A dozen years and some change previously, there was a period where I would wear a watch on the daily. I was able to revere in the smug satisfaction of knowing exactly when the school bell would ring, while everyone else had to rely on the inaccurate wall clock—not that they did, because nobody cared.
This habit fell off as wristwatches were relegated to a mere fashion accessory as everyone and their mother had access to precise network-synced time in their pockets. Though recently I discovered that old watch in my closet and thought, “What’s wrong with fashion accessories?”
This is the old (older than me, even) Seiko H239-5000 that I was using all those years ago. It’s definitely seen better days, but I still decided to wear it out a few times to see if I couldn’t incorporate a watch into some outfits. Given that Summer doesn’t lend itself well to layering, I figured watches might be a good way to add some visual interest that would be more impactful than a metal cuff or twine bracelet.
It had been over a decade and a half since I’d regularly worn a watch, but I still caught myself checking the time on my wrist several times on the first day—even though my watch was out of batteries. I also really enjoyed the look, so all the signs pointed to getting a new watch. In fact, I ended up purchasing three.
Before we look at these though, a foreword. We all know that sneakerhead that can tell you everything about a given shoe, but will wear Jordans and Yeezys with 3/4 cargos and a poorly-fitted anime T-shirt and look like a manchild. This is also how I perceive most watch enthusiasts: a Royal Oak and Nautilus on either wrist, with a sexual harrassment polo and khaki shorts to match.
In my case, fashion is the main theme and watches are the sub-genre, so I don’t consider myself an enthusiast. I’m a generalist, not a specialist. I can tell you about watches, but perhaps not to the same level of detail—although what I say probably won’t come with opinions as obtrusive. Anyway, let’s get into my watches.
Casio A700
Starting from the left, I picked up a Casio A700, which interestingly does not seem to have a JDM model. This one is closest in style to my old H293, and I figured the slim form factor and silver colourway would let me style it as a more conspicuous bracelet than a watch—and I was right on the money.
The resin case and acrylic crystal betray its at-a-glance premium appearance (at least compared to the F-91W that I’m sure everyone pictured when they saw this watch), but there are worse things I could’ve spent 4800 yen on. While a bit pricier than its perhaps more iconic cousins, the backlight standing a head and shoulders above sealed the deal on this model.
I was also on the fence about the Milanese strap and briefly considered the A700W-1A, which is the same watch but with a bracelet more akin to the H293. However the more casual stainless steel mesh strap grew on me and I’m feeling pretty good about the choice.
Timex Fairfield 37mm
Next on my list is the Timex Fairfield. I opted for the mundane (read: versatile) black-band-white-dial combo so that this watch could fill a different niche to the A700. It’s casual enough to be worn with a T-shirt, but also won’t look too out of place with an OCBD.
It’s a humble quartz watch with a mineral glass crystal and chrome-plated brass case, again on the lower end of the spectrum. Due to this, the Timex Midtown was actually a more enticing pick initially due to its stainless steel construction and 38mm diameter, which would fit me better than the Fairfield’s 41mm.
However upon further research, I discovered a tidbit that ultimately tipped the scales in favour of the Fairfield: it actually comes in 37mm as well. To top it off, the 37mm also allegedly suffers from the 41mm’s issues to a somewhat lesser degree; these being the loud ticking noise and the imprecise second hand.
Upon also hearing that the leather strap on the Fairfield was surprisingly good quality, the 7700 yen price tag (which is about what you’d get it for in the West on Timex’s perpetual sale) won me over, especially considering the Midtown was double that yet doesn’t even have a sapphire crystal.
As an added bonus, the Fairfield also comes with a steel mesh strap. Both straps have quick-release notches for easy swapping, but I don’t see myself using the mesh one for two reasons. First, I already have the A700 with a mesh strap. Second, and perhaps more importantly, it doesn’t fit.
Seiko SBPX063
Admittedly, this is the category I spent the most time contemplating. I wanted something that could be worn casually, but could also be dressed up for the odd suit-and-tie event. It might even give me more reason to wear a suit, which I don’t do often enough—or as often as I’d like to.
Beyond the technical specifications I was interested in (solar power, stainless steel case, sapphire crystal), I was most particular about the look. I eventually arrived at the SBPX063, but it took a hot minute to get there.
The SBPX123 was originally my first pick, as it boasts the above features and the dial is right up my alley in terms of design. However the leather strap was underwhelming in person (one store attendant even told me not to put it on to avoid creasing, which was a huge red flag) and the black-on-black dial/band combo was a bit too much.
Conveniently, Seiko also makes a version with an oyster bracelet which was much more tempting. This is the SBPX121, which is the same watch by all metrics bar the bracelet (obviously) and the colour of the dial. Both watches have an MSRP of 26400 yen and retail for 18400, but I managed to find a deal for this for 5000 yen so my hand was forced despite my heavy preference for the SBPX123’s dial.
If nothing else, the 121 served as a good trial run to get an idea of the sizing, weight, and styling of this kind of watch. I was pretty happy with it and briefly entertained the idea of also purchasing a 123 to swap the bands, but I’ll probably end up selling/gifting it instead as I went on to re-discover the SBPX063.
Side-by-side the watches are almost identical, which is no surprise as they share all the same specs, even down to the price tag. The SBPX063’s dial thankfuly tends more towards the 123’s apart from the “solar” subtext. I could’ve done without this, and I’m not sure why it’s only listed on this one despite all 3 watches being solar powered.
Regardless, I managed to snag the 063 at an auction for just shy of 9000 yen, which was great shopping as far as I’m concerned. Apart from the overall aesthetic, the kanji day window and steel bracelet were just what I was after, and I have no real complaints about the purchase.
The 40mm case diameter originally deterred me from these models, but the modest 46.5mm lug-to-lug coupled with the subtle curvature make it wear a bit smaller than the numbers might indicate, so I’ve got no complaints about the fit either.
That does about it for my little watch collection, at least for now. I feel like I have my bases covered pretty well so I’m not sure if or how it’ll change in the future, apart from the obvious elephant in the room: mechanical watches.
Currently I’m not particularly inclined to purchase an imprecise watch that I have to wear every day or manually wind up for it to function, but the flex factor of an automatic watch is pretty tempting. The Sugess MoonPhase Master V3 with its Seagull ST2528 movement would probably be my current pick, but I don’t know enough about mechanical watches to make a good decision here.
Either way, you’ll probably see me with one of these watches on wrist every now and then going forward. Watch this space 😉