CWhatWatch

While my collection contains watches from different parts of the world, the vast majority of them come from Japanese brands. Something about Japanese design, manufacturing, and storytelling resonates with me. I was fortunate enough to visit Japan during my honeymoon in 2018, but I wasn’t yet into watches. At the time I was dead set on blowing my money on some other hobby and did not even take notice of the deep watch culture of Japan. Once I was finally bit by the watch bug, I knew I would have to go back some day and really take it all in… and spend a ton of money. Well, finally, that day is rapidly approaching. I am once again fortunate enough to take another trip to the birthplace of so many of our favorite watches.
Of course, like any borderline obsessive, I have a list! Like any good list, it’s getting a bit out of hand, and so I thought it would be a good idea to write an article to sort of collect my ideas. I would like to go over the watches/brands I have in mind and think through which ones I should ultimately add to my collection. Please sound off in the comments section with your thoughts and ideas.

Seiko
Tell me– what other brand casts such a broad stroke of offerings? From a single brand you can find great watches at virtually any price point. They have affordable watches and some decidedly not affordable watches, and I love them all! Here are a few of the models I am considering:

SCXP033

Part of the Seiko Selection line, the SCXP033 is the most affordable watch on my list. At first glance, it doesn’t look like much. An unassuming dress watch is how I would have described it. White dial, arabic numerals, and a black leather strap. What’s the big deal? For me, the beauty of this watch is in side profile. Look at how thin the watch is and, more importantly, look at the lug design. The lugs flow from the midcase and honestly look a little longer than they need to be, a welcome design quirk.

SACM171

I know what you’re thinking, but no, it’s not the same watch. The SACM171 may share some design characteristics with the rather simplistic SCXP033 mentioned above, but there are some key differences that explain the price increase. Part of the Dolce line, the SACM171 is smaller, thinner, and more accurate than the previous watch. Being on a bit of an ‘High Accuracy Quartz’ watch kick, I am drawn to this particular watch. It features the 8J41 movement, touting an accuracy of +/- 10 seconds per year. This is in contrast to the 7N01 found in the SCXP033 that is accurate to +/- 15 seconds per month.

SSVH033 and SBTM345

These next two watches are from the Seiko Selection and Lukia lines. They are also ‘Eternal Blue’ special editions. From what I understand, the watch is designed to parallel the Tanabata night sky. The yearly editions are also released in pairs for men and women, mirroring the celestial bond between the deities Hikoboshi and Orihime. Amazing. I find myself gravitating more to the SBTM345 due to its design. It is part of the Lukia line, which historically only releases women’s watches. These watches are radio controlled and solar powered, making for a good everyday option.

SARX095, SARX067, and SARX125

I find myself drawn more and more to dressy everyday watches. These three options from the Presage line all bring something to the table. The SARX095 features a beautiful Arita Porcelain dial. I am actually still on the fence with this one and am looking forward to seeing it in person, it may be one of those watches you need to see in the metal. The SARX067 might be my current favorite of the trio. I love the white spade hands on the deep brown enamel dial. Finally, the latest model: the SARX125 features the popular salmon color on its dial and a really great bracelet.

SBEC007 and SBEN005

Finally, we close the Seiko section with a pair of offerings from their Prospex line. The SBEC007 is an interesting rarity from Seiko. To my knowledge, they just do not have many modern mechanical chronographs. I think there is an update to this model and the new Tentagraph from Grand Seiko. I am really drawn to this special edition that is inspired by original Seiko stopwatches. The only downside is its size; from what I have seen it may wear a bit like a hockey puck. I have always wanted to own a Marinemaster, since dive watches really got me into watches. The SBEN005 is one of the latest iterations of that historic line. Although I can see where people would be turned off by the pricing in comparison to the competition, I think for the right price I would gladly snag one of these beauties.

Citizen
Like Seiko, Citizen is a brand that offers a large catalog of products. While they may cover a lot of the same segments, Citizen’s design language is wholly its own. There are two Citizen watches on my radar that really cover two ends of the pricing spectrum.

KL8-414-51

From the Citizen Independent line, I stumbled upon this watch earlier this year and have been thinking about it ever since. A bit of a rarity and originally released in 2016, this special edition features a transparent dial showing off the solar-powered and radio-controlled movement. The crystal covering the dial also features some dynamic beveling, adding to the visual interest of the watch.

NJ0180-80M

The NJ0180-80M, or Zenshin, is probably the newest watch on this list. It’s an integrated bracelet watch, so it’s on trend, but it is also a fully titanium automatic watch with a small seconds dial. Oh, and it also has one of the most beautifully colored and textured dials I have seen in a long time. I think this one is definitely coming home with me.

AQ6021-51E

So let’s get this out of the way: this watch is eye-wateringly expensive for a solar powered quartz watch. At the time of initial release, Citizen claimed it as the most accurate self-contained watch ever made– meaning it does not receive any outside timing signals. With the caliber 0100, the watch is able to achieve the staggering accuracy of +/- 1 second per year. As mentioned earlier, I’m on a bit of a high accuracy kick and this is the ultimate high accuracy quartz watch.

Casio
After that monstrously priced Citizen, let’s take a look at some more affordable watches. What better place to look than the king of affordable watches? While there definitely are some expensive Casios, their catalog mostly consists of great affordable quartz watches.

MTP-M105D-1A

I’ve always wanted to add a moon phase to my collection and the MTP-M105D-1A seems like the most affordable way to do so. It also features the traditional looks of a Cartier Tank with its great looking rectangular case. For the price, what’s not to love?

Full Metal G-Shock

I am not exactly sure what reference to get, but I do know that my collection is missing a full metal G-Shock. There is something about having a digital watch in full steel or titanium. Hopefully I have the wrist for it as I know the lug to lug can be rather large on full metal G’s.

To be continued… Which Watch? Japan Fall 2024 – Part 2

*All images belong to their respective owners.