Looking to LARP as an executive at a Japanese Electronics company?
Well boy-oh-boy do I have the perfect watch for you!
The Precursor
The Lotec 6 has been sold and dispatched. I’m sad to see it go, but it was an honour to have ever owned one. I’ll keep entering the Ostuka Lotec lottery whenever I get the chance, so fingers crossed! Only three new watches for sale this week, but two of them need a bit of explaining so the write up is fairly detailed.
Seiko Brightz SDGM001 “Grand Cocktail” (BEMAC Edition)
Strictly speaking, this isn’t a watch Seiko has ever sold. Not in the traditional sense, at least. It was commissioned by BEMAC, a Japanese electronics company, to celebrate their 70th anniversary in 2016. During the celebrations, BEMAC gifted these watches to select senior employees as a token of appreciation for their hard work.
The case back is inscribed with: “Uzushio Electric Co. Ltd. 70th. Anniversary July 2016.”
Uzushio? Aren’t they called BEMAC? Yes, to both! Originally known as Uzushio, they began casually using the name BEMAC during their overseas expansion in the early 2000s, finding “Uzushio” too challenging for non-Japanese speakers (oo-zoo-she-oh). They officially changed their company name to BEMAC in 2018. I promise there was a point to me explaining their two names. “Uzushio” means Whirlpool in Japanese, which clearly inspired the "electric whirlpool" dial (Seiko’s words not mine!). The rest of the watch is based on the SDGM001 “Grand Cocktail”; a 2016 JDM release shown below.
The similarities are evident: the same case, bracelet, hands, and chapter ring. The Electric Whirlpool dial is the sole difference. I don’t know who was ultimately responsible for choosing the Grand Cocktail case; was it BEMAC's request, or did Seiko pick it for them? Either way, it was an inspired choice. The SDGM001 is highly sought after as its mirrors the classic Grand Seiko look, both in terms of the case shape and finishing style. Under light you will immediately notice the high-polish, zaratsu-esque finish on almost every part of the watch:
It’s in unworn condition, although the case back has a few tiny hairlines scratches. This watch presents a rare opportunity to wear something incredibly unique - you won’t find many of these in Japan, let alone the rest of the world.
As a totally unrelated aside, BEMAC’s headquarters is just as bold and distinct as their watch. Specializing in marine-related electronics (boat motors, offshore plant monitoring, etc.), they describe their HQ as “a ship that never stops.” The futuristic building design is certainly apt!
Seiko SBCJ031 HAQ Alpinist
Not to be confused with its other Alpinist HAQ brothers. You will have seen the Black SBCJ019 (it was featured in a previous newsletter) and you might also be familiar with the fully lumed SBCJ021… but this is the SBCJ031! What are the differences between this and the SBCJ021? The major difference is that the SBCJ021 is fully lumed:
You’ll also notice it has “mountain” indices for every hour marker, while the SBCJ031 has a mix of Arabic numerals and mountains. The final difference, which is linked to the aforementioned lume, is that the SBCJ021 has painted second, minute, and hour hands with a skeletonised GMT hand, whereas the SBCJ031 has four lumed hands.
Admittedly, I love both, but if I have to choose I’m going with the SBCJ031. While a fully lumed face is very cool, I personally prefer the rich, creamy colour of the SBCJ031. I prefer the consistently warm tones you get from the un-lumed version, as the lumed version can get caught in a pale green transitional phase where it’s not quite dark enough for the lume to activate but just dark enough to give the watch a slightly greenish hue.
Both watches offer the same functionality though - a GMT hand, rotatable compass bezel, a perpetual calendar (tracks the days of the month and leap years), and a titanium case and bracelet. A fantastically utilitarian watch both in design and comfort.
Custom Vintage WW2 Seiko Mod
Inspired by the military watches of the 1940s, this piece features a retro navy case and a classic pilot's dial. It has always been one of my most popular custom watches, but I retired the build last year. I’ve since moved on to other designs, but during a major reorganisation of my studio, I found the parts needed to make one final piece. So here it is!
This watch boasts an Italian Navy-style “lever down” crown and a GMT complication, complemented by a cracked burgundy leather strap to complete the vintage look. It’s one that often garners a lot of questions and attention from non-watch enthusiasts, which is usually a good sign!
Don’t forget to follow my Instagram to see all of the watches above in full cinematic glory.