Casio G-Shock GW-206K-7DR Frogman

Today I'm wearing my GW206K-7DR Frogman, an I.C.E.R.C. Limited Edition model released in 2006. You might have seen it before on the wrist of a certain rap artist and hip hop producer. Other than the all white color scheme, it's the same as my GW-200K-2JR Frogman, right down to the whale in the EL backlight. Before I bought my first white G-Shock I wasn't sure if I would like the all white look or if it would be too '80s retro. Well, after the first, then this Frogman, I was definitely hooked. You'll be seeing a number of other white G-Shocks here in the future.

Casio Sea Pathfinder SPF40-1V

The watch that I'm wearing today, my Casio Sea Pathfinder SPF40-1V, was my first Pathfinder. I got it pretty recently after seeing it worn by Hugh Laurie on House, M.D. I had always noticed the Hamilton Khaki King he wore and still want to get one, so I was very surprised to see a new watch show up this season, and more surprised that it was digital and huge. I tracked down the model on Casio's website and ordered one the next day. It's not the first time I've done that as I also have some sneakers that I first saw on House. I did think the watch would be a one-shot deal, maybe something to do with the plot of that episode, but it was never mentioned nor shown close up and he's worn it in every episode since. When I recieved it I was pleasantly surprised by the large size (54mm wide x 17mm thick) as well as its legibility and myriad functions. I've since bought some other Pathfinders but the Sea Pathfinder is still the biggest. It also contains some features that my other Pathfinders don't have like yacht race start timer, moon phase and tide graph, but is missing the solar power and radio-controlled atomic time setting. I believe the newest Pathfinder, the PAW1500, has all the features of the regular and Sea Pathfinders (except the yacht timer, I believe) but is probably still smaller than my PAW-1100T. All the gizmos come with a price on the Sea Pathfinder: battery life. It's only rated for 3 years but I'll probably get more since I won't be wearing it too often. I don't think I'll be buying another battery-powered Pathfinder, but I'm very glad I got this one

Vintage Bulova Oceanographer

Today I'm wearing another watch that my father acquired sometime in the last decade or so, a Swiss-made Bulova Oceanographer from 1969. I don't believe it's been serviced at all but it is in very good condition and runs strongly, if a bit fast (a couple minutes a day.) It's all stainless steel with a not-to-be-trusted-on-a-vintage-watch depth rating of 333 feet. Today this would not be considered a diver's watch (200m is generally accepted as the minimum depth rating, typically along with and one-way adjustable bezel or dive timer) but Bulova did advertise this and similar watches to be guaranteed to operate at the rated depth. They also made the Oceanographer Snorkel which seemed to be more of a full-on diver's watch. I'll definitely keep my eye out for one of those as I quite like the look of it. This watch is nice as well, if a bit plain in comparison. The slightly aged off-white dial has unique red and black hour markers with tritium dots that have long lost any glow. The cushion-shaped caseis only 34mm wide, but doesn't feel excessively small, probably because of the 40mm length of the watch. Most of the word "Bulova" is still visible on the original signed crown. It's currently on a somewhat plain (but practical) waterproof leather strap, but would look great on a vintage Tropic strap, although I would prefer a modern reproduction since that authentic "new old stock" one costs about $100, which is probably more than the watch is worth.

Seiko SKXA47 "White Knight" Automatic Diver

Today I'm wearing my White Knight. When I started to seriously get into watches a few years back I started reading the Poor Man's Watch Forum and found many people very impressed with this watch. Before I knew it I had a package from Singapore containing my first two Seikos, this one and an SKX781. I can't say enough good things about this watch. It is large (45mm wide) without being clunky, functional but elegant and polished without being flashy. The style works just as well on a beach or underwater as it does at a formal dinner. Contrary to the name, the dial is silver, but I suppose "Silver Knight" doesn't have the same ring to it. You can see in the photos the dial has a fine texture to it in the center, a feature shared by the Black Knight but not the Orange Knight. The bracelet is also excellent combining brushed and polished finishes and heavy duty solid links throughout. Like all of my Seikos this one keeps great time and should provide many years of worry-free service.

Hamilton Khaki Navy GMT 3T Automatic Diver

Similar to my other Hamilton Khaki Navy diver, today's watch adds a GMT complication (the small 24 hour dial to the left of the red arrow) to keep track of a second time zone (I have it set to Pacific time) and also features a two-piece rotating inner bezel to keep track of a third time zone. Here it is on Hamilton's site. The bezel has one piece that rotates for the time (just as the external bezel on a traditional GMT would) and behind that a ring with exotic beach names. I have mine set to Jumeirah Beach because I had never heard of it before and found it fascinating. Great watch, looks as good as my othe Khaki Navy, maybe better. Unfortunately the bands are not interchangeable between my two Navys as the GMT has a slightly wider lug width, so maybe I'll have to get a bracelet for this one or perhaps a GMT Air Race on a bracelet.

Casio G-Shock DW6900MC-7A

I still haven't set out a schedule to what kind of watch I wear on each day of the week, and I have to say, it is becoming increasingly difficult to pick a watch. Sure, I always have watches I like and like to wear (at least until I start running out of them) but I know once I wear it, that's it, it's going back in the box/drawer/case and won't appear on this blog again. My goal is actually to wear a different watch every workday for a year. If I make it that long, who knows what will happen after that. I'm aware when I'm choosing a watch that today is the day I write up something about it, so yes, I'm being picky, and I don't want to "waste" some of my favorite watches just because I couldn't choose something different. Does that make sense or just sound crazy? I just re-read it and it sounds crazy to me.

So, today I'm wearing a DW6900MC-7A, part of the "Jam'in Color" series. This is a watch that I wear very rarely for no particular reason (other than I have too many watches.) I actually like it a lot. It is my only G-Shock 6900 and I'm always surprised at how large this case design is on the wrist. The Jam'in color watches came out in 2006 and employed a brand new molding technique that injects two colors of plastics into the mold to make a pattern that's part camouflage and part tie-dye. Because the mixing is random, no two Jam'in Color watches are exactly alike. Released at the same time were purple and red versions which are also very nice looking. Casio has also made some Baby Gs, Mudmen and 5500s using the same case molding technique. I didn't realize before reading this page that all of these Jam'in Color 6900s are made in Japan (I don't know about the other Jam'in Color models.) Typical "cheap" G-Shocks are made in China or Malaysia (and probably other places) while higher-end G-Shocks usually come from Japan. The quality and fit and finish are usually just a little nicer on the Japanese-made watches. This watch doesn't have all the fancy features that some of the newer or more expensive Gs do, but it still does more than I normally would need it to. As seems to be my habit now, after this write-up I have an increased fondness for this watch and wouldn't mind adding some other Jam'in Color 6900s, other Jam'in Color models or other 6900s to my collection.

I Love the '80s Week - Day 5: Timex Ironman Triathlon 737-A

As "I Love The '80s Week" draws to a close, I'm wearing my classic Timex Ironman Triathlon watch. This one I bought in the late '80s or early '90s specifically for bicycling. As I mentioned before, I could have probably bought a G-Shock for about the same price at the time, but the connection of the Timex to the Ironman Triathlon race made it a natural pick. When I was about 13 I got a mountain bike, but lack of mountains, trails or any other off-road areas meant I did a lot more road biking, so I purchased a road bike soon thereafter. Also, during that time period mountain biking was still gaining popularity while road biking was already huge, so it was easy to find on-road rides with clubs or groups. So yes, back to the watch, it has seen thousands of bike miles and excelled at being unobtrusive, durable and legible. The strap broke at some point and the watch was tossed in a drawer for a number of years, but a few years back I found an identical replacement strap and replaced the battery and it has worked great ever since. Recently, Timex issued a 20th Anniversary Edition celebrating 20 years of Ironman Triathlon models. I also have one of those and will probably be wearing it soon.