quote:

Originally posted by stickman428:
What can y’all tell me about Christopher Ward watches? They have been on my radar for a while but just recently made two watches that REALLY caught my fancy. One of their new watches is pretty dang close to an idea I had regarding translucent dials revealing bits of the movement underneath.

I've been intrigued by them as well. They do have a 5 year warranty and Jody of "One More Watch" (my favorite reviewer) rates them very high. He thinks their C60 could be the best diver available under $1,000.

New watch day!

I built my own SKXA35 AKA “Seiko Bumblebee” using mostly oem Seiko parts and a few aftermarket parts that are all enhancements. The hands were a bit easier now that I fixed my lighting issue and altered my technique a bit.

Before


After


There is a hint here showing one of the mods. Upgraded movement with hacking and hand winding and a English/Kanji day wheel.


Festive fall colored Seiko divers

Well done, stickman!

Those are great!

Love the yellow one.

I like the Yellow one a lot, especially after seeing tons of them in Orange.

This modified Seiko is a bit different and has a mod you don’t often see. Sporting a Citizen Promaster automatic diver style bezel and a stealthy black & gray insert really changes the look of this watch quite a bit.

The dial looks all black in low light but when the light hits it right you can see the blue to black fade which works well with the unique blue case and black mesh bracelet. I love how the bezel insert numbers ghost out and in certain light the insert just looks solid black.

Before



After







Here is a good example of the bezel “ghosting out” its numbers in certain lighting and really blending in well with the chapter ring and black at the bottom of the dial.

This odd combo is growing on me.

My old blacked out SKX custom build from Mad Mod World was once again moved into a new case. It’s been swapped so many times I’ve lost count. I had an idea to build a unique flieger out of a spare SRP turtle case that I got off the fleabay at a crazy good price. I swapped out the blue/white Seiko chapter ring for one without any markings that has a nice brushed steel finish that matches the case perfectly. To finish the watch I went to my parts bin and used my old orange/black Samurai bezel with road rash from my scooter crash. I love this chapter ring...no worries about it being misaligned or misprinted.

Overall this build/most recent parts swap turned out surprisingly well.

If you like watches and have been considering getting into watch modding DON’T DO IT!! . The hobby can be incredibly addictive.





I also installed a display case back. The NH35 isn’t going to win any beauty contests but I think it’s a neat modification.



Lume shot

This message has been edited. Last edited by: stickman428,

Stickman, I may keep an eye out for a Seiko Stargate. I keep going back and forth on it, though. Read further.

Man… I took my Glycine with me to Florida. I swam in the Atlantic with it at Cocoa Beach and a tiny piece of shell (I’m guessing based on experience) got lodged in the bezel track, seizing it with the pip at about the 40 minute mark. Going to have to pull the bezel and clean it out. It’s also running about thirty seconds a day slow again. May end up regulating it again and selling it on eBay with full disclosure, I don’t know. Kinda tired of it.

I also took my Lum Tec B47. I somehow killed the Lum Tec, the time is all over the place and I can’t actually pull the stem out to stop it. Need to email them and send it back. That was disappointing.

So I basically killed two watches. I keep having the thought that I wouldn’t have these problems with a Marathon or Sinn. I’ve been wearing my orange Orient. Having the thought that I should just sell most of the watches I own and buy a Sinn and a Marathon and stick with tanky watches because I tend to destroy stuff. Ugh.

P220 Smudge, Marathon & Sinn make great watches sure but you don’t have to spend that kind of money to get a robust automatic watch. A Seiko SKX, Samurai or Turtle would be just as robust and with some minor fine tuning should also be capable of superb accuracy.

Also, building your own watch to your taste is just about the most satisfying experience one can have with a watch. Have you considered building a Seiko mod? There are a few that emulate Sinn & Marathon’s style and aesthetics but for a fraction of the price tag. Watch modding is actually a lot easier than I was expecting and oh buddy is it FUN.

Now all that said I do TRULY understand the allure of a Sinn and Marathon watch (though to me the Sinn is WAAAAY more tempting).

If I ever pulled the trigger on that Sinn Arktis II that I love so much it would probably result in a mass exodus of other watches from my collection since it’s basically got it all.

I got this retro today.

Mars,
I'm liking it!
Old school, clean lines, good all year round, water proof to at least 1000m. I think all it needs is a little tritium for night time.

That’s unique! I like it.

I’ve had to send a watch back three times once before it was right. It doesn’t happen often but sometimes you get unlucky.

On a positive note..
Here is a quick sneak peak at my newest project which should be finished tonight. A 140th anniversary Seiko 5 sport that is about to get upgraded and completely swapped into a Capt’n Willard case.

quote:

Originally posted by goose5:
I really agonized over this purchase, and this doesn't inspire confidence in the brand or the vendor.

Long Island Watch Co.?

Nothing but good things to say about Windy City Watch!

If you still decide you want a Marathon, take a look at them.

With all these Swiss and Asian watches, I had lost all hope for American watchmakers since their demise from the quartz crisis.

Well, lookit at what I found!

Picked up a new (to me) Speedy recently. Always liked the grey dial with the yellow accents and have been on the lookout for a nice one for quite a while. This one, from 2019, came with all the boxes, papers, links, in pristine condition, and at a very fair price. Couldn’t pass it up.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Tooky13,

Beauty!

I put a deposit down for a Tudor Black Bay 58. Should be available to pick up after Thanksgiving.