Caliber 8L35 : SBDX023 & SBDX031

I am a Seiko fan, and I don't apologise for that. While my typical fanfare seemed to be Rolex and Omega watches, which also made good investment pieces for selected models; the ways to pick good watches seemed to be thrown out of the window when it came to buying a Seiko. 

With Seiko, the rule of the thumb seemed to be the following :

1) Caliber type;

2) Japan Domestic Model;

3) Colour, colour, colour.

For automatic hand-winding movements, Caliber 8L35 of Grand Seiko fame, would be the preferred movement. A step below would be the Caliber 6R15 that was used for mid-tier Seiko models such as Sumo and 62MAS. Another step below would then be the Caliber NH35/4R35 and Caliber NH36/4R36, which I loved to use in my Franken Mod pieces. Then, the most basic of all movements would go to the Caliber 7S26, which was non-hacking and non-handwinding.

Let's talk about the highly-regarded Caliber 8L35. 2 of the best models that one could buy from Seiko these days utilising this Caliber, were the following :

1) SBDX023 aka MM300

2) SBDX031 aka 6105 Turtle Re-issue

Both these models were Japan-made and sold intentionally. If these were meant for Japan Domestic Market only, then their collectibility would increase yet another notch in the eyes of the collectors. But then again, the Malaysian RRP was beginning from RM15,050 ono; so any further desirability would only push the prices further north and making them even harder to buy for the typical fanboy.

And coming in the classic black colour, these were watches that you could easily wear alongside any clothes in the wardrobe- no matter formal or casual.

I already have the SBDX023, and am building up a Franken Mod of the SBDX031. For the latter, I already have the homage case; and once the discontinued SBDX017 dial and handset got installed in that case, I dare say that we would have a winner here!

Watch Modders Anonymous

I received this e-mail earlier and it looked like having relative anonymity on our watch blog here was still the preferred modus operandi. I wouldn't want readers' spouses coming after me, grumbling about their horology hobby, would I?

In any case, I believed that the lady was referring to my Seiko Planet Ocean 007. I have written about this Franken Mod previously, and the 007 reference was not towards James Bond but towards the base watch i.e. the SKX007 case. It was a given fact that many modders liked to work on the SKX007 case as there were parts aplenty for the bezel, insert, sapphire crystal, etc.

In fact, Seiko had recently stopped production of the SKX007 admist groans from the watch modders communities; but third party companies e.g. Crystaltimes had started production of the equivalent cases so that we modders could continue tinkering with our own Franken Mod works.

Personally, give me a Seiko or 3rd-party case from the SKX007, Mon5ter, Sumo, etc and I would mix and match the necessary parts to create a Franken Mod of my own.

For movements, I preferred to have minimally the Seiko NH35/36 that had both hacking and hand-winding; while I had utilised  the more premium Seiko 6R15 on opportunities when I was able to get these at a good price.

For bezel inserts, ceramic was my preferred choice to avoid scratches and fading; but that too depended on the overall concept that I had in mind. Lumed bezel inserts were quite a nice touch too. The ones that I had been utilising were from Dagaz, DLW, and LCBI.

For dials and full hand sets, I have been mainly utilising Dagaz's as the lume was of good quality. Yobokies was also a good choice. Of course, whenever original MM300 dials and handsets were available, I had been stocking up on these too. Just Google for 28.5mm dials and one would be spoilt for choices as there were plenty of micro-brands and OEMs that were fun and cheap.

For sapphire crystals, stems, crowns, and case backs, I have no special preferences and would mix and match from various 3rd-party producers as long as the quality was acceptable to my standards.

Modding with good parts ain't cheap; and would most probably cost more than the RRP of a standard base watch like that of the SKX007, Mon5ter, Samurai, and Sumo. However, in return, you would get for yourself a watch that was created in accordance to your own taste and preferences.

For me, I enjoy the modding process so I derived satisfaction from the journey as well as the end result. Therefore, I would mod and flip off the Franken Mod pieces; and get more base watches to mod further. It's de-stressing for me, although some might find it distressing ;p

As for the Planet Ocean homage, just looked at both these watches compared like-to-like. While I have a few pairs of Omega Planet Ocean myself too, I derived more satisfaction from the one-of-a-kind that I have Franken Mod here, from the exterior parts right to the very movement.

So yeah, I did enjoyed the Seiko build as much as the Omega's. Had it been a typical Seiko SKX007 that everyone else had, then I guessed that it would not have brought as much enjoyment to me.

SOLD : 2019 Discontinued Blumo #033

I have more Franken Mods coming along, so I'm moving along some of these new builds to make room in the watch winders. Save yourself from the challenges of the mod process, and savour the Endgame result minus the wait for parts and headache.

Details as per the following :

- An Andywristwatches' Franken Mod collection.

- Movement : Seiko 6R15.

- Newly-bought for mod (but decided to use another base watch).

- Free Batman ceramic bezel and Nato strap.

- Letting go @ sold.

- COD @ Mont Kiara, or PosLaju courier.

Active adverts :

1) Rolex Daytona Diamond

2) 2019 Soxa Pepsi #007

3) 2019 Soxa Turtle #6105

4) 2019 Mon5ter Shark #37

5) 2019 Discontinued Blumo #033

6) 2019 Mon5ter Wave #481

7) 2019 Squale 20 ATMOS 1545 Classic

8) 2019 Seiko Mod Parts

SOLD : 2019 Mon5ter Shark #37

I have more Franken Mods coming along, so I'm moving along some of these new builds to make room in the watch winders. Save yourself from the challenges of the mod process, and savour the Endgame result minus the wait for parts and headache.

Details as per the following :

- An Andywristwatches' Franken Mod collection.

- Movement : Seiko NH35/36.

- Dagaz dial, Dagaz full handset, DLC bezel, with blue Z22 strap.

- Newly-built, no dings/dents/scratches, Zulu strap not included.

- Letting go @ SOLD.

- COD @ Mont Kiara, or PosLaju courier.

Active adverts :

1) Rolex Daytona Diamond

2) 2019 Soxa Pepsi #007

3) 2019 Soxa Turtle #6105

4) 2019 Mon5ter Shark #37

5) 2019 Discontinued Blumo #033

6) 2019 Mon5ter Wave #481

7) 2019 Squale 20 ATMOS 1545 Classic

8) 2019 Seiko Mod Parts

Withdrawn : 2019 SOXA Turtle #6105

Update : After changing the SOXA Turtle's strap to Dagaz's vintage tropical rubber strap, it just looked so matching that I had to hold onto the watch for a while more. Sorry to the interested buyers whom wrote in earlier.

I have more Franken Mods coming along, so I'm moving along some of these new builds to make room in the watch winders. Save yourself from the challenges of the mod process, and savour the Endgame result minus the wait for parts and headache.

Details as per the following :

- An Andywristwatches' Franken Mod collection.

- Movement : Seiko NH35/36.

- Dagaz dial, Dagaz full handset, ceramic bezel, sapphire crystal, with black Z20 strap.

- Newly-built, no dings/dents/scratches, Zulu strap not included.

- Letting go @ RM1.5k.

- COD @ Mont Kiara, or PosLaju courier.

Active adverts :

1) Rolex Daytona Diamond

2) 2019 Soxa Pepsi #007

3) 2019 Soxa Turtle #6105

4) 2019 Mon5ter Shark #37

5) 2019 Discontinued Blumo #033

6) 2019 Mon5ter Wave #481

7) 2019 Squale 20 ATMOS 1545 Classic

8) 2019 Seiko Mod Parts

SOLD : 2019 Soxa Pepsi #007

I have more Franken Mods coming along, so I'm moving along some of these new builds to make room in the watch winders. Save yourself from the challenges of the mod process, and savour the Endgame result minus the wait for parts and headache.

Details as per the following :

- An Andywristwatches' Franken Mod collection.

- Movement : Seiko NH35/36.

- Dagaz dial, Dagaz full handset, ceramic bezel, sapphire crystal, with black Z22 strap.

- Newly-built, no dings/dents/scratches, Zulu strap not included.

- Letting go @ RM1.5k.

- COD @ Mont Kiara, or PosLaju courier.

Active adverts :

1) Rolex Daytona Diamond

2) 2019 Soxa Pepsi #007

3) 2019 Soxa Turtle #6105

4) 2019 Mon5ter Shark #37

5) 2019 Discontinued Blumo #033

6) 2019 Mon5ter Wave #481

7) 2019 Squale 20 ATMOS 1545 Classic

8) 2019 Seiko Mod Parts

Reader's Question : Which Seiko To Buy?

I've probably written too many entries about Seiko of recent times, as I saw that quite a few e-mails  these days were queries on recommendations towards Seiko watches. There was a period that it was all about Rolex recommendations. It was much easier when it only involved Rolex, I would opined; as the models were controlled and one couldn't just stroll into the AD and buy the piece one wanted. One needed to woo the piece, so to speak.

Seiko, on the other hand, had been releasing so many newer models that it was getting harder to keep up with the releases. The pricing had also been moving up-market, although there were still many selections within the entry-level price bracket.

This Singaporean reader wanted to get the MM300 SLA021, but it was out-of-stock. So he asked what would be a good piece to purchase to scratch the itch, in the meantime. From the few models that he proposed, I would point towards the MM1000 Darth Tuna and Blumo. 

Both these watches enjoyed cult status amongst Seiko fans, and ranked high in the collectivity. With the initial MM300 budget that he had in mind, he could possibly get both these pieces together if he so desired.

The Sumo G3 could also be a good choice, if he could wait on for another 2 month or so. These had some differentiation from the Sumo G2, and would likely be well-received by the Seiko community too. To me, the sapphire upgrade was reason enough to upgrade, at the right price range of course.

And if the reader was adventurous enough, then I would suggest that he go on the modding route and create his own versions of the Seiko watches that he so desired. With Seiko, anything was possible!

I've been modding quite a few pieces of late, and it had definitely been fun doing so.

Seiko MarineMaster 300 : The Real McCoy, Franken Mod, and Homages

The Real McCoy

Readers would know that I have great respect towards the MM300 and MM1000 range. Their pricing tend to be nearer to the mid-level Swiss counterparts, which was also the reason that many new collectors might not pick them up as they were more used to the RM1k - RM3k Seiko range.

To have just a Seiko e.g. the latest MM300 i.e. SLA021 pictured above, at a RRP : RM15,050 was just too much to apprehend for some collectors. I used to be one of them, actually.

However, the MM300 could certainly held its own candle when compared to the rest of its counterparts. Never mind the mid-level competitors e.g. Tag Heuer, Tudor, etc, let's take a look at these pictures comparison placed by a Seiko fan on the Net. He was comparing his MM300 against his Rolex SD43 and DSSD Blue.

Make no mistake. The MM300 was a piece with real wrist presence. A collector picked up 2 pieces of new SLA021 from me at 34% discount from retail over the weekend; and updated me that he loved the watches. One for wearing, and one for the BNIB collection status. Looks like reading this blog could spread the buy-2-pieces-1-for-wearing-1-for-keeping-new poison ;p

If there was a weakness in the MM300, it would be that of its bracelet. It was just not up to the Rolex and Omega range as yet. That's the reason that I tend to go with Isofrane or leather strap with the MM300 todate.

Franken Mod

I loved modding watches, particularly Seiko as these were cheap and cheerful and with parts aplenty. However, I have not ventured into modding the MM300 as the mono block construction was very different from the run-off-the-mill Seiko case construction. The shape rear case looked similar to the shape of the Sime Darby logo, no?

I have purchased many MM300 dials- the ones that I loved and used sparingly were the genuine SBDX017 dials and full handsets. I have utilised these for one of my Sumo projects @ http://andywristwatches.blogspot.com/2019/01/franken-mod-seiko-summo.html. I also have homage MM300 dials from micro brands but the genuine ones were the cream of the crop.

A quick Google on Seiko mods using the genuine MM300 dial would easily churned out SKX007,  Turtle, Samurai, etc. But you won't find many pictures of modders doing the deed on the actual MM300.

Homages

There were many homages of the MM300 in the market. These were also constructed of the mono block construction but with the more common NH35 movement instead of Grand Seiko-grade 8L35 movement. Prices tend to be circa RM1k - RM3k. There were some that utilised the ETA and Seagull movement too.

I recently touched base with a Seiko fan, whom bought a MM300 homage and added an anchor logo on the sterile MM300 dial. 

He shared with me on the method to access the movement, and it seemed viable. And given that it was a bronze case and Seiko did not have a MM300 in bronze case, I was game for a Franken Mod to transplant a genuine SBDX017 dial and handset into the homage case. Since the mod would be a desk diver, it seemed that the 300m WR would not be a main issue to worry about.

I contacted the seller and it seemed that the bronze case were all sold-out. However, the next batch was in production and I would be in line for a purchase from the new batch. The seller however, had the stainless steel case ready in stock, so I thought that I would purchase a set for the initial practise and trial.

However, I didn't want the Franken Mod to look exactly like the genuine MM300 that I had. I wanted it to be more special. Same same but different. So I discussed with the seller and he would assist to have mine with the LCBI bezel that I had on my SuMMo.

So keep your eyes posted on the upcoming posts when I would write about the first impressions of the homage piece, and the subsequent mod job.

Fun times ahead :)