Tag: watches

New Watch

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO3200
 “Apple Watch” Cedar Park, 2023

My family gave me an Apple Watch for Christmas, which was totally unexpected. It’s fun to use! I like playing with the different watch faces, and the functionality is nice. I like to be able to see the weather conditions mostly, and the sunrise/sunset times.

I’ve also worn it while running, but since I use Strava on the phone, the watch is there just to see my heart rate (out of curiosity). But the first time I went running with it, it was very distracting, with pings and dings and other stuff. When I run, I like to just zone out and listen to music or my own breathing, so the constant alerts were pretty annoying. I’ve since added a “Run” focus mode that disables everything except calls and messages from family and that solves that problem. Yay!

Snoopy Baseball Watch

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X-E4, 27mm, f/2.8, 1/100 sec, ISO1250
 “Snoopy Watch” Cedar Park, 2022

I bought a new watch: the Timex Snoopy Baseball Weekender. As MLB’s spring training gets underway, I got excited about purchasing this watch which I have been looking at for a long time. It’s not expensive, but the level of joy it sparks is way up there! I mean, who doesn’t love Snoopy?

I replaced the red strap with a black and grey strap, and it looks great. I’m looking forward to enjoying wearing the new watch for years to come.

New Watch – Casio Baby-G BGD-501-1JF

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Photo info: Apple iPhone 12 mini, 4.2mm, f/1.6, 1/30 sec, ISO500
 “Baby-G” Cedar Park, 2021

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!

Comfy Suede Watchband

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Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/30 sec, ISO6400
 “Suede Watchband” Cedar Park, 2020

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.

Photo info: FUJIFILM X100T, 19mm, f/5.6, 1/45 sec, ISO6400
 “Suede Watchband” Cedar Park, 2020

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. 😄