New Year Resolution for 2016

"During the beginning of a new year , most of us have many resolutions : for example:to lose weight , to exercise regularly , to work harder in studies or work , to eat more healthily , to spend more time with family , to read more books , to stop procrastinating etc Etc. However by end of the year , most would not have achieved what they aspire to do or to conquer. So , the following year , you can virtually copy the previous year 's resolutions for the new year as none of the resolutions has been achieved..." (Dr. Clement Chen, Surgeon, Champion Toastmaster)

I had failed to achieve any watches stated in my resolution for the year 2015..... Haizzz..... Everyone is predicting a hard time ahead in 2016, so things are not looking too bright.... However without a goal, life is so meaningless. For 2016, I cut my goal simple and focus; just a single piece, Seiko SBDX014G, Seiko Marinemaster Automatic 1000M!!!

The rise of the Electro: Seiko Elnix 0703-7040

Spiderman..... He is a poor soul; an orphan, who would always lost someone he loved in every movies, struggling with life both mentally and financially.... Hell,  the writer or writers for Spiderman movies are seriously suffered from depression..... Super Heroes' movies supposed to be fun, upbeats and action packed..... Call me shallow and insensitive; but if I want sorrow or sadness, I would opt for soap operas. 

SEIKO ELNIX 0703-7040

Back in October this year, I wrote about Citizen Cosmotron, the transistorized electric watch. This is its Seiko counterpart, Elnix. Seiko had five series of electronic movement calibres with the Elnix marked as the last Emperor. 

The Elnix is the most advanced and last transistorized electric watches from Seiko. This watch came out of Seiko factory in 1974. 

This watch has a semi helmet shaped stainless steel case with a size of approximately 39 mm excluding crown. What made this watch unit or distinctive are its multi faceted thick crystal and its purple Alexandria gradient dial. 

On its dial, there is a gold colour Elnix logo with a spiral upward arrow. Underneath the nostalgic logo is the symbol of Daini. This watch is equipped with day-date functions. It also has smooth sweeping second hand. 

This watch has an unsigned crown. 

The stainless steel caseback is screw in type. Nothing unusual but with all the essential information of the watch. 

This watch is powered by the 16 Jewels 0703A. It has a frequency of 4 Hz and an amplitude of 8 beats per second or 28,800 bph.

A 1.55 volt.Silver Oxide Battery breaths life into Seiko 0703A movement. 

The production for Seiko Elnix is short lived.... as soon after the Quartz would dominate the Japanese watch industry. For me, they are an important milestone; and most of these watches still run problem free forty odd years later. 

Below are photos of the same watches that I found on the World Wide Web... Amazingly it is still a New Old Stock......

Seiko Prospex SRP775: Rebirth of the turtle

Wishing myself a Merry Merry Christmas

After years of being neglected and forgotten by Saint Nicholas aka Santa Claus; I decided to take the thing into my own hands. Hmmmmm maybe my house does not have a chimney.... 

See what did I find underneath my Christmas tree this year? It's the newly relaunched Seiko Turtle 6309, Seiko Prospex SRP775. I have a fatal attraction with any dial that is black and gold combination. 

This diver is measuring 44.3 mm in diameter and has a thickness of 16.6 mm. Whole watch is made of stainless steel and comes with stainless steel bracelet.

SPR775 has a unilateral rotating bezel that has a black and gold insert. From some angle, it has some resemblance to Rolex Submariner.  

This watch has the Hardlex mineral crystal and a big screw down locking crown. 

It is water resist to 200 Meters depth and is suitable for mixed air diving. 

SRP775's dial is based on the original 6309 diver's dial with Prospex logo added. The dial also stated this watch is waterproof to 200M instead of 150M of the original 6309.

However, the hands design is from a more modern Seiko diver SKX007.

Like all Seiko divers, this watch has Seiko's famous LumiBrite luminescent hands and LumiBrite luminous indices. 

If I am the designer for this watch, I would have a gold Seiko emblem on the dial. I would also replaced the day and date discs with a gold wordings and black surface to better match the dial. 

The turtle case itself is an endless design masterpiece......

The only different I noticed with the SRP775 case and the original 6309 turtle case is that the new one has 4 pin holes at its lugs. 

The stainless steel bracelet is actually of single solid link. Somehow I find the bracelet to be a bit bulky to my liking. A jubilee type bracelet or a metal mesh bracelet may better fit a retro diver. 

This bracelet has the extension designed for wet suite diving. It is not easy to operate and a friend snapped his nail while trying to operate it. 

At the end of the bracelet is a double locking deployment buckle that has Seiko signed on it. 

Its bracelet is coded 631 and MOEV-Z-C.... 

The stainless steel case back is screwed down type and has a Tsunami wave engraving. 

The back case has "Air Diver 200M" and a Prospex logo stated. 

This watch used the 24 Jewels 4R36 movement. This is an automatic mechanism with manual winding capability. It has a day-date and hacking function. 4R36 Calibre is beating at a speed of 21,600 beats per hour. It used the SPRON 110 mainspring and has a power reserve of 41 hours. 

From every angles and every aspects, this is a true beauty and a timeless classic. I just could not resist to press my order when first learned this watch has launched. This is just as beautiful as the Santa ladies below....... My everlasting love for something sexy!

My Original Seiko Diver 6309 Turtle can be find HERE and HERE and its distance cousin 6306 Here  

Something is not right with this 56 King Seiko

5626 or 5625? Or Matrimony of the two?

I bought this watch through an ebay auction. It was early on when I was still fresh and naive in the affairs of collecting vintage watches.... Well, I am still fresh and naive today..... From the superficial, it looks like a legitimate 5626 King Seiko. 5626 KS is the epitome of automatic King Seiko. 

This 5626 KS has a gold capped case measuring 37 mm excluding its crown and with a thickness of 10.5 mm. The lugs are thick and give a distinctive looks to the 56 KS. The lugs are 18 mm apart. 

There is a regulatory adjusting screw between the lower lugs. The crown is KS signed as well. 

This watch has a monocoque body i.e. the case is of a single piece. To have access to the movement, once must open through the top mineral glass. If you look at the back case, you would notice that this case is actually meant for 5625-7000. 5625 is a date only watch, whereas this is a day-date 5626 and it is clearly stated on its dial. 

This watch also missing the gold medallion at its case back. Below is a photo that I found to show how's an original beauty looks like......

Despite the obvious flaws, this is still a pretty much lovely timepiece. The flat white silver dial with applied gold linear hour markers is as classic as any watches can get.

Apart from the gold emblems of Seiko and KS wordings, the dial has a gold window frame at three o'clock position for the watch's day-date functions. On the dial, it is stated this is a high beats automatic watch and with a Daini logo.  

This watch has gold dauphine hands highlighted with black lines centrally and a long slim gold sweeping second hand. 

This watch is powered by a 25 jewels 5626 movement beating at 28,800bph. The 56xx calibre was made by the Suwa branch of Seiko.  

When I look at this watch, I see functionality and simplicity. Nothing exaggerated.... This is a timeless beauty with a faded makeup and with slightly noticeable wrinkles......