Allow me to tell you about my White G-Shock Atomic Solar watch featuring a Resin Band and Digital Timekeeping. It has Atomic Timekeeping so it Receives time calibration radio signals which keep the displayed time accurate by way of an Auto receive function (4 times per day) or by the Manual receive function (Signal: WWVB, Frequency: 60kHz.) A few things that make this watch unique are the Moon Data (moon age of the input data, moon graph,) Tide Graph and Vibration Alert (Daily Alarms, Countdown Timer, Hourly Time Signal.) Ok, I'll knock it off, you can read the rest for yourself. This was one of my earlier G-Shock purchases, and I recall I was looking for three specific features: it had to be solar, had to have radio-controlled atomic timekeeping and it had to be white. It just happened that this one was kind of cool since it was a Triple Crown of Surfing edition, so it has the logo in the backlight, band and caseback, and had other neat stuff like the vibrating alarm. It was my first white watch, but I also was fortunate enough to get one of these when they came out, and would also like to get some of the newest white G-Shocks.
Man, what a day, and I'm sure I'll just get busier as we get into summer. I didn't really "forget" about posting, it just got pushed back further and further until I almost ran out of day. Anyway, today's watch is this Citizen Eco-Drive Sailhawk. It is said this is the official watch of the America's Cup team Stars & Stripes, but it doesn't make any mention of it on the watch or packaging like this watch does. The functions are pretty much the same but I actually like the looks of this new model better. It has a Rolex Yacht-Master-ish bezel (although in titanium instead of platinum) and even a similar bracelet. The dial is, of course, all Citizen, with inset digital displays as well as the function dial at 6 o'clock to show what mode the watch is in. The yellow accents are a nice touch, and work well with the dark dial, which is actually the very deep purple which is common to solar panels. Eco-Drives are all solar, if I didn't mention that before and you didn't happen to know. This being a more modern Eco-Drive than my GMT, it is supposed to keep time for 4 years(!) in total darkness on a full charge (vs. the 6 months for the older one.) It also has lots of functions, which I can't begin to describe here because I don't understand how they all work myself. I'll just copy from Amazon because I'm getting tired: "The large, silver-tone watch measures approximately 1.7 inches wide. Timing features include a yacht racing timer, time and calendar in twenty-two time zones, thirty cities, two world time alarms, a 99-minute countdown timer, one-touch interchangeable analog/digital time, and 1/100-second chronograph that measures up to 24 hours. The black face includes three subdials (24-hour, mode hand, and race timer/minute register) and large luminous hands. The band is joined by a push-button safety clasp. Other features include water resistance to 100 meters (330 feet) and a scratch-resistant, non-reflective mineral crystal." I have actually been in a few yacht races as a crew member, but that was years before I got this watch so I never had occasion to try out its yacht racing-specific functions for real. It's a really nice watch and is a great example of Citizen's ability to pack a huge amount of technology into a compact and attractive package.
Ok, so not a very original or imaginative choice today, but definitely one of my favorite watches. Don't ask me who came up with the "Knight" nickname for this series of watches, I guess the same people who named the "Monster". There are a number of models that share the "Knight" designation, including black, silver and orange dials and quartz, Kinetic and automatic movements. The SKXA51, or Orange Knight, that I'm wearing today is an automatic and only available with the rubber strap. I believe all the other Knights come on stainless bracelets, as did the White Knight that is also in my collection. The strap is somewhat different than normal Seiko dive straps (like the Z-20 or Z-22) because the Knight watches all share a 15mm lug width (where the bracelet or strap attaches to the watch.) This makes for a bracelet that is more well integrated into the case itself, but if you attached a normal 15mm wide strap it would look silly. The rubber Knight strap has more normal strap width, but is narrower between the lugs to fit the Knight case. I have also seen people cut down 22mm leather straps to fit the same way and sometimes it looks quite nice. It's another great Seiko diver that's always a joy to wear, somewhat less chunky than an SKX173 or the like, and dressier looking, or at least more mainstream looking, especially the black or silver dial models on the bracelet.
This watch was one my dad bought a number of years ago, probably at an antique store or on eBay. The markings on the inside of the case indicate it was serviced in 1999 (watchmakers typically inscribe their initials and date when they service watches) but I'm not sure if it was before or after he bought it. At the moment it seems to run fairly well, but it does stop occasionally, which might be a result of me wearing it very little, or might just mean it's time to be serviced again. It's in good condition with a clean dial and relatively little wear on the 14k gold filled case, but I know it's one of a handful of watches that my dad wore frequently for a few years. Wearing vintage watches is something that takes getting used to. Unlike modern watches, most vintage watches are not even slightly water resistant, so being careful when washing your hands or even on a hot summer day where you might be sweating is important. Fortunately, if the case hasn't been opened for many years, it will sometimes seal itself shut with dirt and corrosion. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but can make opening it for service a chore, and if the case is given a good cleaning during that service, that small measure of dirt and moisture resistance will be lost, making the watch more prone to water intrusion in the future. Also, vintage watches can be very small. This one, at 22mm wide and 32mm long, is not terribly tiny, but considering I frequently wear watches twice as wide, it does have a very different feel than what I'm used to. This particular watch is from the late '40s/early '50s based on the serial number J458905 on the movement. The Boulton seems like it was quite a popular model and you see vintage ones quite frequently today, not to mention the reissue in both regular and large sizes. Alas, the modern versions are only available with quartz movements, not with anything resembling the classic Hamilton 982 mechanical movement in the original. Also, I don't believe the modern versions have the unique thick domed acrylic crystal of the original (nor do many of the vintage Boultons that have had their crystals replaced.) I suppose at some point I'll have to work out a rotation where all my watches get some wrist time. There's no reason I can't wear a vintage watch, a digital watch, an analog quartz watch and a more typical (for me, at least) automatic watch during the course of a week. I'll have to see what I can dig up for tomrrow.
It's late so I'll make this short. #1. This watch does everything short of make you coffee in the morning (not that I drink coffee.) Check out the features. #2. It's huge. Almost 53mm across and 17mm thick. #3. It's light. With its titanium case and bracelet it weighs 110 grams - 4 grams less than the smaller Pseudo-Ruhla I wore yesterday, even though that one was on a leather strap. I like it a lot. I only recently got into the Pathfinders, and had a chance to grab this one used and cheap so I jumped on it. The newer similar model has all the features in a much slimmer package, but I really wanted this older model for its impressive size.
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