Sweet New Omega Seamaster ...seriously enticing!

In reality, Daniel Craig is not James Bond, event hough he was the coolest and the ‘brutal’ Bond so far in the realm of the movie and fantasy, oh well, he was so ‘skinny’ in Lara Croft :-) Anyway, again the new Omega Seamaster is lovely and enticing. A real luxury for an actor. I couldn’t help myself photographing this billboard at Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur, hmm so many billboard advertising timepieces nowadays, economically the Malaysians capitalists are not so poor I guess, surely, they can afford luxury items...https://www.omegawatches.com/ What? On a different perspective, yes, the cathedral of consumptions, spare not, even the streets.

The Coolest Samurai X...Air Diver’s Seiko 4R35

Solid and heavy, tight and secured crown, good readability and visibility, rugged-sharp and tough looking, handsome and suitable with any straps, powered by an automatic in-house engine would be the coolest feature that can happen for an ‘adventurer’s timepiece’. 

Actually, any watch can meet the basic purpose of telling time and becoming a handy tool whenever is possible either during your travel or in your daily routine; for example the Casio Protrek is one of the tough and best choice for all rounder tool watch, however an adventurer sometimes need a reliable timepiece with automatic movement to accompany him during his unexpected thrill and exploration from time to time. If not why Rolex produced
the Explorer 2 just for the caves exploration? 

My ex Casio Protrek #wristshot

For the timepieces enthusiasts, every in-house automatic mechanical movement plays in a league, different from the 
battery and quartz watches. Sometime for a frequent 
explorer it is not the watch that he needs, what he needs during his tough time is his ‘buddy’. Remember Wilson in the Cast Away movie?

Samurai X with NATO

With the screw down crown, steel case back, 200 meters water resistant, solid and heavy feel,  ‘glo in the dark’ Lumibrite, readable dials with the silver outline, sturdy crown guards, beautifully and ruggedly crafted crown and unidirectional bezel, with hacking function and a manual winding capacity, the Samurai X with calibre 4R35 engine that beats at 21,600vph, with power reserve of approximately 41 hours and finally; a face that doesn’t resembled the luxuriousness of the expensive Rolex Submariner, ticked all the raincheck list of my tool watch specifications and requirements.

All the features embedded in it make it a suitable replacement tool for my reliable 7S26 SKX007 (it is in the workshop for overhaul at this moment). 

The black and blue Samurai X

“The Samurai X has the ruggedness of my ex-Damasko DA46. It runs on the reliable 4R35 engine with lesser complication and it has dials with the silver ouline - just like my ex-Explorer 1. This watch possesses the solid, strong, secured, steelty and ‘very tight feel’. Its suited every fieldman/outdoorsman needs, to me its meet the explorer needs.”

My ex Damasko DA46

My comment on the other options?

1. Seiko the Alpinist? It is a germ-stone. Its beauty defeat the purpose of its functionality. Would you bring your precious stone to a jungle or perhaps to a place where you might accidentally scratch it or bash it up agains something? If it is dubbed as a gentleman timepiece then go to a dinner  or official event and funtion with it...fragile item doesn’t belong to a rough place.

The beautiful Alpinist

2. Seiko Landy X? Seriously, having a ‘see-through case back’ on a watch really put me off. I would choose the Landy X over the Alpinist anytime due to its readabality and ruggedness. However, the ‘see-through’ case back and the slight protrudes of face glass over the bezel make it a scratch prone watch, and it becomes a big NO too...but I love the design especially the brushed case.

The rugged Seiko Land Prospex

3. Omega Speedy Reduced and Pro? Well, the dial is quite small for my eyes, and again I can handwind my 4R35 if I feel like doing so. To me, a calendar feature is very important for a tool watch. 

(And to the Malay timepiece collectors or watch enthusiasts, a watch without the calendar function is dubbed or called as ‘pekak’ or a ‘deaf’ watch. Even the Rolex Explorer 1 is categorised as ‘pekak’, the same goes to the rare Submariner No Date - the original James Bond watch. Again, nothing is wrong for becoming a ‘pekak’ watch, it is just becoming deaf, you got nothing to loose if you forget the day and date. Means you are free from 
becoming slave of the day and date - no meeting, no 
deadline and no rush! Enjoy your timepieces in the peace of time! No worry...)

My ex Explorer 1

A watch to me is not about luxury, it’s a time tool. People of the ancient used stick and sun rays for telling time, no watches, no fuss. Different people with different job and experience surely have different views and opinions regarding their own watch and preference too. All views are appreciated!

Enjoy your timepiece in your peace of time... but refrain yourself from doing time...

SKX007: Overhaul and Maintenance Time!

Like every other engine, the mechanical items of this little one need to be maintained too. It has to be lubricated and overhauled with good oiling, good gaskets to ensure its long-lastingness in service, let alone the scars, it adds character to the watch, and of course, every scar tells a story.

 I believed every owner of SKX007 has different time and frequency for its engine maintenance. Yes, it depends on the usage and how timely the watchkeeping its time. As mine now is picking up +5 minutes a day, something I can never tolerate.

As you can see above, my SKX007 get foggy due to the high humidity in the atmosphere. Now in Malaysia, the weather gets scorching in the afternoon, wet in the evening (therefore, if you have problem with your car air conditioning, means another reason to get another free one grey hair on your head + the unitchy itchiness! 

Surely, it gives you hell! So go and fix your air-cond first then only the watch :-)).

Well, anyway, this is where the Sinn’s copper sulphate technology becoming useful in their own 757/756 watches, read more about the technology here: https://www.sinn.de/mobile/en/Ar-dehumidifying_Technology.htm

...another reason to love Germany watches...aaa I really missed the look of my Damasko D46 😭 (sold already).

Are you choosing the best among the best? Seiko Landy, the Alpinist, the Omega Speedy Reduced, the Omega Seamaster, the Samurai X: A tough decision?

Well, I’ve been searching around looking for an additional member to the club. The club only housed the SKX007 and the Black Ice which is still ticking. The rest of the members were sold due to the economic downturn. 

That’s life; nothing stays forever. However ”Living your life to the fullest is an adventure. It is your journey and destiny, enjoy it, get the best of the best, perhaps an excellent automatic watch? Seeing its ticking means your heart still beating, and the experience continues until it finally ended for good.”

So, in this new quest searching for the so-called ‘holy grail’ of your own. (well don’t take it literally, because you won’t stop looking for watches until you stop ticking - it’s your hobby and passion, how can you control?).

The best part of the journey is having a problem making a decision and starting rationalising every detail, specification, etc. 

However, it is not that difficult, take the one that pleases and smile back at you, like the Black Ice, I picked it up because I like it. It was a straightforward decision. But, the next selection would be strict. Why? Because you need to get the watch that can justify the usage and the value for your money.

Therefore, which one should I choose? Err sorry...Rolex is now out of the picture...I myself can’t justify the need for it, the price has gone up about RM10K since I bought and sold my Explorer 1...the amount in which I can use to fund my own research - on books, travel and such...

I’ve checked the IWC, ORIS, Luminox, Seiko 4R36 and 6R15 range, Omega Seamaster, oh yea the Rolex Explorer 2...whereby the new face is no longer carry the patina looks that everyone desire of...hmm not to forget the Longines Hydroconquest too. So, which one of these would be the new member of MyExplorerClub?

... and should be able to survive and ticking for me in my next adventure with no hesitation ...

My reliable SKX007 in action...what do you actually need from a watch during a critical mission?

Sharing with you the photos of my reliable SKX007 in real action...and this is because I love this watch, like taking photographs with your buddy per se...On one fine day, I’m gonna write, perhaps some tips about what make a good tool watch during a mission...

Laos dam collasped 2018 Attapeu, Sanamxay.

Hinterland trail during a humanitarian aid mission in Sabah, 2018. The road condition was so unpredictable. We were stranded in the middle of the jungle where no communication were available, including sat-phone.

Humanitarian aid for the Syrian in Lebanon 2016 - A Day in A Camp photography exhibition (showing my works during World Refugee Day in Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur)

Exploring the frontier facing the Indian Ocean at Sumatera, Indonesia - 

historical research and field studies

This is not Indiana Jones - in front of one of the historical tomb in West Sumatera, Indonesia

Humanitarian aid for the Rohingya in Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh. 

(Humanitarian photographer)

Seiko Diver’s SKX007 Superb Precision!

Finally, I got some extra and I got it overhauled and NOW it is my no 1 watch.
Seiko Diver’s SKX007 is a superb piece of watch! Precision has never been better, I'm really astonished with it performance. It took me awhile to say it as I don't want to give wrong information to readers, and also to my fellow explorers!

Oh ya! I just replaced the stainless steel bracelet because it got heavy bashing during my travel to Bangladesh for my research - history and other works in other places in the world...with the day date function - it is fully functional to keep me remember my journal.