[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Thats right. I picked up both the Alpinist (SARB 017) and the SARB 033 just a couple of months back, though I had no idea the lines were to be discontinued. The rumour is that they will come back in slightly altered variations but not as the SARB range, but as possibly part of the Presage range.

What are some of the online stores where you order watches from. I am looking at getting a pair of watches from US soon.

Have shortlisted the Seiko SKX013K2 and the Seiko SNK807 (blue) to start off with.

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

What are some of the online stores where you order watches from. I am looking at getting a pair of watches from US soon.

Have shortlisted the Seiko SKX013K2 and the Seiko SNK807 (blue) to start off with.

I swear by www.longislandwatches.com. Have ordered 4 watches from them. their service is great- fast, free shipping within US, nominal charges for international shipping. The watches are well packaged. Most importantly, they and their owner Marc Frankel have a fantastic reputation within the international watch community and has been around for quite a while.

Best place for Seikos and Orients. Check out their website, its quite well laid out. Most importantly, their prices are very reasonable and competitive, certainly far below equivalent prices in India.

The SKX is and SNK807 are both legendary watches. You must also check out the Orient Mako and Ray ranges as well, fantastic watches with great value for money quotient.

[Vid6639]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

I swear by www.longislandwatches.com. Have ordered 4 watches from them. their service is great- fast, free shipping within US, nominal charges for international shipping. The watches are well packaged. Most importantly, they and their owner Marc Frankel have a fantastic reputation within the international watch community and has been around for quite a while.

Best place for Seikos and Orients. Check out their website, its quite well laid out. Most importantly, their prices are very reasonable and competitive, certainly far below equivalent prices in India.

The SKX is and SNK807 are both legendary watches. You must also check out the Orient Mako and Ray ranges as well, fantastic watches with great value for money quotient.

Thanks Arindam. I absolutely love the Orient Ray II blue dial. They're even priced competitively vs the Seiko SKX013. Only thing stopping me was the larger case size.

The SKX013 with the smaller 38mm case is perfect for my small wrist. Anything above 40 just doesn't suit and both the Ray II and Mako are 41-42mm.

[Latheesh]

Agree with Arindam. I bought watches from longisland watches in the past and never faced any issues. I normally check amazon, creationwatches, jomashop, and longislandwatches. Bought couple of watches from ebay dot com as well but both of them failed within couple of years. SKX013 is perfect for small wrist, even SKX007/009 does not look that big. SNK807 is a great entry level automatic but you are going to wear SKX013 more (you may delay SNK807 purchase).

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Thanks Arindam. I absolutely love the Orient Ray II blue dial. They're even priced competitively vs the Seiko SKX013. Only thing stopping me was the larger case size.

The SKX013 with the smaller 38mm case is perfect for my small wrist. Anything above 40 just doesn't suit and both the Ray II and Mako are 41-42mm.

I have the same issue as you do (smaller wrist size), and hence try to keep within the 40-42 mm size or lower. However, the Mako and Ray wear smaller than their 41 mm size may seem on paper. Really comfortable fit!

Anyways, here are the links to the watches you have shortlisted on the longislandwatch:

https://www.longislandwatch.com/Seik...p/skx013k2.htm
https://www.longislandwatch.com/Seik...p/snk807k2.htm

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by Vid6639

Thanks Arindam. I absolutely love the Orient Ray II blue dial. They're even priced competitively vs the Seiko SKX013. Only thing stopping me was the larger case size.

The SKX013 with the smaller 38mm case is perfect for my small wrist. Anything above 40 just doesn't suit and both the Ray II and Mako are 41-42mm.

Even greater VFM are some of the Invicta dive watches. For example, 8926 (lot of similar variants with other numbers), is a 40mm and uses Seiko's excellent NH-35A (hacking, manual-windable) automatic movement, and I've seen them brand new (with rubber band) for around $60US. Variants have sapphire crystals, day/date windows, two-tone or gold-plated cases, dials / bezels of various colors, even an "open-heart" (active balance wheel visible through dial) model. If you can go quartz, the 9204B and others have a 37mm case, there might even be an automatic of that size, I don't recall. Invicta is actually an old brand, more lately much of what's on offer is oversized/outlandish ghetto watches (leading one commentator to refer to it as "the world's most hated watch brand"), but the Prodiver line is quite a good and conservative one that has found a pretty formidable fan base.

I've got an 8927 (black dial/bezel, gold/ss two-tone case/bracelet) on the way that I'm really looking forward to getting on my wrist:




@Redliner: re: the Chinese stuff, they can easily touch $100, which I don't personally consider cheap enough to be throw-away. Especially considering that I can get "lifetime" watches with genuine, fully-serviceable Seiko movements for considerably less.

-Eric

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by ringoism

Invicta is actually an old brand, more lately much of what's on offer is oversized/outlandish ghetto watches (leading one commentator to refer to it as "the world's most hated watch brand"), but the Prodiver line is quite a good and conservative one that has found a pretty formidable fan base.

While personally the design aesthetic of the Invicta ranges do not really appeal to me, Invicta is certainly a very old brand and has a long horological pedigree. Recently, when reading up a bit more on the company, I was pleasantly surprised to see some of their tastefully designed vintage watches. Not to mention that Invicta have recently purchased some really awesome companies like Glycine, which itself is the maker of well known tool watches.

There is no question of the fact that their offerings are at a very low price point. I haven't had any first hand experience with them so would be unfair of me to comment on their build quality or the like.

[spookey]

I would be grateful if our horological guru's here could enlighten me about how often should we get our automatic watches serviced (in particular Orient's & Tissot powermatic 80 movements) ? Online search resulted into contradictory advises ranging from once in 3 / 5 / 7 /10 years.
Also is it a good idea to store watches in an airtight container to avoid microscopic dirt accumulation over long term ?
Thank you.

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by spookey

I would be grateful if our horological guru's here could enlighten me about how often should we get our automatic watches serviced (in particular Orient's & Tissot powermatic 80 movements) ? Online search resulted into contradictory advises ranging from once in 3 / 5 / 7 /10 years.
Also is it a good idea to store watches in an airtight container to avoid microscopic dirt accumulation over long term ?
Thank you.

I am no guru but will share my thoughts on this topic.

Orients, Seikos, Tissots (in fact most modern automatic/ mechanical movements) typically have very robust movements which do not require servicing for years. While the oft suggested time period, is 5 years, there are millions of examples where no servicing is required for much longer period extending to 8-10 years. My personal guideline is to let watches be until there is a noticeable increase or decrease in the rate of operation. In other words, if you notice your watch running materially slow or fast, then its time to service the watch- assuming all other things being equal and there being no other damage to the watch itself. Most often, a 5 year internal is too early to send the watch for service if there is otherwise nothing wrong with the movement, or the watch has not suffered any external damages/shocks.

There are of course other schools of thought which say that a 5-6 year interval for servicing is a must. I however do not subscribe to that school of thought. Don't forget, watch servicing is a major revenue earner for ADs and the watch companies, and hence, it is not uncommon for them to suggest 5 year servicing intervals.

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

Not to mention that Invicta have recently purchased some really awesome companies like Glycine, which itself is the maker of well known tool watches.

My first after-school job in high school was for Hamilton (then based in Lancaster, PA), selling clocks and watches in their factory outlet in a neighboring state; Quartz was the latest/greatest phenomenon by then (c1985) and I think we only stocked one mechanical watch of theirs, which was comparatively expensive and seldom if ever sold. At the time I think Hamilton was tied up with Bulova, but Swatch had just come into the picture too, and we were selling myriad designs of these cheap, plasticky, easily scratched, disposable, brightly-colored $30 timepieces in large quantities. I disliked them and had no intention of owning one (my mom bought me a nice Hamilton for my graduation, if I recall, which unfortunately disintegrated entirely in the washing machine one sad day a few years later).

Anyway, to get to the point, Swatch is now I guess the largest watch conglomerate in the world, and it could probably be said that selling cheap, disposable junk to the masses in large quantities ultimately financed the salvation / preservation of a great many other better-quality, pedigreed brands, including Hamilton (whose base is now in Switzerland). I think Fossil has begun to do the same now to some degree (selling countless trendy Chinese-made fashion-watches and using the proceeds to acquire some good brands), and while I think Invicta is in kind of a different position, the fact is that they're selling quite a lot of watches despite the brand's being supposedly hated. Quality control has apparently been spotty in some of their lines, but the 8926 Prodiver and its clan are pretty universally considered to be among the ones the company got right.

The website states their philosophy as being that a good watch needn't be expensive, and I'm sure they're correct on that point.



I'm seeing this model 19260 on sale for just over $40 (factory refurb) - pretty tempting.

-Eric

[arindambasu13]

The SARB series has been discontinued by Seiko. A legendary series indeed, with high quality models all hitting above their price point. Of all the SARB models, the Alpinist (SARB017) is perhaps the most sought after, admired and loved because of its unique look. The Alpinist creates something of its own category- a watch for the gentleman mountaineer. Search as I might, there does not seem to be any watch from any manufacturer which is quite like it. Full marks for unique aesthetics. The finishing on this watch is stunning, high polished case sides and bezel, brushed lugs and that sunburst military green dial just nails the look!

Here are some pictures of my Alpinist which I picked up a couple of months back, not knowing that in a few days time, the watch would be discontinued. Ive put mine on a Strapcode custom-made bracelet, which catapults it from right a being dressy watch of sorts to a sports watch which looks absolutely gorgeous. Of special mention is the lovely compact case diameter of 38mm (some say its more 39mm) which is really hard to come by in recent times. Fits smaller wrists such as mine to the T.

A watch which is truly a keeper in my collection, and with its discontinuance, is bound to rocket in value over the next few months.

[Jaguar]

Got this Seiko Diver's Automatic with the Pepsi dial. Slightly thicker and heavier than I expected, but getting used to it now.

[Rocky_Balboa]

Originally Posted by arindambasu13

The SARB series has been discontinued by Seiko. A legendary series indeed, with high quality models all hitting above their price point. Of all the SARB models, the Alpinist (SARB017) is perhaps the most sought after, admired and loved because of its unique look...

Beautiful!
Now You are making me lust after the Alpinist (and right after the Orient saga)

[arindambasu13]

Originally Posted by Rocky_Balboa

Beautiful!
Now You are making me lust after the Alpinist (and right after the Orient saga)

Well if you are even a little inclined to pick up the Alpinist, Id say now is the right time. There are a few remaining stocks left with a few remaining retailers, though I would assume these have already jumped up in price a fair bit. This is bound to become a collectors piece, given its unique aesthetic and the fact that its now discontinued and getting hard to get hold of.

Thats the thing with these Jap biggies- Seiko, Orient and Citizen. They present such great value at their price point that some of their models are really hard to ignore.

[Chetan_Rao]

For those of you buying from a foreign retailer like Longislandwatch, what's your preferred payment and shipping option?

Safe to use Indian credit cards (as two factor authentication doesn't apply to international transactions)?

I see they have generic Duty Unpaid shipping, and a more expensive FedEx option (where I'm assuming they'll take care of everything door-to-door?).