Linear Beauty: Grand seiko 4522-7010

Another new member into my Grand Seiko family. This is what they called Linear Beauty. Most GS are beauties.... of course there are few exceptions...

I personally think the new GS Spring Drive chronographs look relatively hideous.

This watch is special in two ways:

1) It has pencil thin little hour, minute and second hands

2) This is one of the first seiko watch equipped with sapphire glass.

Bare in mind, this watch was produced in 1970 at KAMIDO/DAINISEIKOSHA. During the 70's not many european watches used sapphire crystal...

At the heart of this watch is the cal 4522A, manual winding 25 jewels movement, beating at a super 36000Vph.

This is a plain looking GS which simplified time.... A true beauty.... Sometimes I wonder why do we needs a multi complication watch???

Vintage Seiko Automatic Chronograph

Seiko used to produce pretty good automatic chronograph back in the 1960's and 70's before the Quartz revolution. During the time the chronographs were relatively cheap compare to their new Ventura, Credor, and Flightmaster automatic chronograph. My personal opinion is that these vintage chronograph is value for money... not only are they stylish... the case, the movement and the finishing is of high standard... I think the reason for ceasing production may be due to the costing factor and also the shortage of skilled watchmakers to assemble all those movements...

Seiko still makes excellent mechanical chronograph nowsaday... but the price is way above the sky... if I am going to pay that amount of money, I will opt for Breitling, omega and IWC chronograph. Afterall, I find the european cosmetic is much nicer. There is always talk of in house movement and a lot of experts are emphasizing on that term.... but if a movement is reliable why not?

Classic Seiko Bullhead

Seiko 6138-0040 (Brown; Speedtimer)

Speedtimer is only for Japanese market and is usually consider to be of higher standard than normal bullhead chronograph. This is a pure blood bullhead... all original even with the speedtimer buckle. Bullhead is a double registered chronograph.

Bullhead black with fishbone bracelet

Seiko single registered chronograph 6139-6020: The doctor's watch

This is a 17 jewels automatic watch with day date function. This watch was made during the early 1970's. I picked up this one from a local watch shop as a new old stock. Therefore everything is in original status... sadly there isn't any instruction or manual left for this. What is distinctive with this chronograph is that rather than having the normal tachymeter, it has a Pulsimeter. How to use the pulsimeter? Don't ask me... I am not a doctor by profession... However this is what I found out from the internet:

This watch was aimed at members of the medical profession as it can be used to measure heart rates. The outer ring is graduated with the numbers from 100 to 11 and the ‘base 10′ tells you how many heartbeats to count before stopping the timer. To use it, you feel for the patient’s heart beat, reset the chronograph, start the timer, count 10 heart beats and then stop the timer. The number that the sweep second hand points to on the outer ring is the patient’s heart rate (in beats/minute)….

Bulova Chronometer Day Date

Bulova Rolex Wannabe...

This watch was actually bought by my wife for me. I find it quite amusing... not only because it looks quite alike a Rolex.... Somemore at the dial... it is written:

"Bulova
Chronoprecision

Day-Date

Official Certificate

Sapphire Crystal"

Original look

Although the wording is odd and stupid. It is quite a watch for collection and it is kind of rare because I have tried to find another one similar to this.....

Some years later due to an accident the dial was scratched. I have to send the dial for repainting.... The technician does not have the same wording, so we have no choice but to alter it into:

"Bulova

super-seville

Day-Date

Superlative chronometer

officially certified"

We repainted the dial into radiance red colour. Maybe the next step of modification is to change the diamond bezel into diamond bezel equipped with 4 rectangle rubies......

Make-over look

For once, I think the repainting dial looks nicer than the original. This is definitely one of a kind for collection... a custom watch in a sense... Yes I know all about use of wording like chronometer and swiss made is a violation of switzerland's law... With so many replicas and self proclaimed chronometers out there..... My one is pretty minor.....

My Other Bulova that look like Rolex President... with rare red maroon dial.

Rolex: International Currency

Another form of currency, my big R

Want a currency that does not depreciate in value? When economy is bad, when inflation rate is high..... This may be another way of safe keeping your money. By investing into watches... of course not every single watches.. It has to maintain or increase in value over a period of time and it has to rotate easily in any market... Rolex, the king of watches as it was known in Asia.... comes as a first choice. It will be wise to go to an established watch dealer to buy one for investment. High grade replica and cross over Rolex are everywhere, it is even quite hard for experts to make a quick conclusion.....

Rolex King/Rolex President

Rolex 16013

Grand Seiko Taiyo... the most beautiful of all

Taiyo ref: 43999
Taiyo means Sun... ever shining, ever bright... full of radiance... Arguable the most beautiful Grand Seiko ever produced during the 1960's till now. The first of second model Grand Seiko made in 1963,1964 only. A total of 81,000 units of Cal.430 and 5722 were produced.
My taiyo was produced in 1963 by SUWA SEIKOSHA. The taiyo is powered by a chronometer (Seiko internal Chronometer declaration) 35 jewels low beat 18,000 bph Cal.430 movement. It is called self-dater because it has quick set date function. Taiyo is the highest quality masterpiece of low beat GS.

My taiyo is in stainless steel case with screwed-on bottom and is said to be waterproofed at 50 meters. It also has the original "Gold Lion" medallion clearly engraved, Original signed crown W seiko, Wide lugs, Plastic crystal. Factory original pearl silver dial signed "SEIKO Chronometer, Grand Seiko, Diashock 35 Jewels" and "MADE IN JAPAN, 43999TD" printed at the bottom. It has a "TAIYO" symbol on the dial that only can be found in the early model.

My first automatic GS: 6245-9000

Grand Seiko 6245-9000

1st Generation Automatic GS made from 1966 through 1968. This particular piece was made in 1966 at SUWA SEIKOSHA. This is a new old stock I acquired from Japan. Cal.6245A is a 35 jewels automatic movement with date function running on an Amplitude of 19800/h.

What is unusual about this GS is the crown is at 4 o'clock position and it is plain without sign of GS or W seiko.Produced at Suwa Seikosha. The case design is also somewhat odd if compared to other GS. One of the beauty of this watch is it has a Gold Lion Medalion at the back. My 6245 has an uplined silver frame to highlight the date and has a silver dial that shine with enchantment.

This was originally sold as a Seikomatic Chronometer but because of Chronometer appeal 1966, the name was changed to 62Grand Seiko. Only a few were produced, so it is difficult to find today. Can be considered super rare.... I am pretty priviledged to have one in new mint condition. I am actively looking for the 6246 39 jewels day date edition... may be years before I can hunt one in good condition down. Wish me luck!

My first Valjoux 72

I bought this from ebay. The seller is from Switzerland... after making payment, the watch arrived a week later...

Hmmmm the legendary valjoux 72... the same mechanism that is used in the ultra famous Paul Newman's edition Rolex Daytona 6263 and subsequent 6264... also in some of the prestige brand like Breitling, and Tag Heuer.

I thought of using this movement and trying to find Rolex 6263 casing and dial... Yeap try to be smart... just want to spend a few bucks and making a watch worth RM 100,000 +++ Aparently this wet dream does not come true, after enquire about the price for the genuine 6263 casing and dial... I decided to maintain this watch as it is... Jean Perret the authentic piece... Isn't that bad... the moral of this whole saga is don't force it... everything has a purpose in life...

My first GS, 4520-8000

Grand Seiko 4520-8000

This is a brand new unused Grand Seiko produced in 1968/69 by Daini Seikosha Co., Ltd. It was loaded with the best quality hand winding Movement - 25jewels, hi-beat 36,000bph 4520 A. 4520A was initially Grand Seiko Observatory Chronometer and has GS standard official approval. Some of the 4520A has Astronomical Observatory Chronometer official approval. How I wish this one has...... Astronomical 4520A is a Legend and will cost around ??????? This is my first ever Grand Seiko! All original except the leather strap... but the buckle, crown all signed GS. It even comes in original GS Paulownia wood box.