Casio G-Shock GW-225C-1 Master Blue Frogman

Yes, another new watch, and a Frogman no less. But really, I had no choice. I've been watching these on eBay for six months or more, and while I didn't want one as badly as I did a Dawn Black Frogman or Glorious Gold Frogman, I did think it was very good looking. Additionally, only three G-Shock 25th Anniversary Frogmen models have been released, so this completes my set. Prices of these watches just seemed to be going up and up, so when I saw an online retailer got a few in stock, I jumped on the opportunity. It's getting to be difficult to decide whether to pre-order special G-Shocks and pay full retail or a little more even, or wait until after they are released and hope for a decent (20-30%) discount. If they never make it to retailers that discount, then you're stuck buying from the secondary market or speculators and will pay a lot more. It used to be you could count on waiting, finding what you want (provided it was released in the U.S.A. in my case) and get a good discount, but that seems to be increasingly risky. So, I consider myself lucky that I got one of these. Honestly, it's much nicer than I expected with some subtle details that I hadn't noticed in photographs. When I initially heard of the Master Blue Frogman and saw a few pictures I thought the case was a dark blue. It is actually black, and the only blue on the watch is the "G-SHOCK" text above the display and the blue tint of the LCD. The most unique feature is the black PVD case and buttons instead of the typical titanium-colored case and polished buttons. The decorative "screws" at 1 and 5 o'clock are also given a black finish, although not as dark as the buttons and case. The caseback is polished gold-tone, the same as the other 25th Anniversary Frogmen. A different finish would have been nice there as well, but I don't mind it. There are two other Master Blue models, an atomic Mudman and atomic Gulfman, but those seem to be just as scarce and more expensive than the Master Blue Frogman, so I don't see myself adding them to my collection anytime soon. (I did purchase two of these and am selling the brand new one on the Watchuseek sales forum. If you're interested, let me know.)

Seiko SKX779 "Black Monster" Automatic Diver

As I mentioned when I wore my Seiko Orange Monster, it was strange that I didn't have a Black Monster, but I hadn't gotten around to it yet. Well, last week I saw a deal on the SKX779 on the rubber strap that was too good to pass up. I'm not sure if I would have preferred the bracelet, but I already have the bracelet on my Orange Monster so I could always switch them. I do think if I had to have either one on the black rubber, I would prefer the Black Monster since it matches better. I might even get a black leather strap for it, like the Di-Modell Chronissimo which looks really great on it. Amazingly, after seeing hundreds, if not thousands of pictures of Black Monsters on both PMWF and other forums, I never realized that the hands were light tan in color. I guess they are pretty close to the color of the luminous material, close enough to appear the same in photographs. For some reason I just always assumed they were white like the printing on the dial. Like the Orange Monster, it's a great looking watch. The brushed and polished finishes work great together, and the black dial gives it a more subdued look, but it's still not a watch that will be inconspicuous.

LumiSport Quartz Diver

My watch today is a LumiSport quartz diver's watch. I've only ever seen a few watches branded LumiSport and I've heard they were once sold by Sears. As you might guess from its looks and the tritium vial night illumination, this was made by mb-microtec who also makes Luminox and Traser watches. Here's a very similar LumiSport that was for sale on the WUS forum (I paid much less for mine and it was brand new.) This watch is in some ways nicer than my Luminox 3005, namely, its stainless steel case, screw-down back and screw-down crown. It has the same Ronda Swiss quartz movement (which means I could also swap this dial for a MKII dial, which was my intention when I bought it,) same hands and illumination system, but the bezel is more low-profile on the LumiSport. I guess if you're actually using the bezel the chunkier one on the Luminox would be better, especially underwater or when wearing gloves. They both have a 200m water resistance rating, and I'm sure both are very durable, but the stainless case and back on the LumiSport just seems like it will last forever while the plastic case on the Luminox seems lighter and more fragile. Really, I like them both, and they're different enough that I don't feel the need to get rid of one. While I still my swap out the dial on this watch (I could even use my old yellow Luminox dial if I wanted to) the blue dial is kind of growing on me, so maybe I'll keep it like this for a while longer. (The photo below that seems at first to be all black is actually a photo of the illumination of the watch is near darkness. It was the best I could do at work with poor light control and my point-and-shoot camera. In complete darkness, when your eyes are adjusted it really does look very bright, like this. Image from here.)

Non-Stop G-Shocks: GW-205K-2DR I.C.E.R.C. Frogman

Today's watch is the last Frogman I currently own, a GW-205K-2DR. It's another I.C.E.R.C. model and was released in June of 2005. Like most of my Frogmen it's titanium, Tough Solar and has Multi Site Memory. This one sets itself apart from the rest with its unique color scheme; a dark blue, slightly translucent bezel with a very light grey-blue band, both in a matte finish. It also has what looks like a sperm whale in the EL backlight and the I.C.E.R.C. logo on the polished titanium caseback. It's a very cool and unique Frogman and I'm happy to have it in my collection.

Non-Stop G-Shocks: GW-225E-7 Glorious Gold Frogman

Today I'm wearing the same watch I wore all weekend, my new GW-225E-7 Frogman. It's part of the "Glorious Gold" series, the latest 25th Anniversary release. While it has been released in the U.S.A. as well as abroad, I purchased mine directly from Japan and finally got a spiffy 25th Anniversary carbon fiber-look "trunk" instead of the usual red, white and black anniversary tin. While the trunk is kind of neat, and I'm happy to have one now, I wouldn't pay anything extra to get one as the novelty wears off rather quickly. Anyway, the watch is really nice. I think I like this one better than the Dawn Black Frogman. Actually, I'll qualify that: For daytime wear, especially in the summer, I prefer the lighter look of the Glorious Gold. It's also overall a little flashier as you can see the gold-tone titanium case through the translucent bezel. The Dawn Black Frogman would probably be more suitable for nighttime wear, or anytime you want something more subdued. Both are really simple and solid designs, but at the moment I prefer the Glorious Gold.

Non-Stop G-Shocks: G-Shock DW-9600WC-7T W.C.C.S.

Very busy day today, so I'll try to make this post brief. I didn't even have a chance to take photos at the office, so I took them outside at home this afternoon. The watch is another DW-9600WC-7T. Yes, I've had two of these for quite some time. I sold the first one, which I posted back in March. (Sjors thinks the first one is a DW-9600WC-8T and it's certainly a possibility, but I think the grey or smoke watches usually turn a greener color, not so yellow. I think the strap adapters just became dark due to natural aging. Also, the 8T seemed to have a slightly two-tone strap, which definitely wasn't the case on the one I had. Honestly I don't think we'll ever know which one of us is right.) Anyway, this one is obviously less yellowed than my previously posted one and seems like it lived a slightly easier life all around. I still really like this model with its titanium case and screwback, it's kind of like a "Mini-Frogman" and is perhaps easier to wear when a bigger Frogman might be "too much". There are a number of other colors that seem to be readily available in new condition from Yahoo! Japan auctions and other sources, so I wouldn't be surprised if I added a couple more to my collection. Of course, there are also W.C.C.S. 6900 and Frogmen models to consider, not to mention all the other G-Shocks and other watches out there.