Watch Reviews

I think it’s safe to say that my reviews rarely court controversy. I’ve never had a “Kershaw Cryo” moment a la Everyday Commentary. For the most part, I pick what I review, and I’ve yet to give a product less than a lukewarm reception. Feedback from readers often reinforces my perspective, and in turn gave me the notion that I knew what most people find attractive. The Citizen Nighthawk dispelled that illusion. From the very start, it received…well, let’s call it a “mixed reception.” The pushback was strong enough that I sought a bit of outside validation from the notorious Andrew Gene. It wasn’t quite as positive as I’d hoped:

To me, if you need the instrumentation then it’s great. Otherwise it’s a wank. All instrument watches worn by people who don’t need them are a wank. Embrace the wank if you like it. Get one. That’s what I think.

Still, it was an oddly comforting sentiment. It may be a wank of watch, but it’s no better or worse than any other wank in my life. Hell, I hear those are good for the prostate. That said, on to the review.

Fit

This watch has two weaknesses, and the first of which is how it rides on the wrist. The dimensions for the Nighthawk aren’t at fault, mind: at 41mm wide by 12.5mm thick, it’s smaller than my Seiko Turtle, which is the largest watch I own. Despite being smaller, it doesn’t actually wear as well. It’s not even the angular case that causes discomfort. No, my sole complaint when wearing the Nighthawk is the crown. It’s just longer than it needs to be. Every time your wrist bends backwards the crown will immediately dig into your wrist. While never enough of an issue to dissuade me from wearing the Nighthawk, it certainly wouldn’t be my first choice going to the gym.

Movement

Much like Benchmade and the axis lock, Citizen and the Eco-Drive are inseparable. Citizen was one of the early pioneers of solar watches, and their R&D department has pushed that particular envelope for decades. The result is a solar-powered quartz watch that reaches full charge in a matter of hours and (when fully charged) lasts 180 days. I’ll admit that it doesn’t have the same panache as a mechanical movement, but to harp on that point would be snobbish to say the least. Practically speaking, it’s an improvement. You trade the sweeping seconds hand for a power reserve and degree of accuracy unheard of in mechanical watches. My Nighthawk runs a mere 15 seconds slow after two months, though it should be noted that I didn’t set the time when I purchased it. It’s entirely possible that it was set incorrectly from the start.

Case and Crown

The Nighthawk’s case is quite distinctive. Its industrial, angular lines are evocative of aviation hardware, and the interplay between the wide crystal and the angled dial brings jet turbines to mind. The 3-piece case has held up quite well to everyday wear. My only complaint is that the caseback on models for the U.S. market are etched with the Citizen logo, whereas models for the European and Japanese markets have engraved casebacks.

As previously mentioned, the crown is a tad overlong, especially as it sits at 3 o’clock. This is a quartz watch, so you shouldn’t be interacting with the crown as frequently, but it’s functional all the same. The knurling is grippy but not aggressive, and the long crown certainly gives you a great deal of purchase. There is a second crown at 8 o’clock which rotates the slide bezel.

Dial, Crystal, and Bezel

Remember those weaknesses I mentioned? Well, if you haven’t already guessed, the dial is the second. The actual indices are clear enough, with raised columns for every hour but 12 and 6, which are marked with large, raised arabic numerals. A date function is located at 3 o’clock in a stepped window. None of those cause any problems. The real issues arise when you look at the extra functions on the Nighthawk: a GMT dial and a slide rule bezel.

Normally a GMT complication takes the shape of an additional hour hand, which is used to track a separate time zone. Citizen took a different approach. On the inside of the dial, there are two arcs, one marked 1-12 in white, the other 13-24 in red. There’s a double sided hand with a red end and a white end (and yes, both are little airplanes: – some kitsch is allowed). You read whichever color matches the hand currently over the numbers. To actually use this function, pull the crown out and rotate it away from you. This advances the primary hour hand without stopping the watch or affecting the secondary hour hands.

While the GMT complication didn’t help the Nighthawk’s legibility issues, the slide rule bezel of the Nighthawk actively exacerbates them. Slide rules are best thought of as analog calculators, and they’re not an uncommon feature on pilot watches. Computers have made them largely obsolete, but then, that’s true of watches in general, so maybe it’s best not to dwell on that topic. I’ll admit that I’ve yet to sit down and learn how to use it, but then again I’m not in flight school either. Here’s a tutorial on using one if you’re so inclined.

The Nighthawk comes equipped with a mineral crystal face. It isn’t as glamorous as sapphire crystal, but at this price point that kind of material isn’t really an option. The news isn’t all bad: while sapphire crystal boasts superior scratch resistance, it’s also more prone to shattering than mineral crystal.

Bracelet and Clasp

Because of the polarizing dial, I wasn’t entirely surprised to find that most folks are drawn to the bracelet. Mesh bracelets aren’t necessarily rare, but I see them more frequently on slimmer, dressier watches. It’s comfortable, flexible, and stands out a bit compared to a standard jubilee or oyster bracelet. Sadly, the lugs hug the case so closely that NATO straps (or similar variations) may not fit, so if you dislike the bracelet, you may be limited to two-piece replacement straps.

The Nighthawk’s bracelet (at least this iteration’s) comes equipped with a butterfly clasp. Unlike foldover clasps (which require a bit of fiddling), butterfly clasps are actuated by simultaneously pushing both pushers on the underside of the bracelet. I’ve been impressed so far. It’s simple, secure, and convenient. Still, some might prefer a more traditional clasp. If that’s the case, I suggest the BJ7000-52E.

Citizen Nighthawk – Final Thoughts

If you can’t tell, the Citizen Nighthawk is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, the execution is fantastic: I’d go so far as to say it’s nearly flawless. On the other, some of the design choices leave a lot to be desired, most notably the overlong crown. I can’t heavily criticize the slide rule and GMT functions, as both seem valuable to pilots and heavy travelers, but be aware that they clutter up the dial.

Frankly, I realize that this review – like the Nighthawk itself – is a bit of a wank. Those of you who already liked the Nighthawk won’t be turned off by anything I have to say. Likewise, the vocal detractors of the Nighthawk won’t have a sudden change in taste after reading this review. Personally, I’m glad I picked one up: I won’t be getting rid of it anytime soon, barring unforeseen circumstances.

I recommend purchasing the Citizen Nighthawk at Amazon. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Watches have been a peculiar journey for me. The first nice watch I bought was an Omega 2534.50 Seamaster. My choice was reasonably arbitrary in that I knew I wanted an Omega and it became available at the right time. However, this wasn’t the watch I really wanted. A friend of mine had taken me into an Omega Boutique and the watch that stood out to me right away was the Omega Speedmaster Pro. I’ve cycled through a pretty serious watch collection over the last few years. Panerais have come and gone, I did the IWC thing, and even messed around with some Rolexes. The watch I kept coming back to was the Speedmaster. I’ve owned several different versions, including the reduced automatic, the MkII reissue, a 43mm early Coaxial, as well as the 3570 (which I wore exclusively for a year) and now presently the 3573 Sapphire Sandwich. It’s a watch that I never go too long without. I always return to the moon watch.

So, Moonwatch, what is this? And why do we call it that? The Omega Speedmaster was one of several watches chosen to be tested by NASA for manned space flight. This was during a time when computers barely fit inside entire rooms, and the only wrist watches were mechanical ones. The watches picked for the testing needed to survive a series of rigorous conditions, including high G-forces, heat, cold, high pressure, low pressure, vibration, etc… The three major contenders for NASA’s use were Longines, Rolex, and Omega. With the speedmaster being the only watch that would pass the tests. As a result it was the first watch worn on the moon. An interesting trivia piece is, according to my research, it was the first watch on the moon worn by the second man on the moon. Neil Armstrong left his speedmaster in the Lunar Module because the clock had stopped ticking, so when he took his legendary first steps on the lunar surface, he was WATCH-LESS *gasp*. It wasn’t until ole Buzz Aldrin descended the ladder to the Moon’s surface had there been a Swiss timepiece on the lunar surface.

The Omega Speedmaster originally debuted in 1957, as a racing watch to compliment Omega’s standing as the official time keeper for the Olympics. The first “certified” Speedmasters went to space on the wrists of Gus Grissom and John Young on Gemini 3 in 1965. Since the moon landing the Speedmaster has continued to be a watch that collectors seek, and build collections around. That’s largely due to two reasons. The first reason being that your Speedmaster still carries that NASA provenance, Omega has done a very good job in making sure that that tie is not broken. Secondly, the modern Speedmasters are very similar to the ones actually worn by the astronauts. Even mechanically, the 1861 movements are very similar to the 861 movements introduced in 1968. To the untrained eye it’s difficult to tell vintage speedmaster’s apart from modern. That’s part of the charm and also part of the challenge when it comes to collecting them.

Alright, so about a review. This watch has been my constant companion, on and off, for several years now. I have consistently been a fan for years. It’s just worth you knowing that on the front end.

Let’s go over some basic specs:

• Case Width: 42mm (roughly 43 with the crown)
• Lug to Lug: 46.6MM
• Case Height: 13.8mm
• Weight: 5.3oz on Bracelet 3.1 on nato

Fit

The Speedmaster wears larger than you might think. 42mm isn’t a small watch but by today’s standards it’s not a large one either. They make large case sizes for Speedmasters, in particular their coaxial models, but I am specifically reviewing the “Speedmaster Professional.” With all that said, the Speedmaster wears very nicely. With the 46mm lug to lug it is noticeable and with a good wrist presence, but not something that will become a burden to wear.

Movement

In 1957 when the Speedmaster released it was using the Omega 321 movement which was a column wheel chronograph, manual wind, movement. In 1968 Omega replaced that with the 861. The 861 was a cam operated chronograph that beat at a faster rate than the 321. All modern Omega Speedmaster Professionals use versions of this movement. The particular Speedmaster I have is a 3573 or Sapphire Sandwich that has a sapphire display back. It has a 1863 movement only difference between the 63 and the 61 is that the 63 is decorated. My experience with the movement has been really great. I had it serviced right when I got it, and ever since it’s been consistently keeping COSC time.

Case/Crown

The case of the Speedmaster Pro is a case study in simplicity and grace. It has subtle transitions from brushing to polished surfaces, and very graceful arcs in the lines as the case move outwards to the lugs. Most people, with a piece like this, often want it to make a statement, and the Speedmaster does that on the wrist very well. If I could levy one negative criticism of the Speedy Pro it would be that the crown is small, and on a hand wound watch that can be aggravating at times.

Dial, Bezel, and Crystal

On the Speedmaster let’s start with the crystal. The Speedmaster has one of the most noticeable crystals in the watch-world. This massively domed crystal sticks up past the bezel. On the regular Speedmaster that crystal is a hesalite (or acrylic). This is softer and can scratch easily, but it can also be polished out using a gentle compound. On my particular Speedmaster the crystals are sapphire. The bezel surrounding the crystal is a tachymeter scale. This is designed to determine speed.

The dial itself is simple in the most complex way possible. We have three sub dials, the right hand dial is the minute counter, the lower middle is the hour counter, and the far left is the ticking seconds. The hour and minute markers are simple white, with lume on all the hours, and the hands are slender white hands, nicely lumed. The white contrasts very well with the black dial making everything very legible and time acquisition quick on such a busy watch.

Strap/Bracelet

The Speedmaster bracelet is one of Omega’s nicer bracelets, comfortable with plenty of customization to make sure it fits you well. The links are held together by a pin/collar system that isn’t as difficult to size as Seiko’s but it still sends me to the Omega boutique to get it sized correctly. The watch also came with an OEM NATO strap… Now while the price on these straps by themselves is insane (+/- $125) it’s easily the best made NATO I’ve ever used.

The Speedmaster is a great watch to have an assortment of straps for. It also wears on leather very well if you’re not into steel bracelets as much. It’s also a great watch to wear on a NATO and I think it would look at home on almost anything except maybe rubber.

Omega Speedmaster Professional Review – Final Thoughts

It should be pretty clear by this review that I am a huge Speedmaster fan-boy. I think that if I had to own only one watch, it would be some flavor of a Speedmaster. Now how does the Speedmaster work for someone that might be not a super-fan but does like watches? It’s a good general use piece if you’re not going near water. They have a rated depth rating of 50 meters but I wouldn’t take it swimming unless by accident. The watch wears well, keeps great time, and has one of the more useful complications, a chronograph. It’s a watch with enough history and provenance that it can be something you talk about with friends and not come off as “the weird watch dude.” Maybe I’m the only one that has that problem.

Anyway, I can’t recommend the Speedmaster enough. Give yourself enough time to consider all the options that Omega has, surely there’s a config of this watch that will suit nearly every wearer.

I recommend purchasing the Speedmaster Professional at Amazon. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

The Bauhaus movement was a focus on radically simplified designs with an emphasis on functionality. The main idea was functionality with a de-emphasis on ornamentation, modernism, and that function should not be separate from form. Max Bill went to the Bauhaus school in Dessau, and was educated under the great minds of Kandinsky, Schlemmer, and other renown designers of the time. Bill is widely considered to be one of the most influential Swiss graphic designers of his time. His work exemplified an obsession with austere but legible and functional design. These principles were applied to the watch and clock designs of Junghans in the 1950’s.

Junghans themselves is an interesting company. In the 1980’s they released the first radio-controlled table clock, and in the 90’s they did the same with a radio-controlled wrist watch. This technology opened the door for a partnership with Seiko to develop a wrist watch that automatically set the time respective to the time zone it was located it. This technology is now widely applied to watches from Seiko to Casio and beyond.

Junghans today has taken a look in the mirror back to their roots with Max Bill and released a series of watches based on Max’s original simple designs. The particular watch I am looking at today is the Chronoscope Chronograph, but before we get too far into it, let’s chat about some specs:

• Case Width: 40mm
• Case Height: 14.4mm
• Lug to Lug: 42mm
• Weight: 2.4oz on leather
• Movement: Junghans J880.2 (based on the Valjoux 7750)

Fit

The Max Bill Chronoscope fits the way you’d imagine a large vintage watch would. The rounded caseback kinda sets the watch up off your wrist, and the rounded edges of the case make it stand off your wrist as opposed to laying flat. Normally I’d be crying about how tall of a case this is (at almost 14.5mm tall), but I think the lightweight case keeps it from moving around on your wrist. Weight can go a long ways in this regard.

Movement

Junghans uses their own version of the Valjoux 7750 called the Junghans J880.2. It’s a 25 jewel, 28800 BPH movement that is modeled after one of the most reliable chronograph movements used.

The example I have is keeping about +6s/day, just slightly outside of COSC parameters. One strange thing to point about this watch is that the movement is noisy, very noisy, you can hear the rotor spinning when you move your arm, and the winding action is pretty tight and also very loud. Nothing leads me to believe that something is wrong, just a quirk of the movement I suppose.

Case/Crown

The case is a simple polished steel case with rounded edges that come up to meet the ample crystal. Lugs are short and very vintage-y inspired. The case is very understated, I believe in order to highlight the massively domed crystal that we’ll talk about in a second.

The crown sits between two polished pushers for the chronograph. The crown is unsigned but has a decent grip to it. Like I said earlier, there is some resistance when winding the crown, but it’s size and grip works pretty well for this application.

Dial, Crystal, and Bezel

Okay, I’m going to skip straight to the crystal. It’s enormous… like, ENORMOUS. When viewed in profile it almost seems like the crystal makes up half the watch. The crystal is plexiglass, but coated with a substance called “SICRALAN,” which was developed by the automotive industry to provide a greater scratch resistance and anti-reflection properties. This crystal makes the watch, in my opinion, it just screams vintage appeal.

The dial is really where you can see the influence of Max Bill on this piece. It’s simple and highly legible, definitely speaking to the function allowing for form mentality of the Bauhaus. The dial is printed, with small lumed dots at 12, 3, 6, and 9. On this particular Chronoscope there are Arabic numerals at each of the hours as well as on the minute and hour recording sub dials. Their font is simple and easily read (you’ll notice a theme with this watch). Past the hour indicators are minute counters for the chronograph. The hands are thin polished steel with lume running down the center. The sub dials sit at noon and 6, so when the chrono is reset there is a pleasing symmetry running down the middle of the watch from all the nice thin silver hands lined up. One last simple detail to go over is the date window sitting at 3 o’clock. It’s nice and small, and easily read.

Strap/Bracelet

The Max Bill watches are available on a variety of leather straps, as well as a milanese steel strap. The particular strap I have on this Chronoscope is a ‘High Craft’ strap from Worn&Wound. Ultimately I think this watch is versatile enough to work on a variety of strap choices.

Junghans Max Bill Chronoscope Chronograph Review – Final Thoughts

When I first received the Max Bill Chronoscope in for testing, I commented that there was something weird about it. I think that I was primarily distracted by the noisy rotor in the movement and the peculiar feeling when winding the watch. Once I got past that, I quickly became fan of the piece.

Junghans is a very unique German brand that is sticking close to it’s roots in the Bauhaus movement. There are other options out there that you could look at for something similar. Nomos would be an example at a higher price point, or Junkers at a lower, but ultimately Junghans is one of the defining brands to embrace the Bauhaus. I love that it’s a chronograph, I love the crystal (a lot), and I love the heritage behind this piece. I don’t think you could go wrong with the Max Bill Chronoscope if you’re looking for a different and functional dress piece.

I recommend purchasing the Max Bill Chronoscope at Amazon. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site running largely free of banner advertisements. Any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Grand Seiko crashed onto the horological scene in 1964 when they released their first mechanical movement. The timing of that release was not coincidence, Japan was hosting the olympic games, and Seiko were to be their official time keepers. At the start of the 18th Olympic Games in Tokyo, Seiko was ready with just over 1200 official time keeping stop watches. These watches had been tested and were found accurate 1/10th of a second between examples. Accuracy was paramount to Grand Seiko and that was very clear.

The Spring Drive movement was announced in 1997 after nearly 20 years in development. This was a sure sign of a company that saw the potential and accuracy of traditional mechanical movements, and wanted to take them a step farther. Before we get too deep into that, let’s go over some specs:

• Case: 44mm
• Case Thickness: 14.7mm
• Lug to Lug: 50mm
• Lug Width: 21mm
• Weight: 6.24oz

Fit:

The Grand Seiko GMT is a larger watch, with a 44mm width, and 50mm lug to lug. The thing that makes the SBGE001 comfortable, is the way the it hugs your wrist when you wear it, this is largely due to the case thickness. It rides low and and close to your wrist. The way the watch is designed spreads the weight of the case out, I think an accurate way to describe it would be to say it’s like wearing a flying saucer on your wrist. As is common with Seiko’s they have put the crown at 4 o’clock, this prevents it from pressing into the back of your hand while you’re wearing it. I was continually reminded of a spaceship when I wore this particular piece. Maybe I just watched Close Encounters of the Third Kind too many times as a kid, but whenever I’d see this watch on my wrist in profile I kept thinking, “Mothership.”

Movement:

One of the biggest draws to the Grand Seiko line of watches is their Spring Drive Movement. Often characterized by the power reserve on the dial, the Spring Drive is known for it’s unbeatable accuracy in the mechanical watch world.

There seems to be some confusion specifically in whether the Spring Drive movement is mechanical or quartz. The simple answer to this question is, “Yes.” The entirety of the power needed to drive the movement is generated by the mainspring, which is wound in the same way an automatic mechanical movement is. From that point on, however; the movement differs significantly. There’s a complicated system of brakes and regulators that replace the traditional gear train, and what that adds up to on the user’s end is an accuracy that is advertised as +/- 1s/week, but in reality shakes out to be +/- 1s a month. It’s incredible, and by a LONG margin the most accurate watch I’ve put on my wrist.

This particular Grand Seiko Spring Drive also has a GMT module on it, allowing you to track a second time zone. The 24-hr scale is printed both on the bezel and chapter ring, technically allowing you to track three separate time zones by turning the bezel. It’s pretty cool, if you live in one zone, work in another, and need to keep track of a third. The GMT-scales are printed with odd/even numbers, even numbers on the bezel, and odd numbers on the chapter ring. The movement sets as a typical “flying” GMT would, you set the GMT to your local time zone at home, then the you get off a plane you can adjust the local hour hand in 1-hour increments without effecting the GMT time. This is opposed to a “calling,” GMT which features a quick-set feature of the 24-hr hand (allows you to quickly set it to a time-zone you need to track briefly).

The 9R66 movement has a 72hr power reserve, this is evident by the trisected power reserve dial.

Case/Crown:

I’ve always heard people compare the finishing of Grand Seikos to some of the finest watch brands coming out of Switzerland. Well, I’ll be the first to tell you they aren’t exaggerated. The steel case is beveled and polished in way specifically designed to catch the light, this watch will sit on your wrist and shine like a jewel. The top of the bracelet lugs are brushed, with a very fine grit that borders on a polished finish, it then transitions to a polished finish down the edges. The watch is extremely lustrous sitting on your wrist, it will attract attention.

The crown is signed GS in a flowing script that sets it apart from other Seiko offerings. Grand Seiko went to great lengths to have their logo sit separate from other Seiko offerings you’d never mistake the two. It’s a screw-down crown, as you’d expect from a watch with a 200m depth rating. When winding it, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever handled, it winds up like a toy. That sounds negative but I don’t have another way to put it, it feels like one of those wind-up cars you had when you were a kid. As you wind the watch you can watch the power reserve fill up, which is also very cool. I’m always looking for ways interact with my movements, from hand-winding, to using chronographs, and a power reserve is a great way to do that.

Dial, Crystal, & Bezel:

Let’s start off by talking about the crystal on this particular piece. The sapphire crystal on the SBGE001 is a large polished sapphire crystal, lightly domed, with an AR coating on the underside of the crystal. The bezel is also coated in a sapphire crystal, the bezel and the dial are separated by a polished steel ring. All of this basically adds up to a very reflective face on the watch. It catches light and reflects it like crazy, just adding to the jewel like quality of this piece. Having sapphire covering both of these elements on the face of the watch is pretty great, you’ll likely never encounter a deep gouging scratch on your bezel, but if you do somehow manage to get one, it’ll be a much bigger deal. That’s the tradeoff with sapphire, it’s very hard to scratch, but if you do, it’s MUCH more expensive to deal with.

The dial itself is busy, but done so strategically. The hour markers are polished indices, with the 12, 3, 6, and 9 markers being larger with lume inlayed into the tops. The hands are polished steel in the same way, with strips of lume running down their centers. The GMT hand is red, large, and lumed at it’s arrow point. The date window takes the place of the 4 o’clock marker, and features a LARGE numeric dial for today’s date. One of my favorite features on the SBGE001’s dial is the power reserve indicator that sits between the 8 & 9 hour markers. The PR is divided into three sections representing the three days of the power reserve. If you’re a multiple watch owner this detail is valuable, you can simply look at the dial and know how much longer this particular watch will be running accurately.

The one criticism of the SBGE001’s dial is the triple signing. It says along the top “Seiko,” then below the mid point it has “GS,” and “Grand Seiko” that paired along with the Spring Drive and GMT markings is a lot of text on the dial. As of the writing of this article, Seiko just released at Basel World 2017, that Grand Seiko will begin to operate independently of Seiko-Proper, and the models they are releasing have redacted the “Seiko,” marking. The simplification of this detail would really improve the aesthetic for me.

Alright, lastly the Bezel, as stated earlier it’s a sapphire coated bezel that overhangs the case. The edges of the bezel are serrated slightly for grip texture, and it turns easily. The example I had turned very easily, and it wasn’t unusual for me to see the dial turned accidentally throughout my day. This isn’t as critical of a detail as it would be on a dive watch, but is annoying to have to reset your GMT scale after it’s been bumped out of alignment on accident. Now, the cool part of this bezel is that the numerals are lumed so you can see the bezel at night. This detail makes it VERY cool for night Instagram shots.

Bracelet/Clasp:

Let’s get this out of the way quickly: Grand Seiko’s bracelet work is some of the nicest I’ve seen and it easily stands up to the modern Rolex Oyster bracelets that I have experienced. Traditionally, Seiko’s bracelets are generally where their watches start to show some quality differences between them and high-end Switzerland. That is not the case once you cross over into GS territory. The links of the SBGE001 bracelet are screw together, with two small cap screws on either side and a small separate rod in the middle. The bracelet has brushed center and outer-links with small polished details separating the two (reminicent of the speedmaster bracelet). The clasp is a fold-over brushed clasp with the “GS,” logo in the middle. The clasp is push button and closes extremely secure. Unlike the MM300 bracelet links, the GS links articulate in three places, this allows for a very comfortable drape over your wrist.

Grand Seiko SBGE001 – Final Thoughts

Grand Seiko is a polarizing watch brand. They suffer from something I call the “Seiko Syndrome,” which basically means that people have difficulty wrapping their mind around spending $5k for a watch that comes from the same company that sells a watch for less than $100. All of that considered, the quality is there, and the watch delivers what you’d expect out of a piece of this price point. Another fair point to make is the act of owning a Grand Seiko will separate you from other watch folks, it’ll show that you are a true horology appreciator.

I wore this watch while on a trip to Italy, and that proved to be an apt test for the accuracy, ease of adjustment, and different features of a traveler’s watch. It was a joy, easily legible, and was very cool be able to glance at the dial and see what the local time was back home. If you’re wanting something different from traditional Swiss luxury watches, and something that would be good for you to travel with, look no further than the SBGE001.

I recommend purchasing the Grand Seiko SBGE001 at Amazon. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Tudor has become synonymous with “the poor man’s Rolex,” which is a bit of a shame. Tudor has consistently been making their own movements and putting them into their own watch cases for a number of years at this point. Their movements have 72-hr power reserves and some even come COSC certified. With that said, Tudor is still using top-grade ETA movements in some of their watches, and I’ll be discussing one of their ETA equipped pieces today.

The Tudor Ranger’s roots, much like the Rolex Explorer, are in arctic expeditions and overland lore. Today, it’s a watch that you strap on your wrist when you want to feel like you’re going to walk out of your crudely constructed A-frame shelter, jump into your Land Rover Defender and continue your overland adventure to the next stop, even if in reality it’s just to and from the office, in a Camry. But first, some specs:

• Case Width: 41mm
• Case Thickness: 12mm
• Lug to Lug: 48mm
• Lug Width: 22mm
• Water Resistance: 150 meters
• Power Reserve: 38 hours

Fit

The Tudor Ranger is a joy to wear. The watch hugs your wrist closely. With such a trim case height this is no surprise. Sometimes I feel like a broken record when I describe a watch as wearing close to the wrist, but really that is the biggest area that I look at when I am reviewing watches. I feel like case height is the first thing that you’ll notice when you strap a watch to your wrist, and at a mere 12mm tall the Ranger is perfect in that area.

Movement

Ahh, the ETA 2824… what a reliable work horse you are. You’re like a Chevy small block: you always work and if for some reason you don’t nearly anyone can fix you with parts they can get from any auto zone any-day except Sunday.

Tudor uses the ETA movement perfectly in the Ranger, redacting the date and regulating the movement. The example I had kept COSC time with an excellent power reserve. My one gripe, and I read that this is common on this particular model because of the redaction of the date, is when you pull the crown out to set it, occasionally the seconds hand won’t hack (stop). This feels weird, like the movement is doing something wrong, but based on my experience and research it’s not damaging anything.

Case and Crown

The case on the Ranger is simple, brushed steel, with a trim unadorned steel bezel. The lugs are nice, relatively simple, and drilled. The latter makes changing straps a cinch with anything from a straightened paper clip, to a push pin, to an actual spring bar tool. All in all the case really classes up the watch.

The bezel is separated from the case by a polished bevel, and when the bezel catches light just right it looks awesome. The crown is large and nicely textured for grip. I did, however, find that it sticks out a lot, and can dig into the back of your hand from time to time. The length of the crown tube is a bit difficult to get used to visually. It NEVER looks like you have the crown screwed all the way down.

Dial, Crystal, and Bezel

The sapphire crystal on the Ranger is slightly domed and raised with deftly applied anti reflective coatings (I think just on the inside). The curve at the very edge of the crystal plays with the indices and markers on the dial in really cool ways making the watch very interesting to casually look at while you’re driving, or just sitting around (I can’t be the only one that does this).

The hands are simple with a spear head shaped hour hand and a sword minute, the are polished steel with a generous amount of lume set into them. The seconds hand is a dark red with a lume pip on the end. The dial is matte black with painted indices and text. The text on the Ranger is very classically styled with the Tudor rose at noon, and curved text on the bottom hearkening back to the original Ranger. The lume on this dial is generous. My first Tudor was the ETA version of the Pelagos, and I found the lume to be lackluster at best. Thankfully, the Ranger does not suffer from this problem.

Strap/Bracelet

The Ranger is available on several strap options. My version came on the steel bracelet with the woven camouflage NATO.

The bracelet is very similar the the one used by the Black Bay. Unless I am mistaken, the only difference is the end links. As we’ve seen throughout the different aspects of the Ranger, Tudor is trying to make a direct callback to the old vintage Rangers, and they really do this in the bracelet with straight end link “bars.” Comfort wise, I love these bracelets. Tudor, since they’re owned by Rolex, have a direct line into some of the nicest bracelet making in the Horological World. The Ranger bracelet doesn’t have some of the features that Rolex uses, like quick comfort or Glidelock clasps, but they do utilize the screw together construction and excellent fit and finish.

So how about that NATO? That was the the big highlight for me, Tudor utilizes the same company to make their straps as the Vatican does for their robes. The strap material is soft and supple, but also has a sturdy quality to it. It doesn’t operate like regular NATOs. Instead, it has sewn in slots for spring bars and wears like like a regular strap. The camo pattern is not dyed into the material but rather woven into the strap. It’s also sizable (as in able to be sized): the strap passes through the clasp and allows you to adjust the “tail” length to suit your wrist, and prevents you from needing to cut it.

Long story short, the Tudor NATO is easily one of the best nylon straps I’ve used, and justifies the enormous premium they command on the secondary. Only downside to them is that they’re pretty specific to what watches they’ll fit on, based on the sewn in spring bar slots.

Tudor Ranger Review – Final Thoughts

If what you’re looking for is a watch that will serve you well in your day to day life, or on an overland adventure, then the Ranger is the watch you want. Conceived in the image of watches that went on some of histories biggest adventures, modernized to be practical and reliable in today’s society, and priced to be a good budget watch in the luxury marketplace the Ranger is the watch for you. Available on the secondary market for real bargains (I’ve seen prices below 1500$) I can’t recommend this piece enough, especially to get something so closely related to Rolex.

I recommend purchasing the Tudor Ranger at Amazon. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Seiko divers are iconic. Practically every review of a Seiko diver paints a picture of a high value tool watch, and the Seiko SRP779 is no different. The SRP77X line is not a new addition to the catalog, but a reissue of the beloved Seiko 6309 (or “Turtle”). For years, buying a vintage Turtle was a way to pick up a fantastic watch on the cheap, but over the years supplies dwindled and costs rose. When the reissue was announced, it was met with mingled praise and shock, both of which were positively reinforced once the new Turtles trickled out into the market.

I’d like to do something a bit different this time and take a moment for a PSA. Most knife and gear folks I know are familiar with the concept of buying secondhand gear. Often this gear is gently used – if at all – and buying this way is easier on the wallet. This is mostly true for watches, but not in all cases. In the secondary watch market, potential buyers aren’t just looking at secondhand sales, but something known as the grey market. Grey market watches are legitimate products, in that they aren’t stolen or counterfeit, but are sold through back channels not intended by the manufacturer. Sometimes an authorized dealer needs to move a bit of product without selling it themselves; in which case, they’ll sell to a grey market dealer. Maybe someone has a source for watches sold in international markets, where exchange rates can play havoc with the price controls watch manufacturers put in place.

Whatever the source of a grey market watch, you should know that there are hidden costs associated with them. Most commonly, they won’t be covered under the manufacturer’s warranty, and that includes servicing, repairs, diagnostics, the lot. For some watches, those service costs can hit three and even four figures. Moral of the story: be an informed consumer, regardless of how you purchase a watch. I only mention all of this because I’m not entirely sure that my watch isn’t grey market, and it was a pain to figure out what that meant after the fact. With that out of the way, on to the review.

Fit

The Seiko Turtle is not a svelte watch. That shouldn’t come as a surprise: it weighs 4.28 oz, with a 44.3x48mm, 14mm tall case. The bezel does tend to catch on shirt cuffs – especially on dressier shirts – and that same height means that the wearer is more likely to scuff up the watch on doors, corners, handrails, etc. Don’t mistake my meaning: it’s not actively bothersome, just a little fussy from time to time. The horizontal dimensions of the watch have never given me any trouble. Is it a wide watch? Yes, but the lug to lug distance is actually pretty tame at 48mm (for reference, that’s a hair less than the Bertucci A-2T).

Shirt cuffs aside, this watch is incredibly comfortable. Prior to the arrival of the SRP779, I didn’t quite understand why this particular style was referred to as a “cushion case diver.” After wearing it on a near daily basis for several months, the mystery was solved. This is quite simply the most comfortable watch I’ve ever worn. Sure, it has an unfortunate tendency to pick fights with sleeves, but the same curves that start those brawls are the ones that make the Turtle superb on the wrist.

Movement

The movement Seiko uses for the Turtle reissue is the 4R36, an in-house movement that offers a few upgrades to the venerable 7s26 movement offered on the SKX line, notably the option to hand-wind the watch and a “hacking” seconds hand (that just means the seconds hand stops when you pull the crown out). Both features are desirable if you’re the sort of person with a few different watches, as they allow the watch to be part of a rotation with far less hassle. The 41 hour power reserve is no slouch in this regard either.

Of course, this was also my first experience with a mechanical (or rather, automatic) watch. To state the obvious: no, it’s not as accurate as a quartz movement. I haven’t bothered to sit down and parse out the seconds lost/gained in a day, but it does need to be reset once a month or so. Estimates online hover at +/- 15 seconds per day, but if serviced that number can be brought down. The hacking seconds hand makes adjusting the time far less onerous than it would be otherwise. Still, a mechanical movement requires more upkeep and is less accurate, so is it worth it? In my opinion: yes, but not for any reason that could be considered objective. The sweeping seconds hand is beautiful, but not a mark of performance, and while it’ll never require a new battery, getting it serviced every few years is recommended (which is undoubtedly more expensive than a new battery).

Despite the quirks, I like the mechanical nature of the SRP779. There’s just something cool about a device powered solely by the motion of the human body, of gears whirring, springs winding, and weights swinging that a battery powered watch can’t capture. You might think I’m full of it, and that’s completely fair. My only rebuttal is that much like stropping a knife, inking a fountain pen, or really any gear maintenance, there’s a meditative quality to the upkeep that makes it not just palatable, but enjoyable.

Case/Crown

The stainless steel case is simple but distinctive. Cushion case divers are certainly in the tool watch category, and the SRP779 is no exception. The top of the case has a brushed finish in a circular pattern, while the underside was given a polish on par with a mirror. This two-tone finishing provides a touch of understated class to an otherwise function driven case (though it makes photography a bit frustrating). All of this is held together by a screw down caseback.

As a recent convert from the world of quartz, I didn’t realize the emphasis watch collectors place on the crown of a mechanical watch. After reflection, it makes sense: you’ll be interacting with a mechanical more frequently, so accessibility, traction, and (dare I say it) action are part and parcel of the tactile experience. The crown of the Turtle is – as best as I understand it – quite good. It’s located at just above 4 o’clock on the case, which keeps it from poking your wrist at odd angles. The machining is even and crisp. Winding the movement and setting the time are pleasant enough, all things considered, but I’m not qualified enough to say more than that.

Dial, Crystal, and Bezel

In many respects, the dial is the most striking feature of the Turtle. The black face of the dial is marked at five minute increments with raised pips, each of which is coated with Seiko’s Lumibrite paint. Dashes indicating minute marks are found on the chapter ring, which is at a 45 degree angle to the dial. There is a day/date function at 3 o’clock with a beveled window, and sword hands complete the package. The hands are polished along the edges with Lumibrite interiors. As much as I gripe about the height of the watch above, it’s the height that accommodates all of these features, so take my complaints with a grain of salt.

Two issues regarding the dial: first, most reviews note that the chapter ring is misaligned. I’m either dense, blind, or lucky, as I haven’t noticed that on my model. Second: unlike the original Turtle, the Lumibrite pip on the seconds hand is located not at the tip, but at the rear of the hand on the opposite side of the stem. It’s not so much a flaw as an oddity. Taken as a whole, however, the topography of the dial is gorgeous, especially for someone who thus far has only experienced painted numerals on flat surfaces.

Seiko uses their proprietary crystal, Hardlex, on the SRP779. The Turtle reissue is priced right around the point that sapphire crystal becomes feasible, but as Seiko uses Hardlex on four figure plus watches, I don’t know how much I can criticize them for using it here. Despite innumerable scrapes and dings, the crystal hasn’t picked up any visible scratches. It doesn’t have the shimmer that sapphire crystal does, but in the right light the Hardlex is practically invisible, which has a charm all of its own. The depth I mentioned above is absolutely entrancing when the crystal vanishes.

There are a number of color configurations available for the Turtle reissue, and the best known is likely the black & gold variant. It’s very handsome, and it does dress the watch up, but it’s not the configuration I chose. I’ve been on a couple dives, and hope to go on more, so I chose the blue and red variant. If those options are too colorful for you, there’s always the black and silver version. After several months of wear, there are a few points where the anodizing isn’t -quite- perfect, but you’d practically need a jeweller’s loupe to notice them. It’s not something that catches the eye with a casual glance to check the time.

The unidirectional dive bezel has actually proved quite useful. I use it to time samples at work, to set rest periods while exercising, to measure how long my commute takes, and countless other minor tasks. Rotating the bezel requires enough effort that accidental engagements are rare, but not so much effort that wet or sweaty hands couldn’t set it. The machining on the lip of the bezel (I’d hate to call something this polished “knurling”) adds visual interest and improves traction. Incidentally, the bezel is unidirectional so that if you are on a dive and accidentally shift the timer, you will only ever lose time. The last thing you want is to brush your watch against some equipment and end up thinking you’ve got fifteen minutes your oxygen tank can’t corroborate.

Strap

Up to this point, many of the pictures for this review have not featured the strap the watch came with, and you may be wondering if that’s a reflection on the quality of the strap. It isn’t. The rubber strap on my SRP779 is incredibly comfortable and doesn’t look or feel cheap. Yes, it’s rubber, but in the same way that a Nikon is made of plastic. I regularly switch between the stock strap and a NATO style nylon strap. When these photos were taken the weather was a little cooler, so I didn’t have to worry about sweat leeching into the strap. Now that my region is regularly hitting triple digits, the Turtle is rubber-clad once more. Readers should note that swapping the strap is made easier by drilled lugs.

Seiko SRP779 Review – Final Thoughts

Sometimes a purchase can represent a watershed moment in your understanding of quality. I’m sure most of us remember buying our first Spyderco or Benchmade after carrying nothing but swap meet specials. It was game changer, right? I’m not trying to imply that my prior watches were on the same tier as swap meet specials; rather, that the gulf in quality between those watches and the Turtle reissue is similarly vast. Due to my inexperience in the world of watches, I can’t make an informed comparison to other watches in this price bracket, but what I can say is that the Seiko Turtle has completely reset my expectations of quality. Hopefully that’s recommendation enough.

If you are thinking of buying a Seiko SRP779 (or the 777), please consider purchasing it at Amazon. By purchasing things through any of the links on this website you support BladeReviews.com, keep the website free of annoying banner ads, and help produce future reviews. Thank you very much.