clasp for secured wearing and removing of the watch. Her other watches are a Fortis Handwinder, a Tissot PR50 Quartz and a Seiko 5M43 Kinetic. Now with this addition, she has started her mini collection, still lacking an Eco-drive though to complete the range of calibers.

My wife is a happy camper, hope she writes a review soon (just kiddin')...

Some vintage SQ Divers

2010-04-04T15:56:00.002+08:00

On the left is a 1978 Seiko Quartz SQ Divers' 200m. It is powered by a 7548 five jewels quartz movement.

On the right is the same watch case with a pepsi bezel. However, the 7548 module in the pepsi is not working and in it now is a 7546 four jewels quartz movement. Same module but different jewel count from my understanding. Both watches have aged beautifully, it shows wear but not "hammered".

Another 6309 Seiko Divers 150m

2010-04-03T23:26:00.002+08:00

SEIKO 6309 Divers
Caliber 6309-7049 Seventeen jewels
Dated: February 1979

The case model 7049 was meant for the North America market whereas the 7040 case was meant for the Japan domestic market and the rest of the world.

The Beginning of the 630x Vintage Divers craze

2010-03-25T21:09:00.003+08:00

SEIKO 6309 Divers
Caliber 6309-7040 Seventeen jewels
Dated: March 1980

When John (aka The TigerUK) posted this piece on the Sales Forum, I knew I must have her. In fact I was slower and another buyer got hold. Thankfully the deal did not work out and she was soon on her way to Singapore from England.

The early "cushion-cased" diver is truly a magnificent piece of art. The whole watch, though big, feels and looks balanced on the wrist. The aged bezel and semi washed-out dial and indices give this Diver the character she deserves. The telescopic crown displays the fineness in detail of Japanese watch-making.

Until I now hold this 6309 in my hand, I finally understood and respect her cult status.

The above movement photo belongs to John aka The TigerUK, showing the 17jewels non-hacking, non-handwinding 6309 caliber.

The above is a page from a vintage Seiko catalog during the year when the 6309 was advertised.

Seymour Powell Design

2010-03-15T23:12:00.004+08:00

CASIO Overland AW-900
Module 748
Seymour Powell Design

I bought this watch for it is a handsomely made ana-digital; and quite an attractive Casio timepiece. Check out the "Japan" stamped stainless steel caseback!

But who is Seymour Powell? A quick search on the internet yielded this from Answers.com:

"This prominent British product design partnership was founded by advertising designer Richard Seymour and industrial designer Dick Powell and subsequently established a sound reputation for the innovative and forward-looking design of many products for leading British and overseas manufacturers. Much of their work is not for public consumption as it is geared to developing future strategies for companies and brands, often several years from the present day. Amongst such clients is the Renault automobile company, for whom Seymour Powell produced advanced interior concepts for more than a decade. Amongst the best-known products designed in their London studio have been the seminal Freeline, the world's first cordless kettle (1986) for Tefal, the BSA Bantam motor cycle (1994), the Baby G watches for Casio (1996), sports cameras for Minolta (1998), and a bagless vacuum cleaner for Rowenta (2001) developed from the air intakes of desert helicopters. Other significant clients have included BMW, Nokia, Clairol, ICI, Ideal Standard, Panasonic, Yamaha, and Ford's Premier Automobile Division, showing Seymour Powell's F350 Concept Super Truck (2001) at the Detroit Motor Show of 2002. They have also won several design awards including a Design Week Award (1990), a D&AD Silver Award (1991), and a BBC Design Award (1994). Both partners have also been actively involved in promotion of design and the design profession with a wide range of inputs in design and business circles, design journalism, and broadcasting. Seymour and Powell have attracted wider public attention through their television work, most notably programmes such as the six-part Better by Design Series (2000, produced by Channel 4 TV in conjunction with the Design Council), which focused on the advantages that could accrue from a fresh appraisal of everyday products such as kitchen bins, shopping trolleys, and razors. One such case study concept, the Bio-form bra for Charnos, became a best-seller in the lead up to Christmas 2000. Richard Seymour also became president of the D&AD Association in 1998, delivering a Presidential Lecture on ‘The Road to Hell’ in 2001."

Super Runners

2010-03-13T08:26:00.003+08:00

SEIKO Super Runners (NOS)

Caliber S640-4000

120 Laps memory

10bar Water Resist

I chanced upon this complete new old stock set of the rare Seiko Super Runners recently. The warranty given by Thong Sia Co Singapore is still valid; this is indeed a prize catch!

The start-stop-reset buttons are facing upwards towards the wearer instead of the conventional side buttons. This gives more ease in operating with the index and middle fingers when the wearer is running long distances. The lug width is non-standard but the original resin strap can be purchased at a Japanese site here.

There are very few Seiko digital watches found in Singapore, let alone one with a unique case shape like this.

More quality and thought given into the older Seiko

2010-03-13T08:22:00.002+08:00

Take a look at the crown material and how it screws in a modern day Seiko Divers 7S26 (right) and a vintage 6309 (left).

Cleaning up a Beater Diver

2010-02-16T21:36:00.004+08:00

My cousin gave me his Seiko 150m Divers (Caliber 6309-7290) as it was already badly beaten up and dead.

I brought the watch to Mr. Goh who overhauled and repaired the movement. He also installed new glass and a new second hand. I bought a pair of fat springbars from him and fixed on my own Oris-inspired rubber strap. Now she is good to go into the water again!

Chinese New Year holiday - Pair of Oranges for Good Luck!

2010-02-16T21:32:00.003+08:00

The Orange Bullet side by side the 011.

I took this pic before wrapping up the Orange Bullet which I bought on behalf for an overseas collector. It is a pity this is the last piece in the shop else I will definitely get one for myself as my Black Bullet needs a companion!

An Early Seiko Dive Computer

2010-02-13T10:07:00.002+08:00

The watchmaker showed me this worn early Seiko Dive Computer (Caliber M705-5A10).

A search on SCWF revealed a post by Shawn:

"M705 released in 1990 (M705-5A10, M705-5A1A)

Another model from 1990 is the M705. It is not as large. It seems to store 20 dives instead of 30 and this seems to be an 80m dive table version instead of 99.9m like the M726 and M725. I can find no reference to a different cased "M706" version.

Our favourite Genius regarding Seiko design again offers some information in his museum:

This watch is the reasonable price model of the world's first dive computer watch which is inputted the dive table of non-decompressed diving of the U.S. Navy, and measures not only the present depth of water and diving time but also the surface interval time, and calculate and display the non-decompressed diving information on next diving at the time of repetitive diving. Moreover, log data is recorded by 20 times and it is useful also to diving management. The case is made of stainless steel and a black colored bezel is marked the information to operate this dive computer watch."

Singapore Airshow 2010

2010-02-07T18:26:00.003+08:00

I wore my CITIZEN Aqualand to this year's Airshow. This year I attended as a trade participant and so do not need to squeeze with the public. Some pictures to share from the day, mainly my watch content with the Airshow as a backdrop.

1st Generation Citizen Aqualand

2010-02-07T18:16:00.003+08:00

CITIZEN Aqualand

Caliber C020

Water Resist 200m

In the watch community are some collectors who go for Aqualands. Initially I thought what the hype is about for a digi-analog watch with an ugly bulge on the side!

When I was given an accidental chance to handle one first generation Aqualand, I was blown away by the finishing and robustness of this watch. This piece was purchased pre-owned at a very good price and showed some "battle" or dive scars that give this tool watch the character it has.

This watch has gone through a full service and overhaul by Citizen Watch Co Singapore and should last another good 10 years perhaps!

The below picture is taken from the internet and shows the similar caliber C022. The C02 caliber is driven by 3 batteries in a full metallic quartz module.

Rainbow Divers

2010-02-07T17:55:00.003+08:00

One of my early new-old-stock Orient Automatic is the colorful SK 3-star Diver which I affectionately call the Rainbow Diver. I don't think she is an ISO-rated during that era although the colorful bezel served the purpose of countdown time for diving at different depths.

By chance and at the same shop I purchased the bronze dial version, I spotted another new-old-stock piece but with a blue dial. The blue dial reminds me of the color of the ocean and without hesitation, I bought it in a heartbeat. Just look at the way that blue dial reflects light!

Falling in Love with Orange again

2010-02-07T17:48:00.002+08:00

The SKX011J used to be part of my "SKX Trilogy Collection". However the love for Orange got lost after a while and I sold her away. Sometime later, I bought and sold the same watch again.

It was only recently that I realised the important place she has in my collection and so the love all over again! You can never get tired of gold-trimmed hands with gold-lettered bezel...

Santa's Gift

2010-01-26T16:30:00.002+08:00

CITIZEN Automatic

Caliber 4150 Twenty-one Jewels

Made in Japan

I received this chunky piece of steel from Santa. However, the watch design is not my cup of tea and the watch is simply too big for my puny wrist. She is now For Sale on the Sales forums!

Another 7A38 - AFC Edition?

2010-01-26T16:15:00.002+08:00

SEIKO Quartz Chronograph Day-Date (NOS)

Caliber 7A38-702A Fifteen Jewels

Dated: May 1984

An afternoon outing to my favourite old watch shop turned out to be fruitful. I saw this beautiful new-old-stock 7A38 in two-tone with a flavour of AP mixed with Corum.

After some bargaining, the price was decided and I was about to leave after paying when the old man told me he actually had the complete set. What good luck! A NOS piece of 7A38 with hang-tag, box, instruction manual and expired international warranty. For a moment, I was ashamed of my relentless bargaining earlier...

Upon closer inspection of the caseback, you noticed the engraving "AFC". A search from Google revealed that the AFC Asian Cup was hosted in Singapore back in 1984. AFC = Asian Football Confederation. Looks like this 7A38 was engraved to commemorate the event held in Singapore.

New Alarm Clock on my desk

2009-12-26T12:44:00.002+08:00

LORUS is another old Japanese watch brand. I bought this Lorus Alarm clock at my favourite watch haunt. I must really thank this Lorus clock as she helped me uncover a new-old-stock Seiko which I will blog about later, so stay tuned!

New Clock in my bedroom

2009-12-26T12:37:00.002+08:00

Decided to get a white dial clock to "brighten up" my bedroom. I was at K2 Mr. Goh and he has this last piece of "Station Clock" which is already discontinued. Being a sucker for arabic numerals, I bought it in a flash!

Note that there is no second hand for this quartz clock. Mr. Goh explained that this clock is a copy of actual Seiko station clocks used in railway stations. The small square above the word "SEIKO" is "fake". In the actual station clock, that is the location for inserting the tool to wind the clock. Interesting!

My 6138 group shot

2009-12-26T12:35:00.001+08:00

Still trying to uncover other 6138... They are there somewhere...

New Bundle of Joy

2009-12-05T22:14:00.006+08:00

There will not be any new watch updates for awhile as I will likely be very busy with my new bundle of joy - a baby princess, who arrived on 03-Dec-2009.

Would like to share this happy moment with my blog supporters. Thank you and see you folks around soon.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

New Shoes

2009-11-27T11:45:00.006+08:00

Changed new leather straps for 2 of my Divers watches. I am not a fan of rubber bands.

Another Vintage find

2009-11-27T11:09:00.003+08:00

For a while, I have stopped collecting vintage watches after my once vintage craze. But recently I acquired a very nice new-old-stock Pagol and last week, I chanced upon a mint Eterna-matic.

This is an ETERNA-MATIC 1000 5-Star with an automatic movement. The movement hacks and the date is quick-change via the crown at first position. The hands show some ageing and I don't think the lume is working anymore. Every part of this watch is original, with stamped crown and bracelet clasp. The previous owner is the first owner and he has worn it carefully a couple of times many years back and have since kept the watch in showcase. The very classic minalist look melts my heart and I acquired it in a flash. I think I may be starting another Vintage revolution soon!

As the Year of the Ox comes to an end, a Bullhead arrives!

2009-11-15T10:15:00.002+08:00

SEIKO Automatic Chronograph

Caliber 6138-0049 Twenty-one jewels

Bullhead design with crown and pusher buttons arranged vertically

Dated: February 1978

Finally chanced upon this Seiko Bullhead at K2. I have always wanted to add a Bullhead to my 6138 collection and even though this brown version is less rare than her black counterpart, I am not complaining. The overall dial and bezel was in very good condition and it is hard to find Bullheads, let alone in pristine condition. The original Seiko fishbone stainless steel bracelet has all the links and the condition very good.

Unfortunately, the crystal was badly scratched and the hands went through a failed re-lume effort. I placed my reservation with Mr. Goh who kindly kept this watch for me while I await shipment of the glass and hands.

The glass came from Jonathan (United States) aka Swedefreak. Jonathan manufactures to exact specifications the discontinued parts of the Seiko watches. His mineral crystal fitted like a glove and even my watchmaker was impressed!

The new-old-stock original Seiko minute and hour hands came from Hans (Malaysia) aka Seikokaki. I have bought NOS hands from Hans before and all were perfect.Finally after 2 weeks of waiting, the parts came and Mr. Goh presented to me a "brand new" Bullhead. The clean crystal brings out the excellent condition of the dial!

I chose to wear with a white stitched brown leather strap to bring out the "Racer" appearance of the Bullhead! I am very pleased with this acquisition and restoration project. Thanks to Mr. Goh, Jonathan and Hans who made this happen.

Captain Pogue's 6139

2009-11-15T09:53:00.006+08:00

SEIKO Automatic Chrono (close to NOS)

Caliber 6139-6002 Seventeen jewels

Dated: April 1977

It was said that Capt William Pogue wore the 6139 during his space mission. An iconic Seiko in classic pepsi tachymeter bezel and starburst yellow dial.

I acquired this new-old-stock piece from fellow WIS Chuck aka ttsugar from Taiwan. The bezel is perfect and the bracelet and clasp clean. The dial and inner bezel still retains their original colour and the starburst effect still very prominent. Fantastic condition for a watch older than I am!

I just have to Get my Helmet Back

2009-11-08T17:46:00.003+08:00

SEIKO Automatic Chronograph "Helmet"

Caliber 6139-7100 Seventeen jewels

The problem with collecting vintage Seiko automatic chronographs is that you always have to "buy one, sell it once you spotted another better one"!

I once had a 6139 Helmet but sold to raise some funds for another purchase then. Recently, I chanced upon another excellent condition piece belonging to a local collector and bought it in a flash. Now I had better rest my guns on the 6139 (after scoring this and the Pongue) and re-focus back to my 6138s.

This completes my 7A38 collection (for now)

2009-11-08T16:44:00.005+08:00

SEIKO Quartz Chronograph Day-Date (NOS)
Caliber 7A38-7280 Fifteen Jewels
Dated: December 1987

I was browsing my blog and discovered I left out a 7A38 writeup. This 7A38-7280 houses the same 15 jewels full metal quartz movement as the 7190 that is currently in my collection.

The 7280 has a beautiful enamel like white dial with cursive arabic numerals making her an evergreen classic. The gold accent further enhances the vintage feel of this watch.

Stamped "Japan" caseback marks the distinctive Japanese quality of that era. Now I have two pieces of complete set new-old-stock 7A38, I think I will stop for now for this series.

The Black Wave

2009-11-07T20:25:00.003+08:00

Recently I went on a watch-buying spree as I thought since my baby girl is arriving end November, I better get the watches I wanted!

The Alba 200m Divers "Black Wave" was purchased from Chuck aka ttsugar from Taiwan. This watch is from the same series as the Blue Manta-Ray but came on a solid stainless steel bracelet instead of the rubber strap. As usual, I swapped her onto brown leather which a Panerai-feel to the look.

The above lume shot was courtesy of the Chuck. Chuck is a great seller and this is the second watch I bought from him in a month. The Alba came with papers, warranty (stamped 1998) and tag, without box. Thanks Chuck!

Rare new old stock Citizen Quartz "AEROCHRON"

2009-11-06T22:59:00.005+08:00

CITIZEN Quartz Aerochron
Caliber C046

My search for a Citizen 1st generation Aqualand was futile. Although I managed to locate one new old stock piece in two-tone (rare!) bracelet configuration, the price was much too high to justify. A few steps away at my favourite watch haunt, a new old stock Aerochron caught my eye. Well, this managed to satisfy my "hunger" for the Aqualand for a moment. But will this satisfaction stay? Only time will tell!

Here is a description of the Aerochron (shamelessly lifted from William Mansell's site):

This is the world's first watch manufactured with the dedicated balloonist in mind with electronic altimeter functions. The following features make this watch the ideal choice for outdoor leisure sports where general altitude and barometric measurements are useful: Altitude measurement function operate between -980 and 17,000 feet. Barometric pressure measurement function valid between 500 and 1,050 mbars. Memory function capable of storing up to four time/altitude records. Elapsed time chronograph/memory function. Ability to withstand temperatures as low as -20C (-4F). Slide-rule bezel for use in calculating fuel consumption rate and distance etc. Housed in a water resistanr stainless steel case.

The Orient Mako "TYPE II"

2009-10-28T23:17:00.004+08:00

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

2009-10-16T23:21:00.003+08:00

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?

2009-10-15T15:16:00.004+08:00

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!

2009-10-13T20:45:00.004+08:00

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

2009-10-11T21:41:00.003+08:00

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!

Quiet Elegance

2009-10-07T19:32:00.001+08:00

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.

The 8M32 Four Jewel Engine

2009-09-23T22:24:00.003+08:00

Yesterday, my 8M32 Soccer Timer died on me. Although I did not wear her (as she is part of my "Unique & Rare Quartz" collection), I sometimes take her out to play with the functions.

Last night I notice the hands do not sweep anymore when the crown is turned. So I brought her to the watchmaker this morning to have the battery changed and at the same time, have a chance to take some "quick & dirty" handphone pics.

Look closely at the "Four Jewels" quartz movement in full metal gear!

The inner caseback has instructions on how to reset the watch after a battery change. The rubber seal is still in excellent "springy" condition for a watch this age.

Early Seiko Quartz Chrono (but not the 7A-series)

2009-09-01T21:21:00.005+08:00

SEIKO Quartz Chronograph Sports 150 (NOS)
Caliber 7T42-6A00
Chronograph / Alarm / Timer

This is one Seiko Quartz Chronograph that is rarely seen. What is even rarer is that this Japan-made piece is new-old-stock with instruction manual, hangtags and papers. As far as I understand, Seiko no longer produces Timer with countdown feature on their newer quartz watches.

As expected, the quartz movement consists of full metallic parts.

This Quartz Baby wears a Jewel

2009-09-01T21:07:00.004+08:00

SEIKO Quartz "SQ" Sports 150 (NOS)
Caliber 5Y23-6050 One jewel
Screw in crown 150m water resist
Uni-directional bezel

I have been starting in my collection in early discontinued Seiko quartz watches that were fully manufactured in Japan. This 5Y23 is one brilliant new-old-stock with complete papers and hangtags.

The fine details of the raised "SEIKO" and "SQ" add to the elegance of this otherwise rugged sports watch. The gold-plate is of matt finish and cancels away the bling-bling commonly found in gold-plated watches.

This Seiko somewhat gave me a "Tag-Heuer" look and feel to it if you recall the early Tag-Heuer Professional 200 series. As of early Seiko quartz, hitting spot-on the markers is a for-granted.

Look closely at the movement and you will notice the wordings "ONE (1) JEWEL JAPAN". You will never ever see this description in newly produced Seiko quartz watches!

Another Full Arabic Orient

2009-09-01T21:01:00.003+08:00

Also a touch-and-go is this Orient Full Arabic with textured centre dial. I have always love the small details Orient watches carry which shouts elegance. A lot of watch for this price range!

Touch and Go

2009-08-13T20:48:00.003+08:00

A beautiful classic, not so often seen in Singapore shops, Orient "Submariner" homage, water resistant to 100m with screw in crown. The blue unidirectional bezel is the sweetest blue I have seen on the Orient, coming close to the Blue Mako. However the feature of this watch that did not grow on me is the blue/off purplish dial.

So this Orient has spent less than 48 hours in my watch box before being shipped to her new home.

Good Things come in Pair!

2009-08-13T20:26:00.002+08:00

What a pity I have sold off the 6138 "Panda" and the Arabic numerals "BFS"!

The Equation is about to be complete

2009-08-13T19:10:00.008+08:00

(This adds on to my earlier post on the 8M series )

At 2 different locations that still carry some new-old-stock early Seiko quartz, I spotted 2 fine examples of the 8M32 - the Sports Timer Gold and the Soccer Timer.

SEIKO Quartz Chronograph
Sports Timer Gold-rimmed version (NOS)
Caliber 8M32-8030

The gold plated bezel, gold plated crown and gold plated push buttons add to the sporty-elegance of this early Japanese quartz. I am indeed fortunate to find this rare complete set with original Seiko leather strap, dated 1-year warranty (valid till July 2010) and the instruction manual.

SEIKO Quartz Chronograph Soccer Timer (NOS)
Caliber 8M32-8010

Found this watch (head only) in an old watch shop located in the central business district. Watches like these will not make passer-by stop to take another look, unless of course he is a collector. I am glad I stop to have a second look! A pity it does not have any papers nor the original Seiko strap. But I am quick to buy an original Seiko green waterproof leather strap (also a new old stock piece) from another hideout. This watch is after all a "Sports 150" series meant for getting wet!

Blood Pressure OK!

2009-08-04T20:46:00.002+08:00

CASIO Blood Pressure Monitor BP-100

Module 900

This is Casio's 1st generation of the blood pressure monitor watch.

The accuracy of the readings depend very much on the initial data you key in. Of course, I couldn't be bothered with all the functions!

What attracts me most is the large screen and stainless steel caseback of this early Casio. This is an early Japan made new-old-stock manufactured in 1990 and the style adopted is consistent with early Casio design e.g. it uses the conventional small light bulb at the side for reading in the dark. The black resin strap is flexible yet extremely durable and I remembered my first watch was a Casio and it took a lot of beating to get the strap to break finally!

An interesting writeup of this watch can be found here. Scroll to the end to download a PDF version of the instruction manual. (Courtesy of gafortiby.com)