Kaevin's collection (Timelord request)

[kaevin]

Seeing here has a watch forum. I am sharing my modest collection here.

The most recent one is a Garmin which I have shared on another post:
Garmin Fenix 7 Sapphire Solar
 

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With a FortiX watchface
 

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The Fenix 7 Sapphire solar is the first Fenix with a glass covered sensor. All previous ones if I am not mistaken, are epoxy covered sensor. I had issue with the epoxy or case back which caused the epoxy to crack and deteriorate the heart rate reading. As long as I know it is glass, I pulled the trigger on it. It is also the first Fenix I own.

I run and swim with it almost daily. I run at lunch a lot, the solar does help to keep battery expenditure a little bit lower when sun is lowest. It can go on and on with bluetooth and notifications on all day, 1 to 2 activities a day, heart rate on all day (PulseOx off) for 2 weeks without a charge easily.

For accessories I have the Garmin HRM pro, Tempe, Polar H10, Stryd Duo, Runscribe and some Garmin bike sensors.

The body battery feature (as well as the stress detection) of it, I thought is buzz, but had proven it is actually very accurate. It had shown very low reading when I got sick (COVID) or very high stress when some life event happens.

After wearing it daily for 2 years+, the battery is still kicking and going very strong. The Fenix line can be disassembled with screw drivers unlike the Forerunner lines or other lines in Garmin which feature glued screen, in which you need to remove the screen to change the battery. Even with Fenix 7 plus and Fenix 8 out, I don't feel any need to change or upgrade it. I like the MIP screen more than AMOLED of Epic line as I HATE AMOLED in the dark, may actually wakes up my son or daughter. MIPS is more subtle in day time as well.

[kaevin]

This Multicam black strap is from a Czech guy (not sure if posting link is ok here). I like it very much but it takes quite some time to dry up if wet due to multiple layers. I usually wear a one piece rubber NATO strap which also has a optical sensor cutout, which is made to length by a British, it is super super light and secure. But it has lengthen a bit over the years. This rubber NATO was bought before getting the Fenix. I put it on my FR935 (next post).

 

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Rubber NATO

 

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Back showing the optical sensor cutout

 

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With a Tempe (temperature sensor) attached to the strap.

Yes Garmins have internal temperature sensors, but it gets heat up by your body temperature and mainly used to calibrate/offset the temperature change for the elevation sensor. The best place to put the Tempe is under your hat/visor. I Velcro it to the strap because in water it (ANT+) can still transmit within a few inch, that way I can still get temperature in swim (Garmin turns off internal temperature reading in pool). I put on a silver sticker to reflect heat off, otherwise the black case absorb heat at lunch making the reading higher than it should.

[kaevin]

Garmin FR935

It was the high end triathlon watch (and Fenix being the outdoor/adventure line). It was the first non-Fenix Garmin having a true circular display area. I bought it when FR945 comes out and It was heavily discounted. And my FR735XT's battery could only barely last a full marathon. The FR735XT was full charged, finishing with 7% left, despite I finish the race within 3 and a half hour, and it threw me battery low warning at 30km, which was a stressful condition to me.

It has almost everything you really need for a sports watch. The newer latest ones give you more advanced metrics which are IMO are nice to have but not a must (HRV, body battery, climb pro, wrist running power etc).

The strap is a Nick Mankey NASA strap. I used to pair this with the rubber NATO. It also feature a quick release kit. With which you wear a strap connected to a base. You can quickly release it with the spring button and slap it onto your bike mount which has a similar mechanism.

Garmin has stopped making quick release kits for 955 onwards. (945 can still use 935 QR kit)


This FR935 I bought had its sensor at the back cracked after 9 months or so. It was replaced and the 2nd one does not have the issue any more.

[kaevin]

Swatch Right Track SVGB-400
 

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I have shared this on the other post as well.

This is an automatic chronograph. Back then automatic is not expensive, but automatic chronograph is (to me). Swatch's introduction to this Calibre has lower the entry price and I was sold. The front glass is sapphire. Case and buttons are plastic. With a glass case back only showing a small portion (possibly to hide the had finish or plastic part). ETA Calibre C01.211, a fifteen-jewel, 3Hz movement with a 46-hour power reserve.

 

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The back

Original faux leather strap replaced with aftermarket silicone strap. Taken the original buckle and put onto the replacement.

Thank you Swatch for bringing me a cheap automatic chronograph.

[kaevin]

Casio DW-5600MS

 

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I think everyone owns a Casio watch at some point. I still remember drooling over the Casio G-Shock that are in the Marlboro catalogue along with the Leatherman PST when I was a teen. But I got this after 20 years later.

Having learnt DW-5600 is a classic. So I decided to get a DW-5600-something. I was into military looking stuffs at the time, and this DW-5600MS I guess meant military style. The case and strap are all originally matt black. The display is inverted with a red tint cockpit themed. The buckle and buttons are all black plated.

The case somehow has becomes sticky and falls apart, and I bought this all metal, stonewashed aftermarket case to replace it. Adding a hefty weight in a nice way and looks industrious.

 

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Case back

The older stock has the original Cal. 1545 where as newer ones have Cal. 3229. Some people claims the ones with 3229 is made in PRC. The Cal is also marked onto the strap.

 

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Strap showing Cal number

 

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The small classic display is a nice break from smarsmurfches and large watches.

[kaevin]

Citizen Nighthawk BJ7005-59E

 

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With aftermarket 22mm quick release bracelet which I purchased for my FR935.

This Citizen was the first watch I bought after getting a job. I was astonished when I first see a black PVD watch. These pictures have not pair it with the original bracelet which is awesome (it was in one of those packed boxes, can't get it out right now).

The Nighthawks are a series of aviation themed watch from Citizen. All of them are solar powered.

This one I own has a GMT function. The short hour hand is related to the day. While the red/white airplane hand is the 24 hour GMT hand. The outer bezel features a slide rule which can be turned by the knob at 8 o'clock position. It was meant to be used by pilots to do multiplication,  division, square roots and fuel estimation etc.

On the watchface, the meal indices are mirror polished at certain angle. The lumes are blue, which was the first time I saw blue lume. Beautiful.

 

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Case back. The engrave is beautiful.

There are other nighthawk with radio signal reception (time sync). And there are some more complicated nighthawks with alarm, chronograph etc. But most of them are Japan only and has a much higher price range. I wanted one, but given I mostly wear a Garmin nowadays, I don't think that would be a worthy investment.

[kaevin]

These are the current watch that I can take out. These are 2 more watches, a Seiko quartz chrono and a Sandoz automatic. But they are packed in a box somewhere, as I am soon moving back to my apartment again.

[AzteCypher]

Very nice collection! 

[kaevin]

The small classic display is a nice break from smarsmurfches and large watches.

Smarsmurfch, what on earth is a "smarsmurfches", autocorrect?

[Antti Lammi]

Badge awarded and nice collection kaevin

[kaevin]

Thanks Antti

[Farmer X]

Nice collection, and congratulations on the badge! As for the "Smurf," that's because spelling wrist watch or smart watch as one word causes the filter to see an objectionable word and censor it.

[kaevin]

Nice collection, and congratulations on the badge! As for the "Smurf," that's because spelling wrist watch or smart watch as one word causes the filter to see an objectionable word and censor it.

Thanks FX. IMA told me as well, now I learn a new word 

[kaevin]

The sensors