Seiko SNDA67 Chronograph

As you may have noticed, I don't have many analog quartz watches. (I'll admit, after looking through my previous blog posts, I do have more than I realized.) They simply don't hold the same appeal for me as mechanical watches. Occasionally, I do find one that is hard to resist. Today I'm wearing one such watch, a Seiko SNDA67 chronograph. I was mainly drawn to this by its functional looks, very reminiscent of some Sinn/Bell & Ross dials as well as other military-style watches. It's highly legible with thick hands and big hour and minute markers. The chronograph function measures to 1/20 of a second which is a nice feature (and watching the 1/20 sec. hand spin through its 20 clicks once a second is temporarily entertaining.) The case is a good size, about 44mm diameter, but lower profile than most of my automatic chronographs. Overall finish is excellent, typical of Seiko, and while the bracelet isn't up to that of a Seiko Monster, it's still nicer than many. The crystal is Hardlex, Seiko's proprietary hardened mineral crystal, so it should be pretty resistant to scratches. The crystal doesn't have any anti-reflective coating, so glare could be a factor depending on the scenario. This watch has an MSRP of $295, but is readily available for less than half that. It's definitely a solid package at a nice price.

Citizen BL9000-59F Minute Repeater

Once again, my old pictures look better than my new ones, so I'm using those. I am wearing my Citizen BL9000-59F today, although it took a few hours on the windowsill to bring it back to life this morning, as well as tracking down the manual online and figuring out how to set the time and date. My watch storage cabinet doesn't get any direct sunlight, and this being an Eco-Drive (Citizen's fancy name for their solar-charged battery-powered quartz watches) it needs at least a little sun to keep running. This is possibly the only watch I own that has such a complicated setting routine, involving setting the hands to their default positions, then setting the main dial time, subdial time (making sure the AM/PM indicator is closest to the bottom,) then the year (represented as number of years since the last leap year, in this case, 3,) month and day. That all being said, it would be a non-issue if I wore the watch daily, or even monthly, but I probably haven't worn it in close to a year. I have a friend who rotates one of these along with a few other watches and he seems to never have an issue with needing to charge his watch and reset everything. Really, it's a great watch. The Citizen Calibre 9000 is an amazing piece of technology. First off, it's probably the only way a non-millionaire can possess a minute repeater. A quick glance at Google Shopping shows prices of non-Citizen minute repeaters range from $20,000 to $750,000. Even some more expensive Citizen minute repeaters run into the thousands of dollars. For those unfamiliar (as I was before I had this watch) a minute repeater tells the time through a series of tones. In the case of the Calibre 9000, it works as follows: "Press and hold the button at the 2 o'clock position until it starts to chime. First you will hear one long tone for each hour, then each quarter hour have a quick double chime, then each minute will have single short tones. For example, if the time is 2:48, you will hear two long chimes for the hour, then 3 quick double chimes to indicate 45 minutes (three 15 minute periods), bringing the time to 2:45, then 3 quick chimes for 3 minutes past the last quarter hour, indicating 48 minutes after 2." It also has a perpetual calendar that should keep the proper date through the year 2100, two daily alarms (one for the main time and one for the inset or "local" time) and an AM/PM indicator. Build quality is excellent, as is expected from Citizen. The front of the case and bracelet is highly polished with the exception of the bracelet center links which are brushed. The mineral glass crystal is slightly domed which does a good job of cutting down on reflections even without an anti-reflective coating. I find the dial quite attractive, although I could understand if some find it to busy. I think the color scheme of black, white and chrome with the orange accents works well, although I've seen other Calibre 9000 watches with more subdued dials that are also very nice. The case is 42mm in diameter ad 14mm thick and feels quite substantial but not overly large. The bracelet also feels very well built and is comfortable. Like many of my watches, I regret not giving this one more wrist time. It would make a great travel watch since it has the two time zones, alarm and would easily coordinate with dress clothes or casual clothes and everything in between.

A Bathing Ape Type 1 Clear Shark Bapex

Today I'm wearing one of my most unique watches, but I'm sure some people won't like it at all. It's out of the ordinary for me to pick a watch purely for its style and ignore its function (or lack thereof.) I suppose as I've expanded my collection I realize that all watches are some combination of art and engineering, so just because this watch falls heavily on the "pop art" end of the scale, it doesn't make it any less interesting. This is a watch from A Bathing Ape (often just shortened to BAPE) and was purchased via eBay from a seller in Japan. BAPE merchandise is notoriously expensive, and because of this counterfeits are common (especially on eBay, and especially of BAPE G-Shocks.) This one is authentic, although it was still less expensive than many of the BAPE G-Shocks that I've seen. The watches in this collection were released last August and included gray, navy and red varieties. I've always been a fan of camouflage when paired with bright colors, so the red watch was an easy choice. BAPE has had a number of watches in the past labeled "BAPEX" as a play on "Rolex", and they tend to be inspired by the shape of the Rolex Submariner, Explorer, Daytona or other models. They're certainly never up to Rolex quality, but in the case of this watch it would never been mistaken for a fake Rolex as its constructed entirely of clear plastic. I believe this style was initially popularized by ToyWatch, a brand who have seemed to move on to ceramic-look watches recently. The design on the dial of my Bapex is inspired by the BAPE Shark Hoodies from a few years ago. The design of those hoodies seems to be inspired by WWII fighter planes. The "WGM" on the dial stands for "World Gone Mad" which I suppose is one of their many slogans, like "Made by Human" and "Ape Shall Never Kill Ape" (which is actually stamped on the inside links of the bracelet clasp.) The watch isn't a bad size, about 40mm across with 18mm lugs, but any smaller and I would be disappointed. Also, because this was designed for the Japanese market, it just barely fits around my 6.5" wrist, so no sizing or adjusting was necessary. I think it's a unique and great-looking watch and I'm very happy to have it in my collection.

WeWOOD DATE beige/brown

Today I'm wearing my WeWOOD DATE watch for the first time. Not since the Tissot Rockwatch has a watch's material been such a focal point. (Surprisingly, it appears Tissot is manufacturing new Rockwatches although they have no mention of them on the Tissot site.) Unlike the Rockwatch, however, the WeWOOD DATE has an underlying message of conservation and environmental responsibility. Not only is WeWOOD using natural materials in their watches, in some cases wood scraps that would otherwise be industrial waste, but for each watch sold they plant a tree through American Forests. The watch itself has some unique qualities. Because it's made from wood, it's very light and it's actually easy to forget you're wearing it. You would want to remember before swimming or otherwise exposing it to water though. WeWOOD claims its watches are "splash-proof", but they carry no official water resistance rating, and they also caution that the wood can swell when exposed to water (although it should return to normal size when dried.) I would err on the side of caution and just not get it wet. The various woodgrains give it a unique look and feel, and no two watches are exactly alike. It also has a nice warmth that you don't find in watches made from more traditional materials. While the watch is made in China, it does contain a Miyota quartz movement that seems to be very accurate. I have no doubt that it should provide many years of worry-free timekeeping. The bracelet has six links that are removable and is easily resizeable using a small screwdriver. It should fit all but the very largest of wrists. The case is close to 40mm wide and the bracelet is about 25mm wide and untapered with a stainless steel clasp. While it's smaller than many of my watches it's a good size and should get noticed. I find this particular color combination to be very attractive, with the various wood grains providing a nice contrast. I'm also interested in the CRONO model, especially in ebony wood, although it probably has the least obvious grain pattern of the woods they use. My only complaints about the watch are the lack of a rotating bezel and the flat, uncoated crystal. The bezel looks like it should move, with a serrated pattern around the edge and minute markings, but it is definitely fixed. I suppose I wouldn't mind if it was smooth or otherwise didn't look like it should work. A domed or coated crystal would not only cut down on reflections and make the dial more legible, but would also give the watch a little more upscale look. I also find it a bit puzzling or amusing that this model is called DATE yet doesn't have one. These are minor quibbles, however, and I'm very happy with the watch overall. WeWOOD's message is certainly one everybody can get behind, and I think they have a style and color combination of watch suitable for everybody as well.

Fossil Quartz

Today I'm wearing this Fossil. My only Fossil, now that I think about it. I've certainly seen others that I've liked over the years, but not enough to buy one. I got this as a Christmas gift from my parents in either 1991 or 1992. If I recall correctly, it came on a combination leather and fabric strap similar to these. The original strap deteriorated after wearing it for many years and I recently replaced it with this crocodile grain leather strap that matches the dial very well. The case originally had a antiqued finish but it too deteriorated over time (the finish, not the case.) I cleaned it up a few years back and got a nice shine out of the brass, but since then it has picked up a bit of a patina. It's still quite attractive, in my opinion. I probably don't need to explain why it's not running, right? It will, and I will find the right cell for it, but who knows when. Regardless, enjoy the pics, including those of the unique original packaging at the bottom of the page.

Bulova Quartz

Today I'm wearing this Bulova quartz from 1980. It's another of my quartz watches that I don't currently have a power cell for. Wouldn't it be nice if there were, say, 5 sizes of watch power cells? In reality, there are probably 50 or more sizes. So while I have a large selection, and I try to buy extras whenever I replace any, there are some sizes that I simply don't have. I did manage to find a cell that almost fit, and the watch started and ran, but it was too tall to get the back on. Knowing that the watch works, I'm inclined to find the right cell size since I think it's pretty good looking. For some reason I don't see too many watches with gold (-plated) cases and gold (-tone) faces, but it's a nice look. It's on a genuine water buffalo strap which is also nice, but maybe a little too rustic for a dressier watch like this.

Guess Dual Time Quartz

Today I'm wearing another Guess, this time with dual dials and movements. They can be set independently so it would be a good watch for traveling across time zones. I believe I've seen some vintage watches like this, and you can still buy the Hamilton American Traveler which is a similar design. I didn't take a good photo of the band, but it's a vintage-style mesh band with an adjustable foldover clasp. Not bad looking for a cheap quartz watch. I should probably get some batteries for it.