Nixon - The Iris

Two days running, and I'm blogging!
Today's watch is one of the most bright pink watches I own, and is by the Nixon brand.

This model is called "The Iris" and is sold as a womens watch (although the 39mm case is large enough for it to be unisex).
It has a rounded square design with a tiny window in the centre, where the rotating discs can (just) be seen for the time. There is also a second window at the right side of the face which has a second dial rotating with the seconds, but this only shows different shades of pink as it rotates. This means that inside is a little cramped, with the watch having 2 separate quartz movements, one for each dial! The rest of the face is pink, only broken-up by the mirrored silver Nixon name in the bottom corner, but in the right light you can just about see the two sets of discs through the face. The two movements also makes the placement of the crown a little unusual, with it being on the left side of the watch (so the watch is especially good for people who like to wear their watch on their right arm).

The strap is a clear rubbery design (which seems to have faded to yellow here), and has the Nixon logo cut into the lower half of the strap.

The case is shiny stainless steel, and the watch is 50m water resistant. The back has the Nixon name and the watch name, as well as their usual short catchphrase for the watch, "Eye of the Storm".

From what I can see, it was released in at least 3 different colours, and this one is 'bold pink' with a model number of A106-971

The original retail price was ¥16,000

Nixon - The Fidelity

I took a risk when buying today's watch. I got it second hand and it wasn't working, and the seller said it had been through the washing machine with their clothes, so doubted that it was fixable. A new battery later (a not so common CR1632) and the watch is fine, which is more surprising as I've been researching the watch, and there are quite a few reviews complaining that it isn't as waterproof as the manual states (100m)!

The Nixon Fidelity is an LCD watch, which is a smaller version of the Nixon Block watch. It has a square plastic case with edges which slope away from the glass. The inverse LCD has 3 lines, with the middle line for the time taking up half of the height of the display. The top line covers day and date, and is designed to show letters, and also displays the name of the mode when you are changing modes, while the bottom line just covers the seconds. The mode options (selected by the bottom left button) are chronograph, timer, and alarm, and there is a dual time option displayed using a different button (top right - press to display, and hold to switch). There is also an el-backlight which is shown with the top left button, and this is also the button to hold to enter time setting mode.

The watch comes with a wide fabric strap which is not too long, so beware if you have thick wrists. The back of the watch has the Nixon name/logo, the model name, and the Nixon theme of having a phrase as well, this time saying "Tried and true".

The model number for the watch seem to be A565 and I've seen a web review from 2009, so I'd guess this is around when it was released.

Nixon - The Small Lodown

It's a much more modern and feature rich LCD watch for me today.

This watch is The Small Lodown by the Nixon brand. It has the model number NIX003G and is still on sale for an rrp of $125. Like most (all?) Nixon watches, it has a tag line, and this one is "In the know". The Nixon brand make lifestyle accessories in all manner of designs to match their owners style. It is based in California where it started in 1998.

This model is an LCD watch which is aimed at users of the sea, such as surfers, boaters, and fishermen, and as such is 100m water resistant. To provide their needs, this watch has a Direct Tide feature and is programmed with the tide information for over 200 beaches for over 15 years. You just select the beach, and when you want to know, and it'll tell you the tides.

This is the purple model which has an inverse LCD display. The display is dot matrix and split into 2 main sections, the bottom for the time (or beach name, or modes), and the top is where the tide graph sits. The other modes are more standard, with the watch having dual time, alarm, chronograph, and timer.

Eagle-eyed readers may have already spotted from the photos that I have a problem with the LCD display as the top half doesn't show properly. This is because at some point in its history, the watch has had something spilt inside. LCD watches normally have a connector block which transmits the signals from the circuit board to the LCD panel. This is commonly a strip of rubber with very fine wires running through it to connect the terminals. The block is then clipped, glued, or just squashed into place to make the connection. The wires don't seem to match one-to-one on the circuit, but as long as some wires make all of the connections, then the display will work. I thought I'd let you know about this, as it is a common cause of an LCD display not working fully, and can sometimes be cured by adding pressure to this connection to make the wires connect - you need to watch out though, as the wires are fine and can easily become more damaged if you take it apart and treat the connection block incorrectly. When the spill happened on this watch, it coated (or corroded) the block and wires for the top half (-there are two separate blocks for this model) and stopped the part working. I've been unable to fix it yet, so the watch only shows the bottom part, but at least I still have the time!

Nixon The Widgi

Today's watch has me back with the American brand Nixon for the 11th time.

This model is called the Widgi and is one of the Nixon LCD watches. The design has a motto (just like the normal Nixon) of "In style and on time". Unusually, this only appears on the box rather than the watch, but that is more due to how the watch is constructed. The Widgi has a round polycarbonate case to house the LCD, and this sits inside a silicone shell. The silicone shell is a one piece unit incorporating protection for the case as well as the straps. The silicone also covers the back of the watch, which is why there is no writing on the watch itself.

For the time, the Widgi has a round LCD display with dot matrix digits. The dots also fit in with the round theme as they are also round rather than the normal square pixel shape. The display has two lines with the time across the centre (in 3 1/2 digits) with the seconds and mode markers below. The watches buttons are hidden by the shell, but there are 4 buttons which cover for the modes (alarm, timer, and chronograph) as well as the el-backlight.

I'm sat on a bus writing this, and have concluded the watch has a low battery as pressing the light has caused my watch to malfunction. As I don't have any repair tools, I hope this can be fixed before I take photos for this post later today.

The Widgi has a model number of AO34 and came in a range of different colours, with this being the all orange model. It isn't a current model, and by the dates of some reviews, it came out in 2010 or a little before for an rrp of $80.

Nixon - The Quatro

It's quite a simple but classic design watch for me today.

The watch I chose to wear today is called The Quatro and is by the American brand Nixon. Nixon are a lifestyle accessory brand started in California in 1998.

The Quatro is a square 3 hand dial watch which comes in a variety of colours (-9 different combinations). This model is the Sanded Steel /White model, and has a stainless steel case with a brushed steel face. The face is split into 9 squares with the 4 squares at 12, 3, 6, and 9 brushed one way, and the other squares brushed the other meaning they reflect light differently and so the pattern shifts as the watch moves.

As with all of the Nixon watches, there is a tag line on the back which this time is "Full Throttle". The website also says that this is "First in its class and first of its kind" and the watch has "rips with the controlled grace that comes from knowing what you have and when to use it".

Inside, there is a Japanese Miyota (Citizen) movement, and the watch is 100m water resistant.

The watch is still available from Nixon at $125.

Nixon - The Block ss

Along with Diesel, the Nixon brand is another modern watch maker with a taste for the retro and unusual.

Today's watch is one of the Nixon LCD watches and is called The Block SS (the SS meaning Stainless Steel as this is the metal version of the design). As with all Nixon watches it has a tag line on the back, and this one says 'full stack'.

The Block has a bulky square appearance  which tapers towards the front, like a pyramid with the top cut off. In the middle is a square LCD panel with custom digits. The 4 digit time display takes up about half of the height and is a little bit above the centre. Seconds are in the second largest size digits at the bottom, and day and date are in the smallest digits along the top. It has chronograph, timer, and alarm modes, and there is also a dual time option. When cycling through the modes, the new mode is shown in text along the top line and when you stop it flashes before going into the mode itself. For nighttime viewing there is an el-backlight too.

The strap is also stainless steel, but interspersed with polycarbonate links (and was a bit of a pain to adjust, but I got there eventually). This is the white version, but it was also released with black links and an inverse LCD display.

The Block came out in 2007 for $120, and the model is not longer produced.

Nixon - The Score PU Black

It's back to another sports themed watch today with this effort by Nixon.

The watch is called The Score and was created by the American watch brand Nixon. The Nixon brand started in 1998 and is based in Southern California, and makes lifestyle accessories to reflect the owners style.

The Score watch looks to be designed for skateboarding competition scoring, and has the subtitle "... To Score". It has a rectangular case with a 3 hand dial over the top half (with the surround covering just over half). On the bottom section are two small windows with letters on the left and numbers on the right. The letters cover the word 'skate' and the numbers go from 0 to 9, and are changed by little wheels protruding from the sides of the case.

There is a model name at the bottom of the face called SK-09, and a number 7A on the back. It came in both metal and plastic/resin versions, and this is the black plastic version called the PU (for polyurethane).

It came out in 2007 and cost $65. The model is no longer available from Nixon.

Nixon - The Re-Run

Out of the more modern popular fashion watch brands, Nixon and Diesel seem to produce the most interesting designs.

This watch is a Nixon watch called The Re-Run and is one of their digital models. Nixon is an American brand started in 1998 and has the aim of making the little things better, and producing watches to match your personality but in an off-the-shelf watch.

This model, The Re-Run, is a retro style LCD watch, and has the tag line Robot Rock. The watch has a backstory on their website saying that the design is inspired by a time when time travel seemed possible and the 80s design is meant to remind you of the time when the film Back to the Future came out. It does have a retro feel about it, but more looks like an 80s idea about a future design. The case is octagonal stainless steel (or a square with the corners cut off) and there is a wide metal strap.

It has a two line inverse LCD, with the digits split into lots of small segments to give them a higher resolution feel. The larger top line has the time, while the day and full date runs along the bottom line. Below the display are two large rubber buttons. The largest triggers the backlight, while the smaller one (with the Nixon symbol on) is the mode button. Mode-wise, the watch has dual time, alarm, and timer. Other information is that it uses a Chinese module and is 30m water resistant.

The watch is still available from Nixon with an rrp of $100, or you can pay $25 more for a gold or black version.

Nixon The Dictator

My watch today seems to have had a hard life so far. I rescued it from a junk pile and tidied up the strap, but the case looks like it's been left outside for a long while.

The watch is another from the American Nixon brand. This model is called The Dictator, and is a large metal watch with an inverse LCD and mesh panel above. The mesh panel is due to the special feature in this model, a voice recorder (which is hinted at in the watches name). With this function, you can record 8 messages with a total time of up to 3.5 minutes.

It has a large block dot matrix style inverse LCD (with a red el-backlight) which is can show 3 1/2 digits (along with a variety of other indicators around battery charge and message status). Apart from the recording, the watch has a custom alarm mode.

It was released around 2006, and was around $120. Some links refer to the model as The Dictator A063 1400, so I think that's the model number.

Nixon - The Time Teller P - Yellow Patterned

I'm in yellow today, so wanted a watch to match. And I don't have many watches more yellow than today's watch.

The watch is by Nixon, which is an American watch company founded in 1998. They began with the aim to make watches to allow their customers to show off their personalities in an off-the-shelf piece.

This model is called The Time Teller P, and unlike many of the Nixon watches, is made of polycarbonate rather than metal. The watches came out in a range of colourful designs, and this version (yellow with grey oval patterns) is from the 2010 spring collection. The back also says the word minimal, and a number 9L, and says it is 100m water resistant.

The watch is a basic three hand dial set-up, and uses a Japanese Miyota quartz movement. The strap is made of polyurethane and includes the Locking Looper strap holder (US patent 6,830,156).

The line is still for sale from the Nixon website ($75), but this design is not available anymore. The user manual can also be downloaded from the Nixon site.

Nixon The Metal Atom

Time for watch 399 today, and it's a nice retro styled LCD watch by Nixon.

It is a very minimal watch, and has the feel of the 70s LED watches, and has a 70s style font for the numbers too. To go with the minimal style, the buttons aren't obvious either. There are two black bars on the sides of the watch, which are actually 3 buttons! Pressing the top or bottom of the bar triggers the functions, which are display, el-backlight, and time setting (the top of the right side doesn't do anything!). The display is simple, showing 4 digits, and can show time, date, and seconds.

The watch name is The Metal Atom, and the phrase on the back of this Nixon is "Make watches not bombs". There is also a number on the back which may be the model number, and is 6I. The strap for this model is a stainless steel expanding bracelet.

Nixon Rotolog Leather

I first became aware of the Nixon brand a while ago when they released a new design that I thought looked cool and interesting. That watch was the Rotolog! I finally got one after a while, and am blogging it today.

Time is displayed in a small window and is a rotating disc display. Hours are on the inside dial, with minutes on the outside (marks for each minute and numbers for every 5). The window is big enough that you see 2 or 3 hour numbers, and about 7 minutes (so a number is always visible). For night viewing, there is a small white LED operated by a button on the side. The watch head is square but split into three horizontal bands. The top and bottom bands are inlaid with black resin and slope away from the centre band. The middle band is gold and has the window for the time display and a large Nixon logo engraved on the left side.

It has a very solid and heavy look, but is actually pretty light to wear. This particular Rotolog has a leather strap rather than the solid strap with inlaid segments, and there is a gold Nixon clasp.

On the back of the watch is the model number, Nixon name, and logo. There is also text saying "direct time technology" (referring to the rotating dial style), and the number 5J.

I'm not exactly sure when it came out, but the earliest references I found are stating in 2009/10. The hard strap Rotolog is still available from the Nixon site, but the Rotolog Leather doesn't appear anymore.

Nixon The Motif "Picture Perfect" Gold

It's my birthday today so I decided to wear a bling watch for the day.

The watch is by Nixon and called The Motif, but has a subtitle of Picture Perfect. The Motif design was released in 2007, but this gold version may be from autumn 2009. And this watch is definitely gold - it is one of the shiniest ones I own and is extremely noticeable when it glints in the light.

Nixon was founded in 2000 and is an American fashion brand. They have quite a few interesting watches, and all have unusual names.

The watch features a 3-hand dial in the bottom right inset into the massive face. It's technically a ladies watch, but due to it's huge size, it is perfectly suitable for men too (especially those with narrow wrists).

The strap is large and padded leather, and on the back there is a fake wood texture with the Nixon symbol in the centre of where a knot would be.

Nixon - The Murf

The Nixon brand is an American watch brand, operating out if Europe and the USA. They were founded around the year 2000.

The Murf is one of their many designs, and comes in several colours (but the blue one I've shown here doesn't seem to be available anymore).

The watch uses a rotating dial to tell the time (where it crosses the vertical blue line). Setting the time is unusual in that you first unscrew the large metal button on the face of the watch, and it then becomes a button. Pressing the button cycles through the time (automatically turning the dials).
The mount for the time setting button protrudes from the side of the watch, and acts as the light button, bathing the inside of the watch in a blue glow.

Inside the watch, there a 3 batteries, one operating a standard looking quartz movement, and the other two seeming to be there to operate the light (and possibly be involved in the time setting).
On the back of the watch there is the quote: "Like a record baby". There is also a (model?) number on the back - 7K

The watch is still on sale from Nixon (as of Mar 2012)  for $400