To Mod. . . Or not to Mod...
I never seriously considered modding a watch. I see folks modding their Seikos and I clutch my trusty SKX007 tight.
The other day, I saw a video on the Seiko SBSC009 and got excited about chasing this one down. The "Field" style appealed to me and the pop of color on the GMT hand was right up my alley.
The guy on the video was going on and on about how this was a good alternative to the Rolex Explorer II Polar dial.... not being a Rolex gal... but curious by nature, I Googled that thing.
Sure... the SBSC has a white dial and a fun pop of color on the GMT hand... but those indices reminded me of SOMETHING... my trusty SKX!
Another Google search turned up a beauty I had long forgotten... behold, the SKX013.
Oh lawd... look at this! Am I crazy? All she needs is a silver bezel and she's the mini me of that Explorer II?
I now have a sudden urge to consider modding. I see how this rabbit hole opens. God help my poor hubby.
Always loved watches. Married a guy who also loves watches and does repair work... so I get to see and wear alot of great stuff. He buys things and somehow they never get sold....
If you are going to modify it, upgrade your Skx sapphire, ceramic and a better Jubilee bracelet, thats my opinion
I wouldn't mind the SKX personally. Having an all original (in particular a JDM version) will be harder and harder to come by. Not to mention more expensive.
If you want a mod, it's super easy to hop on eBay and buy an SKX case kit, NH36A or 7S26 movement, and mod that to your heart's content!
I'm leaving mine all-original!
Scratches, dings, memories and all!
Considering how much money you are likely to spend modding, plus how likely it is to go horribly wrong for you, I think you'd be better off buying a Steeldive SD1992 where everything is already done for you.
The only reason people used to mod SKX divers was because of how cheap they were (due to some miscalculation by Seiko and getting rid of overstock just under a decade ago). Now the prices are through the roof comparatively, so it's best to keep everything as original as possible for the sake of collecting and preservation.
I wouldn't mind the SKX personally. Having an all original (in particular a JDM version) will be harder and harder to come by. Not to mention more expensive.
If you want a mod, it's super easy to hop on eBay and buy an SKX case kit, NH36A or 7S26 movement, and mod that to your heart's content!
I'm leaving mine all-original!
Scratches, dings, memories and all!
Oh for sure! My skx007 stays the same... but I may have to track down a 013 to work on!!
I wouldn't mind the SKX personally. Having an all original (in particular a JDM version) will be harder and harder to come by. Not to mention more expensive.
If you want a mod, it's super easy to hop on eBay and buy an SKX case kit, NH36A or 7S26 movement, and mod that to your heart's content!
I'm leaving mine all-original!
Scratches, dings, memories and all!
This is the way
This is the way
I would not mod your original SKX007. These things are somewhat rare since the discontinuation and fetch a fairly high price on the secondary market, over double what they used to cost new. Keep it all original, or at most upgrade the crystal to sapphire, but don't ruin its value down the line.
If you are interested in modding, you can find hundreds of parts, including SKX parts, for cheap on AliExpress to create a build from scratch. Tools as well. You could also buy full watches from cheap brands like Tandorio or Addiesdive and use them as a base for modding.
My vote goes to all original
Go for it!
Looking at modding my Seamaster, but no idea where to get the bits ( want to change the dive bezel insert to a Spectre hour insert as that'd be far more useful to me and look cool too)
Anyone have any ideas where to get one? Obviously Omega won't help..
My vote goes to all original
I dont plan to touch my 007. Its perfect. But i may do something on a 013 if I can source things.... I see how people get the itch.
I would not mod your original SKX007. These things are somewhat rare since the discontinuation and fetch a fairly high price on the secondary market, over double what they used to cost new. Keep it all original, or at most upgrade the crystal to sapphire, but don't ruin its value down the line.
If you are interested in modding, you can find hundreds of parts, including SKX parts, for cheap on AliExpress to create a build from scratch. Tools as well. You could also buy full watches from cheap brands like Tandorio or Addiesdive and use them as a base for modding.
I dont want to work on my 007. But if I can find a janky 013, I'd give that a go.