There are so many things to frustrate, sadden, and worry that when a little thing makes you smile it is worth writing about. If you have known me for a while you know that carry a pen, a flashlight, a knife and wear a watch (and at one point would have included cuff links)..
My first watch was a red Snoopy watch that I no longer have and my next one was a manually wound Timex that I also no longer have. In high school it was a Tekna knife, a Pilot 2020 Shaker pencil, a Maglite, Mini and a Seiko watch from Taiwan (the watch and pencil are in the lower right). In college it was a Gerber LST knife, same Shaker pencil, a Maglite Solitare and same watch, though I did get a Casio watch in that time that was pretty cool.
Post-university came fountain pens and I could write a whole post about the journey I have had with fountain pens. Notably not here is the Shaeffer Legacy that reminds me of my father. Also notably, I went from the Pilot 2020 Shaker to a Pilot Capless pencil until that was discontinued, and my current pencil that I copied from Bernard is the Pentel Kerry pencil.
With fountain pens came the James Bond Omega Seamaster, and fortunately I was living in NYC so I could get this $25 copy of one from Chinatown. This is $3,000 used today but at one point it was $800 at Costco and Mama wanted to buy it for me to congratulate me for getting a job. But I told her it was too expensive (and it was! So no regrets with that), I keep this one to remind me of how willing Mama was to buy me that watch. This replica still keeps time after more than 20 years. At work I went through several pens, the Namiki Vanishing Point, the Namiki Sterling, the Shaeffer Imperial etc… But my workhorse was the Vanishing Point and the back up (ironically today) was the Pilot Myu. My knife at this point was the original Spyderco Delica, and the Spyderco Hunter.
Then I would get the Omega Speedmaster Chronograph copy from Chinatown for $50. This would become my daily wearer for more than 15 years. My pen was a Pilot Decimo Capless (the more refined evolution of the Vanishing Point). My knife would be the Sypderco Delica 4 for almost the same period of time. And my flashight would be the Solitaire then briefly a Fenix pocket light, and finally a Coast G10 inspection light – also on the recommendation of Bernard. My backup pen would evolve from the Pilot Myu to the Lamy Pico – more readily available and replacable AND a ball point.
My rationale was evolving, I wanted something I could easily replace if I lost it,. So vintage fountain pens went to modern pens and cheaper ones, the Namiki Sterling was a $450 list pen and even though I could get it for $175 on eBay it is not cheap to lose. ( bought a few back-ups) The Myu is a 1970s pen that had a modern version made in the mid 2000s but by 2005 had become around $100 a pen (I bought a few back ups). The Capless is about $125 and I have had to replace it two or three times – but I can buy that new. The Pico is about $33 and that one has gotten lost a lot. The Delica 4 is easily replaced but is getting more expensive. It used to be $50 to get a new one, now it is more like $74. I have lost at least 5 of these. And the Coast G10, that is only $10 so not too bad.
Which gets me to the watch at hand. I have realized that I could not replace the fake Omega Speedmaster even if I wanted to . I have looked at replicas but am not sure I could get a good one online and it has been a while since I have been to Chinatown. So my $50 fake that has lasted 15 years has become precious and does not fit my EDC rationale any more. I was tempted to spend $3,000 and buy a real one, but that was not terribly reasonable.
Then came the MoonSwatch, seemingly the solution to my problem; a $260 watch would be replacable and it was not a limited edition. But then came the hype and the scarcity and even today I have only been able to source it twice and bought it only once. It is a collectible now and I am loathe to wear it yet. I was going to buy the Swatch Irony Nightflight which is like the Speedmaster, but it is different enough that I didn’t do it.
So then I came across this Seiko, a brand my mother reveres after Omega. It looks like my Speedmaster and is the same size, its case is a jewel, and though the band is chintzy and not great, it is replaced with a black Barton silicone strap which makes it even classier. With the pandemic I stopped wearing a watch and even thought about a Pixel watch. But here it is. A $115 watch that meets my replacability concerns (though a Japan issue watch) and most of all makes me happy. I have even considered replacing my Spyderco Delica 4 with a CRKT Squid Assist ($33). My pen is now the Twsbi 580 Diamond EF ($55). The flashlight is still the CRKT G10 ($10) and my back up pen is the Lamy Pico ($33).
Once I would have carried a Montblanc 146 or a Pelikan M800, or even the Namiki Sterling or Nakaya Piccolo. The Twsbi is Tawanese like me and makes me happy.
My knife went from a Spyderco disontinued Hunter to the Delica 4 (which makes me happy) and now it might go to the CRKT – which makes me happy.
My Lamy Pico and Coast G10 make me happy,
I wanted an Omega Seamaster or Speedmaster, and thought I would one day afford one so if a Seiko Chronograph from Japan can make me happy for $117 who am I to argue.
EDC
- Seiko Chronograph SND367PC with a Barton Elite Silicone Strap in Black ($115 + $21)
- Twsbi 580 Diamond Clear EF filled with Pilot Blue ($55 + $9)
- Spyderco Delica 4 Combo edge ($74) or CRKT Squid Assist ($33)
- Coast G10 Black ($10)
- Lamy Pico Chrome Blue Ink ($33+$10)