G-Shock smoothie

I have to admit that as much as I like G-shock models, some of them are so knobbly and oversize that I find them uncomfortable and sharp to the fingers when trying to use the buttons. Some are worse than others and whilst I accept this is part of the G-shock system as an outer exterior protection layer, it’s often a little overdone in my opinion.

Casio Jason g-001 - a smoother G-Shock — Casio Jason g-001 – a smoother G-Shock

Which is why I was sad to see that the G-shock Jason g-001 reprise model seems to have vanished, or certainly in the color I would prefer (grey or black). For this model presented the G-shock philosophy in a much smoother bodied manner and with it’s wrist support strap system sat on almost any wrist and looked really cool.

It was a really chunky watch and with it’s smooth outer shell it certainly presented itself as a neater Casio than most G-Shocks even though dimensionally it was still quite substantial. I particularly liked the color way as shown in this image and note how the buttons are hidden in this view, tucked into the side recesses and without the large obtrusive shrouds of the usual shock models.

This model was pretty well specified too –

Black and gray resin shock resistant case with a similar color dial with the yellow digital display. 20 Bar Water Resistance. 1/100-second digital chronograph measures elapsed time, split time and two finishes, Countdown timer with auto-repeat timing and progress beeper functions.
World time feature displays current time in 48 cities (29 time zones), Home time zone, Alarm mode (3 multifunction alarms: daily, date, 1-month, monthly), 12/24-hour formats, Standard/Daylight Saving time, Full Auto-calendar to 2099, EL backlight.

Note the wrist "appendages" which assists wrist fit. — Note the wrist “appendages” which assists wrist fit.

Digital day-date-and-month display, Black resin strap with silver-tone mesh metal inserts and black plastic buckle, black back case appendages, Black resin selector buttons, Black resin/stainless steel screw-in caseback and a mineral crystal glass.

What’s also nice about it is the relatively simple dial set up without too many cluttered distractions to worry about and at the same time a pretty comprehensive function set and all contained in a well protected and above all SMOOTH case.

For me this was one of the best G-Shocks both as the original Jason and in the reprise model that appeared some years later. Difficult to fault too though some folks report the strap/case fitting can break. Not unexpected I would say as I’ve found with many resin/plastic straps, they get brittle over time and with repeated flexing, can and do break. But as with many of these faults they are often fixable without too much trouble.

So I haven’t seen it around for a while and Casio have not re-issued it this year, which is a pity as I for one would buy it tomorrow. I still see some of the bright color varieties around, but they look too novelty for me . . .

Ah well maybe next year . . . .

Amazing, inventive & cheap?

It never fails to amaze me, the wonderfully inventive, military and sports style watches that appear each year from the Far East and mostly at incredibly cheap prices.

The fact that digital module prices are so low today means that with some plastics molding equipment, a bit of imagination and flair in design, almost anything is possible. Whether they’ll last of course is another matter entirely, though that said, the basic digital movement could well outlast you! Though any complications outwith the basics could well be another matter entirely.

But one thing is certain – they look amazing! and if you don’t take the hype to heart and don’t take them too seriously, probably a bit of fun too.

Take the INFANTRY Mens LCD Date Day Black Dial Combo Digital Quartz Watch for example. I mean it looks pretty good and has a fair bit of functionality with Day and Date, Alarm and Stopwatch displays. It cites multi-time zone, though doesn’t specify details). I do like the fact it doesn’t depend entirely on display,s as it features conventional analogue Hour, Minute and Seconds hands too. Another plus is that it takes a conventional fitting rubber strap (nothing molded here) and has a Japanese quartz movement. Mineral anti-scratch glass is quoted and there is also a dial light. Case dimensions are about normal for this type of watch at 47mm x 16mm, at 115gms weight, so quite large but without being totally silly.
Then there’s the price – here in the UK via Amazon it’s quoted currently at £14.99. Amazing!

Here’s another interesting non mainstream watch, this time from LAD WEATHER, the GPS Navigator model.

Seems to to pack a lot into a wrist worn piece and according to the advertising, this is just what it does. I have copied the data – as there’s too much for me to just note –

■Functions
・USB charge (With dedicated cable)
・100 meters waterproof
・GPS(Auto acquisition date and time/ Acquisition and recording of the root and the current position)
・PC connection
・Root confirmation in Google earth
・Measurement(Distance/ Lap time/ Average pace/ Movement time/ Heart rate/ Calories)
・Alarm
・Countdown timer
・Pacemaker
・Digital compass
・Continuous use time:about 12hours (GPS on)/ about 1year (GPS off)
・Charge:about 500 times
・Charge time:about 3hours

■Size
・Case size：about 47x47x20mm (height, width, depth)
・Band length：about 140～200mm
・Weight：about 62g

■Attachment
・Watch box
・Instruction Manual（English）
・CD-ROM
・USB cable
・Heart rate measurement sensor
・cleaning brush
・6-months warranty

This model comes in 6 different colors, some looking quite smart I have to say, though this is a big watch at 47mm x 47mm and a depth of 20mm and it’s at a higher cost too at some £92.00 UK priced. The advertising alludes to a retail of much higher at £350 and certainly for what this model apparently offers, that could well be right.

A little expensive for me just to try it for fun, unlike the first watch shown here, but I have heard variable comments about LAD watches, some good some not so. This model may have sensors from Germany, maybe assembled there too, though presumably the highest percentage of parts will be Asian I would guess – the origins and details are sketchy to say the least. They also have ABC models without GPS mode, which seem to fare pretty well against Suunto watches (and somewhat cheaper!) to such an extent I would not be surprised if the movement modules were from the same source. There is a comparison on You Tube which is quite interesting.
However the features appear pretty comprehensive and the addition of a GPS with track functions, brings it into the same ball park as the Garmin Forerunner, or perhaps even the Fenix. Then the price doesn’t look too bad after all – it all depends on how the watch performs and there’s only one way to find that out. Buy one!

But with anything out of the mainstream Brands it’s always worth taking each model as it comes, make decisions on the good and bad of each, consider the manufacturing quality and possible after sales/Warranties etc. should they go wrong. Do your homework, check You Tube, check comments, reviews and user experiences and make you own judgements. If really cheap like the first model shown here, then it’s often worth having a punt at it – you never know – and if a dud, then bin it and move one . . . . no worries.

At nearly £100 for this GPS model – I’d have to give it some serious thought – but for new ideas and some great and designs, there are lots of these guys around and they can be fun.

I’ve also seen if I’m not mistaken some Pyle models which are possibly the same generic watch, so it’s quite possible it could appear in another cosmetic guise and the price could well fluctuate considerably up or down – mostly down I would imagine.

I have to admit here I’m tempted, though it would have to easily readable – and you know what some digital displays can be like – but it might be worth taking the chance.

Overload? Time for change . . .

Overload indeed and in this case it applies perfectly to this Citizen what with the sheer data overload of the JY8035-04E, which I spotted the other day.

Warning - Data overload !!! — Warning – Data overload !!!

Of course it’s that wonderful gadget style Citizen look we all love, but at the end of the day what’s supposed to be practical isn’t really – is it? and be honest. When did you last use the car analogy, fuel and distance, acceleration and slide rule data chapter rings and the like. The sheer amount of information on this dial is as staggering as it’s impractical. Most folk will look at and understand perhaps one set of data and that’s the Time, ‘cos it’s got those big clear hands and that gentlemen is about it.
But surprisingly even the basic information such as the date info is not really readily seen, here depending on whether it’s a positive or negative display. The one featured here for example, clarity wise, I wouldn’t even consider.

Amazing when you think that at the other end of the spectrum, Citizen also produce (still) one of the clearest, practical and easy to read models that exists – and is still one of their very best sellers – the BMB180-03E

and older variations of it such as the BMB8470-11E or the 54E and so on – as there are quite a few of them around. I’ve had mine since 2008 and it is as good today as when I bought it AND still worn as a solid daily beater.

When I got mine it was under £100 and some versions are still seen today at under £70, though the latest incarnation retails at just over the £100.

So it seems to me that the clear to read Eco-Drive Date model is practically about as good as a watch probably needs to be and pretty obvious why it is a best seller. The title of this Post really does illustrate the massively over-populated dial of the Cal U680 JY8035-04E model shown in the first image.

Others too have started to realize, especially with the rise of the Smart Watch, that maybe there is a place for everything and it’s really a difficult if not impossible task to try and get everything on such a small faced item worn on the wrist. Indeed the latest thinking is that the “Smart” gadget will not really be a watch at all – and the Time as such will not actually be displayed on the front page at all – in fact a watch will actually BE required as well and which manages to tell the basics such as Time, Day and Date is now probably needed more than ever. The Smart gadget is only now being understood as something else entirely, though goodness knows when or where it will all settle down, as it’s pretty obvious they are nowhere near that point yet.

The public in the meantime are footing the development costs for a plethora of high tech items that will in their present state be superseded many, many times in it’s creation.

So for me I’ll stick to the wristwatch and forget about the overloaded models, along with the so called “Smart” watches, as I and most of us I fancy are simply not ready for it yet.

Quality & Style

Quality and Style – something that Cartier has always had in abundance and yet many of the models just don’t do it for me. Possibly as the model shapes are now so familiar they perhaps breed “oh it’s one of those again” comments, which is of course rather unfair – but fact nevertheless.

But as always I have a favorite and it’s the Calibre de Cartier model which has a really modern, clean and perfectly structured look. It stands out for me in a few ways, not least that it’s very easy to read, has luminous hands and 4 luminescent points @12, 3, 6 and 9. A clever 3 date view window @3 which is handy if the minute hand obscures the date, just when you want to check it. The dates either side giving an immediate indication as to the actual date is in my view such a simple way of overcoming that slight problem.

This model is in 18ct Pink Gold and brushed Steel with a shrouded classic heptagonal Cartier crown, a decent seconds dial @6 plus a 60 minute chapter ring around the main dial in 5 minute intervals. Interestingly the numerals 4 to 8 are replaced by markers which is a subtle recognition to clarity – the large classic Cartier numerals would simply crown the lower half of the dial. So a neat touch indeed.

Cartier W7100039 view of the Calibre 1904MC. — Cartier back view of the Calibre 1904MC.

Mechanical Manufacture movement with automatic winding calibre 27 jewel 1904-PS MC and water resistant to 3 bar (30 metres /100 feet).

The case dimensions are perfect for me at 42mm x only 10mm depth, so is a very neat and flat fitting model on the wrist. The strap is in brown semi-matt alligator skin, with a double adjustable deployment buckle in steel.

This particular model W7100039 is in my opinion the best looking of the series. Tthe dial configuration is just right and feels right too, which is always a nice feeling to have. And as Cartier models go, this is not the most expensive by any means at around £7000 and is such an attractive model that I feel inclined to save up or perhaps trade in a few older watch models in the hope of getting one!

The elegant watch (6)

Three elegant offerings this week, starting with the 4 model Maurice Lacroix18ct Rose Gold ultra thins.

With delicately curved Sapphire Crystal and simply elegant dials these Automatic models are just what they are – beautiful timepieces and very classic.

Not to be outdone Jaeger Le-Coultre have this addition to the well known Ultra Thin Master Grande with this time round a black dial and either in steel or Rose Gold.

In these days of black divers and luminous requirements these dress watches are rather refreshing to see, especially when produced by these flawless quality makers.

Not to be outdone there are of course the Ladies to cater for and here the new Girard-Perregaux Cat’s Eye Small Second Watch is about as elegant as you can get.

The sheer sensuality of this model with it’s slender curves and oval gold case and wonderful subtlety of Mother of Pearl (I’ve always loved this on watches).

Sensuality at it's best — Sensuality at it’s best

So elegant watches are still around today, though you have to look for them as so many of today’s offerings are large and rather ostentatious. And with the prevalence of digital technologies maybe the style is disappearing from the watch ever so slightly day by day.

And to lose that would be a great pity.

Yimei Classic traditional watches consists of four models, including the 38 mm and 28 mm compact menswear ladies. Beautiful 18K rose gold ultra-thin case, covered with delicate hour, minute, second hand, highlights the essence: Time. The only additional feature is at 6 o’clock date display, pragmatic and low-key. Circular gradient silver or black dial, with rose gold plated hands, fantastic; otherwise black or white lacquer dial model, with gold or black Roman numerals. Such a gorgeous, before your eyes.

Yimei traditional family watches the appearance of calm in the exposed edge, reflecting centuries of traditional art heritage. Slim case, the beautiful simplicity of the dial, highlighting the restrained elegance watch, highlighting the wearer’s taste.

Watches with ML 155/ML 132 (men’s and women’s) automatic movement, shell thin, precise timing, a symbol of reliability, blending classic and modern design style, complement each other. Curved sapphire crystal so all the details at a glance. Decorated with the highest level of traditional crafts decorative corrugated Geneva auto hammer, snail lines and circles pattern plywood, and rhodium-plated oscillating weight, were pleasing.

– See more at: http://watchdiary.com/highlight-the-elegant-taste-maurice-lacroix-watch

Smarter AND fitter?

Whilst checking out all these proposed and often silly phone extension wrist fads and smart watches I came across a very different sort of smart watch – and OK I accept it’s not really the conventional watch, but is anything these days when considering this so called “smart” stuff?

The Fitbit FLEX - Activity & Sleep band. — The Fitbit FLEX – Activity & Sleep band.

This one is actually both interesting and also one that might just get you fitter – but only if you want to. No forcing yourself off to a gym or anything like that, but a system that tracks your daily activity, so giving you the opportunity to maybe gently improve your fitness – whatever your age. Now that should be smart, maybe, and the item is the Fitbit FLEX wrist band.

Just a plain flexible 19.2mm wide band with a few electronic gizmos inside that can monitor your activity – such as the number of steps you take, calories used, stairs climbed, distance you walk or jog (the former for me 😉 ) and an indication of your sleep quality and of course it also tells you the Time. It also can indicate if your goal (yes you can set such a thing) is being met or otherwise with little lights on the screen. It also has a chargeable battery – Lithium Ion no less that manages around 5 days at full charge and a Bluetooth connection to automatically download or is it upload your data to graphical display software on whatever device you happen to have, PC, Mac, Tablet and a whole range of smart phones too.

Within 20ft of your PC etc - check the results — Within 20ft of your PC etc – check the results

It has quite a sophisticated 3-axis MEMS accelerometer that measures your motion patterns to determine the calories burned, distance travelled, steps taken, sleep quality and all that and also has a smart vibration motor, that vibrates when alarms are set to go off.

So, it seems smarter and more useful than a so called smart watch that simply means you don’t have to reach into your other pocket to get your phone out! I mean is that unfit and lazy or what?

This FLEX watch should make you think – and might make you just that little bit fitter too!

On the face of it, this appears to be a smart watch I can should to and although it’s not billed as such (smart watch) to me this is far more worthy of such a title and at around £79 (UK) not that unreasonable either. Assuming it continues to work of course – and it’s Water Resistant to 10m.

For me, it could be the “smart” thing to buy – so watch this space! Find out all about it HERE. that is, if I do decide to get one.

Addendum – Well in the event I decided not to get one – basically as at my age “fitness” has sort of morphed into old age – and I’ll just have to accept it!

Budget Fashion

The thing about fashion and designer watches is that often they are accompanied by a price tag reflecting the ego aspirations of the designer.

By Void - the SOND NYG unisex fashion watch. — By Void – the SOND NYG unisex fashion watch.

In other words, just a tad pricey! So it’s very to note a model that not only showcases clean lines modernity, plus chic and cool but also within s sensible price point. Whilst I have noted it in the past, it still holds it’s own and I feature it once again as there is on the face of it – nothing to it, yet it excels in what is perhaps “fashion” at it’s best.

The wonderfully simplistic and refreshing use of color is perhaps for me partly why this model stands out and it is so neat! It is indeed a statement watch, but not one that jars or grates as it can be worn with aplomb with tuxedo or jeans – it simply works. With it’s injection molded one piece construction and unique strap/watch thread system allows an amazing range of colors to be specified – I particularly like the one shown. In fact there are 8 colors available for each component means an astonishing 500 unique color combinations are possible!

The dimensions are 38mm wide by 44mm top to bottom and only 11mm depth with a 22mm wide band. The battery life is around 2 years and can be replaced via the back “hatch” which is stainless steel. This model is also Water Resistant to 3ATM or 30m. The functions of this quartz model are relatively simple but adequate – Time and Date, AM & PM indicator coupled with a back light. A 2 year Warranty comes as standard.

The price – around £50 (UK).

Something completely different (2)

Another one of these fashion watch styles that is a little different from the mainstream – this is from the BillyTheTree Cloister range – model ESM33.

The Cloister ESM33 from BillyTheTree.com

Handmade and painted dial with distressed copper, sterling silver and various metal alloys with a solid nickel free brass one-piece (single block) case. Limited editions of 1000 each, so unlikely that your friends across the way will have one of these. The quartz movement is unstated, though I would guess Asian generic, which in this style of accessory is probably incidental – as long as it works reasonably well – as indeed most quartz movements do these days anyway.

Very unique in that being a hand painted dial face they are all slightly different and this one I particularly like as the hands are infilled white which give added clarity.

My only gripe perhaps is the cost ( £254) which to me seems perhaps a little over what I might consider, especially as it would have to be imported from the USA to the UK with the added costs associated with such a move (VAT and Customs charges).

But for something “fashion” different this certainly is just that – and I quite like it.

They’re not going away . . .

Smart watches I mean, even although the take up has not been awe inspiring from the public. For example the new Pebble in Singapore only managed 1400 sales in the first 3 months of this year, so public demand or indeed even interest seems weak to say the least. Perhaps the concept of having on your wrist a gadget that can link to the smartphone in your pocket isn’t appealing or even seen as any great deal. An additional tool that just maybe isn’t required in the first place.

So speaking of concepts, this one is more a watch that’s smart, than a fully blown smart watch – and there is a difference. It’s the Span Smart watch concept designed and thought up by these clever folks at Box Clever of San Francisco and I don’t know about you but I rather like the whole look of it. It seems to me to be more sensible with realistic limitations, but managed in a very “cool” manner indeed!

"smart" alerts can be shown cross the display and controlled by the bezel. — “smart” alerts can be shown cross the display and controlled by the bezel.

It sort of combines and integrates an analogue style digital watch movement/face with a “jump” hour movement with the hours indicated on the upper half of the dial and the minutes on the lower half. The Date is sneakingly located as a Date aperture at what would have normally been the old 10 o’clock position.

The real clever bit is the odd mesh “bridge” across and above the dial, which is a perforated metal grill which back lights as an OLED screen for notifications. The controls for it;s use are incorporated into the rotation bezel – as a jog dial – isn’t that smart? The screen can also show the digital Time, reminders, alerts, call details and all that “smart” stuff and there’s also a push button to confirm any actions. The watch can be recharged with the micro USB port on the base of the watch.

Of course the main issue with this super cool watch is that it is just a concept and has not yet been put into production, which would be a tantalizing prospect if it did – for me it makes the Moto 360 look perhaps a little pedestrian and much more exciting to even contemplate wearing.

This is the video of it showing the conceptual idea working.

For me this demonstrates a much “smarter” approach to the idea of smart watch technology as it’s innovative and clever and involves the actual watch rather than some plastic screen like cell phone extension pretending to still be a watch, though it isn’t at all. This on the other hand IS a watch with smart ideas built in and what’s more – it looks modern yet stylish and techy too but most of all it looks really really cool!

Moonstruck!

Isn’t is nice to come across a British watchmaker that really excels in making you wonder just that little bit and able to produce a watch that infinitely intrigues you the first time you clap eyes on it.

Blacklamp Carbon Schofield - Made in England. — Blacklamp Carbon Schofield – Made in England.

Such is the power of the Blacklamp Carbon Schofield –

A year of research has gone into creating a proprietary material called Morta®. This is a unique mix of hand-laid and formed carbon fibre small billets. One billet then creates one Blacklamp watch case and as such each watch model is subtly individual from the next. Plus the very highest machine specification of every watch case a showcase of world class English precision.

This model uses the very elegant and robust Unitas 6497-2 movement with a custom hack. Decorated with broad Geneva stripes and heavy rhodium plating.

Incsribed with individual Lighthouse data from around the UK. — Inscribed with individual Lighthouse data from around the UK.

Within the crown of each Blacklamp Carbon wrist watch lies a Tritium gas light. Emitting a low level glow unseen in daylight gives superb luminosity at night, but the fascinating part for me is around the rim of the dial just underneath the crystal, where lies a ring of Moonglow, (developed by NASA) an amazing strontium aluminate GLTD material that illuminates the dial in the dark. And amazingly effective it is too.

The watch is one of a limited edition of only 101 pieces and each one is named after an Englisj Lighthouse, from the Wof Rock in the South West to ST Bees” on the Cumbrian coast. Each one has the tower coordinates inscribed on the case back and description of the flash format.

It will set you back just under £10,000 this fascinating timepiece, so perhaps outside my personal budget at this time, but I certainly wouldn’t mind having one of these on my wish list. For more information check out their web site – HERE

The wonder of "Moonglow" (NASA) — The wonder of “Moonglow” (NASA)