Head-To-Head: Seiko Chronograph Historical Collection 2019 - Seiko Prospex SRQ029J1 & Seiko Presage SRQ031J1

The 1960s were exciting times for Seiko. That decade introduced the brand's first mechanical chronograph movement as well as the brand's first automatic chronograph movement in 1964 and 1969, respectively.

The first milestone is the 1964 Crown Chronograph (see below).

1964 Seiko Crown Chronograph 

Seiko Prospex Alpinist SPB117J1 (similar to SPB119J1, SPB121J1 & SPB123J1) - An All-Rounder, A Review (plus Video)

The Seiko Alpinist is a living icon. It was a series of watches designed in 1959 for Japanese mountain climbers and it started with the Laurel Alpinist. Today, the most famous of all the Alpinist and a cult classic, the SARB017 is the face of the series. In early 2018, devastating news came out from Seiko when it announced the end of the production for the SARB017. The fans were disappointed to say the least and Seiko was inundated with countless request for a stay of 'execution'. This caused a spike in the price of SARB017 still available with dealers as well as prices in the second hand market.

In late 2019, Seiko announced a new set of Alpinist with upgraded specifications slated for worldwide delivery starting January 2020. The fans were elated as Seiko decided to offer four different models. Three areas of improvement over the predecessor are in the movement, the crystal and the case-back. More about these things later. It is also important to note that all the models are made in Japan.

I was presently surprised that Seiko Japan allocated a number of units from the initial batch to Malaysia. My AD called to asked whether I would like to have one and I quickly agree to get one. Since I already got the SARB017 (click here to go to that review) with the deep British racing green dial, I chose the black dial version with bracelet, the SPB117J1.

Casio G-Shock Square Titanium Camouflage GMW-B5000TCM-1JR - The Ultimate Practical G-Shock Square, A Review (plus Video)

I have in my collection two Casio G-Shock squares. The all resin GWM5610BC-1JF and the all stainless steel GMWB5000GD-1ER. You can read a review I wrote on a head-to-head comparison between the two here. It was a long wait for me before I got the metal G-Shock due to the overwhelming demand.

While waiting, in February 2019, Casio announced the ultimate G-Shock Square, the 18 Karat Limited Edition Gold G-Shock 'Pure Gold' G-D5000-9JR. Only 35 pieces will be made and this has an MSRP of YEN7,700,000 or USD70,000. I was definitely interested but the pricing definitely it out of contention.

Around the same time news came out that Casio will also be coming out with a titanium model. What got everyone talking was the expected price point of the new model which has been estimated to be three (3) times more than the standard stainless steel unit. Immediately, a lot of not-so-nice comments were made on social media platforms complaining about this (no one commented much about the price on the Pure Gold version though). Since the pricing is not too exorbitant, I decided to hunt for this as well.

Seiko Prospex Green Sumo SPB103J1 (similar to SPB101J1) - Continuing the Tradition with Further Improvement Possible, A Review (plus Video)

The third generation of the Seiko Sumo divers were recently released during Baselworld2019. The latest iteration has the two biggest changes in the design specification. First was the introduction of the new 6R35 movement to replace the workhorse 6R15 used in the previous two iterations. Second was the use of sapphire crystal instead of Hardlex crystal also used in the previous two iterations.

Unfortunately, this fact was not lost to fans and the demand for the watch went ballistic. Shops practically sold out even before they got the chance to display on their shelves (the pre-order market was just incredible). I tried to get one but I was not high enough on the order list to get one from even the first, second or third batches to be delivered. Not many watches have such a high level of demand upon launching. This could be an indication how this piece be acknowledged 30 years from now.

Sometimes it is good to have relationship with a few authorised dealers instead of just one or two. In this case, the many relationship I made over the years with a few vendors proved invaluable. One of them came through and got an allocation which was quickly set aside for me. Debra of Style Watch, Mid Valley Megamall, a big thank you!!!

Orient Star Sports 200 meter Air Diver Blue Power Reserve Reference RK-AU0302L - Simplicity is Strength, A Review (plus Video)

When Orient announced in August 2019 the launch of their new Sports Collection under the Orient Star brand, I was intrigued. For the last few years, the corporate restructuring involving Orient and Epson has taken a toll on the company's ability to offer new models. Compared to the other two famous Japanese brands such as Seiko and Citizen, during that period, Orient's offering was rather pathetic. However, 2019 appears to be a change. A couple of interesting series have been launched which are very interesting. For this review, I will be looking at the Air Diver series.

At first glance, the Air Diver series which consist of five models appear rather basic. They look like many of the run-of-the-mill dive watches available in the market. However, on closer inspection, these watches have been designed to almost perfect dimensions, able to perform many other tasks beyond being just a dive watch. Of the five models, I chose the sunburst blue dial version with reference number RK-AU0302L.

Although the design is rather contemporary, for Orient, it is a departure from its traditional design philosophy when it comes to dive watches.