What is going on with this watch? Seiko SNK805K2

This is the second time I had to adjust the time after not using it. It clearly states automatic on the watch. But little did I know I was totally wrong. It should have been a dead giveaway when the battery was no where to be seen nor visible in the case back. This is one instance where I totally ignored that fact. Ignorance is bliss indeed. 

The watch does not come with manual winding feature. Hence, to keep it “Alive” you will need to use it daily to keep it ticking. If it goes into storage, before taking the watch off, shaking the wrist for 30 seconds should adequately wind it up. It has a 40 hour power reserve. 

If you want to know more about this watch, check out my previous blog. 

I got a shock when there was such a discrepancy in time. My son’s iPad states 30 June 2020 8.30am but my Seiko SNK805K2 states 28 March, 6.40. 

For novices like me, don’t be deceived by the automatic written on the watch

Upon closer inspection a serial number is also engraved on the metal surface beside the crown

From the following pictures you can see the word Seiko printed is all over the place. A nice feature indeed

If you shake the watch hard and put it up to your ears. You can hear the mechanism moving, powering it up. 

It is such a great watch. I’m highlighting what I faced today so that others who will face the same predicament, know why. Have a great day. 

Other good blog you can read up on watches are :

. monochrome-watches.com

. easternwatch.blogspot.com

Montblanc Rouge Et Noir Tropic Brown Ballpoint Pen

My wife purchased this last month when she took a liking towards pens. She wanted something elegant for signing her documents. When she informed me initially, I was rather apprehensive as I thought a brown Montblanc? How would that look like? When she send me a picture it looked more black and rather unattractive. No way hosay. 

I told her my reservations but she said trust her the pen looks amazing. The picture she send does not do it justice. 

Anyhow, I bit my tongue and told her to purchase what she wanted as it would be her using it not me. She should not make a purchase based on my liking. 

How surprised I was to view the actual pen in person. It was stunning. The picture she took was a far cry from what the actual product was. I must say she has a good eye and I couldn’t agree more with her purchase. 

I have already covered the coral fountain pen version in my previous blog. So there’s no need to dwell further on the details of the Rouge Et Noir. 

I understand that Tropic is a color name used in watches to designate a patina obtained by natural aging under the tropic sun and humidity. The pen is appropriately named Tropic Brown due to the natural aging of the organic ebonite material. The brown hue is utterly magnificent under any light, making the pen unique. 

Here are some pictures of the pen 

A Fiery Death Porsche 944

The unfortunate incident happened on 29 October 2017. It is now 2020. Yet, I never forgotten you. You had your quirks. But you were flawlessly and always brought a smile not only to me but those who caught a glimpse of you. 

Although it was fated that I only owned you for a short time but I had huge plans for you. Already in your rear bonnet on that unforeseen day was a Momo Martini Racing steering wheel and matching Momo Martina Racing manual gear knob, together with a Bravox sound system. More was to come, in the pipeline was a Martini Racing livery paint job for you. Eventually, I had my heart set to display you proudly in the next Art of Speed festivities. 

What a sight to behold. Opening the main entrance door and looking at you first thing on Saturday mornings. Elegant, graceful and sophisticatedly parked in the driveway. 

But alas, it was not meant to be. So I say today my final farewell. Always remembered, never forgotten. 

Vehicle registration no : BCH9998

Chassis no                   : WP0ZZZ94ZFN423191 

Engine no                     : 41F42858

Registered in Malaysia : 24 October 1985

Date of Demise            : 29 October 2017

Time of Demise.           : 7.30am

I have very few photos of this beauty as I was not expecting you to scoot off from us so soon. This picture was taken on 4 September 2017. Our outing to Kota Kemuning recreation park. My kids in high spirit

My respected compadre Ramizu Abdul Rahim, 29 September 2017. Not wanting to miss the opportunity. He said it best and I quote “Any modern day mid size bike will leave an 80’s supercar behind. The car is a bit like Robert Plant of LED Zeppelin. You’ll know he’d seen better days, but once, he’s performing the definition of “Legend” prevails. 

The burning of my car was picked up by the local newspapers. Below is the link. I feel it is inappropriate for me to attach pictures. It all happened so soon. One minute we were driving and the next there was heavy smoke from the engine bay. We were unable to save the car. 

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2017/10/296734/porsche-944-turbo-goes-flames-shah-alam

Seiko SNK805K2 with Nylon strap

Thee are billions of watches out there. It all depends on what tickles your fancy.  You can have a vast variety of watches that you can change based on your dressing style or mood.

For this post I would like to share a recent purchase that I made on 20 July 2020. It is a utilitarian military style watch in classic army green color. 

The Seiko military SNK805K2 is part of the Seiko 5 family. The stainless steel bezel diameter is 37mm with a thickness of 11mm. Weight 500g. Movement is powered by a Seiko Caliber 7S26B 21 jewel automatic self-winding with an exhibition see through back that allows you to view the action. Glass material is scratch resistant hardlex crystal. It’s actually ordinary glass which has been heated and chemically treated to increase scratch and shatter resistance. The Nylon strap is equipped with a clasp which is like a belt buckle, like in the good old days. The watch has a day and date function and water resistant to 30m. Meaning it  can withstand splashes of water. Luminous when it’s under the cover of darkness. The Seiko 5 logo is located at the 12 o’clock position. 

The Seiko 5 was conceived in 1963 as a basic, affordable mechanical timepiece for the youths. The Seiko 5 got its name from the five key features which define it: automatic winding, day and date displayed in a single window, water resistance, a recessed crown at four o’clock, and a durable case and bracelet

What are my thoughts on the watch? Well first forget what you have seen on google images or even YouTube. I have small wrist period. The watched when placed on my wrist looks even smaller. Can you believe that? The watch I use on a daily basis Casio G-Shock DW5600E looks just nice on my wrist but this one looks a tad small. Sigh 😔. 

The day and date is so small that I cannot view it clearly. To adjust it, I had to use the magnifier on my mobile phone camera. Granted, my eyesight is not what it was years back but even with the magnifier it wasn’t easy to adjust. 

With that out of the way. The entire built quality feels nice and elegant. The Nylon strap feels robust but the 2 metal bands holding the strap in place will take some getting used to.  

On the internet the strap for this model is referred to as Nylon / Canvas / Fabric / Nato. I personally think the strap is more inclined to Nylon as opposed to Canvas / Fabric. Nato strap on the other hand, is a one-piece strap that slides underneath the case so users skin never touches metal. It’s great on hot days as the metal case back does not scorch your skin and because the nylon wicks moisture away from the skin. It also means the strap will stay on the wrist even if a spring bar pops out.

My advise if your budget permits get the CWC G10 watch used at one time by the British Army.  If you can’t this is the next best option at a fraction of the cost and it looks stunning. 

The crown is located near the 4 o’clock position like the diver watch

Side profile

Transparent case back

Small in stature it may be but it all personality. It grows on you

Lego Technic Porsche 911 GT3 RS

Towards the end of 2015 this car was plastered all over the Internet causing a huge hype. Can you blame them? Just one look at it and you are smitten. 

I called Lego care line to enquirer. I was informed that it will be released in a few months and that it will not be cheap as it is estimated to cost 500 euros. That statement made me dumbfounded. 

After much mental wrestling, I said to myself. Ok. Why not!

The Lego Technic 42056 Porsche 911 GT3 RS is a 1:8 scale developed with Porsche AG. It has a detailed flat 6 engine with moving pistons. Detailed driver cockpit and front trunk. The trunk even house a small portable traveling bag.

Measuring 22 inches in length, 9 inches wide and 6 inches in height.

Total 2,704 build pieces.

It was released in June 2016 in the European countries. It came to our Malaysian shores early 2017. I purchased mine from Box of Bricks, Sunway Pyramaid.

Initially, I was not sure to proceed with the purchase or not due, to the cost but decided to proceed as I never thought I would own and drive a real Porsche. So the next best option was to get the closes thing.

The build took me, with my son (aged 9 when the build started) and daughter (aged 5 at that time) help, a record 4 years to complete. 

Firstly, it was not an easy build, the booklet alone had 580 pages of instructions. Secondly, we only build when we had the mood and then we would go on binge building for hours until our eyes, hands and legs were sore  Thirdly, was the lack of time factor entitling us to only build on the weekends (provided there were no curriculum classes for the kids).  Fourthly, we had on 3 separate occasions missing parts. After informing Lego it took them time to send. There were delays in receiving, wrong part received and an instance where we never receive the said part from Lego.

This is the reason why buy Lego. They have a top notch customer service department. And for any reason you encounter missing parts, like me or even broken parts for whatever reason, Lego will replace it for you. Excellent.

The build was completed in May 2020 during the MCO (Movement Control Order for Covid 19).

If you like this build you should check out the other offerings by Lego Technic:

• 42083 Bugatti Chiron
• 42115 Lamborghini Sian FKP 37
• 42096 Porsche 911 RSR

They are beautiful in their own right. It all depends on what you fancy.

There are many videos on YouTube where they have dissembled the interior mechanism and replaced them with motors and lights making it a fully functioning remote control car capable of turning. 

Matt orange 

The doors can be opened and closed

The steering wheel rotates following the tyre direction.  The gear can shift

Bucket seats for the breakneck cornering 

Lift the rear booth to find the enclosed Flat 6 engine 

Visible break calipers. Extra Light weight rigid rims with grippy tyre combo for cornering like it’s on rails

My conundrum now is where to display it? Sigh! 

Muyang Galak Mah Meri Sculpture

At the entrance of the National Museum and the Orang Asli Museum in Gombak, you will be treated by sculptures and masks of the orang Asli people.

Their sculptures are unique to the eye of the beholder as they tell a story. Each piece has its own cultural significance.  Beautiful and haunting at the same time. There is a folk tale behind each of this piece.   

There nearest for me to get a hold of this wood carvings is from the Mah Meri community at Pulau Carey. Mah Meri loosely translates to jungle people. Their language is called Besisi.

Another way to purchase these intricate wood sculpture is from Gerak OA (Orang Asli). However, quantities are scares and can only be purchased through their exhibition boot during their expo. Gerak OA is managed by Cik Reita Rahim.

It took me many years to get a piece due to the fact that I went to their boot too late and also I did not have the time to travel all the way to pulau Carey. 

I am still doing some research on the piece that I got to know the cultural believe behind it. Called Muyang Galak roughly meaning illnesses transference figurine. Sculptured by Zuka Dayong. 

Cost RM220. 5cm by 12.5cm. Date of purchase 17 July 2020

The real meaning of EDC

Dear readers,

Facebook and other social media’s plays an integral and vital role In our Daily life. It is a place where we genuinely share our knowledge or an event that made us happy. For others it a place to voice their frustration or sadness over a recent event faced. Some even use it as a platform to show off.

This topic may not be towards the liking of many but it generally covers the actual terminology of EDC. EDC would vary from person to person and between man and woman. A mans EDC would definitely differ from a woman. Generally speaking a woman’s EDC would be handbag, perfume, makeup, lipstick 💄, handphone, keys and etc.

Guys generally would be pocket knife, lighter, handphone, pen and etc.

The point I’m trying to make is what does EDC literally stand for? Every Day Carry correct. So it should be what you carry every day. It is not what you carry Evert Other Day. The only thing you carry every day without fail or changing or interchanging them are your car keys, wallet and handphone.

But what you see on social media are people daily changing their items and claiming it’s their every day carry. No it is not. It is not what you carry everyday. It is what you are carrying for THAT day.

My edc does not include a pocket knife as I do not carry it al all times. Due to work ethics reason and it’s also an offense under Malaysian law to carry a weapon in public. I would like to carry my pocket knife or Leatherman multitool daily as there were many occasions where it would have came handy but I ended up using my teeth or car keys to resolve the matter.

Under the Arms Act 1960 and Corrosive and Explosive Substance and Offensive Weapons Act 1958, Second Schedule, S.6(1) clearly states that pocket knife is an Illegal weapon to carry in public without lawful purpose or authority. The punishment under S.7(1) is 5 to 10 years in prison. I presume that is not your cup of tea.

So dudes, I know everyone likes to show a little or brag a bit on social media. Who doesn’t? I’m guilty of it too. But please use the correct words. Do not abuse the word EDC. Use it correctly if it is carried every day for you. 

If you use a Rolex GMT-Master II or Patek Philippe Nautilus or Vacheron Constantin tourbilion watch on a daily basis. Go for it it’s your EDC. The same if you carry a Monarch Steam Punk Dragon or Searpoint Lace or even a Bob Kramer pocket knife. No issues. It’s what you carry daily. 

But dudes, please don’t change daily your items and claim it’s your EDC. It is not. 

My EDC is way more humbler that most dudes. A Casio G-Shock DW5600E, Dausen 10400 mAh capacity power bank, Igloo 1L water bottle, Apple earphones, Apple charger, IPhone 6S+, my car keys, hand sanitizer, face mask, Lamy 2000 fountain pen, Gucci wallet and adidas bag. That is what I carry every day without fail  and that my friends is EDC. Every Day Carry. 

I did not include my handphone as it is used in taking this picture. The hand sanitizer is also not included as I doubt you would like a picture of a hand sanitizer. Not included is my wallet as it is personal as of nature. Watch is also not included due to the picture being too cramped and it is the most basic Casio watch.  Face mask is included in the picture to add color to an otherwise dull shot 😅

Kurt’s Last Days

It’s no secret that I’m a huge Nirvana fan. Kurt Cobain in particular. Singer, song writer, guitar virtuoso, artist, genius. Call him what you like, he was the spokesperson for Generation X. 

I was doing my write up on my previous blog this morning at 7.00am, whilst humming to the tune Sappy. My mind kept running to a disturbing video shared by Rob Potylo on YouTube on his bumping into Kurt Cobain in Seattle, a few days before Lollapalooza in March 1994. Nirvana, the biggest band in the world at that time was supposed head Lollapalooza.

If what said by Rob in his YouTube Video is indeed genuine and truthful, Kurt knew he was on his last days. If that is true, it debunks all the myth and conspiracy theories. Rest In Peace Kurt, never forgotten by us.

Below is the link:

https://youtu.be/hBeLnddqNzI

  

Kaweco Brass Sports Entire Line

Kaweco was founded In Germany in 1883. So they know a thing or 2 about pens. That’s about 137 years in business.

The Company has its up’s and down’s but they have persevered. They do have a loyal following. I’ve noticed that more often than not a pen connoisseur who may have many grail pens, hold a kaweco or two for their use.      

In 1970 they launched their sports collection with their hunky octagonal barrel profile.

The entire range of Kaweco Brass Sport is made from solid brass. The Kaweco Brass Sport fountain pen comes with a steel nib. Although it’s a steel nib but it is one of the smoothest nibs I have had the privilege to try. Butter smooth. Almost as good as a gold nib but with less flex in the nib. Purchased after discount at RM316. Making it the most expensive in the line.

Kaweco Brass Sport gel pen was purchased after discount at RM272. Although similar in design to the fountain pen. It unveils it’s true identity once the cap is unscrewed.

Kaweco Brass Sport ballpoint pen, after discount RMRM247.70.

Next is the Kaweco sketchup brass 5.6 Pencil. It’s a 5.5mm 5B graphite lead pencil. Discounted at RM155.

Kaweco Brass Sport push pencil 0.7mm (mechanical pencil), yup you guess it correct, after discount at RM288.

The Sport range is a pocket pen so the clip is not actually needed. It is meant to be kept in your pocket sleeve in your shirt pocket or even your coin sleeve in the trousers pocket. But for the sake of completeness, the clip still comes handy for obvious purposes and furthermore, it looks good. 

A shoutout to all pen connoisseur that willingly share their knowledge. Figboot on pens, Goulet Pen Company, Sbrebrown and Peter Draws. A shoutout also to the Company’s I purchased these items from Pengallery, Stickeriffic & KS Gills.

As you can view from my collection, the clip is only attached on the fountain pen. Give me some time to complete the clips on the rest. The clips alone would cost another RM100+ to complete the rest. 

All pens were purchased in 2020. From the bottom fountain pen to top, push pencil. 

My rendering of Saitama, One Punch Man. sketchup brass 5.6 Pencil

Natural Patina on Brass Pens

Today, Saturday 4 July 2020 such a wonderfully day. The simplest things in life brightens your day. Uplift and inspire you. Thinks of what makes you happy and focus on that. By God’s grace, you will be happy.

Well why am I smiling today?

Because I have completed my collection of Kaweco Brass Sport Pen. And I really mean completed, which I will share in another post. But that’s not the only reason why I’m smiling.

I am comparing a brand new Kaweco Brass Sport pen with a Fountain pen a few months old. It looks like night and day. Literally. You can’t believe it is the same make and design. You may even think one is a fake pen. Well that’s the beauty of Brass.

Brass is a wonderful material, strong, robust, heavy and looks the part. Lots of pens have Brass barrels or components but hidden away under layers of paint. Not Kaweco Brass Sport. The raw brass finish is in your face in its full glory. 

The golden like shine will wear over time and develop a unique patina depending on use, your skin, the surrounding environment and storage conditions. The patina will be unique to you based on the conditions harboring it. The natural color hues that developers over time with age and use is something to be cherished. 

However, if that is not to your liking, the golden colored shine can be restored using brass polish and elbow grease.