Still the GOAT 🐐
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Captain Crunch
Co-founder of WatchCrunch; Inventor of the Zero Pass strap.
United States
Member since
Last active: 2 hrs ago
16.51 cm
Another documented "Seiko is the Gateway Drug" victim. I enjoyed the video, and I can relate to your love of Seiko. I was addicted in 1978, and I am still collecting Seiko 44 years later.
I sold my blue RGB SARB a few years ago. Bought at Yodobashi Camara Umeda in early 2000s. 😥 Dumb me...
First mechanical was of course a gen 1 monster. Like most, was quartz through me 20s.
Re the 210 - Yes, always been sweet on Alpinist - same reasons as yourself. Those cathedral hands look GS diver-esque which makes it even more badass. Also want all cyclops' to burn in a fiery car crash, no exceptions. For that reason it can't make it onto my maybe someday list, sadly.
not a great pic of it - dial popped even more than it shows here
First mechanical is the Breitling Crosswind Special. It’s my first luxury watch, and I still love it as much as the day I purchased it!
Sorry! what’s a “Seiko”? … never heard of it… 🤯…
😂😉
Don’t particularly like the strap tab facing me. 😖
I only started collecting recently, so it was an Islander for me, which is kinda a little like starting with a Seiko since they’re essentially made of the same stuff. They seem to have the same Pokemon fever about them amongst the brand loyalists; gotta catch ’em all. These brand loyalists also seem willing to overlook little details that seem to drive other enthusiasts insane.
My love of mechanical watches can be traced from Timex through Hamilton to Omega. Seiko was not my gateway, although I have had mechanical Seiko watches. I have always liked and appreciated Seiko without any of the extra enthusiasm that Seiko engenders.
I have never understood the appeal of the Alpinist. Green and gold, cyclops, cathedral hands, it makes me think that the designers were blindfolded and throwing darts at a board.
"I want something super legible and modern. Your turn to throw a dart, Bill."
"Oh, great, cathedral hands. Way to go, Bill."
And before you say, "somehow it works." Stop, just don't. It doesn't work.
So, I got my first watch in 1972 when I was 10. It was a Timex Easy Reader manual wind on an expandable band. That was my first manual watch. I wish I still had it, for nostalgia's sake.
Another documented "Seiko is the Gateway Drug" victim. I enjoyed the video, and I can relate to your love of Seiko. I was addicted in 1978, and I am still collecting Seiko 44 years later.
Haha, total gateway drug... That you just can't quit!
I sold my blue RGB SARB a few years ago. Bought at Yodobashi Camara Umeda in early 2000s. 😥 Dumb me...
First mechanical was of course a gen 1 monster. Like most, was quartz through me 20s.
Re the 210 - Yes, always been sweet on Alpinist - same reasons as yourself. Those cathedral hands look GS diver-esque which makes it even more badass. Also want all cyclops' to burn in a fiery car crash, no exceptions. For that reason it can't make it onto my maybe someday list, sadly.
not a great pic of it - dial popped even more than it shows here
I'm planning to remove this cyclops soon 💪
First mechanical is the Breitling Crosswind Special. It’s my first luxury watch, and I still love it as much as the day I purchased it!
Nice collection!
Wow, hell of an enthusiast watch to start with
I only started collecting recently, so it was an Islander for me, which is kinda a little like starting with a Seiko since they’re essentially made of the same stuff. They seem to have the same Pokemon fever about them amongst the brand loyalists; gotta catch ’em all. These brand loyalists also seem willing to overlook little details that seem to drive other enthusiasts insane.
Mark is a great guy, would buy from him all day
My love of mechanical watches can be traced from Timex through Hamilton to Omega. Seiko was not my gateway, although I have had mechanical Seiko watches. I have always liked and appreciated Seiko without any of the extra enthusiasm that Seiko engenders.
I have never understood the appeal of the Alpinist. Green and gold, cyclops, cathedral hands, it makes me think that the designers were blindfolded and throwing darts at a board.
"I want something super legible and modern. Your turn to throw a dart, Bill."
"Oh, great, cathedral hands. Way to go, Bill."
And before you say, "somehow it works." Stop, just don't. It doesn't work.
Yeah the design doesn't make sense on paper but neither does a Mercedes hands on Rolex sports watches
I’m disappointed in myself for not having an Alpinist yet.
First Mechanical was the BlueOrient Mako 1.
I can quite relate to being drawn towards the SARBs at the start of the journey. Having the SARB Trinity(033, 065,017) was like a dream trio that I was able finally complete. However, recently realized that I hardly ever wear the pieces!! I like to look at them and take pictures of them for the gram, but when it is time to pick one to actually wear, I wasn't wearing them at all! The only rule in my collection is that if I am not wearing it, it's not staying. A few months later, the SARB033 and 065 are sold and the Alpinist is still here, however, it's days might be numbered 🤷
Yeah they just sit in the box and for giggles 😄
Nice review, I like the scoring. Maybe we should consider a total score instead of an average on our WC reviews. Would give more of a spread.
My first mechanical watch, lost to ‘history’ was a Timex mechanical wind in 1962, as I started first grade! I was full on quartz from the 70’s - 00’s. Then my wife bought me this
and I‘ve been hooked ever since. Fifteen years and 20+ mechanicals later, I’m now a WCer. Don’t see me ending this fixation anytime soon!
Your wife has good taste 👍
Not sure what you mean about total score
I like the watch crunch score. Definitely more of that.
My first mechanical watch was the good ole’ Invicta Pro Diver back in like 2010. Then I stopped caring about mechanical watches when the Apple Watch came out. Bought the Apple Watch on the very first release and was a huge fanboy for years until earlier this year. I decided I was too much a slave to my notifications and chose to go back to mechanical watches. Started with Seiko SPRH 33, the cool orange and black flieger style watch. Now I’m hooked. Have the Seiko 5 GMT, a Hamilton Khaki Field Automatic, a Small Second Bambino, and my wife has spilled the beans and told me that I’m getting a Bulova A-11 hack watch with the blue dial for Christmas. 😁
Bam. Right back in with the greatest hits 👏👏
Your wife has good taste 👍
Not sure what you mean about total score
Thanks! Sorry to be cryptic. I meant you were a x/10 score on 5 categories similar to what we now use on our review page - where we score on a 1-5 star score, which is then averaged. Either way can work, but I think we’d get more detail in our WC review scores if the categories were scored on a 1-10 scale. Just food for thought.
My first was this Seiko 5 SeaUrchin. Still have and enjoy it! Do need a new strap though -open to suggestions!
Thanks! Sorry to be cryptic. I meant you were a x/10 score on 5 categories similar to what we now use on our review page - where we score on a 1-5 star score, which is then averaged. Either way can work, but I think we’d get more detail in our WC review scores if the categories were scored on a 1-10 scale. Just food for thought.
I see, so instead of 34.5/50 it would be a 6.9/10
My first was this Seiko 5 SeaUrchin. Still have and enjoy it! Do need a new strap though -open to suggestions!
Ooo love that bezel
I honestly can't remember what was my first mechanical watch because it was more than 40 years ago. Interestingly enough, the Seiko SARB017 was among the first I bought after escaping from Smartwatch notification hell.
The SARB017 is still worn very frequently and I can't imagine myself exchanging it for one of the newer Prospex variants because most of the things in which they differ from the SARB are exactly the things that I dislike.
Ooo love that bezel
Ok @Max I kid you not, 10 minutes after i posted the strap snapped in half on my wrist. Thankfully my sleeve caught it. Did I jynx it?
The SARB017 was my first.
I’m disappointed in myself for not having an Alpinist yet.
Same here. I want it to be my next watch but the Oris big crown is also playing in my head. Only one can win the spot though haha
I'm planning to remove this cyclops soon 💪
is it easy to do???
Mine was a Vostok I bought from a shady dealer at a flea market. It only lasted two years, and I don't have it anymore.
Amazing video as always!
In regards to the rating, I would prefer not to rate any watches out of a score. Every timepiece is a piece of art, and it is very subjective to each individual. If a watch is given a score, does it mean its a bad watch or a grail that everyone should get?
I think we are more interest in hearing more about the watch's story, details, and your personal opinion than seeing where our favourite watch sits on a scoreboard.😉
is it easy to do???
Not easy but possible, need a torch and removal of the innards from the case, and a lot of patience.