Timex Expedition WS4

An Easter Sunday tradition on a nearby island is to watch the sun rise from the highest point on the island, and hope to see the sun dance. So I decided today should be one of my hiking watches.

The chosen watch is by the Timex watch brand, and part of their Expedition line of watches.

It has probably the most comprehensive LCD display of any of my watches, having a dot matrix area (for time and mode description), two areas for numbers (both of which are also set-up to do letters), an LCD dial display, and a part with pictures of weather conditions.

The weather conditions icons are from the barometer part of the watch, as the changes in pressure can be used to predict the weather, and this is shown on the watch. Below the icons usually lies the temperature of the watch - but as with most watch thermometers, it's badly affected by body temperature. The pressure sensor is also used for the altimeter, and the watch can show graphs of a walk, store data on a journey, have alarms at a set altitude, or just your altitude on the display.

The last hiking function is the compass, which I think is gyroscope based rather than magnetic (as you have to calibrate north). On this mode, the LCD dial points as a compass, and it also shows heading in text and degrees. The LCD dial usually shows the time, but the number of LCD segments can only show changes of two minutes.

There are still even more functions in the watch. It also has a chronograph, timer, dual time, and alarm!

The model number is WS4, and on the back there are two numbers - M810, and the serial number. I guess the WS stands for Wide Screen, as the watch is known for it's widescreen dashboard display.

It is a well sealed watch (50m water resistant), but has a battery hatch on the back. It takes a CR2430 battery, and is the first watch I've come across with that big battery - 24mm by 3mm deep.
The model originally came out in 2009, but is still available today at a cost of around $120-150 (although it seems that this colour is no longer available). The instruction manual pdf can be found at the Timex website.

Casio Lineage Ana-Digi Waveceptor Tough Solar - LCW-M200

It's still sunny here, so I'm taking the chance to get through more of my solar watches.
Today's is part of the Casio Lineage range of watches. It is one of the Tough Solar watches, which are solar powered but rugged enough to take a few knocks. It is also a Wave ceptor, so will update automatically based on signals from transmission stations - this one is multi band 5, so can connect to one of 2 Japanese stations, or ones in the USA, UK, or Germany.
It is an Ana-Digi watch with a 2 hand electronic dial, and an LCD display at the bottom. The LCD display is a mix of dot matrix and normal digits (the seconds are shown in the normal digits). The watch uses a 4709 module, and the LCD display shows time, world time /time zone, battery charge, alarm, stopwatch, and signal settings.
The full model number is LCW-M200, and it has a strap part number of S-1108L.

Cabane de Zucca Safari Zoo - Zebra

As I'm going to a Ska concert tonight (the band is called Ska-Boom! and are worth checking out), I wanted something black and white, so picked a Zebra!

Actually, I picked the Zebra watch from Cabane de Zucca's Safari Zoo collection.

The Cabane de Zucca watches are produced by Seiko from a collaboration between the two that started in 1995. The Safari Zoo watches were released in 1998, and featured 4 different animals (two of which have been featured before). The case is in black and white with a textured surface like an animals coat.

It uses a Seiko W240 module with time, stopwatch, timer, and alarm. It has a 2 - line LCD display with date at the top and time on the bottom (with 6 digits). The el-backlight has a large red Z for the Zucca brand.

It's full model number is W240-4120 (same as the others in the series), and the back says it has a F-B movement from China.

Bandai Dechonpa Anime Watch - Space Sheriff Gavan

It's another if my Dechonpa collection today.

I've posted quite a few of the SD Dechonpa watches before, but this is one from the other range - the Anime Watch. The Dechonpa watches were released by Bandai in the 80s and early 90s.

The Anime Watch was different from the SD watches based on the module. These watches have an LCD display with the time in the top left, and another part which fills up to show an image of a character. For these watches, the head is mounted on an elasticated cuff strap.

The outside of the box only says in Japanese who the character on today's watch is. All you can tell is that they wear a large silver helmet, and fight with a giant sword. There is a sticker on the box stating Toei 05, indicating that this is from the Japanese film and television company who are responsible for most of the series such as Masked Rider and Power Rangers.

The instruction manual has some words in English revealing this is Space Sheriff Gavan (aka Space Cop Gabin). Space Sheriff Gavan was the first of the Metal Hero Series and aired in Japan between 1982 and 1983. The Metal Hero series was one Toei's superhero shows and featured androids, cyborgs, or humans in robotic suits, and ran through to 1999. The Metal Hero line is no longer running, but some of the traits have been merged into Toei's other superhero series.

Reguno Solar Tech E101 (Citizen)

This is one of the most normal looking watches I have today!

The watch is by the Japanese watch company Reguno, and is one of their Solar Tech range.

The Solar Tech watches have the solar panels under the dial, and use no toxic materials during manufacture (and have been certified with an Eco Mark).

Reguno (or Regno) are known to produce simple standard watches at affordable prices, and are for any age or gender. The Reguno watches are actually owned by Citizen Watch Co., Ltd.

This watch is a 3-hand dial solar watch with both day and date at the 3 o'clock position. The full model number is E101-K005299, and based on the serial number it is probably from 2005. Looking at their website, this model looks similar (but not the same) to the RS25-0053B (and uses the same module) which sells today for 11,500 yen.

Freestyle Shark Alarm Chronograph

Today I decided to wear my 2nd Freestyle Shark watch, and go back to the retro LCD watches.

I think this one is also from the 90s, but is a ladies /unisex /kids? watch (based on the smaller size).
It is by FreeStyle USA, who have been making watches for around 30 years, and part of their Shark range. The Shark watches are meant to be the "raddest watches in the universe", and are aimed at surfers.

The front of the watch says this is an Alarm Chronograph, and on the back, they are 'performance timing machines'.

It is an LCD watch with a 5.5 digit display (it can't do a 24hr display). The mode button switches between time and chronograph modes, and the alarm is accessed by the lap reset button.

Pink Panther Mechanical Watch

I got a large package of watches today, so thought I'd blog one of those.

The watch is a mechanical analogue watch with a Swiss Movement, but assembled in Hong Kong. It's a children's watch based on the character The Pink Panther. The Pink Panther character started life as part of the animated introduction sequence to the 1963 Inspector Clousseau detective comedy movie The Pink Panther (after the thief in the movie). The Pink Panther was so popular that he spawned a whole series of animated shorts, and a lot of merchandise.

It is a 3-hand dial on which the hour and minute hands are the Pink Panther's arms.

The style looks like it is from the 70s, but it could be a more modern production.

Inazuma Eleven - Tobitaka/Hawkins version

Today is the 3rd of my watches from one of the anime series I watch.

The watch is from Inazuma 11, which is a series (anime, manga, and games for Wii and DS). It follows the exploits of a football team called the Inazuma Eleven and it's enigmatic captain Mamoru Endō / Mark Evans. The series ran from 2008 to 2011 and had 127 episodes, and has 3 Nintendo DS and one Nintendo Wii game.

A series of watches were released (towards the end of the running period), each featuring a character from the team on a wide strap. The watch part has a simple LCD module along a narrow band. The module just has time, date, and seconds, and the buttons are on the back.

The watch was made in China, and produced by Sega. It appears to have been made to be a prize in a Sega machine. Copyright is by Level-5.

[Spoiler Alert]
To tell about the featured character reveals something about the story from the later series, so I've made this spoiler warning.

The character is called Seiya Tobitaka or Archer Hawkins (depending on whether you watch the Japanese or translated version). He is a defender in the team who joins to be part of the Inazuma Japan team which was formed to compete in the Football Frontier International. He was originally a gang member who was invited to join the team by coach Hibiki. His technique is called Shinkuuma (hollow demon), which he uses to slow down or stop shots.
[Spoiler End]

PIMP Trip the Light Fantastic

I'm back out to the NuMusic dance night again tonight, so it's time for the LEDs to shine again.

I've mentioned the SeaHope brand before (and I've got a summary page for the brand linked at the top right), and this is part of their PIMP line of watches. The PIMP watches are released in limited quantities merging 70s style with modern concepts, and have a motto of "Trends are fine but being unique is better!". Even more limited numbers were released outside of Japan, and were exclusively distributed by Tokyoflash.

This watch is called Trip the Light Fantastic, and was the first PIMP watch (released in November 2003). It uses 72 LEDs in red, yellow, and green to show the time - red lights down the left side for the hours, and rows of 5 LEDs for the minutes (filling from the bottom, with the rows alternating between green, yellow, and red). It also randomly flashes some LEDs for a while after the time is shown.

It was sold originally for 18,000 yen, and is no longer made. A gold plated version was released a year later.

Seiko Alba Spoon W626 - Nagano Winter Olympics Special Edition

The weather here is still pretty cold, and many friends are going skiing for their Easter holidays from today, so today's choice is a winter watch.

It is a special edition watch to commemorate "The XVIII Olympic Winter Games, Nagano 1998" (to quote the embroidered fabric sign on the inside of the strap). The watch is from the Spoon range of watches that were released by Seiko under it's Alba brand from the mid 90s. The Spoon watches were one of the first of the modern unusual design fashion watches from the 90s, and I guess was inspiration for the Seiko AKA, and Citizen Independent 1481010 watches.

This design is one of the common Spoon designs with the LCD display in a narrow band across the middle of the curved case. The display is a white LCD with mirrored numbers and has 6 digits. It uses a W626 module (full number W626-4000) and has alarm, chronograph, and timer functions. The module also has a light which uses the main button on the watch's face.

The range was for the 1998 Winter Olympics but this one was made in 1997. The original price was 13,500 yen, and had a catalogue number of AZRC002.

Casio Adventure Club Rookie Ana-Digi RKA-508

Over the course of my blogging, I find many watches that I can't find on Google.

This watch by Casio is another of these mystery watches. It is part of a range called "Adventure Club" with a sub name of "Rookie". I've found two other Adventure Club watches on my searches, but have no idea about the premise behind the range.

The watch design looks like an old watch, with the dial visible through a small window in the front, and the dial printing in an old looking font. Opening the front panel reveals that this is actually an Ana-Digi watch with a curved LCD display at the 6 o'clock. The display has 6 digits and shows the time or the other different modes from the Casio 388 module. The display modes are  date, alarm, dual time, and stopwatch.

I think the watch came out in the 1990s, and it has a model number of RKA-508. The original sale price was 15,000 yen.

Sincire LCD Quartz

Today's watch is almost as simple as you can get!

It is an 80s (or 80s style) LCD watch by Sincire. The is no record of this company online (only a lot of misspelled 'sincere').

The watch has a round LCD module in a gold coloured rectangular case. It uses the standard basic module with time, date, and seconds on a 4 digit display. The is an inset button for setting, and a third button which doesn't appear to do anything (bit could be a light if the bulb has gone).

Apart from the Sincire name and the LCD quartz text, there are no other markings on the watch, except for text explaining what each of the numbers may mean.

AI Abahouse Dial Watch

Quick post today (and i know it's late, but before midnight in my timezone).

The watch is by the Japanese fashion brand Abahouse. The watch is a 3 hand dial looking similar to the Swatch watches. It features a face covered in French words, and the hour hand has the Abahouse name on it.

The back has the AI name, Abahouse, and the model number BO5331-7O. The catalogue number was WA0051QW, and it was originally sold for 6000 yen.

Casio Data Bank Telememo 50 - DB-520

Over the years, Casio has produced many watches with the Data Bank function, and it seems that I have quite a few!

Today's watch is the Casio DB-520 which came out in the mid 80s (the calendar starts in 1985) and uses a 675 module. This is quite strange as I've seen other references for the DB-520 which has a 262 module and is from 1983!

The watch has the usual features packed into the module, having a 50 slot memo option, schedule input (sharing the 50 slots), world time, alarm, stopwatch, and timer.

It uses a 3 line LCD display, with the top line being a dot matrix arrangement. The bottom line shows the time (6 digits), and the middle line is the date. In time mode, the top line shows year and date, but in the other modes, it states which mode the watch is in.

The case is a silver coated plastic with a steel strap (part number B-859N) which is good at removing hair if you have hairy arms!