Review of Seiko SBDN025 or: How the Marathon GSAR Didn't Pan Out

Welcome back, readers of The Watch Post. Before anything, I'd like to thank Dr. Strangelove and the team behind for the inspiration of today's title. I haven't watched Dr. Strangelove before but it was famous enough that I knew of its existence. But today's post isn't at all about movies, in fact we here at The Watch Post know exactly why we come here; to read quality reviews on timepieces (mostly).

Right off the bat, if you're here today wondering about where is the promised review of the Marathon GSAR, I'm afraid I have to let you down. My apologies, as that review will not be happening anytime soon. As has happened in the past, this kind of situations mostly occurs when you get a catch and release (in WIS speak, a catch and release represents a situation where you acquire a watch and almost immediately intend to let go). Now just what was wrong with the Marathon GSAR? I'm about to get to that.

The Marathon GSAR was nice. It was solidly built - the bezel action was one of the best I have ever came across. Build quality wasn't a problem, but somehow the watch just didn't click with me. Perhaps it was the dial; which was rather too busy for me. Especially, I thought that the divisions between the seconds markers were far too excessive. Or perhaps it was the illumination. Oh boy, was I unused to the tritium tubes, which I initially held high (and probably unrealistic) hopes in. My GSAR was dated July 2013, which meant it probably lost some brightness over the course of two and a half years. Still, I wasn't really feeling this piece. Naturally, I considered flipping it after having it in my hand for no more than five minutes. Such is the life of a (self-proclaimed) WIS.

My decision to flip the GSAR was also further exacerbated by the fact that the Marathon GSAR costs more than I was comfortable with in terms of money sunk into a watch. Now, I realize this is somewhat of an unfair judgement placed on a watch whose makers probably stand proudly behind it. With that said, I'm glad to be free of having sunk over a grand on a watch, a luxury that I'm afraid I am not in a position to undertake at the moment.

That brings us to the story of the Seiko SBDN025. I've been coveting this piece ever since I saw Seiko make the announcement on the SBDN series, a little brother to the SBBN family. Having just unburdened myself from the monies sank into the Marathon GSAR, and having the SeiyaJapan website open on my computer, the inevitable was bound to happen. Thus, a few clicks later, a Seiko SBDN025 was on its way to me. Per The Watch Post tradition, let's welcome the SBDN025 to the family in signature yellow.

 By the way, I have nothing but good things to say about SeiyaJapan. If you're ever looking to buy a JDM watch or Seiko watches in general, you will not go wrong with SeiyaJapan. Their response was lightning quick and the watch reached me in just five days from clicking 'Buy'. They opted for EMS and I took delivery of the watch on a Saturday (perhaps I'm new to priority mail but I've never had any of my packages delivered to me on a weekend) so that was a real pleasant surprise. Thumbs up Seiya-san.

Clockwise from top left: SBDN023, SBDN021, SBDN026, SBDN029, SBDN028, SBDN025

The SBDN series comes in a number of colorways, six to be precise. So, naturally I went for the Pepsi colorway, reminded of the SKX009 which I possessed during my happy and carefree university days. I originally chose the SKX009 over the 007 originally because I thought that the splash of color made the watch look nicer and more interesting and this still holds true with the SBDN025. Of course, there are more colorways to choose from with the SBDN and it was a really close fight between the SBDN028 and SBDN025. As you can see from the pictures, the SBDN025 did it for me ultimately, winning the battle to one of the most highly contested fights in horological history.

I think it would be fair to say that most seasoned WIS out there will know that decisions about whether you'll have this watch in your collection (at least for a couple months) or flipped within the week can be made in about five minutes of handling the watch. So, my first minute with the SBDN025, I'm happy to report, has been most positive.

First things first, I cannot enjoy a quartz analog if the second hand isn't hitting the seconds markers accurately, I would be trying to flip this piece right now if this criteria wasn't met. Luckily, there is no need to do any of that. I have been most satisfied with the way the second hands and the seconds markers are aligned on my piece. Unfortunately, this is largely a luck of the draw issue so I always advocate buying a quartz analog watch at a brick and mortar store when possible.

On to the actual watch then. The Tuna (so named because it resembles a tuna can) is a design which Seiko pioneered and unveiled to the world in 1975, so as you might expect there is quite a bit of history behind the Tunas 41 year history. Famous people have worn it, one of them being the Governator himself in the movie Predator. I'd say that the key design elements found in the Tuna are the lugless design and the protective shroud. The SBDN series, designed in conjunction with LOWERCASE, does not stay completely faithful to the Tuna design as it does have lugs, but they are diminutive as compared to some watches. The signature shroud, although plastic, is there.

There are many things to cover regarding the case of the SBDN025. Let's start from the outside and work our way in. Albeit being made from plastic, I have been really satisfied with the shroud. It is solid and firm and does not give in any way. While Tunas have traditionally came with metal or even ceramic shrouds (their Spring Drive Tunas), the plastic shroud on the SBDN025 is not at all bad. Besides serving as a protective casing for the watch, the shroud also gives the Tuna series their signature look. It is secured to the case by means of three bolts which are prominently visible from the side, which nicely spices things up when you look at the SBDN from the side.

Make no mistake, the SBDN is a large watch (weighing in with a diameter of 45.9mm), but with a lug to lug of only 45.5mm, this makes it supremely wearable. The SBDN series largely follows the key design elements that the Tuna has, with some differences in the lugs. The design has grown on me since I got it and continues to do so by the moment, I'm pretty much a devout Tuna convert at this point.

Coming in at just 12.1mm in thick, the SBDN is certainly one of the slimmer watches that I've owned. You really start to appreciate the benefits of a thin watch when you handle one in person; it rarely gets in the way of things, be they shirt sleeves or doorways. Overall, I think it's very impressive how Seiko has managed to achieve having a chapter ring that has good depth yet manage to keep the whole package at just little over a centimeter thick.

When it comes to lume performance, Seiko is at the top of the game. Using their proprietary LumiBrite, Seiko's dive watches are among the best in lume performance and can easily stand toe to toe with anything else that you may pair it up against. However, the right luminous paint alone will not get you the best results, much of it also lies in the application. Rest assured then that Seiko has this down to a science. Underlying the LumiBrite markers are white surfaces, which I've read that is a prerequisite for luminous material to perform at their best. The SBDN is one of the few watches that has such strong lume performance that you can see the bloom when you walk into a shaded area after the watch face has been exposed to the sun. The only other watch I've ever had that was capable of this was the SKX009. This goes out to all the lume junkies out there, the SBDN will not disappoint.

I don't have any quartz to benchmark the SBDN against, so let me just share how the timekeeping performance has been like. Since taking delivery of this watch five days ago and setting the time, it has gained just one second as of writing this post. So yes, it's been very good, far beyond anything mechanical obviously. I'm pretty confident that this watch will actually perform better than the deviation of fifteen seconds per month that Seiko officially declares on the V147 solar movements.

 The SBDN025 also comes with an update to the venerable Z22 rubber straps, with what I believe to be a silicon strap. I am unsure if this strap is going to replace all of the Z22s going forward, but I think it absolutely should after having spent some time with it. The strap has a satin finish to it and is really soft right out the box; a huge departure from the Z22s of yesteryear. You don't have to break-in these straps anymore like you did the Z22s (some people actually placed the Z22s in boiling water to soften them) and they feel much less plasticky than the Z22s.

Seiko has done a commendable job on these Z22 replacements. They are remarkably comfortable, fitting like seasoned straps from the get-go. However, the comfort and lovely satin finish come at a price; in just five days, I have already noticed scuffs on these straps. Naturally, this is a game of trade-offs. You either have the hard-wearing durability that the Z22s offer but suffer the almost cable-like stiffness or you enjoy the comfort and texture of the Z22 replacements but it's not going to look pristine for long. For me, I really appreciate the comfort that these Z22 successors have and they are a most welcome addition, making one's experience in owning an SBDN a whole much more pleasant.

Seiko seems to have made strides in crown action; I feel considerably more confident in the durability of the crown on the SBDN than I did back then with the SKX009. Compared with the Kemmner Turtle (which case was produced by Fullswing Industrial) that I had back in university though, Seiko has quite some ways to improve in this aspect before they're on the level of confidence that the Kemmner Turtle instilled in me. The threads on the Turtles crown tube were simply monstrous and you could basically put your mind at ease as cross-threading would really require you to go out of your way to make it happen.

Crown action aside, I would really have liked to see a signed crown on the SBDN, which I don't think is an unreasonable request at this price range. Overall, the crown on the SBDN is a decent, if simple one, but it's not going to leave you with a strong impression of it like you would on watches which have a lot of engineering on the crowns such as a Damasko or a Sinn.

The bezel action is largely similar to the one on the SKX series. It's quite good, but again pales out to watches which specifically put more engineering into the area. Now in this regard, the Marathon GSAR was really good; every click was precise, well defined and snaps into the next click without any mushiness in between. There was no backplay to mention of as well on the GSAR. The SBDN does have some measure of mushiness in between clicks, and while there isn't any backplay when you lock into a click firmly, the clicks aren't as well defined and so sometimes the bezel will go back a click as it hasn't been engaged into the next click yet, even though it feels like you already have. As with the crown, this bezel is far from bad, it is decent. If you are to compare it to a watch which excels in this regard however, you'll quickly spot the differences.   

The SBDN is a limited edition, with 3,000 of each colorway except for the SBDN029, which is limited to just 400. Now, 3,000 is hardly limited given the number of colorways they are available in, but if you're keen on a specific colorway then I'd act sooner than later. If you're fine with any SBDN then really there's no rush in acquiring one.

Gracing the front of the watch, a very slightly domed Hardlex makes itself home between the dial and the outside environment. Again, sapphire with AR coating would have been nice, but if even the SBDX001 (aka MM300) still uses Hardlex then sapphire is pretty much a pipe dream on a Seiko watch of this price point. Since I tend to care for my timepieces and don't roll around in sand all day, Hardlex should be mostly sufficient for me (except for the times when you most need it, such as when you scrape the watch against a doorframe, Murphy's law at work).

So, my overall thoughts on this watch have been mostly favorable. I am in love with the Tuna design; it is unique, makes for a supremely wearable size in spite of the large diameter and is aesthetically pleasing. The quality that one can come to expect of this piece is perhaps a little notch up from the SKX line. There's a nicer strap than can be found in the SKX, and I felt the crown was also a step up from the SKX. Ultimately though, you may not feel like you are getting as much value as you are from the SKX series as many things on the SBDN are largely on the same level as the SKX (the hands, case build quality, bezel action and lume performance) but the price isn't.

Granted, the SBDN would be far nicer if they were priced at the same level as the SKX, but after paying USD 351 for it (at SeiyaJapan, the cheapest I've found it for so far), I'm still largely happy with the watch! In closing, I think the SBDN025 has made a welcome addition to the family at The Watch Post. On that note, thank you for reading and stay tuned for the next happening!

Marathon GSAR, Incoming

Yep folks, the title says it all. I finally relented after my years of desire for a Marathon GSAR and finally have one inbound towards me at the time of this post. It was definitely hard to spend such money on a watch for me (I'm no investment banker or litigator) and of course I hope that it is money well-spent.

Rest assured that an in-depth review will be made available on The Watch Post after I've spent some time spent with the GSAR. Judgement day shall come and it shall be decided whether the GSAR is a grail that is better realized or left as a desire and nothing more. Till then, have a good day.

Review of Church's Balmoral in Walnut Nevada Calf Leather

Dear readers, once again it has been many a month since there has been a post to this blog. The curation of items worth reviewing here on The Watch Post has reached a point where I no longer review everything that comes into my possession, instead I choose to review select pieces which I have spent a considerable amount of time appreciating and discerning.

Today, we have just the item that fits the criteria of being post-worthy. Ladies and gentlemen, I present the Church's Balmoral in Walnut Nevada Calf leather.

So yummeh

Now I think it's important for me to substantiate on how this pair of shoes came to be in my possession. Church's regularly go for 500 EUR at their regular retail price (RRP), and I'm not one who enjoys spending such sums of money, especially on material possessions. Naturally, I got this pair for a price far lower than the RRP, at about 150 EUR before VAT refund. I consider that to be a rather good price for a handcrafted, Goodyear welted shoe.

If you ever pop by the Space Prada outlet at Montevarchi in Italy, make sure you try your luck at the shoe clearance section because that's where I got this pair of Church's for 150 EUR! I think I was unbelievably lucky to find this gem hidden in the further discount section as this was the only pair of Church's there (everything at the outlet is already discounted but this is the further discount section) and the other shoes in this section were unimaginably tacky (there were some Prada shoes which were supposed to be formal, but it looked like they had mated a basketball shoe with an Oxford).

This shoe is a UK 7.5 in G width which fits me snugly though I am usually an UK 8 in other shoes, and an US 8 in Red Wings. So my experience with Church's thus far is; size down may be necessary, though I believe it might've been the G width that made it possible for me to fit in this pair comfortably.

The somewhat obvious discoloration of the captoe or: the reason this pair was going for 150 EUR

It ain't all a bed of roses with this shoe though, there is a reason for this deeply discounted price. This was probably a pair which didn't pass QC and it shows. First, if you would bring your attention to the toe cap area, there is a noticeable discoloration there. I would say this is the most obvious defect. Second, the shoe has been creasing quite strangely as well, which I suspect is due to it being slightly undersized for my feet therefore leading it to crease at the wrong area. The left side however seems to be creasing normally and it's just the right side that is creasing strangely. Abnormal creasing is usually indicative of shoes that have been fitted to the wrong size of feet, though I'm not so sure in this scenario as one side seems to be normal and the other side isn't.

Notice the odd creasing on the right side

Perhaps the most striking thing about a pair of quality leather shoes is the smell. I've read that real good quality leather should have a woody/fleshy smell and since I've never really owned any shoe/boot of such a caliber, I never knew what woody/fleshy meant. That is, until I opened the box with this pair inside; you will instantly know what the smell of quality leather should be like. I am unaware of the tannery which Church's uses, all I know is that this shoe is constructed of leather leagues above anything else I own (Thorogood, Diemme) and it is quite apparent.

Admittedly, this shoe doesn't have the sleekest silhouette, which I think in no small part is due to it being G width, but also probably has something to do with the 73 last (according to Herring Shoes). It has a rounded captoe and overall, has a nice and simple design which I like.

The inside of the shoe is completely lined with leather, a first for me as I've only had unlined shoes or shoes lined with drill vamp lining. A leather insole which will slowly conform to your feet with each wear meant that my first few wears were rather uncomfortable as the shoes were very stiff, but by now (at about ten wears in), they've already begun to break-in nicely and are getting more comfortable with each wear.

Mine looked similar to this, less the 'Custom Grade' markings and the Church's logo at the rubber portion of the heel before it was topied

This may be a sight of sheer horror to people who insist on authenticity but to me, I'm more of a 'a topy a day keeps a resole away' kind of guy

The sole is beautifully adorned with an debossed Church's logo, which I unfortunately am unable to provide actual photos of as I had them topied with Vibram right out of the box. You will find stitching all around the sole, less the heel area and I chose to topy them as replacing a topy sole is far cheaper than sending this pair all the way back to Northampton for a resole. I am aware that some shoemakers will not work on your shoe if they have been modified by some third party. While I am of the opinion that that is absolutely ridiculous (and what I think is a underhanded attempt to gain additional revenue on something that is rather frequent in nature considering leather soles are not very lasting), that is a discussion for another time. With Church's, I guess it remains to be seen as I won't be sending this pair back for a resole for a very long time (as long as possible till topys can't get the job done).

Yep, it's Church's alright

Overall, at EUR 150, I am absolutely elated to own a pair of Church's. I think I got a great deal on this pair and that makes me a very happy owner. It is my first pair of high-end shoes and I think that it'll be my only pair for a long time to come as I'm not willing to blow a small fortune for a pair of Edward Greens or Crockett & Jones. For the price of a Meermin, I have a handcrafted and Goodyear welted shoe. So understandably, this hasn't been much a review but more of a sharing of experience, which I do apologize for but I don't have anything in a similar class to compare to.

In closing, would I pay the full RRP for this pair if money wasn't an issue to me and I had more than enough disposable income to have a cupboard full of handcrafted shoes? My personal belief is that once you get past a certain level in footwear, the differences are minute enough that only savants will be able to appreciate the differences and I do not possess such a level of zeal when it comes to footwear. I would probably be hard-pressed in finding the differences between this pair of Church's and a Meermin (of which I'm sure there are plenty if you are a person with a wardrobe full of $500+ MTO and bespoked shoes). In other words, and to make a long story short, the answer is no, I wouldn't spend the kind of money that Church's is asking for at RRP simply because I don't value shoes so much in my life, but I do appreciate something which I know is a fine piece of work, and this pair of Church's is a fine piece of work alright.

Review of the STOWA Flieger Classic

Dear readers, at long last I am back in the watch scene! I know, it has just been so long since I've posted a watch review, but it has been a hectic time for me since going out to the working world after university. It was a big period of transition and sadly I lost my passion for quite a few pursuits since entering the workforce. Also, my mental health hasn't been in the best shape so things like buying watches and writing reviews really took the backseat for the past one year. Yup, I really miss school life. But through it all, here we are again, back with a new watch review, so I'm glad to say that this little horological passion of mine has withstood the test of time. This is all rather exciting news, which is befitting for the situation given the watch we're reviewing today; the STOWA Flieger Classic - No Logo.

A brief history lesson is necessary to provide an appreciation for the piece of history you hold in your hands when you own a STOWA watch. STOWA is a company steeped in tradition, and have done much since they established in 1927. I find one of the most interesting things to be the fact that they were one of the five original manufacturers (the other four being A. Lange & Söhne, Wempe, Laco and IWC) for the B-Uhren, the watch upon which all Flieger watches are based upon, including the STOWA Flieger Classic.

Now let's move onto the the watch itself. Measuring in at 40mm in diameter, the Flieger Classic might be considered somewhat small by contemporary standards. I've always been a fan of the 42mm club myself, but found that the Flieger Classic is sized just right at 40mm since it wears big. The case itself has a brushed finishing, with the crown being bead blasted. I actually much appreciate the onion crown over the diamond crown as it's more aesthetically pleasing to me, although this is largely a 'different strokes for different folks' matter. The crown is covered in grooves faithful to the pattern found on the B-Uhren and they are very functional as well in keeping the crown easy to handle. It is not a screw-down crown, as should be expected since this isn't a dive watch. Crown action has been similar to my other watches with the 2824-2 movement, producing a somewhat grainy feel when handwinding. On a side note, you probably do not want to bring this watch into contact with water whatsoever besides perhaps washing your hands as it is rated merely 5ATM and STOWA recommends never completely submerging this watch in water.

Overall, the quality of the case is on point, I think the case is machined and finished to a high standard. However I think beyond a certain point the improvements in case quality and finishing is indiscernible by the human eye and touch. As such if I were to judge the STOWA purely based on case quality as a metric then there are certainly brands which are cheaper than STOWA.

Depending on whether you opted for it, the left side of the watch may be adorned with the letters 'FI23883', which are the exact same characters that appear on the B-Uhren back in 1935. This engraving will set you back 79 EUR, a little bit on the steep side for me but it is a nice touch if you want your Flieger to be more faithful to the original.

When it comes to the dial, there are quite a few options you can go with. Basically it boils down to whether you want the STOWA logo as well as having a date function on your Flieger or not. Oddly, the no logo variant is more expensive than the with logo variant, even though it probably takes more effort to make a dial with the logo. I guess the no logo variant is probably the most popular version and this is reflected in the price. The available options for the dial configurations are as follow:

With logo with date

With logo no date

No logo with date

No logo no date

They offer the Flieger with the Baumuster B dial as well but you can only go with no logo and no date for the Baumuster B variant.

Radioactive

 Lume on this watch is a particular point of interest to me, since it features Super-LumiNova C3. As you may or may not know, Super-LumiNova themselves came up with this chart that claims C3 is their brightest lume. The STOWA Flieger Classic truly doesn't disappoint, with dive watch level lume. It's been awhile since I've been able to observe lume glowing in the daytime under certain situations such as when entering indoor areas. The last watch that had this 'daytime lume' effect was the Seiko SKX007.

Dat Hands Tho

STOWA is quite famous for using heat-treated hands in their watches. These hands have a extraordinary love affair with light, ranging from nearly black when viewed head-on to a shade of intense, sapphire blue when viewed from an angle. They provide the Flieger Classic with a lot of character and I think this is one of the biggest highlights of the watch.

The Flieger Classic features an ever so slightly domed sapphire crystal with underside AR coating. No complaints here, the sapphire does it's job of keeping itself free from scratches well.

Going over to the back, we can see the display back and all the components in its full glory. There's a lot to cover here. Firstly, the crystal on the display back is sapphire with inside AR coating as well, which is a very nice touch by STOWA. There's always a solid caseback if you're not a fan of display backs. The display back is secured by six screws and there are various engravings along the perimeter which indicate some of the technical specifications.

Next up is the movement. This is a very pretty movement, to say the least. The rotor is custom made by STOWA and has several laser engravings that indicate the brand, serial number, movement, make and Jorg Schauer's name. There are several choices of movement grades you can choose in your Flieger, mine was the TOP grade which will set you back a rather hefty 80 EUR. This is mostly an aesthetic decision; if you are constantly admiring the movement through the caseback you might like to invest in the TOP grade movement as it comes finished with perlage. For another 50 EUR you can get blued screws too. Personally, I have to say that is a hefty price tag for a couple of special screws.

Accuracy is guaranteed by STOWA themselves to be plus-minus ten seconds a day and my own Flieger Classic has been somewhere around faster by five seconds a day so I think STOWA has done a very good job in regulating their movements.

The strap that comes with the Flieger Classic is the signature double-riveted strap, reminiscent of the one on the B-Uhren. It's a fairly nice strap, which comes with one floating keeper, one fixed keeper and one metal keeper. I personally didn't like how the sides of the strap was finished though, they were coated in some rubbery material which reminded me of the leather straps that come with Parnis watches. That's a shame because the leather seems to be of quite a good quality. I'd prefer to see raw or burnished edges on the straps.

The buckle is laser engraved with the STOWA characters and logo and it's a nice stainless steel thumbnail buckle.

In ending, STOWA has really hit a home run with the Flieger Classic. It's everything good about the B-Uhren with a contemporary touch. STOWA took no compromises on the construction of their Fliegers, with a high quality case, dial and hands, movement and a beautiful strap to wrap up the package. Undoubtedly, we've left the realm of what I consider affordable, with the base model starting at 781 EUR, and the way I've configured it will actually set you back 940 EUR in regions without VAT. However, considering the heritage behind this brand and also the fact that you are getting a product with top notch components in nearly every aspect, I'd say the pricing is fair. If you are in the market for a Flieger-styled watch, you would be hard-pressed to find something better than what STOWA has to offer. The next step up (IWC and A. Lange & Söhne) might just cost you your whole house.

Review of the Helikon-Tex RACCOON Backpack

PICTURES WILL BE UPLOADED SOON

Good day, readers of The Watch Post. It's been some time since the last post and in the time between, something happened; I took delivery of the Helikon-Tex RACCOON backpack.

Some one week back, I came by a military gear web store which was having an anniversary sale and was having a storewide promotion of 30% off. Quickly, I placed an order for the Helikon-Tex RACCOON, for a price of 32 EUR, inclusive of shipping, which I think is a great price compared to the next best price I could find. Before we get to my findings however, let's take a look at the specs to be found on this pack.

100% Polyester construction

20L capacity

Main compartment dimensions 43x23x14cm

1270 g

Adjustable shoulder straps and webbing hip belt

Hydration bladder compartment

Admin pouch on front

Quick release shoulder straps

MOLLE/PALS compatible

So there we have the specs, and it's quite a full featured pack in spite of the rather small size of it, such as the hip belt that is inclusive of the package, and the rather hefty weight of it overall.

Let's dive right into the construction of the bag. First off, I should disclose that the RACCOON is quite a fair bit easier on the wallet than your typical 5.11 Tactical or Maxpedition bag and it would therefore be an apples to oranges comparison as the RACCOON and another pack such as the RUSH 12 belong in different leagues. Still, the RUSH 12 is the one other tactical EDC bag that I've owned and I shall therefore be drawing quite a few comparisons between the two.

On the tag, we can see that the RACCOON is made in China, featuring polyester construction. The fabric does feel rather like nylon, in that it has that smooth, technical finish and texture to it. It isn't made from the thickest material and the fabric on the 5.11 Tactical RUSH 12 does feel quite a bit more substantial than the RACCOON. For the loads that I'll be subjecting it to (jackets, water bottles, EDC) however, I believe the RACCOON will hold up just fine. I wouldn't however place enough faith in the RACCOON however to go rucking with it, unless I had the A-TACS version which is constructed from 500D Cordura.

The price also meant that this bag couldn't have top-of-the-line hardware such as YKK zippers and Duraflex buckles. The RACCOON comes with SBS zippers instead. One gripe that I had with these zippers were that they kept catching onto the fabric of the bag while in operation which is a little irritating to say the least. While I can't ascertain the longevity of the zippers right now having not spent a substantial enough time utilizing them yet, I'll definitely report back here should there be any issues. Overall, the RACCOON is relatively well built for the price, with clean stitching and a good consistency in the fabric, although the fabric is a little towards the thin side. It shouldn't however be much of a problem unless you are intending to carry heavy loads, in which case you should be looking at other packs. This bag is a 20L bag meant for EDC and not bricks. The difference in price versus the RUSH 12 shows, with a cheaper fabric, buckles and zippers being used. That said, the RACCOON is decently constructed and I was pleasantly surprised at what I was getting for 32 EUR.

Design wise, this bag definitely draws inspiration from the RUSH 12. The carry handle, flanked by the openings for your hydration tube, is an almost exact copy of how the one on the RUSH 12 looks. Not that it's a bad thing however, the RUSH 12 has tube opening ergonomics down to a science and the same design appearing on the RACCOON means I get to enjoy the same ergonomics. If originality was a concern for you though, don't worry as the rest of the RACCOON has a look distinct enough to differentiate it from the RUSH series. Sadly, we start with a negative; the main compartment isn't clamshell style, a feature I miss sorely from my time with the RUSH 12. Having got used to the clamshell on the RUSH 12, you'll feel major pains whenever you get back to using a non-clamshell style pack as it makes organizing the contents of the compartment a much more troublesome affair. Simply put, once you've experienced using a clamshell style backpack there's no going back.

The main compartment features a few smaller compartments. A see-through compartment like the ones on the RUSH series as well as two zippered compartments on the other side. One of these compartments is really only good for flat objects since it doesn't have much depth to it. In my usage, I've found that a notebook or writing materials would fit well here. The other compartment plays host to the HDPE back stiffener, which is of course a must in any decent backpack. This one does its job just fine, being just as stiff as the one on the RUSH 12. You'll find no problems with being poked by irregularly shaped or pointy objects in your bag.

The other compartment that the RACCOON has would be the admin pouch on the front. It has quite a few compartments, all of which are secured by a velcro on top of each to prevent the contents from spilling out as well as to serve as a separator if you choose to put smaller items. The admin pouch isn't as well thought out as the one on the RUSH series, with there being no zipped compartments and most of these compartments were somewhat lacking in depth and width. That is of course a limitation imposed by the size of the pack. A smaller pack, a smaller admin pouch area.

I would've liked an additional compartment to be present on the RACCOON. Right now, the RACCOON features just two compartments, both of which are major compartments. A smaller compartment independent of the main ones would've been nice, to store small items such as coins, sunglasses and other small items conveniently.

Another peeve I had with the RACCOON was the strap management. Compared to the RUSH 12, which had keepers for every strap and made managing them such a breeze, the RACCOON offered no such experience. Helikon-Tex has opted for velcro keepers which fundamentally don't work very well as they are severely limited in the length they are able to manage. I had to find alternative means to roll up the excess and it just isn't all that good of a system.

One of the major advantages this pack holds over the RUSH series however is the presence of air mesh on the back. This is perhaps the biggest reason I could not continue using the RUSH 12, it was just too hot given the weather conditions in Singapore. The RACCOON on the other hand, with air mesh on the back and the straps as well, manages to keep temperatures manageable. It's not as good as not wearing a backpack at all of course, but air mesh is a significant improvement in keeping your back cool. I can carry this backpack with both straps on in Singapore weather (that being 30 degree Celsius and at least 60% humidity all year round) without soaking the back of my shirt. Helikon-Tex has done a great job in this aspect on the RACCOON. The pack is rather tall and thin as well, a welcome departure from the RUSH 12 for me as that was one of the gripes I had with it.

The RACCOON has shock cord on the front of the pack, which although I don't frequently utilize, can see it having its uses such as stuffing a thin jacket outside for easy access or dirty clothing so that it won't dirty the contents. I also found another use for it; to hang a ring off the end of the cord, which I really liked as I felt it really helps personalize your backpack.

The whole pack is covered in MOLLE, making modularity a possibility and also giving the pack a tacticool look. I'd very much see myself adding a water bottle pouch in the future so it's good that I can do that thanks to MOLLE.

In closing, while this pack seems to lack some things such as premium materials and several shortcomings in the design aspect, the price for which I acquired the RACCOON is just half of what I paid for the RUSH 12. The RACCOON doesn't have YKK zippers, Duraflex buckles or Cordura construction and that's OK, because lacking those it is still a very decent, usable backpack. The RACCOON is growing on me by day honestly and I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking for a small and well-priced daypack. So that's it for the review of the Helikon-Tex RACCOON, thank you for reading and have a good day!

EDIT: Took the pack out for a 13km trek today (23rd May 2015), and I'm glad to announce that the pack fared supremely well throughout the trek. The mesh back did wonders in keeping my back at a comfortable temperature, and the straps were very comfortable. Sometimes, I felt like I wasn't even carrying a backpack, as long as the straps were configured to the right length.

My Next EDC Bag - Helikon-Tex RACCOON

Greetings readers, six months ago I shared with you some of the shortcomings I faced in using the 5.11 Rush 12 backpack. In the same post, I surmised that the solution to the problem was a bag that Helikon-Tex had just released back then; the Direct Action Dragon Egg. Well, six months later, I still haven't acquired the Dragon Egg, and now I don't think I will. Why? Straight up, the Dragon Egg isn't the cheapest bag. It'll set me back by at least $150, which I didn't think was worth it considering the Rush 12 still serves me decently. Second, and also the main reason behind this post is that I've found something else.

The Helikon-Tex RACCOON backpack.

Now, why was I dissuaded from going with the Dragon Egg?

Picture credit of KICKAss Tactical

I came across several pictures of the Dragon Egg in actual use and it simply seemed to large for my purposes. Understandably, I did mention that I wanted a larger bag than the Rush 12 in the aforementioned post. I've now graduated from college though and gone are the days where I have to pack my textbooks along with my gym shoes and a shaker bottle. I have begun to find even the Rush 12 a little larger than I'd like it to be. Therefore, the next EDC bag I go for would have to smaller than the Rush 12. I was faced with another choice, competing for attention with the RACCOON however.

The Direct Action Dust is the Dragon Egg's little brother, sporting similar features, construction materials, but being five litres smaller in capacity (same as the RACCOON at 20L). It would also ideally by my EDC bag of choice. Here's the thing though, the lowest price I could find for the Dust backpack was 82 EUR while the RACCOON was just half of that at 41 EUR. Of course, there's a trade-off; the RACCOON is made from polyester and doesn't feature Duraflex buckles like the Direct Action line does, which is also made from 500D Cordura.


 

Still, the RACCOON sports the meshed ventilation on its back, one of the things I needed most but the Rush 12 didn't have. The RACCOON is relatively cheap, seems to be decent and it looks great to me. And for that, the RACCOON shall be my next EDC bag purchase. Expect to see a review of the RACCOON in a couple weeks time. Thank you for reading and stay tuned!

Review of the Archules Bronx Hill II Double Monk Straps

Greetings readers of The Watch Post, I have good news to share with all. After close to three very lousy months spent job seeking, I have finally secured employment. And thus, my first steps in the corporate world are about to begin, which means it's time to put those sneakers aside for the weekends. During the weekdays I'll be all about Oxfords, Derbies and of course, monk straps.

With that, let's move on to review the Archules Bronx Hill II monk straps in tan which I bought sometime back. Let's go through some of the specs on this particular offering from them. 

• Constructed with cowhide leather
• Lambskin lining
• Cemented construction
• Rubber soles 

The Archules Bronx Hill II series goes for SGD $115. While I'd like the shoe to feature Goodyear welt construction, that would be most unreasonable to ask for at this price point. The Bronx Hill II comes with cemented construction which is understandable, however that also means there's nothing special to comment on in this aspect. One should be reminded that shoes with cemented construction are unlikely to be reconstructable and once the sole has worn out, that will likely spell the end of the shoe's life. Meermin would be a good direction if you require Goodyear welt on your shoe as a minimum.

Moving on, the shoe uppers are constructed from cowhide. The quality of the leather is very decent indeed, once again considering the price point at which this shoe is going for. The leather has some spots here and there, but these are just minor quibbles and won't detract from the overall aesthetic of the shoe, especially when you view them from a distance such as on your feet. The interior is lined with leather as well which is a nice touch for something at this price point, as I wasn't expecting any sort of lining.

The Bronx Hill II features a cap toe, with a chisel toe profile. It also comes with some sort of premade patination on the toe cap area which I think is really well done. While I don't have any Allen Edmonds or Alden shoes to compare with, the lasting on the Bronx Hill II is fairly slim and overall I'd say it makes for quite an attractive silhouette. Obviously, a definite improvement from square-toed shoes that I've been using in the past.

One point of contention I've had with this pair of shoes so far is the buckles used to tighten the shoes. The silver-colored buckles are a little to thin for the straps to be going through them. As a result, threading the straps through the buckles has been quite a frustrating experience for me. The stitching between the lining and the leather uppers often get caught on the buckles as I'm trying to do the buckles. I foresee the straps which go through the buckles becoming quite creased and deformed as this shoe is used for longer periods.

This shoe is surprisingly comfortable, even as I wore it out for the first time. Break-in time for the Bronx Hill II is nigh non-existent; I didn't suffer any blisters even when I wore this shoe out for the first time and the shoe was already relatively flexible. The cushioning system that Archules features seems to work well, and standing for extended periods won't be too much of a pain to your feet. The soles on the Bronx Hill II are rubber, which has provided me with good grip right out the box. I haven't got to test the grip in a wet environment but there is no reason so far to suspect that these soles will not rise up to the challenge.

Overall, the shoe has been satisfactory on most fronts. The construction, from leather quality to the profile and silhouette of the shoe have all been executed pretty well in my opinion. The comfort has been quite good indeed, with the cushioning system doing it's job well and there being little to no break-in time necessary. About the only gripe with the Bronx Hill II, considering it's price would be the buckles used to secure the straps. I think leaving the straps unlined or using buckles with a wider opening would have made the somewhat frustrating experience when doing up the straps a much better experience.

Archules does include an accessory pack which contains the following: plastic shoe horn, a tin of Kangaroo neutral shoe polish (I believe they will give you the relevant color of polish based on the shoe you bought) and a shoe brush (can't tell if the bristles are synthetic or natural, but it is of a pretty nice quality), all of which are contained in a small velvet drawstring pouch. Other things that are included in the purchase of the shoes include two drawstring pouches (one for each shoe) and a logoed zipper bag which contains the shoebox. All in all, I consider the package to be a rather good.

Archules does home delivery as long as you're living in Singapore and delivery is free. There is an express delivery which comes with an extra charge if you need that. They will bring two sizes for you to try on and you may select the size which better fits you. The second pair however can only differ in size from the first pair by either one size up or down, subject to availability. I personally found this service to be excellent, as I'm a size 41 in some brands and 42 in others. They also have a returns and exchange policy which seems rather friendly although I haven't had any personal experience with it.

The service standards from Archules are commendable to say the least. Singapore isn't exactly known for the best customer service or consumer protection laws. Archules has realized this and capitalized on this by providing better service and I guess you could say it paid off; I am a happy customer. The two size delivery policy will save quite a lot of sizing worries and overall I'd like to applaud Archules on providing a quality of service and product which has been pretty good.

So that's it folks, thanks for reading this review of the Archules Bronx Hill II double monk straps and I think as I start receiving my paychecks, I'll slowly be able to dabble into higher levels of footwear. I think I'll go with a Meermin next, and hopefully one day I'll be reviewing shoes from the big leagues such as John Lobb and Edward Green. Be sure to keep checking The Watch Post for when that happens, thank you and have a good day!