Fri is gone
mini fiddy - mine!
This one is commonly known a fantasy watch, since Panerai has never produced this watch in this size.
A fiddy case, in 44 mm. currently, all fiddy cases from Panerai is 47mm.
After scouring the net for awhile, I decide to get one luminor one, I kinda like the fiddy shape more than the modern luminor shape.
Anyhow, the pictures of the watch.
This is not the strap it comes with, I have already notched the stock strap to fit my seiko monster. This strap is a Paros strap, cheap and easily replaceable and will be worn in nicely in a week.
This is manual watch movement which is fun (for now) to wind daily.
If you are getting a homage watch or watches of such nature, always get a manual watch. Manual watches are more durable, has lesser parts and problem than a automatic one. Plus, movement of Chinese nature tend to be more problematic. Notice I said Chinese, not oriental movements, because, Japan watch movement is as good as any swiss ETA movement out there.
The Cat and the Fiddle
Fiddy cases, for those who is not sure, is cases shaped similar to the Panerai luminor cushion case in the 50s.
A fiddy case, in 44 mm. currently, all fiddy cases from Panerai is 47mm.
After scouring the net for awhile, I decide to get one luminor one, I kinda like the fiddy shape more than the modern luminor shape.
Anyhow, the pictures of the watch.
This is not the strap it comes with, I have already notched the stock strap to fit my seiko monster. This strap is a Paros strap, cheap and easily replaceable and will be worn in nicely in a week.
This is manual watch movement which is fun (for now) to wind daily.
If you are getting a homage watch or watches of such nature, always get a manual watch. Manual watches are more durable, has lesser parts and problem than a automatic one. Plus, movement of Chinese nature tend to be more problematic. Notice I said Chinese, not oriental movements, because, Japan watch movement is as good as any swiss ETA movement out there.
The Cat and the Fiddle
Fiddy cases, for those who is not sure, is cases shaped similar to the Panerai luminor cushion case in the 50s.
Check out the side profile
^A vintage fiddy case^
^Modern Luminor case^
It all boils down to personal preference which case you like more. Fiddy cases, being thinner, has been known to be fitted with a high dome crystal/glass. In the ye olde days, 1950, plexi glass is used. Now mineral crystal and sapphire crystals are used instead. Although hardcore homage-ers still use plexi for the worn look and eventual aging to yellow-brown tint.
Anyhow, I like fiddy cases more.
Here my specs which I emailed Jackson Tse with:
- Mini Fiddy case (44 mm)
- Gold hands
- Seconds subdial at 9 o'clock position
- Sandwich dial
- Super lume (strong lume, in his words, guessing not superluminova like Getat)
- Thick brown strap
- Domed glass (wanted high domed, but no such thing)
- Marina Militare texts on dial (I got a sterile one to changed since I don't like the wording there making it look cheap)
The watch arrived in 2-3 weeks in bubble wraps and envelop.
How I Literally Got Screwed by the Watch
Problem with cheap watches, material. When buying such watches, the parts are liable to spoil and wear out compared to higher end pieces it is modelled after.
The wach is with a cool screw lug bar. One long bar on the entire length and the threaded end to screw into the 2nd lug it passes.
Top lug bar is missing its screw thread portion
The first time I tried to remove the screws to change strap, this happened. The threaded end is stuck in the lug holes (It is still there).
My options were as follows:
- Get a replacement case from Jackson, Thankfully he is helpful. But I will have to incur postage costs. *crush paper, throw!
- Get it drilled out and fit with 24mm spring bars. But where to find the drill?
Lucky thing is, the screws broken off did not seal the lug hole completely, instead, it just made it look like a regular lug.
Another issue I faced was finding spring bars. Most regular spring bars from NTUC and Old Mr Goh were thin ones. Mr Goh broke a few bars to help me fit them in. The hole was just too big and the spring bar will slide out.
Lucky for my Seiko Monster ownership, I'm aware of the existence of fat lug spring bars. Yippeeee!
Seiko produces 24 mm fat spring bars for their sumo (no puns intended) prospex watches.
I managed to procure fat spring bars after digging around. I asked Mr Goh to source for me as he is one of Seiko's AD. But it'll take a week or so to arrive.
I don't mind having spares, but I wanna get my hands on them fatties asap. After calling up a few places that I know of except K2 because I don't travel east much, I managed to find out that non of them have it, and it was fortunate that I manage to find some online in a shop based in Singapore.
Gnomon watches. The spring bars they sell are not from Seiko. They have those with thinner tips to fit regular watches lug holes.
Anyhow, the 24mm sold in Gnomon was competitively priced with Tung Choy and what not spares selling places with the added convenience others but it felt well made and solid so got it anyways for S$6.50 a pair.
Lug prob fixed, just I still have the lume problem, after exchanging plenty of emails with Jackson, we resolved at him sending me a Dial with better lume. Yet to come, hope it is bright, will update once it is changed out.
I visited Old Mr Goh once more to get straps, he kinda recognises me now and is better tempered than last time. Also he is one of the few person in Singapore that cheaply sells Paros Straps.
A word of warning on Paros Straps as much as I love them:
DO NOT PAY MORE THAN $20 FOR A 20-22 MM OR $25 FOR A 24 - 26 MM PAROS STRAP.
The strap is very value for money/durable/wearable/attractive to look/nice once 'worn' in but it is made to for value do not be victims of unscrupulous sellers. My friend paid $100 for the strap, partly his fault for not doing homework but still it is not right.
I tried looking for brown calf leather with stitching but to no avail or stock so I settled for a alligator strap with matching stitchings.
I don't mind having spares, but I wanna get my hands on them fatties asap. After calling up a few places that I know of except K2 because I don't travel east much, I managed to find out that non of them have it, and it was fortunate that I manage to find some online in a shop based in Singapore.
Gnomon watches. The spring bars they sell are not from Seiko. They have those with thinner tips to fit regular watches lug holes.
Anyhow, the 24mm sold in Gnomon was competitively priced with Tung Choy and what not spares selling places with the added convenience others but it felt well made and solid so got it anyways for S$6.50 a pair.
Lug prob fixed, just I still have the lume problem, after exchanging plenty of emails with Jackson, we resolved at him sending me a Dial with better lume. Yet to come, hope it is bright, will update once it is changed out.
I visited Old Mr Goh once more to get straps, he kinda recognises me now and is better tempered than last time. Also he is one of the few person in Singapore that cheaply sells Paros Straps.
A word of warning on Paros Straps as much as I love them:
DO NOT PAY MORE THAN $20 FOR A 20-22 MM OR $25 FOR A 24 - 26 MM PAROS STRAP.
The strap is very value for money/durable/wearable/attractive to look/nice once 'worn' in but it is made to for value do not be victims of unscrupulous sellers. My friend paid $100 for the strap, partly his fault for not doing homework but still it is not right.
I tried looking for brown calf leather with stitching but to no avail or stock so I settled for a alligator strap with matching stitchings.
The result was quite ok, still hoping for a ammo strap watch without the crazy prices. $200 a strap when the ammo pouch is max $50 each. Hand stitching is not even tight. Craftsmanship is great but quality of skill and materials does not equate to quality of final product.
<- Radiomir, Luminor->
Comparing the bubble dome crystal of the luminor to the radiomir's raised and ever slightly bulging crystal. The case makes this reflect alot of in daylight making it look cheapo, but its growing on me or I'm coming to terms with it.
Homage family photo, this watch is 44mm and the radiomir is 45mm, but this watch wears much larger than the radiomir. On me, it looks like stallone wearing 60mm egi case watches.
Will I get another homage?
Yes, but not in the near future. Or not.
Next hunt:
Homage family photo, this watch is 44mm and the radiomir is 45mm, but this watch wears much larger than the radiomir. On me, it looks like stallone wearing 60mm egi case watches.
Will I get another homage?
Yes, but not in the near future. Or not.
Next hunt:
In Tanjung Pinang
Me n my girlfriend went to tanjung pinang for a short get away..decide to bring with me black monster with the tan brown strap.
Looks quite nice, the local have a nice watch collection of Rep rollies they do have nice faded bezels that people crave alot for.
Hope I can have a good find. I think Rolex reps is same as homages..no difference anyways except for the source of the entire watch. Since it is just the look with a NATO watch I'm looking for, what the hell right?
On that topic, I have an uncle who had a Rolex Rep for 8 years already and it works fine without servicing only till recently. There is always a diamond in the rough, you'LLC never know.
some things
firstly, the excitement is keeping me up making me unable to sleep. I will be going the post office to collect my 2nd pam homage..
before anyone starts booing me or anyone wif a pam homage...
before anyone starts booing me or anyone wif a pam homage...
from a rolex submariner
to a sandoz
to a alpha
invicta
jap orient
microbrand mkII
from deutschland, steinhart
My point, its not wrong to have a homage..but If u buy a watch with the word panerai on the dial, I believe u are also paying for that brand to be on the dial and that costs significantly more money.
I have already had the Radiomir homage that I've worn for awhile and it is starting to grow on me..so for under $150, no harm done buying up another pam homage...
This time round, I wanna get a luminor, but I like what the cushion casing is doing to me, it takes a rugged watch and simplifies it..
things I requested for the watch...
a mini fiddy case size, 44 mm, 1950 cushion case
gold hands
maybe a sterile dial, I don't know if this got through to Jackson or not...
Super lume, Jackson doesn't call it superluminova (like Getat), perhaps his is a blend. Wouldn't know till I see and try it out myself
probably also I asked for a sterile crown guard, no 'REG.' or 'TM'. So hope it gets through too.
another day
People might find Paros leather straps cheap and tacky feeling. I beg to differ.
Being a cheapskate, I just keep buying them. Comfort wise, some do have the burn ends of the stitch pricking your precious wrist.
Right from the purchase, Paros straps all feel stiff and seem to feel like a unbroken light stick. You have to flex it, twist it and shake it like a polaroid picture.
A few things to note when buying Paros straps:
- They are dirt cheap quality strap, I'm talking about ~S$10.
- Shops may have stocked that piece for months or even years so you never know.
- Like any strap/leather, you need to break-in to get a good feel of what it really is
- Like anything dirt cheap, it might have those prickly burnt end threads, nothing a nail cutter cannot cut out
- They might not come with a buckle, so you might wanna recycle your own
- It has its brand and logo embossed on the back of the buckle side of the strap which is quite a nice touch I feel, my friend who didn't know this brand got hustled for a hundred or so for a Paros strap (true story)
A nail cutter has trimmed bit of the moving keeper as it has a small corner of leather jutting out.
Strap is 26mm btw
I have had this strap for about 2 weeks already, I can say, it has been wearing nicely, getting soft, flexy and all. It became darker in colour, has nice lines worn it. Good to look, touch and wear.
Reason why I got this strap is because of Jules Verne Strap or Nubuck alligator strap. I feel that JV straps is considered a hall of famer in strap history.
Google up Nubuck alligator yourself see what sets it apart from other straps. Apparently it feels better and is more resistant to wear and water and knives what not. Another thing about this strap is the gold colour of it, the colour not found in any other alligator strap, that sweet spot.
Being a cheapskate, I just keep buying them. Comfort wise, some do have the burn ends of the stitch pricking your precious wrist.
Right from the purchase, Paros straps all feel stiff and seem to feel like a unbroken light stick. You have to flex it, twist it and shake it like a polaroid picture.
A few things to note when buying Paros straps:
- They are dirt cheap quality strap, I'm talking about ~S$10.
- Shops may have stocked that piece for months or even years so you never know.
- Like any strap/leather, you need to break-in to get a good feel of what it really is
- Like anything dirt cheap, it might have those prickly burnt end threads, nothing a nail cutter cannot cut out
- They might not come with a buckle, so you might wanna recycle your own
- It has its brand and logo embossed on the back of the buckle side of the strap which is quite a nice touch I feel, my friend who didn't know this brand got hustled for a hundred or so for a Paros strap (true story)
Strap is 26mm btw
I have had this strap for about 2 weeks already, I can say, it has been wearing nicely, getting soft, flexy and all. It became darker in colour, has nice lines worn it. Good to look, touch and wear.
Reason why I got this strap is because of Jules Verne Strap or Nubuck alligator strap. I feel that JV straps is considered a hall of famer in strap history.
Google up Nubuck alligator yourself see what sets it apart from other straps. Apparently it feels better and is more resistant to wear and water and knives what not. Another thing about this strap is the gold colour of it, the colour not found in any other alligator strap, that sweet spot.
Rain is coming
This are the seasons of emotions,
And like the wind, they rise and fall..
- led zeppelin
Day out
Went out wif a monster today n bought home a fine piece for my dad..
Orient Bambino
This watch nods in the direction of madmen era. Only thing that this watch has is the crazy dome casing. In case anyone is squinting their eyes, there is not a single lume on this piece (bummer).
the balance
Sometimes I think:
- That I should have endless amounts of money to buy whatever I fancy.
- Not just buy watches, but guitars, cars and many more.
- Again, where is the fun in having everything put up to your face?
- The meaning of life is not the possessing but the acquiring, the obtaining.
- The harder the acquisition, the higher the value to the possessed.
- That I should have endless amounts of money to buy whatever I fancy.
- Not just buy watches, but guitars, cars and many more.
- Again, where is the fun in having everything put up to your face?
- The meaning of life is not the possessing but the acquiring, the obtaining.
- The harder the acquisition, the higher the value to the possessed.
look what i've done!
Not particularly proud of what I did, but it is starting to grow on me.
It started out as this simple quartz watch the casio duro mdv-106. Then I thought, hey, why not colour out the logo make it a sterile watch with just the swordfish?
After a few days, I didn't like the way the watch was saying that I did a bad job. The marker did a very good job of saying that I am a cheapskate.
It started out as this simple quartz watch the casio duro mdv-106. Then I thought, hey, why not colour out the logo make it a sterile watch with just the swordfish?
After a few days, I didn't like the way the watch was saying that I did a bad job. The marker did a very good job of saying that I am a cheapskate.
Other things I did was to take out the chapter ring, and put red markers on every 5 secs/5 mins/ 1 hour marking. The lack of second hand was due to my unskilled hands at work in piecing the watch back together, I didn't have any tools with me in taking things out.
Please see my tools and watch makers, WIS, please skip this part to avoid hurting your eyes. Don't say I never warn, don't complain about it later of being pissed off too.
My caseback opener is this army issued SOG, without fully opening it, it acts as a case opener using the pliers inside. Plenty of others tools I use inside too, mostly the knife.
Poker, handler of fine stuff, a spring bar tool that was used in many situations other than just removing spring bars.
Screw driver set
Polishing cloth from blackberry. Honestly, qudos to this company, How many phone companies put in a polishing cloth with their phones? S3 and Iphone has so much more surface that requires polishing, yet the iCloth or iPolish wasn't included? Oleo-phobic coating still requires some cleaning once in awhile for sure.
This project, I had help with some used blue tack, toothpicks and a can of black spray paint almost forgot to include my trusty sandpaper of unknown grit.
My brilliant idea was to use the blue tacks to stick the dial markers, movement/hands holder and the date peep hole, and spray. After spraying many coats too thick, I realised it was more detrimental than I thought. The biggest problem was that the blutack wouldn't come off cleanly. Really kicked me a little. I did this project at 3 am and although I used a shirt as a mask, I'm pretty sure I inhaled some paint chemicals.
I took out the blu tack as much as I can, then I thought it was a lost caused, so plan B, pure stealth or go crazy on the black paint. But I don't want a few things to happen.
- any remaining blu tack to be stuck under any coat of paint, I don't know what will happen.
- the lume markers needs to go since no use for lume anymore and that the lume will make things more uneven.
So enter the sandman paper. I just gave it alot of rubba rubba and I was pretty pleased with the results. And got this:
The phone is not the best camera at night indoors, I realised that all phones after 6pm the camera is just set to take shitty pictures till the sun is up.
The sandpaper revealed that pop up dial markers weren't silver colour but some bronze/copper/brass material. It was machine pressed from the dial itself. The entire metal dial is very malleable.
This discovery made me just sandpapering the whole dial and ended up with a worn out look so I did it for the hands as well, but not much success.
I realised one thing, I'm going to have to better document my projects so that more people can see what I'm doing.
Overall this project was a failure that turned around. If this was not a quartz movement, I bet all my money that I will fail badly. Spray painting the dial, I didnt take into account that the paint will also flow to the underside.
Black
more seiko?
I've seen people with a huge amount of watches. You never wear more than one watch despite having 2 wrists but there are people who have more watches to wear than their working clothes.
I think that is a beautiful thing to happen to any watch lover.
Speaking of which, was at K2 today and managed to check out a few things to target for future purchases.
Always I will be on the look out for nice straps of 20mm, 22mm and 26 mm. Luminor homage has yet to arrive hence not sighting 24s yet.
The most wanted strap for me right now is a thick raw leather zulu strap. Not nato, zulu straps with their strap thickness that doesn't feel cheap, their oval hardware that is very WWII.
Watches wise, I now have been actively planning a purchase of a Seiko SKX007. I feel that this watch is my generation's classic watch. Not dug out to trend by the vintage relic lovers, this watch came out in 1996.
It came from a long line of seiko's automatic divers. I didn't go read them up but I supposed it all started in 1960s? This is the difference that sets it from most watch brands (Not pointing fingers at the crown). This watch evolves with time, yet it gets better and better.
This watch could clean up a little with a metal or black coloured chapter ring.
Not much I could say posting at this time of the night. So here's a tasteful chick.
.
I think that is a beautiful thing to happen to any watch lover.
Speaking of which, was at K2 today and managed to check out a few things to target for future purchases.
Always I will be on the look out for nice straps of 20mm, 22mm and 26 mm. Luminor homage has yet to arrive hence not sighting 24s yet.
The most wanted strap for me right now is a thick raw leather zulu strap. Not nato, zulu straps with their strap thickness that doesn't feel cheap, their oval hardware that is very WWII.
Watches wise, I now have been actively planning a purchase of a Seiko SKX007. I feel that this watch is my generation's classic watch. Not dug out to trend by the vintage relic lovers, this watch came out in 1996.
It came from a long line of seiko's automatic divers. I didn't go read them up but I supposed it all started in 1960s? This is the difference that sets it from most watch brands (Not pointing fingers at the crown). This watch evolves with time, yet it gets better and better.
This watch could clean up a little with a metal or black coloured chapter ring.
Not much I could say posting at this time of the night. So here's a tasteful chick.
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