Seiko’s humble classic: The Great Blue series
Some years ago my long time friend Eddie spoke of a Seiko watch that he had seen in a watch store and was pretty excited about it. I was at my infancy of watch collecting and had absolutely no idea what this watch looked like, much less his enthusiasm for this mysterious timepiece.
As fate would have it, one day we happened to be at a shopping mall and he pulled my arm towards a display window of a watch retailer. “There! That’s the one I was talking about!” he gushed in excitement.
I peered closely at the watch. It had a very dark blue dial, bordering on black and had an intricate grid lines on the dial, very much like the Mercator lines you’d see on a globe. “Ah, I see what you mean!” when I saw the intricate globe-like appearance of the dial and “The Great Blue”
So what’s interesting about the Great Blue series?
Originally posted 2010-09-21 22:06:50.
Seiko SKX031K “Submariner” review
Watch History
- Date acquired: July 23rd 2004
- Production Date: Nov 2003
- Source: Chun Cheong Watch & Pen Store, Sungei Wang Plaza
- Price paid: MYR400 (approximately USD115)
- Status: In production
Background
Pop quiz folks – what resembles a Rolex Submariner watch, says “SEIKO” on the dial, has a screw-in crown and costs a fraction of the price of the watch that it pays homage to?
No prizes for guessing, it’s none other than the Seiko SKX031K – Seiko’s timeless tribute to the Rolex Submariner. The SKX031K has been around for over a decade (it debuted in 1996 with the introduction of the 7s26 automatic caliber) and sales of this model appears to be still going strong despite its age in the market.
Originally posted 2008-10-17 07:46:00.
Watch shopping in Kuala Lumpur (Citron Watch)
Pertama Complex is one of the oldest shopping malls in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Strategically located at the intersection of the famous Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (previously known as Batu Road) and Jalan Dang Wangi (formerly called Campbell Road). It was first built in 1976 and was the hive of activity amongst local shoppers and tourists alike in its heydays.
Today, Pertama Complex (literal translation: (the) First Complex) has been overshadowed and outclassed by the ultra modern shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur and in the outskirts of the capital of Malaysia. Tourists, from overseas or out-of-town tend to flock to the newer and bigger shopping destinations, such as the Suria KLCC, Sungei Wang Plaza, Mid Valley Mega Mall and the likes.
If you’re expecting first class rest rooms, creature comforts, photogenic interiors, modern bistros and Starbucks – forget it. Pertama Complex is a basic, no frills retail center for bargain hunters who know what they want.
Originally posted 2009-08-10 23:49:15.
The SKJ Kinetic divers: gone but not forgotten
Not too long ago, Seiko made a series of classic Kinetic divers with strong design influences from the world famous Rolex Submariner diver’s watch. These were fondly remembered as the “SKJ” Kinetic Sports divers and they remain the only homage copies of the Submariner with the Kinetic movement.
There were also only three generations of this style of Kinetic divers and they were marketed internationally as generic models, i.e. not belonging to any particular Seiko sub-range such as the Sportura, Arctura, Coutura, etc.
These models sat unnoticed in the midst of the many obscure Kinetic models that shared the same movement. Unlike the international sub-ranges like the Velatura, Premier and Sportura, Seiko didn’t spend on advertising the SKJ Kinetic divers. To the Seiko company, they’re just a few of their countless generic models – if you happen to like them, buy them!
Originally posted 2008-08-20 21:40:49.
The little known Seiko 7s55 caliber
When it comes to Seiko’s entry level automatic movements, most people will readily think of the well-liked and reliable 7s-caliber automatics that are found in the garden variety SKX and limited edition SKZ divers and of course, the popular Seiko 5 family of affordable watches.
The 7s26 is perhaps the most widely known movement in the 7s-family and is extensively used in the base line Seiko 5 model. The Seiko 5 Sports and Seiko 5 Superiors are adorned with the slightly upmarket 7s36 movement, which has 23 jewels – two more jewels than what the 7s26 has. Limited production run 7s-caliber divers such as the SKZ203K Yellow Monster and the SKZ201K Seiko 5 40th Anniversary diver’s watches also use the 7s36.
So what’s interesting about the 7s55?
Originally posted 2010-02-12 00:03:54.
The Seiko Kinetic: Boon or Bane?
The Seiko Kinetic. Now that's a watch technology that had initially discouraged and mystified me for some time. When I first inquired about Seiko Kinetics at a small watch dealer, I was advised to stay away from Kinetics as far as possible. He mentioned about frequent customer complaints and warranty claims from his fellow watch sellers. "Stick to quartz or automatic", he advised. "A Kinetic will give you a headache later on".
Originally posted 2008-05-15 22:48:32.
Seiko SKX031K “Submariner” review
Watch History
- Date acquired: July 23rd 2004
- Production Date: Nov 2003
- Source: Chun Cheong Watch & Pen Store, Sungei Wang Plaza
- Price paid: MYR400 (approximately USD115)
- Status: Discontinued
Background
Pop quiz folks – what resembles a Rolex Submariner watch, says “SEIKO” on the dial, has a screw-in crown and costs a fraction of the price of the watch that it pays homage to?
No prizes for guessing, it’s none other than the Seiko SKX013K – Seiko’s timeless tribute to the Rolex Submariner. The SKX013K has been around for over a decade (it debuted in 1996 with the introduction of the 7s26 automatic caliber) and sales of this model appears to be still going strong despite its age in the market.
It took me several months to consider one of this timeless classics from Seiko, albeit its design isn’t entirely original (after all, it is a homage to the Rolex Submariner) and I thought the SKX031K would fill the gap between my 200m, ISO-certified Seiko divers and my dressy Seiko 5 timepieces rather nicely.
Originally posted 2009-06-12 23:30:00.