Casio PRW- 5100: A New Arrival

I have been very busy at work and also with my rediscovered passion for cycling so not much time to write on this blog.

I recently acquired a PRW-5100.

This is the Japan only PRW-5100G-4.

I will post a more detailed review later, but the first thing I did was to take off the Casio Strap and swap to a Seiko Z22 Rubber Strap (with careful cuts to the strap to make it fit):

DOXA TUSA and Seiko SRP043K2

I have been silent for a while because I have been busy with this thing called "Work." Go figure.

I received two new divers in one week.

The first one I received was a Seiko SRP043K2. This Seiko is phenomenal IMHO. Runs within COSC specs, excellent looks, great visibility. The flat caseback makes it a joy to wear. The AR coating is very well done. The only thing it needs is a sapphire crystal. It is worth all of $289 I paid for it.

The second one is a 2008 DOXA SUB1000T TUSA (Limited Edition of 100). I just got this today via a trade. I have to say, I also like this one too. It's a bit small especially when compared to the Seiko, but classic looks, excellent lume and the bracelet is awesome. This is my first DOXA but it will not be the last.


Enjoy the comparison picture:

A Classic Diver: Seiko SBCM023 200m Perpetual Calendar Quartz

Omega X-33 Prices Out of this World

A while ago, I wrote an article about the Omega X-33 prices. You can find that article here. I have been watching the prices for these discontinued timepieces on both Ebay and also several watch forums. The prices are generally trending up.

I just saw this one sell on Watch-U-Seek for around $2200. This is for a sample with excellent documentation, but no titanium bracelet. So here is my reality check pricing estimates for the X-33:

1. Gen-1 X33, excellent condition, with boxes and papers, $2000-2500. Expect to pay more for a watch with the titanium bracelet versus the not-so-durable Omega kevlar.
2. Gen-2 X33, excellent condition, with boxes and papers, $2500+. Again, expect to pay more for a watch with the titanium bracelet.
3. For watches in good condition, I expect to see samples around $1700-$2000.
4. In 2007, you could find used/worn examples for around $1000 on Ebay. Not anymore, even well worn examples are going for $1400 or so.

Things to watch out for.
1) Crown is known to collapse in the Gen 1 watches.
2) Backlight goes out

Either of these defects will require service by Omega.


Happy Hunting.

Review: Highgear Altis Titanium, my new favorite ABC Watch

I recently received a Highgear Altis Titanium as a gift. I had also purchased an Altis Stainless Steel for myself and ended up keeping the Titanium as it was much lighter and more comfortable to wear.

The strap sits great on the wrist. The watch is very legible and the display is highly customizable. The barometer trend graph is much more useful than my Casio PAW1500 and the readings seem to be very consistent with my local airport. Size-wise, the head is a bit large but due to the lightweight titanium material, no issues with weight. The stainless steel version was a bit top-heavy.

My picks with this watch: lack of a sapphire crystal and countdown timer. I can sort of understand the lack of the sapphire crystal due to the price point, but the countdown timer is a brain-dead omission since the cousin of this watch from St Moritz seems to have this feature AND a sapphire crystal at a relatively similar price point.

Timex Solar Shock -- 1 Year Accuracy Update

This is the first anniversary for my Timex Solar Shock.

I have to say, I am more than impressed with the accuracy of this watch.

After one year, it is only seven seconds (+6 + 1 leap second adjustment) off the official US clock at time.gov.

For $70, it seems like a very good buy.

The detailed review is here:


http://timereport.blogspot.com/2008/04/timex-solar-shock-ironman-50-lap.html

Citizen Promaster Sky Accuracy Update

So far the Promaster Sky is running about 0.1 seconds per day. Not bad for a quartz.
I was hoping for better accuracy, but happy with what I have seen so far.