Anyone else into automatic wristwatches?

[Fun Size Nick]

I try not to fake hack my 7s26-fitted watches. It just doesn't feel like it's good for the movement.

Yeah, that's my feeling on it too...whether it's actually stressing the movement or not, I don't like to feel like I'm fighting the mechanism.

@SlabBassDan those are some top notch mods! Nicely photographed.

 

[2saddleslab]

Yeah, that's my feeling on it too...whether it's actually stressing the movement or not, I don't like to feel like I'm fighting the mechanism.

@SlabBassDan those are some top notch mods! Nicely photographed.

Thank you, sir! Much appreciated.

 

[Downunderwonder]

What's the donk on X Files' Agent Miller's right wrist?

 

[HeavyDuty]

Just like bass guitars I can't help but mod the hell out of these Seiko SKX divers.

Very nice! I've been looking for a sterile dial for a very similar SKX mod - I have a plain Murphy bezel and a domed sapphire on hand for it now. All I've found is Ceracoated original dials on eBay. Can I ask where you found the plain dial or how you did it?

 

[2saddleslab]

Very nice! I've been looking for a sterile dial for a very similar SKX mod - I have a plain Murphy bezel and a domed sapphire on hand for it now. All I've found is Ceracoated original dials on eBay. Can I ask where you found the plain dial or how you did it?

Thanks!
I took an skx seiko dial, sanded it down to metal, and used textured black paint I had in the garage. The key is spraying light coats so you don't build it up too much. Did the same with the hands. Love the maximum use of minimalism. This one I did for a friend but just removed the lume from the hands and sanded them to get the brushed stainless finish.

 

[HeavyDuty]

Thanks!
I took an skx seiko dial, sanded it down to metal, and used textured black paint I had in the garage. The key is spraying light coats so you don't build it up too much. Did the same with the hands. Love the maximum use of minimalism. This one I did for a friend but just removed the lume from the hands and sanded them to get the brushed stainless finish.

That really turned out nice. I've been trying to decide between sterile black and white dials.

 

[Fun Size Nick]

I recently helped to clean out a dearly departed relative's house and came upon a box of old, cheap watches in various states of disrepair. Lo and behold, within that box were some lovely old Seikos, some with issues like cracked crystals or misaligned hands but they all look to be in good shape mechanically and will make good little projects for me to fix up. The most wear-ready was this 1971 Bell-Matic - the crystal still needs a bit of a polish, but I'm really happy with the way it looks on a new Hadley-Roma strap. Loving those chunky '70s lugs!

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

I wouldn't say I'm lazy, but I can't wear an automatic. It keeps running down.

 

[HeavyDuty]

My Blumo (Seiko blue Sumo) arrived last week, but I haven't had a chance to resize the bracelet yet. I'll post a pic once I do.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

I have this Eco-drive, gift from the wife.

 

[ZenG]

I've always liked automatics (i.e. self winders, not battery powered) but never did much about it. Recently I discovered that there's a vibrant market in economical automatics. I've been wanting to put the two good watches my late wife gave me away as keepsakes, so the timing of this realization was good. I picked up a few new watches using a slug of credit card loyalty points I had that were redeemable at Amazon.

I've decided to concentrate on Seiko automatics with the 4:00 position stem, they are decent quality and reasonably priced. I have four already and will probably stop there. Probably.

I don't have pics of all yet, but here are two:

SRP313 Monster ("vampire" variant):

View attachment 675894

SKX007 on a Strapcode Super Oyster II bracelet - this one is mod fodder, I'm changing the bezel insert to start:

View attachment 675895

Who else is into these silly things?

Sorry ...I didn't read all the pages in this thread yet.....

But I'm liking the idea....

I am so done with watch batteries.......they never last more than 2 months. Bah!!!....

 

[Downunderwonder]

My Blumo (Seiko blue Sumo) arrived last week, but I haven't had a chance to resize the bracelet yet. I'll post a pic once I do.

When you get around to it would you post comparison sizes of orange monster, turtle and blumo please?

 

[HeavyDuty]

When you get around to it would you post comparison sizes of orange monster, turtle and blumo please?

Sure - it won't be art, but let me see what I can do!

 

[Downunderwonder]

Sure - it won't be art, but let me see what I can do!

Art is 80% lighting, 19% composition, 1% wrist tan.

Subjective comments welcome also. I think I read a Turtle wears smaller than its case diameter would indicate.

 

[2saddleslab]

Art is 80% lighting, 19% composition, 1% wrist tan.

Subjective comments welcome also. I think I read a Turtle wears smaller than its case diameter would indicate.

It does wear smaller for a rather large watch. Too close to be a decent wrist shot but it might give you an idea on a 7.25" wrist. Super comfortable due to the case design and an overall great value.

 

[mrpackerguy]

Mine, the latest offering from Scurfa, a private watch maker, the Bell Diver 1 automatic

 

[Pilgrim]

Mine, the latest offering from Scurfa, a private watch maker, the Bell Diver 1 automatic

I like the visibility of that face. I find that being over 60, having a watch face with high dark/light contrast and legibility matters more than it used to.

 

[mrpackerguy]

I like the visibility of that face. I find that being over 60, having a watch face with high dark/light contrast and legibility matters more than it used to.

I have his other offering as well, the Diver One, and like you I need an easy to read face and the Diver One is perfect without having to don readers.

 

[Jeff Scott]

My two auto winders:

Photograph Copyright © Jeffrey P. Scott 2016 All rights reserved.

Photograph Copyright © Jeffrey P. Scott 2016 All rights reserved.

I know this almost goes against the concept of this thread, but any opinions on manually wound watches that they make nowadays?

Here is a great manual winder:

 

[champbassist]

I was looking for a simple workhorse of an automatic that wouldn't pinch my pocket too bad so, as soon as I found that Amazon India was stocking this Seiko SNK803, I got myself one -

It's beautiful (awesome lume and I couldn't do without a transparent caseback ), the accuracy is stellar for its price and it's a perfect size for my wiry wrists