seffrican

Originally Posted by seffrican

In a recently started thread (http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...all-own-Rolex) I lightheartedly threatened to post my Seikos and was encouraged to do so by Velorum - so blame him for this

Here's the bottom drawer of my watch box, exclusively devoted to the products of that one overarching Japanese watchmaker.



It's only a quick (but hopefully not too dirty) phone camera shot by natural light. If anyone's interest is piqued I can post pics of individual watches.

Top row, L to R:

SKX007, modded hands and dial, flat sapphire, on a WJean shark mesh. This is not one of my mods, it was acquired from a local diving enthusiast who was clearing out his excess divers. I was told that it was a creation of someone who had started by modding Seikos and then developed their own brand. I don't think it was Jake Bordeau, any ideas who else fits this description?

SKX007, modded by me with dial from Dagaz and hands from Yobokies, to see what a mini-Spork recreation could look like. The hand set included a Sinn-style second hand, but it was too heavy and dominated the dial. I think the hand that's on there looks a little more Sporkish in balance. On an eBay anvil bracelet. I got the original watch from TZUK member Roondog (Hi Roondog!) via SC. Later I sent him a pic of the present watch. "Mark, you modded my watch????!!!!!" was roughly the response

SKX171, unmodded, on Yobokies oyster bracelet with Seiko clasp. I always intended to swap in a domed sapphire and a 007 bezel, both of which are sitting in my parts box. But somehow it never happened.

Black monster, original version, untouched.

Orange monster, original version, untouched.

Bottom row, L to R:

SKX009, modded to hell and most of the way back again. I bought this as a battered S/H 009 to learn modding skills. I replaced the dial, crystal, bezel insert, hands, and fully brushed the case, which is why it looks so dull in the pic. Along the way the dial was swapped for a different orange one, a fresh set of 007 hands, chapter ring, and bezel insert were installed.

Phillipine 7002 fully restored with all new parts, from a Filipino restorer. On random eBay shark mesh.

Seiko 5 Sport SNGZ15, the watch that got me back into collecting Seikos. Damn the thing all to hell. On one of Eddie's NATOs with bead blasted rings to match the watch.

Spork, on standard Spork bracelet. I could only find the watch on the rubber, but I was lucky with the bracelet because Harold/Yobokies had a couple left in stock. If Seiko would make this with a hacking movement, bevelled sapphire crystal, and machined clasp on the bracelet, it would be near perfect. I keep hoping. As it is, this will be one of the last to go.

SKA509 Kinetic Sportura on original bracelet. The only diving watch in the Sportura line, and for a long time the only diver that Seiko put a sapphire in. The dial is endlessly fascinating. With the Spork, this will be one of the very last to go. The diver extension on the titanium (why?) clasp makes the bracelet handily adjustable for hot weather.

These watches are all eminently in the affordable category (well under $1000 each, some much nearer $100), but all are very pleasant to wear, easy to read, decently waterproof, and nearly all have almost impossibly good lume (barring the 7002). The SNGZ15 has woken me up in the middle of the night when I brought the watch too close to my face in my sleep.

Hope that at least the Seiko fans among you have enjoyed this, and hopefully a some others who aren't yet Seiko fans. It's also my hope that others on the forum who have modest collections will feel encouraged to post them too.