Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Last for 2014...newly acquired watches

2014 was a crazy year for watch hunting, especially when Evil Bay goes rampant. In this short post I'll post a few watches that were snapped up during the year 2014. No reviews just yet...i'll just list down the reasons why I just HAD to have these watches!!!

Here goes :

Casio DW-001
* Vintage and the very first Jason Design
* Has a Thermo Sensor unlike todays G-001
* did a little restoration project on this one

Alba Diver Automatic Watch
* Vintage and Rare!!!

Seiko Bellmatic 4005 JDM
* Very rare to find a bellmatic with only date instead of day date
* Perfect for formal dress occasions

Seiko BFS
* The original Seiko BFS!!!
* RaRe!! Nuff said

Seiko White Knight
* Actually my second White Knight...missed it
* Hard to find
* Best Dress Diver design by Seiko

Casio MRG-1
* The very First MR-G from Casio???
* Black and Gold Edition??
* Had to have it!!!

Casio BM-200
* Nostalgic, had this when I was 16
* Most comfortable Baro watch with no side protruding sensor
* Looks like Scorpion from Mortal Kombat!!!

Casio Duro DRO-204
* Very rare
* Cool True Blue Illuminator Backlight
* Come with original Bracelet

Casio AW-712
* Barometer, Altimeter, Depth Sensor all in a nice looking Analog Watch!!!
* Super rare

Enicar Ocean Pearl Automatic
* My first Enicar!!!
* Swiss Made Caliber 165

Friday, December 26, 2014

Watch round up of 2014 : Those that have departed...

2014 has been a crazy for my watch collecting hobby. In this post I shall round up all off the watches in my collection that I have had to let go off  :( I'll briefly give all the good points of the watches if you are interested in getting your hands of any one of them.

I let go of some of the watches for various reasons among them are (some of them might be familiar to you) :
- No chemistry
- Stayed too long in the watch box without getting enough wrist time
- Offered a good price
- Gave it as a gift for a friend or familiy member
- A sacrificial goat for another watch that's much more desirable (traded in)
- Accidentally won it on Ebay and didnt really wanted it in the first place :P

OK here goes :

Casio G-8000 Limited Edition White Orange
* Stunning G-shock, unique design, nice tattoo on the band
- Let it go to my sis as I realized that white doesn't work for me


Casio Duro 200m Illuminator Ana-Digi
* Bought it for nostalgic purposes as I had this watch wayyy back in 1995 
- Sold to an office mate who really needed a good watch.

Orient GMT Automatic
* Great quality from Orient, Signed crowns, machined clasp and an adjustable 24hr daylight GMT Bezel
- Sold to local collector, wasn't getting enough wrist time

Citizen Military Automatic
* Love the military dial and signed promaster crown, great lume
- Sacrificed this baby to get a really hard to find Vintage Seiko 4005 Bellmatic (date only)

Casio G-Shock G-101
* Great Ana Digi Design, really accurate analogue movement
- Offered a good price from one of my football buddies (at least I get to see it often)

Casio WQV-3 First ever Wrist Camera Watch
* Retro, Cool and a conversation piece, nice for avatar photos, works with windows 7 and USB IR dongle
- Offered a good price by a collector

Casio 7002-7020 MKII 200m Diver
* bought this to replace my SKX007, exclusive Date Only Dial, good and reliable
- Less wrist time, sold for a good price

Swatch Automatic Chronograph
* Hey ho my very first Swisss Auto-Chrono, top of the line swatch
- Sold it to my boss, aiming another swatch 

Swatch Irony Aluminium Chronograph
* Watched an Aluminium Swatch for its lightness
- Gave it to my dad as he said he liked it

Casio MRG-200T
* MRG, Made in Japan, Titanium Bracelet, Screw back whats not to like?
- Bought another 2 MRG's so this one had to go

Casio G-8000 Black Orange
* Best G-Shock Design
- Sold it off to make ware for an even rarer G-8000 :)

Casio BP-100 Vintage Pulse and Blood Pressure monitor watch
* The best watch for fitness tracker, Better module than even the newer BP-120 and BP-200
- Sold to a fellow casio collector

Swatch Irony Retrograde Chronograph
* Big, buffed Swatch Irony
- Sold it off within a fortnight, impulse buy

Swatch Irony Big Aluminium
* Unique whole dial lumed
- Gave away

Casio G-001 Black Red
* Negative display, World Time, Timer
- Sold it off as I got my hands on a DW-001 module and used this G-001's parts for restoration

Casio MD-310 200m dive watch
* 200m, Rotating Bezel, Shrouded Design, First Autolight feature (shake)
- Sold to a gentleman who appreciated it better

Seiko Starfish 7S36 Superior
* Unique starfish design, big and hefty
- Sold it cheap, coz daddy needs some cash

Well thats it for 2014...how many was it now? 17 watches?? all gone?? yeah I guess so but having said goodbye to these fine watches...there were a few that was newly acquired but I'll tell that story in another post. Happy Boxing day 2014!!!


Thursday, December 11, 2014

Casio Wrist Camera Watche WQV-3

Now in the year 2014 people marvel at the samsung galaxy gear a bluetooth watch that also sports a digital camera built into it. But for those of you who didnt know, casio was one of the first who made a wrist watch camera wayyy back just before the new millenium in 1999. It was the Casio WQV-1 Digital Wrist Camera. It was small, squarish and only took pictures in monochrome black and white with JPEG sizes of 120x120 dpi!!!

I got my hands on a WQV-3 which was rounder and has colour data!!! What this means is that the screen is still in black and white, but the output is in color so you get color JPEGs now when transferring images to your PC.

I had to buy an IRDA USB dongle to use it with my PC and Hooray!!! it even works with windows 7!!! 

For a more detailed review please go to : 
http://www.3wheelers.com/elvis/body_wqv-3.html

What I liked about it :

- RETRO and a conversation piece
- Full calender display
- Easy to replace CR2032 battery (CMOS battery found in PCs)

What I wish it had :
- IR remote learn function (to control TV channels)
- Higher water resist rating

Why I sold it

- Offered a good price
- no time to play with it

Pictures

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Seiko BFS (Big Freaking Seiko)

Ever since I read Quartzimodo's review I have always wanted to get my hands on a Seiko BFS.

The seiko BFS is actually very hard to find, Even on ebay you be hard pressed to find a seiko BFS up for bids.

My luck turned when I was lurking around the lower ground floor of Amcorp Mall's Sunday Flee market. For those of you living in KL or PJ Amcorp Mall on Sundays is a haven for antique and vintage stuffs and watches are among a few of them :)

While looking at a row of watches that was being sold I found myself having a conversation with a gentleman and he showed me pictures of his collection of seiko watches on his phone. There I saw a nice Seiko BFS SNKF11K, the one with the 2,4,6,8,10,12 hour markers. It was on and aftermarket carbon fiber like strap. I asked if it was for sale? he said yes but only if the price if right. I made him an offer. he accepted and 3 days later the BFS was mine!!!

True enough the size is big. I modified the strap with a push button butterfly clasp (I hate dropping my watches)

For full and better review of the seiko BFS please go here :
 http://quartzimodo.com/seiko-snkf11k-bfs-automatic-review/

What I liked about it :
- Big sized
- Knurled bezel and crown
- nicely lumed dial including hour markers
- Now becoming very Rare!!!!

What I wished it had
- crown guards for the crown and a signed crown?
- rotating chapter ring so that you can see elapsed time

Would I sell it?
- NEVER!!! (unless I found a white dialled one or found a seiko ANA version)

my Seiko BFS

modified butterfly clasp

caseback. Sticker not removed :P

wrist shot