My wife got me a new watch for Christmas that just showed up today due to the stupid Canada Post strike. This is my first manual wind non-automatic watch that is also a Chronograph. It's made by a company called Sugess and has a very retro Motorsport style to it with interesting colors and hands. They are a Chinese company and have a Seagull movement. It's 40mm with a sapphire crystal. Also came with a metal mesh bracelet and a 2 year warranty. I believe it's either 50 or 100 meter water resistance which is plenty for this style of watch.
She also got me another watch case that fits something like 24 watches, so now I'll be working on filling that up over the coming years.
Good looking unit.
Little birthday gift watch. Love me some retro coolness, fun color but man is it hard to read. Might have to mod the negative display into a normal one.
Quote from: Johnnymac on Feb 09, 2025, 02:07 PMbut man is it hard to read.
That's part of the retro charm.
Quote from: RRocket on Feb 09, 2025, 07:09 PMQuote from: Johnnymac on Feb 09, 2025, 02:07 PMbut man is it hard to read.
That's part of the retro charm.
Yeah maybe, I don't remember negative displays being a big thing back in the day. Mind you my passion for watches didn't really take off until the 00's.
Question for all of you watch connaisseurs. My gorgeous Citizen Eco-Drive recently started to lose track of time. I think it's about 17 years old, never had its rechargeable battery replaced. Googling around these seem to last 8-20 years, so it seems it had a good run. It does not stop, just loses time. So, just a battery replacement?
Quote from: Blueprint on Feb 12, 2025, 09:00 AMQuestion for all of you watch connaisseurs. My gorgeous Citizen Eco-Drive recently started to lose track of time. I think it's about 17 years old, never had its rechargeable battery replaced. Googling around these seem to last 8-20 years, so it seems it had a good run. It does not stop, just loses time. So, just a battery replacement?
Easiest place to start would be battery replacement.
While it's in for battery, see if there's anything else that can be cleaned/maintained
Quote from: RRocket on Feb 12, 2025, 01:54 PMQuote from: Blueprint on Feb 12, 2025, 09:00 AMQuestion for all of you watch connaisseurs. My gorgeous Citizen Eco-Drive recently started to lose track of time. I think it's about 17 years old, never had its rechargeable battery replaced. Googling around these seem to last 8-20 years, so it seems it had a good run. It does not stop, just loses time. So, just a battery replacement?
Easiest place to start would be battery replacement.
While it's in for battery, see if there's anything else that can be cleaned/maintained
Yup, that is what I would recommend. Not that the movement can't have an issue, but it's a lot less likely.
Quote from: Johnnymac on Feb 12, 2025, 06:28 PMQuote from: RRocket on Feb 12, 2025, 01:54 PMQuote from: Blueprint on Feb 12, 2025, 09:00 AMQuestion for all of you watch connaisseurs. My gorgeous Citizen Eco-Drive recently started to lose track of time. I think it's about 17 years old, never had its rechargeable battery replaced. Googling around these seem to last 8-20 years, so it seems it had a good run. It does not stop, just loses time. So, just a battery replacement?
Easiest place to start would be battery replacement.
While it's in for battery, see if there's anything else that can be cleaned/maintained
Yup, that is what I would recommend. Not that the movement can't have an issue, but it's a lot less likely.
I left it for a full work day under a halogen lamp, and made sure it faces up when not on my wrist. It's keeping time now! We'll see if it keeps up over the coming days, and if not - battery.
I have a watch box that stays on the windowsill with a glass top for all my solar watches, for this very reason.
Just got it back from engraving, but I got the call for my Rolex Explorer II (black face) the week my kid was born. Had the warranty card punched on his birthday, and just had the case-back engraved with his initials and date of birth.
To add to this, we also got the RS6 the week he was born, and the last 3 digits on the random issue license plate were also his date of birth, "909" for September 9th. I'm going to save those for him as well, if he ever cares to have a plate issued the week he was born.
I'm sure your son will appreciate all those little things you save for when he's older, maybe not right at the moment but one day.
Sort of toying around with getting my first "nice" watch. I've had the same $300 Bulova watch since I'm 13 that I wear 365 days a year. It's showing a bit of wear and tear, no doubt to my landscaping jobs throughout university, but it's been absolutely bulletproof.
This new watch would be to wear to work and for any regular outings/gatherings, with the old Bulova doing duty for outdoor activities, yard work, and just puttering around the house.
I'm thinking of something like this: https://www.seikowatches.com/ca-en/products/prospex/spb377j1
Any thoughts or other recommendations? I really know nothing about watches. I'm guessing my budget would be $1-1.5k but my current watch tells time perfectly so part of me is having a hard time rationalizing this type of expense. Certainly something like a Rolex is completely out of the question.
$1k-$1.5k to me sounds more like an entry level Swiss watch not so much a Seiko. So like a Hamilton, Tissot, Oris maybe, etc. but that's just me, if you really like that watch and can justify the cost, get it and enjoy for decades.
Quote from: Blizzard on Mar 17, 2025, 10:53 AMSort of toying around with getting my first "nice" watch. I've had the same $300 Bulova watch since I'm 13 that I wear 365 days a year. It's showing a bit of wear and tear, no doubt to my landscaping jobs throughout university, but it's been absolutely bulletproof.
This new watch would be to wear to work and for any regular outings/gatherings, with the old Bulova doing duty for outdoor activities, yard work, and just puttering around the house.
I'm thinking of something like this: https://www.seikowatches.com/ca-en/products/prospex/spb377j1
Any thoughts or other recommendations? I really know nothing about watches. I'm guessing my budget would be $1-1.5k but my current watch tells time perfectly so part of me is having a hard time rationalizing this type of expense. Certainly something like a Rolex is completely out of the question.
Try to find a Seiko SARB033.
Saw an ad for this company on Facebook. It's basically a company out of Toronto that takes Seiko movements, cases, and branding, but upgrades the band and crystal while also changing the design a bit. Seems like a decent price for what you get, it sure how you feel about a "knockoff" Seiko but at least it's all Seiko movements.
https://modsera.ca/?shpxid=93569dd5-6fb6-4944-8146-b0189cf8447d
Quote from: Johnnymac on Oct 04, 2025, 12:59 PMSaw an ad for this company on Facebook. It's basically a company out of Toronto that takes Seiko movements, cases, and branding, but upgrades the band and crystal while also changing the design a bit. Seems like a decent price for what you get, it sure how you feel about a "knockoff" Seiko but at least it's all Seiko movements.
https://modsera.ca/?shpxid=93569dd5-6fb6-4944-8146-b0189cf8447d
So these Seiko-mods have been around a while. It's not exactly a knockoff, but customization. No real resale value once you're bored of it if that's the goal, but they're great in that the movements are solid, and you can do anything you please to have it customized YOUR way.
I've been swapping between my Sub and my Explorer II as a daily for quite some time now, but I don't like traveling with nice watches to foreign cities, so I've been toying with the idea of a Seiko-mod for quite some time. I could also wear my dumb Apple Watch for that use case, but then there's the whole thing of bringing another charger with me, and I like to travel light...
These guys do the same thing as well, customize a Seiko for you https://chronocanada.com/
Quote from: Gurgie on Nov 06, 2025, 08:50 AMThese guys do the same thing as well, customize a Seiko for you https://chronocanada.com/
Lol...the Fiero Ferrari of watches
Quote from: HannibalSmith on Nov 07, 2025, 12:50 PMQuote from: Gurgie on Nov 06, 2025, 08:50 AMThese guys do the same thing as well, customize a Seiko for you https://chronocanada.com/
Lol...the Fiero Ferrari of watches
I've thought of it the same way haha... except the Seiko automatic movements are actually pretty good, unlike the Fieros which still drive like a Fiero.