I made it myself!

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.

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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:

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

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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.

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Dakota Watches

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:

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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.

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The opposite of my site

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.

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Quartz Fun

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:

5m62_1

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:

5m62_2

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.

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

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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:

miyota_s10

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:

7t62-movement

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.

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First Impressions, Fustration, and Happiness (Hopefully)

You only get one chance at a first impression, so when I saw this watch, I thought it was very nice looking:

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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:

beb006b
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.

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Interesting new Fossils

Got a flyer in the mail for Fossil and on the back cover they have some decent looking Speedmaster look-a-likes:
Basic Black:

fossil_black_speedmaster

And a neat green:

fossil_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.

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Back from vacation.

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:

orvis_watch

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:

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He was very impressed with mine:

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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:

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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.

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I do like switching out my wedding ring.  Hey, no matter what I wear, I am still married.

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Changing tastes

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.

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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

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.

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A wonderful, watch filled birthday.

Got lots of fun watch related toys for my birthday.

First off is a Modena brand silicone band for my Orange Bullet:

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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:

deployant

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:

compass_on_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:

buckle
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.

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