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Feb 19, 2020, 05:09 PM
#1
Seiko SRP777
Arrived today, and for little over £250 this is a hell of a watch.
Ten years ago, I arrived home from a watch fair delighted with a 6309, which I then found to be a dud. Ugh. Now I have the same delight, with no plunging despondency to come. I’ll struggle to remember the model number, because to me this is a 6309 made new.
The strap came off, to be replaced with an Uncle Seiko GL831. Much better. Flat vent rather than curved, rubber rather than PU, no oversized buckle, no metal keeper, and usefully shorter. More authentic too, because it’s a more supple copy of the original.
Also like the original, there’s some magic going on, because there’s no way this is a 44mm watch. It’s a big (and lovely) lump of metal, but it feels the size it ought to be and there’s no sense of your wrist being overwhelmed. I wouldn’t want it on a bracelet, though.
And wonder of wonders, there are no misalignments. Bezel, chapter ring - all perfectly precise and orderly. No real grit in the crown tube either, and it’s a smooth and easy winder. I’m impressed. Good old Seiko, with its characterful classics.
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Post Thanks / Like - 19 Likes
crownpuller,
is that my watch,
Strela167,
JAGtime,
Samanator,
rodia77,
Dimman,
mlcor,
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Feb 19, 2020, 06:44 PM
#2
Originally Posted by
tribe125
Arrived today, and for little over £250 this is a hell of a watch.
Ten years ago, I arrived home from a watch fair delighted with a 6309, which I then found to be a dud. Ugh. Now I have the same delight, with no plunging despondency to come. I’ll struggle to remember the model number, because to me this is a 6309 made new.
The strap came off, to be replaced with an Uncle Seiko GL831. Much better. Flat vent rather than curved, rubber rather than PU, no oversized buckle, no metal keeper, and usefully shorter. More authentic too, because it’s a more supple copy of the original.
Also like the original, there’s some magic going on, because there’s no way this is a 44mm watch. It’s a big (and lovely) lump of metal, but it feels the size it ought to be and there’s no sense of your wrist being overwhelmed. I wouldn’t want it on a bracelet, though.
And wonder of wonders, there are no misalignments. Bezel, chapter ring - all perfectly precise and orderly. No real grit in the crown tube either, and it’s a smooth and easy winder. I’m impressed. Good old Seiko, with its characterful classics.
Congrats Alan. I wish I knew of these straps. I fully agree about the bracelet. I tried a few straps including the OEM and did not find the right one. The OEM silicon was soft but way too long. That I don't see this one almost touching he bezel indicates it is a better solution.
Cheers,
Michael
Tell everyone you saw it on IWL!
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Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
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Feb 19, 2020, 07:14 PM
#3
Congrats on your new arrival.
Originally Posted by
tribe125
And wonder of wonders, there are no misalignments. Bezel, chapter ring - all perfectly precise and orderly. No real grit in the crown tube either, and it’s a smooth and easy winder. I’m impressed. Good old Seiko, with its characterful classics.
It's no good when I have these questions on my mind first when reading a Seiko review. Were you concerned till it arrived and you could inspect?
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Feb 19, 2020, 07:54 PM
#4
Very nice, Alan. And yes, you'd never know it was 44mm, it sits perfectly nicely on your wrist.
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Feb 19, 2020, 08:23 PM
#5
I need to get one of those straps for my turtle. Thanks for the tip, Alan.
Last edited by CFR; Feb 19, 2020 at 08:30 PM.
Reason: typo
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Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
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Feb 19, 2020, 08:33 PM
#6
Originally Posted by
Samanator
I wish I knew of these straps. I fully agree about the bracelet. I tried a few straps including the OEM and did not find the right one. The OEM silicon was soft but way too long. That I don't see this one almost touching he bezel indicates it is a better solution.
I didn’t know about these straps myself until a few days ago. Fortunately for me, Uncle Seiko has a UK outpost, so it arrived a day before the watch. Just a little Googling shows that they’re well-regarded.
The tip of the strap is ‘all the way down there’ on my 7.5” wrist -
and the buckle sits in a reasonable place -
He also sells a shorter version, which he recommends for wrists below 7”.
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Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
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Feb 19, 2020, 09:13 PM
#7
Originally Posted by
rodia77
It's no good when I have these questions on my mind first when reading a Seiko review.
Were you concerned till it arrived and you could inspect?
Not really. I think the issue is a little exaggerated, or at least unfair on Seiko, because all kinds of brands have small issues. I could live with minor imperfections at this price level, especially in a genuinely toolish thing. I’d already decided not to be bothered by something that was only really noticeable if you were looking for it. As it happens, it’s been screwed together with more precision than some expensive watches that I’ve owned.
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Post Thanks / Like - 3 Likes
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Feb 19, 2020, 09:38 PM
#8
sharky
one of the most original good guys their was never anything but a true friend "the daito to my shoto"
rest easy good buddy
https://gofund.me/eb610af1
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Feb 19, 2020, 10:22 PM
#9
Originally Posted by
is that my watch
did you say where you bought it from ?
I didn't, but it was this German eBay seller -
The accompanying documents showed that the seller is a shop in Düsseldorf -
https://juwelier-noelle.de/
On the ‘seconds’ theory - I’ve never really subscribed to it, having seen no evidence.
In passing, I’d say that I’m not entirely convinced by some reports of alignment issues either. Cameras are rarely held at a flat angle, and some gimlet-eyed complainants seem over-enthusiastic in their complaints.
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Post Thanks / Like - 1 Likes
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Feb 19, 2020, 10:27 PM
#10
I can't remember seeing misalignment reports that wouldn't be accompanied by credible pics. And I've seen many more such reports than I would like to.