Review of Casio G-Shock DW-5600E-1V - Simplicity Done Right

Greetings readers, it's been a long time since the last post. The reason for the absence? Getat, and the less said about him, the better. The watch from Getat did eventually arrive around three whole months after I placed my order. To top off the quarter of a year waiting time, the watch arrived completely dysfunctional; the movement just doesn't start ticking no matter how much it has been wound.

Alas, I wasn't too motivated to write about my very poor experience with Getat and it'll certainly be my last time dealing with him. I like the way the watch looks and thus have chosen not to send it back to Getat for a refund which God knows how long will he take to process. So for now, it'll be just lying around on a shelf till the day I decide to bring it to a watchmaker.

That is all I'll say on Getat in this post, because today we are here for something else; to cover a new acquisition I've made in the last couple of days. What exactly have I procured?

Why, the venerable classic, Casio G-Shock DW-5600E-1V of course.

 Long have I yearned for a digital watch to accompany me on runs and visits to the gym after the straps on my Casio F-91W broke. Since then I've been using analog watches to cover these duties but analog watches simply cannot do the job as well. Using a countdown bezel on a diving watch is after all, not the most convenient nor accurate method to measure rest time between sets. It didn't serve well for timing my runs either, which is why a digital watch had to be had. Without further ado, the technical specifications of the DW-5600E-1V:

• Shock resistant
• 200 meter water resistance
• Electro luminescent backlight with Afterglow
• Multi-function alarm 
• 1/100 second stopwatch
• Countdown timer with auto-repeat function
• Auto calendar (pre-programmed till year 2099) 
• Accuracy of ±15 seconds per month
• Battery CR2016 
• Approx. battery life: 2 years 
• Module 3229
• 48.9 x 42.8 x 13.4mm / 54g

 The DW-5600E-1V is held as the quintessential G-Shock by Casio themselves. It is the latest iteration in the evolution of the square-shaped DW series that begun with the DW-5000C, released over 31 years ago. To start off, let's discuss the size. The DW-5600E comes in at a perfect size in my opinion, large enough to have some wrist presence yet not being stupidly large. The size is considerably bigger than a F-91W which I liked a lot since the F-91W always felt a little too tiny for me.

The watch wears very comfortably, partially thanks to being just 54g in weight due to the resin construction. Now, I'm used to wearing watches made of metal since just about every other watch I have save the F-91W is metal. Coming to resin is therefore a big departure for me and I have to say, it is pretty nice. The DW-5600E doesn't feel poor in quality or durability despite the resin construction and you feel that this watch can actually survive a beating more than watches made from metal. There is a YouTube video here of the watch being thrown off seven stories and it continues to function so yes, this watch is likely to outsurvive the person wearing it. The resin strap is decent enough, being sufficiently pliable and comfortable. The buckle though is where I felt an improvement could be made, since it was just a stamped buckle which is really thin and felt quite cheap.

Reading the time is a breeze, with a LCD display that is relatively large and has great clarity and contrast of the digits from the background color. Viewing angles are excellent but not at the level of OLED displays; one would have difficulty reading the time from angles nearing 90 degrees. I don't see this as a major disadvantage though since turning your wrist or your neck by just a little will always ensure you can get a clear view of the display.

As is standard with most G-Shock watches, the display is covered by a mineral crystal which will do nicely in protecting the display. The raised bezel assists with keeping scratches off the crystal unless you happen to have an impact very precisely landing on the crystal. Sapphire would have been a nice addition but keep in mind that the DW-5600E is one of the cheapest in the G-Shock range and it would no longer be so if it had a sapphire crystal. The choice of mineral crystal is more in line with G-Shock ideology as well since it is harder to shatter. The display is backed with a bright electro luminescent backlight that makes for easy viewing in low light conditions. It glows with a nice green color and serves the purpose very well indeed.

The face of the watch is flanked by four buttons, namely the adjust, mode, start/stop and backlight button. All the buttons are covered by a lip which protects the button from being depressed should you drop it. The adjust button is markedly more recessed than the other buttons in order to prevent accidental adjustments in the course of usage. Changing between modes also produces the signature 'beep' sound. The beep produced when going back to the main screen which displays time is higher in pitch than the beeps produced when accessing other modes. This gives you an auditory indicator that you're back to the main screen. Little touches like that show the amount of thought that Casio has put into their watches.

Over on the back, we have a backplate that is held down by four screws. Usually, only the higher-end or older G-Shocks have screw down case backs. Since I'm no G-Shock collector though, the case back on the DW-5600E suffices for me as it still commands a very respectable water resistance level of 200m.

Timekeeping has been on point so far, with no deviation in the two days I've acquired it from a website I used to set it against. Further testing is required here to see the deviation in a month and in a year's time.

The Casio G-Shock DW-5600E-1V is a simple digital watch with extreme durability, and it is for that reason why it is such a great watch. It isn't addled with twenty alarms, thermometers, altimeters and barometers, just plain and simple timekeeping with functions such as a countdown timer, an alarm and a stopwatch, all of which I see as being rather useful.

This watch is one of few that has been approved for use in space by NASA and I can see why. It is the epitome of simplicity, of form meeting function, of durability meeting intuitivity. Then you add in the price; the DW-5600E can be had for about USD$42 on Amazon. Now it's a brilliant watch with a brilliant pricing. This is the watch I'd take with me if the world is going to be a zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic world tomorrow. On that note, thanks for reading and stay tuned!

Review of Casio MDV106-1A

The end of my internship has brought about a bout of retail therapy to calm my nerves from the stresses at work over the last two months. Today, I acquired the Casio MDV106-1A, a watch which has a cult following on several watch forums. In this review we shall discern if the MDV106 is worthy of its cult status.

Now let's start off with the quality, fit and finish of the MDV106. The MDV106 is 44mm across in diameter, inclusive of the crown. It comes in at about 92g in total, which does make the watch feel solid. 

The MDV106 can be had for about USD$40 onwards. The quality of the case construction though, is good. I don't even have to add that it's good for the price because it is that good, case quality is has not been compromised in spite of the low price. The finishing has been well done as well, with no rough edges or machining marks as far as I could observe.

We should consider that at USD$40, this watch is something of the next step up from the MQ24 rubber quartz series they offer, and it's a very big step up.

The case is polished on the sides and is brushed on all vertical surfaces. It is curved down at the lugs which is great for preventing overhang on smaller wrists. Flanking the sides of the crown are the crown guards, which I always prefer my watches to have. It is an attractive case design and I give Casio top marks for case quality and finish. Make no mistake, this is no Blancpain or Audemars Piguet but the case will hold its own very well against just about any nonluxury steel watch.

Over on the back, there is an engraved marlin which is a nice touch by Casio. Now I can brag about my $40 watch caseback being more decorated than on a $5000 Rolex. The caseback is screw-down which is great to see on a watch this affordable.

The crown is screw-down, which helps the MDV106 achieve a 200m water resistance rating. The crown is a just a little on the rough side when screwing down, but is not a major problem at all to me. It's very impressive Casio has managed to implement such water resistance measures on a watch of this price.

It features a mineral crystal which is flanked by a unidirectional coin edged bezel. The bezel clicks along nicely although there is some play, and it can move backwards by about half a click. Still, it's not too bad and I've certainly come across bezels which are much worse. On my watch, the bezel lines up exactly to the 12 marker so that's great too.

If there's another great thing it's that the seconds hand hits all the markers spot on. This is something I can't guarantee of all MDV106's so it's always best to buy quartz watches at a brick and mortar store. The movement is also one of the most silent I've ever come across; you really have to put your ear right up to even be able to hear the ticks. I guess some people like loud watches but I'm definitely for quiet movements, so the MDV106 is again a sweeter deal because of this.

 Moving onto the dial, it is really clean and simple, which is a good thing. No unnecessary subsecond indexes, just good old one whole seconds. It features a marlin on the bottom half which is quite tastefully done in my opinion.

The hands are really well done on the MDV106. They are long enough, such that telling the time at a glance is a breeze. Finished in polished steel, the hands add some flair to the dial and reflect light in a very attractive way. The seconds hand is tipped in red which is a nice addition.

Eventually though, Casio has to cut corners somewhere. That is clearly evident in the lume used on this watch. It won't hold a candle to any Seiko diver, losing it's charge extremely quickly and after about one hour the lume is pretty much nonexistent. Even after exposure to my brightest flashlight, the initial bloom is not that impressive at all. This watch won't please lume fanatics, that's for sure!

To set that off, the MDV106 features a universal lug width of 22mm. That was great for me since I found the stock resin strap to be pretty bad. It is pretty soft and comfortable, but only because it's so thin. It doesn't seem hefty enough for the watch head and makes lots of creaky noises. I will definitely be looking for alternative straps in the coming months.

In conclusion, the Casio MDV106-1A is really an excellent watch. It has nearly all the makings of a good watch; good build quality, nice dial and hands, good water resistance and well thought-out design. Even without being as affordable as it currently is, I would think that the MDV106 is a great watch. It IS however affordable!

This is the shining moment of Casio, where excellent design meets affordability. About the only thing this watch doesn't excel in is the lume department, but that's easily forgivable by me. To answer my own question at the start of the review, yes, this watch does indeed deserve its cult status.

So that's it for the review of the Casio MDV106-1A. I know I'll be thoroughly enjoying and appreciating the MDV106 in the months to come, all $40 of it. Thanks for reading!

Upcoming: Obris Morgan Pradata

Perhaps it stems from the absence metal bracelet watches I own, which caused me to take a serious liking to the upcoming Obris Morgan Pradata, but first, let me explain why the absence is so; I've flipped my Kemmner Turtle off recently.

Much as I love that watch, I still flipped it. It is no fault of the watch indeed, 'twas a great piece capable of matching watches many times its price. Perhaps the fault then is not with the watches but the owner. I'll admit it, the fun is very much in the chase and it's really hard to find a keeper. You get used to the looks of a watch after awhile and it's back to the hunt to find something that will excite you again.

Which is why I'm here to announce the new source of excitement.

The Obris Morgan Pradata.

Now for a quick rundown on the specs:

Diameter: 43mm excluding crown guard, bezel 44mm
Thickness: Bezel 4.5mm, case 6mm, Back case 2.2mm

Lug width: 22mm
Lug to lug: 52.6mm

316L Stainless steel construction
  Five link bracelet
Miyota 9015

Super-LumiNova C1 or C3 on hands and indices
Automatic helium escape valve

300m Water resistance
3.5mm Thick sapphire crystal with underside AR coating
Weight: 236g with unadjusted bracelet

In terms of features, the Obris Morgan Pradata seems pretty run-of-the-mill, but consider this; the Pradata ranges from USD279 - 299, depending on the finish of the casing and the bracelet you choose. Fantastic pricing has always been one of Obris Morgan's strong points, as they have shown with the Nevon and the Branco. The Pradata is once again no exception.

You'd have to look hard to find a full 316L stainless steel watch with a Miyota 9015 or equivalent movement at such prices. Obris Morgan also delivers their watches in this excellent Pelican-like case and provides FedEx delivery worldwide which is included in the buying price! This really shows how far your USD300 will stretch in buying a watch which really puts some other microbrands to shame, considering the fact they're using similar case suppliers but charging three to four times the price Obris Morgan charges. Obris Morgan is undeniably the king of value for money watches till someone outdoes them in this game.

Now the Pradata has some undeniably obvious Fullswing Industrial DNA which is evident by the caseback opener design markings being exactly the same as the ones on the Kemmner Turtle and various other Fullswing Industrial watch cases.

The second hand also looks exactly like the one on the Kemmner Turtle.

Of course, this is all perfectly fine with me. From my experiences with Fullswing Industrial crafted watches, they have been nothing short of stellar. Case quality is on point with much more expensive manufacturers and Fullswing Industrial is about as good one can get with microbrands.

Need I remind you that the Precista Dreadnought GMT cases were sourced from Roland Kemmner who in turn sources his cases from Fullswing Industrial? Among other microbrands which turn to Fullswing Industrial are Armida and Dagaz, and they have proven themselves to know how to build a quality watch if anything.

The Pradata is similar to the Kobold Seal and WestCoasTime 1000m which is a little chunkier than I am used to, but I'm willing to go out of my usual preferences to support a company which can sensibly price their products!

Looks like it's going to be a fight between Getat and the Obris Morgan Pradata this year, and I have an ominous feeling for Getat on this one (sorry!). Thanks for reading and have a good day!

Catching Up - Covering Releases in my Absence

Welcome to another update on The Watch Post and today we shall be catching up on some rather exciting releases in the watch community in my months absent. I've been rather inactive since August and in the short few months that I've laid low, some rather brilliant watches have finally come to fruition. Today, we shall be looking exactly what we have been missing out in the last few months.

Let's start off with the offerings that Timefactors have put forth this year. It's been a very exciting year from Timefactors indeed, with the release of some five different models of watches alone this year. Eddie Platts of Timefactors is well known for deliberating a rather long time before each release, therefore the fact that we have seen five releases from him this year is a very rare occurrence indeed.

We shall start off with the Precista PRS-82. If you may recall, I did cover this watch before in one of my previous posts which can be found here.

(Pictures credit of various members from TZ-UK)

Inspired by military issue British dive watches of the 80's, the Precista PRS-82 features new old stock ETA 2781 movements, the PRS-82 exudes a vintage charm which is further accentuated by the use of vintage colored lume. Eddie usually interprets his homage watches with a twist of modern; a domed sapphire crystal in this instance. It measures in at 40mm in diameter and 47mm lug to lug, a nice size that stays faithful to its roots. I think Eddie hit the ball out the park here, this watch looks very retro which makes it quite a unique piece, excellent release overall. The PRS-82 goes for GBP 380 and can be found here. We move on to their next release, the PRS-21 Dreadnought Voyager GMT.

(Pictures credit of various members from TZ-UK)

I wrote about the upcoming release of the PRS-21 Dreadnought Voyager GMT here some months ago and yes, the GMT iteration of the Dreadnought was finally released in November! Of course, it's too late to get a brand new one from the Timefactors website itself now, it sold out within minutes of release for both the first and second batch. If you wish to pick one up you would have to scour watch forums for one now, just like you would the PRS-2 Dreadnought.

This is the watch everyone has been waiting for, having been in the making almost since the original was released. Featuring an ETA 2893 of Elaboré grade, anti-magnetic protection, and weighing in at over 250 grams, this watch is a complete beast, be it in terms of specs or in weight. I don't quite agree with the bright orange color of the hand outlines as it doesn't look quite as nice as the yellow of the original Dreadnought but well, that's how it was decided upon. Unfortunately, there is no longer any of it in stock but just for the record it can be found here, retailing for GBP 875, a marked increase in price over the original (GBP 475).

Precista did come up with the PRS-68 Smiths diver, the PRS-30 and the PRS-20C as well this year but the two I covered above were what I thought to be the highlights of Precista this year.

Moving on, we shall cover two releases from Dagaz; the Thunderbolt and the Aurora.

(Pictures credit of various members from WUS)

Let's start with the Dagaz Thunderbolt, which can be bought here. It goes for USD 375, which is tremendous value, considering the specs of the watch (Miyota 9015, double-dome sapphire, solid end links), plus the fact that it's on a bracelet! This is really a massive effort on Jake B's part on how he manages to balance quality and price. You will struggle to find any watch with similar specs going around this price range.

Of course, a watch is more than just its specs. Being impressively specced may not guarantee a watch looks nice. Fortunately, the Dagaz Thunderbolt does look as good aesthetically as its specs look on paper! Taking with it some Sinn-ish vibes, such as the H-link bracelet and visual cues from military field watches, the Dagaz Thunderbolt looks good indeed. I think the dial might have been better off without the tinge of red in the form of the logo and text but that's just me.

We arrive at the final watch in focus today, the Dagaz Aurora.

(Pictures credit of various members from WUS)

The Dagaz Aurora can be found here retailing for USD 495. This puts it quite a bit behind the Thunderbolt in terms of value for money but it's still a competitive price compared to other microbrand offerings. Like the Thunderbolt, the Miyota 9015 can be found ticking inside this watch. The Aurora is similarly impressive in terms of specs, double-dome sapphire crystal, solid end link bracelet with H-links.

While the Thunderbolt draws parallels with Sinn and military field watches, the Aurora does so with Doxa. The case shape does take inspiration from Doxa dive watches. Meanwhile, Jake B has added his own splash of color to the Aurora in the form of a colored ring consisting of red and white, reminiscent of roulette wheels. The Dagaz logo is not working for me as it a little small, leaving large empty spaces like as though something is lacking in the top area of the dial. Other than that qualm of mine, I do think that the Dagaz Aurora is a fine watch indeed.

So that wraps up today's update, thank you for reading as always, I hope you've enjoyed this post and be sure to come back to The Watch Post soon for more!

OMEGA Seamaster Bullhead - Love at First Sight

I've never traditionally embedded videos of watch presentations in this blog, but we shall have to do away with tradition today. I've seen a good number of presentation videos before, showcasing fancy contraptions such as tourbillons and minute repeaters but I never really felt compelled to post them here, impressive as they were. Today instead I choose to present a video of the OMEGA Seamaster Bullhead. Granted, it's not anything fancy at all if you were to compare it to something from HYT or MB&F, but still it remains as one of the slickest watch presentation videos I've seen; slick enough to deserve a place on The Watch Post. Enjoy the video and stay tuned for more updates, and as always thank you for reading!

Finally, the Arrival of Getat!

It wasn't five days ago I was still getting really riled up with our dear Getat. His lack of unresponsiveness and irresponsibility gives one the impression that he puts his watchmaking business behind everything else. Maybe he does, I don't know, but what I do know is that when Getat wishes to deliver, he can and will in a big way!

Of course, this drastic change in my impression of him has to have a reason behind; his watch was finally delivered today! Without further ado, enjoy these quick and dirty cell phone pictures!

A full review will come soon, meanwhile here are some initial impressions. Case is nicely machined and impressively finished with a nice brushed finishing all over. Caseback has a few rough edges, but they are nothing major. One of my initial concerns was that the crown guard would be really floppy, but I guess those worries can be put to rest as it is really nice and firm!

Moving on, the lume on this is really quite good! It is at the very least on par with the Kemmner Turtle, although I will have to conduct further observation to determine the better of the two. Lastly, let's get to the strap. It's thick and chunky, and although this isn't your Jules Verne or Ted Su strap, I think this strap will hold its own just fine. In a word, nice!

All this, for the price of a mid-range made-to-order strap. 

Getat is slow and unresponsive, his QC can be shoddy at times, and other times he would get orders done wrongly. Yet, when Getat wishes to deliver, he will impress you. Not forgetting that this watch costed all of US$131, let's just say I am really pleased with this watch. Final verdict, the wait was worth it.

So that's it, I hope you have enjoyed reading today's entry! 

Interesting, Upcoming Releases

I am most intrigued by the upcoming releases from Time Factors and Dagaz, such fine looking watches!

The Precista PRS-82, a 200m dive which will be powered by NOS ETA 2783 movements. 

There is no official designation yet, but it is known as the Smiths diver for now. It is an homage to the Seiko 6105-8110/8119 dive watch, which will possibly be powered by a Miyota movement. Not much more is known at the moment.

The famous Precista PRS-2 Dreadnought will soon be coming in GMT! The original Dreadnought, well-known for their extremely high resale value, was released some 10 years ago. People have since then been waiting doggedly for the GMT version, which has been in development for almost as many years. The GMT variant will be powered by an ETA 2893-2 and 100 of them will be made available in the first run, with the possibility of a second run if there is enough interest. Most of the 100 initial slots have already been secured, so do be sure to show your interest in the Dreadnought GMT to make that second run possible!

Before the PRS-2 Dreadnought was released, a watch that had so many features yet went for less than a grand was unheard of. Big and well-known watch companies would have charged exorbitant prices for such a watch. At the risk of sounding a little dramatic, Time Factors changed the game forever. Nowhere could you find a watch that had anti-magnetic protection, a German Fricker made case and a top grade ETA 2824-2 movement that had been professionally regulated to chronometer standards for such a reasonable price (GBP 450). That is, until the Dreadnought was released.

You could say that the PRS-2 Dreadnought sparked a revolution thereafter. People started to realize that they did not not have to fork out loads of cash to get a well-made, high quality watch that was packed with features; thus began the era of microbrands.

To this day, the PRS-2 Dreadnought is thought of as the grandfather of microbrand watches to many.

Dagaz Thunderbolt, a 150m military watch which will be powered by a Miyota 9015. Dagaz have been aggressively changing their market positioning of late, creating whole watches instead of mods based off Seiko watches. The Thunderbolt is a handsome looking military piece, 39mm in diameter, 46.5mm lug to lug and has a 20mm lug width. It boasts very impressive specifications: domed sapphire crystal with underside AR, triple sealed screwed-down signed crown, C1 lume for the hands and dial, drilled lugs and much more. Retail pricing at US$375, superb value in my opinion, given the specifications. 

Dagaz Aurora, an upcoming 200m dive watch which will be powered by a Miyota 9015. It will be 43mm in diameter and 45mm lug to lug, with 20mm lug width. Features are similar with the Thunderbolt: domed sapphire crystal with underside AR, signed crown, but comes lumed with C3 instead of C1 which I always prefer. Retail price will be around US$500, which is a very competitive price given the specifications. I'll definitely be keeping the Aurora in view.

The Time Factors watches can be found here when they are eventually released. The Dagaz Thunderbolt and Aurora can be found here.

Classics from Seiko

Since producing their first wristwatch in 1913, Seiko has went on to release countless models of wristwatches in every category. Dress, diver, aviator; you name it and they have produced it. They are a company loved by WIS all over the world, and I would proudly stand up and declare myself one of them.

All is not rosy for me however, as I have a big gripe with Seiko. They have a uncanny tendency to discontinue the best looking pieces in their collection, long before I can lay my hands on any of them. There must be some guy sitting in a Seiko office rubbing his hands in glee whenever he sees all the people which he has made distraught by discontinuing a particular model.

Besides the exorbitant prices which some of them go for now, they can be hard to find as well, appearing sporadically on eBay and watch forums. One has to be quick-fingered to find the desirable models as you are probably competing with Seiko lovers around the world. Below are the particular models which have made me drop a considerable amount of hair since attaining WISdom.



6105-8000/6105-8009 - The 6105-8000/6105-8009 is the brethren of the 8110/8119, the watch which Martin Sheen wore in the movie Apocalypse Now. I guess I am in the minority as many people prefer the 8110/8119 but I just prefer the symmetrical case shape of this particular version more. It also reminds me of the Ball Engineer Master II Skindiver, which is currently one of my grails. Therefore, I love both. A mint, original 8000/8009 can go for as much as US$1000 at the moment.

6306-7000/6306-7001 - This is the big brother of the 6309-7040/6309-7049. I call it 'big brother' because this version is capable of hacking, whereas the 6309 variants do not hack. Besides that, the physical differences between the 6306 and 6309 are minimal. 6306's are much harder to acquire as they are JDM releases so expect to pay more for a 6306; about US$500 and upwards for an example in mint and original condition.

6138-0040/6138/0049 - Also known as the Bullhead chronograph because of the pushers resembling bull horns, the 6138 come in a two different color schemes. Pictured above is the 0040, while the 0049 variant has a brown dial with yellow subdials. Unfortunately for Seiko lovers everywhere, the cheapest contemporary mechanical chronographs that Seiko offers is probably something from the Ananta collection which isn't affordable at all. Seiko should never have discontinued their affordable mechanical chronographs such as the Bullhead, but who are we to say otherwise?

6139-6032 - Pictured here is a 6139-6032, one of the numerous variants which the 6139 came in. During 1969, there was a race to manufacture the world's first mechanical chronograph and these watches were one of the contenders. The title would ultimately go to the Swiss watch manufacture Zenith, but the 6139 is still a fine watch through and through. Unlike the ETA Valjoux 7750 which is the most commonly seen modern mechanical chronograph, the 6139 used a column wheel chronograph! All that in a watch which would now cost you less than a Valjoux 7750 movement alone. Clearly, Seiko was way ahead of the game even back in the late 60's.

SNA139P1 - Probably the newest watch on this list, and one of the best looking quartz chronographs that Seiko has ever made in my opinion. The hands which resemble those from a Sinn 103 are a very nice throwback to old pilot watches. Oh, and it's discontinued, as expected from Seiko. Based on the 7T62 caliber, this watch features titanium construction.

So that was my list of favorite discontinued Seiko watches! As always, thank you for reading!

Review of Seiko SNDC87P2

It's time for a review, and the watch in question today is the Seiko SNDC87P2 quartz chronograph, which runs on the 7T92 calibre. The P refers to the type of strap which it came with, and the P2 variant is a black crocodile-embossed leather strap. This watch has 20mm lugs and is 40mm in diameter (without the crown), a nice size when everything seems to be at least 42mm these days. It features a Hardlex mineral crystal and a solid screw case back. The crowns and pushers are not screw-down but still the watch achieves a water resistance of 100m.

Firstly, a little background on how I acquired this particular piece. I bought this watch late last year as a present for a friend, way before I was a WIS. Looks like it never really did click with him because he proposed a trade last week; this watch for the birthday present I got last year, and that's how this watch ended up in my hands.

I still remember why I chose this watch as a gift. The splash of red on the crown and the chronograph hands accentuated the plain and simple white dial. I found it attractive even before I was a WIS and thought that my friend might too. Unfortunately that would not be the case but let's carry on with the review!

Lume shot - Rather sparse, but forgivable as this isn't a dive watch

So, we've established that I find this watch aesthetically pleasing but what of it's quality? I'm afraid that's where this watch doesn't live up to expectations. It might be hard to see from the photo but the dial is actually a sunburst dial, with all three subdials featuring a different sunburst effect from the main dial. The chapter ring is numbered one to twelve in a squarish modern font with a lume dot for each hour.

All the materials used in the dial suffer from one common problem; plastic construction, and it shows whenever you look at the dial. The dial and chapter ring look plasticky no matter the angle you try to view it from. The sunburst is a bane rather than a boon; only serving to bring the plasticky feel out more prominently than to display the interesting show of lights that sunburst dials were meant to achieve.

I got this watch at US$110 so I'm not expecting a guilloche dial but this watch would really benefit if the dial was executed in a dark color with a matte finish. Something like that would hide the plasticky look of well... plastic dials.

Case finishing is what you frequently hear about Seiko; very good for the price. The sides are finished with a polish and the top surfaces brushed. No machining marks could be found so that gets a thumbs up. Overall, the case is excellent and has a level of finish you wouldn't expect in a watch priced like this.

It comes with a crocodile-embossed leather strap which isn't pictured in this post. It puts the watch more towards dress, and would be if the sunburst dial was actually executed properly. However, considering the rather cheesy sunburst dial and the squarish, modern looking fonts on the chapter ring, this watch is left a bit directionless, not dress yet a little too formal given it's strap to be a sport watch.

There is not a whole lot to write about the 7T92 calibre. It's a basic quartz chronograph which keeps and records time well. There is a hand position adjustment mode in case the chronograph hands ever go out of alignment, which may be useful if ever the need arises.

Conclusion

The design elements are a bit incohesive and could have been done better but quality and construction is quite good, with the exception of the dial. This is a decent watch overall, but look elsewhere first before buying this watch for Seiko has better quartz chronographs.

A New Watch Box

My girlfriend gave me this watch box as a gift recently, which has made storing my collection a much neater affair. Quite pleased with it really, it isn't lined with genuine suede or nappa leather but it is a very meaningful gift for a WIS like me! Onward with the pictures!

Nice big window.

Looking comfortable!

How the watch wraps around the cushion.