FWIW any of the stock straps on watches in this price range will weather pretty fast, especially if you’re in a humid climate.
San Martin makes some and Parnis used to one that looked almost identical to the Seiko you posted, just with a black dial instead (like the IWC it’s modeled after). Either would probably be 38mm+ though.
I’ve checked those before buying the Seiko SNK809K.
If I buy another watch soon it won’t be automatic. These are just too much princesses to me.
I ordered a battery for my CK K2181, if it’s working I’ll make a new strap, the rubber ones are crap.
Also ordered a Ronda movement for my Traser P5900, I’ll try to follow a youtube vid and just change the coil as I don’t want to change hands.
I guess I should order a loupe, too
I like field watches, sub 40mm, I’d prefer if I could forget battery swaps and I don’t want another mechanic, maybe kinetic but they seem a bit epensive.
Yes, that’s a good one even though I’m a bit sad that I can find the ALBA APBT 211 only on youtube anymore.
Anyways, my CK is ticking again, now I just need new tiny screws from a watchmaker so I can make straps for it.
I told her the Seiko 5 would stop on my wrist so she took it started to wind it.
This watch doesn’t have handwinding I said, she smiled at me, Oh sure it does.
It was just empty, now it will work.
I also had a screw of the CK watch with me, she said she’d need the watch to order new screws.
When I came home I checked the Seiko in a quiet moment and realized that the rotor doesn’t swing as free as it should and that it makes a loud noise that it didn’t do when I got it. I tried it another time on my wrist but it stopped again.
So I’ve found a watchmaker who can’t/doesn’t want to use a calliper to check a screw and who winds a watch without a handwinding feature, not to mention who doesn’t realize the rotor is not ok.
Seems I haven’t found a watchmaker who’s doing their job by heart in Switzerland, yet, so I have to take the watch to Germany when I go to see my parents the next time.
That’s ridiculous, all but the very newest Seiko 5s all use 7S26 which has never had hacking or handwinding, incredible that a watchmaker wouldn’t be able to at least feel that the watch isn’t winding as the crown is turned.
Well I guess when a watch is not a $1,200 Rado or a somethousand Rolex or whatever then this watchmaker just doesn’t give a shi…lling.
I came there as the cheap customer who even wanted to make his own watch band, no business to make she thought.
So if I’ll ever go to buy a watch in a real world shop I know which one to avoid.
I feel like a pro. Ok, semi-professional as I followed these instructions:
I planned to replace the $5 movement on my $160-$200 Traser P5900 (I got it for $108 long ago).
The plastic case has no removable movement holder ring and I had no luck removing the unhardened scratch collector (read: bezel)
so I changed the coil and the metal parts from the Ronda 505 movement I’ve ordered.
Now it bugs me that on this El Cheapo movement the second hand jumps in sometimes small, sometimes big steps.
The horologic virus is growing stronger I assume, my watch budget sadly does not
No question this time. I’m just proud a bit that following the video above I managed to repair my Traser Type 3.
Couldn’t remove the movement as a whole so I decided to change the coil, the screws and some plates from the new mov’t to the old one.
The watch is ticking but after having that Seiko 5 the watch face and the sub-optimal ticking of the second hand on the Traser makes me wanna buy another watch someday soon. I’ve had my coin virus, knife virus, now I have a smashed penny virus (to make stamps for leather embroidment) and maybe a slight watch virus.
But as always, I can accept just to buy things, first I have to repair them, later I start modifying.
New straps? Done! Anodizing the back of a Skagen to see if it’s titanium? Done! New watch face and crystal? Maybe some day
Over the last 30 years I purchased an Omega Sea Master , then a Rado , A tissot Chronograph . a Panerai and a Concord Impresario .
Then I went completely of the rails and bought a Rolex Submariner in two tone gold and stainless . At that point I dropped out of watches for a quite a few years and returned to buy a couple of Eterna Kon Tiki’s , 3 Glycine watches , a couple of Deep Blue diver watches, and a Laco aviator watch ( I can’t swim and donl’t know how to fly )
I have a bunch of other inexpensive watches .
Since I retired about 15 years ago I have no need to wear a watch . I have 3 grown sons who think an Apple watch is a real watch and are not interested in fine time pieces.
Looking back I should have invested that money and bought a Timex.