Citizen Automatic NY602151E Divers' Watch - A Homage To The Submariner, A Review

The Citizen Automatic NY602151E watch was first introduced into the market in mid-2011. A Japanese Domestic Model (JDM), this watch is a homage to the venerable Rolex Submariner. It has a water resistant of 20 ATM or 200 meters. Despite it being promoted as a "diver" watch, it should only be used for water sports activities not for serious diving.

The construction is stainless steel. Case diameter is 43.5 mm (without the crown) with a thickness of 13.4 mm. Luminous paint is available and the glass is sapphire crystal. The bezel has a 120 click bezel with a luminous pip at the zero/60 minute mark. A 15 minute countdown marker is provided.

Seiko 5 Sports SRP145K1 Military Watch - New Engine And A Handy Complication Thrown In, A Review

A few years after I got my first Seiko 5 military watch with the 7S36B engine (click on this link to see that review), Seiko came out with a new Seiko 5 military watch with the latest 4R36A engine. The Seiko 5 SRP145K1 has a similar concept with the same coloured dial and canvas strap. However, there are fundamental differences.

The Seiko 5 SRP145K1 is made out of stainless steel. With a watch case diameter of 41 mm (45 mm with crown), it has a thickness of 13 mm and the lug width is approximately 20 mm. Predominantly in green, this watch, apart from the day and date functions, also has a bi-directional bezel with a compass function. More about this later.

Similar to the older military watch, the glass is Hardlex, an artificial crystal made in-house by Seiko. The tip of the seconds hand is painted red for ease of reference. From this point onwards, this watch has its own design philosophy.

Seiko 5 Sport 100M SNZG09K1 Military Watch - A Value For Money Piece Of Machinery That Can Handle Any Situation, A Review & Videos

Back in July 2011, I purchased the Seiko 5 Sport 100M SNZG09K1 from a local internet vendor. This particular model is a military style automatic by Seiko with green nylon strap. It uses the 23 jewel self-winding mechanical caliber 7S36B movement.

The case is 41 mm without the crown. Like all Seiko 5s, it has a day and date function. The case is stainless steel.

The dial is green with Arabic numbering and indexes. There are three references available on the dial. The outside is an index reference for every minute. Every 5th minute is a major index while the rest is minor. The middle reference is Arabic while the inner reference is also Arabic but starts from 13 to 24.

Seiko Ananta Double Retrograde Automatic SPB013J1 - Fabulous Masterpiece From Seiko's Craftmen

Ananta is Seiko's first line of high-end watches. The watches totally changed my perception of the brand, and I think if you check them out they will change the way you look at Seiko as well. They aren't cheap. These watches help propel Seiko as a luxury brand with models that are a more natural step up for most Seiko watch owners. Unless you really understand the significant appeal of the Ananta, moving from the prices you are used to with Seiko watches to the Spring Drive Ananta pieces is hard to do. Seiko realised this and to make the transition financially less stressful, the Ananta series have a number of models that can breach the gap.

What I got is the Ananta Double Retrograde Automatic SPB013J1. This watch has a more conservative and mainstream look than the very sporty Automatic Chronograph model. The bezel is polished and brushed steel. Dial is black with a steel bracelet. There is a black crocodile straps option available.

Casio EF331SB1AV Edifice Solar - Classic Yet Robust, But More Importantly, Cheap - A Review

This is a watch of many firsts; my first Casio; my first solar powered watch; and, my first square shaped watch. I bought it out of impulse when I walked passed a watch shop having a special sale.

Under the Edifice line, this watch is very basic and does not have the complications that are commonly associated with that line. Instead, it has a day and date function set in two sub-dials at 12 o'clock (date) and at 9 o'clock (day). Another sub-dial at 6 o'clock has a 24 hour indicator.

The dial is clean and indexed. 

Seiko 5 SNKL07K1 - It Is A Hardy Design And The Accuracy Is Surprisingly Good; A Review

Having going deep into the watch collection hobby, I realised that I don't have in my collection a model using the classic Seiko workhorse movement the 7S26 caliber. As I am only interested to have in my collection the caliber itself, I decided to search for a simple watch. I found it in the form of the Seiko 5 SNKL07K1.

The standard watch came with a stamped  steel bracelet. If you have been used to solid bracelets, the one that came with this watch was atrociously yukky. I quickly replayed it with a black Nato strap. More about this later. 

This is how the watch looks like straight from the box.

The watch is 38 mm wide with an 20 mm wide lug in an all stainless steel construction. The crown is a simple push-in located at the 3 o'clock position and like all Seiko 5, it comes with day and date functions. The hands are luminous silver tone and the marker are luminous as well. The dial is dark blue in colour.

Orient M-Force Diving Sports Automatic WV0021 - A Hardy, Value-For-Money Watch With Multiple Credentials; A Review

As a brand, Orient is not that well known outside the Western world. Unknown to a lot of people, this is one of the few brands in the world that has been making their own in-house movements for many years. Previously independent, the Orient Watch Company Ltd of Japan was established on 13 July 1950 and is now part of the Seiko Group. Nevertheless, Orient remains independent when it comes to design of their watches as well as their in-house movements.

The Orient M-Force Diving Sports Automatic watch that I got from Japan came with the reference number WV0021. It is also goes with a few other references such as SEL03001D or EL03001D, depending where in the world you source it from.  It has the following characteristics.

Seiko 5 Sports Automatic SNZJ09K1 - A Very Capable Daily Use Watch

This Seiko is the piece that started my journey into the world of horology. I got it in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. The suggested retail price was USD450. When I got it on 23 November 2010, I got it for SAR1,000 or MYR838.

This model is part of the Seiko 5 Sports series.

The dial is brown and the 3 hands plus the indexes are covered with Lumbrite, Seiko's proprietary luminous paint. It comes with a Day Date Display complication with with Arabic and English Options. The case size is about 42 mm wide.

Orient Mako XL CEM75001M - A Diving Watch Wannabe But Better Suited As A Workmen's Piece (Updated)

Way back in August 2011, I got myself an Orient Mako XL reference number CEM75001M. This is a Rolex Submariner homage but with more lively colour scheme. This watch was launched quite a number of years ago as a bigger brother to the very popular Mako dive watch.

Seiko Prospex SBDY001 Field Watch – A Unique But Overpriced Tool Watch, A Review

The Seiko SBDY001 Field Watch was launched by Seiko back in 2010. This is the first watch using the 4R35 movement that has hand winding and second hand stopping capabilities. The design Seiko decided on this Prospex model is that of a “field watch”. It was envisage that explorer scientists would be the primary users of this watch and it comes equipped with a magnifying glass that can be flipped open.

This watch is a JDM (Japan Domestic Model) unit but interestingly, I found it in Phuket, Thailand. It is very seldom you find Seiko Prospex models being sold outside Japan.

Protected by the black/yellow box synonymous with the Prospex series, the watch looks majestic in it. The plain dial and the black bezel in contrast to the stainless steel casing and bracelet give an aerodynamic feel to it. The red tipped second hand is a nice touch as it provides a point of focus on the watch.

This is a fair sized “field” watch in my view. With a diameter of 43 mm, almost everyone should be able to wear this watch. It was good that designers in Seiko decided against producing a watch larger than 43 mm which is the norm nowadays. Nevertheless, it is thick at 15 mm and the “fatness” does show.