Watches at Cyberphreak.com

Glenn Photos

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

Watch sellers I like

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 30 Nov 1999 00:00:00 +0000

I had a recent comment (which may or may not be spam, I am thinking not) asking what watch selling websites to check out. For browsing/buying, I like Chronograph.com They have a huge selection of Seiko mechanical watches, including many Japan only models. All prices include standard shipping. The prices are fair, but nothing to jump up and down about. Shipping is very quick, even though they are in Singapore. A big plus is that the warranty is supposed to valid. An American website is Island Watch They have many brands and when they have a sale, it us usually very good. Shipping is reasonable and it ships from New York, so no waiting for customs. Many unique brands as well. For eBay sellers, I have used watchsurplus,

Welcome!

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:02:13 +0000

This site it to promote the appreciation of everyday wrist and pocket watches. I have seen too many sites devoted to watches I would never want to afford. The problem with watches is that once you go over about $500 or so, you get really diminishing returns. A fine Omega or Raymond Weil is a nice thing, but I have a wife and child and car payment. Here you will see Timex, Seiko, Fossil, Pojot, and just about any watch that won't break the bank. I personally love Seiko watches. They are the best fit and finish in the industry for the money, in my opinion. So, look down at your $30 beater watch on your wrist and let me know what you think of it.

About

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 11:02:13 +0000

This site is about watches for the everyman. Bring me you Timex, Casio, Seiko, etc. watches. We don't judge here. Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on this site. Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to your users based on their visit to your sites and other sites on the Internet. Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy.

Watch Movements

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 18:14:17 +0000

To those who are not familiar with watch movements, here is a quick, layman's outline of what is behind the face of your watch. There are 3 major types of movements in the world. A movement is simply the means by which a watch or clock tells time. Each movement usually has one or more derivatives, generally based on where the movement gets its' energy from. Quartz Analog Watch: By far the most popular movement. The time is derived by the oscillation of a quartz crystal, hence, the name. This very precise oscillation is monitored by a small integrated circuit. The integrated circuit then drives tiny motor once a second which drives the gear train of your watch. The gear train of the watch drives the hands which show you the time. The power to drive the quartz crystal, circuitry and motor is electrical. This power is derived in the following ways:

A disposable battery. It can last anywhere from 3 to 11 years, depending on the watch.
Kinetic or Autoquartz. A small rotor (an uneven weight) spins every time the wearer moves his or her wrist. This spins a tiny generator which charges a power storage unit, usually a rechargeable battery.
Ecodrive or Solar. This uses light falling on a small solar panel to recharge the battery. The panel is integrated into the face of the watch and is often invisible.
Thermic or heat powered. This is very rare watch that uses body heat to generate electricity which charges the battery.

Seiko created the first production quartz, the Astron in 1969. They also developed the Kinetic and Thermic watches as well. As a side note, Seiko is actually quite older than Rolex. Quartz Digital Watch: This watch also uses a quartz crystal to determine how much time has passed. Movement is really not the proper term for this kind of watch since nothing really moves. A small integrated circuit drives a Liquid Crystal (LCD) or light Emitting Diode (LED) display. This kind of watch is more tiny computer that happens to tell time. They were very popular in the 1980's and early 90's. They are still desirable when extreme physical shocks are involved, since there are no moving parts. However, they have almost no collectors value and are almost impossible to repair. All digital quartz watches that I know of use a disposable battery. Mechanical Movement: This kinds of movement has a long history behind it, 400 years or so. A mechanical watch uses the energy stored in a spiral spring to drive a gear train. The speed the gear train moves is determined by a balance wheel. This is a precisely balanced oscillating weight that allows the gear train to advance at a fixed rate. It has no electrical components, has no battery, and can last longer than the original owner. The energy in the mainspring can be derived in two ways:

Hand winding the watch. The crown on the watch is turned to wind the main spring. This must be done at least every two days or the watch will wind down and stop.
Automatic winding watch. This uses the motions of the wearer's wrist to spin a rotor to wind the mainspring. If the watch is worn every day, the watch is kept wound. Some automatics can also be hand wound when needed.

Although they are the least accurate, mechanical movements are much more popular with collectors. Their durability and the craftsmanship behind them offset the inherent inaccuracies. Hybrid Designs:

Age of watch makers

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 04:04:18 +0000

Here are some founding dates for some of the major watch makers in the world: Patek Philippe 1839 Omega 1848 Tag Heuer 1860 Seiko 1881 Movado 1881 Breitling 1884 Rolex 1908 What's that, you didn't know that Seiko is older than 3 of the most popular watch makers in the world? Yep, it's true. Seiko is also one of the few makers that makes all of its own movements.

Watch Buying Guide (on the cheap)

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 11:48:07 +0000

Just because you are buying an inexpensive watch doesn't mean you shouldn't expect some quality. Here is what you should look for when buying any watch at any price:

When buying a watch, pick the watch up and feel the weight. Does it feel dense, or does it feel too light for it's size? If the watch is plastic, it will feel quite light, but this can be desirable. A steel watch should feel solid. Sub $30 will often feel light, that's ok, since they have to cut corners somewhere. Anything over $50 should feel pretty solid.
Look at the fit and finish. Is the watch polished well? Even on a $10 watch, it should have no gaps and everything should line up. The quality of the fit and finish should increase proportionally to about $500, above that, you get really diminishing returns. That being said, a $200 watch can have a better finish than a $2000 watch.
Flip the watch over, read the back of the watch case. This will usually tell you a little more about the watch. An important thing to note is they will often state 'stainless steel back' with a 'base metal' case on watches less than $50. What is 'base metal'? I don't know, but I know it rusts/corrodes. The crown on my Timex now looks like dull brass. Better watches have stainless steel cases, and should never rust or corrode.
- The back of the watch will also usually tell you what type if replacement battery, country of manufacture, and water resistance.
Ignore the name, look at the watch. Many watches are made by the same company. Do you like the watch? Nothing else really matters if you don't like the watch. I have looked at Rolexes, and I just don't like the style.
Know what you are getting. This is a big thing. Watches can be separated into some price points:
- $10 to $50. These are the least expensive watches you will want to buy. Timex dominates this market along with many store brands. Expect some corners to be cut in materials. You can find some hidden gems in this range, but almost all are quartz watches, stainless steel back only. They tell time and my $30 Timex is about 13 years old now!
- $50 to $150. A heck of a lot of nice looking watches in this range. Expect to see Fossil, Skagen, lower Seikos, Citizens, and myriad of makers fighting for this market. You should expect to see all stainless steel and some titanium watches in this range. These watches will often have excellent build quality.
- $150 to $300. You are now entering the mid tier of watches. Build quality should be very good, rivaling much more expensive pieces. Cases will be stainless steel or titanium. If they are not, run away. Watch bracelets should be solid, not folded links. Seiko and Citizen are the dominant brands in this arena.
- $300 to $500. Firmly in the mid tier. Seiko, ESQ, Tissot, and other Swiss watches can be had at this price range. Build quality is superb. Materials and finishes are equal to or better than watches costing 10x as much.
Look at the warranty, but beware. Fossil watches may have a 11 year warranty, but remember, if you have to claim a warranty, the cool watch you have will no longer be made. You also can't fix inexpensive quartz movements. You can always (within reason) repair a mechanical watch. If you are lucky, the movement be replaced entirely. A quartz movement usually costs less than $20 to build. (This is why watch collectors look down on Quartz movement. A $3000 Quartz Tag Heuer has a $30 movement inside.)
If you are looking at a Quartz watch, look at the second hand. It will be ticking once a second. The second hand should like exactly with the minute markers. Some watches do, some don't. It's a minor detail that not all makers aspire to. If you are looking at a mechanical movement, the second hand should sweep smoothly across the face. An inexpensive Seiko or Citizen beats at 21,600 beats per hour, or 6 beats a second. A Swiss ETA 2824 based watch will beat at 28,800 beats per hour, or 8 beats a second, resulting in an even smoother sweep. There are some Chinese movements out there, such as one used on the Armitron automatic. I believe this moves at 18,000 beats per hour, or 5 beats per second. Regardless of movement, each motion of the second hand should be equal. As a side note, most sales people have never dealt with an automatic watch before. To start the watch, take it in your hand and gently rock it back and forth about 4 inches about 10 to 20 times and it should start. If it doesn't start in 30 seconds of rocking, you are dealing with a hand wound watch; or a piece of junk.

Work in progress...

Parts of a Watch

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 21:04:02 +0000

Many people are not familiar with the basic parts of a watch. They generally smile and nod when a salesperson rattles off what a watch has. Well, below is simple explanation of what the different parts of a watch are and what varieties there are: The watch above is a simple, military style watch. Case: The metal or plastic housing that all the mechanical parts of the watch are contained in. Bezel: A ring which surrounds the crystal and holds it in place. Crystal: A transparent piece of material that you look through to read the time. It protects the hands and face of the watch. It can be made of plastic, ordinary glass, mineral glass (stronger than regular glass), or artificial sapphire. Plastic can easily be scratched, but is very shock resistant. Ordinary glass can be scratched and shattered. Mineral glass can be quite tough, depending who makes is. Hardlex is a trade name for it. Sapphire is the most scratch resistant, second only to diamond, but it can shatter when struck. Strap: The piece of material that wraps around your wrist to hold the watch in place. It can be made of cloth (usually nylon), kevlar, carbon fiber, rubber, and (most commonly) leather. Straps are light and conform to the wrist. They do, however, wear out. Many watches have a bracelet instead. (To elaborate on later.) Lugs: The strap or bracelet of the watch attaches to the case of the watch here. The most common attachment is spring bars. Spring bars are spring loaded metal pins that are sized to fit between the lugs. There are other ways of attachment, but far less common. Dial: Also known as the face of the watch. It is usually marked with hour and minute indicators. Some watches have little or no markings, others have many, many markings. This is a personal taste and ease of use issue. Day/Date Window: Some watches tell more than the time of day. This watch also tells you the day of the week and what date in the month it is. Some watches have month/year indicators as well. Most watches have to manually adjusted on a short month. More expensive watches compensate for short months and even leap years. Again, this is a personal taste issue. I personally use the day/date feature often. Crown: This small dial on the side of the watch used to be used for hand winding the watch daily. Some watches still do wind, but most are used to just adjust the time. On watches that tell more than the hour/minute, it is used to set the day/date as well. On some watches it is 'signed' which just means it has the makers symbol on it. It is purely aesthetic. Luminous Marker: Some watches have markings that glow after being exposed to light or can glow due to using radioactive materials. It allows the watch to be used in total darkness without having to press a button on the watch. Some watches use electroluminescent technology to light the watch face (Trade name, Indiglo). This uses power from the battery to make the watch face glow. It is useful in that it makes the watch very easy to read. The downside it that it requires the wearer to press a button and it drains the battery.

Current Watch Collection

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 06:13:47 +0000

This is my current watch collection. Modest, but hopefully to grow: My well loved Seiko SKH640 Kinetic, 5M62 movement. Keeps perfect time and has a classic look. Currently my most expensive watch. Seiko 5 SNX425K2 Automatic, 7S26 movement. Love this watch so far. It is a mechanical, automatic watch. Very comfortable and the luminescence works great. Seiko SNK615K1 Blue Swede Automatic, 7626B movement. Great watch and accurate right out of the gate. Excellent luminescence for a dressy watch. Seiko Diver's SKXA55K1 Automatic, 7S26 movement. My largest watch, by far. Super easy to read and very durable. The newest addition. Tiffany's Fossil. Really nice looking watch. Excellent bracelet, it looks like jewelery, but it is practical. Tiffany's Tag Heuer Link, WJF1315.BA0572E? ETA Quartz movement. Pretty watch, cool bracelet, worst luminescent material in the industry. Seiko's LumiBrite makes Super Luminova look like a joke.

I need your help

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 03:03:29 +0000

I have a wife and child, so I can't pick up watches every day of the week. So, I come to you, dear readers, for watch reviews. Any watch under $500 is just fine for me. There are enough sites dedicated to watches that cost more than a used car. You can post it here, or e-mail me at contact(NOSPAM)@cyberphreak.com

SKXA55K1 "Orange Bullet"

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:13:05 +0000

This is my first Diver's watch, a Seiko SKXA55K1.

What does diver's watch mean? It meets standards needed by SCUBA divers. That means it has to meet depth and visibility requirements and have a unidirectional rotating bezel. This watch is rated at 200m, or 660 feet. It has a screw down crown, to help water resistance and large, luminous markers. The orange face is an homage to DOXA, the company that made the first true diver's watches. Orange is the color most visible in poor lighting conditions.

Features: Case: 42mm diameter, stainless steel, 200m water resistance. Back: Stainless Steel, screw down, Tsunami 200m diver's stamp. Crystal: Hardlex, flat. Movement: Automatic, 7S26 Seiko in-house design. Complications: Day of Week, Date. Other: Solid, stainless steel bracelet, Unidirectional Rotating Bezel, Screw Down Crown, Luminous Hands and Markers.

The watch is my largest watch, but it is surprisingly easy to wear. It is a real eye catcher and I have gotten many compliments on it already. The fix and finish is amazing, rivaling much more expensive watches. Seiko quality control is crazy good. It has a 7S 26 automatic movement, so no batteries to fail here.

This particular watch is on a "Presidential" bracelet, which is very nice looking, with all solid links.

Seiko

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:13:50 +0000

Here are the Seiko watches I own. Seiko

Seiko SNK615K1 Blue Swede Seiko SNKE03J1 Black Seiko SNZE95K1 Sports full lume SKH640 Kinetic Two Tone SKX033K “Pepsi” SKXA55K1 “Orange Bullet” SNX425K2 Military Green

Timex

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:15:49 +0000

These are the current Timex watches I own.

Fossil

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:16:14 +0000

These are the current Fossil watches we own.

Miscellaneous

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 19:37:57 +0000

Here are watches from various other brands that we own.

Green Watch

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 18:23:15 +0000

SNX425K2 Military Green

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 18:25:10 +0000

Military Style Seiko Automatic General Comments: This is my first automatic watch, and my wife bought it for me, so it holds a special place in my collection. (Incidentally, my wife, Tiffany, bought me my first 'real' watch years ago, a Seiko Kinetic.) Features: Case: 35mm diameter, stainless steel, 30m water resistance. Back: Hardlex exhibition back, screw down. Crystal: Hardlex, flat. Movement: Automatic, 7S26B, Seiko in-house design. No handwind or hacking. Complications: Day of week, Date Other: Luminous hands and markers, Lumibrite. As stated before, this is a mechanical watch, and as such will never require batteries. Initial accuracy is about +12 seconds/day. This is to be expected for this movement; it should slow down within the first 2 months. 2/26/2008 Update: This watch is keeping excellent time now, less than +4 seconds/day! The only time it needs adjustment is if it runs down. I wear this watch almost every day, still, so it rarely stops. It now rivals my blue Seiko 5 in terms of mechanical accuracy. This is a very wearable and light watch. The nylon strap is comfortable and forms to the wrist well. Readability in all lighting is excellent. The luminous material works very well and glows for hours. The military hand design is very easy to read. This is my first watch with a day of the week feature, and I do use it. During a hectic day, you really can forget what day it is. The military look is very reminiscent of World War II, Korean, and Vietnam era watches. The face is olive green and the strap matches almost perfectly. The overall fit and finish is almost perfect. So perfect, I have not found a flaw in any of the build quality of this watch, even under 10x magnification. Seiko must have very repeatable robots or crazy good quality control. Even my co-worker's $2000 Omega has some misapplications on the dial this $80 Seiko does not exhibit. I would highly recommend Seiko 5 watches to anyone who wants a finely crafted, reliable watch. If this watch is indicative of the Seiko 5 line, I think I will be buying more of these in the future!

Ah, the mechanical watch

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:44:27 +0000

Disjointed, drug influenced post below: Tiff bought me a lovely mechanical Seiko watch a few weeks ago as an early Christmas present. Living with it for a month has really given me respect for mechanical watches. I used to wear a hand wound watch for several years, somewhere around 1989 to 1993. I remember I bought it at Target. It don’t remember the brand, but it worked well until it was lost during a snow shoveling experience outside my second apartment. I found it the next spring, but by then, it was rusted and ruined. I am sure if it was a Seiko it 1) wouldn’t of come of my wrist (strap failed) 2) if it did, the Stainless Steel body would not of rusted. I remember when I was a kid, bugging Mom and Dad to get a watch. I wanted a analog watch. At the time, it was probably 1986 or 87. Everything was digital. I eventually found an all black, I believe it was a Casio Quartz, plastic watch. It was my first analog quartz. I wore that watch for years until one of the plastic lugs cracked. To this day, I can’t buy a plastic watch, no matter how cool it looks. I think Mom and Dad probably paid $30 or $40 or more for that watch, which was no small sum 20 years ago. Back to my current watch. I really do enjoy wearing an automatic watch. It is much more ‘alive’ than my other watches. I still watch the second hand sweep across the dial. I like the fact it will probably outlive me, and I can pass it down to Glenn some day. The watch is starting to settle down, it is about +10 seconds a day fast. It was about 15 seconds a day fast in the beginning. I kind of like the fact I have to reset the time every now and then. Now I realize, you really don’t need super exact time. +/- 1 minute isn’t going to kill you. Ahh, drugs, sweet drugs.

Autowind a watch

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:10:03 +0000

Watch Buying Guide

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:10:33 +0000

Just because you are buying an inexpensive watch doesn't mean you shouldn't expect some quality. Here is what you should look for when buying any watch at any price:

When buying a watch, pick the watch up and feel the weight. Does it feel dense, or does it feel too light for it's size? If the watch is plastic, it will feel quite light, but this can be desirable. A steel watch should feel solid. Sub $30 will often feel light, that's ok, since they have to cut corners somewhere. Anything over $50 should feel pretty solid.
Look at the fit and finish. Is the watch polished well? Even on a $10 watch, it should have no gaps and everything should line up. The quality of the fit and finish should increase proportionally to about $500, above that, you get really diminishing returns. That being said, a $200 watch can have a better finish than a $2000 watch.
Flip the watch over, read the back of the watch case. This will usually tell you a little more about the watch. An important thing to note is they will often state 'stainless steel back' with a 'base metal' case on watches less than $50. What is 'base metal'? I don't know, but I know it rusts/corrodes. The crown on my Timex now looks like dull brass. Better watches have stainless steel cases, and should never rust or corrode.
- The back of the watch will also usually tell you what type if replacement battery, country of manufacture, and water resistance.
Ignore the name, look at the watch. Many watches are made by the same company. Do you like the watch? Nothing else really matters if you don't like the watch. I have looked at Rolexes, and I just don't like the style.
Know what you are getting. This is a big thing. Watches can be separated into some price points:
- $10 to $50. These are the least expensive watches you will want to buy. Timex dominates this market along with many store brands. Expect some corners to be cut in materials. You can find some hidden gems in this range, but almost all are quartz watches, stainless steel back only. They tell time and my $30 Timex is about 13 years old now!
- $50 to $150. A heck of a lot of nice looking watches in this range. Expect to see Fossil, Skagen, lower Seikos, Citizens, and myriad of makers fighting for this market. You should expect to see all stainless steel and some titanium watches in this range. These watches will often have excellent build quality.
- $150 to $300. You are now entering the mid tier of watches. Build quality should be very good, rivaling much more expensive pieces. Cases will be stainless steel or titanium. If they are not, run away. Watch bracelets should be solid, not folded links. Seiko and Citizen are the dominant brands in this arena.
- $300 to $500. Firmly in the mid tier. Seiko, ESQ, Tissot, and other Swiss watches can be had at this price range. Build quality is superb. Materials and finishes are equal to or better than watches costing 10x as much.
Look at the warranty, but beware. Fossil watches may have a 11 year warranty, but remember, if you have to claim a warranty, the cool watch you have will no longer be made. You also can't fix inexpensive quartz movements. You can always (within reason) repair a mechanical watch. If you are lucky, the movement be replaced entirely. A quartz movement usually costs less than $20 to build. (This is why watch collectors look down on Quartz movement. A $3000 Quartz Tag Heuer has a $30 movement inside.)
If you are looking at a Quartz watch, look at the second hand. It will be ticking once a second. The second hand should like exactly with the minute markers. Some watches do, some don't. It's a minor detail that not all makers aspire to. If you are looking at a mechanical movement, the second hand should sweep smoothly across the face. An inexpensive Seiko or Citizen beats at 21,600 beats per hour, or 6 beats a second. A Swiss ETA 2824 based watch will beat at 28,800 beats per hour, or 8 beats a second, resulting in an even smoother sweep. There are some Chinese movements out there, such as one used on the Armitron automatic. I believe this moves at 18,000 beats per hour, or 5 beats per second. Regardless of movement, each motion of the second hand should be equal. As a side note, most sales people have never dealt with an automatic watch before. To start the watch, take it in your hand and gently rock it back and forth about 4 inches about 10 to 20 times and it should start. If it doesn't start in 30 seconds of rocking, you are dealing with a hand wound watch; or a piece of junk.

Work in progress...

Wishlist, Kinda Want

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:13:15 +0000

This page is to keep track of watches I may want in the future. Invicta 8926 Seiko 5 SNK615K1 Seiko 5 SNKE63K1

Invita Diver

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 04:16:35 +0000

Seiko 5 Blue

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:24:21 +0000

Another Seiko 5

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 18:34:14 +0000

Seiko 5 SNKE63K1

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 03:52:05 +0000

A Seiko 5 SNKE63K1 Another really sharp looking Seiko 5. I like the aviator style hands and brushed steel look. Really nice bracelet on this one. Only about $50 on ebay!

SKH640 Kinetic Two Tone

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 04:56:52 +0000

A Seiko Kinetic Model SKH640 Two Tone watch. This was my daily watch for about 5 years. It is a Kinetic watch, which means it is a quartz movement that is powered by a rotor, like an automatic watch. The quartz movement is very very accurate. Over 2 months, the watch loses about half a second! My wife, Tiffany bought me this watch around the time we got married. It is a beautiful watch with typical Seiko quality. The band is solid links, with a two button deployant clasp. The watch has held up very well to daily use. Despite what some may say about Hardlex compared to Sapphire, unless you are crazy abusive to your watches, it is more than adequate. Features: Case: 36mm diameter, stainless steel, 30m water resistance. Back: Stainless Steel, screw down. Crystal: Hardlex, flat. Movement: Kinetic, 5M62, Seiko in-house design, Made in Japan. Complications: Date Other: Solid, stainless steel bracelet. The gold makes the watch look classy, but the polished stainless steel makes it a little more down to earth. It is my dressiest watch. I am sure I will enjoy this watch for years to come. I like not having to change the battery and the fact it depends on my motion to stay charged. Speaking of that, the watch has a 6 month power reserve. The watch is unchanged after being on the market over 5 years. It is still $200+ as well. This is the watch that introduced me to Seiko and is my first 'real' watch i.e. not a $30 Timex.

New Stuff

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 05:20:48 +0000

Added 3 new reviews:

Added 3 "Wishlist" Watches:

I am just getting watch crazy, but I really did need a new hobby. I am really sick of electronics.

Expedition, Military

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 15 Dec 2007 05:49:47 +0000

My daily watch before my Seiko. It is a Timex Expedition, Military Style. Goodness knows what the model number is. It has a quartz movement, battery powered. As such, it is on its 3rd battery after 13 years of use. Features: Case: 38.5mm diameter, base metal, 50m water resistance. Back: Stainless Steel, snap on. Crystal: Acrylic, Domed. Movement: Quartz, Calibre Unknown, Made in Philippines , Hacks. Complications: Date Other: Indiglo Backlight This is the watch I wore through college ( I graduated in 1998.) It still keeps good time. I recently bought a new leather band for it, its third and a new battery, also its third. It is a Timex, and it does take a licking and keeps on ticking. Speaking of ticking, you can hear this sucker across a quiet room. The Indiglo works really well, but it does require interaction to work. Now that I have a watch with luminous hands and markers, pressing a button can be a pain. The crystal is a let down on the watch. The acrylic scratches pretty easily, and it looks pretty beat up. Although the watch looks like it is stainless steel, it is something else, and it is starting to show though. For $30, I really can't complain. It has served me well, and on the new band it looks pretty sharp. I wear it when I don't want one of my better watches to risk damage or for sentimental reasons. It is a very easy watch to read and can serve as a flashlight in an emergency. As of 10/30/2008 this watch is no longer in my collection. The wear through of the plating made the watch react with my skin. Goodbye, old friend. The leather band is now on the Speedmaster. 12/19/2009 Update. I pulled this old friend out of the junk heap and decided to give it another chance. I put is on a $5.00 nylon band which does 2 things. 1) It keeps the base metal away from my skin, making it wearable again and 2) it gives it a really military look, which compliments the watch well. Another important change is that I polished most of the huge scratch out of the crystal, making it look years younger. I will keep this watch as a beater until the battery goes, then it is just not worth it.

Watch Buying Guide (on the cheap)

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 22:31:15 +0000

Just because you are buying an inexpensive watch doesn't mean you shouldn't expect some quality.

Here is what you should look for when buying any watch at any price:

When buying a watch, pick the watch up and feel the weight. Does it feel dense, or does it feel too light for it's size? If the watch is plastic, it will feel quite light, but this can be desirable. A steel watch should feel solid. Sub $30 will often feel light, that's ok, since they have to cut corners somewhere. Anything over $50 should feel pretty solid.

Look at the fit and finish. Is the watch polished well? Even on a $10 watch, it should have no gaps and everything should line up. The quality of the fit and finish should increase proportionally to about $500, above that, you get really diminishing returns. That being said, a $200 watch can have a better finish than a $2000 watch.

Flip the watch over, read the back of the watch case. This will usually tell you a little more about the watch. An important thing to note is they will often state 'stainless steel back' with a 'base metal' case on watches less than $50. What is 'base metal'? I don't know, but I know it rusts/corrodes. The crown on my Timex now looks like dull brass. Better watches have stainless steel cases, and should never rust or corrode.
- The back of the watch will also usually tell you what type if replacement battery, country of manufacture, and water resistance.

Ignore the name, look at the watch. Many watches are made by the same company. Do you like the watch? Nothing else really matters if you don't like the watch. I have looked at Rolexes, and I just don't like the style.

Know what you are getting. This is a big thing. Watches can be separated into some price points:
- $10 to $50. These are the least expensive watches you will want to buy. Timex dominates this market along with many store brands. Expect some corners to be cut in materials. You can find some hidden gems in this range, but almost all are quartz watches, stainless steel back only. They tell time and my $30 Timex is about 13 years old now!
- $50 to $150. A heck of a lot of nice looking watches in this range. Expect to see Fossil, Skagen, lower Seikos, Citizens, and myriad of makers fighting for this market. You should expect to see all stainless steel and some titanium watches in this range. These watches will often have excellent build quality.
- $150 to $300. You are now entering the mid tier of watches. Build quality should be very good, rivaling much more expensive pieces. Cases will be stainless steel or titanium. If they are not, run away. Watch bracelets should be solid, not folded links. Seiko and Citizen are the dominant brands in this arena.
- $300 to $500. Firmly in the mid tier. Seiko, ESQ, Tissot, and other Swiss watches can be had at this price range. Build quality is superb. Materials and finishes are equal to or better than watches costing 10x as much.

Look at the warranty, but beware. Fossil watches may have a 11 year warranty, but remember, if you have to claim a warranty, the cool watch you have will no longer be made. You also can't fix inexpensive quartz movements. You can always (within reason) repair a mechanical watch. If you are lucky, the movement be replaced entirely. A quartz movement usually costs less than $20 to build. (This is why watch collectors look down on Quartz movement. A $3000 Quartz Tag Heuer has a $30 movement inside.)

If you are looking at a Quartz watch, look at the second hand. It will be ticking once a second. The second hand should like exactly with the minute markers. Some watches do, some don't. It's a minor detail that not all makers aspire to. If you are looking at a mechanical movement, the second hand should sweep smoothly across the face. An inexpensive Seiko or Citizen beats at 21,600 beats per hour, or 6 beats a second. A Swiss ETA 2824 based watch will beat at 28,800 beats per hour, or 8 beats a second, resulting in an even smoother sweep. There are some Chinese movements out there, such as one used on the Armitron automatic. I believe this moves at 18,000 beats per hour, or 5 beats per second. Regardless of movement, each motion of the second hand should be equal. As a side note, most sales people have never dealt with an automatic watch before. To start the watch, take it in your hand and gently rock it back and forth about 4 inches about 10 to 20 times and it should start. If it doesn't start in 30 seconds of rocking, you are dealing with a hand wound watch; or a piece of junk.

Work in progress...

Ahh, the Orange Bullet is on my wrist.

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 04:38:20 +0000

Went to the Mother In Law's today and got my Christmas gift from her, a Seiko "Orange Bullet" Diver's watch. It's a real beauty. Even though it is 42mm in diameter, the lug to lug distance is about 43mm, so no annoying overhang on my dainty wrists. You can see it changing the date in this photo. It changes between 10:30 and midnight. I did take it out of the box a few weeks ago to resize the band, but now I can really wear it. I did miss wearing it. I did get the perfect accessory from Tiffany, a valet with a watch drawer to hold my slowly growing collection. I'll take a photo of it when I get a chance.

Ugly Rado

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 05:26:00 +0000

While Tiff was looking at some jewelery, I was looking at some watches. Very few Automatics out there now. All quartz. It’s a shame, really. Quartz watches have close to zero collectors’ value. Saw a bass ackwards Automatic ‘divers’ watch today. It was a Rado, 300m, but it did not have a rotating bezel, had a small, hard to read face, yet had a helium release valve. Just to let you know, helium release valves are only used for truly hard core diving, where you breath a helium/oxygen mix. The watch was $1150 and ugly as sin. I think it was this model: Some people love Rado. I think they are ugly and overpriced. Rado was the pioneer in scratch resistance, but is it the most important feature of a watch? I think almost all modern watches above $75 are pretty tough now.

SEIKO 6139 Automatic Chronograph Watch

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 22:35:22 +0000

SEIKO 6139-8020 Automatic Chronograph Watch This watch intrigues me. Seiko no longer makes automatic chronographs, and I like the retro look of this one. Goes anywhere from $100 to $300 on eBay.

Watch 5

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 01:22:13 +0000

Accuracy Tracking

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 22:59:20 +0000

Orange Diver

Date	Real Time	Watch Time	Difference	Variation	Notes
1/29/2008	03:43:45	03:43:43	-00:00:02	n/a	Start
1/31/2008	8:46:27	08:47:37	+00:00:54	+28/Day	Watch not worn.

This watch is still only a month old or so. My green military was a bit fast in the beginning as well, but almost dead on now. For some reason, my blue 5 has never really needed adjustment. The only time I have touched the crown is to set it if it has stopped, and I have only seen it stopped once.

Bought

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 06:19:11 +0000

Seiko 5 SNK615K1 I got some money for my "Names Day" from my mother in law, so I bought this watch. I have had my eye on this watch a long time. Classy but not too flashy.

Tissot vs. Seiko

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 05:02:33 +0000

Looked at some watches at lunch. I am shocked how bad very expensive Swiss watches compared to the Seiko I was wearing. I looked at a Tissot Seastar 1000, retail for $550 and it looked a little hokey compared to my $150 Seiko. Ok fit and finish, crappy feeling bezel. If you ever look at "Diver" watches,the first thing to try is rotating the bezel. It is usually an indicator of the rest of the watch. The Seastar was only 60 clicks,not 120 like the Seiko and sounded cheap and hollow. The screw down crown was nothing to write home about either. It did have a display back, which was nice. The Seiko has a simple Tsunami, which is cool in its own way. The ETA movement is very well finished. The domed crystal may be nice to read underwater, but it's kind of distorted in plain old air. I'll take the flat Hardlex any day for day to day use. Overall, it may be Swiss made, probably by hand, but I will take my machine made Seiko for the money.

Yeah!

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 04:37:45 +0000

Got the new watch, 10 times better looking in real life than the photos! I think this one with quite a bit of wrist time.

Addicted

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:32:00 +0000

Went out to TJMaxx at lunch today and tried on this little beauty: It's a Seiko SKX031, a 100 meter watch, not a true diver. It looks very similar to a Rolex Submariner, but with Seiko style hands. It also costs about $5500 less. TJ had it for $160, which is OK pricing, but nothing to write home about. On closer inspection, I could tell it was used (dirt inside the clasp and the band was resized) so it was not that tempting. However, the look was great. It is 39mm wide (3mm narrower) and thinner than my Orange Bullet. Looked very nice on the wrist as well. I'll have to add it to my wish list. A Rolex homage with the hand style I like from Seiko.

Saw a Black Monster

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 01:30:37 +0000

Went to TJ with Tiff today, and saw a Seiko Black Monster. In the last 2 weeks I have seen an Orange and Black monster in the store. The bezel still does not work for me. I like the classic bezel like my Orange bullet. The hands are neat, but I like the classic Seiko hands as well for readability. vs.

Memories

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 18:33:51 +0000

I was just curious, and I started looking around to see if I could find my first analog quartz watch. Turns out, not only did I find it, Casio STILL MAKES IT! It looks darn near identical to a watch I wore for years. The lug design looks a little different, but the face, hands, and band looks very similar. It's a Casio MQ247B (there is a a MQ247B2 as well, retro font for the numerals) which goes for a whole $8.50 on Amazon. I am tempted to add it to my collection for sentimental reasons. I still remember the smell of the band when it gets sweaty. A gross memory, but a memory nonetheless. This was the watch I pestered Mom and Dad about years ago when we were on vacation in the Smokies. It's a cheap watch, but it was still the first. I hated digital watches back then and I still don't like them at all now.

Seiko SNK615K1 Blue Swede

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 21:15:52 +0000

Blue Face, Modern Seiko Automatic General Comments: This is my third automatic watch. It has a modern style with old fashioned guts. Features: Case: 37mm diameter, stainless steel, 30m water resistance. Back: Hardlex exhibition back, screw down. Crystal: Hardlex, flat. Movement: Automatic, 7S26B, Seiko in-house design. No handwind or hacking. Complications: Day of week, Date Other: Luminous hands and markers, Lumibrite. As stated before, this is a mechanical watch, and as such will never require batteries. Initial accuracy is about +5 seconds/day! It is much better than expected at this point. This is a very wearable and light watch. It has an integrated bracelet, folded links. I was a little worried about it, but on the wrist it is excellent. A two button deployant clasp is used, a nice touch. The luminous material works very well and glows for hours. The hands are long and almost European style, with the minute and second hands extending almost to the edge of the dial. The blue face is stunning and the hour markers are finely polished. The yellow second hand stands out perfectly from the blue of the face. It is a well balanced watch. Great for day to day use. This watch looks about 5 times more expensive than it is. It is a dressier watch, but not so much so that it won't work with jeans and a t-shirt.

Interesting old book.

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 03:54:26 +0000

For Christmas, my brother Ron bought us all really unique, if inexpensive gifts. For me it was a Dictionary of Clocks and Watches by Eric Bruton. It is pretty fascinating book for someone interested in horology. What make is really neat is the fact that it was published in 1963, so it is a snapshot the state of the art in time keeping in 1963. It was time where quartz clocks existing, but still 6 years away from the quartz watch. Electric and tuning fork watches were around as well, a new novelty. In case you have never heard of a tuning fork watch, it is a watch where the time keeping is driven by a precise tuning fork. The watch literally hums at 300hz. Each time the fork oscillates, the second hand moves. The cool thing is that it results a super smooth second hand sweep. At the time, no one really knew what would be the next generation of watches. Turns out Seiko was right with miniaturizing quartz technology and quartz watches are by far the dominate form of watch. The other cool thing is reading about how mechanical watches really work. Escapements, pallet stones, etc. It has given me even more respect for mechanical time keepers. I have almost read the book from cover to cover, yes, a little dorky, but it was a good read and a excellent reference book in the future.

My Automatics and endless watch browsing

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 05:32:04 +0000

My 3 automatic watches are working very well.
My green military has been keeping great time. It looks like it is gaining less than 5 seconds a day now, after having it about 2 months.
The Orange Bullet is still running a bit fast, about 15 to 20 seconds a day. However, I have only had it less than a month, so I will see how it does over the next 30 days.
The blue 5 is really shocking me. It is almost dead on right out of the box, less than 5 seconds a day as well. I hope it keeps up the excellent time keeping.
Speaking of excellent time keeping, my Kinetic is still keeping unbelievable time. Less than 0.5 seconds lost in 6 months! Even for a quartz, this is pretty remarkable. I wonder what accuracies other people have seen with their Seiko quartz watches?
The Timex still keeps excellent time as well, gains about 3 seconds a month.

Made another trip to TJ. Saw a nice Seiko 5 sports, orange faced watch. Really sharp looking. Even on the 'low end' Seikos, the rotating bezel feels much better than watches 20 times more expensive. Also saw a few nice chronographs. I really like the 1/5 second tick on some of the Seiko models. Classic look and easy to read.

windfall

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 04:16:23 +0000

sdwc97p1

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 04:21:05 +0000

Torn

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 05:17:16 +0000

I am looking at getting a new chronograph. It is type of watch I do not own and have never owned, other than some digital models when I was a kid. I still don't like digital. It looks ugly and hard to read for me. So, here are the two watches I am torn between: Swatch "Irony Windfall" Very Omega Speedmaster looking and the: Seiko SDWC97P1 Costs more, but has a better movement and looks like a TAG. Not sure which.... I really only want one more battery based Quartz watch since I discovered the joy of Automatics. Both watches are nice, but the Seiko does more (alarm) but I like the look and price of the Swatch.

drawer_small

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 23:38:27 +0000

Not so torn anymore.

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 04:09:43 +0000

Went looking at some Swatch watches today. I looked at the "Windfall" in the store. Three real deal breakers for me: 1) Looked at the watch critically today. The front is finished very nicely. The hands, meh. The back of the watch looks terrible. Very roughly machined with no polishing. I am sure they could justify this by saying it is to keep it on the wrist better, but the hard, sharp edges and rough grinding scream cost cutting to me. All of my Seikos are finely polished on the back and even between the lugs. Even my $65 Seiko 5 has all finely polished edges, even where you can't see them. 2) Proprietary band/bracelet attachment. Some day I may want to change out the band. I would like to also be able to go to Target, Walmart, etc. to find a replacement. I did on my $30 Timex, and I can do the same for all of my watches except for one. I don't want to have to go back to Swatch to get a new band. I could grind off the offending parts, which serve no purpose other to make the connection proprietary, but I shouldn't have to. I am sure the cost a bit more as well. 3) A middling, at best, chronograph movement. I really hate the low end Swiss chronograph movements. The second hand ticks once per second, and the 1/10 second dial swings into position AFTER you have stopped the timer. Did I mention it SLOWLY swings to 1/10 of a second reading after you press stop? Like almost 2 seconds slow. This is really unacceptable. Seiko has either 1/5 second tick, which looks really cool, or they have a 1/10 of a second subdial that starts spinning the instant you press start, or they have a 1/10 1/100 of a second sub dial that starts the instant you press start. Thats right, that little hand is spinning at 600 RPM! The other issue is when you press reset, the Swiss movement jerkily and slowly swings back to zero. Seiko swings smoothly back to zero, and very quickly. So, I am scratching Swatch off my list. Heck, even the "Cheap" TAG Heuers seems to have the same movement in their chronographs. Shame, really. Seiko is years ahead of them in quartz movements. They should be, they invented them.

snaa63.jpg

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:22:00 +0000

As always, looking, and first impressions.

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 04:27:27 +0000

Went to Kohls the other day to look at chronographs. Not entirely convinced if I should get one, or just stick with getting more automatics. I really do like autos. I did spot a really nice looking Seiko SNAA63 for half off. It still was $187.50 though. I can get a really nice auto for that kind of coin. Sharp looking watch with the movement I like. Still not sure though. I also looked at a Citizen for about the same original price $325 vs. $375 original. It was an ecodrive, which I have wanted to try. But, and this is a big but, you know what they say about first impressions? The Citizen was very disappointing. It felt cheap and light. The bracelet was hollow and squeaky. This is ok for a sub $100 watch, but not for over $300! The much bigger issue was when I went to use the chronograph function. I pressed the reset button. The second hand swung back into place but the 1/10 of a second subdial didn't budge. Started timing, still didn't budge. I thought maybe I was in lap mode. I reset it twice, still no movement. The Seiko, of course, reset perfectly every time. I don't know, I know Citizen is supposed to be very good, the #1 Japanese maker (in sales) right now, but the first impression sucked.

seiko-kinetic-gold.jpg

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 03:40:35 +0000

TLC

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 03:58:55 +0000

Spent the time to clean up my Kinetic watch. It is a very nice watch and gleams like new again.

I took off the bracelet and soaked it in a jewelery cleaner and then soaked and cleaned the watch itself. It is pretty amazing what dirt comes off after wearing a watch 5 years. Overall, the watch has held up well. There is some wear to the underside of the bracelet (rubbing against a desk) which is pretty typical. It still keeps amazing time, even for a quartz watch. It is currently dead on to N.I.S.T. time, no adjustments over the last 5 months! The worst I have seen it is about 0.5 seconds off at the last daylight savings time change. I don't wear t nearly as much as I used to. My Orange Bullet Diver's and my Blue 5 get worn at work all the time, and the green military gets worn every night at home. I think I will wear it soon to charge up the energy cell to 6 months charge again. It is currently at about 2 months reserve. Seiko still makes this exact model, which is a good sign. I like the fact someone still makes a men's standard size watch, 36mm, not the hubcaps you see strapped to peoples' wrists now.

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:46:23 +0000

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:51:11 +0000

The Grand List

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:58:14 +0000

My birthday is coming up, so I am trying to narrow down what I want to ask for. They are all automatics, I have decided against battery operated chronographs. Here are the top 13 watches I would like next, in no particular order:

Seiko SKX033K2

It’s a Seiko SKX033, a 100 meter watch, not a true diver. It looks very similar to a Rolex Submariner, but with Seiko style hands. Very similar to the SKX031, except with the ‘Pepsi’ blue and red bezel. I think I like it more than the all black ‘031. The splash of red adds a lot. Again, Rolex looks at a decent price. About $120 on eBay. Its $159 on Chronograph.com.

Seiko 5 SNZB19K

Another 5. I really like this one. Pearl face with a cool lime green second hand. Only about $120 on eBay. I could use a white/light faced watch. My only other light faced is my Timex. It's $165 on Chronograph.com.

Seiko 5 SNZE49 J1

I like the red face of this one. It is a Seiko 5, so it is an automatic. The bracelet looks pretty sharp as well. About $130 to 150 on eBay. It's$153 on Chronograph.com

Seiko 5 Superior SKZ207J

A Seiko 5 Superior, SKZ207J compass watch. I like the look, cream face, and compass feature. It also comes in blue and black. Not sure how the compass works yet, bit I love the looks of this watch. 200m water resistant. This looks like a Japanese made unit, since it has the 7S36 movement. About $125 on eBay. A whopping $235 on Chronograph.com! Ouch.

Seiko SKX031K2

It’s a Seiko SKX031, a 100 meter watch, not a true diver. It looks very similar to a Rolex Submariner, but with Seiko style hands. It also costs about $5500 less. A Rolex homage with the hand style I like from Seiko. It's $158 on Chronograph.com.

SNK339K

Sporty, baby blue face. Is is too baby blue? Not sure. $115 on Chronograph.com.

SNK391K1

Cool retro brown faced watch. I don’t know why I like it, but I do. I like the bracelet as well. Only $95 on Chronograph.com.

SNK789K-L

If I ever want to retire my Timex, this would be the one to replace it. Simple, white faced watch. $135 on Chronograph.com.

SNKE03J1

An all black watch. Would be a very different addition to my collection. $168 on Chronograph.com is a bit more than I wanted to spend.

SNKF49K1

Simple, clean lines. Looks like a Grand Seiko. I think it would wear well with formal or casual clothes as well. $128 on Chronograph.com.

SNKF51K1

This one has some nice features. Black bezel and carbon fiber face. The red second hand is cool looking as well. Would also look excellent on black leather strap. $138 on Chronograph.com.

SNZB21K

Nice, manly looking watch with a green second hand. The hands are a style I like as well and I like the 1/5 second hash marks. The bracelet it very nice looking as well and the watch would look great on leather as well. $128 on Chronograph.com.

SNZE74K1

A rose gold and black faced watch. I think it is quite stunning looking and I like the full day of the week is spelled out. $168 on Chronograph.com.

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:49:20 +0000

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:52:22 +0000

Seiko 5 SNZB21K

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:54:51 +0000

SNZB21K

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 17:57:01 +0000

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:01:07 +0000

Seiko 5 SNKF51K1

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:02:55 +0000

SNKF51K1

This one has some nice features. Black bezel and carbon fiber face. The red second hand is cool looking as well. Would also look excellent on black leather strap. $138 on Chronograph.com.

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:04:37 +0000

Seiko SNKE03J1 Black

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:06:06 +0000

SNKE03J1

All Black PVD Seiko 5 automatic General Comments: This is my fourth automatic watch, this is another watch bought by Tiffany, the greatest wife in the world, for my 34th birthday. It sparkles on the wrist and looks very classy, but not dressy. It is a Made in Japan Seiko 5, my first. The fit and finish are excellent all around. The blood red second hand really stands out. Although there is not much luminescent material, the large, silver markers against a black face allow for easy reading in poor lighting. The lume that is there is nice, Noon, 3, 6, and 9 have different sized markers, making it easy to read. The black day/date window is surrounded by a silver bezel, also a nice touch. Features: Case: 37mm diameter, stainless steel, 50m water resistance, PVD Black. Back: Hardlex exhibition back, screw down. Crystal: Hardlex, flat. Movement: Automatic, 7S26B, Seiko in-house design. No handwind or hacking. Made in Japan. Complications: Day of week, Date Other: Luminous hands and markers, Lumibrite. As stated before, this is a mechanical watch, and as such will never require batteries. Initial accuracy is about +6 seconds/day. The Japanese made 7S26 seems to be better regulated at the factory. I have had this watch almost a year now, and it is holding up perfectly. The PVD coating shows no signs of wear and there are no scratches on the bracelet. The accuracy is still excellent, now less than +2 second/day.

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:07:12 +0000

Seiko 5 SNK391K1

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:08:34 +0000

SNK391K1

Cool retro brown faced watch. I don't know why I like it, but I do. I like the bracelet as well. Only $95 on Chronograph.com.

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:10:09 +0000

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:23:04 +0000

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:54:40 +0000

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:55:28 +0000

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:57:02 +0000

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 21:22:15 +0000

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 21:24:50 +0000

Durability

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 20:02:58 +0000

I was talking to a co-worker during a training session, and I noticed he was wearing a Seiko 5 (Automatic Watch) which was well worn. He told me it was 10 years old now, and still works great with no servicing. His previous watch was a Seiko 5 which he wore for 20 YEARS with no service. He just got sick of the styling and gave it away. Think about that. Something that costs less than $100 lasting 20 years with no maintenance. We are not talking about something sitting on a shelf here. This is something strapped to your arm, with endless shocks, exposure to temperature extremes, and water. Yet, this humble, little watch lasted 20 years with no complaint, and as far as we know, it is still ticking away somewhere. I wish they could make everything that well.

Sedentary lifestyle revealed in wrist watches

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 03:21:28 +0000

I have seen quite a few complaints on automatic watches online pertaining to the watch stopping at inopportune times. The owners often admit they live a sedentary lifestyle. I was wondering, how sedentary do you have to be to not wind your automatic watch?
I did a little research and my automatic watches, which use a Seiko 7S26 movement, take about 3200 swings to fully wind. This sounds like a lot, but for every stride you take, it swings the watch 2 times, so you have to walk 1,600 steps a day to keep it fully wound. 1,600 steps is really not a heck of a lot. Anything below 5,000 and you are considered sedentary. So, we are talking about less than half of this. An average person takes 2,000 steps to cover a mile. So, if your automatic watch stops, you are walking less than 4/5 of a mile a day. Also remember, you don't need to walk to wind an automatic watch. Just moving your arm around winds it as well. So not only are you not walking, you are not even moving your arm around while you are sitting.
Now, why would watch companies design a watch that stops occasionally? Well, turns out nearly all of our 'modern' automatics were designed in the 1950's. The modern movements are just refinements of older designs. I would venture a guess people in the 1950's walked and moved around more than people in the '00s. So, yet another example of how Americans have degraded into useless couch potatoes/cube dwellers. You can't even move your arm enough to keep a watch wound.

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:21:06 +0000

Simple watch

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:27:56 +0000

In case I don't get this as a gift, I like the SNK789 Seiko 5. I have it on my master list, but I found on eBay, if you get it with a metal bracelet instead of leather, it is less than $70 shipped! I still think it would make a great replacement for my white Timex. It looks like I can even steal the new leather band I have on the Timex! It does have a few advantages over my old Expedition, it is an automatic, has hardlex instead of acrylic crystal and it is made of stainless steel instead of 'base metal.' The styling is similar. Strait hands, white face, and red second hand. Though it has served me well, the exposed base metal does make me itch when I wear it. Must be brass or something with high nickel content.

1242741009-d693a51f80-o.jpg

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 22:25:43 +0000

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 22:44:49 +0000

Grail Watch

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 02:37:32 +0000

Most watch collectors have one (or a few) "Grail" watches. This is the watch you really really want, but for one reason or another, usually money, you usually don't have that watch. For me, it is a rather modest watch, compared to a Rolex or an Omega, it is a Seiko Alpinist, SARB017. It is a quite stunning watch. It looks like a little like a vintage Rolex Explorer. It does have the cool compass feature as well, and it is water resistant to 200meters. It uses the new 6R15 movement, which is very similar to the 7S26, but hacks, handwinds, and has a 50 hour power reserve. It also has a sapphire crystal, which is nice touch on a watch at the $400 price point. All the photos I have seen of it are very impressive. It is a Japan only model, but Seiko seems to keep its best watches at home. Someday.

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 02:49:19 +0000

Seiko Alpinst SARB17

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 03:09:26 +0000

Seiko Alpinst SARB17

The Green Seiko Alpinist Just an amazing looking watch in my opinion. Looks much more expensive than the $425 asking price. It has the 6R15 movement. The 6R15 is a cousin of the bullet proof 7S26, but it can be hand wound and it hacks. The power reserve is rated at 50 hours vs. 40 the 7s26. Though, it is probably better than that. My 7S26's usually get about 44 hours. This model comes on a dark, leather strap. It also has a compass feature like the Land Shark, but much less obtrusive. A 200m water resistance rating is nothing to sneeze at either. Dress looks with diver's type water resistance. This is my grail watch. Someday I will have this pretty. It also comes in Black and White, but none are as stunning as the emerald green.

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 03:35:32 +0000

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:19:56 +0000

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:20:14 +0000

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:29:23 +0000

Rich man watches that I like

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:33:06 +0000

I do really appreciate watches that most can afford, however, I do occasionally venture to the dark side and look at watches in the $1,000+ range. It is still my belief that you really experience diminishing returns over $500 or so, but I still like these watches: Omega Speedmaster Pro I tried on this bad boy at a Baily, Banks, and Biddle. It is the classic moon watch. It went to the moon and looks stunning on Earth. Easy to read and not too large, only 42mm. If I ever come into some real money, this will be on my short list. Omega Planet Ocean: I tried on this one as well. Very bold and orange. The saleswoman was actually pretty knowledgeable about watches. She asked me if I knew why the watch was orange? I told her it is because it is the last color that disappears in low light when diving. I wasn't wearing my Orange Bullet that day. This is a pretty nice looking watch, but the Arabic numerals are a little pointless. Fit and finish were nice, but not crazy nice. The bezel is a lot easier to turn than the regular Omega Seamaster. Seiko Marine Master Ah, another Seiko. Have not had a chance to see this on in real life. It is the Marine Master. It is available in conventional automatic or the revolutionary Spring Drive. I like the classic look of the automatic. The unique thing is that is a single piece case. There is no screw on back, thus eliminating a leak path. The rugged looks and classic Seiko diver's design are what appeal to me. I'll add more when I get a chance. Any rich man (or woman) watches are out there that you like?

Happy Birthday to Me!

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:05:03 +0000

Feeling a little sick today, but I did get a great Birthday Gift, a new watch! (I just love watches, always have, probably always will.)

It's an all black Seiko 5. It is my first PVD watch, which is a surface coating technology which allows metal watches (or anything else metal) to be coated black.

It is very nice on the wrist, heavy, but not too heavy.

Initial Impressions of my latest watch.

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:41:57 +0000

Seiko SNKE03J1 Black

All Black PVD Seiko 5 automatic General Comments: This is my fourth automatic watch. This is another watch bought by Tiffany, the greatest wife in the world, for my 34th birthday. It sparkles on the wrist and looks very handsome, but not dressy. It is a Made in Japan Seiko 5, my first. The fit and finish are excellent all around. The blood red second hand really stands out. Although there is not much luminescent material, the large, silver markers against a black face allow for easy reading in poor lighting. The lume that is there is nice, Noon, 3, 6, and 9 have different sized markers, making it easy to read. The black day/date window is surrounded by a silver bezel, also a nice touch. The PVD process really creates a black finish that does not come across well in photos. It looks nothing like paint, it looks like black steel. Features: Case: 37mm diameter, stainless steel, 50m water resistance, PVD Black. Back: Hardlex exhibition back, screw down. Crystal: Hardlex, flat. Movement: Automatic, 7S26B, Seiko in-house design. No handwind or hacking. Made in Japan. Complications: Day of week, Date Other: Luminous hands and markers, Lumibrite. As stated before, this is a mechanical watch, and as such will never require batteries. Initial accuracy is about +6 seconds/day. The Japanese made 7S26 seems to be better regulated at the factory. I have only had the watch 3 days, so these are just initial impressions.

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:47:52 +0000

How not to sell a $2150 watch.

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 21:59:39 +0000

I was looking at Baily Banks and Biddle *again* and looking at this watch: It's a Breitling, SuperOcean in Coral. Pretty nice looking watch. The bezel turned well, with a little slop. Only 60 clicks, but acceptable. Oh, did I mention it costs well over $2,000? At the time, I was wearing this watch: That's my SKXA55K1 “Orange Bullet” The saleswoman held the watch up next to mine and mentioned that the Seiko had a richer looking orange face than the Breitling. Looking at it, I had to agree. The black, 120 click bezel on the Seiko stands out much better as well, another thing the saleswoman pointed out. I appreciate her honesty, but this is really not a good way to sell a $2150 watch! The Seiko costs well under $200. Not that I dive, but if I did, I think I would appreciate the large markers and broad hands on the Seiko as opposed to the Arabic numbers and narrow hands of the Breitling. I also don't think many people would wear a $2000 watch for diving.

Wishlist, I Really Want

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 04:04:35 +0000

2 watches, 1 birthday.

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 04:39:14 +0000

Turns out, in addition to my Seiko 5 Black, I am getting another watch: This will be the next watch, another automatic. It is an Orvis Automatic Field Watch, a larger watch, but it should be easy to read. I think I will more or less retire my light faced Timex after getting this watch. My watch drawer is getting full! I should be getting it late this month, when it gets back in stock. This is actually a good sign, it is the only watch Orvis sells that is out of stock AND gets great reviews. Looking at the back, it almost looks like a prettier copy of a Seiko 7S26 movement. I'll take a look when I actually receive the watch. In the photo, the rotor, balance wheel, wheel holder and (visible) winding mechanism seem similar. When I get the watch I will do some detective work and see if it does indeed use the Seiko Magic Lever system, what the BPH is, does it hack/hand wind, etc. I am looking forward to wearing it. I hope it is a copy of a Seiko movement, they are some of the most durable automatic movements ever made.

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 04:19:59 +0000

I guess I don't like many expensive watches.

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 04:44:47 +0000

Went for a walk at lunch today, finally some good weather. Went to a local jeweler and tried on some pricier timepieces. I think beyond $500 or so, you have a timepiece instead of a watch. Well, it is still a watch. I tried on some Raymond Weils. Meh. Kinda nice looking, but there is no freaking way I am spending around a grand for a battery operated quartz watch. They end up having nearly zero collector's value, and good luck getting it fixed in 20 years. Any mechanical watch can be repaired, within reason. Quartz, not so much. Quartz movements cost about $24 wholesale from ETA. Tried on a Rolex Explorer II. I gotta tell ya, Rolex bracelets really bring the whole watch down. Cheap feeling and too light. Despite the sales woman's reassurance, I know those center links are hollow. The body of the watch also had pretty darn sharp edges. Like I accidentally scratched myself sharp. (This is not a joke, it didn't draw blood, but it was pretty startling when I put the watch on and it left an inch long scrape on my wrist.) Probably the style, I hope. Made the watch look a little (a lot) unfinished. I was wearing my trusty Orange Bullet, and the bracelet feels nicer and the case has all finished edges, unlike the Rolex. I am sure Rolex makes fine watches, but $4,000+ nice? On the other hand, Omega's are very impressive in person. Very nicely finished with current, up to date styles, without looking too trendy, like TAG Heuer. Speaking of TAG, what's up with the plastic parts on the exposed body of the watch? It might look cool, but it really makes the watch look like a cheapie.

snn073p1_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:45:37 +0000

snn079p1_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:55:14 +0000

snn075p1_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:56:52 +0000

snn071p1_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 20:58:58 +0000

sna487p

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:02:58 +0000

3570-50_7

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:07:27 +0000

Back to desiring a chronograph

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:10:12 +0000

The one watch I am lacking from my small, but growing, collection is a chronograph. I had an analog/digital Timex chronograph, but that crapped out after about a year. Not a good sign. I want to stick to Seiko but that means I have get another quartz watch. A decent automatic chronograph is well over $1,000. Tiffany reminded me that it is not that inconvenient, and I do have a lot of 'spares' to wear when the battery dies. So, without further ado, here are some chronographs that I like: SNN073 Clean, black face with a Tachymeter. 1/5 second tick with second and minute sub dials. The big date looks pretty cool as well. 40mm in diameter, so not too big and only 9mm thick. Only $83+ shipping on eBay. SNN079 Clean, black face with a Tachymeter, same watch as above with orange second and subdial hands. 1/5 second tick with second and minute sub dials. The big date looks pretty cool as well. 40mm in diameter, so not too big and only 9mm thick. Only $83+ shipping on eBay as well. SNN075P1 Blue face ace with a Tachymeter. I really like blue face/yellow second hand combos. 1/5 second tick with second and minute sub dials. The big date looks pretty cool as well. 40mm in diameter, so not too big and only 9mm thick. Agin $83+ shipping on eBay. SNN073 Clean, white face with a Tachymeter. 1/5 second tick with second and minute sub dials. The big date looks pretty cool as well. 40mm in diameter, so not too big and only 9mm thick. Only $83+ shipping on eBay.. All 4 of these watches are the same watch, with color variations, but I think they all look sharp. There is a green version as well, but it doesn't really work for me. SNA487P A very Omega Speedmaster looking Seiko. Black face with the Tachymeter on the bezel. Almost the exact same size as the Speedmaster as well. This watch has the nice 7T62 movement with 1/5 second tick and alarm/second timezone. $244 on Chronograph.com. Admittedly, the Omega does look nicer, it should for $3200 MORE.

Score!!!

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:39:17 +0000

Went to the Fossil outlet store, and Tiffany spotted this beauty: It's a 12 hour quartz chronograph, with date. It's 42mm in diameter, so not too large, no larger than my Orange Bullet. The overall fit and finish is excellent. The bracelet is integrated, but uses solid links. Lume is not great, but Seiko tends to spoil you. The kicker is that it cost less then a slab of ribs :-) I'll post a full review when I get a chance.

CH-2365 Red Speedway

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:18:47 +0000

CH-2365 Fossil Red Speedway

Fossil red faced 12 hour chronograph, 3 sub dials. General Comments: This is my first analog quartz chronograph. We went out browsing at an outlet mall to get out of the house and Tiffany spotted this watch. I have been wanting a chronograph, as it is the only type of watch really lacking in my collection. I believe it was a mis-price, since they didn't have a tag on it. From what I have seen, it was $95 originally, I got it for less than a quarter of that! Features: Case: 42mm diameter, stainless steel, 100m water resistance. Back: Stainless steel, screw down. Crystal: Mineral Glass, Domed. Movement: Battery driven quartz chronograph, caliber OS10. Hacks when crown pulled, quick set date. Complications: Date, elapsed seconds, minutes and hours, up to 12 hours, conventional seconds on lowest sub dial. Other: Luminous hands and markers, luminova? This is a very nicely made watch, at any cost. The bracelet is 20mm all round with a 2 button deployant clasp with safety fliplock. All surfaces are finished well. The face of the watch is unique and easy to read. The face is surprisingly uncluttered. The metal used on the face has starburst finishing. The chronograph pushers have a satisfying click when pressed. Overall steal of a watch with only a few shortcomings: The luminous material used is adequate but nothing more. The bracelet squeaks a little, but my Seiko 5's do a little as well. Lastly, it is a quartz watch, which means the occasional battery. For what I paid, I can't complain. Overall, an excellent watch that looks amazing on the wrist, and I really wanted a red watch.

CH-2365 Red Speedway Review

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 18:25:34 +0000

CH-2365 Fossil Red Speedway

Fossil red faced 12 hour chronograph, 3 sub dials. General Comments: This is my first analog quartz chronograph. We went out browsing at an outlet mall to get out of the house and Tiffany spotted this watch. I have been wanting a chronograph, as it is the only type of watch really lacking in my collection. I believe it was a mis-price, since they didn’t have a tag on it. From what I have seen, it was $95 originally, I got it for less than a quarter of that! Features: Case: 42mm diameter, stainless steel, 100m water resistance. Back: Stainless steel, screw down. Crystal: Mineral Glass, Domed. Movement: Battery driven quartz chronograph, Caliber OS10. Hacks when crown pulled, quick set date. Complications: Date, elapsed seconds, minutes and hours, up to 12 hours, conventional seconds on lowest sub dial. Other: Luminous hands and markers, luminova? This is a very nicely made watch, at any cost. The bracelet is 20mm all round with a 2 button deployant clasp with safety fliplock. All surfaces are finished well. The face of the watch is unique and easy to read. The face is surprisingly uncluttered. The metal used on the face has starburst finishing. The chronograph pushers have a satisfying click when pressed. Overall steal of a watch with only a few shortcomings: The luminous material used is adequate but nothing more. The bracelet squeaks a little, but my Seiko 5’s do a little as well. Lastly, it is a quartz watch, which means the occasional battery. For what I paid, I can’t complain. Overall, an excellent watch that looks amazing on the wrist, and I really wanted a red watch.

orvis-movement.jpg

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 05:47:45 +0000

Watch disappointment and excitement.

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 05:53:32 +0000

Finally got my belated Orvis watch birthday present. From the moment I saw it, I didn't like it. The face of it was huge and an ugly shade of brown. The movement was an ugly Chinese Seagull movement, nothing like what was shown on the website. I still don't know how a movement can have 20 jewels. Every other watch movement has an odd number of jewels, i.e. 17, 21, 23 are common. Why is it usually a odd number? Because jewels are used in two situations: For pivots for gears and rotating parts (paired to together) and on the lever which interfaces with the escapement, this usually uses 3 jewels, usually called pallet stones. They must forgo the 3rd pallet stone on the lever. Here is what the movement really looks like: Ok finishing and some fake tool marks. It did hack and hand wind, which was nice. It looked like 21,600 or 18,000 BPH and it was a little jerky. My Seikos are much more consistent moving the second hand around the dial. Needless to say, we are returning the watch. For the amount of money, it was pretty poor quality. The case finishing was poor (between the lugs was poorly finished) and the leather strap, well, sucked. Felt like plastic and was almost impossible to bend. But, there is a silver lining. For about the same money (well, a little less, actually) I am getting another Seiko! The SKX033. One of my favorites. A "Pepsi" bezel with a coin edge. Not a true diver, but I like the smaller case and Submariner styling. The hour markers are huge and should glow like a typical Seiko. I actually tried on a SKX031 in the store (black bezel) and was very impressed. Seiko really does spoil you with quality vs. money. All in house movements, nearly a century of watchmaking, and Japanese quality control. You can't ask for much more. So in a week or two I should be wearing my new '033.

What makes a Seiko a Seiko

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 21:23:09 +0000

As you can probably tell, I am a big Seiko fan, however, I do own a Timex and a Fossil as well. Today I was wearing my Fossil Speedway chronograph, and I was wondering, are my Seiko's really that much better? What makes a Seiko a Seiko? So, let's compare 2 watches: Fossil Speedway Red: Seiko SNK615K1 Both watches have integrated bracelets, both have a metallic face. The original retail for the Fossil was $95, the Seiko about $125, but usually about $75 online. So, they are in the same price point. Bracelet: The bracelets on both watches are folded links, the Fossil is a little more squeaky. The gaps are smaller on the Seiko and it tends to pinch less. The Seiko is brushed all around, the Fossil has a polished center. The Fossil does use round pins, which I like. The Seiko uses flat pins and is a little harder to adjust. Clasp: The clasp on the Fossil is friction lock and pushbutton, the Seiko is just a two pushbutton design. The being said, the Seiko deployant is smoothly polished and the edges rounded. This makes pinching much less probable. The Fossil is bead blasted with hard edges. The deployant on the Seiko always lines up perfectly. On the Fossil, it seems to get skewed when closing and a little fiddling is needed. Both clasps are signed. The Seiko has 3 fine adjustment holes (making it the width of one link. The Fossil only has two, spaced closely together. It is easy to get the Seiko to a perfect fit, no so much on the Fossil. Head of the Watch: This is the most important part, the actual watch. Both watches have a "Racer" design which tapers into the bracelet. -Bezel The Seiko has a finely polished and machined bezel. It appears to be screw down and can be replaced. The Fossil does not have a bezel and makes the watch look a little less expensive. The crystal may only be accessed by removing the movement. -Face and Hands. Both watches have similar hand designs, strait to a rounded taper on the Seiko and strait to a point on the Fossil. The Seiko has more luminous material and finer finishing on the hands. The second hand on the Seiko is tipped with luminous material and stands out well. The Fossil second hand ends in a triangular point, no luminous material. The printing on both watches is precise. The Seiko and 5 are applied markings, the Fossil Speedway is just printed. Both watches have starburst radiating machining. Seiko did a neat thing made a matte band to print on the minute markings. The Fossil has well defined sub dials and a two layer face. The hour markers are large and well defined on both watches, but, again the Seiko has more finishing. The center of the hour markers is filled with luminous material. The Fossil has a square section applied to the markers. -Crystal Both use mineral glass. The Fossil is domed, the Seiko flat. The Fossil seems to smudge a lot, not sure why. Time will tell who has the stronger crystal. -Crown and Stem Unsigned on both watches. The date quickset function is much sharper on the Seiko. Another odd thing about the Fossil, when the crown is turned to adjust the time, when you turn clockwise, the hands move counter clockwise. The Seiko clockwise=clockwise seems more intuitive. The Fossil's crown is larger and easier to use. The Seiko's crown is at 4 o'clock and recessed, making is much less likely to dig into your wrist. -Case back Screw down on both. Fossil is stainless with simple markings. The Seiko is a 'display' back, stainless steel and hardlex glass. This is common on mechanical watches to display the movement. -Case The Seiko really shines in this area. All of the edges are nicely polished and well machined. The are also many more curves and cuts on the Seiko. The Fossil has several hard edges which do tend to pinch. -Movement Hard to compare these two. Not really a fair comparison. The Fossil is a battery operated quartz, the Seiko an automatically wound mechanical movement. The Fossil is more accurate, but will need a battery change every few years. Seiko is known for movements that last almost forever. Conclusion: Both watches are a great value for the money. The overall finish of the Seiko seems better than the Fossil. Seiko also has over 100 years of watch making behind them as well. To be fair, I should compare a Seiko chronograph to this Fossil, but I honestly think the Fossil would fare poorly. Seiko chronographs have more features (alarm, dual time zone, 1/5 second tick or better) and are usually made in Japan. For what I picked up the Fossil for, it was a steal, and I really do enjoy the watch. The Fossil really has impressed me with the overall quality and value, The face design is unique and I am sure it will have good collectors value as well. All of my Seikos are a joy to wear. This particular watch is very comfortable to wear and keeps excellent time. I can see why Seiko is one of the largest watch makers in the world. For the money, they are almost impossible to beat. Even at this price point, the Seiko is finished impeccably. Every machined surface is perfectly cut and polished and makes 'fashion' watches look pretty cheap in comparison. Feel free to let me know what your impressions are of Seiko and Fossil watches.

skx033k2-2.jpg

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 02:36:41 +0000

So Close...

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 03:05:09 +0000

The good news is, my next watch is 2 blocks away, in a locked post office safe. The bad news is is that is it in a locked post office safe, 2 blocks away. So, come 7 A.M Monday morning, I will pick up this little beauty. I just knew they would try to deliver on a day we were not home. Oh well. Still looking forward to my Submariner/Sea Dweller style watch. Good thing is costs 1/50th the price, with an in house movement, from a watch company that has been making watches longer than Rolex.

seiko_auto_pepsi

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:51:28 +0000

Got it...

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 20:57:26 +0000

Been busy, but I did get my latest watch, the "Pepsi" bezel Seiko. I really really like this watch. The watch even better than I expected. I almost never wear the same watch two days in a row, but this watch is an exception. It is super comfortable on the wrist, the finish is great, overall a super watch. I'll write a full review when I get a chance. I see why everyone has a version of the Submariner, they really do look and feel nice.

SKX033K Review

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:39:00 +0000

SKX033K

This is my first "Pepsi" style 'Divers' watch. It is not a true diver, since it lacks: More than 100m water resistance and unidirectional rotating bezel. That being said, I am not a diver, and if I was, I have my Orange Bullet, that is a true diver. Features: Case: 39mm diameter, stainless steel, 100m water resistance. Back: Stainless Steel, screw down, Double Wave 100m water resistance stamp. Crystal: Hardlex, flat. Movement: Automatic, 7S26 Seiko in-house design. Complications: Day of Week, Date. Other: Folded Link, stainless steel bracelet, Bidirectional Rotating Bezel, Screw Down Crown, Luminous Hands and Markers. This watch looks just amazing on the wrist. Looks enough like a Submariner, without being a copy. Fit and finish are typical Seiko, flawless. It is thinner than my real diver, which is nice for day to day use. The bracelet looks wonderful (but was a bear to remove a link). It is folded links, but looks very nice. It is thin, in a pleasing way. I can even swap the bracelets between this and my Orange Bullet. They both use 22mm lugs. Luminescence is great, probably my second best. One odd thing I noticed it was hard to see the applied Seiko marker on the dial. The reason is that when they made the watch, the face of the marker is EXACTLY parallel to the face of the watch. So when you see glare on the hardlex, you see glare on the silver marker. To achieve this kind of precision on a mass made watch is remarkable. So far, I love this watch, and it keeps great time as well (less than 10s/day).

SKX033K "Pepsi"

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 02:55:48 +0000

SKX033K

This is my first “Pepsi” style ‘Divers’ watch. It is not a true diver, since it lacks: More than 100m water resistance and unidirectional rotating bezel. That being said, I am not a diver, and if I was, I have my Orange Bullet, that is a true diver. Features: Case: 39mm diameter, stainless steel, 100m water resistance. Back: Stainless Steel, screw down, Double Wave 100m water resistance stamp. Crystal: Hardlex, flat. Movement: Automatic, 7S26 Seiko in-house design. Complications: Day of Week, Date. Other: Folded Link, stainless steel bracelet, Bidirectional Rotating Bezel, Screw Down Crown, Luminous Hands and Markers. This watch looks just amazing on the wrist. Looks enough like a Submariner, without being a copy. Fit and finish are typical Seiko, flawless. It is thinner than my real diver, which is nice for day to day use. The bracelet looks wonderful (but was a bear to remove a link). It is folded links, but looks very nice. It is thin, in a pleasing way. I can even swap the bracelets between this and my Orange Bullet. They both use 22mm lugs. Luminescence is great, probably my second best. One odd thing I noticed it was hard to see the applied Seiko marker on the dial. The reason is that when they made the watch, the face of the marker is EXACTLY parallel to the face of the watch. So when you see glare on the hardlex, you see glare on the silver marker. To achieve this kind of precision on a mass made watch is remarkable. So far, I love this watch, and it keeps great time as well (less than 10s/day). Update

7286-2-1.jpg

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:53:11 +0000

Nice, but pricey

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 03:57:40 +0000

Chronographs are still haunting me. I love the look, but I don't like how cluttered the dial gets. I like my Fossil chrono a lot, but my favorite is the very rich man watch, the Omega Speedmaster moon watch. Too bad it costs over $3000. I was looking at longislandwatch.com and saw this little beauty:

vs.

It's still $299, but costs less than 1/10th the price of the Omega. It looks cool on leather, but I am sure a nice bracelet would be compliment it as well. The sub-dials are in a little different order, but I like the overall look. A quartz watch, but that's ok. I expect it for all inexpensive chronographs. Oh well, just something to think about. For that kind of money, I could almost get my grail watch, the Seiko Alpinist.

ef-503l-1-black.jpg

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:39:04 +0000

Low cost alternative

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 13:42:02 +0000

Came across some Casio chronographs looking online and discovered the "Edifice" series. This is an EF-503L-1A EF503L Casio Edifice Chronograph Watch, as seen on eBay. Going for about $80, and, of course, shipping from Singapore, but I may look in local stores to see what is around. There are white dial versions as well, but the white hands on black may be easier to read. Much better than $300 for the Zepplin with almost identical looks. It also comes in a metal bracelet version, which is less expensive, for some reason: EF-503D-1A EF503D 1A is less than $70. The watch looks pretty sharp on leather or metal and will save me about $3320, compared to an Omega. I honestly have no problem wearing a Casio, I wore one for years in high school and had no problem with it, other than the plastic lug cracking off.

ef-503d-1-black.jpg

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:11:23 +0000

snz387j1

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:14:03 +0000

snz389j1

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:18:52 +0000

Another one to add to the wishlist.

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 21:19:59 +0000

I like this one: It's a Seiko 5 sports SNZ387J (Japan made model). I love the clean looks, large markers and rotating bezel. This one has does not have an integrated bracelet, so it can be swapped with something even more sporty. Less than $100 on eBay. It also comes in blue as well. This is the SNZ389J. About the same price ($2.00 more on average). Both are clean, nice looking watches.

Casio EF-503L-1A "Speedmaster"

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:02:13 +0000

This is an EF-503L-1A EF503L Casio Edifice Chronograph Watch, as seen on eBay. Going for about $80, and, of course, shipping from Singapore, but I may look in local stores to see what is around. There are white dial versions as well, but the white hands on black may be easier to read. Much better than $300 for the Zepplin with almost identical looks. It also comes in a metal bracelet version, which is less expensive, for some reason: EF-503D-1A EF503D 1A is less than $70. The watch looks pretty sharp on leather or metal and will save me about $3320, compared to an Omega. I honestly have no problem wearing a Casio, I wore one for years in high school and had no problem with it, other than the plastic lug cracking off.

seiko-kinetic-croc.jpg

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:30:53 +0000

seiko-kinetic-croc-small.jpg

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 02:56:13 +0000

9c2b-1-sbl.jpg

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 03:01:10 +0000

Straps

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 03:01:58 +0000

If you want to bring new life to an old watch, I recommend getting a new strap or bracelet for it. They really don't cost much, and it can totally change the look of a watch. It can turn a dressy watch to casual and give a more sporty look. I recently replaced the strap on my Kinetic. The bracelet is nice, solid links, and as held up well, but it is a little heavy and has no micro adjustments. So, I went out and spent less than $10 on a crocodile style leather strap and viola:

The watch is much lighter now and looks even more expensive. Seeing how much of a change it made, I was thinking of getting this strap for one of my divers:

Looks like tire treads, costs about $10 on eBay, so pretty affordable.

fossil_red_speedway_large

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 03:16:29 +0000

2_28_06_conservatory

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 22:52:28 +0000

syme46k1-2

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:18:12 +0000

symc18k-2

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:20:37 +0000

MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA

Something for the Ladies...

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 09 May 2008 04:22:14 +0000

I was visiting my parents' over the weekend and my Mom's watch battery died. She has been looking for a wind up watch, which, are quite rare in stores now. A good alternative is a Seiko 5. Luckily, Seiko has a nice selection of automatic watches for women, starting at about $80. They do cost more than a quartz, but you don't have to worry about a battery and they should last at least 20 years. They also have the day/date feature, just like the men's. Here are a few examples: SYME46K1 Nice, clean looking watch. I like the bracelet on this one. SYMC18k-2 I like the waffle face on this one. If gold is not your thing, there is always steel and midnight blue: SYMD93k1 is this one. Wide hands and markers. Looks like a TAG Heuer without selling your first born. Overall, I am pretty impressed with the Seiko 5 ladies line. It is good to know more than men can collect automatic watches at a reasonable price. They have all the same features, Automatic, Water Resistant, Day, Date, and Shock Proof. They all also seem to have luminous hands and markers as well.

symd93k1-2

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 09 May 2008 20:08:30 +0000

MINOLTA DIGITAL CAMERA

Over 6 months of Automatic Goodness

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 11 May 2008 03:33:36 +0000

It has been over six months now since I received an Automatic Seiko watch. I am pleased to say I am very happy with that watch, and all of my Automatics so far. They all keep better time than I expected, better than +/- 5 seconds a day, generally speaking. My first, the military style watch continues to get worn a lot. The super light weight and easy readability make it a "go to" watch. The crystal and case look perfect. The nylon band has some wear, but I think it actually adds to the practical look of the watch. This is a working man's watch.

orange_rubber

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 24 May 2008 04:12:10 +0000

rubber_clasp

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 24 May 2008 04:15:37 +0000

orange_in_hand

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 24 May 2008 04:19:54 +0000

Rubber Strap

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 24 May 2008 04:23:21 +0000

Got an early Father's Day gift, a new Italian made rubber strap for my Orange Bullet. It has a really cool tire tread look to it and really compliments the watch. The original "Presidential" style bracelet is very nice, but the simple black gives the watch a sportier look. The original band is so nice, I put it on my Pepsi Seiko (I'll post photos of that later.) Another thing I really like about this band is the clasp. It is a deployment style with pushbuttons and a safety clasp. It also has three micro adjustment positions, a nice touch. Most rubber straps use a simple buckle design, which is easy to use, but the holes tend to oval out over the years. The brushed stainless finish is almost a perfect match for the head of the watch. Overall, you can see it really works with the watch. A big plus is that it stays in place on the wrist as well. The original bracelet allowed it slide down and the crown guards tended to dig into my hand. Now, I put it on and it doesn't wander all over the place. The rubber is very flexible and breathes surprisingly well. So, if you are in the market for new watch band, try out some Italian rubber.

img_3117

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:37:17 +0000

Something a little different.

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 03:40:56 +0000

Spotted this interesting watch on eBay: It's a Russian made mechanical, hand wound chronograph, a Poljot 23 jewel. KA-50. I like the fact it is white faced, mechanical, with a Tachymeter AND a compass. It even has a cool image of an attack helicopter as well :-). About $155 on eBay, but only one up of this model right now. I like the looks of other Poljots as well. I will have to read up about their reliability.

speedmaster_front

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:13:07 +0000

speedmaster_front1

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:13:24 +0000

12t9a3pb_lg

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:13:46 +0000

speedmaster_front2

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:15:19 +0000

speedmaster_front3

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:16:05 +0000

speedmaster_movement

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:15:13 +0000

My Speedmaster

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:20:58 +0000

Here it is, my Omega Speedmaster. Well, kinda, sorta. To be honest, it is a replica, but an honest replica. What do I mean? This watch does not have a serial number, or claim to be part of a limited edition. It does not claim Swiss origin and lacks any anti forgery markings. It is a proud fake, good enough to impress everyone except watch collectors. The movement is not a chronograph, but does have day of the week, day of the month, and 24 hour complications, which all work. It also hacks and handwinds, which is a nice touch. If you click the photo for full size, you can see the dial is done very well. The markers all line up perfectly, and the hands are done nicely, with lume paint. The Tachymeter is done very well and appears to be a plastic insert. The original bracelet is solid links, but intended for the Seamaster, so I swapped it out for a leather strap from my Timex. (As an ironic twist, my Timex now has an Omega Seamaster bracelet.) The movement is encased in a giant, plastic spacer. It is located behind a screw down back with gasket. The movement is plainly finished with brass gearing. It was running -4 minutes a day (!!!) when I got it, but I was able to adjust it to +10 seconds a day. There does appear to be shock protection on the balance wheel and it appears to be a fully jeweled movement (Turns out it is a 21 jewel, see edit below). The automatic winding appears to be unidirectional, but it does hand wind. It appears to be at a relaxed 18,000 BPH. Overall, I really like this watch. The look is great, especially on leather. If I ever make it big, I can spend the $3,400 on a real one, but, for now, this one will do nicely. EDIT: Looks like I found the true source of my Speedmaster, is is a re-branded Alpha watch. According to Apha, has the following specs: ALPHA Multifunction 21 JEWELS AUTOMATIC MANS SPORT WATCH ( THE WHOLE WATCH IS IN STAINLESS STEEL ) MOVEMENT : 21 JEWELS AUTOMATIC DAY/DATE MOVEMENT CASE : STAINLESS STEEL SCREW BACK CASE CROWN : ORIGINAL SCREW CROWN 3 ATM WATER RESISTANT (APPROX 100 FEET) DIAL : MATT BLACK DIAL BRACELET : 20MM STAINLESS STEEL SOLID BRACELET SIZE : 44MM INCLUDING THE CROWN, LUGS TO LUGS 48MM WEIGHT : 154g ( HEAVY DUTY ) LENGTH : 9 INCHS

Speedmaster

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 04:36:45 +0000

My Speedmaster

Here it is, my Omega Speedmaster. Well, kinda, sorta. To be honest, it is a replica, but an honest replica. What do I mean? This watch does not have a serial number, or claim to be part of a limited edition. It does not claim Swiss origin and lacks any anti forgery markings. It is a proud fake, good enough to impress everyone except watch collectors. The movement is not a chronograph, but does have day of the week, day of the month, and 24 hour complications, which all work. It also hacks and handwinds, which is a nice touch. If you click the photo for full size, you can see the dial is done very well. The markers all line up perfectly, and the hands are done nicely, with lume paint. The Tachymeter is done very well and appears to be a plastic insert. The original bracelet is solid links, but intended for the Seamaster, so I swapped it out for a leather strap from my Timex. (As an ironic twist, my Timex now has an Omega Seamaster bracelet.) The movement is encased in a giant, plastic spacer. It is located behind a screw down back. The movement is plainly finished with brass gearing. It was running -4 minutes a day (!!!) when I got it, but I was able to adjust it to +10 seconds a day. There does appear to be shock protection on the balance wheel and it appears to be a fully jeweled movement (Looks like a Seagull ST06). The automatic winding appears to be unidirectional, but it does hand wind. It appears to be at a relaxed 18,000 BPH. Features: Case: 42mm diameter, stainless steel, 3ATM water resistance. Crown: Screw Down Back: Stainless Steel, screw down. Crystal: Mineral Glass, Domed. Movement: Automatic, Chinese Made most likely Seagull ST06 6502 Hand wind and hacking, 21 jewels. Day of Week, Day, and 24 complications. Overall, I really like this watch. The look is great, especially on leather. If I ever make it big, I can spend the $3,400 on a real one, but, for now, this one will do nicely. Addendum: Looks like I found the true source of my Speedmaster, is is a re-branded Alpha watch. According to Apha, has the following specs: ALPHA Multifunction 21 JEWELS AUTOMATIC MANS SPORT WATCH ( THE WHOLE WATCH IS IN STAINLESS STEEL ) MOVEMENT : 21 JEWELS AUTOMATIC DAY/DATE MOVEMENT CASE : STAINLESS STEEL SCREW BACK CASE CROWN : ORIGINAL SCREW CROWN 3 ATM WATER RESISTANT (APPROX 100 FEET) DIAL : MATT BLACK DIAL BRACELET : 20MM STAINLESS STEEL SOLID BRACELET SIZE : 44MM INCLUDING THE CROWN, LUGS TO LUGS 48MM WEIGHT : 154g ( HEAVY DUTY ) LENGTH : 9 INCHS

time_glenn_on_strap

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:11:28 +0000

Glenn's First Watch

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 04:01:03 +0000

For our son Glenn's second birthday, we got him his first watch! He is only two, but he has a fascination with Daddy's watches. We showed him some more kid like watches, but he wanted a more grown up looking watch, so he picked this one: It is a nice, clean looking Timex. The body is base metal. 50M water resistance. The face is simple, with comic style font with Indiglo. The hour and minute hands are painted matte black and the seconds hand is silver. It is on a nylon "Fast Wrap" strap. It adjusts all the way down to his tiny 3 1/2" wrist. The bezel does not turn. Case: 25mm diameter, base metal, 50m water resistance. Back: Stainless Steel, snap on. Crystal: Mineral Glass, flat. Movement: Quartz, Timex calibre currently unknown. Complications: None Other: Indiglo, press in crown activated. Overall, I think this watch will serve Glenn well, once he knows how to tell time. He already wears it often, and it does not bother him.

alpha

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 17:02:06 +0000

seiko_green_on_leather

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 09:22:31 +0000

seiko_on_leather_2

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 09:27:26 +0000

seiko_on_leather_3

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 09:28:04 +0000

New Aged Leather

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 09:33:18 +0000

We were at the Fossil outlet store in Wisconsin a week ago and I picked up a nice distressed leather band for my military Seiko. Take a look:

I think it suits my little military watch well and will be keeping it on there a while. The quality of the Fossil leather is excellent. It is thick and solid feeling. The spring bars included were of very good quality. The only thing I would change is the buckle is polished stainless, the watch is bead blasted stainless. However, there is a bead blaster at my work...hmmm. The price was very comparable to Timex and Spiedel replacement bands, but with a little better workmanship. So I have a new look to my watch with a fraction of the expense of a new watch.

pulsar_odd

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:09:58 +0000

2_16_06_darcy_lynns

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 04:17:39 +0000

snk645_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:13:09 +0000

Funky finds....

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 18:16:09 +0000

Spotted this monster on eBay. It's a Pulsar PK5003X. Just $85. It has a power reserve and a GMT ring. Looks a little big, though. I asked around the PMWF and it turns out it is 44mm across, a little too big for my wrists. I also saw this one: [caption id="attachment_178" align="alignnone" width="280" caption="SNK645"][/caption] It's a Seiko 5 SNK645. I love the cool face and interesting case design. The bracelet is also pretty cool looking as well, but it can be swapped for leather as well. Less than $70, shipped on e-bay. It does have the occasional US seller as well, so this watch will be going on my short list.

1177602406476_pam104_dett3

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 05:38:34 +0000

orange_underwater1

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:57:18 +0000

orange_underwater11

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:57:49 +0000

orange_underwater2

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 03:58:52 +0000

orange_underwater12

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:00:14 +0000

A fun fish photo.

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 04:01:42 +0000

We got a new goldfish, and I noticed it looked pretty similar in color to my Orange Seiko Diver, so I tried a few quick shots. A diver in its natural element!

1125584536147_pam_00210_scheda

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:21:15 +0000

1125584536370_dettagli_3

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:23:07 +0000

Panerai

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:34:39 +0000

Finally got to see some Panerai watches. As you may know, they were the official watches of the Italian navy, including their divers. They are huge, almost ugly, but very popular, with many homages out there. I was able to try some on at C.D. Peacock. The first one I tried on was the Luminor Marina: A nice looking watch, not too big, at 40mm. Ugly ass cyclops magnifier over the date. There is a 44mm available as well. Neat, but pointless crown guard at 3 O'clock. Way overpriced, over $4,000. The next was the Radiomir: A beast at 46mm or so. I have to say, it didn't hang over my wrist like I thought it would. Unless you are legally blind, you will be able to read this watch. I liked the look of it, then I looked at the back. Jesus, the movement filled the case. I looked it up later, 44mm diameter movement. They basically took a hand wind pocket watch and attached to your wrist! As a comparison, the Seiko 7S26 is 27mm across, the Seiko 4206 is less than 23mm. I am sure it is solid engineering, but BIG movements are cheap to make. At $4,800, I was not impressed. A pretty face with a cheap movement don't work for me. They even have temperature compensating weights on the balance. A feature not needed in 100 years. It adds cost and does nothing for accuracy. Much like a tourbillon. which does nothing as well. (More on these points on a longer post I am writing.) Overall, they were very nice looking, but very expensive watches. They are very desireable now, but what about 10 to 20 years down the road? You can get watches that look very similar, with probably better movements for about 1/50th the price.

orange_underwater13

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:36:56 +0000

snze85

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:58:15 +0000

snke57k1_2

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:03:16 +0000

_8332289_full

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:08:21 +0000

snk797k1_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:12:11 +0000

Cream Faced

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:17:04 +0000

I am looking for a nice cream or white faced watch. I don't have any 'nice' watches right now that fit that bill. Here are a few I like:

SNZE85

A Seiko 5 Sport SNZE85K1. A really nice looking watch that is not too big (40mm), has a 22mm lug width, so it can share bands with my other divers, and has two neat features I like. The face is luminescent and it has a compass bezel! It is a very rugged looking watch and I love the hands. It also comes on a solid link bracelet, which is a nice touch. A little pricey at $160 shipped, but it is a new favorite of mine.

SNKE57

A Seiko 5 SNKE57K1. Nice, clean watch with luminescent markers and numerals. 37.5mm diameter, similar to most Seiko 5's. The hand design is very nice as well. Folded link bracelet, but it can be swapped for leather. I like the look of the bracelet, looks like an Omega Seamaster bracelet to me. Less than $75 on ebay, shipped.

CEV09001W

An Orient CEV09001W dress watch. 40mm in diameter, not too large. Clean, dressy look, with some of my favorite hands. I like the full day of the week. Less than $90 shipped on ebay.

SNK797

Another Seiko 5, the SNK797K1. Another full lume face, 37.5mm diameter. Clean looknig watch, but the hands are little plain for me. Less than $80 on ebay, shipped. That's it for now. I'll have to add these to the "watches I really and kinda want later."

Seiko 5 SNKE57K1

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:22:13 +0000

SNKE57

A Seiko 5 SNKE57K1. Nice, clean watch with luminescent markers and numerals. 37.5mm diameter, similar to most Seiko 5’s. The hand design is very nice as well. Folded link bracelet, but it can be swapped for leather. I like the look of the bracelet, looks like an Omega Seamaster bracelet to me. Less than $75 on ebay, shipped.

Orient CEV09001W

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:22:47 +0000

CEV09001W

An Orient CEV09001W dress watch. 40mm in diameter, not too large. Clean, dressy look, with some of my favorite hands. I like the full day of the week. Less than $90 shipped on ebay.

Seiko 5 SNK645

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:25:00 +0000

SNK645

It’s a Seiko 5 SNK645. I love the cool face and interesting case design. The bracelet is also pretty cool looking as well, but it can be swapped for leather as well. Less than $70, shipped on e-bay. It does have the occasional US seller as well, so this watch will be going on my short list.

Timex Expedition, Child's T790419J

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 20:31:47 +0000

Timex T790419J

For our son Glenn’s second birthday, we got him his first watch! He is only two, but he has a fascination with Daddy’s watches. We showed him some more kid like watches, but he wanted a more grown up looking watch, so he picked this one: It is a nice, clean looking Timex. The body is base metal. 50M water resistance. The face is simple, with comic style font with Indiglo. The hour and minute hands are painted matte black and the seconds hand is silver. It is on a nylon “Fast Wrap” strap. It adjusts all the way down to his tiny 3 1/2″ wrist. The bezel does not turn. Case: 25mm diameter, base metal, 50m water resistance. Back: Stainless Steel, snap on. Crystal: Mineral Glass, flat. Movement: Quartz, Timex calibre currently unknown. Complications: None Other: Indiglo, press in crown activated. Overall, I think this watch will serve Glenn well, once he knows how to tell time. He already wears it often, and it does not bother him.

dscn4732

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:49:02 +0000

dscn47321

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:49:49 +0000

dscn4733

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:50:32 +0000

Vintage fun

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 05:58:18 +0000

Been thinking about what my next watch should be. I saw a nice Bulova hand wind in an antique store, for only $45! It was decent looking, but the bracelet was awful (twist-o-flex), also known as a hair grabber. It was a little small, but very thin. It was a hand wind, only, with no claim of jewel count on the face. Small seconds dial, which is pretty neat. I still can't find a picture of one. Personally, I kinda of like automatics, you don't have to really think about winding them. With that in mind, I think I found a vintage one I like: It is a Seiko 6139 based chronograph, 'white helmet' design. It meets several criteria I really want in my next watch:

White or cream faced.
It's a Seiko.
It is a vintage, but not too old, late 70's.
It has day and date.
It is an automatic.
It is a chronograph WITH a Tachymeter scale. (I really like Tachymeters)
It is not too big, about 40mm diameter.
I think it looks cool.
Prices are reasonable, but really good examples are not the easiest to find. Price seems to be in the $100 to $150 range for clean examples.

This would be my first foray into a vintage watch, but considering a NEW Seiko mechanical chronograph is upwards of $2000, this is a steal. The cheapest Swiss chronos are usually over $1,000. The other alternative is Russian (Poljot) chronographs as well. Not sure which way to go, but I think I like the thought of a vintage watch.

New Feature

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 23:03:59 +0000

I really like to visit watch stores and stores that sell watches. Wouldn't it be nice if someone out there could tell you where you can go and what stores to avoid? Well, here I am. I live in a Southwest suburb of Chicago and work in a Western suburb of Chicago. I have visited many stores that sell watches and the occasional watch store. I have had great experiences and terrible. All of the reviews are for visits within the last year and will be dated and updated, if possible. I generally don't give stores a second chance. If you would like to add reviews for stores in your area, post in the comments or e-mail me at contact"no spam"@cyberphreak.com. The first store up is "The Time Center" in Westchester, IL. Overview: Family owned storefront watch and clock store. Brands sold/spotted: Seiko, Invicta, Bulova, Swatch, et al. Prices: Retail or discounted. No gouging seen and I think you can haggle. Watch bands/bracelets sold there? Yes Detailed Review: This is a nice, small operation with excellent customer service. Selection is not huge in watches, but the do stock and sell Seiko 5 watches! They do repairs on premesis and the store is owed by a watchmaker. They also have a very large selection of wall and table clocks. Of particular interest is the sheer breadth of watch bands and bracelets sold there. They have just about everything from Speidel to Hadley Roma and above. They have NATO, carbon fiber, rubber, lizard, crocodile, steel, and gold bands in stock. Their prices are retail or better than some online prices I have seen! Customer service is excellent and attentive and not pushy at all. They also have quite a few vintage pocket and wrist watches in stock at fair prices. All the used watches have been serviced. This is, by far, my favorite watch store. Five out of Five stars overall.

Store Reviews

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 23:05:55 +0000

I really like to visit watch stores and stores that sell watches. Wouldn’t it be nice if someone out there could tell you where you can go and what stores to avoid? Well, here I am. I live in a Southwest suburb of Chicago and work in a Western suburb of Chicago. I have visited many stores that sell watches and the occasional watch store. I have had great experiences and terrible. All of the reviews are for visits within the last year and will be dated and updated, if possible. I generally don’t give stores a second chance. If you would like to add reviews for stores in your area, post in the comments or e-mail me at contact”no spam”@cyberphreak.com. Click here for a what has been reviewed on a map.

The Time Center

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 23:08:55 +0000

“The Time Center” in Westchester, IL. Overview: Family owned storefront watch and clock store. Brands sold/spotted: Seiko, Invicta, Bulova, Swatch, et al. Prices: Retail or discounted. No gouging seen and you can definitely haggle. Watch bands/bracelets sold there? Yes Detailed Review: This is a nice, small operation with excellent customer service. Selection is not huge in watches, but they do stock and sell Seiko 5 watches! They do repairs on premises and the store is owed by a watchmaker. They also have a very large selection of wall and table clocks. Of particular interest is the sheer breadth of watch bands and bracelets sold there. They have just about everything from Speidel to Hadley Roma and above. They have NATO, carbon fiber, rubber, lizard, crocodile, steel, and gold bands in stock. Their prices are retail or better than some online prices I have seen! Customer service is excellent and attentive and not pushy at all. They also have quite a few vintage pocket and wrist watches in stock at fair prices. All the used watches have been serviced. This is, by far, my favorite watch store. Five out of Five stars overall.

Rogers and Holland

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 23:23:10 +0000

Rogers and Holland in Oak Brook, IL Overview: Corporate owned mall jewelery store Brands sold/spotted: Hamilton, Citizen, Rado, et al. Prices: Retail Watch bands/bracelets sold there? No Detailed Review: I orginally checked out this store to see the Hamilton watches. I like Hamiltons, they are American cased and have many military style watches. They did have a nice selection, but the sales staff there is awful. They are rude, pushy, and know very little to nothing about watches. The prices are retail or worse. The salespeople don't leave you alone and offer credit very early on in the selling process. The second time I went there, it was even worse. Avoid this store unless you really want to buy or try on a Hamilton. One out of Five stars.

Store Review: Rogers and Holland, Oak Brook

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 23:25:13 +0000

1178190153676_pam00104_scheda

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:20:46 +0000

160271378_o

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:22:11 +0000

160271361_o

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:22:50 +0000

Pretty Panerai Homage

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:29:36 +0000

Here is an original Panerai Luminor Marina: This is the homage Marina Militare: And again, in the really cool blue: The original is about $5100, the homage goes for about $80 to $120 on ebay for the Asian (read, Chinese) made version. Considering how nice my "Speedmaster" is, I am sure the quality is very nice as well. What is also nice is that these watches are homages, not fakes. It's a fine line, to some, but not to me. As long as it does not claim to be the real thing, you can look as close as you want to the real thing and not be a fake in my book. I have tried on the black Panerai in person, and it is an ugly yet cool watch. Large, but not crazy huge and works on my wrist. I really like the blue version.

Store Review: Movado Company Store, Oak Brook, IL

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:18:56 +0000

Store Review: Movado Company Store, Oak Brook, IL Overview: Corporate owned direct sales store Brands sold/spotted: Movado Only Prices: Retail ($250 to $6000) Watch bands/bracelets sold there? No Detailed Review: I am not a huge fan of Movado watches, but they are a classic and well respected brand that others like. Customer service here is excellent, with Enrico being so memorable I still remember his name after 3 months or so. Selection covers just about every current watch that Movado sells from the classic Museum to contemporary quartz chronographs. Sad to say, I like some of the styles, but the sport watches tend to hang off of my wrist and they are not that competitive with quality vs. price as Seiko or Citizen. They are Swiss made and have Swiss prices. Prices are comparable to TAG Heuer on their mid tier watches. The Sport's Junior line (hate the name) is reasonable priced and sized, less than $500, but like I said, does not compare to other makers. The store is very clean and well lit and it is an enjoyable experience shopping there. Four out of Five stars.

Movado Company Store

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:20:31 +0000

Store Review: Movado Company Store, Oak Brook, IL Overview: Corporate owned direct sales store Brands sold/spotted: Movado Only Prices: Retail ($250 to $6000) Watch bands/bracelets sold there? No Detailed Review: I am not a huge fan of Movado watches, but they are a classic and well respected brand that others like. Customer service here is excellent, with Enrico being so memorable I still remember his name after 3 months or so. Selection covers just about every current watch that Movado sells from the classic Museum to contemporary quartz chronographs. Sad to say, I like some of the styles, but the sport watches tend to hang off of my wrist and they are not that competitive with quality vs. price as Seiko or Citizen. They are Swiss made and have Swiss prices. Prices are comparable to TAG Heuer on their mid tier watches. The Sport’s Junior line (hate the name) is reasonable priced and sized, less than $500, but like I said, does not compare to other makers. The store is very clean and well lit and it is an enjoyable experience shopping there. Four out of Five stars.

51yfdowokxl_ss400_

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:23:04 +0000

s_scvs001a

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:26:47 +0000

newbond3

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:48:53 +0000

red5onwatch

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 17:49:56 +0000

31kibsur-xl_ss500_

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:02:25 +0000

carbon

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:07:41 +0000

bund_screw

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:14:38 +0000

Watch strap ideas

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:19:36 +0000

Here are some possible combinations for watches that I own. That watch:

My Seiko "Pepsi". It is a Rolex Submariner inspired watch, so it should look great on a NATO "Bond, James Bond" strap: This is the traditional Black and Grey version. There is also a red striped version as well: I think it would bring out the red of the Bezel. About $20 on eBay or web retailers. The Pepsi is a 22mm lug width watch, so it is pretty common. The next watch, my Orange Bullet, currently on Italian Leather with deployant clasp:

Lets start simple, genuine Seiko Diver's strap:

Hard to see in the photo, but the end tang has the Seiko Tsunami stamped into it. Rated to 200 meters with pressure venting. $24.95 on Amazon. 22mm, so it can also fit the "Pepsi".

How bout some Carbon Fiber?

Pretty cool look, would go well with the Orange Bullet or Pepsi. About $20 on ebay.

The next watch, my first Automatic, my Seiko Green Military, currently on the original nylon strap:

For this one, something wild, a Bund strap:

What the heck is a bund? Well, it is a watch strap design the German's came up with in WWII. It keeps the metal of the watch from directly touching the skin. As always, it is shown with a Submariner attached. So, it would work with the Pepsi or my Green Seiko. Though, the little green Seiko is only 18mm lugs. Goes from $20 to $45 depending on the color and quality of leather.

That's it for now, I am still looking for something for the Two Tone Kinetic and Speedmaster.

Didn't know that...

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 20:25:45 +0000

One of my favorite watches is my Orange Bullet, a Diver's watch. What does it mean to have Diver's indicated on your watch: You have to meet ISO 6425 standards:

The presence of a unidirectional bezel with at least at every 5 minutes elapsed minute markings and a pre-select marker to mark a specific minute marking.
The presence of clearly distinguishable minute markings on the watch face.
Adequate readability/visibility at 25 cm (9.84 in) in total darkness.
The presence of an indication that the watch is running in total darkness. This is usually indicated by a running second hand with a luminous tip or tail.
Magnetic resistance. This is tested by 3 expositions to a direct current magnetic field of 4,800 A/m. The watch must keeps its accuracy to +/- 30 seconds/day as measured before the test despite the magnetic field.
Shock resistance. This is tested by two shocks (one on the 9 o'clock side, and one to the crystal and perpendicular to the face). The shock is usually delivered by a hard plastic hammer mounted as a pendulum, so as to deliver a measured amount of energy, specifically, a 3 kg hammer with an impact velocity of 4.43 m/sec. The change in rate allowed is +/- 60 seconds/day.
Chemical resistance. This is tested by immersion in a 30 g/l NaCl solution for 24 hours to test its rust resistance. This test water solution has a salinity comparable to normal seawater.
Strap/band solidity. This is tested by applying a force of 200 N to each springbar (or attaching point) in opposite directions with no damage to the watch of attachment point.
The presence of an End Of Life (EOL) indicator on battery powered watches.

When you add it all up, you really need a tough watch. I didn't know about the shock and magnetic resistance. I now have even more respect for my Diver's watch. These are all very tough standards that most watches would roll over and die if they were subjected to these conditions. I guess it really matters if your life depends on it. And I thought the cool second hand markers was just for show, it is a real standard. By the way, 200N is 45Pounds!

snk803

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:12:34 +0000

Cream Faced Wish List

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:35:48 +0000

Here is a list of cream, white, or full lume faced watches that I like:

Seiko 5 Sports SNZE85K1

Orient CEV09001W:

An Orient CEV09001W dress watch. 40mm in diameter, not too large. Clean, dressy look, with some of my favorite hands. I like the full day of the week. Less than $90 shipped on ebay.

Seiko 5 SNK645

SNK645

Seiko SCVS001

A beautiful dress watch from Japan, the SCVS001. Clean, simple lines with a cream face and gold markers and hands. Sapphire crystal and 6R15 hacking, hand winding movement, the same as the Alpinsit. $314 from seijajapan.com.

SNKE57

SNK797

Another Seiko 5, the SNK797K1. Another full lume face, 37.5mm diameter. Clean looknig watch, but the hands are little plain for me. Less than $80 on ebay, shipped.

SNK803K2

Yet another Seiko 5, a SNK803K2, lume faced ‘flieger’ or pilots watch. Similar looks to my green 5, but a little larger at 38mm with very distinctive hands and face. About $80, shipped, from a domestic seller on eBay.

tommy1

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:19:35 +0000

tommy2

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:19:56 +0000

tommy3

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:20:16 +0000

swatch1

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:40:16 +0000

fossil1

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:45:42 +0000

fossil2

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:45:58 +0000

Affordable Mechanicals in a Store Near You!

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 15:50:31 +0000

In this day and age of affordable, reliable quarz watches, why would you want to wear a mechanical? Because they are cool! Before Seiko came out with the the Astron in 1969, nearly all watches were mechanical, with a few electrics and tuning fork watches. Seiko and the quartz revolution changed everything. Mechanical watches have made quite a comeback lately, as people realize no matter how neat quartz watches are, a mechanical has properties that an electronic watch does not have. Sadly, most mechanical watches are only sold online or very expensive. Here are a few you can go to the local mall and pick up without breaking the bank: Tommy Hilfiger: There about a dozen or so automatic models available from Hilfiger. I have tried a few on. Decent quality, they have a 10 year warranty. They tend to run a little thick for my tastes, and the open front is something people love or hate. I think it was pretty tastefully done, in this case. About $125 5o $135. Available only at Macy's. Swatch: It may surprise some that Swatch makes automatics, but they do own many high end brands which do, and own ETA. For this season, there are few for sale and they tend to be open faced like the one above. It looks cool, but it makes it very hard to read the face. It is Swiss made and should be reliable. This steel cased one is $175, but I have seen them as low as $125. I am sure the spring collection will have more. Your best best is to visit a Swatch store, but other retailers do sell Swatch watches. Fossil: Fossil currently has 30 aut-o-matics for sale right now. They tend to run very large, over 47mm in some cases. If you like living large, they are the watch for you. If you have small wrists, buy a Seiko online :-) Can be found at Fossil stores or many other retailers. Prices are usually around $175 and they have a 11 year warranty. That's the roundup for now. There are more out the and I will add to this list the next time I take a trip to the mall.

Goodbye little Timex

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:46:16 +0000

I had to part with my old Timex Expedition. The wear through on the plating made the watch react with my skin and unwearable. The last time I wore it, my skin broke out around where the crown and lugs came in contact with my skin. Whatever 'base metal' is, my skin chemistry does not agree with it. As as tribute to the designers, it was still mostly working when retired it. Still told time and the Indiglo worked. The hacking feature did not work anymore and the quickset date was almost non functional as well. The leather band is now on the Speedmaster, they both have 20mm lugs. It was a simple watch for a simpler time of my life. As a happy note, I asked for and will be receiving a white/cream faced watch for Christmas. All I know is that is a Seiko and an Automatic. Check back in a little less than two months to see what I got. I am sure it will be a fine replacement for this tired workhorse. In the end, it is just a piece of machinery that could no longer be used for its original purpose. From now on, all of my watches are all stainless or titanium.

cream_seiko

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 05:26:38 +0000

cream_seiko1

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 05:27:09 +0000

cream_seiko2

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 05:28:48 +0000

New Watch

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 05:39:53 +0000

Earlier this week I got my latest watch, a Seiko SNZE95K1. It is a beautiful watch: Overview: This is a first in a few ways, it is my first full lume faced watch, it is my first Seiko 5 Sports, and my first compass bezel and 7S36 movement watch. The 7S36 is very similar to the 7S26, except it has 2 more jewels. Features: Case: 42mm diameter, stainless steel, 100m water resistance. Back: Hardlex exhibition back, screw down. Crystal: Hardlex, flat. Movement: Automatic, 7S36B, Seiko in-house design. No handwind or hacking. Complications: Day of week, Date Other: Luminous faces, Lumibrite. The watch really exceeds my expectations. The bracelet is very solid and high quality. I see why the sports models command a higher price than regular 5's. The watch is a nice size, big but not too big. The full luminous face is a very nice and useful feature. It looks like a little lighthouse when it is dark. The compass bezel is very well done with tremendous workmanship. The lettering is as sharp as any Rolex as I have seen. It does not have detents, which is good for a compass bezel. Just line up South half way between the hour hand and noon and point the hour hand at the sun and you now know what direction you are facing. The hands really make the watch. The hands almost look mission style and the red tipped second hand jumps out against the face. The hour markers are very reflective and almost look like jewels. Overall it is a great watch and well worth the money.

Seiko SNZE95K1 Sports full lume

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 20:25:14 +0000

SNZE95K1 full lume Seiko Sports 5:

Overview: This is a first in a few ways, it is my first full lume faced watch, it is my first Seiko 5 Sports, and my first compass bezel and 7S36 movement watch. The 7S36 is very similar to the 7S26, except it has 2 more jewels. Features: Case: 42mm diameter, stainless steel, 100m water resistance. Back: Hardlex exhibition back, screw down. Crystal: Hardlex, flat. Movement: Automatic, 7S36B, Seiko in-house design, 23 Jewels. No handwind or hacking. Complications: Day of week, Date Other: Luminous face, Lumibrite. The watch really exceeds my expectations. The bracelet is very solid and high quality. I see why the sports models command a higher price than regular 5’s. The watch is a nice size, big but not too big. The full luminous face is a very nice and useful feature. It looks like a little lighthouse when it is dark. The compass bezel is very well done with tremendous workmanship. The lettering is as sharp as any Rolex as I have seen. It does not have detents, which is good for a compass bezel. Just line up South half way between the hour hand and noon and point the hour hand at the sun and you now know what direction you are facing. The hands really make the watch. The hands almost look mission style and the red tipped second hand jumps out against the face. The hour markers are very reflective and almost look like jewels. Overall it is a great watch and well worth the money. I had this watch on a NATO strap: Now it is on a leather strap:

Former watches

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 17:13:43 +0000

This is a page to keep track of watches that I no longer own. Just the Timex is here now.

A whole year of automatics

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 20:50:09 +0000

As Christmas approaches, I am reminded that I have only been wearing automatic watches for just over a year now. Overall, I am very happy with my automatics. They have been reliable, accurate, and look different from your typical quartz watches. All of my watches I wear in pretty much even rotation, I was wearing my first yesterday:

Over the year, the accuracy has gotten better, from about +20 seconds a day to less than +5 seconds a day. It is a great day to day watch, light, accurate and does not get caught up on long sleeves. It was a gift from Tiffany.

I have gone from zero to 7 automatics in one year. So, lets take a trip down memory lane and see what else I have acquired in the last year. The first was the miliary 5 you see above. Next came my Orange Bullet:

This is my first and still my only true diver. It has always remained one of my favorites. It is bold, solid, and incredibly well made. Whenever I know I will be getting wet, this is the watch to wear. Always been pretty accurate, never was fast enough for me to notice. Next came my blue 5:

A nice, semi casual watch. Fairly light with good accuracy and great lume for a non diver's watch. I bought this one and don't reget it an instant. Next came my first PVD watch:

A surprisingly dressy watch. It is an elegant, understated watch. It does go well with casual or dress clothing. The plating has held up perfectly. It is a Japan made Seiko 5, and the accuracy has been excellent, as dead on as I have seen with a mechanical watch. Soon thereafter came my Pepsi:

A dressy, yet practical watch. Seiko's only submarier homage, along with it's all black bezel brother. The lume is very good and I have worn this to high end watch stores looking at Rolexes and have been stunned how good the quality is on this little Seiko. It is currently not on the stock bracelet, which is about the only disappointing thing about this watch. The presidential bracelet from my Orange Bullet looks great on it. Next is my 'Speedmaster":

My Speedmaster homage. A nice looking watch. Maybe if I make it big I will buy the real deal. I wish it was labeled Alpha instead of Omega, whom I am sure who originally made this watch. The accuracy was terrible from factory -45 seconds/day!. I had to fiddle with it until now it is at about +3 seconds a day! I wear this one when I don't want to risk any of my other mechanical watches. Finally is my most recent acquisition, my full lume faced Seiko 5:

A sweet looking watch. Solid, well made on a great bracelet. Almost too nice of a bracelet, since it is solid links. It is my first 7S36. I now have it on a NATO nylon strap, which gives it a great look. Winding efficiency is crazy good. Wearing it for 5 hours will keep it wound for 2 days! So, there you have it, from nothing to seven mechanical watches in a year. They have been good to me so far and I enjoy wearing them all. All Seiko's are worn about equally. The Speedmaster a little less than others and I seem to wear the green military and the Orange Bullet more than others, but not too much. I really don't have a favorite. They all are very different from each other and I try to coordinate with what I am wearing. A little vain? Yes, but what other jewelery can a man get away with? It is not the cheapest hobby, but it is more satisfying and cheaper than drinking or smoking, that's for sure. So what is ahead? I am trying to round out the color gamut:

I like this little brown guy. Nice bracelet that can be swapped for leather, if needed. Cheap too.

Bold, yellow and unique. My only concern is how legible the hands are against the yellow face.

The Seiko Alpinist. My grail watch. At over $400, I think it will stay a grail a while.

With the craptastic economy, I am hesitant to add too much more to my collection until things start to look up again. For now, I am happy with what I have, so I will stick to just band swaps to satisfy my watch urges.

nata_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:33:53 +0000

nato_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:36:19 +0000

nato_on_wrist

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:39:24 +0000

nato_side

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:41:18 +0000

nato_on_wrist1

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:43:17 +0000

First NATO strap.

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:47:09 +0000

A couple of weeks ago, I picked up my first NATO style strap from one of my favorite watch stores. What is a NATO strap? It was originally designed for, shocker here, NATO. It is a long nylon strap that can be used under or over clothing, due to it's length. It can also be worn for diving and used on watches with fixed bars. (As opposed to spring bars, which most watches have.) I picked up a Speidel version of a NATO strap with 3 rings. I first had it on my Pepsi diver, but I discovered it looked much better on my newest watch:

It really makes the compass lettering on the bezel pop and gives it a more military look.

It really hugs the wrist and reduces the overall weight of the watch. It can be worn all day with little irritation. If you are sensitive to metal against your skin, it is a good band to wear, since it covers the back of the watch. At $10 it was a good investment and gives an already nice watch a different look.

s_sbdc001a

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:09:04 +0000

s_sbpp001a

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 20:37:06 +0000

Tools and something new

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:58:33 +0000

Got a set of watch tools in the mail, thanks to my lovely wife. A nice assortment of tools including: A pin remover, which is great for resizing most metal bracelets. It is easy to use and works well. A hammer with nylon tip. Used to put pins back into place Jeweler's screwdrivers. Handy for many reasons. A springbar tool. Makes removing bracelets and bands a breeze. A caseback opener. Now, I don't need to stop at a jeweler or Wallyworld to change a battery. It is used for screw on casebacks. A case knife. Opens cases that snap on. A nylon band holder. For knocking out pins. So, all in all, the basic tools for resizing bracelets and changing out batteries and bands. If you have a small watch collection, especially if it is quartz, the tools will pay for themselves in no time at all. If you like to swap out bands a lot, it is really necessary. Also, in more important news, I am getting a watch in the mail today. Yes another one. I what has become a tradition, I picked out several watches and let Tiffany pick one out in secret so what I am getting is a mystery. I shall see what it is this evening. All I know is that is probably an Orient and an Automatic.

orient_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:33:24 +0000

orient_2

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:41:26 +0000

orient_21

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 15:42:01 +0000

orient_3

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 03:06:03 +0000

orient_4

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 03:10:18 +0000

Something new from the Orient

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 03:19:08 +0000

Why what do we have here? It looks like my first Orient watch. Who is Orient Watch? They used to be one of the big three watch makers in Japan, after Seiko and Citizen. The quartz revolution almost wiped them out, but they continued to make mechanical watches. Most of their production is still mechanical. Seiko bought a controlling interest a few years ago, but Orient still produces their own calibres in house. This watch is a CEVAD003W. It is a fairly large watch, at 37x45mm or so. However, it is still quite nice to wear and looks very modern as a result. The fit and finish are no less than amazing for a watch of this price range, less than $80. The case is all stainless steel with a high polish. The crown is signed and the face of the watch is very detailed.

The face has wonderful detailing and swirl patterns. The large arabic numerals and indicators are coated with pure white Lumibrite. The lume works well and is pretty comparable to my Seiko 5's. The hands are blued and look like they are laser cut, also filled with Lumibrite. The crystal has a magnifier built in, and this is the first time I have seen a magnifier that I actually like. It is mineral glass. The watch also has Day and Full Day of the Week indicators.

I believe it has a 46E40 movement, made in Japan. Accuracy is no less than amazing. I timed it vs. a quartz watch and in 8 hours it has lost about 1 second! This means about -3 seconds a day! This exceeds COSC requirements for chronometer accuracy. It does not hack or handwind, which is typical of entry level movements. 21,600 BPH. The case back is snap on and appears to be laser etched. The case is all stainless steel, 50m water resistance. This watch comes on a crocodile pattern leather band. A whopping 24mm lug size! It is about the widest leather band I have seen. It is comfortable to wear and is very nice quality. The buckle is signed, again it looks like it was laser etched.

The watch is very comfortable to wear is looks very impressive on the wrist. I think my only complaint would be is the high polished case is a fingerprint magnet, but that is to be expected on a dressier watch. This is my first Orient, and if the economy ever improves, it will not be my last. Features: Case: 37mm x 45mm, stainless steel, 50m water resistance. Back: Stainless Steel, snap on, Orient makers mark, water resistance and serial number. Crystal: Hardlex, domed, with magnifier. Movement: Automatic, 46E40, Orient in-house design and manufacture. Complications: Full Day of Week, Date. Other: Genuine leather band, Luminous Hands and Markers. As a bonus, here are a few wrist shots: _

Orient

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 03:23:31 +0000

Place holder for Orient watches/

CEVAD003W

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 03:24:52 +0000

CEVAD003W

black_5

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 23:00:38 +0000

rust_bike1

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 19:43:11 +0000

daddy_baby

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 22:39:40 +0000

Father and Son

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 08 Feb 2009 22:55:04 +0000

I didn't realized until recently how closely Glenn's (our Son) watch looked like one of mine watches.

On the NATO strap, the resemblence is striking. Glenn's watch is on a 'fast wrap' nylon band, which can shrink down to his toddler wrists. He is defineatly left handed, he wants to wear the watch on his right wrist.

On wrist accuracy

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 20:46:44 +0000

Been seeing how accurate my watches are on the wrist. So far I have: Orient, -1 second after 6 hours, so about -4 seconds a day. Seiko Green Military, +4 seconds after 6 hours, +16 seconds a day. Seiko 5 Black PVD, 0 after 6 hours, dead on. Seiko Kinetic, 0 after 6 hours, dead on. Seiko 5 Blue, +2 seconds after 6 hours, +8 seconds a day. As I accumulate more, I will add what the accuracy is. I am using a digital stopwatch over 6 hours to see how far each watch is drifting under normal wearing. All of the mechanicals are well withing their rated specifications, which are +30/-15 a day.

speedmaster_movement

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 03:29:13 +0000

Pretty Seiko Watches

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 04:12:45 +0000

Here are some Seiko watches that I like, but are a little out of my desired price point. They are all between $300 to $600. Peanuts compared to luxury watches, but more than I like paying. The SEIKO Prospex 200M Diver 6R15 Automatic SBDC001. Also known as the Sumo. $540 of fun. Large 44mm diameter case, solid link bracelet with solid end links. It also has the new 6R15 movement, which hacks and handwinds. Looks a hell of a lot like a Marine Master at 1/4 the price. Reviews from owners say that it is just as nice or better build quality as an Omega Seamaster or Rolex Submariner. It also comes in blue. The SBPP001. A brand new chronograph by Seiko's power design division. 40mm diameter and looks as good or better than a Speedmaster. This is the quartz version, there is also an Automatic version. $450 for the quartz, $2382 for the Automatic.

big_bird_2

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:06:46 +0000

Childhood Watch

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 20:11:21 +0000

When I was a little boy, I wore a watch like this: It's a cute, boys, mechanical watch. Swiss made by Bradley. I spotted this at an antique store and had to pick it up. It has some cracks in the crystal, but it does not effect the watch operation. It is a handwind and keeps great time so far. No claim on jewel count, so it is probably a pin lever watch. Nothing wrong with that, it makes them very shock resistant, which is great for kids. I just couldn't say no to it. Eventually, when Glenn respects things, I will let him wear it. It is on a 16mm band (the plastic original) but that can easily be swapped for leather or nylon. Every time I look it it makes me smile. I wish it photographed better, it looks nicer in real life.

Big Bird

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:12:42 +0000

When I was a little boy, I wore a watch like this: Before Crystal Change: After It's a cute, boys, mechanical watch. Swiss made by Bradley. I spotted this at an antique store and had to pick it up. It has some cracks in the crystal, but it does not effect the watch operation. It is a handwind and keeps great time so far. No claim on jewel count, so it is probably a pin lever watch. Nothing wrong with that, it makes them very shock resistant, which is great for kids. I just couldn't say no to it. Eventually, when Glenn respects things, I will let him wear it. It is on a 16mm band (the plastic original) but that can easily be swapped for leather or nylon. Every time I look it it makes me smile. I wish it photographed better, it looks nicer in real life. Features: Case: 30mm diameter, base metal, no water resistance claimed Back: Snap Down Crystal: Acrylic, domed Movement: Handwound, Swiss Made, no jewel count claimed on exterior. Upon inspection, it is a jeweled watch with Incabloc, EB. Complications: None Other: Licenenced Muppets Big Bird. Probably made 1980, serial number is 015, which is probably 15th week of 1980. Bradley was licenced to make these 1974 to 1983. Overall, this is a really cool watch. It is still one the orignal band. As you can see, I had the crystal replaced, greatly improving the watch. When the watch crystal was repaired, I was able to see the movement. It is a jeweled movement from EB, a movement supplier very popular in the 70's. It has shock protection on the balance staff and appears to be jeweled on the 3rd and 4th wheels, at least. The movement was very clean and running great. With any luch, Glenn will be able to pass this down to his kids.

Bradley

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 19:13:21 +0000

Place Holder for Bradley watches.

marinemaster5bd

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:13:27 +0000

snzf17k1-a

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 21:54:15 +0000

snzf17k1-b

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 21:55:26 +0000

Poor Man's Marinemaster

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 22:23:04 +0000

Seiko makes some of the best diving watches in the world. At the top of their line is the Marinemaster: It is an amazing looking watch. It also costs $2,200. Well, I do love a nice watch, but I like eating as well. For about $550, you can get this one: As you can see, a very close match, but still over $500, which is my psychological limit. The Sumo is a pretty watch. Finally, you have this guy: Finally we have the SNZF17K1. A Seiko 5 sports. Overall, very similar looking to its more expensive cousins. The second hand is different along with the bezel. It is not a true diver, just 100M water resistance. On a solid, steel bracelet, it is a little over 150. On rubber, it is about $120. Quite a steal compared to the real thing.

Z_Adsense Test

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 13:29:47 +0000

Custom Search

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Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 12:46:07 +0000

Your search results using Google.

5_on_nato

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:45:52 +0000

big_bird

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:01:00 +0000

big_bird1

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:08:28 +0000

BIg Bird Redux

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 19:11:07 +0000

Went to my favorite watch store and got the crystal replaced on Big Bird. It is a huge improvement and it didn't cost much as well. The watchmaker was kind enough to let me take a look at the movment. It is a jeweled movement with Incabloc on the balance pivots, EB SA. Super clean with no rust. The face is really white looking now, I am very happy with how it turned out.

orange_orange_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:46:40 +0000

orange_orange_2

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 19:48:35 +0000

deployant

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:33:10 +0000

compass_on_leather

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:37:34 +0000

buckle

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:43:06 +0000

A wonderful, watch filled birthday.

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:45:43 +0000

Got lots of fun watch related toys for my birthday. First off is a Modena brand silicone band for my Orange Bullet: The bold orange really compliments the orange face of the watch, it is a pretty close match. It is very comfortable to wear and is very soft silicone rubber. It also has a deployant clasp, which makes it very easy to get on and off. This is my second Modena rubber watch band, and they are very nice for the money. Italian made and I have not had any trouble with them so far. Secondly, we have another Modena item, a butterfly deployant clasp adaptor: What is it? It is a device which replaces the traditional buckle on a watch. You will often see it on expensive 'timepieces' It allows for easier removals and reduces the wear that comes from stretching and bending the leather when putting watch on and taking it off. Pretty cool, now that I am getting used to it's operation. Finally, we have this piece of leather: It's a really nice real leather band, rally type with large breathing holes. It is very thick, but surprisingly flexible. The white stitching matches the watch face well and really compliments the watch. The buckle, interestingly, matches the look of the watch like it was made for it: The angles reflect the same design as the watch lugs. I am very happy with this band. I have to thank my family for accepting my watch collecting and giving me these things, even if they don't understand what half of them do. It is a really fun hobby so far and I love watch bands. They change the whole look of a watch without breaking the bank.

p3114555

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:10:11 +0000

p3114562

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 16:12:35 +0000

Complications and accessories, The Good, The Bad, The Indifferent

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:30:57 +0000

Ah, complications. What are they and what do they do? Well, in the watch world, complications are anything beyond the telling the time of day. This can include a second hand, since you really don't need one. Some complications are great, almost needed, others just add to the expense of the watch. Here is what I think are Good, Bad, and Indifferent complications. Good: A seconds hand. So common now, it is almost not considered a complication. Day of the month. Really useful, I use it almost every day. Day of the week. Since getting a Seiko 5, it can be hard to live without this one. I use it often as well. Luminous material or back lighting (quartz). Very handy in poor lighting. Both accomplish the same thing. You really get used to it. My nicest watch is also a daytime only watch, since it has no luminous materials. Still love it, still can't read it in the dark. Water resistance. We all get our watches wet. It just happens. Shock resistance. We don't live in a perfect world and our watches do suffer from shocks. In the days before shock resistance, it was pretty easy to damage a watch. Automatic winding. Saves you the trouble of having to hand wind your watch. Some automatics are so efficient they don't even include hand winding. Screw Down Crown. A necessity on Diver's watches, a little silly on daily wearers Bad: Helium Release valves. A show of hands here, anyone here do saturation diving? How many people know what saturation diving is without looking it up? Well, it is diving at depths greater than 100 feet and use a helium/oxygen mix AND requires decompression. If you need it, great, otherwise, it is just another crown to dig into your arm. Elaborate crown guards. There seems to be a cottage industry now of huge, almost baroque crown guards. On an normal watch, it adds a little extra protection in case of a scrape against a wall. Some of the fancier crown guards I am sure would fail AFTER you snapped your hand from your wrist. At this point, whether your watch was running or not is moot. Tourbillons. You see them on expensive 'timepieces'. What is it supposed to do? Negate the effects of gravity on the accuracy of mechanical watches. The problem is, tourbillons were only mildly effective on pocket watches and are pointless on wristwatches. Why? Because, unless you are dead or disabled, the orientation of your wristwatch changes all day long. Even in pocket watches , the effect was so minor to the point of being undetectable. It is a way to add a lot of money to the cost of a watch. Just get an open heart watch to see the balance wheel from the front. Indifferent: Sapphire crystals. They are very scratch resistant and have less glare, but in most cases mineral glass or acrylic is just fine. In some cases, especially where shock in involved, they are even preferred. Chronograph functions. If you like or need to time things, great, otherwise it just clutters up the face of your watch. Radio timing. This allows your watch to sync up with atomic time. Great if you are anal retentive and live somewhere with good reception. Are you that strapped for time you need to know what time it is to the nearest 0.00001 second? Rotating Bezels. Personally, I really like and use mine. They can be used to track time, golf scores, even tell what direction you are facing. I have seen them some done really well and some really badly. Personal taste on this one. Display backs. I like them, but they are really pointless, unless you want to show someone the movement of your watch or are bored in a meeting. 1000m+ water resistance. There is not a human on Earth who has free dived to 1000M. Just a selling point. Doesn't hurt the watch, so it is indifferent instead of bad. That's it for now. Feel free to add your own.

102f_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:10:23 +0000

5b0a_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 00:15:27 +0000

Changing tastes

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 04:15:40 +0000

Went through my list of watches that I 'want' and realized some really don't appeal to me a much now. I like a few new ones, as you can see below, and I want to pick more bands/bracelets as opposed to collecting more watches. New watches that I like: Seiko SNZF17K1 5 sprots. The SNZF17K1. A Seiko 5 sports. Overall, very similar looking to the Sumo and the Marniemaster. The second hand is different along with the bezel. It is not a true diver, just 100M water resistance. On a solid, steel bracelet, it is a little over 150. On rubber, it is about $120. I love the hands on this one. Next up: Orient CEM58003K Titanium Military Slide Rule Automatic Orient CEM58003K Titanium Military Slide Rule Automatic, a very intersting looking watch. It would be a unique addition to my collection. It is titanium, has a slide rule, and a gray face. None of my current watches have this. Not too large, just 40mm, and I am sure it is super light, being made of titanium. I like the face it is an automatic with day and date as well. Simple, clean hands on a nice face. Available from a domestic seller on eBay, $120, shipped. Now something a little dressier: Orient CFD00001U Power Reserve Automatic Watch Orient CFD00001U Power Reserve Automatic Watch, a very interesting looking watch. Funky, almost retro, brown sunburst face with gold hands. What makes this unique is that is has a power reserve, which I don't have any yet. The price can't be beat, $80 shipped. Finally, we have: Orient CEX0P001B The Orient CEX0P001B. Everyone wants a Rolex, just I don't want to pay for one. This one is very similar to a blue Submariner I really like. It has a solid bracelet and a just a great look to it overall. About $100 shipped on eBay.

2er00002d-2

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 04:25:40 +0000

orvis_watch

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:13:12 +0000

ch2540_main

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:20:37 +0000

navajo

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:28:37 +0000

navajo_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:29:09 +0000

ring

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:34:58 +0000

ring1

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:36:39 +0000

Back from vacation.

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:38:30 +0000

Went down to the Great Smoky Mountains region in Tennessee. A lot of driving and we did get some shopping in. I was able to check out a few watches while I was there. Went to an Orvis store. Their main business is outdoor stuff, but they also have a decent selection of watches: It is a 30 minute mechanical chronograph, handwind. It worked well and is a nice size, looks like 40mm or so across. The band is not my favorite, but that can be easily changed. Looks like 20mm lugs. Their collection of quartz watches was nice as well, and the quality seems pretty comparable to good fashion watches like Fossil. Speaking of Fossil, checked out their outlet store. Very large selection, as always. I was wearing my Orange watch on an orange band, this was what the salesperson was wearing: He was very impressed with mine: He said he went diving in that Fossil watch. I looked at him like he was a little crazy. A 10atm, non diver's rated watch is just asking for trouble. I was tempted by a few, but I realize I wear my current Fossil so little. Finally, saw some Native American designed bands, pretty neat styles, but they just weren't me: These are Navajo and Zuni bands, respectively. Navajo use whole stones and set around them, the Zuni shape and set their stones in intricate patterns. Both are sterling silver. I did get a ring, Zuni made. I do like switching out my wedding ring. Hey, no matter what I wear, I am still married.

glenn1

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:12:23 +0000

glenn_2

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:12:56 +0000

glenn_3

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:13:26 +0000

orange_bullet_on_orange

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 22:02:40 +0000

pepsi_on_rubber

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 22:06:48 +0000

fossil_black_speedmaster

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 02:36:19 +0000

fossil_green

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 02:37:26 +0000

Interesting new Fossils

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 02:43:10 +0000

Got a flyer in the mail for Fossil and on the back cover they have some decent looking Speedmaster look-a-likes: Basic Black: And a neat green: There is also a white one, but with white on white hands and dial, it is a little silly. All three are $95, list. It looks like a different movement on these watches, 60 minute chronograph with 1/20 second subdial. I have not seen these in the store yet, but the styling looks very nice. I like the hands, very simple stick hands for the hour and minute with a nice dot tipped second hand. The bracelet looks very close to a Speedmaster/Omega style as well. Ill be sure to check them out the next time I visit a Fossil store and report on the quality.

Store Review, Nordstrom, Oakbrook, IL

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 02:57:39 +0000

Store Review: Nordstrom, Oakbrook, IL Overview: Chain department store Brands sold/spotted: Zodiac, Baume and Mercier, Longiness, AK, et al. Prices: Retail ($40 to $4000) Watch bands/bracelets sold there? No Detailed Review: This store has one watch counter with a very wide range of price points. Anything from $45 Anne Klein fashion watches to $2,400 Longiness are right along side each other. It is kind of odd, actually. Like having Timex next to Rolex. The staff was pretty helpful, but not the most knowledgeable about watches. The younger salespeople are more eye candy than helpful. Prices are pretty much retail. They do have Zodiac's, which are pretty neat looking watches, if you like quartz. 3 1/2 out of 5 stars.

Nordstrom, Oakbrook, IL

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 02:58:30 +0000

Store Review, Macy's, Oakbrook, IL

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 11:53:38 +0000

Store Review: Macy's, Oakbrook, IL Overview: Chain department store Brands sold/spotted: Fossil, Nautica, TAG Heuer, Seiko, Citizen, many more. Prices: Retail ($40 to $9000+) Watch bands/bracelets sold there? No Detailed Review: This store has two watch sections, a fine watch and a fashion watch section. The fashion watch section has a very wide selection and often has sales on most brands. The sales staff is helpful and have a good knowledge of the product in their area. Usually you never have to wait for help. They have Fossil, Nautica, Tommy Hilfiger (Macy's Exclusive), and many more. There are quite a few automatics in the $100 range as well. This section gets 4 out of 5 stars. The fine watch section has just awful customer service. You can rarely get anyone to help you. When you do, they seem rushed and would rather be selling fine jewelry. Virtually no knowledge of the product, which is not good you are shopping for a 'timepiece'. Pricing is underwhelming, unless they are having a closeout sale. The problem with closeouts is you can't return the item. One out of Five stars.

Macys, Oakbrook, IL

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 11:54:42 +0000

Book Review, Practical Watch Repairing

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:56:03 +0000

Here is a new feature for this blog, a book review! Title: Practical Watch Repairing Author: Donald de Carle, Illustrated by: E.A.Ayres ISBN:978-1-60239-357-8 © 2008 Don't be fooled by the copyright date, this book was originally written in the mid 60's. That being said, it is probably the best written book on mechanical watch repair. It was written with starting your own watch repair business in mind, but that's ok. He goes through every tool you will ever need and even how to make parts from scratch! This may be shocking to owners of throw away watches, but a mechanical watch can ALWAYS be repaired. (The only limiting factor is cost.) This book is written well, but if you are not fascinated by watches, it will bore you to tears. If you are a watch lover, it is a great way to learn a lot about how watches work. Hey, someday when passing through a flea market, you may even pick up a beaten watch to repair, this book will show you how. It is extensively illustrated with line drawings. An illiterate person can learn how to repair a watch, that is how many illustrations there are! There are tons of tips and tricks. I wonder how many watchmakers started out reading this book? Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

Book Reviews

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:56:47 +0000

Practical Watch Repairing, de Carle

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:57:20 +0000

Title: Practical Watch Repairing Author: Donald de Carle, Illustrated by: E.A.Ayres ISBN:978-1-60239-357-8 © 2008 Don't be fooled by the copyright date, this book was originally written in the mid 60's. That being said, it is probably the best written book on mechanical watch repair. It was written with starting your own watch repair business in mind, but that's ok. He goes through every tool you will ever need and even how to make parts from scratch! This may be shocking to owners of throw away watches, but a mechanical watch can ALWAYS be repaired. (The only limiting factor is cost.) This book is written well, but if you are not fascinated by watches, it will bore you to tears. If you are a watch lover, it is a great way to learn a lot about how watches work. Hey, someday when passing through a flea market, you may even pick up a beaten watch to repair, this book will show you how. It is extensively illustrated with line drawings. An illiterate person can learn how to repair a watch, that is how many illustrations there are! There are tons of tips and tricks. I wonder how many watchmakers started out reading this book? Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

Store Review, Bailey Banks and Biddle, Oakbrook, IL

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:11:12 +0000

Store Review: Bailey Banks and Biddle, Oakbrook, IL Overview: Chain jewelery store Brands sold/spotted: TAG Heuer, Omega, Zenith, Breitling, many others. Prices: Retail ($750 to $15000+) Watch bands/bracelets sold there? No Detailed Review:

I must say, if you are willing to part with a couple of grand or more, this is the place to stop. They have just about the full line of Omega and many other brands. The staff is very courteous and knowledgeable about watches. Very little sales pressure from most. I have tried on quite a few pieces there. I don't think I could part with the coin needed to buy one of these watches, but, they are darn nice to look at. If you go there, be sure to check out the Breitlings, they are pretty darn sharp looking. My personal favorites are the Omegas, particularly, the Speedmaster Pro, brown and the Railmaster. As for pricing, they can usually offer some discount and do have some decent closeout prices, well, relatively decent.

Five out of Five stars.

Bailey Banks and Biddle, Oakbrook, IL

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 04:14:13 +0000

Five out of Five stars.

lc_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 13 May 2009 02:56:18 +0000

lc_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 13 May 2009 02:59:11 +0000

beb006b

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 17 May 2009 01:55:57 +0000

First Impressions, Fustration, and Happiness (Hopefully)

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 17 May 2009 02:02:29 +0000

You only get one chance at a first impression, so when I saw this watch, I thought it was very nice looking: I really liked the way it looked, even though it violates my watch buying rules: Always buy Seiko (or Orient, Lorus, J. Springs, or something owned by Seiko.) Don't buy Gold or Gold Plated Don't buy open heart watches. Well, I violated the rules and bought it, a Lucien Piccard. The fit and finish were very nice. Chinese made, by the look of it. 22 jewel automatic, with hand winding , no hacking It had a 24 hour and moon phase complication and a visible balance wheel. It also had a small seconds hand. Well, turns out the seconds hand was the cause of my problems. I was looking at the watch the day after and saw the seconds hand stop, then jerk forwards. Oh no. Bad pinning of the seconds hand. Well, if you can't get that right, what else will fail on the watch. What happens when the seconds hand falls off and gets jammed in the balance wheel? Well, I didn't want to find out and I returned the watch the next day. Crestfallen, I went looking for another watch in about the same price range. Turns out Tiffany (my wife) spotted this one: It's a J. Springs BEB006 sports watch. It's made by SII, Seiko Instruments, Inc. SII makes all the spring materials for Seiko, like SPRON 100, 300, etc. J. Springs is common in the European and Japanese markets, but no so much here. From what I have read, the quality is just as good or better than Seiko 5's and Orients. We shall see how it compares. It is 41.5mm in diameter and has a really eye catching look. I know it also has a nice, solid link bracelet. I think my review will be the first English language review, when I get it Monday, thank you very much United States Postal Service.

jspings_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:48:51 +0000

jsprings_side

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 26 May 2009 23:08:57 +0000

j_springs_2

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 29 May 2009 00:53:03 +0000

j_springs_21

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 29 May 2009 00:54:20 +0000

j_springs_face

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 29 May 2009 00:59:02 +0000

First J. Springs

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 29 May 2009 01:07:38 +0000

J. Springs Model BEB006 Here it is, my first J. Springs. It is made by SII, Seiko Instruments, Inc. J. Springs is short for Japan Springs. SII happens to make all of Seiko's springs and advanced alloys. Every other watch manufacturer relies on Elnivar (an alloy and the name of a company) for the special metal used to the balance wheel spring of a watch. Seiko being Seiko, makes their own version, called SPRON 300, in their own factories. So if Elinvar goes bye bye, Seiko can still make mechanical watches. So I digress, back to this particular watch. This is the BEB006. It is a diver's style watch with an all stainless steel body and a 120 click, unidirectional bezel. The watch is pretty substantial at 41.5mm in diameter and a whopping 14mm thick. That being said, it wears well on the wrist, due to the well turned down lugs: As you can see here, it has a signed crown, which is unusual for watch at this price point (comfortably under $100.) The body of the watch is a all brushed, with the crown and the bezel have a high polish. The crown is at the conventional 3 O'Clock position, unlike Seiko 5's and has large crown guards. The watch does not hand wind, since it is a based on the Seiko 7S26B aka the Y676B. The band and clasp are really exemplary for a a sub $100 watch. The links are solid and the clasp is a signed push button with a safety clasp. It does not pinch at all and does not grab hairs. The bracelet is brushed except for the two bands. It compliments the brushed and polished case well. The face of the watch is very detailed. It is a radiall sunburst with a grid of matte dots. The hands are a classic style are filled with some Lumibrite. The markers and hands have a high polish and are placed flawlessly. The chapter ring has marking at 1/5 of a second intervals up to 20 seconds, then every ten minuted thereafter. It makes a for a very modern look. The crystal is domed and perfectly polished. Features: Case: 41.5mm diameter, 14mm thick, stainless steel, 100m water resistance. Back: Hardlex exhibition back, screw down. Crystal: Hardlex, domed. Movement: Automatic, Y676N, Seiko in-house design, 21 Jewels. No handwind or hacking. Based on 7S26B. Complications: Day of week, Date Other: Lumibrite, 120 click unidirectional bezel.. Overall, I really like this watch. It is surprisingly easy to read, even with silver hands and a silver face. I think my only complaint would be the lume is pretty weak. It glows brightly to begin with, but dims rapidly. The watch is very accurate (+8 seconds a day) and although heavy, is not hard to wear all day long. It's a real keeper and a great find by Tiffany, my lovely wife.

5m62_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 30 May 2009 21:47:32 +0000

5m62_2

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 30 May 2009 21:53:16 +0000

5m62_3

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 30 May 2009 22:21:46 +0000

5m62_4

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 30 May 2009 22:28:19 +0000

miyota_s10

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 30 May 2009 22:48:22 +0000

7t62-movement

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 30 May 2009 23:03:48 +0000

Quartz Fun

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 30 May 2009 23:13:13 +0000

Had some free time and I decided to take a look inside of my two quartz watches. It seems like not many people take photos of quartz watch movements and I wanted to add a little to the internet. The first one I opened was my trusty, 5M62 based Seiko Kinetic:

As you can see, the movement is well detailed with thick cast and stamped metal parts. All the metal surfaces are machine tooled or bead blasted. The movement has 6 jewels, 2 are used on the self generating system. The rotor or uneven weight is identical to mechanical automatic watches. What is different is in an automatic watch, the weight spins pretty freely, then comes to stop. This rotor starts slowly and takes a second or so to stop moving and does so with a slow, braking looking motion. This is somewhat to be expected since what it happening is the rotor turns, turning 3 reduction gears, then turns the rotor on the generator. You can see the cap jewels for the reduction gears here:

From what I have read, the generator inside spins at up to 100,000 RPM! I don't there are many companies out there that can manufacture a generator less than a 1/4" across and work at those speeds. The coils you see are actually the stepper motor and generator for the watch. I am quite surprised how large they are. They should last damn near forever with that many winds to the coils.

The one on the left is the generating coil, the one on the top is the stepper motor coil.

In this photo you can see the power storage cell, which is a titanium lithium ion battery in a shock absorbing housing. This is something I have never seen in a quartz watch. I wonder if other high end quartz watches share this feature? Speaking of quartz, around the 10 o'clock position you can see the quartz oscillator. It looks like a metal tube. There are two companies in the world that make their own quartz crystals, ETA and Seiko. I looked at the service manual for it and the watch actually uses 4 jewels in the gear train. 2 for the stepper rotor, 1 for the fifth wheel, 1 for the center wheel. Most companies don't bother with jewels on quartz watches, but it really does extend the life. The entire movement is held is what looks like a hard, thermal set plastic, then shock mounted (using the brass springs you can see at the edges of several photos) in a soft set plastic spacer ring. I, again, have never seen so much shock protection in a quartz watch. The movement has a traditional metal base. Many aspects of this movement show that this watch was designed by a company that began with mechanical watches. With 61 individual parts and the level of workmanship displayed, I expect this watch to work for decades to come. As a contrast, here are the guts of my Fossil watch:

Inside my Fossil Speedway is a Miyota OS10 no jewel quartz chronograph movement. Who is Miyota? Miyota is basically Citizen's movement making division. They sell to anybody who wants a quartz or mechanical Japanese made movement. They are very respected in the watch making world and a godsend to low end watch makers. They make robust movements at low cost. If you don't care about having a Swiss movement and it's not a Seiko, it probably has a Miyota movement. The movement is based on a gray, plastic base and covered with a thin metal plate. There is not much to see here, the stepper motor and quartz oscillator are hidden. The battery is held in place with a small, metal clips. Dispensing with the tradition machined metal base is certainly a cost reduction. The plastic movement is held inside of a soft, plastic spacer ring. Of course, this is not a very fair comparison. The Miyota is a low cost quartz movement, the Seiko 5M62 movement alone is over $150. A better comparison is to the Seiko 7T62 quartz chronograph:

The workmanship is pretty similar. The Seiko movement does cost a little more, and has quite a few more features like 1/5 second tick, alarm, and second time zone. I am actually quite happy to know that my Fossil has a Miyota movement, made in Japan. I hope they continue this trend. It was neat to look inside some quartz watches. They are remarkable machines, but I still like my automatics more. They are great for people who just want to slap on a watch and not worry about it.

The opposite of my site

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:47:01 +0000

For an interesting watch blog to read, head over to a blog to read.com. I swear, there is not a watch on there less than $2,000. His 'bargain' watches are well over $1,000. So, like I said, it is the opposite of this site. I love watches, but I love staying married and having a nice home, so you won't see watches I own over $500 on this site. That all being said, the site is attractive, well written, and very entertaining. You can drool over 'timepieces' you can never afford. I really like the photos that compare a watch to something else, like an aircraft or automobile. Edit: Looking at Ariel's site more, I do see quite a few watches he personally owns are less than $500, and he has pretty similar tastes to my own in terms of what he actually wears. (Except for the digitals, never did like them ,even in the 80's.) All I can say is I wish I could try on some of those watches that he reviews.

dakota_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:09:43 +0000

Dakota Watches

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:50:41 +0000

While Tiffany (the wifey) was getting her ring cleaned, I took a quick look at some Dakota watches at the Dakota Watch kiosk. All of the watches are quartz (with 3 exceptions) but the quality seems pretty decent for the money. I tried on this one: It's more a less a tactical watch. It has black ion plating over stainless steel. It has a pleasing matte finish and a surprisingly decent rotating bezel. The tachymeter on the chapter ring is a little pointless, but it does not hurt the look of the watch. Classic Mercedes hands actually work on the smaller face. It comes on a nylon band and the whole package was $49.95 - 30%, so about $35. The quality seems quite a bit better than a comparable Timex or Armitron in the same price range. I was not able to test the lume, which is very important in a 'tactical' style watch. It would make a great beater watch. I also took a look at a submariner clone, but I have not found it on Dakota's web site. It did not have a rotating bezel, which was a big disappointment coming from the nice tactical watch above. They also sold 3 different mechanical pocket watches, all of which were less than $50, after discount. They also have an amazing amount of clip watches. I don't care for them, but some people just don't like having a watch on their wrist for personal or allergenic reasons. So, if you at a mall, check out Dakota. They claim to use Miyota movements, so quality should be decent. However, if anyone out there has a Dakota, let me know how they stand up to the rigors of daily use.

FHPRL2WFIJ3Y97O.MEDIUM

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 18:26:32 +0000

woven_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 18:35:36 +0000

woven_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 18:36:07 +0000

woven_2

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 18:39:03 +0000

woven_3

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 18:40:38 +0000

I made it myself!

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 18:45:03 +0000

A while back, I saw some instructions to make a watch band out of 550 paracord, which is a military specification parachute cord. I always thought it looked cool, and I wanted to try it myself.

The one thing I didn't like was the plastic clip. Too cheap looking and frankly, I don't trust a $150+ watch on a clip like that. So, it turns out I had an extra diver's deployant clasp. I went off to an army surplus store and picked up 20' of cord for about $3.00. Following the instructions here (with my modification) I went about weaving my own band. The instructions are very complete and easy to follow. It was a little harder due to the metal clasp, but here is how it turned out:

The metal clasp was worth the effort. It looks much more professional and I hate how those plastic buckles can pinch.

The whole process took about 45 minutes, so less time than I thought it would. Luckily, I didn't have to re-size and reweave it. Plus, the deployant clasp has 3 micro adjustment holes, so if it is a little loose, I can adjust it. It is surprisingly comfortable and looks pretty darn cool on the wrist. The cord does come in 4 colors (Grey, Tan, Green, and Black ) so I may try another.

SUIK400-1.jpg

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 02:35:31 +0000

canvas_1.jpg

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 02:20:11 +0000

canvas_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 02:22:38 +0000

canvas_2

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 03:05:30 +0000

canvas_3

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 03:06:07 +0000

Another DIY watch band.

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 03:07:34 +0000

Tried out sewing on a sewing machine the first time today. Using some extra canvas and a an existing diver's clasp, I made this! It took three tries, but in the end it looks really nice and it very comfortable to boot.

CEX0P002D0

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:58:57 +0000

CEX0P002D

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:59:30 +0000

Too cool

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 02:05:59 +0000

Spotted this one on eBay recently: It's an Orient CEX0P002, automatic with power reserve indicator. It has a nice, classic look, 39mm across (not too big) and even comes on a nice leather strap with a signed deployant clasp! It has a tachymeter scale as the chapter ring, which is a little pointless, but I think it adds to the overall look. Prices seem to range from $100 to $150 on eBay, which is quite a spread. It also comes in black or white, with a brown leather strap.

CEX0P001B

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:51:22 +0000

CEX0P002D

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:51:55 +0000

CEX0P003W

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:52:30 +0000

Wishlist, 2009

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:56:39 +0000

This one is just calling to me. I know it is a Rolex Submariner homage, but it is a pretty one. It is an Orient 2ER00004D, a hair over $100, just $110 on Amazon. It looks remarkably like the Rolex 16613. As you can see, on the wrist, they look almost identical. For your bank account, the Rolex list price is $9300, on-line price is $7626. The list price for the Orient is $220, most on-line sellers have it for $120 to $130, saving you about $7500. Both have in house movements. The Rolex is a true diver’s the Orient, just 100M water resistance. It is about as close an homage can be without being a ‘replica’ aka fake watch. It has a bit of bling, but I like two tone watches. By the way, the photos of the Orient are from this site. Very nice blog about Orient watches.

Here is a trio of watches that I like, The Orient CEX0P001B (Black), CEX0P002D (Blue), and the CEX0P003W (White). They are all the same watch, except for the color. The clean, simple, styling is very nice, with a power reserve indicator. Price is $169 from long island watch, cheaper on eBay, if it can be found. 39mm diameter, probably my favorite diameter watch. Two more Orients of similar style, with a simpler chapter ring, but it also has a power reserve. CEX0R001B is the black one, CEX0R001D, is the blue one. There is also a white version, but I don't like how it looks in white. $179 on long island watch. 42mm diameter, so it is a larger watch. Another trio of Orient's. This one reminds me of the Omega Railmaster or classic seamaster, with the inclusion of a large day window. CEV09001D (Blue),CEV09002B(Clack),CEV09002W(White). $149 on long island watch for the metal bracelet, $135 for leather., cheaper on eBay, less than $100 on Amazon. No power reserve, but the large day of the week makes it a more practical watch. 38mm diameter, nice size for everyday use. Getting a little wilder here, here are three Orient Slide-rule watches, the CEM5Z00AW (White), CEM5Z008B (Black),CEM5Z009D (blue). It has a nice chronograph/pilots watch look, but it is an automatic. I love the day of the week indicator located just above the 6 o'clock position. Nice Sseamaster looking bracelet and a price tag of $165 does not hurt. 41mm diameter, so it is not too large (smaller than several of my watches, in fact.) Here is another pair of unique Orient's. What makes these different is the titanium case and bracelet. Again, it has a slide-rule, but a more conventional day/data feature. CEM58002D (Blue), CEM58003k(Gray). At 44mm, they may be a little large, but should be very light. A little over $100 on ebay. Here are three Seiko's to add to the wishlist. Simple, easy to read design combined with a reasonable 38mm diameter case. They are the SRP013K1 (Cream) SRP015K1 (Black with yellow accents, brown band), SRP017K1 (Black with red accents, black band.) It has the new 4R16 movement, which is a decorated version of the 7S26 with one more jewel. All three have a display back to show off the finished movement. About $170 on eBay, almost $250 elsewhere.

CEX0R001B

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:58:16 +0000

CEX0R001D

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:59:24 +0000

CEV09001D

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:04:44 +0000

CEV09002B

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:05:32 +0000

CEV09002W

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:06:36 +0000

CEM5Z00AW

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:01:21 +0000

CEM5Z008B

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:02:58 +0000

CEM5Z009D

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:40:28 +0000

CEM58002D

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:44:45 +0000

CEM58003K

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 20:45:36 +0000

SRP013K1

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:20:40 +0000

SRP015K1

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:21:14 +0000

SRP017K1

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 20:21:48 +0000

New Wishlist.

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:09:17 +0000

It's never too early to start thinking about Christmas or unexpected money, so here is a list of a bunch of watches that I like. All are newer designs. Here is a trio of watches that I like, The Orient CEX0P001B (Black), CEX0P002D (Blue), and the CEX0P003W (White). They are all the same watch, except for the color. The clean, simple, styling is very nice, with a power reserve indicator. Price is $169 from long island watch, cheaper on eBay, if it can be found. 39mm diameter, probably my favorite diameter watch. Two more Orients of similar style, with a simpler chapter ring, but it also has a power reserve. CEX0R001B is the black one, CEX0R001D, is the blue one. There is also a white version, but I don't like how it looks in white. $179 on long island watch. 42mm diameter, so it is a larger watch. Another trio of Orient's. This one reminds me of the Omega Railmaster or classic seamaster, with the inclusion of a large day window. CEV09001D (Blue),CEV09002B(Clack),CEV09002W(White). $149 on long island watch for the metal bracelet, $135 for leather., cheaper on eBay, less than $100 on Amazon. No power reserve, but the large day of the week makes it a more practical watch. 38mm diameter, nice size for everyday use. Getting a little wilder here, here are three Orient Slide-rule watches, the CEM5Z00AW (White), CEM5Z008B (Black),CEM5Z009D (blue). It has a nice chronograph/pilots watch look, but it is an automatic. I love the day of the week indicator located just above the 6 o'clock position. Nice Sseamaster looking bracelet and a price tag of $165 does not hurt. 41mm diameter, so it is not too large (smaller than several of my watches, in fact.) Here is another pair of unique Orient's. What makes these different is the titanium case and bracelet. Again, it has a slide-rule, but a more conventional day/data feature. CEM58002D (Blue), CEM58003k(Gray). At 44mm, they may be a little large, but should be very light. A little over $100 on ebay. Here are three Seiko's to add to the wishlist. Simple, easy to read design combined with a reasonable 38mm diameter case. They are the SRP013K1 (Cream) SRP015K1 (Black with yellow accents, brown band), SRP017K1 (Black with red accents, black band.) It has the new 4R16 movement, which is a decorated version of the 7S26 with one more jewel. All three have a display back to show off the finished movement. About $170 on eBay, almost $250 elsewhere.

A little project I may have to try later.

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:08:52 +0000

Polishing watch crystals. I just picked up a vintage piece that I don't want to spend money on a new crystal, since it really isn't that bad. I'll let you all know how it works out. This is the object of my little project, a lovely little Timex from the late 60's, possibly 1970. There is a 3270 on the dial which could mean week 32, 1970.

timex_2

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:07:15 +0000

timex_gold_gunk

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:02:15 +0000

timex_no_gunk

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:05:37 +0000

timex_taped

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:08:39 +0000

timex_gold

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:11:13 +0000

timex_gold_one_wrist

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:13:12 +0000

timex_gold_zoomed

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:16:48 +0000

Watch Revitalization

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 19:17:18 +0000

So, I picked up this little guy Friday: The crystal is a little scratched, but no cracks, and the bracelet is not to my liking. Also, there is about 40 years of someone's DNA on there that is not mine. So, off the bracelet goes: Ahh, yes, almost 4 decades of filth. Poor watch, at least most of the plating is intact. Still, eww. Cleaned that off: Using nothing more than water and cotton swabs, I was able to get the gunk off. Now, the crystal: I taped off the bezel and used a polishing cloth and CD cleaner to buff out the scratches. It worked just okay, so I switched to a silver polish instead, and it worked much faster. Here it is on Saturday morning. Case and crystal polished and with a Fossil leather band I had. Although the band was 18mm, the lugs are 17mm, but it still fit. It works much better than I thought it would. It surprised my wife as well. It turned out better than I expected. It is a pleasing, simple, watch. It is a common watch, but I love the angular numbers. It looks like IZ, not 12. So far, it is keeping decent time on the wrist, not so much in the drawer, but that's ok. Here is a parting shot of the radial pattern on the dial:

Vintage Timex 4144

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:54:50 +0000

Vintage Timex Model 4144

This is my first vintage watch for myself. I picked it up at a local antique store. It has some nice, vintage charm, starting with the size, just 34mm diameter. The 3270 on the dial indicates it is caliber 32 from 1970. When I got it, it had a funky Speidel Twist-o-Flex band and 4 decades of crud. After about an hour of work and a new band, it really cleaned up nice. It stopped a few times during the first day, but has settled in nicely, keeping very good time for a pin lever watch. I think the lubricants were just a little gummy and needed a little human body warmth to get back to normal. The quality and workmanship is very good for a bargain watch. It hand winds and 'self-winds' with a satisfying rattle. The second hand sweeps at a relaxed 18,000 BPH, which is normal for a watch of this time. The crystal is a high domed acrylic, which scratches up pretty easily, but also cleans up nicely as well. Overall, a nice, easy to live with watch. Features: Case: 34mm, base metal, gold plated, water resistant, dust resistant. Back: Stainless Steel, snap on, Timex makers mark, water resistance and dust resistance marks. Crystal: Acrylic, domed. Movement: Automatic, 3270, 18,000 BPH. Complications: Date. Other: Leather band, aftermarket. 17mm lugs.

Took a look inside of my little Timex and I had a couple of things confirmed: The movement is very clean, and untouched since it was made almost 40 years ago. It also has not seen the loving touch of watch oil in all those years, either. This probably explains why I have seen some random stopping, mostly off the wrist. It was also running a little slow, so I bumped the balance adjustment just a hair faster. This watch also has no jewels and is a pin lever watch, which is what I expected. Timex did (and does) make fully jeweled watches, but not this inexpensive version. I would guess this watch was $9.95 new, which is about $35 now. So, Timex still makes watches at the same price point. How did I know this watch was never serviced? Just look at the inside of the case back: This is where a watchmaker would of marked the last service date. All we see here is CASE, GREAT BRITAIN TIMEX with a stamped 8P70. This almost certainly means it was made in August, 1970, in plant “P” or maybe P means PM, night shift. I have read, back in the 50’s through 70’s, the watches were designed in the USA, the cases were made in England or Germany, and the movements came from Hong Kong. Even now, I am pretty sure Timex is still structured this way. Designed in the USA, movements made in Germany or China, cased in China. They were one of the first “globalized’ companies. You can also see on the case back scrapes from the automatic winding rotor. Not a huge deal and pretty common on this age/quality movement. Overall, the watch is still running OK. I always carry my cell phone, just in case it dies on me during the day. As a bonus, take look at this site, detailing the heyday of Timex.

Watch review, Vintage Timex 4144

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:58:58 +0000

Vintage Timex Model 4144

This is my first vintage watch for myself. I picked it up at a local antique store. It has some nice, vintage charm, starting with the size, just 34mm diameter. The 3270 on the dial indicates it is caliber 32 from 1970. When I got it, it had a funky Speidel Twist-o-Flex band and 4 decades of crud. After about an hour of work and a new band, it really cleaned up nice. It stopped a few times during the first day, but has settled in nicely, keeping very good time for a pin lever watch. I think the lubricants were just a little gummy and needed a little human body warmth to get back to normal. The quality and workmanship is very good for a bargain watch. It hand winds and ’self-winds’ with a satisfying rattle. The second hand sweeps at a relaxed 18,000 BPH, which is normal for a watch of this era. The crystal is a high domed acrylic, which scratches up pretty easily, but also cleans up nicely as well. Overall, a nice, easy to live with watch. Features: Case: 34mm, base metal, gold plated, water resistant, dust resistant. Back: Stainless Steel, snap on, Timex makers mark, water resistance and dust resistance marks. Crystal: Acrylic, domed. Movement: Automatic, 3270, 18,000 BPH. Complications: Date. Other: Leather band, aftermarket. 17mm lugs.

timex_movement_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:54:53 +0000

timex_movement_1

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:56:47 +0000

time_movement_2

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:57:23 +0000

time_movement_2

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:57:53 +0000

time_movement_2

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:58:26 +0000

timex_caseback

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 01:58:36 +0000

Watch investigating

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 02:10:26 +0000

Took a look inside of my little Timex and I had a couple of things confirmed: The movement is very clean, and untouched since it was made almost 40 years ago. It also has not seen the loving touch of watch oil in all those years, either. This probably explains why I have seen some random stopping, mostly off the wrist. It was also running a little slow, so I bumped the balance adjustment just a hair faster. This watch also has no jewels and is a pin lever watch, which is what I expected. Timex did (and does) make fully jeweled watches, but not this inexpensive version. I would guess this watch was $9.95 new, which is about $35 now. So, Timex still makes watches at the same price point. How did I know this watch was never serviced? Just look at the inside of the case back: This is where a watchmaker would of marked the last service date. All we see here is CASE, GREAT BRITAIN TIMEX with a stamped 8P70. This almost certainly means it was made in August, 1970, in plant "P" or maybe P means PM, night shift. I have read, back in the 50's through 70's, the watches were designed in the USA, the cases were made in England or Germany, and the movements came from Hong Kong. Even now, I am pretty sure Timex is still structured this way. Designed in the USA, movements made in Germany or China, cased in China. They were one of the first "globalized' companies. You can also see on the case back scrapes from the automatic winding rotor. Not a huge deal and pretty common on this age/quality movement. Overall, the watch is still running OK. I always carry my cell phone, just in case it dies on me during the day. As a bonus, take look at this site, detailing the heyday of Timex.

Sad day for fine watch lovers.

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:11:11 +0000

It looks like Bailey Banks & Biddle is going out of business after 175 years. They were always very helpful, but with the downturn of the economy, I can understand why they were struggling. Even high end stores falter. I shall miss browsing their nice selection. Even at 50% off, it is still way out of my price range.

J. Springs Red Bezel

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:21:23 +0000

J. Springs Model BEB006 Here it is, my first J. Springs. It is made by SII, Seiko Instruments, Inc. J. Springs is short for Japan Springs. SII happens to make all of Seiko’s springs and advanced alloys. Every other watch manufacturer relies on Elnivar (an alloy and the name of a company) for the special metal used to the balance wheel spring of a watch. Seiko being Seiko, makes their own version, called SPRON 300, in their own factories. So if Elinvar goes bye bye, Seiko can still make mechanical watches. So I digress, back to this particular watch. This is the BEB006. It is a diver’s style watch with an all stainless steel body and a 120 click, unidirectional bezel. The watch is pretty substantial at 41.5mm in diameter and a whopping 14mm thick. That being said, it wears well on the wrist, due to the well turned down lugs: As you can see here, it has a signed crown, which is unusual for watch at this price point (comfortably under $100.) The body of the watch is a all brushed, with the crown and the bezel have a high polish. The crown is at the conventional 3 O’Clock position, unlike Seiko 5’s and has large crown guards. The watch does not hand wind, since it is a based on the Seiko 7S26B aka the Y676B. The band and clasp are really exemplary for a a sub $100 watch. The links are solid and the clasp is a signed push button with a safety clasp. It does not pinch at all and does not grab hairs. The bracelet is brushed except for the two bands. It compliments the brushed and polished case well. The face of the watch is very detailed. It is a radiall sunburst with a grid of matte dots. The hands are a classic style are filled with some Lumibrite. The markers and hands have a high polish and are placed flawlessly. The chapter ring has marking at 1/5 of a second intervals up to 20 seconds, then every ten minuted thereafter. It makes a for a very modern look. The crystal is domed and perfectly polished. Features: Case: 41.5mm diameter, 14mm thick, stainless steel, 100m water resistance. Back: Hardlex exhibition back, screw down. Crystal: Hardlex, domed. Movement: Automatic, Y676N, Seiko in-house design, 21 Jewels. No handwind or hacking. Based on 7S26B. Complications: Day of week, Date Other: Lumibrite, 120 click unidirectional bezel.. Overall, I really like this watch. It is surprisingly easy to read, even with silver hands and a silver face. I think my only complaint would be the lume is pretty weak. It glows brightly to begin with, but dims rapidly. The watch is very accurate (+8 seconds a day) and although heavy, is not hard to wear all day long. It’s a real keeper and a great find by Tiffany, my lovely wife.

J. Springs

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:22:09 +0000

Place keeper

First real watch repair

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 01:20:57 +0000

With my vintage Timex, it was starting, stopping, and not keeping good time. So, I opened it up and did a little basic repair. I used lighter fluid (napthha) to clean the balance pivots and the lever pivots. Then I used a tiny amount of mineral oil to oil the pivots. Although this is not ideal, it is just a pin lever watch. Worst case, I would have to clean more pivots and oil with some real watch oil, but I am cheap. This watch was less than $15, so it was not worth it and I always wanted to try do some real repairs. The results? The watch does not stop anymore and keeps better time than ever. Now I feel more confident wearing it when I need reliable timekeeper.

REG-MB22-003

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:58:20 +0000

SEI-SS22-001-4

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:01:37 +0000

NATO22018P

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 02:11:29 +0000

Watch band ideas

Dave the watch phreak. — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 02:23:14 +0000

Even though we have decided to not buy anything permanent this month, Christmas is coming and I wanted to got some ideas down for watch bands that I like:

For my 22mm divers (Orange bullet, Pepsi, and Full Lume compass):

This is something different, a mesh bracelet. About $19+8 shipping on eBay. They look pretty comfortable and rugged at the same time. I'll have to try one on in the store, though.

Nothing too out of the ordinary on this one, it is a 'super oyster' bracelet by Seiko. It has all solid links and would make a great replacement for the cheap, folded link bracelet for my Pepsi watch or look great on my Orange Bullet. $29.99+8 shipping on eBay.

A bold, orange NATO strap for my Orange bullet. $9.99+3 shipping on eBay. Comes in many colors as well. I already have a black one, but I like bold orange as well. It would also work with the cream faced compass Seiko.

Planned obsolescence

Dave the watch phreak. — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 04:55:16 +0000

I was at Target today (not our normal one) and I went past the jewelery counter with a sign that says they will no longer offer watch battery replacements or watch band swaps. Wow, way to go to save the earth. Every watch there is a quartz watch that will certainly outlive its battery and probably outlive its original band. So, what do you do when either wears out? Toss your $10 to $50 investment, I guess. They used to sell watches close to $100, but no more. Now I know why. I don't know if this is chain wide, or just this particular Target. I know another problem my Mom has is with a few of her quartz watches she can no longer get batteries for. This is one of the main reasons I switched to automatic watches. Now, if she ever wants to use those watches again, she will have to a real watchmaker to get the battery replaced. In all probability, it will cost a good percentage of the value of the watch. Something else to add to a landfill.

Pic054-3

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:54:04 +0000

16613wrist

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:46:37 +0000

Pic062-1

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:47:35 +0000

Addiction

Dave the watch phreak. — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:56:54 +0000

Why do I want more watches? Why? This one is just calling to me. I know it is a Rolex Submariner homage, but it is a pretty one. It is an Orient 2ER00004D, a hair over $100, just $110 on Amazon. It looks remarkably like the Rolex 16613. As you can see, on the wrist, they look almost identical. For your bank account, the Rolex list price is $9300, on-line price is $7626. The list price for the Orient is $220, most on-line sellers have it for $120 to $130, saving you about $7500. Both have in house movements. The Rolex is a true diver's the Orient, just 100M water resistance. It is about as close an homage can be without being a 'replica' aka fake watch. It has a bit of bling, but I like two tone watches. When will it stop? How many should I collect before stopping? By the way, the photos of the Orient are from this site. Very nice blog about Orient watches.

snapshot1

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:42:56 +0000

snapshot2

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:43:35 +0000

snapshot3

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:44:32 +0000

snapshot4

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:44:53 +0000

snapshot5

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:45:27 +0000

snapshot6

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:45:50 +0000

snapshot6

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:46:07 +0000

Ideas for Dad

Dave the watch phreak. — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 16:49:55 +0000

Christmas is coming, and here are some ideas for Dad. The nice thing about these watches is: They are all automatic, so they never need batteries. They are all Made in Japan, so they should last darn near forever. They all have 18mm bands, so they are easy to swap to leather, if that is preferred. They are all under $50! [caption id="attachment_670" align="aligncenter" width="303" caption="Watch 1"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_671" align="aligncenter" width="301" caption="Watch 2"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_672" align="aligncenter" width="302" caption="Watch 3"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_673" align="aligncenter" width="299" caption="Watch 4"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_674" align="aligncenter" width="301" caption="Watch 5"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_676" align="aligncenter" width="305" caption="Watch 6"][/caption]

Orient 2ER00004D

Dave the watch phreak. — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 03:28:35 +0000

Two interesting articles on watch movements

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:34:47 +0000

Came across this article about Rolex movements:

THE ROLEX EXPLORER

REF. 14270
by Walt Odets Among the watches in Rolex's current production, the Oyster Perpetual Explorer (Ref. 14270, but known popularly as "The Explorer 1") stands in the lower-middle segment of the stainless steel line: a COSC certified center-seconds caliber 3000, without date, retailing for approximately $2,500. The Explorer is also, perhaps, the most historically connected model in the line, deriving from a long line of very similar Explorer designs. The watch is supplied in a 36 millimeter steel "Oyster" case, with an attached steel "Flip Lock" Oyster bracelet. The case is approximately 11.5 millimeters thick.
THE DIAL AND CASE
The relatively simple three piece case (bezel, band, and back) is clearly strong and rigid. (Rigidity is an important issue in maintaining water-resistance in use that involves impact that can distort the alignment of the case.) While the bezel and band sides (which are integral with the strap lugs) are polished, the upper horizontal surface of band and lugs is brushed. The brushing shows a slight unevenness on the case band, especially between the lugs and should be more consistent in a watch of this cost. The polished sides of the case, however, are an unusual, peculiarly appealing double-horn shape characteristic of many Rolexes, and are sumptuously polished so that the metal has almost the luster of white gold (right). The uncoated sapphire crystal, as can be seen, is set largely outside the bezel. The internal surfaces and backs of the lugs are not as well finished as the top and side surfaces, and even with the bracelet in place, the inside lower lug edges and tips are uncomfortably sharp (below left). They should be slightly radiused to eliminate this unpleasant feel. The completely unadorned back is nicely brushed, and shows the familiar Rolex serrated wrench ring (yellow arrow, left). This back design requires a special bit that matches the serrations on the back. The Bergeon bit for the Rolex (#5, 29.5 millimeters) is shown below right. The Rolex system is perhaps the finest screwed back design in production. Used properly, it allows removal--and reattachment--of even the tightest backs without the slightest visible mark left on the watch. Most designs--with holes, slots, or hexagonal protrusions--are nearly impossible to use without some visible evidence left behind. To be properly used, however, the Rolex wrench and back must be perfectly parallel and stable, and this generally requires a true case opener, rather than a hand wrench. The Bergeon 5700 opener, as shown below left, clamps the watch firmly in a horizontal position between two rigid nylon blocks and allows the bit to be lowered onto the watch in perfect alignment. It is a shame that other manufacturers do not use similar designs. The design does not, however, lend itself to the use of hand wrenches with the watch improperly supported. The many scratched Rolex backs that watchmakers report are undoubtedly due to the use of unstable and poorly-aligned hand wrenches.
THE DIAL
The black enameled dial of the Explorer is elaborated with a painted white minute track, white gold bar markets filled with tritium, and white gold Arabic numerals at three, six, and nine. The tritium-filled hands are also made in white gold. To my tastes, the markers and hands are oversized and give the dial a cramped and busy appearance. The flat, uncoated sapphire also causes strong reflections that add to the difficulty in easily reading the time. Taste aside, the dial and hands are detailed, extremely well made, and immaculately finished. I would imagine that, together, they represent a significant portion of the manufacturing costs of this watch.
THE BRACELET
For a watch that it is in some ways about its steel bracelet, it is remarkable that this bracelet looks so much like an after-thought. The beautiful case shape and lugs--which were clearly originally designed for use with a strap--are visually almost completely destroyed by the bracelet. Furthermore, the bracelet is not only unintegrated with the watch aesthetically, but physically as well. It is attached to the lugs with standard springs bars (as if it were a strap), and an "insert" is placed between bracelet and case to fill the space between the two. The insert hangs on the spring bar; two awkward (and exposed) tabs behind the lugs stabilize it. Despite the insert having a single purpose--to fill the space between the lugs--it does so very crudely, following neither the contour of the case, nor the lugs. The design and fit is as awkward and unattractive as anything I recall seeing on a production watch. The clasp for the bracelet is comprised of stamped steel pieces that feel cheap, and seem obviously inappropriate in a watch of this cost.
THE MOVEMENT
The Explorer houses a Rolex caliber 3000, a 12.5 ligne (28.5 millimeter) 5.8 millimeter thick, 27 jewel, 28,8000 BPH automatic. Although the movement is largely conventional in design, there are a few unusual design features. The bidirectional automatic winding system is similar to the ETA/Eterna system in using a pair of double-click wheels for winding reverse. (For an explanation of how this system works, see the Horologium article "Anatomy of an $85 Watch: The Swatch Automatic.") The two "red" wheels appear to be fabricated of a light alloy, and are coated with PTFE ("Teflon") for lubrication of the outer teeth and inner clicks . Shown right, the upper PTFE-coated wheel can be seen inverted at the blue arrow, the inner-lower wheel at the yellow arrow. (The red arrow indicates the transmission wheel for hand winding.) Because both upper wheels rotate continuously during movement of the winding rotor in such a double click wheel system, the large size of the wheels may have dictated the light alloy to reduce their mass and thus improve winding efficiency. The alloy is probably also quieter in operation that steel parts would be. I do not know whether the PTFE coating provides the durability that conventionally lubricated steel parts would offer. The automatic winding system is the single best-finished part of the movement. A clever, efficient and cost-saving design solution is also seen in the mounting of the winding rotor shaft, illustrated at left. The top of third wheel jewel has an oddly shaped recess that supports the bottom pivot of the rotor shaft. Thus, a single jewel supports the third wheel from above and the rotor from below. A possible shortcoming in this arrangement might be that a significant shock to the watch would cause the considerable mass of the rotor to displace the friction-fit jewel and disturb the third wheel pinion end-play. The rotor shaft is secured to its mounting in the automatic winding bridge only by a circlip, and shows considerable side-play in operating position. I am told by Rolex service people that this is a not uncommon source of trouble in the otherwise sturdy winding system. The simplicity and over-sized design of the automatic winding system characterizes the entire caliber 3000. The well-finished rotor, inverted and attached to the winding bridge, is shown at right. The only other unusual design feature of the caliber 3000 is the use of a flat (i.e. without overcoil) hairspring without a regulator and an extremely simple version of an adjustable-mass balance, illustrated below left. The green arrow indicates one of the four screws used to provide adjustment of the center of mass of the balance and thus control the rate of the watch. What at first appears to be a regulator (yellow arrow) is, in fact, simply a movable balance spring stud to allow easy adjustment of beat. The Glucydur balance with four screws--called a Microstella balance by Rolex-- provides an extremely simple solution to rate regulation that is also, undoubtedly, less expensive than a conventional regulator. By contrast, the conceptually similar Gyromax balance of Patek Philippe is a refined and expensive system with eight top-mounted rotating, slotted weights. Both systems offer the advantage of not introducing the adjustment complications of a regulator; but both also make simple rate adjustments a more complex and time-consuming task. The Patek system, however, makes screwdriver access (to rotate the weights) from above an easy matter. The Rolex system relies on rotation of the serrated screw heads from the side, presumably with a screwdriver blade, unless the balance is removed from the watch (in which case a special "star" wrench could be used). Judging by the significant damage on all four screws (due to adjustment at the factory), this is not an easy task, at least if it is to be accomplished without damage. (Enough metal had been gouged from the screw heads in this movement that balance poise may well have been affected, damage that would not necessarily appear in the timing figures, but might make future timing adjustments more difficult.) This photograph also illustrates the KIF shock protection for the escape wheel (blue arrow).
PERFORMANCE
On the electronic timer the Explorer showed excellent performance, in a class with many top-notch watches. In the adjusted five positions it showed a daily variation of three seconds per day between the fastest and slowest positions (plus one second crown left and crown up; minus two seconds dial up and dial down). A five second variation on this parameter is a widely accepted standard for high quality, fully adjusted watches. Dial up and dial down readings were virtually identical in terms of rate, beat, and amplitude (a good measure of the condition of balance pivots and vertical centering, or flatness, of the balance spring). The unadjusted position, crown right, was well within the parameters of the adjusted positions at minus two seconds. In daily use, the watch turned in a good, if not outstanding, performance, losing about three to five seconds in various measured 24-hour periods. Assuming a lift angle of 52 degrees (Rolex Service in New York would not supply me with this figure which cannot be readily determined from the watch itself), the amplitude was more than adequate, though not exceptional: 294 degrees in horizontal positions, and 244 to 259 in the various vertical positions. Very fine, well-serviced watches usually provide 310 degrees or better in horizontal positions, 260 or better in vertical positions. Amplitude is a measure of the total efficiency of the movement, and good amplitude is essential to positional adjustments and rating. Beat error fell between zero and 0.3 milliseconds in the various positions, a good performance. Unfortunately, the lowest beat errors were adjusted into the least critical positions, crown up and crown right (both zero). This put the dial up position at 0.2 and the crown down position at 0.3 milliseconds error, positions in which one would normally seek the least error. My only other concern about timer performance is in the intermittent beat error indicated at the blue arrows and inset in the tape illustrated above. While slight variations in beat (in any given position) are almost always apparent in most watches, the error in this watch was an almost perfectly regular, rhythmic error that suggests an irregularity in the escape wheel--possibly an out-of-round condition or a damaged or malformed tooth. Without counting escape wheel teeth (there are more than the usual 15) and timer ticks, I could not be sure of this relationship.

ISSUES OF QUALITY
The timer performance of this caliber 3000 is noteworthy not only for the excellent figures but for the fact that such figures are possible from a movement in the poor condition that this movement was in. The caliber 3000 is obviously engineered for minimum parts count, easy assembly, and economy of manufacture and service. It is an extremely simple movement by design and I imagine that it could be produced in a workman-like way at a cost equal to or below that of some of the most inexpensive automatic movements in current production. As the simplicity of the movement also makes--or ought to make--some contribution to reliability and reduced routine service costs, there is certainly nothing wrong with such a design in an appropriately priced wristwatch. The price of this watch--and the Rolex reputation-- left me entirely unprepared for the number of shortcuts that had been taken in the actual production of this movement. As illustrated at right, both friction-set click wheel jewels in the automatic winding bridge (and many others in the movement) are inserted in holes with completely unfinished edges. Not only are the holes unchamfered, but machining debris remained attached to the edge of hole. As a result, when the jewels were inserted in the holes, they pushed debris in front of them, some of which later fell onto the train wheel bridge below, and the wheel pivots located there; some debris also remained on top of the winding jewels, as illustrated below right. The illustration left shows the purely pragmatic and unadorned finish around the jewel hole of an IWC caliber 884, and suggests how minimum standards of workmanship in such matters should look. Clearly such machining residue acts as an abrasive in a watch movement and is unacceptable in a watch of any cost. Unfortunately, contamination with brass shavings and dust was found in several locations in the watch. One bridge screw, though polished on the (visible) top surface, was so roughly finished on the underside of the head, that it gouged the plate when installed for the first time at the factory (left). The blue arrows indicate gouges in the plate, the red arrow a curl of brass that was cut up from the plate and crushed under the screw head on installation. A handful of the many other quality failures apparent in the movement are illustrated. These include a very roughly finished balance wheel and gouged Microstella screws at all four positions (A); sloppy oiling throughout much of the movement (B); the mostly crudely finished escape wheel I have ever personally seen in a watch (C); a rough fourth wheel with straight-cut teeth (D) (instead of the more expensive epicycloidal teeth expected in any watch of even reasonable quality); and rough edges with excess metal throughout the main plate (E). The few attempts at surface decoration seems ridiculous in this context, and these attempts are, unfortunately, as badly executed as the rest of the movement. These include perlage applied over a very rough surface on the top of the balance cock, which is otherwise unedged and unfinished (F); and a brushed surface on the upper plate which abruptly ends where it is covered by the automatic winding bridge (G). Peculiarly, perlage is also applied to a few isolated strips of the mainplate visible alongside the winding bridge (H). Such pretensions to "fine finishing" seem ridiculous--or merely cynical--when so badly applied to a movement of such poor basic quality. The money would have been better spent on pragmatic finishing that eliminated contamination inside the movement and other very basic work that raised the movement to an acceptable minimum level of functional workmanship. As it stands, this caliber 3000 is the most crudely finished watch movement that I have ever personally examined; and I include in that observation, a number of movements in extremely inexpensive watches.

SOME PERSONAL CONCLUSIONS
The anomalies of the Rolex Explorer make it difficult to neatly summarize a personal opinion. For me, the only intriguing aspect of this watch is that a movement so lacking is basic workmanship is capable of being so accurately timed. This is, no doubt, a product of the thickness (and thus permissible loose tolerances) of the movement, and the use of computer-timed balance/spring assemblies. For the person for whom accuracy of rate in a mechanical watch is the only criterion in buying a watch, and for whom value-for-the-dollar is of little concern, the Explorer might be a choice. In the current watch market, the poor quality of the movement--and relatively good quality of the case and dial--suggests that this watch should retail in the $600 to $800 range. To my tastes, a quartz-controlled watch would provide the functionality of this watch, do it even better, do it with better reliability, do it at an appropriate purchase price, do it at much lower routine maintenance costs, and, in most cases, provide a better piece of craftsmanship in the bargain. Obviously, for the person who wants "a Rolex" for reasons unrelated to the watch itself, this watch might be a choice. For those who would insist on a mechanical watch, there are innumerable other choices in the price range of the Explorer, almost any of which would provide a movement of much better quality. There are also many watches at a quarter or less of the price of the Rolex that exhibit comparable or better workmanship and quality. In fact, I think it would be difficult to find another current production watch, at any price over a few hundred dollars, as deficient in basic workmanship of the mechanicals as the Explorer. I doubt that this watch is representative of Rolex's historical production. Fifteen or 20 years ago, I believe the Rolex was what I expected this watch to be: a sturdy, minimally finished but workmanlike, reliable, work-horse. In thinking about how representative of current production this one sample might be, one must consider how a company produces 700,000 or 800,000 watches in a year. They are produced on assembly lines. Each part installed in the watch is selected randomly from a bin of hundreds or thousands of like parts. Likewise, each operation performed--or omitted--occurs randomly from among thousands of like operations. Thus, to believe that this watch does not represent the current approach to watch making at Rolex, we must believe that this single watch is the unique recipient of a dozen or more randomly-selected defective parts and randomly performed deficient or omitted manufacturing procedures. There are too many defects in this watch to support such an explanation. A mass-produced product with multiple defects represents, in itself, a form of statistical sampling of the total pool of parts and manufacturing operations and procedures. Clearly, the Oyster Perpetual Explorer is not a watch that I could recommend. The cost-efficient engineering of the movement is not remotely reflected in its price; and the extreme ease of service is not reflected in routine service costs provided by the manufacturer. The watch represents an extremely poor value if purchased solely to provide accurate and reliable timekeeping. And it is of no horological interest whatsoever. The contrast between the relatively good external appearance of the watch and the internal appearance is absolutely unparalled in my experience. I cannot think of another consumer product in which the gulf between the publicly perceived quality and the reality I saw is as broad as with the Explorer. (Original located at http://www.timezone.com/library/horologium/horologium631675591245315012)

It is really shocking to think that Rolex puts such a poor quality movement in their rather expensive watches. Contrast that with this article about the humble 7S26:

The Seiko Diver's 200 Meter SKX779

Featuring the 7S26 Automatic Movement
Appended 1-1-2003 by John Davis (ei8htohms) © 2-4-2002 (click on all images to view a larger version)
Introduction
Watches are machines. While some of them may also be works of art, they cannot escape their machineness. There is undoubtedly something fascinating about those examples of the watchmaker's craft, but there is also something to be learned from the droves of micro-machines that are designed and constructed with only performance and economy in mind. There is craft involved in the ability to engineer a movement for production runs in the tens of thousands that is wholly other than the craft involved in manufacturing a movement by hand. It is a skill that I respect and admire, while having even less understanding of its intricacies than I do of traditional watchmaking skills. Being a fan of Seiko's watches though, I won't let my ignorance get in the way of taking apart the 7S26 in an attempt to discover its hows and guess at its whys. The 7S26 automatic movement is a logical step in Seiko's entry level mechanical movement line. Replacing the 7002 in their popular Diver's watches, it incorporates quickset day and date displays (the 7002 was date only), automatic bi-directional winding via Seiko's patented Magic Lever system and the lack of manual winding capability that has become a signature of sorts in entry level automatics from Asia. The watch I will be dismantling for this exercise is the SKX779, a 200 Meter Diver's watch sold (exclusively?) in New Zealand and Australia.
The Case, Dial and Hands
The SKX779 is a large watch. Its case is 41.5 millimeters across without the crown and approximately 12.5 millimeters thick including the domed crystal. It has a very pronounced, scalloped bezel with circular graining that is protected by an equally pronounced bezel-guard that extends upwards from the lugs. While there are those that rightly question the functionality of this design (arguing that sand and dirt get into the space between them and cause the bezel to jam), it is undeniably this curious feature that attracted me to this watch. The bezel guard extends into the crown guard thanks to the location of the crown at the 4 o'clock position. This crown position is more comfortable for such a large watch and is a bit of a trademark with Seiko Diver's through the decades. The dial of the SKX779 has an upward curving minutes chapter that gives it a wonderful depth. This effect is further enhanced by the domed crystal, which lamentably protrudes just slightly beyond the bezel (making it susceptible to scratches). A domed crystal is advantageous on a diver's watch as flat crystals can sometimes have a mirror effect under water. Each of the three hands has a slightly different interpretation of a rocket-ship shape and when the hour and minute hand line up, the resemblance is pronounced. They are painted with an ecru color that matches the hour markers and both are filled with Lumibrite (Seiko's proprietary version of Super-Luminova) and, especially when brand new, glow as brightly as any watch I've seen. I'm always disappointed when watch companies use white day and date rings on a black dial and this is one of the few complaints I have about the classic Seiko Diver's. The color scheme of this watch's dial gets big points from me for the use of black rings with white letters/numbers. Taken altogether, the shape of the hands and case and the depth of the dial through the domed crystal have a vaguely ray-gun gothic effect that I find very appealing. The strongest feature of this version of the Seiko Diver is the bracelet and clasp [1]. The solid link, brushed steel bracelet with polished accents is incredibly sturdy and well designed. It is heavy enough to balance the hefty case well on the wrist and has a wonderfully secure, two-button folding clasp with safety and a wet-suit extension. In addition to providing the peace-of-mind that this bracelet and clasp will in all likelihood never come off of your wrist accidentally (either by breaking or coming unhooked), it has the flexibility to be extended sufficiently to wear over a wetsuit at a moments notice. The links are held together by solid pins with sleeves that are a little tricky to remove and replace but not unduly so. Attaching this wonderful bracelet to the case are the two largest spring bars I've ever seen. In addition to water-tightness, the ability to withstand abuse is a highly desirable feature for a utility watch of this nature. The Seiko Diver has several features that contribute significantly in this regard and a few of them are visible upon removing the solid steel back. The 7S26 uses Seiko's patented Diashock shock protection [3] on the balance pivots, has a soft, plastic spacer ring [4] closely integrated with the movement and a relatively low mass rotor [5] that is unlikely to bend or break even with very severe shocks. The plastic spacer ring, combined with the sheer massiveness of the case, provides a great deal of additional shock resistance and is a more economical solution than a metal spacer ring as well. This combination of economic and sensible engineering is a trend that persists in almost every facet of the design of the 7S26 movement.
Under the Dial
While there is often much disdain amongst watch enthusiasts for plastic components in mechanical wristwatches, I propose that there are instances where it is acceptable and possibly even preferable. One particular area in which plastic is a perfectly logical solution is the calendar mechanism. These are parts that rotate at very slow speeds (or sometimes intermittently) and with very little torque for the majority of their rotation. This combination of features makes them controversial with regards to lubrication. While lubricating them significantly will increase the drag on the movement and possibly ultimately stop the watch, leaving them sparsely lubricated or dry will ultimately result in wear. Plastic is an ideal solution for these components because it is light and self-lubricating. I won't pretend that Seiko's primary concern here is not one of economics, but it is combined with intelligent engineering as well. The plastic parts in question are the quickset wheels, the intermediate calendar wheel and the calendar advance wheel [left]. The calendar advance wheel [8] has two plastic fingers to advance the date and day disks that will easily slip out of the way if the quickset is activated while the calendar is advancing. The calendar mechanism is secured under a very thin but nicely polished metal plate that is held in place with three standard screws and one Phillips head [7]. The presence of this one tiny Phillips screw in the movement is something of a mystery and along with the molded plastic and thin metal plates lends the bottom plate the appearance of a very well made calculator. The first wheel in the quickset mechanism [9] is permanently attached to the underside of the calendar plate. It's only after removing this thin plate that the date ring can be removed and, subsequently, the spacer ring. Such close integration of the spacer ring with the rest of the movement is unique in my experience and sharply contrasts with the usual method of securing the spacer ring to the case. This novel arrangement conceivably contributes to the shock resistance by separating the movement and ring, as one unit, from the case. After removing the calendar plate we can also observe the oddly shaped teeth of the clutch and quickset pinion [10], all the more visible because of the utter lack of keyless works on the bottom plate. Because there is no winding pinion (no manual winding capability), in its place is a quickset pinion. The square teeth of this pinion mesh with identical teeth on the clutch when the stem is in the second position and allow the quickset pinion to turn in either direction: clockwise to advance the date and counterclockwise to advance the day indicator. The second quickset intermediate wheel (the white plastic wheel with traditional teeth) then slides into engagement with either the date ring or the third intermediate wheel (with the wolf teeth) which advances the day disk. This is a very functional and robust quickset and calendar mechanism and, being largely made of plastic components, requires no lubrication. Another thin plate holds the intermediate calendar wheel, c! alendar advance wheel and hour wheel in place and after removing them we can contemplate the top plate of the movement.
The Automatic System
One of my favorite features of Seiko automatics is the Magic Lever winding system. Earlier versions of this winding system involved only three moving parts: the rotor, the Magic Lever and the pawl wheel. Current implementations use one extra wheel for a total of four moving parts. This simplicity of design adds to its robustness while maintaining a high level of functionality. Along with the lack of manual winding, it makes the 7S26 one of the simplest automatics around. The basic functioning of the Magic Lever system can be understood from these diagrams [11,12] from a Seiko Credor catalog. The coupling between the lever and the intermediate wheel functions on the same principle as a locomotive (or a choo-choo as shown in the diagram). The two arms of the Magic Lever [13] then drive the pawl wheel. They alternately pull and push the pawl wheel in the counterclockwise direction as the intermediate wheel rotates in conjunction with the rotor. The intermediate whee! l and pawl lever cannot be removed until the ¾ bridge is removed as the intermediate wheel is held onto the bridge with a semi-circular clip on the underside of the bridge [14]. For the sake of comparison, an ETA 2892 winds the mainspring arbor one rotation with 155 turns of the rotor. The current implementation of the Magic Lever winds the mainspring arbor one rotation for 166 turns of the rotor. Another factor to consider when contemplating automatic system efficiency is the dead angle. The dead angle is the angle of back and forth movements that the rotor can experience without any winding energy being transmitted to the barrel. The dead angle of the Magic Lever is slightly larger than in the 2892 (by five degrees or so) although I haven't precisely calculated either. There are many other subtle factors that effect the efficiency of an automatic system but I feel safe in assuming that Seiko's system is slightly less efficient than ETA's (at least the 2892, which differs from the 2824 and 7750). ETA's automatic systems are remarkably more complex and expensive to manufacture though and I've yet to hear of a Seiko automatic that does not w! ind sufficiently in use. It is not at all uncommon to find some wear around the lever arms and intermediate wheel coupling in older versions of the Magic Lever system. This example showed some wear [15] underneath the pawl wheel. This amount of wear is fairly significant for a watch that is less than two years old. On the whole, the automatic system is a triumph of simplicity that comes with some apparent sacrifices to longevity as well as efficiency.
The Power Train
Upon removing the ¾ bridge, we can get at the barrel, the power train and the oddly placed keyless works [left]. It is quite rare to see keyless works on the bridge side of the movement and is facilitated in this case by the absence of manual winding capability. By placing the clutch lever, set lever and detent where the crown wheel would usually be, the space on the dial side can be used for the quickset mechanism alone. This allows all of these components to be quite a bit beefier than they would be otherwise. The increased size of these levers and wheels adds to their robustness as well as their ease of manufacture, owing to the looser tolerances required. The set lever has a three-position detent and pivots on a post, rather than a screw. It's tail end serves as a push-button to release the stem from the movement and can only be operated when the stem is in the neutral (1st) position. Most keyless arrangements have one position in which it is most convenient to! replace the stem, it is nice that the 7S26 dictates this by only allowing the stem to be removed in one position. The set lever acts as its own return spring by way of its extended tail. This does away with the need for a wire spring, none of which are found in the 7S26. The click [16] on the 7S26 is also remarkably simple. It consists of a long steel spring held in place by sheer geometry, without the use of screws. It lies under the click wheel and is held in place by a brass pin on one side, a raised portion of the mainplate on the other and the ¾ plate bridge on top. The barrel [17] is circular grained on the top and bottom and is replaceable as a whole unit. Although it is possible to open the barrel, it is not designed with this in mind. These pictures [18,19] are of a faulty barrel my friend Randall Bensen encountered. Inside we can see the insufficiently applied black graphite-laden grease [18]. He replaced it with a whole new barrel (an appropriate precaution given the permanently sealed nature of these barrels) and proceeded to open up the bad one. After he took the mainspring out and cleaned it, we can see that the inner surfaces of the barrel are unfinished [19]. While this will undeniably effect the consistency of the ! power flow from the mainspring, a host of other refinements throughout the train and escapement would be necessary before evidence of this effect could be noticed. The power train of the 7S26 is a direct-seconds layout of the simplest configuration [right]. Quite remarkable for a low-cost movement such as this, are the Diafix cap jewels on the third wheel and escape wheel [20]. These jewels bring the total number to 21, quite sufficient for an automatic watch, especially with only two jewels in the automatic system (for the intermediate wheel). The power train wheels are crudely finished and appear to be made of nickel. This is the first time I've seen nickel train wheels. Traditionally, train wheels are made of brass because it is relatively strong, cheap, easily machined and wears well in contact with steel. Nickel has these same features while being slightly stronger and more difficult to machine. It's use for train wheels does not seem to be dictated by cost so I can only surmise that its greater strength is desired. All of the train wheels have properly shaped teeth although their faces are not well polished with the exception of the escape wheel. The center wheel [22] is actually a solid disk, having no spokes or even holes drilled through it (as do some train wheels in earlier movements). While this is not ideal from the standpoint of inertia, the second wheel is the slowest moving of the four train wheels, making its inertia the least critical. Disconcertingly, the lower pivot on the third wheel was completely flooded with oil [21]. There was so much oil present that it had contaminated the teeth of the center wheel [22] and would have resulted in serious wear issues, over time capturing the inevitable micro-metallic dust and turning it into an abrasive paste. Apparently one of Seiko's robots was asleep at the wheel when applying lubrication to this pivot.
The Escapement
The escape wheel teeth [23], while appropriately polished, are not beveled at all, leaving a rather wide face to impulse the pallet jewels. This means more friction and less power. One possible reason for these wide impulse surfaces is to prolong the life of the pallet stones. The wide faces of the escape wheel teeth are less likely to groove the pallet stones even after years of use. Seiko escapements also seem to have an unusually large locking depth (the extent to which the pallet jewels lock the escape wheel teeth). In all likelihood this is a concession to looser tolerances in the manufacturing process and in my experience often results in a lower balance amplitude. The pallet bridge [24] is nicely shaped and supports a very homely pallet lever [25]. The topside of the pallet appears to have had its insides scooped out and is utterly unfinished. Interestingly, the underside of the pallet fork is fairly well polished, contrasting with the Swiss tendency to finish the top of the pallet fork and not the bottom. At least I can say they weren't trying to hide anything. I can only guess that the weird, semi-hollow form of the pallet fork is an attempt to make the pallet fork lighter, something that is highly desirable in this critical component. The balance itself [27] has two arms and is of unknown composition. If I had to guess, I'd say it was made of a nickel alloy and the hairspring is made of some form of elinvar. It is not as critical for the balance to be made of a material that is stable over different temperatures as the hairspring, but without a variant of elinvar for the hairspring, it would be impossible for the movement to perform well in daily use. The hairspring is flat and is attached to the collet [28] in a manner that avoids the problems inherent in traditional pinning methods. A pinned hairspring has its elasticity compromised in close proximity to the pinning point as the spring's cross-section curves around the pin. In addition, the hairspring must be bent profoundly from its even, concentric spiral shape to where it enters the collet. Seiko's arrangement does away with both of these problems as the inner coil of the hairspring is crimped in a groove in the collet without disturbing its! shape. The outer coil of the hairspring is similarly crimped in a slot in the stud [29]. Although this is a perfectly functional solution, it negates the possibility of altering the length of the hairspring in the future, resulting in a balance that is effectively disposable. The regulator uses a buckle [30] (as opposed to simple pins) to keep the hairspring from slipping out when subjected to shocks. Like all of the components of the movement, it is crudely made but well designed and functional. A watch is said to be "in beat" if the tick and the tock are equally distributed around the resting position of the balance and this is controlled by either rotating the hairspring collet on the balance staff or changing the position of the stud. For ease of beat adjustment, the balance cock of the 7S26 features a movable stud carrier that I fault only for being a little too large. Its excessive, unbalanced weight can cause it to shift during shipping or when dropped, resulting in a significant rate change as well as throwing the escapement out of beat. If the escapement goes too far out of beat, its ability to self-start after running down will be hampered in addition to positional performance problems.
Conclusion
There are many positive things I can say about this movement, but the most relevant is that it is exceedingly honest, almost to a fault. It is an economic design and construction that is created for maximum performance and robustness at minimal cost. It has no pretenses of decoration or "fineness". In fact, it uses this very freedom from tradition to incorporate engineering solutions that would otherwise be shunned, like the plastic calendar wheels and spacer ring. It is heartily true unto itself as a low cost, low maintenance, long lasting and well functioning automatic movement. It is not pretty and it is not glamorous. It is in all likelihood untouched by human hands in its manufacture. There is, however, significant accomplishment in its conception and implementation. Without the Seiko 7S26 and comparable movements from Miyota (Citizen), Orient, and Swatch, many people would not be able to experience the joy of owning a mechanical watch at all. Given the reliability and robustness of the 7S26 movement, the quality of execution and general massiveness of the SKX779's bracelet and case, and it's striking looks, this is a lot of watch for the money. I would not hesitate to recommend it to someone interested in a watch that will perform well under any circumstances (ok, maybe not with a tux) while requiring no special attention. I will not be shocked in the least if this watch runs for twenty years without service (maybe fifteen now that I've replaced the Seiko lubricants with Moebius greases and oils) and fully expect to read extreme stories in the future regarding 7S26 based Seiko Diver's. It is a fitting addition to the illustrious Seiko Diver line. _john
Addendum
In commenting on the wear I found in the automatic system, I believe I over-emphasized its significance and the likeliness of long term repercussions. While the amount of wear present under the pawl wheel was more than I would expect to see in such a young movement, the Magic Lever system remains only slightly modified from earlier designs, many examples of which have been observed to perform well for 10, 20 or more years without service. I think the amount of cosmetic wear is significant but I don't believe that it will adversely affect the longevity of the automatic system or movement overall. Since publishing this review, I have come to better understand the action of the Magic Lever and how its dead angle relates to winding efficiency. In the discussion of the Magic Lever in the review, I said "The dead angle of the Magic Lever is slightly larger than in the 2892" but I now realize that is not exactly true. While most automatic systems have a dead angle that is more or less consistent regardless of the position of the rotor, the geometry of the eccentrically mounted Magic Lever results in a dead angle of varying size, depending on the position of the rotor. In the 7S26, a gear on the underside of the rotor is coupled with a drive wheel. The Magic Lever is in turn driven by an eccentrically mounted post on the drive wheel from a point I have called the "pawl lever axis" in the diagram. The key to understanding the action of the Magic Lever lies in understanding that the "entrance pawl" and "exit pawl" both provide winding (or maintaining) action and slipping (or releasing) action, sometimes alternately and at other times together, depending on the position of the lever at the time. Considering only the entrance pawl first, it can be seen that if the pawl axis is moving from A to B (in either the counterclockwise or clockwise direction), the entrance pawl will be pulling on the teeth of the pawl wheel and providing winding action. Conversely, if the pawl axis is moving from B to A, it is either slipping over the pawl wheel teeth or allowing it to recoil somewhat. As regards the exit pawl, when the pawl axis is moving from D to C, it is providing winding action by pushing on the pawl wheel teeth and is slipping or allowing recoil when the pawl axis is moving from C to D. At first glance, it might seem that the range of motion of the pawl axis between A and C in the clockwise direction and between D and B in the counterclockwise direction would be the most productive portions of the motion of the drive wheel as the winding action of both pawls is being utilized. In fact though, since there is no slipping action, there is nothing to maintain the winding action if the direction of the drive wheel is reversed anywhere along that section of its rotation. This translates to a very large dead angle in the short portions of the drive wheel rotation between these four points. That is to say, if the Magic Lever wobbles back and forth in this region for a while, no winding action will be transferred to the mainspring. Conversely though, the larger portion of the pawl axis' motion between these four points results in a very small dead angle. When the pawl axis is moving between A and D (in either direction) or between B and C (in either direction), the action of one pawl is complimented by the slipping action of the other, translating the maximum amount of winding action to the pawl wheel (keeping in mind that the pawl wheel teeth in the diagram are greatly exaggerated and are in actuality very fine). The dead angle is at its smallest when the pawl axis is halfway between A and D or halfway between B and C (approximately where it is in the diagram). By attaching the rotor so that the minimum dead angle of the rotor corresponds to its natural, relaxed state in the crown down position, the winding efficiency is maximized. In this way, the normal movements of the arm (particularly in activites like walking, where the watch is crown down most of the time) will result in the greatest winding action. While it is true that in certain rotor positions the dead angle is quite large, in other positions it is incredibly small (relative to other automatic systems). If the rotor is positioned properly when installed in the movement, the dead angle is minimized when the rotor is in the crown down position (approximately). This ensures that the minimum dead angle zone is capitalized on during wear (when the majority of the time is spent in the crown down position) to maximize winding efficiency. To assist the watchmaker in positioning the rotor correctly, there is a small hole in the drive wheel that lines up with a hole in the balance bridge when the rotor is in line with the crown. This capitalization on the idiosyncracies of the Magic Lever geometery likely accounts for the efficient winding action most Seiko wearers experience in actual use. Unfortunately for us it also makes it impossible to compare its efficiency with that of other automatic systems without exhaustive real world testing. _john January 1, 2003 Original Article is located here:http://www.thepurists.com/watch/features/8ohms/7s26/

Notice how there is no mention about quality issues, except for 1 over oiled pivot. The Rolex had the same problem (and many more!) The 7S26 is smaller as well, only 4.9mm high compared to the rather beefy 6mm of the 3000. The biggest difference is the price. You can get a 7S26 equipped Seiko for $60. The Rolex Explorer is around $4000! It really makes you think twice before diving into a 'quality timepiece' from Rolex when a humble Seiko 5 has a better quality controlled movement. Another big difference is the automatic winding systems. The Seiko uses 4 moving parts and the rotor is on ball bearings. The Rolex uses 10 moving parts and uses a simple metal axle, which can wear down in just a few short years.

DG2803RotorSide

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:38:30 +0000

DG2803RotorSide

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:38:56 +0000

dg1

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:46:34 +0000

dg2

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:47:00 +0000

Think I found out something...

Dave the watch phreak. — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 20:50:16 +0000

I was looking at my "Speedmaster" and I think I finally found out what the movement really is.

Mine It is definitely not a Seagull movement, but a DG3836 from Man Power Technologies, Guangdong Province, China. This is around where the watch was made and has all the features of the movement. Automatic, with day at 9, date at 3 and 24 hour dial at 6. Looks like it is about a whopping $17 wholesale. It looks like it has 17 jewels, since there are only cap jewels on the balance wheel. If it was a 21 jewel, cap jewels would be evident on the escape and 3rd wheel. It is 21,800 BPH, with only a 32 hour power reserve. You can see from the wholesaler's photos, this movement looks identical. I thought only my example does not have +/- or F/S on the regulator, but they seem to omit which direction will adjust the speed of the balance.

time_beater

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:21:04 +0000

Resurrected

Dave the watch phreak. — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 22:24:05 +0000

I pulled this old friend out of the junk heap and decided to give it another chance. I put is on a $5.00 nylon band which does 2 things. 1) It keeps the base metal away from my skin, making it wearable again and 2) it gives it a really military look, which compliments the watch well. Another important change is that I polished most of the huge scratch out of the crystal, making it look years younger. I will keep this watch as a beater until the battery goes, then it is just not worth it. Welcome back old boy.