My weird, wacky wristwatch requirements

There will be a Seiko in my future.

Regular readers of my site know I got walloped with some expenses this year. However, I do want to get myself a little something for Christmas - unless someone is generous enough to gift it to me. More on that in a moment.

The only watch in the world that suits my requirements where an analog timepiece is concerned is the Seiko SNK803 seen above. The requirements may be a bit weird and wacky, but valid nonetheless.

I very recently started wearing an analog watch again, and out of the ones I own, I've been wearing the Timex Weekender the most. Love the white dial, love the contrast of the dark numbers and markings, love it all...

...except the fact the 38mm version does not have a day-date complication on it. That is the one thing missing that would otherwise make it just about perfect.

Yes, it is true that Timex makes a timepiece very close to the look of the Weekender that is in fact a day-date, model T2N065, but it's a 36mm which is just 1mm too small for me. The Weekender is a 38mm and my Orient Three Star is a 37mm.

Speaking of which, while I really like my Orient and it operates just fine, I find that a dial with numbers on it is something I can read much faster and easier. It really shouldn't make a difference, but to me it does. The Orient I have hasn't any numbers on its dial at all.

In addition, I find that I greatly prefer an off-white dial over a dark dial be it black, blue, brown, green or whatever. The Weekender has that just-right dial color to it where it's not stark in color.

I've gone through both Amazon and eBay, again and again, over and over, looking through many listings trying to find something that has an off-white dial, numbers on dial, has minute markers, is light in weight, has a day-date complication and a 37mm or 38mm case size.

The Seiko SNK803 is the only timepiece on the planet that satisfies all these requirements. I've found no other timepiece that fits the bill. And believe me, I've looked.

Why am I being so selective about this? I can explain that best by citing two examples.

I'm in the supermarket buying groceries. There is one item in particular where I wanted to compare the expiration date to today (I didn't want to buy it if it expired in less than a week). Instinctively, I look at my watch, and... uh-oh. I'm wearing the Weekender. It has no date function. I can't check the expiration date against what the watch says because the watch doesn't show the date.

Numerous instances have happened where I glance at the watch to tell me what weekday it is. But again, the Weekender doesn't have that function and doesn't display that information.

True, I could just put on my Casio A158WEA which does display day and weekday on the face in addition to the time. But I noticed something else about the Weekender the more I wore it.

I can actually read the Weekender's dial more easily than the Casio. There is more contrast to the Weekender's face compared to an A158.

This is not to say the A158 isn't readable as it is very readable, but the Weekender is even easier. And I like that. A lot.

The Seiko SNK803 has that contrast just like the Weekender does with the addition of a day-date complication, which is exactly what I'm looking for.

There is one other watch that satisfies the requirements besides the Seiko. The Pulsar PJ6007. Why don't I get that one? I already have. I returned it because it was just too darned heavy, and the style of it wouldn't agree with a leather strap at all. That, and it's actually more expensive than the Seiko is.

It's like I said, the Seiko SNK803 is the only one that fits the bill.

The deadline

If you want to be the most super-cool, super-awesome person in the universe, go to my Amazon wish list and buy me the Seiko. I have placed it on that list.

What do you get in return? Ask me (via email) and we'll work something out. For example, I can place a banner here for a period of time promoting your web site, business, YouTube channel, Facebook page, Twitter profile or whatever you have. Or if you want a personal phone or Skype consultation for an hour or two discussing guitars or whatever, I can do that too.

I'm setting the deadline date as December 1, 2016 because in all honesty, I really don't want to wait longer than that to get that Seiko. I know that's the one I want, and I know there's literally no other watch that meets my weird, wacky requirements. That Seiko is it.

I'm not saying the SNK803 is the perfect watch. I'm saying it's the perfect watch for me. Most other guys would prefer a larger timepiece.

If my wrist were just a half-inch larger, guess what? I could go buy the Casio MRW200H-7BV today. That meets all my requirements, save for one problem. Too big for my wrist. Another option is the Lucien Piccard LP-13017-02 "Expeditor". That also meets all my requirements, but has the same problem. Too frickin' big.

The SNK803 is, much like my Orient, an old-school Japanese style watch both in look and function. A bit of a holdover from how watches used to be made, but it is absolutely the right size for my wrist.

If there are any takers, again, see my wish list, and if you go for it, I'll do what I can to make it worth your while. Just let me know.

Published 2016 Nov 18