I was playing with an LED torch today…
Okay, I know I was extolling the virtues of the Tuna + NATO combination. However…
When Seiko released the revamped SBBN015/017 they also unveiled the new bracelet that comes as OEM. Now, I’ve worn a lot of good quality bracelets in my time, but nothing – and I mean nothing – has come close to the quality of this gorgeous piece of engineering.
It seems that, to buy it on it’s own, you’ll need to fork out about $400; well, if you buy it new and from the Seiko dealer network in the Far East, that is (because the Tuna is a JDM watch). I was lucky.
A lot of people will tell you it’s the only way to wear it…
You know, when I wrote that “State of The Collection” post just one month ago, I thought then that I’d just stay with the watches I owned & loved, and that the desire for change had diminished to negligible proportions.
Yeah, right!
I’m saying nothing.
Well, that Zenith has forced a little rationalisation of the collection, and unfortunately another victim is my beloved MM300. However, to fill the tool watch void, what better solution than a Seiko “Tuna” SBBN007? With a heritage that goes back some four decades and a shrouded case that just screams “I mean business”, this is the perfect foil to the other three watches that sit proudly in the box.
The SBBN007 is big – the case measures 48mm in diameter, not including the crown, 14mm in thickness and has a 22mm lug width. That said, the lugs sit pretty much underneath the case, and as a consequence it wears surprisingly small on the wrist considering its dimensions. Internally, it’s powered by the respected 7-jewel Seiko 7C46 quartz movement. Overall, as you can see from the photos below, he look and feel is one of quality. This is, after all, a Prospex model and it enjoys a cult following amongst those who err towards dive watches in their collection.
So, here it is then – Seiko’s much-revered shrouded diver. Gotta love some Tuna, don’t you think?
Well, it’s a while since I bought anything (not really – it just seems like it) and I was lucky enough to snag something that ticked quite a few boxes. Firstly, I’ve wanted to try a Tuna for some time, and this is very Tuna-esque in size and appearance; secondly, I was short of a chrono and missed the white on black subdials of my old Sinn 103 A Sa; thirdly, I fancied a quartz that wouldn’t need setting every time I picked it up; and finally, I wanted something cheap enough that I could pretend it was a beater, even if I never beat it!
The Seiko Italian Chronograph was only made for a year, between 1998 and 1999. The one I picked up was NOS with the complete package – which is quite unusual – and you can read more about it/them here (the author being Derek Bartle, from whom I bought this lovely example). A bit of a collectors piece really, but one that I’ll be wearing. In fact, I’m wearing it right now!
Sometimes – actually, quite often – there’s not enough in the watch fund to scratch that perennial itch. And it doesn’t really matter how happy we are with the watches we have, that need for something new, something different, just won’t go away.
That, my friends, is the time to reach for the ubiquitous Bergeon. Because the next best thing to a new watch is an old watch that looks… well, new.
I don’t mind admitting that I posted this in similar form on the TZ forum too, but it deserves a place on here if only as a marker in my hobby/journey/obsession…
There have been a couple of SOTC posts of late that I found really enjoyable to read and – because I came to an interesting conclusion this morning – I was prompted to do something similar myself. The conclusion I came to, having not really bought anything of significance for some weeks – was that I’m really happy and settled with my collection. Without thinking too much about it, I seem to have covered all the bases, and every watch has it’s own specific part to play in the whole. So here they are, then, 5 months down the TZ road…
Rolex Submariner 16610 LV
The watch that started me on this perilous journey was the one and only Submariner. I’d always considered it an icon in the true sense of the word, and the only reason my original Sub was allowed to go was in order to fund the LV that is now my absolute keeper. Currently on the green bezel insert but I may just switch it for the black one that’s sitting in the box soon; and what I consider to be the perfect marriage of traditional size case with maxi dial. A truly wonderful watch.
Seiko Marine Master SBDX001
The first time I had an SBDX001 in my grasp, I got myself in a right old state about the bracelet clasp, and because it never quite felt perfect I mistakenly let it go. The moment I posted it off, though, I knew I was going to buy another and the replacement came all the way from Jakarta, BNIB and courtesy of Kucimo. This time I planned for it’s arrival, and a quick switch of clasps (I have no need whatsoever for a ratcheted divers extension, frankly) soon proved to be the answer. And for those who’ve never owned one, there’s a reason that those of us that sell them almost always buy them again. And again…
Omega Aqua Terra 2503.33.00
I’d never particularly been into Omega, but that changed when I saw a Broadarrow, with blue hands and markers, for the first time. It was bloody gorgeous, and I immediately set my heart on something similar, nearly crying when I missed this fairly scarce and discontinued Aqua Terra first time around! I got it in the end, though, and I regard it as the perfect dress watch in today’s less than dressy age.
Grand Seiko 61GS 6146-8000
My next Seiko was bought on pure, unstoppable impulse. Dating back to 1968, it’s one of the earlier-production Grand Seikos… the GS newbies have illustrious forefathers that have only recently been properly recognised as classics (at least by most of us). This one has had the lightest of polishes and looks as if it were bought yesterday, but its simple, understated design (or should I say its “grammar”) is completely timeless. I really do love it, and having worn it with anything from a suit to a pair of disgustingly old jeans I can vouch for it’s total adaptability.
Casio 110QS-37B
Another impulse buy, but when you get an opportunity to acquire an iconic watch from the year 1980, in unworn and pristine condition, and for not very much money… well, it would be rude not to. I haven’t had it sized as yet as I’m not sure that I’m going to wear it, but I love the fact that it’s such a reminder of another period in my life, and whether I wear it or not doesn’t really matter. I probably will, though, and if I do I’ll match it up with an appropriate pair of flared Lee jeans and a nice purple tank top.
Casio G-Shock DW-5000SL-1ER
Finally, the beater. Well, it’s not really as – try as I might – I don’t seem to “do” beaters. I look after all my watches in the same way, but if I were to own a beater it would most likely look just like this one. As it is, it’s another retro digital (and another Casio) modelled on the classics from the eighties but given the bullet-proof G build quality. Strangely, I wear it a lot, even though it’s the least glamorous of my collection. There’s something reassuring about it, and it’s seen some fine matches at The Lane already this season.
That’s it then! Five months-worth of evolution in my small collection, and I’m happy. Well, I’m happy for now…
One cold morning at the turn of this year, I was looking at my two watches – a Rolex OP date and a Tag 6000 chrono – and wondering if I really needed them both. My girlfriend walked into the bedroom whilst I was musing and said that it was about time I sold the Tag, which she didn’t like at all, and just stuck to one watch. I mean, who needed two anyway?
Now, I hadn’t discovered the little corner of the Interweb that’s home to the various watch forums I now frequent, so – in my state of blissful ignorance – I decided that a change was as good as a rest. By April, I’d made up my mind that I wanted a Sub, and just a Sub and I proceeded to track one down, barely used, and to pay an inordinate sum to get it on my wrist. I was in heaven, looking at it dozens of times a day but almost always without having a clue as to what time it was. My brief flirtation with high-end watch buying had come to a swift and expensive end.
Well, that’s what I assumed. However, from the point of “forum enlightenment” onwards (say, late May/early June) I think it’s fair to say that things didn’t go quite according to plan. I’d never even dreamt of seeing so many gorgeous and diverse watches, all in one place and all available. I wanted them all, and I proceeded to act like a kid in a sweetshop with said girlfriend looking on all the while in total bemusement and wondering what the hell I was thinking of.
All in all, it’s been something of a horological journey, condensed into what seems like a nanosecond of time. And as I can be a little self-indulgent (bearing in mind that write the posts on here) I thought I may as well document that journey by way of a few photographs (oh, and I’ve ignored the dozen or so that were flipped before they had a chance to leave any kind of impression on my wrist. But the good news is that I think I’m now pretty focussed, in that I’d just like (one day) to pick up a nice new or minty Grand Seiko and to add one or two more vintage pieces (probably Omega and/or Heuer, or perhaps a nice GMT) to the collection. At the moment, though, I’m pretty happy.
And I also have my G, of course, for those occasions when only a G will do!
PS I think my photos are getting a little better too.
May
July
September
October
Errr, still October
November
This watch has a lot to answer for. The first one I bought was flipped, but the moment I sealed the box I knew I had to have another… there’s something about it, and you need to wear it to understand what I mean. This is no ordinary Seiko.
Based on an over thirty year-old design, the Marine Master 300 is like taking a step back in Seiko history. The quality is supreme, starting with the monocoque case, heavy but comfortable. The movement is a 26 jewelled, 28,800 bph 8L35, an undecorated and unadjusted version of the high-end Grand Seiko 9S55. The dial is a rich and gorgeous matt black, with applied silver indices and Seiko’s magnificent Lumibrite fill on markers and hands.
There are many people who believe that this ultimate dive watch rivals anything in the Rolex stable – save for the price. Personally I don’t think it matters – it is what it is. A perfect watch.
Half Past The Hour 