My First Mod
Introducing the Seiko SKX173 "Recon."
This is my very first watch build and I can safely say that this was one of the hardest projects I've ever undertaken. If you're going to do a build, my first bit of advice is "be patient and expect mistakes."
The Recon is my homage to watchcollecting. I have wanted an SKX forever but with prices going up, I opted to do a build instead. The result is a watch that is an homage to numerous watches and brands that have inspired me in my enthusiast experience.
The dial is an OEM Seiko SKX173
The bezel is a slim skx bezel in pvd
The movement is NH36 with a kanji date, paying homage to the Japanese roots of the SKX
The case is the classic SKX case in pvd as well
The crystal is a domed sapphire with AR coating; also slimmed down to reduce the overall size of the watch
The caseback is also a slimmer pvd caseback
The bezel insert is a nod to the Black Bay with the red lumed pip
The hands are the mercedes hands of the Explorer, which remains one of my favorite watches ever
The minute hand was intentionally red as a nod to Squale, one of my other favorite brands and who make the best divers in the price range
The result is a watch that is an skx that is uniquely me. More on the build to come. For now, I'm excited and intend to keep it forever.
Collector of anything from Casio to Omega.
Nicely done. My first was a Sub-style mod, which served as proof of concept to me. I got hooked on the process and to date I've built more than 40 more. Enjoy the hobby!
This screams Darth Vader and I love it.
Nicely done. My first was a Sub-style mod, which served as proof of concept to me. I got hooked on the process and to date I've built more than 40 more. Enjoy the hobby!
That's awesome! Serious respect because this one took me a long time and is still not perfect and I now know how much time and effort it takes to do!
Well done!
This screams Darth Vader and I love it.
I hadn't even considered that but I'm all about it!
That's awesome! Serious respect because this one took me a long time and is still not perfect and I now know how much time and effort it takes to do!
What issues did you run into? I learned to never underestimate the importance of good lighting.
Very well done! Be proud for a good job!
Very nice, I like your play with the red accents.
Very well done! Be proud for a good job!
Thank you! I appreciate it!
Very nice, I like your play with the red accents.
Thank you so much! I appreciate it!!
What issues did you run into? I learned to never underestimate the importance of good lighting.
Mostly the hands. I underestimated the difficulty of keeping everything straight and even
Mostly the hands. I underestimated the difficulty of keeping everything straight and even
If it is any consolation, that will get much easier with practice. But you're right, a lot of alignment issues are not quite obvious right out of the gate.
Mostly the hands. I underestimated the difficulty of keeping everything straight and even
Yup. Inspect closely with each hand you place, make sure they're straight and you'll be fine. Take your time and work the hands around fully, even after putting it in the case. Beware of raised indices when it comes to that. I build a lot of Yacht-Masters and that's a pain. (Pic is example of raised indices... a watch I built for my wife) That and keeping dust and debris off the dials and crystals are the main challenges.