Citizen C480 Ana-Digi "stripy"

While checking out my blog for info, I found out that I hadn't blogged the watch I was wearing today.

The watch is an ana-digi model by Citizen, based on the C480 module. I'm not sure which year this is from as the module has been around for a while so it potentially could be 84, 94,or 2004. I blogged a Trans Continents watch from 2000 with the same module many years ago. Citizen Trans Continents C480

This watch has a 6 digit LCD display where most of the functions are shown. There are options to display a dual time or date and day, and there is also an alarm and chronograph (down to 1/100th sec). The LCD also has a back light, on the same button as the chronograph start/stop. The dial is crown operated and does not link with the LCD.

Power is supplied from an SR927 battery size.

Design-wise, they have thought this through well with stripes on the dial leading into a line pattern on the case and through onto the pattern in the finely linked strap.

Seiko F033-5000

Today's watch is one of my old LCD watches - the Seiko Quartz F033-5000.

The watch was released in 1978 based on the F033 module (which was first featured in 1977) and is a simple 5 1/2 digit LCD panel (with only a 1 possible for the first digit). Pressing the button displays day and date (day), but the settings mode included the month (presumably to determine how many days before going back to 1 again). For the day name, there are some extra segments in the digits to allow different letters (for example the T in SAT). 

The more unusual part of this watch is the display panel. This model features a special reflective display panel (sometimes called a fluted display) which makes the numbers really clear to read and have a wide viewing angle.

Original price in 1978 was around 27,000 yen

Overall, I think this model is a nice thin and light 1970s watch, with an attractive light (and light catching) face.

Casio B640W Retro Style LCD

Today's watch is a modern watch in a retro style. Casio is known for their destinctive LCD watches and this is one of their recent versions.

Thw watch is the B640W, or B640WB-1B to give it it's full title. This version has a black resin case and black ion plated strap, as well as an inverse LCD display (as opposed to the -1A version which has the more 'normal' black on white display).

The watch has a 2394 module with a stopwatch and countdown timer features, as well as an alarm and hourly chime option (and it is possible to get the amber backlight to flash when the alarm sounds).

Being a modern version, the calendar is set to run to 2039, and should last 2-3 years on the CR2016 battery. 

Super Lovers - Love Love Message watch

Today, I'm back to the Super Lovers watches again, and yet again, it's a completely different style (which is the reason I like this brand so much).

This model I've called Love Love Message based on the text written at the top of the case. As may be expected from the name, this watch is one with a message /memo function where short messages can be stored in its memory. These are shown using the top line of the LCD which is a dot matrix array (5x41 so it can show 7 5x5 letters at one time). The bottom line of the LCD is a standard set of digits (6) which normally shows the time. The rest of the modes are pretty standard, with there being dual time, stopwatch, timer, and daily alarm options as well as the message mode.

The case is round and made of see-through plastic with 4 buttons on the edges. There is a large button on the front below the LCD, and this activates the el-backlight. The strap is a matching clear plastic, and has the Super Lovers logo and the text Lovers Digital printed on both the halves. The back of the watch is stainless steel and just has the Super Lovers name printed across the middle.

I don't know when this model is from as there isn't much about this brand online (but all the info I've gathered so far can be found throughout my other Super Lovers posts). My guess is that this would be an early 2000s model, but it is purely a guess.

Freestyle Shark - Tigershark

Today's watch is another from the Shark watch range by the American brand Freestyle USA. This time, the watch is called the Tigershark, and is a different shape than the other Shark watches I've blogged.

The Freestyle USA brand has been around since the 80s, gaining popularity through word of mouth, and becoming recognised for the Shark fin silhouette that they chose for their logo. The Shark watches continue to be popular today, with many different types of Shark being produced.

The Tigershark model is an LCD model, but with a more unusual round design. The case is primarily made of plastic, but has a metal top making it look more solid than the normal all-plastic designs. For the LCD, it has a two line design with day and date along the top, and time (6 digits with smaller seconds) on the lower line. The LCD has an el-backlight, and when pressed there is a very visible Shark logo in red on the display. This model has the normal modes for a sports watch, with stopwatch, alarm (multi), timer, and dual time options. All of the modes actually display along the top line, leaving the bottom for the normal time, which is unusual, as this is usually swapped.

The back has the Freestyle Shark logo and name, along with the statement 'performance timing'. The back also states this was designed in California, but made in China.

I've looked around online for this model, and it appears that this isn't one of the models which is currently being sold, so I'd guess it was an older model. To me, the design looks to match with the styles seen in the 90s, so it may be that old (but there are no indications on the watch as to when it was actually released).

Boy London B337 LCD Watch

I've blogged a lot of watches by Boy London so far, but this is something completely different.

The Boy London name has been around since the 70s, and many watches have been made under their name. The history of the watches is a bit of a mystery, and my feeling so far is that the name has been bought/used by another company (possibly Korean) since the 90s. More information can be found about the brand in my many other Boy London blog posts (see the tags on the right side of the web page).

This particular model is the B337, and is unusual in being one of only a small number of LCD watches I've seen from Boy London. It has a large black plastic case with the display split into 3 sections. The top covers day and date, the right circle has segments which jump around with the seconds, and the main bottom section is for the time. In the text on the face it describes itself as a chronograph, and therefore has a stopwatch function, and it also has alarm and dual time modes.

The front of the watch only has the Boy London name in plain text (which is not common), and the name United Kingdom is also printed above the display. The back has the more usual Boy London name and totem style Eagle logo as well as the model number. The back also has the text "BoyLondon original timepiece. Created by United Kingdom. Water resistant 50m". As it says "created by" not "created in" it suggests the company making it was called United Kingdom, or it is just bad English!

As for date, I think this is newer than the other Boy London designs, so I'd guess that it is from sometime in the 2000s.

K.Swiss World Time 503

Today, I'm wearing a new brand to this blog, but one of the more well known names in trainers/sneakers.

This watch is my first watch by the American brand K.Swiss. The K.Swiss brand was started in California in 1966 by two Swiss brothers, based on their love of Tennis. They mainly produce Athletics shoes, but over the years have produced a range of watches too.

This watch has the model number of 93-0038, and there is a name on the front, which says World Time 503. The watch is a large LCD model with an unusual case shape. The LCD has 3 lines of information in a blocky digit design. The top line has the smallest text and covers the day and date, with the slightly larger bottom line covering seconds. The time is the largest part of the display, and has 4 digits over the middle line. It seems to have been designed as a sports watch, and has the usual range of modes - chronograph, timer, world time, and 2x alarms, and there is an el-backlight for nighttime use.

The case and strap is the unusual part of the design and makes the watch stand out. The middle of the case is white plastic, and the white rubber strap is designed in one piece and splits where the case is, going round the both sides of the case.

The watch is water resistant to 30 atm (which suggests a European model) and was assembled in China. The K.Swiss logo is on the front of the watch above the LCD, and is also engraved on the back plate.

There is no information about when this watch was made, but I'd guess it was from the late 90s or early 00s when the brand was going through a big marketing push.

DJ Honda DJ009

There are a lot of watches out there which are parts of special collections made by/for celebrities. Out of those I have come across, the watches from the DJ Honda fashion collection are the most interesting and varied set that I've seen.

This watch is the DJ009 (or DJ 009) and is an LCD model. It has a sideways inverse LCD, with the display being viewed best from along your arm. The case is plastic with a shiny silver surround to the LCD being screwed onto the front. The strap is rubbery, and is in one piece, going across the front of the face, and fastening with a buckle at the back. The LCD is a 2 line design, with the top line normally showing day and date, with the 6 digits for the time below. There is a standard collection of modes in the watch - stopwatch, timer, alarm, and dual time, and there is also an el-backlight (which beeps when you press, so it's not good for quiet night use).

The back has the DJ Honda 'h' logo in the centre, along with the usual statements (water resistant, stainless steel back, Base metal bezel) and the model number. Based on the designs in the collection, I think that they were produced in collaboration with Seiko (or Alba) as a couple of models are almost the same as late 90s Seiko AKA designs.

Seiko Alba Wired - Beams W510

Today's watch is a special edition of a design I've featured on this blog before.

The watch is one from the Seiko Wired line of watches based around the W510 module, and this one was released under the Seiko sub-brand Alba. The Wired watches seem to be a high tech line released from the late 90s which blended advanced technology and elegant fashionable designs.

One of the designs that was used in several watches around the turn of the century was the high complexity curved digit LCD display. This display used many more segments in the digits than normal, leading to text which looked more like a printed font than normal. I featured a watch from the ViViDiGi line with this W510 module in June 2013, and there's been a few others on the blog too (see under the Wired tag).

This particular model is a special watch designed for the Japanese brand Beams. The Beams brand are a popular clothing, accessories, and interior products brand originating in 1976 from Harajuku, Tokyo, and they've produced a few watches over the years. It has a different colour scheme (black with red trim) than the other W510 watches I've seen, and has the Beams name at the top of the display. The back also the Beams logo (a planet with the path of a satellite around it), along with the text "Beams. Basic & Exciting". The other text on the back is the standard information that it is stainless steel, 10 bar water resistant, and made in China.

This watch is from 2001, and has the full model number of W510-4A50.

Swatch Turn Around PAN205 Pager Watch

Today's watch is a gadget watch of an era which is now over...

The watch is by Swatch from 1994 and was part of a series called The Beep. The special feature of the watch is that it contains a pager. A pager (or beeper) was the device that would be used to transfer messages in a small mobile package before mobile phones became so popular. Even I am so young that I never really used a pager, and the only times I remember it was from TV medical dramas where they used to ask someone to "page the doctor, this is an emergency"! Pager technology started in the 50s and work through short messages being sent from a radio transmitter to the device. By the end of the 90s, pagers hand become niche products, only being used by hospitals and emergency services as they are reliable and need only a low signal strength to work.

The Swatch pagers were released around the early 90s but have no signal anymore, meaning that they are not so collectable because they don't work. They are larger than the normal Swatch watches and have an ana-digi display. They are also recognisable by the 3 wires stretched across the display which is part of the aerial. Time is displayed on the 2 hand dial (where the hands move in jumps rather than continuous motion), while the LCD is reserved for the pager function.

This model is called Turn Around and was part of the Spring Summer 1994 collection. The model number for this design is PAN205.

The back of the watch has lots of information about the Pager functions. It says it is by Hutchison paging, and can be called on 1128003. It also states the Pager runs on a frequency of 279.7125, but doesn't give the units. There are also two small buttons on the back with the message 'press both buttons and pull wristlet out' which is the way to get to the watch battery, so I don't actually know how to switch the Pager on.

Pokémon Opening Pokeball Watch

Today, I'm wearing one of my silly children's watch, and one of my Pokémon watch collection.

This watch has a large round plastic case, and a face which is painted as a Pokeball (which is used to catch Pokémon in the games /TV series), with the centre of the ball being where the 4 digit LCD can be seen. As with the normal novelty watches, the LCD module is very simple, having only time, date, and seconds displays. The Pokeball can 'open' by rotating the bezel, and this changes the picture on the front from the Pokeball to a collection of Pokemon (Pikachu, Bonsly, Marshtomp, Meowth, Septile, and Mime Jr).

The strap is reversible with different pictures on each side, and swapped by pulling the strap out of the body a little which allows it to be rotated. One side is yellow with pictures of Meowth, Pikachu, Minun, Plusle, and Munchlax. The other side is green and has the white outline sketches of lots of Pokemon (too many to name).

Looking the Pokémon on the watch, the newest of them only appeared in Generation IV which dates the watch to around 2005/06, but it has an unusual mix of Gen III and Gen IV characters. The back of the watch gives nothing away about the origin as all it says is 'Patented'.

Planet Design SA101 Drivers LED

Today, I'm back wearing one of my Japanese fashion watch collection, with this model from Planet Design. This is the 8th Planet Design watch to feature here, and it is a completely different style to any of the ones which have come before. The Planet Design watches are produced by a company called Emit Co Ltd from Japan who are producing a modern take on retro styles (and more can be found about them on my other Planet Design posts).

This model is the SA101 and is a very luxurious looking take on the drivers LED style of watch. It is actually a 4 digit LED illuminated LCD display, which is powered by a Japanese quartz module, and has time and date displays. The display is tilted so when you have your wrist on its side, you can see the display, but as you need to press a button for the time to appear, you still need to remove one hand from the wheel.

The luxurious feel comes from how the strap is arranged and the finish on the case. It is a thick smooth matt leather design, but the top half of the strap comes over the top of the watch to near the display. The case is in brushed steel on the front, with shiny sides and a shiny surround to the display behind the curved glass. The Planet Design name is pressed into the strap below the face, and the name and logo is on the back plate.

Most of the other Planet Design watches can be found for sale online, but for this model, I haven't found a single hit on any of my searches. As the other watches seem to be pretty modern (like 2010s), I'd assume the same for this one, but maybe it's a little older then the rest.

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.

Sniper GV451

I've mentioned before that there seems to be a connection between many of the late 90s Japanese fashion watch brands. So far, I've mentioned a link between Deadman, Eccentric Classic, and Deep, but this is another one.

This watch is by a brand called Sniper. It is an unusual shaped ana-digi watch where the display has been rotated by 45 degrees and so have the buttons/crown. It has a 3 hand analogue dial at the top of the face, with a 4+2 digit LCD display below (with 4 large and 2 small digits). The watch modes are displayed on the LCD display, showing the day/date, dual time, stopwatch, or alarm options, selected by the bottom left button. From the feel of the material, I think the case is base metal, and is quoted as being 3atm water resistant. The case shape is elongated towards the top right, and sort-of reminds me of the Millennium Falcon from Star Wars.

As this is an unusual design, it is easier to see when the same is used by other brands. I have seen this watch also made by J Axis, and there is also a Deadman version (which unfortunately I don't have yet - but would like if any of my readers is looking to sell one). The model number is GV451 which also follows the Deadman numbering system, hinting at them being linked in some way.

I would guess that this will be from the same time frame as the Deadman watches, based on the common design, so that would make it late 90s.

Citizen Vagary CE90

Today, I'm in a bit meeting, so wanted a watch which looked pretty smart, but was still a little quirky.

The watch I picked is one of the watches from the Citizen Vagary line. The Vagary line is owned by Citizen Italy, rather than being a Japanese model. The watches do seem to be sold at retailers in Italy, but the majority of the watches I've seen are sold in Japan as overseas models.

This watch is a quartz analogue watch which has an unusual design with a subtle twist on the display.

There are many analogue watches on this blog where there is a chronograph feature, and the watches have 3 small dials on the face for hours, minutes, and seconds. This design has the 3 small circles on the face, but this time they are LCD panels and not dials. Each LCD display has 2 digits in silver on a white background, and can be used in various display modes. The LCD can cover time, date, and alarm, as well as the expected chronograph function.

The button arrangement is a little different too, with the top left button covering the mode selection (rather than the bottom left). To set the digital display, you hold the bottom left button until the seconds flash, and the same button chooses which numbers to change (with the bottom right button), while there is a crown for setting the analogue display.

The face of the watch is quite colourful, but in small splashes. The hour and minute LCD displays are surrounded by a red ring, while the ring around the seconds is yellow. Only the 4, 8, and 12 numbers are on the dial and are surrounded in blue, and the seconds hand is green.

The CE90 Vagary models seem to be pretty uncommon, as I only found 2 references, both of which were Japanese auctions.

The full model number is CE90-S043573, but unfortunately, there is no serial number to give me an idea of the date. As there is no information, the general state and design would suggest to me it comes from the late 00s. The only other information on the watch is that it is all stainless steel, has a Japanese movement, and is water resistant.