Watches - Part 5

Watches - Part 4

Watches - Part 3

"Geeking Watches – Now in Japanese" By Rasmus Jakobsen

There are often two kinds of watch geeks. Those who swear by the more traditional, Swiss watchmakers, and those who look to the east, more specifically Japan, when it comes to investing in a new wrist adornment. Up until recently I belonged to that first group. I have dedicated a worrying amount of hours on research using search words such as "Omega dive watches", "Swiss made watches" and "IWC vs Jaeger LeCoultre". Over the past year I have swapped one Omega for another and never considered why ‘Swiss made’ was my natural preference.

But in the last few months I have pursued new paths for some unknown reason. I turned my attention to the Japanese watch market. When one speaks of Japanese watchmakers, it is a relatively comprehensible topic. There are of course a slew of makers, who primarily deal in quartz-based watches, but if we concentrate on mechanical quality watches, which is what I do, there are very few - but very interesting - Japanese makers. One of which is Seiko, of course.

To many, Seiko is synonymous with cheap plastic watches and hardy G-Shock-models, but the company, founded in 1881, is capable of so much more. Alongside the quartz models they produce mechanical watches of the highest quality. From the amazingly affordable “series 5” to the extremely exclusive "Grand Seiko" watches. The thing, they all have in common, apart from their in-house produced movements, is that they are the result of Japanese thoroughness and a rare sense of quality and finesse. In other words you would be hard pressed to find mechanical watches of a similar quality at the same price. Value for money, one might say.

I had been searching for an understated dress-watch with a leather strap for some time, to supplement my steel diver’s watches (I'll cover them in a future post), when I clicked on to SeiyaJapan.com that deals in some of the most interesting watches on the Japanese market (and offers worldwide shipping). This is where I found the watch that brought me to my keyboard to write this post: Seiko SARB072 with in-house-movement 6R15.

Since receiving the watch four days ago I have only taken it off, when it was of the utmost necessity to do so, and I have no doubt whatsoever, that this watch is a keeper. For just under 4.000 Kr, which was the sum I ended up paying including tax and VAT, one could hardly ask for a better deal. Precisely and thoroughly tested automatic movement, a face of sapphire-cut glass, a beautiful case with lovely details and finesse, and a nice, comfortable leather strap with a steel buckle.

Enough talk – let's look at some pictures. The following are taken from timetapestry.blogspot.com

Watches - Omega Speedmaster with Fluco Cordovan watchband

I came across an old picture of my friend Rasmus' late Omega Speedmaster. I say late because the watch has been sold and replaced by another Omega. The Speedmaster is equipped with a shell cordovan watchband - which is made in Germany by a company called Fluco. I have a couple of these cordovan watchbands myself, and I have to say, that the price is hard to beat and the quality is very good. 

So if your watch is in need of a strap, then look no further than Fluco. They represent great value for money and if I had a shop, I would definitely pick these up.

If you have a nice watch of any kind (ATD is not about snobbery, so a nicely patinated Timex will also make do) and you want to share it on ATD, feel free to e-mail a picture. I will be sharing pictures of my watch collection in the time to come. They are probably being edited as we speak.

"My First Watch" by Rasmus Jakobsen

I'm a watch enthusiast. It was a quartz-diver from Citizen that sparked my passion approximately 10 years ago. I was on my way into the military, on a 12-month self-chosen conscription with Den Kongelige Livgarde (The Royal Life Guards), and of course I had to have a watch with me  that could withstand the hardships in the field. I was born as a gear-freak, so it felt like an obvious move.

I spent a long time looking for the perfect watch, and it was probably due to Frømandskorpset (the amphibious attack and infiltration unit in the Danish Defence) that I ended up with a Citizen, as they used this particular watch in service. I figured, if it was good enough for them, it was probably good enough for me.

Unfortunately I had to face the fact, that the investment of around DKR 3000, which was a great deal of money for me back then, had made a impression on me too big to handle. This meant, I could not even in my wildest dreams imagine it being used - or rather abused - during military service when I finally got the damn watch,. And with this new realization I of course had to put the watch away in a closet and let go of the idea of me being equal to the guys of Frømandskorpset.

But the experience got me going. It was obviously not an infatuation with the movement, as the diver was an quartz, but the solid construction and high reliability of the clock fascinated me to such an extent, that I began absorbing an enormous amount of knowledge on military watches - with the diver being the absolute starting point.

My interest in watches has never declined. Much has happened since my innocent love for a quartz-model, but the fascination of these small wonders is alive and well. Today I concentrate solely on mechanical watches (automatics and hand-wounds). I still geek military watches (and even to great lengths), although I now have moved on to sports and dive watches from the 50s onwards.

I hope that my future posts on this fine blog will provide you readers with just a humble insight in the wonderful world of mechanical watches. If it gets too intimate, you are very welcome to speak up, just like you are more than welcome to drop comments and inspiration if you find it relevant.

Best regards,

Rasmus