Zodiac Oceanaire ZO8000 Swiss Automatic Diver

It's been so long since I've worn this watch that I forgot it had a bracelet. I think I came very close to buying the rubber strap version a while ago, but bought this brand new one secondhand from a WUS forumer who thought it was too big for him. It certainly is big: 45mm across with 24mm lugs, and the weight to match. At the time of release (about 5 years ago) these were pretty popular among watch geeks. I believe the main reason was that while it was a diver's watch, it had a unique design (while plenty of other watches in this price range were copy of something else.) Also, they seemed to be a little difficult to find since Zodiac didn't have many retailers (probably still doesn't) and initially nobody had these online. It's a great looking watch, as you can see in my pics, as well as here and here. The overall package feels very high quality, as it should in a "Swiss Made" watch, and I've found the timekeeping to be excellent as well. Unlike many Swiss automatic watches, this does not use an ETA movement, but a Claro-Semag CL-888. There has been some minor controversy over this movement and the "Swiss Made" label, but it sounds like it follows a manufacturing process similar to other more well known Swiss movements. They're still making some versions of this watch and the price hasn't really gone down, although occasionally you will see them on sale via eBay or Zodiac's own store. I've been to a few Fossil (owners of Zodiac) outlets and while they've had other Zodiacs, I've never seen this or any other automatic Zodiac there. If I saw another version for the right price I wouldn't hesitate to buy it.

Magico 20001-11 Carbon Fiber Automatic Diver

This is a cheap watch. It cost me under $50 brand new, including shipping, and even came with a watch winder. It's made from Chinese parts, almost certainly assembled in China, and is from a manufacturer I had never heard of before.

And it's fantastic.

The first thing you notice about this watch when you pick it up is the weight. I wish I had a scale handy, but I'd say it's something like seven or eight ounces. And solid. The chunky links of the 24mm bracelet are tight and the double-butterfly clasp locks securely, even without a push button mechanism. The case is 46mm wide with broad sides and fancy lugs that integrate well with the bracelet (but would make fitting a strap a bit difficult.) It has a water resistance rating of 200m and a unidirectional bezel, so it would be suitable for diving. The bezel is reasonably tight, although I know some people want them to be downright difficult to turn. This one is tight enough that it won't be accidentally turned by something and there's very little slop in the mechanism. The oversized crown has grooves in it that remind me of gun barrel rifling, with just a slight twist to assist in gripping it. The whole face is kind of similar to a Seiko Monster, although the hour markers are much smaller and lume not as great. The real carbon fiber dial is very attractive and adds some depth to what would otherwise be rather plain. The movement is a 25 jewel Miyota 8215 workhorse and keeps excellent time, as good as many Swiss watches costing ten or twenty times as much. Magico is one of the many brands of The SWI Group, and while I can't go so far as to recommend all their watches, or even all their Magico-branded watches, this particular model is a great buy, even at twice what I paid.

Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Automatic Diver 2200.50.00

I won't bore you by repeating info that can be found elsewhere. I don't know why I was drawn to this watch exactly. It was certainly my first watch that I consider to be very expensive. It was in fall of 2004 that my girlfriend (now my wife) bought me my first new Hamilton that I mark as the beginning of my serious interest in watches. In the following year I amassed a handful of watches: more Hamiltons, Seikos, Orients, etc. But I recall seeing photos of the new-for-2005 Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean and I immediately wanted one. I had liked the previous Seamasters, and I've always been a James Bond fan so I was definitely aware of them. I think the Planet Ocean represented a fresh, modern design but still incorporated classic elements from Omega's history, like from the Seamaster 300 and Broad Arrow Speedmaster. So, I realized I wanted one but the price - oh, the price! - every car I had owned before 2004 had cost less than the list price of the Planet Ocean. Of course, those nine cars combined also cost less than the car I bought in 2004, but I digress. Fortunately, discounts can be found on Omega watches, especially if you're willing to travel to the Caribbean or order over the internet. By the time I went on my second trip to the Caribbean in September 2005 I was prepared to purchase a Planet Ocean if the price was right. Unfortunately, even with a good deal of haggling, the best price I could find was several hundred more than I wanted to pay. It was close, but I certainly did not have to purchase the watch right away, so I came home from vacation with no new Omega, nor any other watches. (I also recall on that trip seeing a Seamaster Railmaster XXL Chronometer on display and being very drawn to that as well. It's very attractive and I think I would very much like to have one someday.) Fortunately, my waiting paid off as a major internet retailer had a sale a few weeks later that took a large percentage off their already discounted prices and I jumped on the offer without hesitation. I wore my new Planet Ocean for a couple months after I received before I felt like I was really tempting fate wearing such an expensive watch on a daily basis. I put it in my watch case and wore it from time to time, especially on special occasions, if suitable. Now, with this blog project, I haven't worn my Omega since before I began, which was March 3rd of this year. Putting it on today it was no less impressive than the first time I wore it. It's a fantastic watch and while I think I might find similar (either in price, style or "prestige") watches in my collection someday, I don't know that my fondness for my Planet Ocean will ever diminish.

On that note, I must say my little "project" or "experiment" here is due to change. I have run out of watches (although I do have one incoming, which I'm sure you don't find surprising.) So, moving forward, I'm not sure if I will be posting daily, nor do I think I will always be posting pictures and articles of my own watches. I think you'll probably see any of my new watches photographed and profiled here, and I will also take photos and do some quick write-ups of watches I have worn before but have either been modified or fitted with different straps for different looks. To everybody who has read my blog I thank you, whether you started at the beginning or jumped in mid-stream. If you haven't read everything, please feel free to go back and read the old posts to see what you missed. Thanks again.

Casio G-Shock GW-225C-1 Master Blue Frogman

Yes, another new watch, and a Frogman no less. But really, I had no choice. I've been watching these on eBay for six months or more, and while I didn't want one as badly as I did a Dawn Black Frogman or Glorious Gold Frogman, I did think it was very good looking. Additionally, only three G-Shock 25th Anniversary Frogmen models have been released, so this completes my set. Prices of these watches just seemed to be going up and up, so when I saw an online retailer got a few in stock, I jumped on the opportunity. It's getting to be difficult to decide whether to pre-order special G-Shocks and pay full retail or a little more even, or wait until after they are released and hope for a decent (20-30%) discount. If they never make it to retailers that discount, then you're stuck buying from the secondary market or speculators and will pay a lot more. It used to be you could count on waiting, finding what you want (provided it was released in the U.S.A. in my case) and get a good discount, but that seems to be increasingly risky. So, I consider myself lucky that I got one of these. Honestly, it's much nicer than I expected with some subtle details that I hadn't noticed in photographs. When I initially heard of the Master Blue Frogman and saw a few pictures I thought the case was a dark blue. It is actually black, and the only blue on the watch is the "G-SHOCK" text above the display and the blue tint of the LCD. The most unique feature is the black PVD case and buttons instead of the typical titanium-colored case and polished buttons. The decorative "screws" at 1 and 5 o'clock are also given a black finish, although not as dark as the buttons and case. The caseback is polished gold-tone, the same as the other 25th Anniversary Frogmen. A different finish would have been nice there as well, but I don't mind it. There are two other Master Blue models, an atomic Mudman and atomic Gulfman, but those seem to be just as scarce and more expensive than the Master Blue Frogman, so I don't see myself adding them to my collection anytime soon. (I did purchase two of these and am selling the brand new one on the Watchuseek sales forum. If you're interested, let me know.)

Seiko SKX779 "Black Monster" Automatic Diver

As I mentioned when I wore my Seiko Orange Monster, it was strange that I didn't have a Black Monster, but I hadn't gotten around to it yet. Well, last week I saw a deal on the SKX779 on the rubber strap that was too good to pass up. I'm not sure if I would have preferred the bracelet, but I already have the bracelet on my Orange Monster so I could always switch them. I do think if I had to have either one on the black rubber, I would prefer the Black Monster since it matches better. I might even get a black leather strap for it, like the Di-Modell Chronissimo which looks really great on it. Amazingly, after seeing hundreds, if not thousands of pictures of Black Monsters on both PMWF and other forums, I never realized that the hands were light tan in color. I guess they are pretty close to the color of the luminous material, close enough to appear the same in photographs. For some reason I just always assumed they were white like the printing on the dial. Like the Orange Monster, it's a great looking watch. The brushed and polished finishes work great together, and the black dial gives it a more subdued look, but it's still not a watch that will be inconspicuous.

LumiSport Quartz Diver

My watch today is a LumiSport quartz diver's watch. I've only ever seen a few watches branded LumiSport and I've heard they were once sold by Sears. As you might guess from its looks and the tritium vial night illumination, this was made by mb-microtec who also makes Luminox and Traser watches. Here's a very similar LumiSport that was for sale on the WUS forum (I paid much less for mine and it was brand new.) This watch is in some ways nicer than my Luminox 3005, namely, its stainless steel case, screw-down back and screw-down crown. It has the same Ronda Swiss quartz movement (which means I could also swap this dial for a MKII dial, which was my intention when I bought it,) same hands and illumination system, but the bezel is more low-profile on the LumiSport. I guess if you're actually using the bezel the chunkier one on the Luminox would be better, especially underwater or when wearing gloves. They both have a 200m water resistance rating, and I'm sure both are very durable, but the stainless case and back on the LumiSport just seems like it will last forever while the plastic case on the Luminox seems lighter and more fragile. Really, I like them both, and they're different enough that I don't feel the need to get rid of one. While I still my swap out the dial on this watch (I could even use my old yellow Luminox dial if I wanted to) the blue dial is kind of growing on me, so maybe I'll keep it like this for a while longer. (The photo below that seems at first to be all black is actually a photo of the illumination of the watch is near darkness. It was the best I could do at work with poor light control and my point-and-shoot camera. In complete darkness, when your eyes are adjusted it really does look very bright, like this. Image from here.)

Non-Stop G-Shocks: GW-205K-2DR I.C.E.R.C. Frogman

Today's watch is the last Frogman I currently own, a GW-205K-2DR. It's another I.C.E.R.C. model and was released in June of 2005. Like most of my Frogmen it's titanium, Tough Solar and has Multi Site Memory. This one sets itself apart from the rest with its unique color scheme; a dark blue, slightly translucent bezel with a very light grey-blue band, both in a matte finish. It also has what looks like a sperm whale in the EL backlight and the I.C.E.R.C. logo on the polished titanium caseback. It's a very cool and unique Frogman and I'm happy to have it in my collection.