My first Alba

Actually not really my first Alba. I had an Alba diver when I was teenage but it was a quartz and it died after a few years, probably due to the shocks and abuses wearing it when I played football. Was scouting for another watch for collection recently, eyeing for a Swiss made perhaps but noted this brand that I had completely ignored. It is a sub-brand of Seiko so I suspect it is using the same mechanism shared within the Seiko family too. As the movement cannot be hacked, it kind of reminded me of maybe 7S26 movement. Officially, Alba names the movement Y676. Have not tested the power reserve.

I don't have an automatic diver yet so this is first in my collection. I have a Citizen "diver" but it it just a design while the bezel is fixed. Although I m not really into diving activity, the rotating bezel is not only used for divers but can also be used for 2nd time zone indication, since I travel occasionally. 

I did not really test or feel the watch as I bought it through internet for MYR461. So one disappointment is that the bezel rotation does not click. There are a few colour choice and some with SS strap but I prefer this gold bezel combo that adds some formality into a diver watch so it can be used as a dress watch. But this design only comes with silicone strap.

The dial is kind of unique because the bezel is partially covered at the side, maybe to prevent it from being rotated unintentionally. I don't often see such design.

Big crown at the corner. First in my collection with the crown at the bottom right corner.

No see through case

43mm dial face, 20mm lug width

Big dial covers my entire wrist

Decathlon watch

There is this sports massive equipment retailer that came into Malaysia some time ago, selling all sorts of sports equipment including watches. So I bought one for my son, I must admit it's quite a durable watch, have endured all sorts of abuse but still functional. Unfortunately, the strap has turned brittle and disintegrated but the watch is still good. I believe it was bought more than 5 years ago but still have not changed the battery yet. Still struggling to find a suitable replacement strap.

Dimension is about 36mm while the LCD screen is quite legible at a width of 22mm.

New strap for my Citizen

My solar powered Citizen has its strap retainer broken. Been trying to look for a matching colour but could not find one. In the end, I went to replace the entire strap and got myself this brown colour Nato nylon strap for only RM4.50 in Lazada with free shipping. Although my citizen strap width is 23mm while this new strap is 22mm, that 1mm difference is hardly noticeable. One thing I like about this nylon strap is that the retainer is made of steel so it will last a lot more longer.

Casio 10 year battery

That Skmei is good but not perfect, display is big but hard to see in the dark. Recently, I got a 50% promo code for Casio watch so I took the chance to get this big display Casio watch model code is AE1500WH using the 3502 module. The styling is very much like a G-shock but just having ordinary function like alarm, timer and stopwatch. Will see if it the battery can really last 10 years as claimed. Thanks to the promo code, I got this for about RM100 including shipping.

Metal buttons

Old school lighting

60 gram is not heavy at all.

Watch covers my entire wrist, quite big.

Quite bulky

Have not worn digital watches for some time and just realised one thing, the screen is not clear when viewed from an extreme angle so have to lift my arm a bit. Analog watches don't have such issue.

My first Skmei

Getting older and needed a watch with big display. Came across this watch in Lazada at RM9.90 and thought of giving it a try. I must say the quality isn't too bad, much better than the cheap watches normally found in Daiso or Mr DIY. The watch measures a diameter of 49.5mm and comes with an integrated straps. I have not tried its water resistance but the big display does help a lot. What I don't like is that the display can be hard to see at low light and you need to press for the backlight. The buckle is a bit uncomfortable and often leaves a mark on my arm.

Backlight activated display.

A bit dark without backlight.

Uniquely shaped plastic button.

Overall, at that price, can't expect much, does its job and not too shabby.

Gift to my wife

I went to Tokyo last November and having been absence from the family for a week, the least I could do was to bring a gift to my wife. I spent hours in a few electronic shops in Ueno and Akihabara before decided to get her this Orient solar watch which the salesman claimed it was a limited edition. Not sure how limited it was as it didn't have a proper serial number but the design was unique as only this model has a diamond on the crown. Cost about JPY16,625 or RM634.22 after conversion.

I thought it would be a safe buy as I don't think this watch is sold in Malaysia and no worry of getting something more expensive than in Malaysia.

Dial face diameter 23mm
Thickness 8mm

Crown with a diamond on it

Light charge, water resistant, 5 bar, Made in Japan

My first "Made in Japan" Seiko

My wife went to Singapore for a few days and surprised me with this gift. She refused to reveal the price but I believe it should be above RM1,000 for a watch that is made in Japan. The 4R15B movement can be manually winded, another first for me in terms of Seiko watch ownership.

Lug width 20mm
Dial face diameter 40mm
Thickness 11 mm