AUSRETROGAMER

The Pop-Culture E-Zine

You are here: Home / Archives for watch review

watch review

Xeric NASA Voyager Automatic Watch – Review

By

As a homage to the rich history & the farthest human-made object in space, the Xeric NASA Voyager Automatic 100ATM Diver, is a limited edition timepiece that reminds us of the value of exploration.

Ever since I could remember I’ve been fascinated by space and space travel. All I wanted to be was a NASA astronaut, but alas, that never eventuated.

My love of the cosmos hasn’t diminished over the years, if anything, it has gotten stronger, with streaming services making a myriad of astronomy based documentaries available on demand – which I consume with wild abandonment.

That unrestrained impulsiveness and enthusiasm for all things space related has now permeated other stuff I like, wristwatches! When I first gazed at the Xeric NASA Voyager Automatic watch on Kickstarter, I didn’t need much convincing to put in my pledge and snag one of only 1977 watches that pay homage to the rich history and the farthest human-made object in space, NASA’s Voyager 1 and 2, launched almost 46 years ago (in 1977). As Xeric offered (and still offers) nine variations of the NASA Voyager, all named after celestial bodies, my only problem was which one to choose?!

The lume is out of this solar system!

I must admit, I would have loved every singe variation of the watch, but alas, my lotto numbers never came up! I chose the ‘Ganymede’ NASA Voyager watch purely based on the fact that it represented the biggest moon in our solar system and that the metallic look reminded me of the Voyager vessel, complete with the awesome orange accents on the second, hour and minute hand – if you look closely, it does strike a resemblance to NASA’s interstellar traveler. Oh yeah, the NASA ‘worm’ logo on the dial and amazing lume (Super LumiNova) just top off a very robust diver’s watch. But wait, there is more! The caseback features an inlaid replica of “the Golden Record” cover which is found on the outside of the Voyager spacecraft, intended to communicate a story of our world to any intelligent life it could encounter in its journey – the detail is next level cool.

The watch is powered by the self-winding Seiko NH38 automatic movement. As you wear it, the rotor winds the mainspring, creating stored mechanical energy that powers the watch. The movement is housed in a robust stainless steel case complete with a tactile 120-click rotating bezel fit for divers. The watch may look hefty, but it honestly sit quite nice and comfortable on my 7″ wrist. Since this is a divers watch, it has a 1,000 metre depth rating, with an integrated helium escape valve built into the side casing, preventing a pressure differential that can occur during deep dives.

Caseback shot! The inlaid replica of “the Golden Record”, just like the one Voyager is carrying!

Wearing this watch is such a pleasure, thanks to the custom two-tone ribbed silicone strap – it just feels really good on the wrist without a sweat in sight. If you are clumsy, then rest assured that the 4mm thick sapphire glass (with anti-reflective coating) can withstand every day knocks.

The Xeric NASA Voyager Automatic is a special watch, not only due to its limited release (1977 pcs) but the fact that its unique design fuses and celebrates two things many of us love, space and watches. If you have the means and would like something different and something special, then I highly recommend you check out the Xeric NASA Voyager Automatic watch range.



Citizen Promaster Titanium BJ7115-85 Limited Edition ‘Brave Blossoms’ – Review

By

This watch review first appeared on Zeitaku 贅沢 on January 25, 2023.

The limited edition diver’s watch by Citizen that celebrates the Japanese national rugby team and their national flower, the Sakura (cherry blossom)

Likes:

  • The complete package – love the striking look!
  • Super Titanium build makes this watch very comfortable to wear.

Dislikes:

  • The push pins and sleeves Citizen uses on their bracelets make it difficult to alter the length as they are easy to lose.
  • Tri-fold push-type clasp feels a tad flimsy, but I am nitpicking.

I have a few vices that can consume my time, and indeed my finances. One of those vices is watches. Yeah, I shouldn’t call watches a vice, but when you have more in your collection than there are days in the week, then yeah, they become a vice. I am sucker for limited edition watches, and I’m an even bigger sucker for good looking functional timepieces. Luckily for me, the Citizen Promaster Limited Edition ‘Brave Blossoms’ (Model BJ7115-85E) ticks both boxes & then some.

Celebrating Japan’s national rugby team, affectionately known as the Brave Blossoms, and the colours of the Sakura, Japan’s national flower (the cherry blossom), this Citizen watch oozes appeal from its impressive super titanium case and bracelet to its sapphire crystal glass, antimagnetic build and very useful GMT complication. The solar quartz movement powered by Citizen’s amazing Eco-Drive is coupled with the B877 caliber, which on full charge provides 6 months of continuous operation, even if left in the dark – another feather in this impressive watch’s hat.

If you are one to take your watch for a swim, then you won’t have to worry getting this Promaster wet, as it is rated at 20bar (200 metres water resistance) and has a screw-down crown for maximum water resistance. The gorgeous bezel rotates anti-clockwise with a satisfying 120 clicks.

The overall look of this JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) only Citizen is simply stunning. The super titanium makes the watch light on the wrist, and the 43mm wide case size with a thickness of 13.8mm is perfect for 6.75″ to 7″ wrists!  The burned-out charcoal colour looks amazing when coupled with the rose gold bezel trim, screw-down crown and the outline on the lumed markers and hands. The colouring on the outer rim on the dial represents the colours of the Japanese national flower (the cherry blossom), which against the black face, is an absolute beautiful contrast. The cyclops over the date at 3 is under the sapphire crystal, which means there is no bulge protruding above it, thus making it easier to clean the crystal. The caseback is just as gorgeous, with the engraving of the Japanese rugby team’s cherry blossom symbol.

 

I still can’t believe this watch bypassed me when it was released in 2019. Being a limited edition means that you’d be hard pressed to find a new one at a stockist, so your best bet would be to hit the second-hand market online – but be prepared to pay over its original retail price. The Citizen Promaster BJ7115-85E is truly a lovely built watch which would give watches 10 times its price a run for their money. This watch is so good, that if you look closely, Breitling’s new Superocean Automatic range of watches have an uncanny resemblance to it.

If you have the means or are in need of a titanium watch, then I highly recommend you check this one out.

 

Special thanks to The Gnomonist for kindly supplying this Citizen watch for the review.



CASIO EDIFICE ECB-2000MFG: MF Ghost & Initial D Watch – Review

By

This review first appeared on Zeitaku 贅沢 on December 14, 2022. This repost is with permission from Zeitaku.

In the world of wristwatches, there are many brands that successfully collaborate with superstars from movie franchises and well known sports people, just ask the famous MI6 secret agent, 007, what he prefers to wear on his wrist – well, he’ll say Omega, of course.

When it comes to motor racing collaborations, our minds go straight to Formula 1. With timing playing a huge part in racing, from lap times to pit-stops, there is bound to be some big watch manufacturers clamoring for racing driver’s car and wrist real estate. These watch collaborations with big F1 teams and drivers usually come with eye-watering prices which are out of reach for mere mortals.

Luckily for us and for those of you that are into motosports, there are brands like Casio’s EDIFICE. I’ll spare you the history of Casio’s sub-brand in this review, but if you do want to read about it, go here.

Casio’s G-SHOCK range is their premier and most popular product line, but when it comes to stylish analogue and motorsport-inspired design, with an array of functions as their value proposition, then look no further than their EDIFICE collection.

For a more wallet friendly price, you can acquire an EDIFICE timepiece that suits your style and taste. EDIFICE watches come with an abundance of features and functions, from steel-cased, resin, ion plating, chronograph-equipped timepieces, to eye-catching carbon fiber dials with cleverly cut-out subdials to allow light to penetrate the tiny solar panel and the battery behind it.

The latest collaboration between EDIFICE and two landmark works of motorsport-themed manga penned by Shuichi Shigeno has resulted in a striking watch based on the original ECB-2000, which was designed to convey the motorsport worldview. The all-new collaborative design captures the dynamic realism of the street-racing world depicted in the two manga series, Initial D and MF Ghost. The watch pays homage to the two Toyota models that feature in the manga — the AE86 and the TOYOTA GT86, which share the nickname “Hachi-Roku” (Japanese for “Eight-Six”).

So what is so good about the EDIFICE ECB-2000MFG (aka: EDIFICE Initial D & MF Ghost) watch? Let’s start with its striking looks which demand eyes to gaze upon it.

The Build Quality & Watch Face

Let’s be straight – the watch face (aka: dial) is the most important part of any watch. If it’s not striking in looks, then no matter what other bells and whistles the watch may have, it will be bypassed and forgotten. Luckily for us, the ECB-2000MFG is gorgeous! Being part of the EDIFICE Sospensione range, the watch face takes its inspiration from a formula car suspension (the cross brace X) which cleverly separates the sub-dials into quadrants – including the function hand and two mini LCDs. The ECB-2000MFG is also 10BAR / 100-meter water resistant, so you don’t have to worry about water splashing on it when washing your hands or being caught out in the rain. Being 10BAR also means you could go swimming with it and also do some skin diving.

Paired with the Casio 5698 module (think caliber), the ECB-2000MFG offers a range of features on the main face and sub-dials, like seconds display, 24-hour displays, hour time, the date, and an indicator for the battery life, in addition to a reading of the time that’s accurate to +/- 20 seconds (per month).

The first thing that was noticed was the weight of the ECB-2000MFG — this thing is light (65g)! But don’t be fooled into thinking light means cheap quality, this could not be further from the truth. Being used to wearing hefty watches, this one almost felt like a feather on the wrist. Just like a racing car shedding weight to go faster, the lightweight of the ECB-2000MFG is attributed to its resin case, which has been uniquely designed with the lugs in a four-arm configuration – another striking feature.

The gorgeous metallic red bezel, black and red dial are inspired by the front grille of the Toyota GT86 that stars in the manga series MF GHOST. It’s these little details that truly make this a one of a kind watch.

The neobrite (luminosity) on the hands and sapphire crystal with glare-resistant coating are the cherries on top of an already delicious looking cake!

The packaging must get a special mention too – as you can see from the below images, it is in keeping with the theme (and you should keep it in a safe place once you take the watch out!).

The Band

How the watch attaches to your arm is a make or break deal. The ECB-2000MFG comes with a very comfortable Cordura® band, with my only gripe being that it feels a tad rigid. Nevertheless, once the watch is on, the band’s leather underside feels quite nice on the skin.

The red Cordura band also carries over features from the Manga series, with tracks and their round numbering on the top. But wait, there is more! The underside of the band has the Japanese Gyaaa characters stamped on it which were lifted straight from the pages of both Initial D and MF GHOST. Wait, there is more – the underside of the band also features “Fujiwara Tofu Shop (Private Use),” the familiar lettering on the side of the Toyota AE86 driven by Takumi Fujiwara, the protagonist in Initial D. Like I said, it’s the little details that make this special.

On The Wrist

This is a big watch, measuring 47.8mm in width – so it takes up a lot of wrist real estate. When viewed from the top, it could seem like you are wearing a dinner plate if your wrists are on the smaller side (< 7”). However, the watch is quite thin at a smidgen over 11mm, so it doesn’t wear big, like a TW Steel watch would. As already mentioned, the lightweight of the building materials make the ECB-2000MFG very comfortable to wear – you may even forget that you have it on!

On a wrist that is 7” or bigger, this watch demands attention wherever it is worn.

Features & Technology

The ECB-2000MFG comes with a plethora of features, functions and tech – see below. Coupled with smartphone link (iOS or Android app) for effortless watch operation via Bluetooth®, and Tough Solar charging for power, this high-performance chronograph frees you to focus on the road ahead.

  • World time 38 time zones (38 cities + coordinated universal time)
  • City code display, city name display
  • Daylight saving on/off, Auto summer time (DST) switching
  • Home city/World time city swapping
  • 1/100-second stopwatch
  • Measuring capacity: 00’00”00~59’59”99 (for the first 60 minutes) 1:00’00~23:59’59 (after 60 minutes)
  • Measuring unit: 1/100 second (for the first 60 minutes) 1 second (after 60 minutes)
  • Measuring modes: Elapsed time, lap/split time
  • Countdown timer
  • Measuring unit: 1 second
  • Countdown range: 60 minutes
  • Countdown start time setting range: 1 second to 60 minutes (1-second increments and 1-minute increments)
  • Other: Progress beeper
  • 5 daily alarms (with progress beeper)
  • Hourly time signal
  • Double LED light
  • LED light for the face (Super illuminator, selectable illumination duration (1.5 seconds or 3 seconds), afterglow)
  • LED backlight for the digital display (Super illuminator, selectable illumination duration (1.5 seconds or 3 seconds), afterglow)
  • LED:White
  • Full auto-calendar (to year 2099)
  • Mute feature: Button operation tone on/off
  • Power Saving (display goes blank to save power when the watch is left in the dark)
  • Battery level indicator
  • Approx. battery operating time:
  • 7 months on rechargeable battery (operation period with normal use without exposure to light after charge)
  • 18 months on rechargeable battery (operation period when stored in total darkness with the power save function on after full charge)
  • Accuracy: ±15 seconds per month (with no mobile link function)
  • 12/24-hour format
  • Day display (days of the week selectable in six languages)
  • Hand shift feature (Hands move out of the way to provide an unobstructed view of digital display contents.)
  • Regular timekeeping:
  • Analog: 2 hands (Hour, minute (hand moves every 20 seconds))
  • 1 dial (countdown alert)
  • Digital: Hour, minute, second, pm, date, day
  • Progress beeper on/off

Specifications & Price

  • Case size (L× W× H): 51 × 47.8 × 11.4 mm
  • Weight: 65 g
  • Case / bezel material: Resin / Stainless steel / Aluminum
  • CORDURA® Band
  • 100-meter water resistance
  • Tough Solar (Solar powered)
  • Price: AU$899.00

Is The Casio EDIFICE ECB-2000MFG Any Good?

I’ll be honest with you all, I am not a big fan of reviews — by their very nature they are subjective. My tastes and likes may not be your cup of tea, and vice-versa. The Casio EDIFICE MF Ghost / Initial D (ECB-2000MFG) watch is one of those timepieces that you’ll either like or totally dislike, there’s no middle ground. For the record, I LOVE it!

The ECB-2000MFG is a fun watch that demands attention with its striking looks – the metallic red band around the bezel, and the red accents on the dial are exquisite and really pop when out in sunlight. My geeky intuition tells me that this unique watch will be quite sought after in the future.

This new and limited Casio EDIFICE ECB-2000MFG watch is a must-have edition for fans of cars, racing, and of course — these manga masterworks.

For cool lifestyle content, subscribe to Zeitaku now!