The Seiko Prospex Diver SLA017J1 or SBDX019 (homage to the 1965 Seiko 62MAS Ref. 6217-8000/1 Diver) – A Legend and an Excellent Get-And-Go Watch for any Occasions, A Review (plus Video)

I must say the Seiko Prospex Diver SLA017J1 has been one of the most, if not the most exciting release from Seiko in my opinion. As an ardent Seiko fan, the 1965 Seiko 62MAS (autoMAtic Selfdater) Ref. 6217-8000/1 Diver was the definitive Japanese dive watch to which all dive watches from Seiko (or even from other brands) owes their genesis to. To date, the Seiko 62MAS is a collector’s timepiece that has the least likelihood of being traded away once it is in a collection. As such, this vintage is very rare in the wild for collectors to hunt down. Those available are generally not in mint condition and have a lifetime of abuse heaped on them. Despite needing a lot of restoration work (a major headache not many collectors are willing to stomach), the prices of the ‘relics’ are still pretty high.

Do note that quite a number of “Seiko 62MAS” out on sale with ‘reasonable’ prices are not originals but Frankenstein models with newer movements, dials, bezels, crystals, hands, and even crowns.

Putting on the Replacement Strap for my Seiko Prospex Emperor Tuna SBDX011

Since my unfortunate rubber strap malfunction on my Seiko Prospex Emperor Tuna SBDX011 last year (see: http://easternwatch.blogspot.my/2016/09/omg-moment-seiko-prospex-emperor-tuna.html), I finally got the opportunity to put on the replacement strap that I ordered from Seiko. This particular strap (Reference R01X011M9) is usually paired with the latest iteration of the Emperor Tuna, the SBDX013. Instead of rubber, it is made out of silicone. Read my previous posting on this strap: http://easternwatch.blogspot.my/2017/04/replacement-strap-for-my-seiko-prospex.html.




Replacing the strap to the watch was easy due to the pass-through lug holes.

Orient Manual Winding 21 Jewel Power Reserve Pocket Watch CDD00001W/DD00001W “Epoch” (similar to CDD00002W/DD00002W) – Traditional, A Review

I used to have a pocket watch a very long-time ago. I guess, I was just a pre-teen when I got it from a holiday trip in Europe. The thing I remembered about it was that it was gold plated and it had a cover for the dial. Unfortunately, I couldn’t remember what happened to it. After more then 30 years has lapsed and I was in a position to rekindle the love affair I had with a pocket watch.



Nevertheless, I realized my taste in the style of pocket watches has changed. Instead of the garish gold-plated variety with ornate embossed images on the metal surfaces, I am now more into clean lines and plainness. I am also into quality and pedigree which is hard to come by when it comes to pocket watches.

CITIZEN INDEPENDENT Mechanical Watch INNOVATIVE 20th Anniversary Model Reference BJ3-411-91 – Just A Fashion Watch, A Review (plus Video)

Of the three mainstream Japanese watch brands, Citizen’s mechanical line is not as extensive as Seiko’s or Orient’s. They are also not as readily available outside Japan as compared to the other two brands. The sub- brands of Citizen are even rarer compared to the sub-brands of Seiko and Orient such as the Seiko 5 or Orient M-Force. One that is seldom seen is the Citizen INDEPENDENT sub-brand.

The INDEPENDENT celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2016. This sub-brand in known to adopt lifestyle or fashion watch designs in its offerings. Collaborations with famous artists in practically all branches of the art world from music to fashion, animation and games has created a brand collection that is eclectic to say the least. Unfortunately, the INDEPENDENT is a JDM line and any literature found on this line is limited and mostly in Japanese. Even in Wikipedia, the only sentence worth mentioning is; “Watches produced through the Independent label are generally released through seasonal collections.”

Seiko Presage SRPB41J1 (or SARY073) ‘Cocktail Time’ Dark Blue (Similar to SRPB43J1/SARY075, SRPB44J1/SARY076 and SRPB46J1/SARY078) – A Classy Dress Watch, A Review (plus Video)

One of the many famous designs by Seiko is the “Cocktail Time” watch series. It was launched a few years ago based in conjunction with the renowned Japanese bartender, Ishigaki Shinobu. Sold only in Japan, it is a series of dress watch with a deeply sunburst-textured dial and box crystal. Seiko fan went wild over this series as it exudes style and sophistication at an unbelievable low price. In 2017, Seiko has decided to reintroduce this series to the global market with the launch of the latest “Cocktail Time” under the Presage banner.

Strictly speaking there are two subsets of the new Presage Cocktail Time, each with 4 different options. The first subset has just a date aperture while the second subset has a sub-dial for the date and a power reserve indicator. The first subset goes under the “SRPB” coding while the second subset goes under the “SSA” coding.

My interest is the simpler SRPB models and what caught my eyes is the SRPB41J1 with a dark blue sunburst-textured dial and bracelet.

Seiko 5 Sports "Fifty Five Fathoms" SNZH53J1 - The Perfect Beater Watch, A Review (plus Video)

My hunt for iconic watches continues.

People used to say, “Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery”. However, in the business world, it is shunned as it carries some negative implication to branding. The SNZH53J1 is one such product from Seiko that could fall into this trap but did not. This is its story….

Arguably, Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms is the first dedicated diving watch. It was designed to cater for the needs of the French military. First released in 1953, it preceded the famed Rolex Submariner by a few months. The various specifications were not unique on their own but collectively, have never been aggregated into one package. The requirements such as unidirectional rotating bezel to calculate diving time, bold large markers for easy of reading, illumination on the markers for underwater and low light condition usage, water resistant up to fifty fathoms (or 91 meters/100 yards), automatic movement and anti-magnetic frame to protect watch from disturbance with military equipment makes the Fifty Fathoms the first progeny of a new watch genre.

Casio G-Shock Black Out Basic Series GX-56BB-1DR – A Brute with Limited Flexibility, A Review (plus Video)

The Casio G-Shock series have been around since 1983 and have a very strong cult following due to its ability to withstand battering. Despite being a watch collector that tends to collect watches with significant contribution to the world of horology, I have yet gotten a G-Shock in collection thus far. However, today a new chapter has dawned and the collection has a new member in the form of the Casio G-Shock Black Out Basic Series GX-56BB-1DR.

The GX series are typically called the “King of G-Shock" models. These are the biggest G-Shocks ever produced by Casio. The company launched the first back in 2010. It has the classic 5600 G-Shock design but in a size that is close to twice the size. The over-sized design is its call to fame. Unfortunately, for some people, the size could be a bit overwhelming.

I got the watch from the Watch Style of Mid Valley Megamall. The MSRP was RM809 (with GST). I was able to get it for RM680. Although I believe I could get it cheaper elsewhere, I still decided to get it from this brick and mortar shop due to the personal service rendered.

Life Hack: Making a Solar Cabinet Drawer – Safe, Secure & Neat, A Review

Once you start to collect solar powered watches, a problem of maintaining sufficient amount of charge in the batteries becomes apparent. If can wear them all often, this may not be a problem but if this is not possible, is there a solution? Yes, you can leave it out on the dressing table to absorb any kinds of light, natural or artificial but this opens up another problem: security of the watches when you are away from home.

You can put it under the sun but the effects of UV rays on dials, non-metallic materials and painted surfaces would be damaging in the long run.

A rather simple solution is to create a watch cabinet with artificial light. Although there are countless ways of making a really proper “solar cabinet”, I’ve decided to re-purpose an existing drawer with a light bulb.

SeiyaJapan Original Watch Automatic A167-A (Dial Type A) – Simple Yet Complete, A Review (plus Video)

When Seiya-san of SeiyaJapan started the project of creating his own version of a military watch back in early 2016, I followed with interest the development via his Instagram account. With the design specification finalized in the first half of 2016, production commenced and the first complete examples were ready for sale by the end of the year.

I took my time and finally I made the decision to get one. There are two models to choose from. The Type A and the Type B. The former is more traditional in the hands and dial design while the latter has a contemporary design. I chose the Type A or officially known as the SeiyaJapan Original Watch Automatic A167-A.


The reason I chose the Type A is because I believe this is Seiya-san’s favorite design. Based on his blog postings, he often brought up the subject of vintage military watches from bygone eras. He spends a lot of time researching and writing about these watches which has a similar design to the Type A. Although I am just making an assumption, all indications seem to point to that fact. If Seiya-san is reading this blog, do drop a comment on this at the end of the posting.

Replacement Strap for my Seiko Prospex Emperor Tuna SBDX011 direct from Japan: Reference R01X011M9 - So Expensive

I got my replacement strap for my Seiko Prospex Emperor Tuna SBDX011 direct from Japan. This particular strap is usually paired with the latest iteration of the Emperor Tuna SBDX013. Instead of rubber, it is made out of silicone which should give it more durability. Read my previous posting on the event that forced me to get this item: http://easternwatch.blogspot.my/2016/09/omg-moment-seiko-prospex-emperor-tuna.html

The metal parts are all made out of titanium.