Time After Time

Seiko SUS 7T32 - "Big Red"!

2012-01-10T14:59:00.002+11:00

(Note that all images expand to full-size if you click on them)

Recently bought from a fellow Seiko enthusiast in Germany, this is an almost mint-condition watch that was made for the Japanese domestic market (JDM) and which originally sold - in 1998 - for over Y30,000. That's around AUS$400 at today's rate of exchange.

Although I've referred to it as "Big Red", the overall diameter is under what I consider to be the maximum for my wrist - that is, anything larger than 40mm.
This SUS has a dial of 28mm in diameter and is 38mm across the widest part, including the crown.
So it sits on my wrist very comfortably.

Case, bracelet, crown and pushers are all satin stainless steel and the bracelet, which is signed, is of the type fitted with a security clasp that has to be lifted before releasing the catch.

The dial is a beautiful cherry-red and is enhanced by the silver hour batons and the white hands - the hour and minute of which have a luminescence embedded down the centreline.
Date window is at the 4:30 position.
The movement for this watch is the well tried and proven Seiko 7T32 quartz calibre and it keeps perfect time.

All the registers are printed in white characters and there are four sub-dials, also printed in white.
These are for 30-minute timer (at the 12 o'clock position); parallel time, alarm and for stop-watch timing beyond 30 minutes (at the 6 o'clock position); seconds (at the 9 o'clock position) and somewhat of a rarity, a telemeter dial in the central position which is read using the stop-watch sweep second hand.

This register can be used to determine the distance that a thunderstorm, for example, might be from the wearer: click the stopwatch when you see the lightning flash, stop it when you hear the thunder and then read off the kilometres on the telemeter.
Very useful for golfers who want to finish a hole before being hit by lightning!

A very attractive watch and so very easy for my eyes to quickly read the time, with the clear white hands against that lovely red background.

Seiko "World Time" - A 6117-6400 from 1970

2011-11-12T15:03:00.005+11:00

(All images may be enlarged to full-size by clicking on them)

This little gem is a very recent acquisition, coming my way via Ebay and at what I consider to be a very reasonable price. In fact, when I won the auction I must admit to being a bit concerned as to what I'd actually bought, considering that final low price.

But any worries were put to rest when the watch arrived and I was very happy to remove the case-back and find a pristine 6117 17-jewel movement tucked away inside a perfectly clean interior.

The watch is 100% original other than the crystal (acrylic) and left the factory in February of 1970 - being the 274th. on the production line.

The dial is almost unblemished, displaying just a couple of spots under magnification. When viewed by my naked eye they are almost invisible......but then my eyesight is pretty blurry unless I wear my glasses!

As the name implies, this is a timepiece which allows the wearer to see what time it is in various major cities across the globe.
This is done by rotating the "city ring" or time zone (the one with the light blue and black names on it) where you are located via the crown in its normal un-pulled position.

The idea is to then line up your city/time zone with the red hand (which moves once around the dial in 24 hours) and then the time at any other location - including GMT - can be determined quite readily by reading off the time opposite that city or time-zone.

This is a different arrangement to that used on Seiko's later 6117-6409 "Navigator", where the 24-hour internal bezel is moved so that GMT (or the local time at any place on earth, so long as you know it to start with) can be monitored by aligning that time with the red hand.

So the "World Time" 6117 was more for the international traveller who jetted across several time-zones to various locations whereas its "Navigator" cousin was aimed at those who wanted time at two locations - theirs and somewhere else in a different zone.

In addition to the 4 hands (sweep second, minute, hour and 24-hour) the dial displays a date-only window at the traditional 3-position.

The case is crafted from stainless steel, with the crown slightly inset at the 4-position.
Case-back is also stainless steel, as is the attractive and very comfortable folded-link bracelet, which tapers from its connections with the case to a slightly narrower width at the clasp, which is signed.

In the few days that I've been wearing this watch I have found it to be very accurate, gaining less than 30 seconds over that period of time.
It runs beautifully, looks great and is a very nice example of another timepiece from Seiko's great 1970s range.

For the ladies - a Seiko from 1977

2011-09-25T15:03:00.002+10:00

(All images may be enlarged by clicking on them)
Apart from the "unisex" Citizen titanium-encased item I bought a couple of years ago I had never owned a ladies watch until very recently, when I saw this mint item advertised on Ebay.

From November, 1977, it has a quartz-controlled movement, cal.4326, in a stainless-steel case and a bracelet, with signed clasp.

Apart from the fact that it was original, and complete with its 1977 price-tag (Y20,000 in '77. That was about AU$260), I was taken by the green dial and the simple silver indices and hands. It also has a day/date readout, with the day in Kanji and English.

When I saw the watch I thought that it would make a lovely gift for my wife so I bid and ended up winning it for the very reasonable sum of AU$77 plus postage.

The watch is not worn every day, my better half saving it for special occasions.

Uh-oh! More Cosmotrons.

2011-09-21T20:56:00.006+10:00

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PURPLE FACE
Well, just one Cosmo wasn't enough - I saw two more which attracted my attention and their cost fell right within the price-range which I have allowed myself for this hobby.

This first one is distinguished by its mauve/purple dial which has an almost iridescent effect, changing shade slightly as it is tilted towards or away from the light. I find it very appealing and very similar to a Seiko Advan I have - also from the early 1970s - although the intensity of the colour on this Cosmotron is not as strong as that on its Japanese cousin.

Apart from the colour the dial and hands are rather simple, consisting of thin silver batons for the hour indices and hour & minute hands of matching colour and width. The sweep second hand is also a simple silver sliver (how's that for a catchy phrase?!).

At the top of the dial, under the '12' baton, are displayed the CITIZEN name in silver relief letters under which is the word ELECTRONIC in tiny white-printed lettering.
At the bottom, above the '6' baton, is the Cosmotron logo, in silver relief, and the word COSMOTRON printed immediately above in white.

The '3' position is taken up by the combined day/date display, with the day showing in both Kanji and English.

The crown is recessed at the '4' position, easily popped out by a fingernail when time or date needs adjustment.

The whole watch is set in a stainless-steel case with bracelet of matching material, the design featuring broad rectangular folded links in a satin finish, all secured by a clasp signed CITIZEN and the Cosmotron logo.
Case is 37mm across x 42mm top-to-bottom and the dial face is 29mm in diameter.

The overall condition of this Cosmo is excellent; it appears to have hardly been worn or, if done so on a regular basis, then it has been well cared-for.

It runs perfectly, keeping very accurate time. I have never adjusted it since it arrived (July) other than to initially set the time and date.

ORANGE FACE
This is the third "safety watch" that I own!
You may recall the two Seiko items that I recently featured here. Well, Citizen made an orange-dialled Cosmotron several years before Seiko produced those quartz items.

This Cosmo has a cool name to go with its brash face - 'X8'!
And the '8' is a stylised 'X', so looks like the 'X' laying on its side. Fab move, Citizen!

So at the top of the dial we have 'CITIZEN' in the same raised silver characters as the purple watch (above) but under that wording is the 'X8' instead of 'Electronic'.
At the bottom is the special Cosmotron logo, just the same as the other watch, with 'COSMOTRON' printed above it, but now there is the word 'TRANSISTORIZED' underneath.

The hour indices are also really neat items, consisting of chunky rectangles of alternating silver/black stripes and featuring a bevelled surface on the inside face.The hour and minute hands are styled in a similar manner as the indices, made of a silver material with black striping along the length - 2 stripes for the hour hand and 1 stripe for the minute hand.
The sweep second hand is finished in overall white.
Around the circumference of the dial face is a register of a lighter orange and it is marked with 1-minute segments, a bolder mark at every 5-minutes.

At the '3' position sits a date-only window and the crown, like its sibling, is located at the '4' position, although in this case, although recessed, it is not shrouded from above by the case overhang.

The bracelet on this watch is made of solid stainless-steel links in a "tank track" style, tapering slightly from maximum width at the lugs to a tad narrower at the clasp, which is signed 'CITIZEN' but without any reference to the type of watch to which it is attached.

Dimensions overall are about the same as the first of these two, but the dial is slightly larger at 31mm in diameter.

This Cosmotron - which, incidentally, came with the original Citizen cardboard tag - keeps excellent time and has also not required adjustment since purchase in July (from a vendor in Spain).

So there you have them - two 40-year old transistorised timepieces, each with a bright face and both capable of providing colourful and cool time-keeping.

Orange is for Safety!

2011-07-09T20:43:00.004+10:00

(All photos enlarge when clicked)

For some reason, when I saw these two Seiko quartz watches for sale - and it was several month's apart that they were acquired - I was taken by them.
I think it was a combination of the striking dial colour coupled with a rather attractive (to my eyes) design of the entire watch, including the bracelet.

The first one - on the left in this opening photograph (taken against a background consisting of a high-visibility orange woollen pullover) - is a model 7546-603H, from (I think), 1988 - March, to be precise.
The outer bezel, which has 12 flat faces around its perimeter, can be rotated so as to give some idea of elapsed time, I presume. Yet there is no stop-watch or countdown facility as part of the design, so I am at a loss to understand why the rotating bezel.

The dial has large, bright luminescent markings for the hours, thin luminescent hour and minute hands and a black sweep second hand.

At the 3 o'clock position is a day and date window and at the 4 o'clock position sits the screw-in crown. Once released from the thread the first click allows the setting of day/date - turning it in one direction changes the day and in the other direction the date changes. The day readout is available in English and French.

The second watch is a 6923-600A, from November 1983, and it is also a bit unusual in its design.

Where the first one has a rotating bezel, this one has a fixed bezel but around its perimeter are a series of "windows" through which one or another set of numbers can be seen.
Above the crown you will see a small black button, which can be moved to sit either immediately above the crown or slid upwards to a second position.
When in the first position, the windows provide a quasi-24 hour time, with 24, 14, 16, 18, 20, and 22 being seen around the perimeter.
In the second position - with the black button slid up to the 2 o'clock location - the windows provide a 60 minute or 60 second count, with 60, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 appearing in the cut-outs.

This watch also has luminescent markers at the hour points around the dial, luminescent hour and minute hands (wider than the first watch therefore easier to read at a glance) and a black sweep second hand.

At the 3 o'clock position is the day/date window and the crown is also at this traditional spot.

If you are observant you will have noticed that this watch has some damage done to the bezel at the 12 o'clock position.
That is a result of a motorbike accident I had in April 2010 - not long after I bought the watch, in fact - and it suffered some asphalt-rash in the incident. So whilst it will never be a sellable item, I don't really mind because I now wear it as an everyday, ready-for-anything timepiece.

So there you have it - a couple of watches for everyday use which keep accurate time, are water-resistant, can take a few knocks yet are quite colourful and a bit out of the ordinary.

Brand-new Citizen Cosmotron - 41 Years Later!

2011-03-28T19:54:00.001+11:00

(All photos enlarge full-size when you click on them)

This is the story of a mint-condition, never-been-worn, Citizen Cosmotron X8 that first saw the light of day in 1970 - 41 years ago.

The Cosmotron was Citizen's response to Seiko's Elnix electronic watch - and remember (if you've seen the article I have here about the Elnix) that these designs pre-dated the quartz electronic movement - also developed by Seiko.

The Cosmotron, like its neighbour, was fitted with a conventional balance-wheel but was powered via an electrical circuit and, in this case, one that was transistorised, as Citizen told the world at the bottom of the dial.

I found this watch on Ebay.
It was advertised as mint, complete with its original tags and the only new item was a battery that the vendor had fitted.

One of the tags displayed the original price - 19,800 Yen in 1970.
I did a conversion and that equates to $242 dollars at today's rate of exchange so forty-one years ago that was a lot of money.
Oddly enough - almost eerie, in fact - that was within 63 cents of what I paid for this watch just two weeks ago. Including postage from Japan it cost me $242.63. As I said - weird.

I was tempted to just store this watch away with my collection and then I thought, bugger that......I wear my watches and this one should be no exception.
So the tags and instructions were removed and popped into a spare Citizen watch-case I had, the X8 was given a polish with a microfibre cloth and now sits on my wrist, to be worn to the office when I feel like it, rotating its usage with the others.

The solid-link bracelet is a work of art in itself - one of the nicest bracelets I've seen on any Japanese watch and certainly equal to anything Seiko produced in that style.

When not being worn this will sit on display next to its contemporary, the Seiko Elnix, and they can chatter away to each other.

After all, they have all the time in the world to do so.

Citizen Bullhead

2011-01-14T17:54:00.004+11:00

SOLD - November 2011.

I bought this watch nearly two years ago and really did so just for the sake of having an example of the bullhead style in my collection.

It's been worn occasionally and sits nicely on the wrist, but I'm not carrying on a love affair with it........I don't find it an attractive design. The crown and pushers sticking out the top remind me of an insect!

The dial is immaculate but is in a rather dull brownish shade, although the overall effect is quite pleasant, with the white markers, white minute & hour hands, splashes of reddish/orange with the other hands and a bit of greenish-blue showing on the 30-second dial on the right.

The automatic movement includes a day/date complication, its positioning being somewhat unusual when compared to the vast majority.

The case is all stainless-steel, with a sort of "helmet" shape and it does sit very nicely and unobtrusively on the wrist.

I really like the (original, signed) bracelet design.......I think it's cool and very 1970s.

The case-back advises that the watch is water resistant and that it is made of stainless steel.

A very original item - it hasn't been mucked about - and runs perfectly, keeping good time.

Just a shame that I don't find it particularly attractive.

So much for New Year's resolutions!!

2011-01-13T20:13:00.009+11:00

Not that I'd made any, but if I had, it would have been to not buy any more watches!

But I couldn't resist two very nice, vintage, Orient time-pieces that popped up on the old eBay recently.

The first one to catch my eye was this beautiful gold-plated charmer from the early 1960s.

Don't you just love the name?!

"Olympic Orient Weekly Swimmer". Delightful!

That dial is in excellent condition, as are the gold hands and indices.

This is a day/date complication, with the day being displayed in Kanji only - no English characters.

The watch was a Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) model only.

The wording on the case-back is just as charming as on the dial...............

Note that it is "Perfect Water Proof"!

Well, I'm not tempted to try and prove it - certainly not after 50+ years. I'll take their word for it.

Now, you'd probably think that this watch would be an automatic.

Uh-uh. It's a manual wind..............

Just look at that mechanism.........not a blemish on it.

This model is featured in a Japanese-language catalogue and was actually made in 1963.

Just a lovely piece.

I removed the (non-original) expanding bracelet - with the intention of cleaning it - but when doing so I discovered that there was hardly any stretch left. When attempting to remove some links several of the little connecting wires snapped, most likely due to age.

So the bracelet has been replaced with a very nice genuine alligator-skin, tan, leather item with gold clasp which suits the watch perfectly.

You know what?

I've been wearing this watch since I received it - that's nearly a week ago.

I give it a 30-click wind each morning, it keeps time perfectly and is so comfortable to wear.

UPDATE:
This Orient has an incredible power reserve.
On Friday morning (14th.) at 6:30 AM I gave it a normal winding and deliberately let it run until it stopped, which I expected to be around 30 hours later, based on my other manual-wind watches.

No - the Orient ran past not only the 30-hour mark but breezed past 36-hours, past 40 hours and finally called it a day at 5:27 this morning - Sunday 16th..

That's nearly 47 hours!

Amazing.

UPDATE to the UPDATE - 25th. January:

This watch has become a permanent fixture on my wrist - other than when showering and doing grubby work in the yard.
I would not have believed that I would have chosen to have this 50+ year-old timepiece as my daily watch!

_________________________________

Okay, I mentioned at the start that there were TWO Orients.

Here's the second one, which I bought two days ago and hope to receive in the next week or so.

This is a 1959-vintage Orient "Multi-year Calendar" 17 jewel, manual-wind watch.

It has been stripped, restored where necessary (all gold items replated with 20 microns of 14-carat gold) and fitted with a new crocodile watchband.

I can't wait to see this in the metal - it looks superb.

One thing about the perpetual calendar - 2011 is exactly the same as 1966, so I can pretend that I'm back being 19 again!

More on this Orient after I take delivery of it.

UPDATE - Feb 3rd. 2011

I've had this watch now for over a week and am delighted with its condition. The Orient is exactly as the vendor described it - nothing was exaggerated, nothing was overlooked - the watch is really beautiful.
The package in which it arrived provided the best protection for any watch that I have bought online - it could have protected an egg. Not only that, the watch was encased in its own display box.

Oh.....and it also runs perfectly . :)

Girard-Perregaux. A name synonymous with quality.

2011-01-07T19:54:00.007+11:00

In June 2009 I was fortunate in picking up this lovely 1950s hand-wound Girard-Perregaux from a chap in Western Australia.

It belonged to his father and came complete with its original presentation box but minus the original (leather) watch band.

It has a stainless-steel case-back and front (the split is around the extreme circumference, the movement being accessed from the front), an acrylic "glass", slim gold hour, minute and second hands and a cream dial adorned with gold baton hour indices and raised "G-P" initials.

When I received the watch I did nothing more than wind it (30 clicks) and it ran for over 40 hours, keeping excellent time.

To service it I simply removed the front, cleaned and polished the acrylic crystal, lightly polished the case and fitted a new, black leather watchband with a gold clasp.

The dial itself has a wonderful patina which, in my opinion, does nothing to detract from the overall appearance.

This G-P is a beautiful example of quality watchmaking.

Seen in 1983, bought 26 years later - Seiko's 7A28

2010-12-12T20:10:00.004+11:00

(Click on any image for a much larger view)

The image in the background of the above photograph comes from a 1983 edition of National Geographic, a magazine to which I subscribed for several years in the late 1970s and through to the mid 1980s.

When I saw that Seiko chronograph I fell for it hook, line and sinker but to buy one back then would have been an extravagance, what with a three-year old daughter, a brand-new baby son, a single income and a mortgage on our new home.

The years passed and life's events changed until one day last year, whilst culling some old magazines, I happened upon that issue of National Geographic and as soon as I saw the advertisement I determined to track down a nice copy of the featured watch.

And I did, and that is it, sitting on the back cover of the magazine and posing for the photo above.

The watch is Seiko's 7A28-7039 and my example comes from March 1983, completely original right down to the bracelet which, after 27 years, is showing some minor signs of wear in those areas which are recessed and filled in black.

Other than that it is in excellent condition.

The dial is unblemished, the three main hands (hour, minute and sweep stop-watch) all without blemish, although the lume on the hour & minute hands, and on the hour indices, will only glow for about 15 seconds after being held under a light.

The 7A28 runs perfectly, keeping accurate time. I have never adjusted it since it was received in August 2009.

It wasn't a cheap purchase, coming as it did from a collector in Japan via an intermediary here in Australia, but I got exactly what I wanted, and that's the main thing.

Railways, railroads and Seiko.

2010-12-12T15:39:00.004+11:00

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There was a time when timekeeping for the operation of railways/railroads was ultra-critical - literally a matter of life or death at worst. In "dark areas" (no signals) trains operated on warrants which gave them permission to be in a location at a certain time - or within a window of time.
Therefore it was essential that the timepieces used on railways/railroads be accurate and easily read.

Enter the railroad timepiece, be it clock or watch.
In many cases they displayed a 24-hour scale in addition to the conventional 12-hour face and some variations had a 12-hour scale but with an addition of a 60-minute scale.
Their dials were very distinctive, with large, clear numbers and indices, usually black and red on a white face.

Nowadays the timepieces used are electronic and highly accurate but watchmakers have continued to produce examples of the type with the traditional face, albeit controlled by the magic of a quartz crystal and powered by battery.

I bought a nice example of a Seiko model - the 7N43-9A00 from August 1991 - which features the traditional face, with black hour numerals, a sub-scale of 24 hours in red, period-style minute and hour hands and a red sweep second hand.
Something that the old-timers didn't have were readouts for day and date, which this modern version includes.

Size is a mere 36mm across the case (not including crown) and a dial diameter of 30mm.
The watch comes on its original Seiko stainless-steel bracelet.

The Citizen "Altichron"

2010-12-12T14:47:00.016+11:00

(Click on any image for a much larger view)

In the 1980's, Citizen released a trio of very special watches, all designed for the rugged, adventurous outdoorsy type of male who was really into diving into the depths of the Marianas Trench, climbing Mount Everest or leaping out of high-flying aircraft and hoping that your parachute opened.

This group of watches was termed the "Promaster" series and each had something special about it.

The Aqualand differed from traditional diving watches in that, as well as providing elapsed time info, it also had a depth sensor.

The Aqualand came on a rubber strap.

The Aerochron also sported elapsed-time capability but it came with a sensor that gave altitude readout. Good for knowing the minimum height at which to pull the ripcoard.

This model was fitted with a stainless-steel bracelet.

The Altichron - the Promaster model which I obtained - is similar to the Aerochron in that it also gives a barometric readout and elevation data (in metres, as compared to the altitude readout in feet of its sibling).

The Altichron was sold with a leather strap, almost the watch equivalent of a holster.

This is not a small watch.

It is 48mm across the widest point - from the extremity of the sensor on the left to the curve of the case on the right - and is 41mm from top to bottom of the case, yet the actual clear dial diameter is only 29mm.

The overall thickness of the watch itself is 11mm and then it is backed by 2mm of the leather strap.

The Althichron is a reasonably heavy piece of kit, too. Not uncomfortably so, but it's no lightweight titanium item, either.

The face is very easy to read.

Where the 11, 12 and 1 numerals would be located is a window in which the day/date and barometric information is displayed in digital format (LCD).

Large, easy-to-read numerals are provided at the remainder of the hour locations.

There is a sweep second hand with arrow-head pointer which, like the hour and minute hands, is "lumed" and, in daylight, easily seen against the black face of the dial.

An adjustable compass bezel surrounds the dial externally and is clickable into 5-degree positions.

There is a conventional crown located at the 4 o'clock position with which the time is adjsted.

All other functions are handled by the three pushers at the 2, 8 and 10 o'clock positions.

The barometric sensor sits within the housing which protrudes from the left of the watch.

The case-back is a flat plate, held in place by four screws.

The leather watch strap is a work of art in itself and is made in three pieces - the buckle section, the tongue section and a separate piece on which the watch sits. All three sections are laminated, the front and rear sandwiching a fibre material.

I bought this watch for its rarity and the technology that it features.

I've never worn it (too cumbersome to be worn to work and I don't climb mountains) but I have used it......to check rising/falling barometer. I have also determined the altitude of my home. It works perfectly in that respect and also keeps excellent time.

When the battery dies I'll undo the back and see what is inside but until then the Altichron sits on a shelf and occasionally tells me what the weather is going to be like.

UPDATE April 2011
This watch has been sold to a chap in the USA who bought one new in 1991 when he was serving in the first Gulf War. That watch was stolen in 1992 in Turkey and he had been on the lookout for another ever since, to no avail. I was glad to help him find a replacement.
A happy ending to the story. :)

A Selection of 8M32 Seikos

2010-12-12T13:15:00.013+11:00

(Click on any image for a much larger view)

These aren't recent acquisitions; I've had them for a while but had never featured them here and, with the recent purchase of the"Golden Belle" (see last update) I had thought it time to add some more of my collection to the blog.

Around June last year (2009) I came across a Seiko model I had not seen before - the "sports timer", or 8M32 type.

There were several versions- one was aimed at timing soccer games, another was intended for several different sports and a third was designed for use by yacht-racing aficionados.

They all had several things in common - the same type of quartz movement; no sweep second hand; multi-function timing capability and a very colourful face.

The first one I acquired was the Soccer model.

This handsome piece came with its original leather watch-band and is in excellent condition.

It is an 8M32-801B, from August 1989, and still retains the hologram sticker on the rear of the case.

Some time later I came across the mother of all 8M32s, this 8M32-8030 Sports timer from 1990, a watch that allows several different sports to be timed accurately.

If you look at the figures around the dial (in a clockwise direction from the 7-minute mark) you will see that countdown times are provided for Water Polo, American Football, Basketball, Ice Hockey, Volleyball, Hockey, Rugby and Soccer.

Finally, this 8M32-7009 from 1991, the "USA Olympic" model.

Why it is marked as such, I have no idea, as the previous summer Olympics were held in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea and the next were to be held in Barcelona, Spain, in 1992.

(Winter Olympics were also held in those years but neither were in the USA)

This watch is a very attractive item, with the gold highlights contrasting nicely with the shade of blue used on the dial and the dark blue around the outside face of the case. It is matched to the original black leather band.

Like the Sports Timer, this model also allows for several different sports to be timed namely Soccer, Field Hockey, Handball, Basketball, Water Polo and Boxing.

I don't wear these watches as I find them impractical for every-day use: they don't have a sweep second hand; the minute hand looks like a second-hand and is not easily seen at first glance and there is no day/date readout.

So, whilst attractive and certainly interesting, they are more for the display cabinet than the wrist.

Oh dear.....I've bought another watch! Bellmatic 4006-6030.

2010-08-31T18:33:00.005+10:00

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I couldn't resist this "Belle" when I saw it advertised for sale on the Seiko & Citizen Watch forum.

It wasn't specifically because the case is actually gold-plated, not just "gold-tone", but was due more to the fact that the bracelet is an original "coffin" Seiko model, with alternating gold-tone and stainless-steel link sections. These are not common.

So, as I only have one Bellmatic left in my collection, I thought that this would be a nice addition.

The watch arrived today and once the date and time were set and the watch given a couple of gentle shakes, away she went and now, some 10 hours later, is still running sweetly.

The dial, crystal, hands, case and bracelet are in very good condition and the entire item makes for a very handsome timepiece that just screams "1970s"!

My thanks to the gentleman in the USA from whom I bought the "Belle"; I'm delighted with it.

Another 7T59 comes along.

2010-08-12T19:43:00.015+10:00

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into the water..........another watch is bought and added to the collection!
Say hello to a 7T59-6A00 from October 1991.

This little beauty was advertised on eBay as cosmetically excellent but running erratically - "stops and starts" was the term used, plus "good for parts". And that was the reason I bought it, thinking that as the case and bracelet were in excellent shape I could transplant the movement from my other, somewhat less pristine, 7T59 (see previous blog entry - December 6th. 2009).

However, after I opened the parcel this morning, adjusted the date and time (the watch was stopped), it has kept running. As I type this, more than 10 hours have elapsed and the 7T is running nicely, keeping good time.

I am hopeful that whatever the malfunction might be (or have been) can be easily corrected so now I will just wait and see if it stops and, when or if it does, then I'll have it looked at.
In the meantime, it will provide company for it's worse-for-wear sibling!

UPDATE: Sunday 15th. August.

It did stop....about 14 hours after I initially set it running.
So what I did was to remove the case-back, the internal shroud which acts as a positive contact on the battery and then the battery from its little hole.
I checked the voltage, cleaned the battery surfaces and also made sure that the negative contact in the bottom of the socket was okay, reassembled and then, following the instructions, shorted the positive of the battery to a point marked 'AC'. The back-plate was then screwed back on.
After going through the sequence for resetting the time, the watch has now been running for more than a day so I am hopeful that it has now returned to its normal state. We'll see.

UPDATE to the UPDATE - Monday 28th. November 2011
I'm pleased to report that this watch has been running constantly, keeping excellent time, for over a month now.
I had removed the battery late last year, then shelved the watch.
This weekend I decided to see if I could get the 7T59 operating reliably, so did nothing more than clean contacts, lightly (very lightly) lubricate the moving bits and then bought and inserted a fresh battery.

Hey Presto!
Running beautifully ever since.

No new watches.

2010-06-04T18:17:00.002+10:00

Since December I have not added anything to my collection; I felt that I had finally covered what appealed to me Seiko-wise with the purchase of the Seiko 7T59 - a lovely watch which I wear to work at least monthly for a couple of days.

So that's the reason for the static appearance of the blog over the past 6 months.

Not because I have lost interest but simply because I haven't seen anything else that really appeals to me.

There are still quite a few types in my collection that I have yet to feature here and I will get around to that over winter.

The Seiko 7T59 - Analogue perfection in a quartz chronograph

2009-12-06T19:08:00.006+11:00

(All photos - Sony DSC-F717)

This movement type (the 7T59) was only produced between 1991 and 1993. I have no idea what the production quantity was, but although it was encased in a variety of styles, it must have been one of Seiko's lowest outputs.

The technology is incredible. As far as I can determine - and I certainly welcome corrections - this is the only quartz analogue chronograph to (a) have nine hands and (b) give timing to 100th. of a second. No other analogue has that capability.

So for the technology alone, this movement became a "must have" for me.

I was not leaning towards one particular style - there are a variety to be had, but as the watch is pretty rare on the "for sale" sites, one takes what one can get!
So when this one popped up - in France - I was very enthusiastic because I really liked the combination of very dark gunmetal finish to the stainless-steel case and bracelet coupled with the gold-tone highlights. To my eyes it makes a very attractive combination - not overly utilitarian yet still with slight "dressy" characteristics.
The watch is not pristine - far from it.

This has been used as a regular wrist-band at some stage in it's past life, evidenced by the small ding on the bezel at the 6:30 point and some similar wounds on the case-back.
At least the crystal is clear of any gouges or major scratches - there are some fine scratches on it but nothing that is significant.

The bracelet is the tell-tale to the fact that this watch was a favourite. There is wear on the section that would sit under the wrist and make contact with desks and tables and bench-tops etc. For me, this just adds to the patina and provides some personality to the watch.

This is so comfortable to wear - I hardly know it's on my wrist - and the time-keeping is very accurate.

I love it and, when I don't wear it, the 7T59 holds pride of place on my shelf.

Citizen Eco-drive "Alterna"

2009-12-03T21:05:00.006+11:00

(Both photos - Sony DSC-F717 F2 @ 1/60th)
A very utilitarian watch - the rotating bezel (uni-directional) with the large numbers indicating time remaining before your oxygen depletes; the very dark gunmetal finish to the stainless-steel case and solid-link bracelet; black dial with stainless-steel bars indicating the hours; the screw-down crown protected by the buttresses north and south........all make for what one would think is a big hefty time machine best used by Navy SEAL's or Abrams tank commanders or oil-rig workers.

But looks can be deceiving because although this watch is no dress watch, it is a not an obese chunk of steel either.
The display area of the dial is 30mm in diameter, the overall diameter of the face is 38mm and the crown adds another 4mm. Thickness? A mere 11mm.

The Alterna is a very comfortable watch to wear and I find it so easy to read, with the lighter coloured hands contrasting nicely against the black Eco-drive solar panel which makes up the majority of the dial-face.
And the ease is the same in the dark, with the hour and minute hands sporting green luminous material, as do the hour indices at 3, 6, 9 and 12.

I have two Eco-drives, this and another which is a gold-tone, dressy watch. This one is by far my most favoured of the two.

A Citizen "Eagle" from 1972

2009-12-03T19:16:00.005+11:00

This 21-jewel automatic features a matt-black dial, day/date display at the 3 o'clock position and a with gold-tone hour indices elsewhere - except for the pseudo diamonds at 6, 9 and 12.
Note the textured surface of the inner section, which gives a nice contrast to the outside ring which sports the hour indicators.

The stainless-steel case and signed bracelet are original and in very nice condition and the overall presentation makes for a nice dress-watch - very appropriate for business or evening wear.

The Citizen "Eagle" keeps excellent time and is a watch that I wear occasionally to the office.

Watches For Sale!

2009-09-29T06:52:00.010+10:00

UPDATE: 14th. January 2012.
The watches that I offered from September 2009 have all now been sold.
Thank you to those who bought them.

Should I consider disposing of any others in my collection I will advertise them here, under this tag.

The America's Cup - 1992 & 1995.

2009-09-02T18:38:00.012+10:00

Several watch companies have produced special editions associated with the America's Cup yacht-racing extravaganzas over the past couple of decades. Omega comes to mind and also Girard-Perregaux, TAG-Heuer and, in this instance, possibly the first of them, Citizen.

For longer than I like to admit I was a mad America's Cup enthusiast, commencing with the first Australian Challenge back in 1962 with Gretel. From that moment, until the demise of the 12-Metre class after the 1987 event in Perth, I was hooked.
Once rampant commercialism entered the arena I turned off and today I have almost zero interest in what, to my mind, has become a travesty of what its original Deed of Gift intended.

Anyway......this fascination with the 'Cup recently expanded to include watches, but the prices being asked for Omega, Girard-Perregaux et al were just overwhelming for me.
However, a little bit of research came up with the fact that, for 1992 and then as a re-issue for 1995, Citizen produced a marvellous example specifically designed for the yacht-racer in general and the America's Cup aficionado in particular.
Within the space of two months I was lucky in securing two examples of this rarely-seen watch, each at opposite ends of the scale insofar as wear & tear was concerned.

The first, (seen immediately below) and marketed for the 1992 challenge, had been a favourite of some previous owner. It had lived a useful life, perhaps seeing many wrist-hours on the water being used to time starting countdowns. Or maybe it simply adorned the wrist of an office-worker on a daily basis for many years. Who knows?

It came without its original stainless steel bracelet, being mounted on a rubber strap, albeit one that was designed for the yacht-racer in mind.

There was no other accompanying paraphernalia - no box, no documentation. Just the watch.
It works beautifully, keeping accurate time. The only function that I cannot activate is the alarm. Other than that, it works as intended and is an excellent example of a well-loved watch, now more than 16 years old.
UPDATE 27th. OCTOBER 2011
This 1992 watch has now gone to a new owner as a gift for her husband, who has been involved with America's Cup yacht designing for some years.

The second example was marketed for the 1995 America's Cup defence and is identical to it's older sibling.

I get the impression that any 1992 models not distributed by Citizen were simply re-packaged for the 1995 event. Smart move by the company.
This one is the complete, pristine, unworn package.

The watch wears its untouched and un-sized original bracelet. It is packaged in its original boxes and the ensemble includes the original documentation.

It is a superb example of the type and one that I intend on keeping along with my other America's Cup memorabilia.

A lovely old Orient - circa early 1960's

2009-07-14T18:36:00.006+10:00

This charming period-piece hails from the 1960's but I cannot determine the exact year of manufacture as the watch is bare of any such information. The case-back simply displays "ORIENT" and the serial number; and Orient serial numbers have no connections (apparently) to year or month, as do Seiko watches.
The dial says "ORIENT" and then the name of the model, being "Fineness", under which is "17 Jewels".

Dial is unmarked, being finished in what appears to be a very fine creamy-gold textile pattern when viewed under magnification and when matched to the slim gold hour indices and slim black hour and minute hands, it presents a beautiful face, very delicate and extremely stylish.

Like most watches of the 1960's this old girl is small by comparison with the humongous devices marketed today and the dial is a mere 31.0 mm across, with the slim gold rim adding only 3.0 mm to the width. The projecting crown is 1.5 mm in section.
Thickness of the watch, from top of crystal to back of case, is a thin 7.5 mm.

When I received the Fineness (early May this year) I gave it 25 winds and it ran for 40 hours, keeping perfect time for that duration, the ticking of the movement clearly audible when held to the ear, unlike many automatic watches made today.
The movement is in beautiful condition, with no signs of corrosion or other deterioration and it beats away at about 180 bpm, perfectly happy with its lot in life.

The case is gold-filled, with a stainless-steel snap-on back and it sports a slim, supple black leather watch-band with gold buckle, matching the style and period just nicely.

A really lovely watch which gets its share of wear on those occasions when a coat and tie is called for.

Old Gold restoration.........update.

2009-07-09T19:06:00.006+10:00

Within the past week I have enquired about three types of refinishing for the watch case and bracelet:-

Gold plating (as per the original finish)
PVD
Powder coating

I also considered anodising but quickly learned through a bit of preliminary research that brass (the watch case) cannot be anodised.
The PVD route is not possible either - not because the application can't be done to what I have but because the cost for a "one-off" is too high and also because there is no-one here in my area who can do it.

So I thought about a powder coating as an alternative to anodising and PVD.
It's practical, it can be done locally, it is reasonably inexpensive and the choice of colours is broad. But.....I would have to disassemble the bracelet completely - break it down to it's individual components so as to avoid any likelihood of having the coating affect the flexibility of the bracelet.

The decision, therefore, is to go to gold-plating and to reproduce the original coating, albeit this time in 24- carat. (That is the only plating they do......24 carat. The original is 9ct).
Cost to undertake this is AUS$120.

The only thing I need do is remove the stainless-steel clasp (already done), as the plating will not properly adhere to stainless-steel and could cause uneven plating on the bracelet and the case.
At this time I have also polished the brass case to a smooth and relatively blemish-free surface. The bracelet (base metal) will be chemically cleaned by the plater.

The question is - is the cost worth it for a 1970's-style Seiko of somewhat kitchy styling?
Well, like all hobbies, value is in the eye of the user, I s'pose.
There is no way I would ever expect to recover the cost of refurbishing this old dear if I ever came to sell it but then that isn't really the intention behind an interest or hobby, is it?

I think it will be nice to see Madam 1973 back in all her finery!

UPDATE - 13th. July
Another option has entered the arena - black chrome.
Thanks to a chap in Melbourne who is investigating this option for one of his watches, I am now looking at this as a possible alternative.

Restoring Old Gold: a Seiko 6119 needing a spruce-up.

2009-07-05T18:11:00.013+10:00

This 1973 gold-tone-encased Seiko, with a 6119 21-jewel movement, was received in exchange for a Bell-matic that was surplus to my requirements.
As you can see from the photos (click on them for larger views) the plating has seen better days - much better days - and whilst running perfectly fine, this great example of 70's watch-styling looks rather tatty......like an over-the-hill Hollywood actress who doesn't know when to call it quits.
So I thought I'd have a shot at stripping it (the watch, not the actress) and see if I could get the case and bracelet re-plated.

The chap from whom I received the watch had advised that he'd never had the back off as he couldn't undo it with his "magic ball" and even with an appropriate tool I found it very difficult; that back must have been screwed on with a rattle-gun (used for car wheels).
But off it finally came, revealing a clean and corrosion-free movement.

There was no sign inside the case-back of the watch ever being serviced - watchmaker's usually leave some indication scratched inside the back-plate, but there is nothing in this case. (No pun intended).

With the movement exposed I then removed the crown & stem before popping the mechanism out and inspecting the dial for wear and tear.

This is in almost immaculate condition, with the only signs of aging being slight deterioration of the metal on the hour & minute hands and the framing of the day/date window.
In all other respects the dial, script, indices and minute markings are in fabulous shape, the aqua colours being bright and unblemished.

The crystal was finally removed and inspected and apart from external surface scratches - only to be expected on a 36-year old watch - the item is unmarked and undamaged. This is the original crystal, with the distinctive triple-facet design running vertically on the oval face. You can see the effect in the first photograph - there is a vertical line which just touches the inside of the 2, 3 and 4 indices. There is a corresponding line on the left-hand side of the crystal.

The final stage of disassembly was to remove the crystal retaining ring from inside the case and then the two bracelet halves.

With the watch now completely broken down into its component parts I will be making some enquiries this week regarding re-plating and hopefully the old girl will once again have a case and bracelet worthy of that magnificent face. Stay tuned.

Bulova's Accutron "Breckenridge".

2009-06-29T22:24:00.011+10:00

(Sony DSC-F717 digital)
At the outset let me say that the current "Accutron" label has no connection with Bulova's patented electronic "tuning fork" technology of the 1960's. The only relationship is in the name and the logo.
The watch seen here - the Breckenridge - sports both (as can be seen on the dial).
However, behind that curved sapphire window and carbon-fibre pattern is a modern, Swiss-made, quartz chronograph movement.

The visible stand-out features of this watch include the curved crystal, the distinctive dial, the thickness and heftiness of the case and the tear-drop-shaped press buttons for the various functions.

Make no mistake about it - this is a solid chunk of stainless steel hanging off your wrist - the heavyweight case is matched by an equally hefty 20mm bracelet made of solid links and held together by a butterfly clasp, the whole assembly capable of anchoring the QE2.
If the Breckenridge fell into the wrong hands it could become a lethal weapon. I'd hate to get hit by it!

Yet appearances can be deceptive. This is a very comfortable watch to wear because its case has a maximum diameter of 40mm, including the crown. Thickness is 13mm.

(Sony DSC-F717 digital)

Functions include.....

Chronograph with 1/100th second accuracy; three sub-dials - for 60-seconds, 30-minutes and 12-hours; digital alarm; digital date; dual time (or second zone) feature; water resistant to 100 metres.

In addition, if you live in the USA and buy from a Bulova dealer, there is a 5-year warranty.

I was really smitten by this watch when I first saw it. I love the design of the face - not just the dial but the whole face - what you see when you look down at it......the bezel, the crown, the buttons......everything.
It is far, FAR more appealing than any "diver".

As well as looking great the watch also keeps excellent time. I haven't adjusted it since originally setting the time after it arrived from the USA just over a month ago and it is running within 30 seconds of actual AEST.

I was very fortunate in being able to buy this watch for much less than what you will see touted around the internet. My Breckenridge was less than AUS$200 and I consider it worth every cent - a worthy descendant of the Accutrons of 40 years ago.

Footnote:
I assume that the name "Breckenridge" comes from the town in Colorado, USA, as I can find no other connection.

Another 1980's Digital

2009-06-18T19:47:00.015+10:00

SOLD

This is my third digital watch (see an earlier post which featured the other two) and is certainly the most pristine of the bunch.
When I bought it (April this year - from Spain) it was working but two functions were intermittent - the light and the alarm.
So I took it to my friendly watchmaker to see if he could do anything for it and he did a fix to the little circuit board which seemed to cure the dual problems but, after a couple of days, the same malfunctions reoccurred.

At that point he hunted through his old stock of spare Seiko parts and, Lo! and Behold! - found an NOS board, including the LCD display! (This watch uses the A133-5000 module).

So now the watch - manufactured in July 1978 - is functioning exactly as intended and is looking superb with its fresh and bright LCD display, unscratched crystal and immaculate case with original bracelet.
It is hard to believe that it is now over 20 years old.

I don't wear it, to be honest - it's too nice to risk damaging.
But it is used: it sits on the desk here in my study at home and acts as a point of reference when I wish to set the correct time on any of my other old manual or automatic watches. The watch is very accurate, gaining less than 30 seconds in a fortnight, which is good enough for me!

Replica or Rubbish?

2009-06-07T16:32:00.019+10:00

The watch world is full of so-called "replicas", some of which are pretty good imitations of the real thing.
Many, however, present a face that is nothing but complete and utter rubbish.
See that watch over there - that's a genuine Omega "Moon-to-Mars" model #3577.50 - there's nothing shonky about that watch and there wouldn't want to be - the current price is approx. AUS$4,000.
You may be able to get it at a cheaper price, by a couple of hundred dollars, by searching around. (I haven't tried because I can't afford one, anyway).

Now have a look at the two images below (click on them - and any image in this blog by-the-way - to get a full-size version).

(Sony DSC-F717)
This watch is not the genuine article.
It is not even deserving of the dubious term "replica" and I would be hard pushed to grant it the title "facsimile". It may just be approaching "fake", but in my opinion, if you are looking for a good facsimile of the genuine article, look elsewhere. This one is just plain rubbish.

Look at the dial and compare it with the Omega-made item.
The most glaring difference is with the wording between the two blobs representing the Moon and Mars. How stupid are the people who throw this sort of garbage together?
"From Time Moon To Mars"!!!
For crying out loud.....talk about dumb and dumber! "Time"? What happened to "The"?

The next items of rubbish to look at are the three circular blobs of colour.
The one on the left is supposed to be the Earth, that in the centre, the Moon and the one at right, Mars.
About the only things that they actually look like are multi-coloured blobs of Plasticine found in a child-care centre.

Hard to see in the photo is the fact that the hand at the 3 o'clock position is slightly off-centre.
If you look closely at the second pic you might be able to see that its hole is elongated and the centre of the hand is actually to the left of that hole. Built to close tolerances, this machine.

That the case has been punched out or die-stamped is clear from the fact that the underside edges are almost sharp enough to shave with. They are sharp! I had to use a jeweller's file to smooth them off so as not to slash my wrist.

Inside the case is an automatic movement that surprise, surprise, hand-winds and hacks, and via a screw-down (signed!) crown.
Another surprise is that it also keeps very good time.
I have not taken the case-back off, fearing that the guts may spill out all over the desk, so cannot advise what type of movement may be lurking inside.

The silly thing about this bit of fluff is that nobody could ever, ever, mistake this for the real McCoy.
Perhaps the wording on the dial is deliberate (although I doubt it) but even if it said "The" instead of "Time", the rest of the face gives the game away immediately. It's like a low-rez photo-copy!
You'd have to be Blind Freddy to accept this as a genuine Omega.

But I didn't buy it mistaking it for the real thing; I bought it for what it is - a piece of inconsequential stuff that, if and when I wanted, I could wear whilst doing manual labour without worrying about damaging a decent watch.

Or, if I wanted, I could wear it to an important business meeting and compare it to that of the Managing Director and say "Yes, JB, very impressive.....but mine says 'From Time Moon To Mars', so there!"

".....пять, четыре, три, два, одно, воспламенения"

2009-05-30T20:28:00.005+10:00

The heading translates as the last six seconds in the countdown for a rocket launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome, USSR.
What on earth (or in space) does that have to do with anything? I hear you ask.

Well, I was a child of the space-age.
When the USSR launched Sputnik in 1957, I was just on 11 years old and from that moment I followed the space-race so keenly that I would lay awake at night in my boarding-school bed listening (on a small transistor radio with ear-piece) to The Voice Of America short-wave broadcasts of every US space launch.
The Russians weren't as forth-coming; they would only publicly announce after the event (and then only if it was successful) but the excitement I felt wasn't any less.

On 12th. April 1961 the first man went into space: Yuri Gagarin orbited the earth.
This was science-fiction come to life and it didn't matter that the hero was Russian - it was the event itself that was awesome.

Anyway - getting to the point - I recently discovered that the type of watch that Gagarin wore into space was available on the internet and, after doing some research, I happened upon the example shown here.
The watch-band and the dial are reproductions - modern replacements for what must have been very tired 50-year old originals - and the original perspex crystal has been replaced with a more recent (acrylic) item, but the movement, case and back-plate are exactly as issued back in the 1960's.

It was a hand-wound Shturmanskie (often spelt without the 'h') with central seconds complication and a hacking feature that allowed the watch to be precisely stopped and synchronised with a given time signal.

The Shturmanskie that Gagarin wore into space had a highly finished (including Geneva striping) 17 jewel, shock protected movement. The movement was housed in a chrome plated, two-piece case measuring 33 mm across, 12 mm high, with a 16 mm lug size and had a stainless steel screw back.

A little item of nostalgia with which to commemorate the 48th. anniversary of the event and something which I will enjoy wearing occasionally.

Orient - Not widely known.

2009-05-29T20:29:00.007+10:00

This is a brand-name that you will not find in many (if any) "watch shops" in Australia.
In amongst the vast numbers of Seiko, Citizen and Casio watches from Japan you will be hard-pressed to detect an Orient.
Yet the brand is as old as (if not older than) Seiko and although Seiko now own Orient the watches continue to be produced independently, with Orient making their own movements - and they have a high reputation for the excellence of their automatic mechanisms.

My father owned an Orient back in the late 1950's - I can still see the distinctive logo, with the two lions holding the shield with the 'O' in the centre - to my eyes a very "British" logo and not at all oriental.

It was only recently, and quite by chance, that I discovered that these watches still existed and after spending some time deliberating I finally decided on the model shown here - a satin-black (ion plated, or "IP") stainless-steel Orient Star with the distinctive power-meter on the dial at one o'clock and the display of the date at nine o'clock. The crown is at four o'clock.

This is an impressive piece of time-keeping equipment; whilst not as large as the current crop of "diver" models out there (the diameter of the crystal is approx. 33mm) it is a solid and "chunky" unit and, with the black finish, looks bigger than it really is. It is also reasonably heavy, as the stainless-steel bracelet is comprised of solid links.

I'm in two minds about the usefulness of power meters on automatic watches, seeing no real advantage in having any indication of the time remaining before the watch needs to be shaken again.
After all, those who wear one watch - and that would be the vast majority - only take it off at night and as a modern automatic movement can run for more than 30 hours before needing another shake, the owner isn't likely to need an indication of what power remains.
Even 1950's-vintage manual-wound watches are capable of running for 30 hours between wind-ups, so what's the point?
On this style of watch-face the power indication doesn't clutter the dial but on a chronograph with multiple complications, the dial can look a bit overcrowded.

I like this watch and I particularly like the black IP finish. It has a definite presence but in an understated, almost stealthy, manner. Certainly the opposite to Seiko's Advans, Vanacs and their cousins from the 1970's!

Let's not forget the LCD's!

2009-05-27T17:51:00.009+10:00

Remember when the magic of digital watches arrived?
Firstly it was the glowing red LED's of such things as the Pulsar range (now very collectible) and then the world was taken by storm with companies such as Casio, Citizen and Seiko producing a vast range of LCD watches - such as the two seen here.

The first watch featured is an example of Seiko's A639 module, from 1981.
This model included regular time-keeping, in 12 or 24-hour mode; day & date; an hourly chime; an alarm and a stop-watch. It also boasted a light - operated by the bottom-right button.

This watch - like most LCD Seiko models - came with a stainless-steel case and bracelet, as pictured here.
The clasp is signed and includes Seiko's "SQ" logo to indicate quartz timing.

12-HOUR or 24-HOUR SETTINGS:
For those of you who have this watch but not the user's manual or guide to the settings, one of the most confusing is how to switch between 12-hour and 24-hour display. Each of the others are pretty straight-forward, but this one had me beat for a while.

This is the sequence:
Go to Time Setting mode, then sequence through seconds, then minutes, then tens of minutes, then hour and when in the hour-setting mode (the hour digit is flashing) press the bottom right-hand button.
Voila! You can switch between 12 or 24-hour display.
_______________________

SOLD (July 2010)

One of my favourite LCD watches is this Citizen digital-analogue (Digi-Ana) hybrid from October 1979.
This watch features dual-time capability - one display in analogue and the other in digital. Two time-zones can be monitored if desired.
In addition there is an hourly chime; an alarm feature; day & date and also a stopwatch.

I was fortunate when buying this watch in that it includes the original Citizen (signed) leather watch-band; a nice change from the regular stainless-steel bracelets.

Both of the watches operate perfectly.
I had to clean around the press-buttons of the Citizen, removing a couple of decades of gunk.
Once this was accomplished, all functions resumed normal service - just as they had done some 20 years previously, when the watch was shipped from the Citizen factory.

A nice detour from the analogues and these are two watches which I wear occasionally but mainly use to keep a pretty accurate check on the time-keeping qualities of some of my non-quartz models.

Everyone should own at least one period Seiko, Casio or Citizen LCD.....just for old-times sake!

Citzen's 8110A chrono - in Green & Burnt Orange!

2009-05-25T19:52:00.007+10:00

With a face like that it has to be from the 1970's........and, of course, it is. October 1974, to be precise.
As with most of my previous acquisitions I was attracted by the design and colours - the hexagonal sub-dials with their graduated colouring from yellow to orange; the emerald-green dial; the octagonal case. All worked for me, baby!

However, upon arrival of the watch I noticed that the dial was more blemished than I was led to believe and that the 12-hour hand (sub-dial at 12) was inoperative.
Other than those glitches, the watch operated correctly, keeping good time, and was all-original, including the signed stainless-steel bracelet.

Apparently the Citizen 8110 movement is considered to be somewhat ordinary by those who know watches (and I'm not one of them and don't pretend to be), and can be a pain in the posterior to work with.
However, a local watchmaker, whose expertise I have used in recent months, is taking a look at this blast-from-the-past in order to bring the non-functional sub-dial back to life, although the blemished main dial will have to stay that way.

But irrespective of the few scratches and aging, nothing can take away the nostalgic charm of this 1970's design.
It evokes mini skirts, flares, cassette tapes and ABBA! Groovy!

A Trio of Accutrons

2009-05-24T21:43:00.007+10:00

The Bulova Accutron "Tuning Fork" watch (thus the logo seen on the dials of the watches shown below) was developed in the early 1960's and had, like its electronic competitors from Seiko, Citizen and others, been surpassed by quartz technology by the end of the 1970's.

Bulova watches were extremely popular in the United States, being worn by corporate executives, movie stars, politicians and many high-profile celebrities. They were also that country's most popular "30-year" watch, thousands being presented to those entering retirement after a lifetime of company service.

The Accutrons shown here cover the period in which they were produced, with the oldest being manufactured in 1965, the second in 1970 and the youngest in 1976.

This model, from 1976, has a stainless-steel case and backplate, with a silvery dial, indices and hands.
It sports the original Bulova sharkskin watchband complete with signed buckle.
The watch is in excellent shape and keeps accurate time.
Like all "tuning-fork" electronic movements, it has a high-pitched hum, which can be clearly heard when held to the ear and is unlike the sound made by any other type of electronic movement.

This beautiful gold (10k gold-filled) Accutron was manufactured in 1970 and is in superb original condition. It is set off by the integral mesh bracelet, complete with original signed clasp.
The creamy textured dial is unmarked and the hands and indices are perfect.
A beautiful watch in anybody's language.

Finally, from 1965 comes another gold-filled (14k) item, this one being a 30-year presentation gift to a gentleman who retired from "C&M" in 1969 after many years of loyal and faithful service.

Once again, it is in original configuration, with the exception of the after-market lizard-skin watchband. The case, dial, hands and indices are all in wonderful condition after more than 40 years and the watch hums along beautifully.

I really like the Accutron models, not just for their interesting technology but also because they were a stylish watch, a very elegant accessory.
Even today they do not look out of place peeking out from under the cuff of a business shirt.

The Jewel in the Crown - Vanac KS

2009-05-24T08:51:00.007+10:00

From November 1973 comes another fine example of Seiko's 1970's styling - the Vanac KS (King Seiko), with their high-beat 25-jewel cal. 5256 movement with day & date, 9-facet crystal, chunky indices and colourful dial - in this example an ocean-blue.

Even the case is sculptured, with bevelled edges, and the crown is signed (KS).
The leather strap is not original - I believe that these watches were issued with stainless-steel bracelets. Trying to find an original item may well be an impossible quest.

A fabulous design and probably the most highly-valued watch in my collection of Seiko's.

UPDATE :
I was so taken by this watch that a month later another one became available - a very similar dial, same design for the case but with the 5246 movement. In excellent condition.
It was such a nice item that I couldn't resist! Now they share the same box, like peas in a pod. :)

It MUST be the 1970's!

2009-05-22T19:03:00.004+10:00

This is an example of Seiko's Advan range.
Most, if not all, of these watches had colourful dials, "chunky" hour indices and sculptured hour & minute hands.
They were certainly from the 1970's - without even checking the back-plate for the manufacturing date it was easy to tell that they were seventies designs: the delicate faces of the 60's had gone and the quartz movements of the 80's had yet to appear.

This example - another Ebay purchase - has a bright and bold purple face, with hardly a blemish other than a small scratch on the illumination material of the hour hand.
The dial itself is in superb condition, with the stainless-steel indices and Seiko name quite shiny and the Advan sun logo & script in perfect order.

There is a day & date complication, with Kanji and English versions of the day display.

The watch uses Seiko's cal. 7039 movement and keeps very good time.
Overall size is approximately 37mm diameter and 41mm lug-to-lug.

The original bracelet is in stainless-steel and follows a similar pattern to that fitted to my Elnix (see below) with the toothed links.
The clasp is signed "Seiko" and "Advan".

A nice watch and one that always draws attention due to its colour.
You've gotta love the 70's!

First of the Electronics - Seiko's Elnix SG

2009-05-20T20:11:00.007+10:00

I was attracted to this watch by its quite beautiful crystal, with nine facets, and the striking emerald-green dial. The way that the crystal captures the light is quite lovely.

I soon learned that the Elnix was part of Seiko's venture into the world of electronic watch movements.
Not quartz; that technology was just around the corner.
These watches still used a balance-wheel and should not be confused with quartz-controlled movements or Bulova's Accutron "tuning fork" technology.

The Elnix featured here - manufactured in June 1975 - is 99% original, including (as mentioned above) the faceted crystal and also its stainless-steel bracelet made up of solid, toothed links. (The 1% non-originality is the battery - it has a new one fitted.)
The case is in very good condition and only displays natural wear marks of its 34-year life. It is undamaged.

The watch keeps time quite accurately, losing about one minute in twenty-four hours, but as I have not yet had it serviced since acquiring it, some inaccuracy is to be expected.
When held up to the ear, a high-speed metallic "chatter" can be heard - the unique signature tune of the Seiko movement.

A beautiful and technically-interesting watch that was bypassed very quickly by the quartz movement.

For more information on electronic/electric watches, see http://www.electric-watches.co.uk/

A Plethora of Bell-matics

2009-05-14T19:46:00.010+10:00

4006-6041, from December 1977. A distinctive black-and-gold face.

"Plethora" may not be the correct term for a gathering of these lovely watches.
Maybe the collective should be "a peal of Bell-matics", thereby acknowledging the ringing of their mechanical alarms.
Never mind - whatever term is used, I bought another 4 of these, one after the other, having become strongly attracted to the type, mainly because of the vast number of different styles and colours available.

4006-6040 from December 1972. A fabulous dial in very good condition with little sign of aging.

~~All~~ Most Bell-matics have the Seiko 4006 movement (Some - date only - have the 4005 movement), be it 17, 21 or 27 jewels. All of my Belles are 17-jewelled movements.
I placed a bid on a 27-jewel item once but was blown out of the water. As for the 21-jewel, forget it!
What I paid for four watches would be spent on one.

4006-6011, from January 1973. Since this photo was taken this Belle has been refurbished.

Being a strong and avid supporter of nostalgia, I am a great fan of these watches.
I love the style and the cool mechanical alarm. I often find myself setting an alarm just so that it will go off when I know I'll be in a meeting - the look of puzzlement on the faces of my fellow attendees, half my age, does this old bloke's frame of mind a great deal of good!
"What's that?", they ask.
"That's my watch", I reply as, with a high degree of casual and coolness, I press the little button to stop the buzzing.
Shagadelic, baby!

4006-6060, from July 1976. My favourite Bell-matic. A beautiful, near-mint face and an alarm that sounds like a miniature bell. Just gorgeous.

Everyone and anyone who loves mechanical watches should own and wear at least one Bell-matic.......and set the alarm to amaze and startle your friends.

A Vintage Seikomatic

2009-05-13T21:16:00.006+10:00

This fine example of Seiko's classic offerings from the late 1960's - early 1970's was added to the growing collection, being bought off Ebay.
The watch - a Seikomatic Diashock 20-jewel automatic - has a beautiful dial finished in a creamy satin colour, highlighted by the fine hour indices in gold and slim gold hands for hour, minute and seconds.

The back of the watch has a snap-on case-back in stainless-steel whilst the case itself is gold-filled.

A black leather band, whilst not the original, suits the watch, although I would like to see it in a brown or mahogany strap. Note the tiny crown (see below) - it really is quite small.

This oldie keeps pretty good time and I like to wear it at least fortnightly when possible.

Seiko Navigator Timer 6117-6409

2009-05-10T20:30:00.010+10:00

The next watch to join the ranks was this June 1972 Seiko Navigator Timer, with the 6117 movement, date-only display and a "GMT" indicator - that fourth (red) hand on the dial.
Of course, the indicator may be used to monitor the time anywhere - it doesn't have to be set to GMT.
This hand completes one rotation of the dial every 24 hours - all the hands align at 12 when that occurs - and the monitored location is set by rotating the crown which in turn moves the internal blue & red bezel around the dial. Align that location's time with the red pointer and SHA-ZAAAM! - you now have that spot monitored continuously.....or at least until you wish to change it.

I picked this watch up pretty cheaply - way less than three figures (in Aussie dollars) - so was really delighted with the purchase. It presents such a cool face, the metalwork is in great shape and I can keep tabs on the hometown time of a friend in the USA.

The internal bezel, with the red & blue segments (indicating 12 hours of daylight - red - and 12 hours of darkness - blue) had some issues, with two segments missing areas of colour, and the watch needed a new crystal plus a service. The watchmaker also found that the crown was non-Seiko and that there was a broken case-spring, so all of these items, with the exception of the paint, were attended to.

Since the photo was taken (before refurbishment) the Navigator has been fitted with a new stainless-steel bracelet and is being worn at least once a week, as I like it very much. It has "wrist presence" and draws comments from younger people more attuned to G-Shock Casios and black & white divers.

This watch screams "1970's" - it could come from no other time period.

UPDATE November 2011.

Here are two "after refurbishment" shots - one as it was received from the watchmaker (Peter Kuhn) and before I found a replacement Seiko bracelet and the other after the bracelet was sourced and fitted, which is the state of the watch today.

The first of my Bell-matics - 4006-6080

2009-05-10T09:31:00.012+10:00

After buying the Citizen Eco-drive (see previous post) I spent some weeks just browsing the internet and visiting various sites and blogs dedicated to the art of horology in general and watch-collecting in particular and I became interested in the Seiko Bell-matic.
This was an automatic watch with a movement (4006 caliber) featuring a mechanical, wind-up alarm and also a day & date display.
(To see an extensive collection of Bell-matics, please click HERE)

Unmistakeably 1970's in style, the Bell-matic range immediately grabbed my attention, not just because of their mechanical technology but also because of their appearance. I really enjoy what watch designers did in the 1960's and 1970's.

The "Belles", as they are often termed, came in a wide range of dial styles, colours and case designs and were made between late-1966 to 1978 and the watch featured here hails from December 1976. It features the 6080 stainless-steel case and 6090T dial in a gold tone. It has the 17-jewel 4006 movement. (These movements came in 17, 21 and 27-jewel versions, the 17 being the most common, then the 27 and the 21 being the rarest of the three).
The internal, rotating, bezel - which is used to set the required alarm time - is in black and bears teal-blue characters.
An after-market leather strap has been fitted; the watch would have been supplied originally with a stainless-steel bracelet.

This watch kicked off my desire to collect some other examples of Seiko's 1970's classics, including other Bell-matic styles.

More new technology - Citizen Eco-drive

2009-05-10T07:43:00.006+10:00

There are many who do not like "gold" watches but I don't mind them. Spending the majority of my working hours in an office environment also means that I can wear dress-watches without the hazards associated with manual labour.

I wanted a Citizen Eco-drive simply because of the technology: The light (be it sunlight, desk-lamp, whatever) shines down on the dial-face, passes through it and is collected by a photo-electric device which keeps the battery charged.

This particular item was chosen because of the price and the styling; it was a new watch selling for a very reasonable amount and I liked the dial and the fact that the case was not too large.

One thing which struck me about the movement in this watch is the fact that, as the second hand marches around the dial, it hits each hour marker (there are no other indices) smack on dead-centre.

Citizen Titanium

2009-05-10T07:29:00.004+10:00

Not exactly a "classic", this Citizen quartz model (from 2005), with gold highlights on its all-titanium case and bracelet, caught my eye for two reasons; in this world of gigantic watch-faces, it has a small diameter (36mm) case and therefore suits my skinny wrist, and it is extremely light, being made from titanium.

I also like its "industrial" grey colour, which is softened by the gold trim around the black dial and on the bracelet.

Omega Seamaster

2009-05-09T22:12:00.008+10:00

I had always wanted to own an Omega but could never - and still cannot - afford one of their classic Seamaster or Speedmaster automatics. My dream Omega, since the 1970's, has been the "Moon-watch", the model worn by the Apollo 11 astronauts. But that model is well out of my price range.

But I was able to afford the far less expensive quartz Seamaster, and this lovely item fell into my lap via an Ebay auction (the source of the majority of my purchases).
It is a 1980's model, sports a stainless-steel case with non-Omega leather watch-band and is in very nice condition, with only minor signs of wear, and it keeps perfect time.

The beginning - Seiko Kinetic

2009-05-09T21:52:00.008+10:00

It was the technology behind the Kinetic that grabbed my interest.
It's combines the functions of an automatic watch and a battery-powered quartz but in this case the rotor drives a tiny generator which charges the battery, to put it in simple terms.

This watch has the 5M42 calibre and is a second-hand unit with stainless-steel case and bracelet.
I like the dial; to me it is attractive without being fussy, has clear and well-defined hour indices and easy-to-see hands.

The design could almost be from the 1980's, yet it was manufactured in 1997. The original capacitor has since been replaced with a Lithium Ion battery.

One thing I detest about modern watch-wearing fashion is the trend towards the "diver" style (most of which will probably never see a shower, let alone an ocean) and are of such a large diameter that they could be used as garbage-bin lids.
My Seiko Kinetic does not fall into that category, otherwise I would have passed it by; this is the closest that I will ever come to owning one of those ugly creations.

Introduction

2009-05-09T18:05:00.007+10:00

(All images can be enlarged by left-clicking on them)

What started me off on this new hobby?
I have no real interest in watch-making or watch-repair, and had, down through the years, owned a mere handful of watches. Apart from a replica Rolex that I bought (via a friend) from Bangkok in the 1980's, I only ever had one watch at a time.

My wife-to-be gave me a new Seiko automatic (cal. 7005) for Christmas in December 1972......

.....and I wore it daily until May 1993 when, after leaving a company with whom I had been employed for almost 30 years, I bought myself a "30-year watch".

It was a Seiko SQ100 quartz (cal.7N43) and I used to alternate it and the Christmas gift.

Both watches gave sterling service; the automatic went to a watchmaker's once, to replace a damaged crystal and, at the same time, it was serviced. That watch I still own.

The SQ100 only ever had a service when its battery gave out, and it has only had two replacements in its 16-year life. This watch I recently sold for much less than what I had to pay for it 16 years ago!

So these two watches were the only items I really owned (the fake Rolex gave up the ghost about six months after it was bought....back in the 1980's) until fairly recently, when my interest was piqued by something I saw in a magazine about the Seiko Kinetic range.

And that is the next episode.......