Casio G-Shock G-9000-3V Mudman

Today's watch is one of the new Mudman models. Here's one of my original Mudmen for comparison. At some point I'll try to do some side-by-side pics of old vs. new Mudmen. The new mudmen are available in a number of color schemes, including some cool camouflage, with both standard and reverse displays. They're pretty basic as far as recent G-Shocks go, lacking solar power and atomic timekeeping. The do have 5 alarms (not that I know what to do with that many) as well as all the normal G-Shock stuff including stopwatch and countdown timer. It has the cool moleman on the caseback (in this case looking like an off-road racer) which definitely connects it to the earlier Mudman models. At 46mm across it's not especially big for a G-Shock, but it's a good size and quite comfortable. I like these new mudmen quite a bit, and while I have two, I would not mind adding a few more, especially if one is the 25th Anniversary edition.

Citizen Eco-Drive BJ9080-52E GMT Diver

BJ9080-52E. Doesn't it just roll off the tongue? Unfortunately, this is another one of those watches that doesn't have a spiffy nickname. It does have somewhat of a following, but it seems to have had a short production run or maybe just didn't sell well since I don't see them all that often. Most people who have owned one or even seen it online like it a lot. A legitimate diving watch with a 200m WR rating, in some ways its design is a Japanese take on the classic Rolex Submariner (right down to its 40mm case and 20mm lugs) but with a softer shape and a few unique touches. The gear-like teeth on the 24-hour bezel gives the watch a very rugged look and compliments the angular dial indices. The luminous material on the hands and markers is the trademark Citizen blue/green color and glows quite brightly for a long time. The GMT functionality is marked by the orange "skeleton" hand which easily keeps track of different time zones by turning the unidirectional bezel. It has a very nice bracelet with a pushbutton deployant clasp, but also looks great on leather and various nylon straps. It's an Eco-Drive "180", so it's powered by the sun with no batteries to change and should hold a charge in complete darkness for 6 months or more. Yet another watch I had to have when I saw it a few years ago, but I haven't worn it more than a handful of times since then. This will be the next watch from my collection to go up for sale, and possibly the first that I'll regret selling in the future.

Seiko SKX173 Automatic Diver

As I mentioned in my SKX007 diver post, this style of Seiko diver comes in a number of model numbers with only minor cosmetic differences. Today's watch, the Seiko SKX173, has a different dial than the SKX007 but is otherwise identical. So, everything that I said about the 007 holds true for this one. Also, if you compare this watch to my bead-blasted 007 you can see how the highly polished case and bezel give the watch a different look.
I bought my SKX173 secondhand (from Australia, actually, when the American dollar was worth a little more down there) and wore it a number of times on the included Seiko rubber strap. It actually was more like plastic when I got it, probably due to its age, and eventually it just broke. I'm wearing it now on a grey nylon NATO strap which coordinates nicely with the silver hour markers on the dial and is very comfortable. I think I'll have to pick some oddball watches for the rest of the week. Most of the watches I've posted so far have been ones I wear pretty frequently, and I have a bunch I never wear, so maybe I should dig into those before I run out of my favorites.

Hamilton Khaki Mechanical Limited Edition

This watch is certainly not a surprising choice for me, since it is a Hamilton in the military style, but is is unique in my collection for a number of reasons. It is one of my smallest modern watches at 38mm across (or 42mm including the crown) and it is also my only modern hand wound watch. It also is my only watch with a factory bead blasted finish, save an older and smaller version of this same watch. The finish and style of the case, along with both 12 and 24 hour markings on the dial add to its military feel. Not to mention it really shares most of its design with the classic Hamilton military watch which has been around since WWII. This model was a limited edition of 3333 pieces and mine is number 89, which is etched on the left side of the case. It is a nice watch to wear and the size falls between most of my modern and vintage watches. It has the relatively common 20mm lugs so replacement straps are readily available. I might even be able to get a Hamilton bead blasted bracelet as they do currently produce what appears to be an almost identical watch.

Vintage Orient Automatic (Blue Dial)

This is another vintage watch that I don't know much about. It's one of a few Orients I have (like this one) and one of two vintage ones. I found it on eBay and picked this one based on its near mint condition and attractive dial and case. It was probably made in the late '70s or early '80s, and at 1 1/2 inches wide it's a decent size for a vintage watch. Based on the case markings I believe the movement is an Orient 469. It's also all stainless steel (one of the reasons it still looks so good after 25 years or so) and was made in Japan. As I mentioned before, the Orient brand is much more popular outside the U.S., and this vintage model was originally from Israel. You can still make out some Hebrew writing on the red sticker on the caseback. The blue coating on the back is common on watches like this and seems to be the protective coating they applied before the modern-day plastic caseback stickers were used. It can be cleaned off, or will eventually wear off, but its condition does show this watch hasn't been worn much in its lifetime. It's a neat watch, and has an out of the ordinary case and dial, as well as great looking hour markers and Orient name and badge. I also find the silver day and date wheels unique, although they seem to be common among Orients from that time period.

Alpha Automatic Seamaster Homage

Alpha watches are as close as most people in this hobby like to get to full-on fake watches. This watch is obviously based on the "Bond"-style Omega Seamaster, right down to the waves on the dial and back and beefy stainless clasp. Of course, this Alpha version is totally made in China with a Chinese automatic movement. The only difference between this "real" Alpha and a fake Omega is the markings. Unfortunately, I know there's a good chance this watch came off the same assembly line as the fake Omegas, but I like to feel that by supporting the more honest of the two "brands", that I'm actually doing something to stop the blatant counterfeiting; showing them that they can make and sell watches without resorting to essentially lying. This is the most well-built Alpha I've ever laid hands on, nicer than the Rolex homages, and also nicer than the Omega Planet Ocean homage that I bought at the same time (on which they cheaped out on the clasp and bracelet.) Now, that being said, the pin holding the deployant clasp closed did come off today, and I haven't checked to see if I can fix it yet, but that's not incredibly surprising for a watch that costs 2% of the watch it's imitating. Probably the worst part of having an homage like this one is now I have the itch to get the authentic version. I've always liked them, and almost purchased one before the extra-huge Omega Planet Ocean came along (which I did buy and will post at some point.) Oh, and one last thing, unlike the real Omegas, this Alpha is marked as "3 ATM Water Resistant", which means it's probably splash proof but certainly not a diver, despite the screw-in back and diver looks.

Modified Seiko SKX007 Automatic Diver

I didn't think I'd have much to say about this watch, but the more I think about it, the more I think it might be one of the most functional and best representation of a "tool watch" anywhere. Well, not only this particular watch, but the Seiko automatic divers in general. This particular watch is a Seiko SKX007 which has been modified by Duarte of North East Watch Works. I purchased it directly from Duarte on the PMWF sales forum in 2004, in the early days of my serious watch collecting. All the Seiko divers of this style (including SKX007, SKX009, SKX173, SKX175, etc.) have the same Seiko 7S26 automatic movement, case and overall design with the differences typically being dials, hands and bezel inserts. All of these watches are very comfortable whether worn on a bracelet, rubber strap, NATO or some other band. The large crown is angled down (around 4 o'clock instead of the more typical 3) so it's less likely to dig into the back of one's hand. Also, the flat caseback rests nicely against the wrist, while the rest of the case is nicely curved without any sharp angles or points. My watch has had the case, bezel and bracelet bead-blasted to remove the factory polished finish. Also, new hands (including red-tipped second hand) and "300 MOD" dial have been fitted, both from MKII. Both the hands and dial take their design inspiration from the British Ministry of Defense (MoD) modified and issued Omega Seamaster 300s of the 1950s and 1960s. The design is still in use today on MoD-issued divers. So, then end result of the modifications is a diver's watch that looks very serious and no-nonsense with great legibility and functionality. It's funny how the matte silver finish actually stands out more since most watches today have highly polished or even chrome plated cases, and I'm sure the lack of any kind of writing on the dial could also make some do a double-take. Of course the modifications were done mostly to make the watch unique, rather than address any shortcomings of the original watch. In fact, in the name of fashion (there, I said it) this MoD-style dial does away with the date window, actually reducing functionality. Military watches are definitely in style now, from the hardcore collector who will settle for nothing less than government-issued, battle-scarred vintage pieces, to the casual buyer picking up a military-style watch from Seiko, Citizen, Hamilton or even Fossil. I think this is a fantastic homage to past and present military timepieces and it's always a pleasure to wear.