Watchlords

So, after four fucking weeks, my Seiko has finally arrived. I've bought it from Rob aka Robokies, a Seiko dealer and modder from the Netherlands. Normally, the watch would have been here sooner, if not for the fucking corona. The worst shipping intermediary, B2C Europe, was the only option for Rob to send out the watches with a pickup service. Regrettably, the proper shipping companies like DPD or UPS just piss on the small entrepreneurs, and usually refuse to offer a pickup service if the client doesn't ship, say, 100 parcels per month. Once Rob shipped it, it was out of his hands, so I don't blame him. I do, however, want to convey my heartfelt hate for B2C Europe - may crooked pricks grow on their fucking graves.

As for the watch... It's an SNXS79:

That dial is, IMO, simply the best that Seiko has to offer in their most affordable range. It's a dark grey sunburst - at some angles and lighting it can look black, at some it turns a lovely metallic slate grey. In a way, it reminds me of the 62MAS, though perhaps also of the MACV-SOG.

The case is all polished, with a Hardlex on both sides. Has something of a "bubbleback" profile:

It doesn't feel top-heavy. It's relatively light, with short lugs, and 37mm in diameter. Decent sizing, I'd say.

The case feel solid, but the bracelet is of the rattly, tin-like kind. Don't get me wrong, it's nowhere near as bad as the stock bracelets from Vostok, but that hardly makes it good. Flat pins, ordinary snap-on clasp. The Seiko marquee finishing on the clasp is industrial, borderline shitty:


The 7S26 inside looks OK. Surely the finishing looks better in the metal than in photos, so I won't even bother to photograph it. Everyone knows the 7S26. The rotor's noisier than in the Vostok 2416B, but it's not loud. Seen (and heard) louder 2824s. The Seiko 5s made for the EU market usually have a day wheel in English and French. Here, it's English and...Arabic. What the fuck? Anyway, I've just ordered a takeaway kebab.

If Foggy was here, and I sincerely hope that someday he will be again, he'd ask: howz da loom?
Well...

Pretty fucking powerful. Gives the Vostok a run for its money.

All in all... Yeah, the bracelet's not great, and the lugs are - for fuck's sake - 19mm. The day wheel is in Kebabscript and English, so English it is for me. No, it's not the height of finishing, and according to the sticker I peeled off of the caseback, it's hecho en fucking Cathay. However...With that case, dial, hands and lume, I really fucking love it. As Mr. Spock would say, this is illogical. But that's the way it is.

Good job, Mr. Bloke. The Seiko 5er is one of those headscratchers in This Thing of Ours. I've been wearing my SKX for over a month straight, all stock, with it's strange jubilee bracelet, which should be utter shit to wear, but isn't at all bad. And the 7S movement is so efficient, you can sit on your ass all day, and as long as you get up to get a refill of coffee or have a pee, it'll stay wound.

I've owned one or two 5ers with the English/Arabic day wheel; I assume they were gray market, and were meant for the Middle East market. But the 5ers have all been good, the ones I've owned, and so absurdly cheap to buy it makes one wonder how Seiko made a dime making them.

Great pics, too.

That’s a great looking watch and the 5’s are part of the reason why I love Seiko. Such amazing value for the price. Congrats.

Very nice!

The Seiko 5 is one of the best bang for the buck watches you can get - with the exception of the bracelet.

Nice none the less - great pick up.

I like that dial!

As for the bracelet, you saved plenty of money on the watch so you can afford to get a really nice replacement.

I think that watch would look great with a black leather or rubber strap.

Lovely, that dial shimmers just like the one on my '68 DX, which actually came as a Seiko 5 at some point according to the catalogues.








Nice score Mikey.

bobbee wrote: ↑

May 13th 2020, 9:20am

Lovely, that dial shimmers just like the one on my '68 DX, which actually came as a Seiko 5 at some point according to the catalogues.








Nice score Mikey.

Nice DX. Speaking of the 1960s, I've just picked up a German-made repro of the M65 jacket.

conjurer wrote: ↑

May 13th 2020, 7:59am

Good job, Mr. Bloke. The Seiko 5er is one of those headscratchers in This Thing of Ours. I've been wearing my SKX for over a month straight, all stock, with it's strange jubilee bracelet, which should be utter shit to wear, but isn't at all bad. And the 7S movement is so efficient, you can sit on your ass all day, and as long as you get up to get a refill of coffee or have a pee, it'll stay wound.

I've owned one or two 5ers with the English/Arabic day wheel; I assume they were gray market, and were meant for the Middle East market. But the 5ers have all been good, the ones I've owned, and so absurdly cheap to buy it makes one wonder how Seiko made a dime making them.

Great pics, too.

The SKX bracelets are held together by split pins (AKA cotter pins). I've been shortening an SKX bracelet once, it seemed to be of the decent kind.
As for the second language of the day wheel being in Arabic, it has me perplexed. Back in the 1980s, the day-date Seikos (a lot of them 5s) sold in the Middle East had the day wheel in English and French. At least that was the case with two 5s that my grandfather bought for himself and my father while working in Baghdad in '83.

bbattle wrote: ↑

May 13th 2020, 8:35am

I like that dial!

As for the bracelet, you saved plenty of money on the watch so you can afford to get a really nice replacement.

I think that watch would look great with a black leather or rubber strap.

I really am enjoying the dial. Believe you me, Mr. Battle, the pictures don't do it justice, however overused this phrase may be. Concerning the bracelet - for now, after half a day of wear, it's not uncomfortable. Sure, it's rattly, but it's nowhere near the Vostok kind of bad.
As I've said, the lugs are 19mm, but I might ask a friend of mine to arrange a 19mm from Graf or Fluco.

That is a nice clean Seiko... I like it a lot.

That’s a fine watch, Mr. Bloke. Can never go wrong with a 5.

That’s a fine watch, Mr. Bloke. Can never go wrong with a 5.

This guy put on a $16 Aliexpress oyster bracelet that looks pretty good.

(Silver middle polish - 19mm, use OEM endlinks and clasp)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32881540114.html

Racer-X wrote: ↑

May 13th 2020, 6:05pm

This guy put on a $16 Aliexpress oyster bracelet that looks pretty good.

(Silver middle polish - 19mm, use OEM endlinks and clasp)
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32881540114.html

Not to cecil the thread - not a bad video and the bracelet he chose goes great with the watch (actually is making me thinking about seriously look for one)

nice

That's Seiko's best looking 5 in their catalog IMO and I've had several 7s26 caliber watches over the years and have never been disappointed with any of them.

Thanks to Mr. dotcom]'s bump, I get to take a second look at this one - and I have to say that it looks better than it has any right to for the money. Damned handsome.

Classic 5 Mr. Bloke.