It's been a while

Just a little post to status update.

I pulled the trigger on a Tudor Heritage Black Bay Black (BBB). Always wanted one in the burgundy red bezel but when this was introduced recently... It was a tough decision.

Looks good formally & casually.

Thanks again to Kambo for his "VIP" input! Jangan jara, mana tau ada lagi ;-D

Funny story that...

Eyeaaah... Not funny haha but funny hmm. Remember my last post... Funny thing that. How things transpire to completely go in the opposite direction of what you intend to do, under the premise of buying the perfect birthday gift for oneself, came the search for a more "dressier" watch. Before I go any further let me show some images as preliminaries to what eventually ensued. 

A Seiko has excellent finish & movement, but it's always a case of acquiring something with the head (by that I mean the Cerberus & not the penile kind) and not the heart. Therefore with sensibilities still in mind & a pocket full of greenbacks, a Rolex DateJust would be a more interesting acquisition. Or so I thought. Having seen both the 36mm & 41mm, I've come to the conclusion that (for me at least) it's either too small (see pic above, it looks dainty to me) on the 36mm, or too large (no small part due to the thicker bezel & lugs) on the 41mm. What a shame, the model with the champagne dial is exceptional. Has an instant vintage vibe to it. 

So my fantasy of reliving the DateJust my dad had (albeit with white dial) was not to come to fruition. The DayDate at 40mm with well proportioned lugs & smoothed casing wears so much nicer. Sadly, the pocket of wads was only a fraction of what is required to gain entry in to the world of the "president" let alone the issues of wearing gold on the grounds of faith & not forgetting the sheer heft of precious metal. My ultimate Rolex would have been a yellow gold DayDate with gold dial. 

So we move on to the synonymous Rolex, the Submariner no date. A handsome devil but as I currently already own two dive watches (even though they are both not in the same league as a Sub), the Cerachrome bezel, 904L stainless steel & blue lume seems not enough reasons to justify adding it to my collection (at least for now...), when compared to the cons of the dial looking too similar to my GMT, sharp edges & the thicker lugs. Admittedly the black cerachrome looks sharp, and seeing it on a Sea Dweller I was seriously contemplating it in my head. The lugs looks better proportioned but the only niggle, which is a major issue, is the way the case back is designed a little bulbous making it sit too high on the wrist. Had it been a Sub with a green bezel & green dial, I shudder to think if I dared to scrape the piggy bank to make it mine! 

We finally arrive to the darling that came home with me. This wasn't even in the immediate radar like the sea dweller but the opportunity presented itself and after seeing that Z-blue dial (which can only be described as the most amazing vintagey sun-burst blue color with a hint of green, which has to be seen to be appreciated & believed), the more agreeable proportions and most importantly, a price that is hard to pass up. The fact that it looks different from any of my current watches, has that funky orange second hand & green sapphire crystal, the deal was set even before money exchanged hands, and needing additional top up!

So there you have it. A perfect example of how plans can change with the introduction of an "unforeseen outlier". Many thanks to Mr VIP aka Kambomambo for conceding 1st choice to me on account of my birthday and all. Remember, that is the small event that caused all this hoopla. The Millgauss (no special name christening as yet) marks my 1st ever brand new Rolex. The GMT Master II being the 1st Rolex but pre-owned, which I still adore btw. I wonder how long I can last till the next itch comes along...

Setting my sights for the next wrist adornment

As much as I'd love to get my hands on a Tudor Pellagos or an Omega Seamaster .... (Too many to choose from). The price of admission is not something I can simply throw caution into the wind like certain individuals. Forget about another Rolex, a DateJust is no longer entry level. Even a lowly Oyster Perpetual cost more than a Tudor. Second hand? Forgetaboutit! Rolex resell values, go figure! Need to get lucky again for that one. Even waiting for annual bonus is not in the cards anymore with a pitiful 1/2 month payout. More likely it will go to "not so mini me"'s education expenses. 

So where do we (me) go from here? I've looked at all manner of "homage" replicas. They are interesting and looks handsome, especially a Steinhart, but ultimately it's not the real thing. There is an interesting Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro 600. Looks less of a homage piece, nice shiny ceramic bezel (especially in red surprisingly. Also available in black, green or blue color). Bit of an unknown quantity though, plus it's kind of massive for my slightly under 7" wrist. How about a citizen? Bleh, not my style. Or a Diving sports automatic from Orient? Mmmm... It looks great but I'd rather have something with a hack / manual winding movement. If the "Pepseikola" pure automatic movement is anything to go by, it can drive me up the wall having to, for want of a better description, "Wank" it into life & charge it "vigorously". Not something I'd like to do in public. Somebody exclaimed Grand Seiko? Seriously, have you seen the prices? I might as well go for a Tudor for that kind of money. An in-house Swiss calibre carries more cachet.

Not touching fakes. Might as well buy a quality established brand. Maybe I should broaden my sights beyond a sports watch. A dress watch in a similar vein to a DateJust. Longiness perhaps? Emm nothing really pops out other than something with a perpetual calendar. Cost serious money though, plus you'll always be comparing it to the real kahuna Patek Philippe. I'd probably can't live with a leather strap either. Hey, look at the Tag Heuer F1 with a rubber strap, it's hardly getting any wrist time at all. I want... need, a quality steel strap / bracelet. 

Just when I thought I'm going nowhere, something caught my eye. It ticks all the right boxes except for one niggle, which really shouldn't be one. Here's a clue, 6R15. That's all I'm going to say for now. Need more research & dwell time to see if it really is the one, not to mention available for physical scrutiny before purchase.

Random musings

That Tudor Palagos is looking more & more tasty every time I see it. Wouldn't mind the one in blue to match the blue lume. Doesn't look too big, should've tried it on. How much is it again...? Now that Black Bay with red bezel also looks smart :-\

SWISS MILITAIRE-H516AI+D515AI

Amy one familiar with this?

Twas passed down from my uncle who served in Germany & Switzerland and gave it to my dad. Now from my dad to my son. Needs new batteries, therefore not an automatic but rated to 10 Atm. Swiss made. I can't find any in the interwebs an exact one with this purplish/violet dial.

Call it like it is

Our like you see it...

Pepseikola©®™

The Seiko SKX009 Automatic Diver's watch christened as such by me due to its bezel & Manufacturer. All rights reserved. Note, SKX007 is the same model but comes with an all black bezel as opposed to the more popular blue & red "Pepsi". 

What's to like? Well, there's the obvious "Pepsi" bezel, the "jubilee" strap (which I much prefer than the "manly" looking rubber strap), day & date complication, well made from solid stainless steel construction, and most importantly, it's cheap & looks good to boot. Looks smart in office attire, suits casual togs too & you can dive/swim with it. Shock horror! What will they think of next?!

Looking beyond the obvious traits, you can only truly tell how well made a watch is by comparing it with other makers. Not a fair comparison in this case but my only significant other (no pun intended) is the TAG F1 which is a quartz movement & has a rubber strap.

The Pepseikola appears to have a smaller dial even though on paper specification states it having 42mm as opposed to the Coke's smaller 40mm. Even its "fat lady" moniker still doesn't fit in my opinion unless you're judging it purely on the overall diameter alone.

Other points worth nothing: I like the quirky SKX edition trademark position of the crown, complete with guards. It doesn't feel as precision made in operation compared to a Rolex but it does the job with no problems; The Lume looks massive and indeed bright in the dark; The day markers are in black font color but on "Sat" it's blue & "Sun" it's red, which is a nice touch; The strap jingles but I've come to terms with that on the Coke & I find it quite endearing. I do feel like a cat though when my hand is moving about or when I need to adjust it on my hand. Good way of attracting attention to yourself if you're into that sort of thing. Poor cats, stealthy animals shouldn't have a bell put on them as they need to "hunt" prey. Us humans just do it for our convenience so we know where they are. I digress... And if you must really know, the movement is 7S26-0020 with 21 Jewels movement.

Pepseikola has a surprising amount of heft. Most of it top heavy due to the thicker chassis & makes it feel just as heavy. Certainly the finish quality is not in the league of a Rolex but for the price, it's pretty damn good in my humble opinion. At a glance I'm sure there will be many uninitiated that will mistaken it for a Rolex from the bezel & strap alone. That certainly happened on the 1st day I wore it to work. There's no denying though the substance of the Coke. It's akin to comparing a Lexus with a Merc. A Merc will always feel more substantial from the "bank vault" feel of the doors opening & closing, and the sheer "hewn from solid" feel while traveling on the road. It's not that the Pepseikola (or even the Lexus) is  not well made, which it undeniably is, a Rolex (& Merc) is the pinnacle from which everything else is judged against.

In this case, I'd have me a Lexus, for different reasons from the above. But for the timepiece, I'd take both because the Seiko costs next to nothing compared with a Rolex, and we all know we want one too! The Pepseikola makes a welcome addition to my "small" collection (of three!), since acquiring a Submariner  no-date variant is not in the cards for me any time soon, unless an older model comes along at an "accessible" purchase price, which probably would suit my wrist better. That list also includes a BLNR, older stainless steel Day-Date or Date-Just with fluted bezel & jubilee strap. Not an exhaustive list I might add but I digress... again! Maybe I should get a matching set with the other SKX007 😜 but with the "president" strap. Until next time. Toodles.

Happy Eid

Seikolala

Have recently been looking at Seiko's. Yes most are cheap but amongst the best of them are within rollie pricing territory. Apparently their best are coined Grand Seiko (GS), with accuracy that betters COSC certified chronometers. Finishings and mechanicals apparently are equal to or better than those many times their price point.  Apparently their drive reminds me of the anality of Lexus. Have a google for Grand Seiko to find out more <--- I care not to spell it out here.

Yes, it has caught my attention, but is that enough to pull the trigger on a GS? Yes, I do have a GS of a different kind, but this GS is something to behold especially the models that has caught my eye - SBGE001, SBGA029, SBGA031 <--- more pics on that later. Funnily enough it kinda resembles rollies that I am into. Unfortunately the size of those models are not for the feint of heart. It is bigger and brawnier than your typical rollie. But it is within specs that I like ... so that's good.

More on Seikolala next time... till then, may time keep you hard! haha

Is it or is it not? ...Are we there yet?

As our neighbours celebrate tomorrow, I predict that we here won't just yet. Why? Well, my very limited understanding of the matter and other folks in the same boat say that telescopes used are either broken, mata rabun, faktor usia yada yada yada. Apparently there is a real good reason why - hisab rukyah. Whatever that means right... but there we go not today but tomorrow.  

Either way, peace out! Happy fasting and a safe and blessed Eid peeps! Oh and sorry internals and externals! <--- whatever that means right... kekeke

Handsome tools

My current preoccupation at the moment. 

The collection of combs, beard oil & particularly water based pomades are bordering on, I might as well open a samples shop. I'm not going to show the whole collection as I'm too embarrassed! So I'll show some only...

Freak weather yesterday

Carnage as shared via social media

I was actually on the road at the time but thankfully was not involved in any major calamity. When I set off the sky looked bright overcast but when I was returning evil looking dark clouds were looming. Even the heavy Merc C200 was literally wobbling on the road being blown by the heavy winds. Construction barriers were strewn all over the road at the new jerudong-rimba link road.

Short holiday

From 6th till 14th July. To hopefully do diddley squat. Fasting month is probably not an ideal period to take holidays as working times are shorter but it seems like this is the only time I can take leave. Have to be thankful, it's better than not being able to take any leave at all.

Neptune seafood Resturant

Lobster in garlic sauce 😋 amongst other things... Selera sungkai. 

Hello...

The magic letter "t" at the end makes for a potentially more friskier engine hopefully with a much healthier dose of torque than the silky smooth 250 V6. However, would the 4 pot still sound as sonorous at full chat?

MB&F HM

I have to admit I kinda like these horological masterpieces. I mean, how can you not be enthralled by the twin jet like shapes of the HM4 razzle dazzle double trouble. The left crown on the HM6 space pirate below, does nothing but to open & close an internal metal shutter in the center dome. 

I think I'm fascinated by their, "nothing to do with watch" novelty. However I can't see myself wearing these chunky munkys, at least not after the novelty factor has worn off. Not to mention be able to afford the super car price tags!

I can't imagine what goes on in the mind of the fellow who came up with the idea, and built a automaton in the Jaquet Droz Charming Bird Final Version Watch Hands-On With Singing Bellows either.

It twirls, it flaps, it tweets. Its primary function of telling time seems banal at best. 

ZzzZzzz

What to talk about meh... ZzzZzz

Coca-Cola

This is what you do when you're at home on sick leave, again.

Lexus RC-F: el-chupacabra!

Some shots of the monster V8 RC-F before I test drove it on Lexus's recommended "long route". For starters, the engine growled into life like a V8 with more sporting pretensions than I expected. Much like how a German marque would announce its awakening, followed by my almost open mouthed astonishment as how unbecoming it is for a Lexus to behave. You know this is going to be a very naughty Lexus!

After the engine settled into a pleasant burble, & I wiped off my dribble, I began to appreciate the external proportions of this compact sports car. That V8 just doesn't register with the design of the car. You almost instinctively think it should have a refined yet high revving power plant. I continued onwards to peruse the interior. Sorry no external pics but I'm sure you are well familiar with how it looks already. 

This is the car in normal mode. Even then the purposeful growl at idle is noticeable. The dials doesn't do the IS F sport Cyclops party trick. Which makes this looks quite busy with the additional flanking menu & speedometer.

This is the view from the rear seat. Those sports seats are massive yet are still comfortable & grip you in all the right places for some, ahem, power slide action. No I didn't do any but I got to feel what it was like! 

Obviously I had to try the rear seat if only for research purposes. It's a tight fit but it accommodated my frame with aplomb sans the lack of foot movement & my hair touched the headlining slightly. Larger adults would need a shoe horn to get in & out. Even for the front because of the high seat bolsters, low slung position & forward positioned dash.

I should've taken some shots of the dash in eco, sport & sport+ mode. The rev counter changes & the left menu also showed different info/stats. Sport & Sport+ looks the best as there's more contrasty colors to enhance the sporty feeling complimented by the V8 symphony which can be heard in any mode. Just that in Sport mode onwards, the aural simulation is more... Orgasmic!

Quite a familiar looking dash design compared with the IS F sport & NX. Supposedly the new corporate look Lexus wants to embark on. I don't hate it but I'd prefer a little more touches of luxury that we've accustomed to a Lexus. Maybe I'm expecting too much for it to look like an Aston or Bentley. Hey, you want to be the best, there you go.

Yes, the Mark Levinson in car entertainment is there for the unlikely event that you get bored by the V8 burble, growl & howl. The menu is accessed by a taptic touch pad & doesn't feel as laggy & archaic as on the joy sticked GS & IS.

Central timepiece looking more & more like a watch. Picture doesn't do it justice. It is the usual jewel like adornment that is accustomed to the Lexus brand. 

So how does it drive? The 4.8s 0-100kph on paper figures belie the real story. It's a very linear & rapid visceral acceleration, which you feel as you get pressed back into the seat. Yet you have to glance at the speedometer to actually realize that you've reached over 200kph in what felt like mere moments. The suspension is somewhat stiffer than an IS F sport, no surprises there but it's not as stiff as say a Mk6 VW Golf GTI. Cruising just above the highway limit in eco mode it sounds & feels fairly refined, more so the engine note. I still dislike normal mode for some reason on the adaptive damping setup. I think the compromise is not balanced, maybe I just prefer a more comfort oriented gait. Getting old methinks. Move into Sport mode onwards, the ride firms up & you get a hint of the purposeful V8 growl ready to unleash all 470 of Lexus's muscular horses. At full throttle it's fire breathing horses! It's addictive & potentially a licence loser. Beware, you have been warned!

Crunch! ...ouch!

This is what it looks like when you reverse into a protruding tree stump at only a few kph. An unstoppable force meets an immovable object. Not a mere scratch but a gash that gouged out paintwork & deformation. 

In the grand scheme of things, it could be called fate, the stars being just slightly off alignment or wrong place at the wrong time by just a mere moment. 

Might as well drive a sharp object into my heart. Same feeling. 

Rolex GMT Master II 16710 Red & Black "coke" bezel

Some gratuitous shots of the sexy "coke" GMT Master II

On the wrist time

Inevitable scratchings

Crowning glory

Artsy fartsy reflections

Real men wear 904 grade stainless steel

Patina schmatina

Tag Heuer F1 Chronotimer

Ye olde  Tag hasn't been getting much love lately. So decided to break out the, ye olde Canon 5D mk III with the 100mm f/2.8 macro L lens for some close ups. The magnification is not that high, only 1:1 for more 'product' looking shots.

The Tag is reference CAC111D. Conventional Stainless steel body. Moving bezel in one direction only (counter clock wise). Rubber strap (available with unpainted stainless steel bracelet, which looks a little odd with the black bezel but should wear more comfortable than the stiff & unyielding rubber strap). Quartz movement, battery required owing to the inverted LCD screen on the watch face which can be activated via the crown's command dial which can show current time, additional 2 time zones, alarm & stop watch. I prefer wearing it blank like in the pics for a more austere look.

It's an interesting yet odd timepiece. Not just because of the analog/digital party trick but specifications say the case diameter is 40mm yet it wears smaller than my 40mm GMT. This is because of the different casing, bezel & dial design that culminates to give it an overall perceived smaller proportion. It also has sapphire crystal but I've managed to scratch it in a few places, lower quality maybe? I don't remember gashing it against any diamonds. Not that i own any diamonds, otherwise I'd have a glass bowl full of Submariners as opposed to jellybeans. Don't judge me!! For a watch that is designed for the racing fraternity, I actually wore it more for swimming. Submariner you shout? Different price bracket Buddy! 

But that was nearly a decade ago when it was purchased so maybe now it's ripe to get a no-date Sub. A Tudor Pelagos is cheaper & looks pretty spiffy, with it's matte ceramic bezels & sexy lumed numerals. Thing is, it's physical size is between a Submariner & Deep Sea so that's pretty chunky for my wrist. And an entry level Sub is still the better choice albeit the more obvious/boring one.

Rolex "coke" pics will come next. That requires a sperate post for it still has much much more love given.

Appreciating asset?

Seriously? Even the brochure is appreciating in value?! 

RubbadubSUB

A gorgeous pic of the black sub date courtesy of mr. google

BND $1x.xk was the offered prices after discount for the black sub date at the one and only local AD.  I suspect however if one plonks 10k cash, it'd go. But hey, ya never know.

After wearing the Green Sub for a while now, it really is a no nonsense kinda watch. Fits in seamlessly in my daily life. Novelty of the green bits have slowly but surely worn off somewhat. But every so often when a shimmer of light hits it, it reminds me why it was bought ... Spectacular! Then it's back to business as usual. Oh how quickly we all get bored of things in general ... and it's the next summink that we look forward to for some very short excitement... abit like sex... so sad!

Baselworld 2015

As I was watching Baselworld 2015 on Li channel Astro, whose coverage was mediocre by the way because it focused more on the event rather than what's new being released, I was caught by this statement made by some geezer who was being interviewed, from what I remember: 

A prestige timepiece is not just something that tells you the time. It is a means to communicate. It communicates your status, your wealth, how you feel, how you want to be perceived. If you just wanted it to tell time, you might as well get a $5 watch which can do the same thing or simply look at your smartphone which does it for free.

A little horology humor

I remember I used to think like the guy on the left and I hardly even wore a watch. I have seen the light... Or should that be, seen the bling.