*Almost* perfect

My PAW2000T arrived and like the previous slim design PAW1300T, I like this one a lot and its *almost* the perfect ABC watch. It pretty much has all the features that you will ever need in a wrist watch, and then some. The long list of features includes:

• Multi Band 6 Atomic and Solar (1300 is only Multi Band 5)
  
• Current/Local time,
  
• World time,
  
• 5 alarms,
  
• 24hr Stopwatch,
  
• 24hr countdown timer,
  
• Fully auto EL,
  
• Sun rise and sun set time (1300 doesn't have this),
  
• Barometer / Altimeter,
  
• Thermometer,
  
• Compass (2000 has dual layer LCD for the compass),
  
• Memory feature for altimeter
  

One thing that I really like is the conventional straight lugs design. This allows me to change the bracelet to aftermarket rubber, leather or NATO strap and gives me a lot of "wear option" for the watch.

There is only one *real* complain from me, which is the lugs/case/bracelet attachment. The design of it doesn't make it a gracious attachment of the bracelet to the case. It rather looks like an "after thoughts" instead. But I am sure the bracelet version is part of the deisgn element for this watch from the get go. And the color of resin case and titanium bracelet doesn't really match up.

There are other nice to have wish list for it. Like ... since the design of the watch is slim and the crystal is less protected as before, I wished it came with a sapphire crystal instead. Also I wished for more adjustable option for the bracelet (micro adjustment holes on the clasps, maybe even and adjustable clasps on-the-fly). And Since I always use a snooze alarm as morning alarm. I wished Casio had made the alarm #1 a snooze alarm.

Here's a wrist shot of the PAW2000T:

On the other hand, the Casio G-Shock GW9200 Riseman with over-lapping features are sold to make room for this PAW2000T. I am thinking about getting the upcoming GW9110 Gulfman so that I can have a watch with tide graph and moonphase feature. :-)

There's no free lunch ...

Hence, I have to sold a few items to pay for my PAM 186 and 111. As a result, my Ocean7 LM-7, Marathon SAR and Casio G-Shock GW056CJ are gone, as well as a bunch of straps that I don't use. But in the process I did acquire a new style PAM rubber strap and a Casio Pathfinder PAW2000T. So, that's like taking 3 step forward and 1 step back ... LOL :D

There are still a few things on the chopping board that I need to get rid of to pay to bills. One of them is the Casio G-Shock GW9200 Riseman. IMO, the Riseman is one of the best G-Shock Casio has ever made. I love the module and comfort of that watch. Unfortuniately, the features of Riseman overlaps with the PAW2000T, and I NEED a ABC (Altimeter, Barometer & compass, actually, it has a thermometer as well to make it a Triple Sensor watch) watch. And I am just not wearing the Riseman enough. Its evidenced by the battery level being dropped to mid. And I still have my GW810D and GW6900 which both I love and use all the times. Sadly, the Riseman has to go.

Lucky for the Seiko Kinetic Knight (SMY089) that I have decided I should have a kinetic watch in my collection and the awesome-ness of the Marinemaster clasps, that its staying and not going anywhere. haha~

I still have my eyes on the upcoming new Casio G-Shock GW9110 Gulfman (with atomic solar and tidegraph/moon phase + Titanium bits to make it a TRUE Gulfman). And also the new GW-S5600 with carbon fiber strap and the module from GW5000 (Multi Band 6 Atomic Solar + 24hr CDT!) caught my attention as well.

For some reason, I have lost the interest of owning a Rolex. I still think they are fantastic watches, but I am just not interested in owning one. Maybe because it seems like EVERYBODY, and I mean almost everybody that owns a luxury watch, has one. I still like the GMT IIc a lot but the reports of failing clasps just freaks me a little bit.

I plan on re-acquiring a Omega SMP co-axial blue Bond later on. I certainly have seller-remorse and still think that's best overall watch for me (the style, lume, co-axial movement, comfort, etc).

I am glad that I had the Ocean7 LM-7 and I am not regret selling it. I enjoyed the watch while I had it. And it made me realize I can't live with the Omega 1200m PloProf, because I can't easily operate the locking bezel with one hand. So having had the LM-7 saved me a lot of hassel of buying and selling the Omega. :-)

I still have enormous interest in Panerai. My most "plausible" next PAM is likely to be either a PAM 113 (white dial 44mm Luminor) or PAM 183 (Black Seal, 45mm Radiomir with black sandwich dial). Those seems to fit in my future budget "more easily". But of course, there are other PAM that I have interest in: PAM 292 (45mm Radiomir with ceramic case), PAM 190 (45mm Radiomir case with JLC 8-day movement) and PAM 233 (1950 case with in-house 8-day GMT movement).

I like the PAM 243 as well, but it seems like to similar to the PAM 186 (thick case, though its in 1950 case, with bezel). And also the PAM 305 looks great, but I don't think I can pull off a 47mm 1950 case. And the PAM 312 is a great entry into PAM with in-house movement and I really want to get one when it first came out, but now I am kinda over the initial rush upon its release and I don't think I am so much interested in getting one now.

PAM? Does she has a sister?

The PAM 111 arrived. The was a slight altercation on the transaction.
It ended up with me keeping the watch and the seller giving another
discount.

I initially didn't really like the 111 when I first try it on with the
rubber strap. After I swap the rubber strap with a thick 24mm leather
that I have, I can't believe how much the strap changes everything.
The 111 is definitely a watch that needs to be worn with leather.
Funny enough, I think the 186 looks great with the rubber strap.

Here are 2 shots of the 186 and 111:

PAM186

PAM 111

Funny enough, both my PAMs are H series :-)

I sold my Traser P6504 ... again. Its a nice watch and I like it,
especially with the cool blue dial and blue tritium tubes. But I just
ended with didn't like the way it sits on to of my wrist. Its thin and
flat, but somehow it moves around too much.

Crazy? Yes indeed.

How so? That's because of I have another Panerai coming in ... a PAM 111, H series (2005). That's the first series that has the sanwitch dial, and decoration on the bridges changed from the stamped Panerai to a côtes de geneve engraving.

Compare to the PAM 186 Arktos, the 111 has thinner case profile (the 186 has a soft iron core for anti-magnetic, hence the caseback is more dome)

At the very beginning, I thought about getting a PAM 233. But in my research, it seems like some of the 233 has problem with the dial (the power reserve slot and marking) or something like that, which sometimes requires a full service + an exchange of the dial to fix problem. If the watch is already out of the warranty, then the owner would be stucked with the service bill! I guess a trade off of having an in-house movement would be the maintenance bill. And seems like dropping that amount of cash into the 233 puts a lot of eggs in one basket.

So having the 186 and 111 together has about the same value ($$$) as a 233. At least both 186 and 111 has a long proven work horse movement, which are more commonly "fixable".

Now you see why Rolex is just slow on changes. Rolex is just charging max. amount of money that they can get away with, and try to keep everything with as little change as possible. (Until recently with the bigger case, maxi-dial, upgraded bracelet, etc)

Let's see how I like the Paneari(s) ...

I sold my Casio Mudman G9000-8V storm trooper. I like the the watch, but maybe I just can't pull off the color of the case on me. Since I have plendy of other watches sitting around. Then might as well let somebody else enjoy it.

PAM 186 Luminor GMT Arktos

I have waited and waited ... finally I found one. A PAM 186 Luminor GMT Arktos, 500 piece made in H series (2005). Its was made for Mike Horn (a South African explorer), for his trip around the Arctic Circle (in 2002, and it took him 2 years and 3 months to complete the 20,000km trip, enduring two Artic winters with temperatures reaching as low as -60°C). The PAM 186 is marked AMAGNETIC so the watch should be highly anti-magnetic and it also had special oil to operate on extream temperature.

I also like the PAM 243 1000M submersible and PAM 292 Black Seal. I don't know, maybe I should have a chance to "try" them in the future. :-)

It has been a while ...

since I last posted. Nothing much was going to with my toys. I was enjoying my Marathon SAR and Ocean7 LM-7. I am content with them and I am in no hurry to get anything else ... until today. :-)

I have a Traser P6504 Nautic incoming. I always have a love/hate relationship with the Luminox/Traser tritium tube watches. I have had a few of them but never seems to be able to keep them for too long. The Traser P6504 Nautic caught my attention some time ago with the PVD case, blue dial and countdown bezel. The tritium tubes are in combination of blue and yellow color. And one of the nice thing is that Traser moved the date window to 4:30 position, that freed up the 3 o'clock position for another full size tritium tube. The result is a symmetrical dial layout, which I like. The battery will last for 4-6 years with EOL indicator when battery needs replacing according to Traser. So, let's see how long would this one last in my collection. LOL :D

(Reference pic from the web)

And then its pretty much just for fun, I acquire a Casio G-Shock DW6100 with thermometer sensor. This is quite an unique model that has a history trend for temperature by the hour. I don't really plan on wearing it, and I pretty much just got it because I want to see how the temperature changes at night in my bedroom ... LOL :-)

And I am getting another small AA-powered flashlight Nitecore EZ AA revised edition. The output is only 130 lumen on high for 50 min and 10 lumen on low for 20 hrs. It got it for the small and simple factor, also the brightness is not control by PMV. I think I should unload my CR123 lights soon, cause my plan is to use only Eneloop batteries for my lights.

Well, I have been enjoy the LM-7. Its a great watch (and I got it at a great price). The bezel is not the greatest (hard to operate the bezel with one hand, and the clicks are not well defined), but its just a fun watch to wear. I really like the Ocean7 PloProf style rubber strap. I am going to try it with the bracelet (may be too heavy for my taste) and other 24mm leather straps soon.

LM-7 wrist shot

LM7 lume shot

Having given some thoughts on what I should get next, I made a few adjustment to my want-to-buy list. Rather than spending $10k for one watch, I think I should spread it out and may be get two $5k watches or three $3.3k ones:

• Rolex Submariner 11610 LV
  This may be the only sports Rolex so far that fits my criteria and my budget with decent lume.
  
• Rolex Submariner 14060M COSC
  For some reason I just can't get my mind off the simple and symmetrical dial, and the rich history of 14060 no date line up.
  
• Omega Seamaster Professional 300m co-axial blue Bond
  I had one, sold it, and now I want one again. I think this is one of the best match of my criteria for a dive watch.
  
• Panerai 111 or 112
  IF I got a 113, then I would think a 111 or 112 would be a nice mix for the bag because of the simple dial and better lume.
  
• Panerai 113
  Luminor case with white dial, lower production number and a black second hand, though the lume is not as good as the rest (i.e. 005, 111)
  
• Panerai 24
  A Luminor with diving bezel. I like the 25, but I would opt for the 24 because of the tougher stainless steel case.
  
• Casio G-Shock GW9110 Gulfman
  The upcoming new Solar Atomic Gulfman that has tide graph and moonphase, which I think is the Gulfman that Casio should have made in first place. Finally worthy of the name Gulfman and I am jumping the GW7900B ship and going to get the GW9110 instead.
  
• Dievas Vortex 500m Diver
  The case of the Dievas Vortex 500m Diver is identical to the multi-thousand dollar Kobold SMG-1. It has a nice simple no date dial, auto HEV, and diver timing bezel. I always like the SMG-1 but refuse to pay so much for a Kobold. The Dievas Vortex would fit my bills (literally) nicely. I still need to give it a try to see if the case size would work with my wrist size though.
  

Good-bye, Mr. Bond

Sad to say good-bye to Mr. Bond. I have sold my Black Bond (Omega SMP co-axial with black dial). Its a absolutely stunning watch to wear and to look at. Its just an awesome watch and Omega did a great job on keeping the SMP fresh. My only "complain" is that the blue lume is somewhat less bright than SL C3 that the blue Bond uses. Though the white appearance does looks great with the black dial during day light. Since I am a lume-freak, bright lume means something in my book. :p And I was in the process of changing up my collection, so the black Bond had to go. In the future, if I come across a deal with the blue Bond, then maybe I will snatch that instead.

While we are on the topic of the new blue lume from Omega, its giving me second thoughs on my "grail" -- the new 1200m PloProf. I really like the style of the watch (which the why I now have a Ocean7 LM-7), but the fact that the 1200m PloProf doesn't have the "brightest lume" bothers me somewhat. And when compared to the Ocean7 LM-7 (which used SL C3), the lume on the LM-7 is a lot brighter. Combined with the much (MUCH!) lower retail price on the watch itself, I just need to own the LM-7 for a while and see if I could "settle" for the LM-7 instead of the 1200m PloProf.

And recently, I can't take my mind off Panerai 233. It has the 1950 case style, 8-day GMT manual wind in-house movement with date, and a super dome sapphire crystal and display back. It retails around USD$12,000, which is "slightly" out of my price range right now. :p But man, that's a beautiful watch. I doubt I would shell out that much cash for one watch, but who knows?! Maybe something will push me over the edge and I might end up with one. :p (Come on, for one PAM 233, I could have any two of the following: PAM 111, PAM 24, PAM 25, Rolex SD, Rolex Sub LV, Rolex Sub ND COSC, Rolex GMT IIc, ... etc)

Ocean7 LM-7 Impression

The O7 LM-7 got here last week and I have a chance to give it some wrist time over the weekend. So far, I am liking the size of it. Its a big watch with a flat caseback and short lug to lug size, so it wears quite comfortable and quite manageable on smaller wrist size. Here's the measurement for the watch:

• cystral: 29mm
  
• bezel: 44mm
  
• 3-9 size: 54.5mm
  
• 12-6 (lug to lug) size: 45mm
  
• height: 14.5mm
  

I have handled quite a few Ocean7 watches before, and all of them has very well implimented bezel. The clicks are solid and firm with no side to side play. Well, unfortuniate its not the case on the LM-7. From other users' opinion online as well as my own experience, the clicks on the bezel is not well defined and the bezel has side to side play. So that takes away some kudo points from the watch. The bezel itself is locked via the button at the top right corner of the watch. One has to depress the button to unlock the bezel, which turns bi-directionally. The button action is a little stiff but it works as advertised. It works ok when you use both hands to operate the bezel lock and bezel. But its a little more difficult when the watch is on your wrist and you wish to turn the bezel with just one hand. The package comes with a red anodized and sliver brushed button to suit your taste.

Speaking of the bezel, one thing that's always going to be in the back of my mind is the durability of the bezel insert and the bezel lock. As a general rule of thumb, the more complicated it is, the more things that can go wrong in the long run. The bezel lock has a few moving parts and a spring. And the bezel insert has sapphire glass over (sealed and) lumed numbers. So there's always a certain questions of "what if", "how durable are they" and "can it be repaired if something goes wrong". Only time will tell. But since I am not paying a major premium for the watch. I wouldn't worry about it for now.

The dial is blue and the color itself changes when its hit by different lighting condition and intensity. I like the dial color so far. I have thought that I might like the black dial even better because its more tranditional and will work better with different strap colors. But it will also be too similar to the new 1200m PloProf. I think the blue color dial plays more homeage to the vintage Omega 600m PloProf.

The crown is over-sized and easy to operate. When unscrewed, there's no side to side play and each click is solid. Turn the crown to set the date and time is easy and has a nice direct feel to it.

The lume on the bezel numbers, hand and hr markers on the dial are Super Luminova (SL) C3. It appears light green in day light situation. But it shines (literally!) when the lights are out. I have "tested" the lume brightness and duration, and it easily last through 5AM. And I remember when I woke up to check the time at 5AM, I was thinking: "Man, this thing is BRIGHT." Beside the brightness of the lume itself, its also got something to do with the fact that there are so many things that "lights up", including the numbers on the bezel. Its really a joy to look at in the dark (after the lume are charged).

The Ocean7 PloProf style strap is comfortable to wear. And I am happy to report that the strap fits smaller wrist size very well. The LM-7 has a bracelet option. I haven't tried it yet, but I suspect its going to make the watch a little too heavy for my taste. Maybe I will try that later on (if I ever get bored with the rubber straps and other leather strap options).

The lugs are 24mm. So besides the OEM bracelet and PloProf style rubber strap, you will have no problem finding a wide varity of thick leather strap that will work with the watch. LM-7 uses O7's own thick spring bars. The drilled lug holes will make changing straps a manageable task.

Conclusion: I think the LM-7 is a fun watch to wear and you will notice people stare at it from time to time. The style is quite unique. If you like the PloProf style but doesn't want to shell out major cash for one (the other two choices are vintage Omega 600m PloProf and the new Omega 1200m PloProf co-axial, either one will cost you some pretty pennies), the LM-7 is definitely the one for you. The watch is far from being perfect, with the less-than-precise bezel action, bezel play, unproven durability of the bezel insert and bezel lock mechanisme. But the "price to fun-to-wear" ratio is high on this model.

I have a few things that I like this the LM-7 better than the new 1200m PloProf(!), which are the much (MUCH!) low cost, the use of SL C3 (brighter is better) and the drilled lugs holes. The 1200m PloProf is still my grail, but if the LM-7 can satisfy my thirst of a PloProf (style watch), then I can allocate my funds to the next "grail on my list" :p LOL

Good things come in group of five?

So my five watches arrived already. And here's my initial thoughts:

• Ocean7 LM-7 1000m
  
  I know I *almost* sworn I would not get a LM-7 because the new Omega SMP Ploprof 1200m with co-axial 8500 movement is out. BUT ... I changed my mind when I came around a fine sample of LM-7 at a very attractive price. I still think the new Omega Ploprof is my grail and wish to own one someday. May be this LM-7 will be my "test drive" for the size and feel of wearing it.
  
  So on to the LM-7. This package came with both the black Ploprof style rubber strap and Ocean7's "5 links" bracelet. I haven't tried it on the bracelet yet, but the rubber strap match the watch really well. I do have to say that the fit and finish is not up to par with Omega's offering, but the price tag is not USD$9000 either. :p The LM-7's bezel lock button is a little stiff, making it difficult, if not impossible to use the bezel with just one hand or with the watch on the wrist. And in both locked and unlocked positive, the bezel is some side to side play on it. Its not horrible, but its not great neither. Keep in mind again, I am not paying USD$9000 for it ... LOL :p
  
  The sapphire bezel is nice to look at, and the lumed markers are great. Its not as detail nor clean as the new Omega Ploprof. And one thing I worry about is the reliability of the bezel insert, from bubbling, or how the bezel insert is going to handle water in the long run, etc. But I figure at the price that I paid for it, I can live with the *risk*. For the price of the new Omega Ploprof, I would expect it to least at least 15-20 years without any degrading.
  
  The size of the LM-7 is good. The short lug-to-lug size makes it easy to wear for my wrist size. The watch is large, but doesn't feel overly large. But if I wear the watch tight, then the crown at 9 will dig into my wrist. Luckily, I don't like wearing my watch tight any way.
  
  The crown is large and easy to use, smooth screwing in and out of the crown tube. The Swiss Sellita SW200 movement is smooth to wind. I haven't check the timing of it yet.
  
  The lume *seems* to be good. I haven't really do a lume test on it yet. But I expect it to last through the night with ease.
  
  One thing I do like the LM-7 over the new Omega Ploprof is that the LM-7 has drilled lugs. that makes changing strap much easier.
  
  
• Marathon SAR
  
  This is my "I-don't-even-remember-how-many" Marathon SAR and I am certainly famility with it. After all these time (I guess since 2001 of its introduction), I still think its one of the best value in dive watches. It has all the goodies you want from a dive watch that's user friendly (and I don't even dive!): WR300M, sapphire crystal, large easy to use crown for winding (when dry), tall and easy to use bezel, easy tell the time, great lume, drilled lugs for easy bracelet to dive strap change, diver's extension on bracelet clasp. The watch and bracelet feels solid and its just a joy to wear.
  
  
• Casio G-Shock GW056CJ
  
  I had the GW056 before and I really liked the slim profile and size of it. But I wished for a reversed LCD for a stealthy look but unfortuniately, that's not available for US version of the GW056. This GW056CJ is a JDM 2006 special edition. It has a dark grey case and strap, and very stealthy reversed LCD. The matter in fact, I think the reversed LCD is too stealthy and now I am a little worried about the "viewability" of the time during less-than-optium lighting. Luckily, the duration of the auto-EL is adjustable and it can be set up to 3 second to make it easier to read the time. Besides the reversed LCD, having only 60 min for both STW and CDT is the thing that worries me and may push me into letting it go later. But time will tell.
  
  
• Casio G-Shock G9000-8V Storm Trooper
  
  I got this one as an inpulse buy cause of the great deal. I expect it to be a beater and I will use it as one. You just never know when you will need TWO 1000hr chronograph. :-)
  
  
• Casio G-Shock GW810D (SS bracelet + reversed LCD)
  
  I bought this one at a beater price, and it sure looks like a beater when it arrives. That's fine cause I am not going to baby this one neither ... LOL :p
  

When it trains, it pours (so to speak ... )

With the available funs from the sales of my Milgauss last week. Continuing with the mindset of staying with poor-men's watches, I bought three watches over the weekend (two days). That makes more than one watch per day (1.5 watches per day :p ). And two of them are "re-purchase":

• Ocean7 LM-7 - I know I did say I would not buy one because of the fear of future company support for the watch. But I finally came across a deal that I would consider taking that risk.
  
• casio G-Shock GW056CJ - Its a 2006 special edition with reverse LCD. I liked the GW056 becase of the low flat profile, but the down side of it is the 60 min STW and CDT respectively.
  
• Casio G-Shock GW810D (reversed LCD) - I had one of these before. I modded it with the GWM850 module. Though the GWM850 module has better feature, I never liked the look of it. I eventally sold the moddod G and moved on. I found this GW810D at a beater price, so I might as well get it and use it as a beater. :-)
  

I am sure there's more to come :D

Can't get away from the Storm Trooper

The Casio G-Shock G9000-8V has off white color case and nicked name: Strom Trooper. I had one before. I really like the white face with off white case. And the dual 1000hr comes in handy from time to time. I sold it for some other watches.

Now I am going to have one again. And yes, yet another inpulse buy. I am still afraid that it won't get much wrist time because the other mechanical, solar and kinetic scream: "wear me to keep me running".

Another plan would be to purchase a solar atomic Mudman later, and then do a case/straps swap to make the atomic Mudman into a atomic storm trooper.

I don't know yet. Let's wait and see.

So I have never get away with Marathon SAR, but apparently I keep selling my Rolex(es)

Let's talk about the one that's gone first, which is the Rolex Milgauss. I can't seems to keep Rolex for very long. And may be I am in the process of "trying out" higher end watches. I like the Milgauss, but I don't like it enough to keep it. So off it goes.

I think I need to give Rolex a break off my want-to-buy list, cause while I think they are extremely nice watch, I just don't think they are sticking in my collection.

Now comes the one that I can't seems to be get away with, which is the Marathon SAR. I already lost count of how many Marathon SAR I have bought and sold. And yet, there's another incoming one. Ultimately, I still think Marathon SAR is one of the best implimentation of a proper dive watch in that price segment, especially at the pre-owned market since the Marathon SAR with the original non-tritium dial is already discontinued.

I think the Seiko SUMO 200m diver with 6R15 movement comes very close to the value of a Marathon SAR. But the SUMO lacks sapphire crystal and metal movement retainer. After the after market sapphire crystal upgrade, the price of the both SUMO and Marathon SAR comes very close, while the SUMO still spot a plastic movement retainer. Its not something that's apparent to average owner/user since its inside the case and hidden from view from the owner (unless you open up the case), but that's when the "value" part comes in.

Don't get me wrong, I still think the Seiko SUMO is great value and I would get one (a blue one and mod it with sapphire crystal, SBDX001 Marinemaster clasp and hands) if the right opportunity present itself.

Maybe I should mod Marathon SAR into a no-date version with sword hands since I've always wanted a Rolex Sub ND 14060M. I don't know yet. One thing I do know is that since I sold my Rolex Milgauss, I now have some toy funds freed up and I am on watch hunt again. :-)

So what am I looking for in the short term? I guess mostly lower to mid level ones now:

• Sinn 656 / 856 / 857 / U1 with bracelet
  
• Breitling SuperOcean black dial (model from 2007 only)
  
• Seiko with 8L35 automatic movement
  
• Tag Heuer Carrera chonograph (black dial)
  
• Omega Speedmaster (double sapphire)
  
• Fortis Marinemaster with bracelet
  
• Doxa SUB 1200T Professional
  

That's not a short list .. ;-)

You can't have enough SMY089

A few close up shots of the SMY089

No more D300 and no more Luminox

I am back from my vacation and this actually happened before I left for my vacation. I got my D300 and I shipped it back to the seller the next day, cause the camera is not quite what he described. Havnig said that, I still give the seller points for standing behind the deal and did a quick refund. Though I was able to take the new camera with me during my vacation, at least I didn't lose any money out of the whole situation.

And my Luminox is gone as well. Not that I don't like the watch. Its just that I don't want to deal with battery powered watch which I can't regenerate the power by movement (kinetic) or light (solar).

I also have a Garmin Forerunner 305 (GPS + HRM) and a Timex iControl iPod remote control watch, sitting there not doing much. I am tempted to see if I should just let them go (to get something else).

More come and go, and they are not all watches ...

I sold my Omega SMP GMT Great White. While I like the watch a lot, I come to realizing I only need one SMP and its going to be the black Bond. So off it goes. Plus I found that I like the Bond bracelet much better, it looks better with the 20mm non-tapering links/clasp, and its more comfortable too!

Then comes the non-watch item. :p I wanted to "upgrade" my DSLR from Nikon D80 (DX) to D700 (FX), knowing that FX will provide 1:1 ratio on the frame captured and better low ISO performance. But the investment to go FX is just too much right now. So I end up getting a D300 and stay with DX format instead. Since I already have the lenses for DX from my D80, I don't have to shell out a lot of money for the upgrade. I pretty much only need to upgrade the DSLR body and re-use everything else (except that I need to get a CF card). D300 still able to give me better metering, betterlow ISO preformance, environment seal on the buttons, live view, etc.

In the future, I may get 35mm or 50mm f1.8 lens, 17-55mm f2.8 lens, SB800 speed flash, the battery grip and that's pretty much it. But that's for later and I am not in a hurry for them.

I have pushed my upgrade to D300 for a long time before I have put more of my "toy resources" into watches. For this time, the sales of the SMP GMT pretty much covers the cost of D300.

For my next watch, I am thinking about a Omega Speedmaster "moon watch" double sapphire, Omega Planet Ocean black/black 42mm, Rolex Y series Sea DWeller / Submariner Date (or LV) / Z series Submariner COSC, Paneria Submersible 24 / 111 (sandwich dial) / 183 / 287, Seiko Marinemaster SBDX001, etc.

Another one down

I really like the look of G-Shock MTG910DJ, I think its one of the best looking G-Shock. I didn't care for the time stamp feature since I can't find a good use for it. Overall I still think its a great G-Shock.

But I just find it sitting in the watch box most of the time when I own it. So I think its better for me to just move on with it. And I will be off to its new owner soon.

On the other hand, the Seiko 200m Kinetic SMY089 has been on my wrist ever since it arrived. My SMP is getting jealous ... LOL

All parties come to an end, ...

which it is the case for my Omega SMP co-axial blue Bond. The will be off to its new owner soon ...

I think its one of the my best buy for my entire collector "career". It has beautiful case and bracelet, comfortable to wear, looks fantastic, the lume is among the best I have seen, the co-axial movement with longer service period and best time keeping over the range of power reserve ...

But if its the "best", then why sell it? Good question. Just like the case of being the best man at a wedding. Per Jerry Seinfeld: "I was the best man at the wedding. If I'm the best man, why is she marrying him?" Ok, that basically got nothing to do with me selling my "best" watch and I just to post it somewhere. Haha~ :p

But the reason for me selling my SMP blue Bond co-axial basically comes down which one should I keep? the blue or black Bond SMP co-axial?

Well, ever since I saw the black Bond, I've always wanted one. I think the black color is deep and definitely gave the SMP a brand new look. The "whitter" lume though doesn't shine as bright as the C3 SL, but it makes the watch looks much better with the deep black bezel and dial. And since I could live with Rolex, which lume is definitely not one of their strength, then I think the "brightest lume" may not be the most important thing on a watch for me.

So, the black Bond wins, and bye-bye blue Bond.

I do think may be I shouldn't be collecting just one (SMP) case style. Diversity is good. May be my next watch would be a Panerai just to make it different. Who knows? LOL :D

Some other Panerai for me to drool on

Though I still can't convince myself of Panerai's pricing, I do like their watches.

Another Panerai that caught my attention is the Panerai 92 Arktos SE from 2004 of 500 units to celebrate the Mike Horn's Arktos expedition.

Panerai 92 Arktos SE

The SE model has a uni-directional compass bezel, the Crystal is 4.2mm thick, and its anti-magnetic up to 100,000 A/m. Water resistance 30 bar or 300m.

Also the PAM 252 North Pole GMT (2006 Limited Edition - 500 pcs) and PAM 186, both with GMT hands.

The wait is almost over

When I had my Rolex GMT Master IIc (116710LN), I like the size and the comfort of it a lot. And then I had to let it go because I almost semi screwed by the credit card company (and I have since stopped using ALL my Master Cards and would only use my American Exress and Visa). And then take a few step back, I tried on a Rolex Milgauss black dial (116400) when I still had my GMT IIc. And I found I really like the size and comfort just like the GMT IIc. Along with the exceptional capability for anti-magnetism, I knew I would want one ... :D

Fast forward to today, my GMT IIc was lone gone and I have a black Milgauss incoming. I opt-ed for the black Milgauss non-GV (no green sapphire for me) version because the regular black dial version looks much cleaner to me and i don't know the orange indice on the white dial version (not to mention the weak lume of the orange lume material).

I will give the Milgauss a try and see how much I like it, and see if I could like without the date feature.

One thing though, if I do like the Milgauss and decided to keep it, then at least one (or more!) SMP in my collect is in jeopardy! :p

Warzone: over 200k

Still playing Quick cash, land unit only.

It was over 200k but the computer was getting slow and I got bored. :p

Looks like I still have room to still keep it going. But I just didn't care enough to do it. LOL :D

Wave: 244
Score: 201817


(click on pix to view bigger image)

More on the Seiko Kinetic 200m diver SMY089

It has been on my wrist days and nights for almost the full work week. The more I wear it the more I like it. It wraps around my wrist very well. I found it comfortable to wear it for extended period of time. I begin to dig the board integrated lugs, the polished center links and curvy roundish case shape. .

The Marinemaster clasp works well with the watch and definitely adds a nice feature (adjustable diver extension) to the watch.

It lacks anti-reflective coating for the crystal, but I can't be too picky at this price point, LOL :D Though I wonder if the aftermarket sapphire crystal (with AR coating) for Seiko SKX divers would fit the SMY089.

The watch came with battery level at 10 min mark. After I put it through two of my running session, now its at the 20 min mark. I think it will takes a bit more work to bright up to full charge.

I plan on wear this one with bracelet only because of the integrated bracelet with odd lug size. I don't even know what lug size it is ... LOL :D (16mm lug size? May be?)

What should I "try" next?

Okay, so ... I am pretty happy with the watches that I have right now. But ... the hunter for the next watch can't stop right there (or here), right? hehe :p

So What should I get next?

Since I am a fan of Omega, I am thinking about a Speedmaster, the moon watch 3570.50 or the double sapphire (front and back) 3756.50. Things that I may not like are the lack of date complication and the water resistance is only to 30m. I am used to diver watches with WR200m or more, so 30m seems a little ... not enough. :p But the history of the Speedmaster definitely intrigue me.

Then maybe a 42mm PO with black bezel and white numbers. I like the PO and its definitely an "upgrade" from SMP. But at the same time, its a lot of the same watch as my co-axial SMP (same 2500C co-axial movement, same layout of the manual HEV) ... and yes, I am weird. Cause I can have 2 co-axial SMP with different color but think co-axial SMP and PO are somewhat alike ... LOL :D

I also toyed with the idea of yet another Seiko Marinemaster 300m automatic (SBDX001). I have had quite a few of them and I was never been able to keep them in my collection. But a Seiko 300m MM auto on rubber strap just seems like a proper tool (diving) watch. I don't think I want history to repeat itself (again, with the buying and selling of Seiko 300m MM auto), but I really dig that tool watch look.

Omega Seamaster 1200m Ploprof, Rolex GMT Master IIc and Panerai 243 or 312 seems to be a little out of reach right now. But if I happened to come across a good Rolex Submariner ND COSC, Submariner Date (Y series with lug holes or LV), Sea Dweller (Y series with lug holes), PAM 111 or 24 submersible (with the new strap change system). Then I might bite the bullet and get one.

I will just take my time, I am not in a hurry to get another yet. I think this is a good sign that I am happy with my watches right now.

Its a Warzone ...

Let me say this up front: Quick cash, land unit only.

The situation was not looking good, but that was quite a traffic jam ... LOL :D

This is my high score so far: 179800


(click pix for bigger image)

A few more new pix and a few more $0.02 of my new SMY089

I wanted a analog diver watch with bracelet that I can go to in a hurry when all my other mechanical watches are not winded. My search landed me the Kinetic Knight (SMY089). I finally pulled the trigger on one.

I have had (more than just) a few Seiko before, so I already have an expectation on how the watch should be at this price point. And Seiko delivers it right on the money.

The case is a good size for my wrist (my sweet spot is 40-42mm case size). Its nice to see a case that has a lot of curves. The lugs are curved down and lugs my wrist a little bit. The integrated lugs also give the watch a "board shoulder" look.

The side of the case and bracelet, as well as the center links, are polished. And the top of the case, bracelet and bezel are brushed.

The bezel is also recessed (like the Sumo), which makes the bezel slight harder to turn.

The clasp is a Seiko signed 4 holes with diver extension. I have since replaced it with the clasp from SBDX001 Marinemaster to take advantage of the adjustable diver extension. The MM clasp fit and works great with the SMY089.

The dial is nice and easy to read. It has a checkered finish in the center and glossy finish on where the raised indices are. The lume is the usual "Seiko Great", it works and it works all night (tested by me when I woke up at 6pm and can read the time with ease)

I also like that it has both date and day wheel, which will makes it a great vacation watch.

And here are the pix:

Just ordered: Fenix MC10 angle light

I finally ordered a Fenix MC10 angel light in black. I am in step closer in replacing my RCR123 lights :p

(Of course, I think I need to order a few more AA and AAA lights ... LOL)

Seiko 200m Kinetic diver SMY089 2nd impression

I finally got the SMY089's bracelet sized, put on the SBDX001 Marinemaster clasp (which fits and works great), set the time and date, and now its on my wrist.



First, I have made a mistake saying the original SMY089 clasp doesn't have diver extension. I guess I have been away from SKX and Monster for too long and forgot that the diver extension is at the other end of the clasp. (which is the same for Monster) So the SMY089 does have diver extension on its 4 holes clasp.

But of course, I since swapped it out for the Marinemaster clasp to take advantage of the on-the-fly adjustable diver extension.

The watch itself has great detail, like the polished case side with brushed on the top of the case. The bracelet has the same matching finish, polished on the side, brushed on top, with polished center links. The case shape is curvy with minimal hard angle. Somehow it reminds me (very remotely) of the case design of the Panerai 1950 case design. Its comfortable on the wrist, and the integrated bracelet gives it a "board shoulder" look. The lugs are also curved down so the watch will "hug" your wrist a little.

The lume is the usual Seiko diver quality, which means its plenty bright and it will last through the night. (tested: went to bed before 12am and checked the time at 6am and it was still easily readable)

I think its a great wearer/beater with the great lume, easy to read dial all the times any time, great comfortable bracelet, reliable 5M63 kinetic movement (6 months power reserve max).

My Seiko SMY089 is in

My Seiko SMY089 is in and here's my initial initial impression, cause I didn't even sized it yet and this week is my "black Bond" week! :D

• The watch is of very good size. I think the case size is about the same as SKX007 (and the like). Feels solid and has a good weight to it. And the extended integrated lugs makes the watch "feels" larger.
  
• The bezel is recessed (like the Seiko SUMO), its slightly harder to turn then the fully exposed bezel like SKX007.
  
• Seems like Seiko makes it as a "dress diver" watch cause the clasp has no diver extension with four micro adjustment holes. (I haven't try it with Marinemaster clasp yet, but it should work)
  
• expecting great lume, but haven't really test it out yet.
  

The next thing I need to do it to size the bracelet, install the Marinemaster clasp, then take it out for running :p cause the power reserve is on "10 min" right now. haha~

I am serious this time, my first new watch in 2010

We are already into 2010 for 11 days, how can i not already have a new watch. That's unpossible.

So my first new watch for 2010 is a Seiko 200m Kinetic diver SMY089. That's the one that I want for my (quartz) beater. Also I should be able to use my Marinemaster clasp with adjustable diver extension on it. Along with the more reliable 5M63 kinetic movement with 6 months power reserve. I think its going to be a great reliable watch.

I never really liked integrated bracelet. But since I am a bracelet guy and I should be able to use the clasp from Marinemaster, I don't really mind the integrated bracelet.



I may "classify" the following "watch" to be a "tool". I am also getting a Garmin Forerunner 305 GPS with heart rate monitor (HRM). Its basically a training tool straped on your wrist. There's no way it can be worn as watch. But it seems like a great tool when I am running outside, it will tell me the speed, distance and heart rate information, etc. I can also use it when i am on my bike as well as my runs.

I have doubt about the lume on the Omega 1200m Ploprof

I really like the new Omega 1200m Ploprof. I consider it my grail watch, which I would like to own some day. Come to think of it, I might have doubt about it.

I own an Omega SMP blue Bond co-axial. The over-sized applied indices are nice-n-big, filled with lume (which seems like they are bright Super Luminova (SL) C3). That's a good thing, and I love it because its effortless to charge up, its easy to read any time of the night, and it easily last through the night.

I also own an Omega SMP black Bond co-axial. It also have over-sized applied indices filled with lume. But Omega used a lume material that grows blue in the dark, but appears much more white in day light. The new blue lume looks nice in day light, but it doesn't match the brightness of the SL C3 used in blue Bond co-axial. I still like my SMP black Bond, but the lume doesn't make me happy like the SMP blue Bond.

Now comes to the Omega 1200m Ploprof. I think it also uses the same blue lume material as the SMP black Bond since it glows blue in the dark. And from the online photos, it seems like the lume appears pretty white in day light.



(Credit: Photo by MarJnk on rolexforums.com)


So I wonder ... would I be happy with the lume of the Omega 1200m Ploprof? I still like the watch and I am not taking it off my list. But it does got me thinking ... wouldn't it be nice if Omega would stick to SL C3. Think how bright the lume on the 1200m Ploprof would be ...

Slight improvement to my G-Shock GW6900

So I found the tail end of the long strap sticking out by just a bit and it sometimes get caught by other stuff. In the fear of the strap retainer (loop) will eventually get ripped apart because of that, I've added a metal strap loop (from my Citizen Aqualand strap) to it so that it will be a stronger hold for the strap.





I still love wearing it :-)

Day dreaming with drools (car related)

I watched a few segments of Best Motoring (International) the other day, they did a nice comparison between the BMW M3 and Lexus IS-F, and how comes the what if I am shopping a car now ...

For around $65,000, the choices would be BMW M3, Lexus IS-F and Mercedes C63 AMG. The BMW M3 should be a pure joy to drive with the balanced chasis and proper 6-sp manual transmission. The C63 AMG would be awesome as well with the hand built V8 power plant and huge (pizze pie sized) brakes. But for some odd reason, I would see myself getting a Lexus IS-F instead. Its not the fastest, not the prettiest and its pretty Lexus first try on a high power luxury small sports sedan (while BMW and Mercedes already have a few generation of those in the pockets). But I can't seems to get away from the idea of the really fast and reliable sports sedan. And the design elements definitely looks odd, if not weird. But still, IS-F it is for me.



(Lexus IS-F)


Then comes to maybe around $30k-$45k, how about Nissan 370z, Infiniti G37S, Chevolet Camero SS or Corvette (C6), Ford Mustag GT, Subaru WRX Sti, Mitsubishi Evolution X, a pre-owned Acura NSX, etc. I like the 370z, but the stupid rev-match down shift feature turns me off because it tries to make people appears to be better driver than they really is. And the Camero SS and Corvette are nice, but American cars are not famous of their reliability, and I don't want to own something that would give me more trouble than I already have. An old NSX would be nice, yet I would always worry about it being expensive to repair. My heart would probably goes to 370z, in spite of the stupid rev-match feature (which can be turned off). But in reality, I would likely to go with STi. Evo X is nice too but STi adds more utility to a super fast package, though lacks the option of a sunroof.



(Nissan 370z)




(Subra WRX STi)



For less than $25k, Mazda Miata or MS3 or pre-owned RX8, Honda Civic Si Sedan or pre-own hatchback, Subaru WRX hatchback, Mitsubishi Lancer Rally Art, VW GTi, Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V or pre-owned 350z, pre-owned Honda S2000, pre-owned Toyota MR2 spyder, etc. I owned an S2000 before and that's an absolutely lovely car. I like most part of the RX8, except for the lower mpg. Miata can be had for a wide range of choices of price and feature. It seems like a great substitute for S2000 (when money is an issue). My heart would go with S2000 or 350z. But in reality, maybe a MS3 or WRX hatch back would fit better as a do-it-all vehicle. I also really like the Civic Si Sedan for its lower cost, easy to live with suspenson, seats 5 adults, proper 6-sp maunal and iVTEC power plant.



(Mazdaspeed 3)




(Civic Si Mugen Edition)


But whats a day dream without super cars like Nissan R35 GTR, Porsche 997 Turbo or GT3, Chevolet Corvette Z06 and ZR1 ... which all of them I would have no chance of owning in near future ... LOL :D



(Nissan R35 GTR)




(Porsche 997 GT3)




(Chevolet Corvette Z06)

Great White!

My Spyderco Sage and Boker Plus Hyper

I got the Boker Plus Hyper for over 1.5 years and Spyderco was from last year.

The Hyper has been my do-everything knife and I really like it. The size is good for a sub 3" blade and the blade shape makes it good for a wide range of task. The handle is grippy but its not very comfortable for extended use (because of the thin profile?) The frame lock is solid and it has no play when locked up. Since it has been used quite extensively, it could really use a good sharpening now.

The Sage is scary sharp out of the box. Nice looking CF handle + S30V blade (Hyper has 440C, that's quite an upgrade, both are just under 3" I think). The handle is longer and more comfortable than the Hyper's. The liner lock feels very solid as well and no play everywhere.

Both are slim in profile and you won't notice it when clipped to the front jeans pocket. The Sage is easier to pull out of the pocket cause the thumb stud of the Hyper sometimes got caught by the edge of the pocket.

One thing about the Sage is that the only option is tip up carry. The sets of pocket clip holes are on both sides but can only do tip up carry possible. I perfer tip down carry myself, but that's no a deal breaker for me.

The Sage is Made in Taiwan, but that doesn't bother me a bit. The build quality and finish are nice, and the price is great for the feature. BTW, the Hyper is Made in China, if that matters. :p Yet, I have no problem with it (build quality and finish, as reflected by the price) or what so ever.

Here are some pix: (I think I've lost the pix that shows the knife when blades opened :( )











Front jeans pocket with Sage


Front jeans pocket with Hyper

I like them, but I can't have them

I like watches. Period. That's no secret. But there are some watches that I like, but I want to avoid getting ... Its like my mind is fighting itself (Like vs. Should) ...

I like the look of the newer Tag Heuer Aquaracer 500m with cal. 5. It looks nice (no paper), slightly over sized at 43mm. the nice detail on the dial, hand applied indices, the lume should be decent, auto helium escape valve. What's not to like?

BUT ... while its nice, it has nothing on me. I found it to be "just another good looking dive watch" and that's it. I like it cause it hits all the marks as a pretty nice dive watch, but I don't think I would get one because it doesn't ring my bell ...



(Pic from the web)


Another is the Ocean 7 LM-7. I liked the original Omega Ploprof 600m and I like the new Omega Ploprof 1200m even more, and the LM-7 looks somewhat likes them with 1/5 of their prices, the lume is very good, and seems like a solidly built watch. What's not to like?

BUT ... it looks too much like the new Omega Ploprof 1200m which makes it an homage of an existing model (which i don't like that idea very much). And also, buying watches from a small and new watch company worries me.

Ok, here's the scenario: So now I got the watch, I like it very much and have been wearing it for a while. Few years down the road, when this particular model is no longer made or what if the company is closed all together, something on the watch needs to be replaced (simiply something breaks: crown, crown tube, bezel, bezel insert, etc). So now what? What if they don't stock up parts? And nobody else has replacement parts for it? What to do then?! Junk the watch? Sell it as parts as it? I know having the watch repaired in such a case will cost some pretty pennies, but at least I can bring it back to spec and I can continue to enjoy wearing it. With small company (if they don't stock up parts), then I would be left hanging, with a watch that sorta work, but not entirely ...



(Pic from the web)


That brings me to another one, which is the Zinex Heliox. It has a great unique (vintage) look and bold dial / hands styling, and the lume is certainly great. Also its WR 2500m (!) and has auto HEV. What's not to like?

BUT ... with 46mm (width) x 18mm (height) case size, its not quite wrist friendly for my wrist size. And again, this is from a small company. So the supply of spare parts are in question.



(Pic from the web)