Replacement Straps & Bracelets

I was chatting with a fellow watch enthusiast this morning, and he was interested to get a pair of Jubilee bracelet for his newly-purchased Seiko Turtle. I pointed him towards HK-based Strapcode, which I have made previous orders from although it was for different straps. The above Jubilee from Strapcode goes for USD80.

I have been purchasing many straps and bracelets from various OEM makers over the years; and one word of caution was that you need to take it with a pinch of salt when you were purchasing OEM straps and bracelets. It ain't so much issues with rubber and leather straps normally; but bracelets needed to be CNC-machined right to the very mm, so any small production variations could cause misfits to the case.

I have had to adjust spring lugs in order to accommodate such a circumstance. Sometimes, the seller would make good with replacement sets but at other times, they just ask you to re-send back to them at your own cost so the overseas courier would have made it less of a feasible proposition. So you may just cut your losses and source for a better bracelet elsewhere.

(Of course, it's always possible to get the SC to order a bracelet for your specific model, in which case, you would get a real fit minus the CNC-machining concerns.)

Background Face-Off : Isa vs Zakaria.

OEM bracelets : Solid clasps.

OEM bracelets : Solid end-links.

OEM bracelets : Solid end-links.

But then again, that's part of the fun in this watch hobby. You just try and do the best and get the best possible fit; and if it does not materialise, you could always try again. So good luck with sourcing for a well, even bracelet, mate!

My BALL Timepieces : Ball Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster Orbital II

Looking at the earlier picture of the watch case sizes in my frequently-worn pieces, I could see that I have settled rather comfortably within the <45mm genre. These sizes tend to be easier on the wrist, and would not feel like that watch was hampering one's activities. There were also less tendency to knock watches of these sizes against the elements, when one was up and about.

I have had my fool-hardy days, of course- when I was experimenting with Planet Ocean 45.5mm, BR01-97 46mm, SevenFriday P3 47mm, EcoZilla 48mm, Aqualand 53mm, etc. These watches were flipped over time as part of the catch-and-release process, as I learnt to get more comfortable ones to add into my collection.

The recent Submersible 47mm in titanium, showed that the watch case could still be large yet wear comfortably on the wrist as the heft was more controlled with the lighter construction.

(Which was a dilemma in itself, as I really liked my Pelagos Ti5 42mm but felt that it was just too light on the wrist; yet when I flipped it for my SD4k 40mm [which was heavier and thicker], it was just about my fave go-to watch size. So now, I'm experimenting with the reverse i.e. a larger piece but with lighter construction.)

This points towards a new direction in watch-collecting on my side, which I intended to try it out and see if it sticks.

Which brought me to the aforetitled piece. I have had 4 Ball watches in my collection over time- Fireman Night Train DLC 45mm (flipped), Engineer Hydrocarbon Mad Cow 42mm (flipped), Engineer II Genesis 125th Anniv 43mm, and the crown of the jewel in the Engineer Spacemaster Orbital II 45mm. More about this piece later...

I don't really have any loss feelings for the Fireman, but I do missed the Hydrocarbon for its superb built. 

The Genesis is a handsome piece, which I intended to keep on for collection given its historical significance as Ball's 125th anniversary-released LE.

Another piece that I almost added was the Engineer Hydrocarbon NEDU 42mm (to replace the Mad Cow); but somehow or another, the chance came and go but I didn't quite felt the urgency to grab it eventhough I chanced upon the NEDU at the boutique on a few occasions.

So to scratch that Hydrocarbon itch, I went the full route direct to the top-of-the-range Spacemaster Orbital II 45mm. 

Introduced during Baselworld 2014 and being of titanium construction, it should be wearable despite its bigger 45mm footprint; and professional reviewers had remarked on its robust yet comfortable titanium bracelet. This was a piece that was very elusive in the wild, no thanks to its RRP : USD5,999 price tag, which placed it above the normal threshold for more comfortably-priced Ball watches. Read on about this piece in an up-coming blog entry one of these days.

Look at the above picture and you could imagine what a marvel the Orbital II looked, spinning lazily in the watch winder in the still of the night, with it's many tritium micro-tubes like stars in the skies.

Surprisingly, there has only been a couple of professional reviews on this Orbital II online; and none as yet from an amateur watch hobbyist's standpoint. So there you have it, keep your eyes peeled hereabouts as there may be a personal review upcoming shortly.

(NB : And the funny coincidence was- Orbital II has micro-tubes for the nos. 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11 while Genesis has for 6, 9, 12 so placed together as a pair of Balls in the winder, one would have micro-tubes from 1 - 12 sans 3 for the Date position.)

Orbis Non Sufficit

I just realised that the Planet Ocean from Casino Royale had been sitting pretty in the winder for almost a full month now, with no opportunity to stretch its legs. With a watch that came from the James Bond fame, that made it a no-brainer that I should have it out and about this morning for some quick shakes; before it goes back to its JB den. Orbis Non Sufficit.

Ball Trainmaster?

Waiting at the train station that serves the infamous Kluang coffee and kaya toast, I just realised that it would have been a more befitting and romantic moment if I was sporting a Ball Trainmaster watch on my wrist. After all, the railroad history was closely linked to Ball's fortune and mission.

(Mental note to self : To get the Engineer ii Genesis for some wrist times back in KL later.)

Perhaps I'll get another appropriate Ball watch so that I'll have 2 Balls in my winder, for duo's company.

Oh well, I got back in time to slip on the Ball Genesis, for a quick spot of dinner appointment.

A Nerdy Time Enthusiast

After a week of holidays, I needed some time in isolation, to time back some of my watches back to the exact second in reference to the Malaysian atomic time. It took patience and concentration to do that, never easy when you have the kids around screaming for attention. But I persevered; and voila, it's done (pardon the one non-hacking movement). Nerdy yes, but that's just me.

I supposed that it's like the kids playing with fidget spinners. Somehow, I always find the act of winding a smooth mechanical movement to be a calming and therapeutic experience. There's a sense of achievement there, knowing that you are giving strength to the minute clockworks in there, such that they would continue to beat on for the next 40 hours or so. And watching the watches spin lazily in the watch winder, feels like some kind of nerd-genre meditation.

Mountain-Climbing With The G-Mudman

A spot of mountain-climbing to hunt for the cold waters of the spiralling waterfalls. Since there'd be lots of scrapping against the mossy and slippery rocks, I decided to wear the G-Mudman instead for better protection against the elements. A stainless steel watch would probably pick up quite a fair bit of battle wounds if ventured onto this grounds.

Let the climb begin.

One Week With the Prometheus Poseidon S/S

The week of holidays is drawing to an end, and we would be back to the hustle and bustle of KL city life tomorrow. Throughout the whole week, the Prometheus Poseidon had been a great wear during my snorkelling trips and boating around the islands here.

The domed sapphire crystal was nice to watch, and I liked the reflection it has in the waters. Bet the fishes that surrounded the Poseidon liked it lots too.

Do enjoy the pictures of this tough cookie at its natural setting admist the sun, sea and beach below :