No 249 - Sjöö Sandström Landsort D1

When I wrote the piece about the Landsort D2 I just briefly mentioned the D1; the version with the crown at 9 o’clock. Already when they announced this watch I realized that it was going to be inevitable for the two of us not to cross paths one day. When I saw the D2 for the first time the D1 was actually all I could visualize in my head, so to me the D1 is really how the watch should have looked from the start and the fact that it eventually was produced the way I wanted it was simply amazing.

#249 - The Sjöö Sandström Landsort D1.

I bought this watch new. That rarely happens but once I do purchase something brand new there usually is a rather special occasion going on. I was saying to myself that IF this watch was as good as I hoped it was going to be, then it was going to be a keeper. I absolutely loved its looks. The clean steel gray dial, the orange second hand, the bezel insert in Tungsten. I still love its looks. As a matter of fact I love it so much that looking back on my old pictures of it just makes me want to go and buy a new one immediately! But then, to wake me up from my daydreaming, reality hits me hard in the face. How could I forget? 

Almost everything that disappointed me about the D2 had been fixed with the D1. The D1 felt much more solid in a whole other way. It was just one minor detail that still wasn’t perfect. The lume (in fact a rather major detail in my book). This time the lume was actually there but the glow wasn’t nearly as strong as I’d been hoping it to be. Why? WHY?! The product specification says super luminova and perhaps it is but in a very thin layer. I wore the watch for a while but it was a love/hate relationship. My perfect watch wasn’t perfect and it simply didn’t work out.

Last year at one of Sjöö Sandström’s pleasant events they sometimes host at their workshop I couldn’t help bringing up the topic regarding the lume for discussion. How else would I ever receive an answer to this big mystery? The explanation I got from Kristofer Johansson (sales director and partner at Sjöö Sandström) caught me a little off guard. He told me that they were well aware of this and that it was an intended design. They didn’t want the lume to glow too bright. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. It wasn't a design flaw. They were doing this on purpose! It contradicted all my own thoughts about which criteria’s a dive watch must fulfill. Anyhow, I was pleased by the honest and detailed answer I was given, even though I didn't agree with him, and I also felt he took the opinions I shared in the matter with great seriousness. Will it lead somewhere? Hopefully but probably not.

Giving critique it’s nothing I do because I like to be mean. I do it because I think it’s important and fair. A company that manufactures great products can only benefit from listening to their customers opinions and hopefully it will lead to even better products in the future. I really value the Landsort highly and I would even go as far as praising it as one of the coolest and unique dive watches made of all time BUT, not until it has been given what it deserves; a proper lume treatment. I keep imagining the Landsort to light up like the Grands Fonds from ZRC. Just the thought of it gives me goosebumps. A Landsort like that would just kill.

2016 was the year of Sjöö Sandström’s 30^th anniversary and they announced that three new watches were going to be released during that year. I’d been picking up bits and pieces from different rumors and I was sure that one of those new watches was going to be a dive watch. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be an updated version of the Landsort or a new creation but it didn’t matter because I knew it was going to be exciting either way. But no new dive watch was ever released during the last year. Huge disappointment! I can only hope that they’re planning something really good to come and I know that once a new dive watch will be announced I’m going to be super thrilled.

© All pictures by a Watch Flipper's Diary unless noted.

No 248 - Le Jour Chronograph

“I feel the need, the need for speed.” You know how it is being a watch maniac constantly looking on peoples wrists. Tom Cruise’s black chronograph sure doesn’t go unnoticed in the classic Top Gun from 1986; one of his best movies ever.  After a quick research you learn that it probably is an Orfina Porsche Design chronograph with the Lemania 5100 movement. You also learn that there are tons of watches from different manufactures from the very same era that pretty much look the same and that the prices can vary a lot. I’m not really sure which the true original is but have been assuming it’s the Heuer Pasadena that all the others derive from (read more here) but I'm not sure at all. The newer ones are usually equipped with the Valjoux 7750 movement instead of the Lemania and are often cheaper. The used Orfina's you find are usually quite expensive and are also very often quite worn. I would of course have preferred the real deal from the start but I felt there was so much to learn about all the different models that I barely had begun to scratch the surface. I instead decided to go for one of the cheaper versions just to quickly get that Maverick vibe going.

#248 - The Le Jour chronograph. Not entirely sure about the correct reference.

I found my Le Jour head only to a decent price but in the need of service because its 7750 movement had a loose rotor and wouldn’t self-wind. After the service it was fine though and worked perfectly. I quickly realized that one of the hardest parts when you purchase one of those old PVD military style chronographs is to source a good bracelet for it. Usually all used watches are sold on some ugly leather bund strap (I can't stand them!). I searched forever and ever after a suitable vintage bracelet but finally settled for an oyster type bracelet from Hadley Roma that seemed to be of a rather decent quality. I had plans on making the bracelet look a little more vintage to match the worn surface of the watch case but instead I switched it for a Bonetto Cinturini 295 rubber which also gave a good vintage feel to it. 

OK. So maybe I didn't became as cool as Maverick with my Le Jour but it really opened up my eyes for chronographs even more just like the Tutima and the Tudor's did and I can honestly say that my venturing among the 80's and 90's Lemania and 7750 chronos is far from over.

© All pictures by a Watch Flipper's Diary unless noted.

No 247 - Glycine Airman no.1

I thought it was really exciting when Glycine announced the re-issue of their first Airman. Being 36mm I knew it would be too small for me but it looked so nice and perfect it had to be given a chance anyway. It wasn’t that pricey but I didn’t want to get a new one when I knew it wasn’t going to stay. Lucky for me my flipping-buddy Björn got a hold of a fairly new one quite soon after the release which I took over when he was done. I mostly wore it on a nato but he also gave me a flex bracelet which enhanced the vintage feeling and made it look quite cool. I also tried it on the Strapcode shark mesh which I had used for my Squale 50atm and Eterna Super Kon-Tiki but it was a little too thick and gave the impression of the watch being smaller than it actually was. I loved it for being a purist version which I still think is the best and most logical way to display time.

#247 - The Glycine Airman no.1, ref 3944.

On the shark mesh from Strapcode.

Sadly Glycine has disappointed me every year since this release. I guess being bought by Invicta says it all. We’re talking about a company with a never ending catalogue of hideous creations taking over a legendary brand with several beloved classic timepieces and what happens? That’s right, they produce even more hideous creations and turn good things to shit. Truly a sad story. I think that was the main reason why I decided to let Glycine go. I didn’t like the classic Glycine models to be associated with the new trashy ones. I’ve had the same problem with Doxa and I’m not entirely over that whole situation as well but to Doxa’s defense I think they have done a better job of preserving their heritage than Glycine ended up doing.  

© All pictures by a Watch Flipper's Diary unless noted.

No 246 - Seiko 6309-7548 Hybrid

Being a huge fan of Seiko this specific mod was unavoidable. Since the quartz movement from the 7548 happens to fit perfectly inside the watch case of the classic cushion cased 6309, this matchup should in theory create the perfect watch because to many Seiko fans this is the best of both worlds; one of our favorite quartz movements inside one of our most beloved watch cases. The only question was: am I going to find an already modified watch or find two donation watches and carry out the procedure myself?

#246 - The Seiko 6309-7549 Hybrid.

  

Having different 6309’s and 7548’s in a steady rotation of course eventually led me into finding two pieces that were a good match. Breaking up two perfect watches felt like a shame but when I at one point had two mediocre examples it opened up for the perfect opportunity. Watch #242 and #245 where sacrificed and together they created watch #246; the so-called Hybrid. Watch #242 was a 6309-7040 which was all original and looked fantastic but its movement was completely run down and beyond repair. Watch #245 was a 7548-700B that had some aftermarket parts and its dial had already been relumed so I really didn’t feel any anxiety over disassembling any of them. My friend Magnus helped me out with the mounting and new lume and everything worked out fine. I played around with it on different straps and was quite happy with it. It sure was a great looking beater.

Magnus during the making.

A wrist shot in the sun.

With an extremely faded aftermarket insert.

The texture of the dial was looked like a grainy paper.

In theory this should have made the perfect watch according to my preferences but somehow it didn’t. As most of the modifications I’ve made they are fun in the beginning but then eventually they tend to become boring. Eventually the 7548 was put back together and serviced and kept for quite a long time while the 6309 was given a new a movement and then sold.


With a bleached insert from a 7548-700F.

© All pictures by a Watch Flipper's Diary unless noted.

No 241 - Breitling Colt

This is a perfect example of a watch that shouldn’t have been bought. I knew from the start that this was a terrible decision. I really have a hard time with dive watches being 38mm so what were the odds that I would have gotten along with this one? 38mm just feel and look way too small. It’s a perfect size for a dress watch but for a dive watch with a bezel, uh uh. I just went for this one without thinking clearly just because the black matte dial looked so bloody cool, the condition was great, it was a full set and the price was ridiculously low (like $550 or something). So, once again I was tricked by beauty but even though I knew this was a given failure, I reasoned it was worth giving it a chance since I was confident to at least get my money back fairly easy.

#241 - The Breitling Colt, ref. A57035.

So, did it work out? Of course not. It had this cool military style dial that I liked and the indexes and hands had started to turn beige so it looked really sweet but the size was all wrong. Also, I hate that Pro-I bracelet. It might be comfortable but damn it’s ugly. I was hoping it could have done well on a rubber or a nato but still it felt like a ladies dive watch. The Mrs didn’t want it either, so I flipped it and just as expected I got my money back. Being a quartz watch it would have made a perfect vacation watch for her to have lying around in the closet but she decided to pass on that offer. I can't blame her.

Wrist shot in weak kitchen light.

Full set.

So what did I learn from this mistake? No more 38mm dive watches period. The fun thing is that if this one would have been 40-41mm then it could have candidate as a possible favorite. I mean look at it, it sure is beautiful. So close but no cigar.

© All pictures by a Watch Flipper's Diary unless noted.

No 240 - Dagaz Cav-1 Type 2

This watch made by Dagaz was impossible for me to resist when I learned about it. One of my favorite watch cases, favorite dial, lots of lume and an incredibly cool engraved caseback. The only detail I didn’t like was the Miyota movement so I knew from the start that this would just be a catch and release. I was lucky to find a used one on Watchuseek that hadn’t already been sold. The first batch had just sold out at Dagaz and the new ones were in the making so it was actually quite hard to get a hold of them for a while when the demand at the time was higher than the availability.

#240 - The Dagaz Cav-1 Type 2.

 Type 2 dial. Ladder hands. Lumed bezel. Yummy!

You can never go wrong with lug holes!

40mm case excl. crown. Bead blasted finish.

"Get to the chopper!"

I had only had MKII’s homage to the old Benrus diver (the Blackwater) prior to the Dagaz and I must say that they held an overall higher quality. The Dagaz was a nice watch but I can’t avoid comparing it with the MKII and then the Blackwater takes the win. The only thing the Dagaz did better was the lume and the nice looking caseback. So, if you’re looking to buy a Benrus homage my suggestion would be not to look any further than the Blackwater from MKII.

The complete kit.

The best feature of the watch.

© All pictures by a Watch Flipper's Diary unless noted.

No 238 - Casio G-Shock GD-120CM-5ER

I wouldn't say that the camouflage pattern is very popular in Sweden. It’s either seen in the military or in fashion and not very much in everyday use. I must admit though that I absolutely love camouflage. Ever since I was a kid playing with G.I.JOE’s I have loved it. I only bought figures like Ripcord, Leatherneck, Flint, Falcon, Outback and Hit’n Run; guys who actually looked like real soldiers. When we were kids my childhood friend Martin and I used to spend every summer holiday on his private island imagining we were shipwrecked soldiers forced to do whatever it took to survive among ticks and snakes under the sometimes scorching hot summer sun and the roughest of thunderstorms. As the years moved on we left the playing behind and developed a passion for fishing (and beer drinking) instead and even though we today live two different lives in two different countries we’ve managed to keep the tradition of always gather a couple of times every year to go back to the exact same location and just relax and become one with nature again. And even though we’ve grown up quite a bit by now we still haven’t let go of the camouflage. Still love it!

Product picture of the Casio G-Shock GD-120CM-5ER (borrowed from Casio)

For Martin’s thirtieth birthday back in 2014, our other childhood friend and fishing buddy Daniel and I decided to go to London to visit him and at the same time catch our favorite band Machine Head playing at the Roundhouse. I came up with the idea of buying matching watches for the three of us that we could use while fishing and we ended up getting three brand new camo G-Shocks that just had been released. The watches were brought to London and got their first true test of endurance while we head banged along to every song that night. Since that night those three watches have been brought with us every time we meet. We didn’t mark them in any way and I think there have been a couple of occasions were we accidentally might have mixed them up. But who cares, as long as we have all three of them!

#238 - The Casio G-Shock GD-120CM-5ER. Synchronized to perfection. I have no clue which one is mine 😀

Posing with one of Martin's home made jerk baits.

Geared up and ready to move out for some pike fishing in late May 2016.

Waiting for the ferry.

Martin driving on a deserted road in the middle of nowhere.

If you haven’t guessed it already this watch is definitely one of my few keepers. It really does mean a lot to me but the watch actually fulfills a purpose as well. We use them all the time for every kind of activity in every kind of weather. This is a simple G-Shock without any fancy sensors and shit and really is built to withstand a proper beating and still being capable of doing its job. 

First pike on the first throw back in May 2015.

Evening fishing. Such a crazy hobo vibe going on here.

Perhaps I stretched it a little too far with the camouflage on this trip...

Cigar break.

Martin with a pike caught on another one of his home made jerk baits.

Me, Martin and Daniel out for some early autumn fishing in September 2016.

© All pictures by a Watch Flipper's Diary unless noted.

No 236 - Rolex Air-King 114200

I guess we all have had that feeling when we just want to go down to our local AD and pick up something brand new. To some that’s perhaps what you always do, but to me, who in 99% of all my purchases go for used watches, the event of purchasing a brand new luxury watch is quite the rare occasion.

Anyway, it was in the middle of the summer of 2014 and I was sitting at home with a newborn baby boy who mostly slept through the days and when he didn’t sleep he wanted to be with mommy. That meant I had a lot of extra time looking for watches to learn more about. I suddenly felt the urge to buy a brand new watch. I figured I deserved that since I just had bought one for my son. But what to buy? The Rolex price boom had just passed and getting a good discount had become much harder. But there was one model that the stores still had in stock that wasn’t as popular as the Submariner's, Datejust's and Explorer's and that was the 34mm Air-King. To me that felt like it wasn’t even an option to consider due to the size but then suddenly I found a picture of an old Rolex advertisement showing the Air-King with the blue and orange concentric dial. BOOM! I was instantly hooked and couldn't let go. A quick google search told me the dial was discontinued. Damn! I quickly texted a friend who worked as a watchmaker at one of the Rolex AD’s in Stockholm and asked him if it was possible to somehow get a hold of that dial. He soon texted me back “I got one in the drawers right here. A customer had it replaced a couple of years ago with another dial before he purchased it because he didn’t liked it. I can install it for you in a brand new Air-King if you want”. It was like a sign from above.  I texted him back “Do it. I’ll be there in thirty!”

#236 - The Rolex Air-King, ref. 114200. Taken in the store only minutes after the dial change.

It looked awesome! That dial sure was something extra. It was beautiful and sporty at the same time and also had a great youthful feeling to it. Unfortunately he didn’t have the right hands for it so if I wanted it I had to come back later to change them. So what about the price? I don’t want to give it away but to my luck they had just announced that this was the last year when the text "Air-King" was going to be printed on the dial of the 114200 so perhaps they saw it as something they wanted to get rid of since it was being discontinued? But I can at least tell you that I didn’t had to think twice about getting the watch.

My first time removing Rolex plastic.

Time to celebrate!

So a day that had started just like any other with no plans what so ever of purchasing a new watch ended with me walking out of a store with my first brand new Rolex. Such a great feeling! But coming home and removing all the plastic was even better. Regardless its size of 34mm the Air-King wore fantastically well. The thicker lugs and the exceptional bracelet gave it such a solid impression it even felt way better than wearing a traditional vintage 36mm Datejust on a stretchy jubilee. I really must give it up to this, sometimes, forgotten model.

After the hands were changed.

Talking watches over a few beers with my friend Sebastian. From left to right: Rolex GMT-Master 16753, Rolex Air-King 114200, IWC Ingenieur 3239-06 and an 84' Omega Speedmaster Professional (which later became mine).

I wore it almost every day for two months before I sold it. So why did I sell? Heck, I don’t know. I wish I had not done it. Looking back I really regret that. The Air-King was a cool watch. Super wearable and much more unusual and fun looking than all the other common Rolex models. 

For sale pictures.

© All pictures by a Watch Flipper's Diary unless noted.