daily slice-of-life photo blog of a Gen-X dad
Mariko and I are traveling to Italy for several days and I have decided to take my Seiko chronograph watch this time. I usually take my Seiko SKX007 dive watch, but thought I’d switch it up. 😄
The other day, I put the original watch band that came with my Seiko SXK007 back on. I had removed it when I first got the watch because it was so hard and uncomfortable, replacing it with a variety of NATO/Zulu bands, which I liked.
Recently, I read a review about the original band saying it just takes a few days to break in and then it’s fine. And it’s true! It’s still hard, but now that it is holding its round shape, it is very comfortable and I like the classic dive-watch look. I think I’ll keep it like this for a while. 😀
For my birthday, I treated myself to a new watch: the Casio Baby-G BGD-501-1JF. I’ve always thought Baby-Gs (women’s version of the G-Shock) were really cool ever since Mariko had one back when I first met her in the late 90s, and lately I’ve seen the G-Shock black-out version which looks really cool. However, it’s a large watch for my 6.75-inch wrist (plus I have a couple other large watches already).
Enter the Baby-G version of the black-out watch. It’s pretty much the same design except in a slightly smaller package. I think it’s the perfect size for my wrist! And like the big brother G-Shocks, this particular Baby-G has 200-meter water resistance (most Baby-Gs have 100-meter). It also has the little wire guard that should offer more protection from scratches.
There are a couple of cons to the Baby-G, though. First, the display is a bit hard to read sometimes. That’s just a tradeoff for having a black-out style. Secondly, the light doesn’t stay on long enough. I think it should stay on for at least three seconds, but this Baby-G’s light stays on for only one. Not a huge deal, but still annoying.
All in all, I love my new watch. It’s definitely the most comfortable watch I own (even compared to my lighter Casio W800H-1AV). It sits so well on my wrist that I often forget I am wearing it and wake up to realize that I’ve worn it all night. That would never happen with my beloved Seiko SKX-007. 😁
To make room for the new watch, I have put an older Casio I have up for sale. No takers so far, but we’ll get it sold someday!
I put this “Onthelevel” suede watchband on my Seiko SNDA27 chronograph and I think it’s the most comfortable watchband I have ever used. I think it also looks great! The brown leather leans towards orange, and matched the seconds hands on the watch nicely. The outside of the watchband is very soft and the look changes slightly depending on which direction the suede has been brushed. Although new, it looks immediately “lived in” and it gives the watch a cool vintage look. The inside of the watchband is a smoother texture, but still very soft and comfortable. I think this surface is more durable and a good design choice.
The green/orange version of the Seiko Chronograph wasn’t my first color choice (I wanted the now hard-to-find black/red SNDA57 version), and so the watch has been on the second tier when I choose which watch to wear. But with the new watchstrap, I have fallen in love with the Seiko, and I’ve been wearing it for the past week.
Another thing I like about the watchband is that it is not a NATO/Zulu style strap. With those types of straps, the band threads through one watch pin, then under the watch itself, then under the other pin, so your skin never touches the back of the watch. But the suede watchband is a standard type which attaches to the pins, so I can feel the metal watch on my skin, and that feels good! It also means the watch is not as thick as when you use a NATO/Zulu strap. Very nice!
The only criticisms I have about this strap are that the stays (the loops) could be a millimeter or two wider, and I wish the buckle had a brushed or matte surface to match my watch. But those are just small things.
I’m now thinking of getting another suede watchstrap for my smaller Seiko SNK809 watch. The strap is just that comfortable to me. However, I am not considering using a suede strap on my Seiko SKX007 watch, as I feel that dive watches should not have leather watchstraps. That’s a bit of purist thinking, but it just feels right to me. 😄
Today I received a new watchband in the mail. The ZOVNE Watch Band is a one-piece nato-style strap, made from a nylon seat belt-like material. It’s very comfortable and I think the weave pattern looks sharp. I got the black with grey edging which matches nicely with the lumed hour markers on the Seiko SKX007. The brushed metal hardware also nicely matches the case of the Seiko.
“New Watchband” Cedar Park, 2019
Besides being extremely comfortable, the durable seat belt material is thin and folds relatively sharply so the loop-back which is common to nato straps doesn’t look bulky at all. I was planning on trimming the strap and not looping it back under the stay, but it’s thin enough where it’s almost unnoticeable.
I like the look of my older Zulu strap, with its large hardware, but the canvas material lost its softness and it’s now uncomfortable to wear for long. I’m happy to switch over to the seat belt material, though. It’s a great combination of style and comfort. Recommended!
