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

My first Q&Q

Not sure if age is catching up or what but ever since my dad gave me the Oris, I m beginning to like dress watches, specifically square minimalist golden watches. Been eyeing for a Bambino but it cost about RM650 at least here.

I used to like silver but somehow, gold looks more elegant. For me, wearing a watch is no longer about time keeping but something to complement my outfit. A dress watch will always blend well for any occasion although it's hard to see in the dark. Well, these days, there is smartphone.

Instead of diving in straight for a Bambino, I got myself a cheaper alternative, a Q&Q. This watch company, I believe, is part of the Citizen group and is using Miyota quartz movement in it. Guess what, it costs only RM50, gold colour (don't think it's gold plating) and fake leather strap (it didn't state genuine leather).

Measurement, one corner to the other, is 45mm, strap size is 20mm and thickness is only 8mm. Let's see how long the golden glow can last in this cheap watch.

I like the simple face, no numbers or day date. Don't like those "quartz" and "water resist" wordings though. Totally unnecessary.

Stainless steel back and 3 bar WR.

Gold buckle too with Q&Q logo engraved.

This is how thin it looks from the side. Crown is simple knob without any engraving.

Daiso digital watches

Kids always misplace and loss things. Best to get them cheap stuff until they know how to take care of their own stuff. These watches from Daiso would be most suitable for them. Daiso is actually some Japanese inspired shops that sell everything at RM5.30 (used to be RM5 thanks to GST). These watches were bought for more than 1 year and is still functioning. There was one time, the watch was left inside the pocket and sent to the washing machine. The watch survived, with a little bit of vapour seen on the screen which dried off later. Well, even if it doesn't last, the rubber strap would still be useful for matching any of my collection.

The watch only keeps time and date. No other fancy functions like stop watch, which is adequate for kids. Runs on cheap LR41 battery.

Dimension:
Diameter - 33mm
Lug to lug - 38mm
Lug width - 19mm
Thickness - 8mm