Thoughts on the Rolex GMT Pepsi and other expensive watches

[washcold]

If you want to fly a little under the radar but still get a watch that can hang with the Rolex GMT, you might also consider a Grand Seiko. The best place to get one is from a Japanese authorized dealer, like Seiya. In addition, the Yen is pretty weak, which makes this a good time to buy. This is the one I would pick.

SBGE001: 609K Yen, or about $5110.

[DocDave]

Robert Redford (lover of all things Rolex) donned a Seiko SKX009 on a Navy Blue NATO strap:

Hey, would you say the face on this watch in the above pictures is black or blue?
And is there anything wrong with pairing a black-faced SKX009 with a Blue NATO strap?

Cheers.

[frost]

Hey, would you say the face on this watch in the above pictures is black or blue?
And is there anything wrong with pairing a black-faced SKX009 with a Blue NATO strap?

Cheers.

Indirectly, it looks black at a glance. In direct, bright light it appears to be a deep navy color. Navy & black go fine together, and 90% of the time you won't notice the color of the dial. I wouldn't over-think it. Mine is exactly as pictured above.For me, it's a casual wear, summertime watch.

[DocDave]

[MENTION=2581]frost[/MENTION] when you say exactly as above, are you saying you purchased the black face model? When looking online I see Amazon has a black and blue one.

Black:

http://www.amazon.ca/Seiko-SKX009-Di...eywords=SKX009

Blue:

http://www.amazon.ca/Seiko-Mens-SKX0...eywords=SKX009

[hornsup84]

I'm pretty sure the above pic is of the navy/red model. I'm not an expert, but I don't think there's such thing as a black dialed version with a blue/red bezel; I think that's just lighting and bad amazon descriptions.

[frost]

[MENTION=2581]frost[/MENTION] when you say exactly as above, are you saying you purchased the black face model? When looking online I see Amazon has a black and blue one.

Black:

http://www.amazon.ca/Seiko-SKX009-Di...eywords=SKX009

Blue:

http://www.amazon.ca/Seiko-Mens-SKX0...eywords=SKX009

This is the exact one I purchased:

http://www.amazon.com/Seiko-SKX009K2...eywords=skx009

The bracelet is crap and a pain to take off but worth the effort.

Here's the strap I purchased:

http://natostrapsco.com/products/the...-hardware-22mm

[Clarkie_415]

hopefully I can clear this up.

since the skx009 (pepsi) has been around seiko has had varying shades of blue on the face. now there are two distinct versions, the skx009k (k1) version which means it was made by a seiko plant that was not located in japan, where the skx009j version was made in japan. the way to tell is look at the bottom of the dial at the 6:00 position. there will be small print stating made in japan to show the j model.

back to the color differences. after reading up on this on WuS it seems as though the k versions tend to lean more black than navy, and the j models are slightly more blue. the differences are really just splitting hairs (lighting, angle, etc.) as when worn they will be very similar.

the j models are typically more expensive based on a false pretense that the made in japan line is of higher quality. if you like the look, your best bet is to save a few dollars and buy the k model, and put the savings toward an upgraded strapcode bracelet or a few nato's.

something else to keep in mind is if down the road you wanted sapphire crystal or mercedes benz hands you can always source parts from either yobokies or dagaz and have a local watchmaker install the parts to have a customized watch to fit your style.

[DocDave]

[MENTION=2622]hornsup84[/MENTION] Thanks. That would explain a lot. I couldn't tell if my eyes were going or what.

[MENTION=2581]frost[/MENTION] thanks for the link. My guess is this is the same watch as the other links I posted above, except for the strap of course.

[MENTION=4382]Clarkie_415[/MENTION] Wicked. Great description and background. Thank you for doing the research over on WuS. It never occurred to me to go about looking on other websites. Gesh. Then again I have yet to sign up for WuS as who knows what that rabbit hole will be like.

[Hypebeast]

something else to keep in mind is if down the road you wanted sapphire crystal or mercedes benz hands you can always source parts from either yobokies or dagaz and have a local watchmaker install the parts to have a customized watch to fit your style.

I have a "nice" Breitling that I wanted to stop wearing daily and/or in situations that I didn't really want to have an expensive watch on my wrist, so I did the above. Picked up a Seiko Sumo (SBDC001) and changed out the chapter ring (planet ocean style), hands (mercedes benz), bezel insert(polished), crystal (sapphire), and band (super oyster) to make it a little more "dressier". I now wear this to the office everyday and on the weekends and keep the Breitling for special occasions.

[Clarkie_415]

Hypebeast thats a Perfect example. That looks great. Just did a parts list for a 007 mod and figured I needed to wait a while. Looking for a navy/navy dial and bezel with a 4 o clock crown and no day function. I do like the applied indices on the sumo so that may be a better option as the fit and finish seems better out the gate. Higher quality canvas yields a better painting.

[DuFrank]

If you want something more under the radar than a GMT, you could find an older Explorer II (ref. 16570) for $3K-4.8K depending on a lot of factors (Box & Papers, strap or bracelet, what movement's inside, condition, etc.).
Ones from the 1990's go for under $3.5K regularly with box, papers, bracelet, and sometimes servicing. The 2000-2006 Exp II's go for $4K-4.8K depending on the year and movement (most have the 3185 movement -- the newer 3186 movements demand a premium because they're rarer in the 16570 Exp II).
Personally, the ExpII is the one I chose because I already have a Christopher Ward C60 Trident that has a black bezel/ black dial appeal of most Rolexes and has a ton of sentimental value.
The ExpII is also much more affordable since it's less sought. Most people won't ever know you're wearing a Rolex with the ExpII if that's important to you.
I've been asked if my C60 is a Rolex since it looks like a submariner, but I've never been asked about the ExpII haha.

[DocDave]

Those are some nice watches. I ended up going the Seiko SKX009 route. Still waiting to receive the watch in the mail but once it hits/lands I'll post a quick review/photos here. As much as I wanted/liked the pepsi GMT, I was having a hard time justifying he price to myself. Too bad too as it's a damn nice watch.

[DocDave]

Well after all that here's the final product that I ended up with. Thanks for the input.

[Brent k]

[MENTION=13399]DocDave[/MENTION] - that was anti-climatic. I do love my vintage Seiko's though! Oh and I always love a good canvas strap.

[Clarkie_415]

And thanks to the discussion. This is on its way...