Seiko Club Singapore Museum

Your thoughts on Modding?

fishcake
Your thoughts on Modding?
my latest craze bout seiko watches led me to this forum and i've been reading/surfing a lot lately.

some vintage like 6309, 6306 and the flagships sumos, tunas, samurai and mm300 caught my attention.

but the thing is.. i crave exclusiveness! and feel that some of the watches could have looked or felt better with some other components changed.. (well, besides straps and bracelet).



for example, i would have prefered a domed saphhire to replace the hardlex on my sumo. especially those with a bit of tint.

but then again, i'm afraid of de-valuing the watch or even have them damaged.



hence, i'd like some opinions from ya veterans! :mrgreen:
Badern
Re: Your thoughts on Modding?
Hi there. Welcome to the Seiko WIS world!

We are actually fortunate to have the availability of a variety of aftermarket parts that can fit Seikos.



So if you want too, you can create a unique version of a run of the mill Seiko eg sumo , SKX diver, monster.



My advise to you is to go ahead with the mod if you have the patience, funds and access to a good watchmaker or modder.

You need patience because sourcing for parts may take time. Even if the part is in stock, it will still take a week or two to reach Sg from overseas. If you send the watch overseas for modding that will take even more time - up to months!



Funds wise, its more about how much are you willing to put into this unique watch of yours. The cost of parts, shipping, services by the watchmaker will all add up. The final modded watch may be 50% to 100% more than the original price of the watch. To make matters worse, these additional mods do not add corresponding value to your watch. Most times a modded watch has a market value lower than the total amount of money invested in it.



Watchmaker wise - you will need a skilled, reliable guy to do the mods for you and if need be reverse the mods. Some mod work eg blasting and coating are hard to find locally and may need to be done by professional watch modders.



I also advise that you keep the original parts safely. Just in case you get tired of the mod or you need to sell the watch if original parts.



In conclusion , you can still get your unique watch but plan things through. Also do your research and see if anybody else have done such a mod before. So you can see whether the mod works or not. If possible start small eg cheaper watches so if anything goes wrong you won't lose too much.



Hope this helps

Badern
fishcake
Re: Your thoughts on Modding?
hey, thanks for the insights!

i'm just wondering, is it possible to change the hardlex glass to sapphire without affectin the watch's ability to resist water pressure?

cost wise, would it be feasible to have the watch pressure tested after modding?

is there a community/forum dedicated to mod watches?
milodinosaur
Re: Your thoughts on Modding?
Hi fishcake, just sharing abit of what i know on modding. The popular modders/parts suppliers are http://www.yobokies.com"http://www.10watches.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.10watches.com" false; (Jake Bordeaux). I've ordered stuff from Harold before, he not only sells parts for modding but also provides other services like beadblasting and DLC coating. If you want more exotic coatings like cerakote, you can try motorcitywatchworks.



You mentioned that you wanted sapphire glass for your sumo, i believe harold has one available although i'm not sure if he does any pressure testing.



Personally, i would just get the crystal from yobokies and then bring it to Ah Goh at K2 to install the sapphire. As long as the gaskets and seals are not damaged, the water resistance should be the same.



Cheers!
elyjacob
Re: Your thoughts on Modding?
I am no veteran.. IMHO, you should just go ahead with the mod.. but like what is mentioned, you might want to consider if the mod will affect the 'structure' of the watch like water-proof. Also consider the amount of money and patience you have.. and the contact to a good watchmaker..



I wish I can DIY my watch mods.. that will definitely be kick-ass!
fishcake
Re: Your thoughts on Modding?
hah. thanks milodinosaur. I actually tried to contact harold shortly after last night's post for a ar coated sapphire crystal. but yet to receive his reply. seems like he's really got his hands tied up. I sent an order for the albacore too, but haven't heard from him since Monday.



yea, I am worried and dunno if changing sapphire crystal might affect the pressure ratings. but am sure it gives the sumo more character. hence the question of whether having the watch pressure tested is feasible.



anyone tried pvd or sand blasting locally?
Mstallone723
Re: Your thoughts on Modding?
There was a thread on BB recently on the forum but think the finish is rough.. There are lots of finishes out there



I Don't think anyone does PVD..in sing



I have been modding seikos for at least 4 years.. It's fun n satisfying! I support your drive!



Changing the crystal will affect the water proof rating for sure. U need a pro to reseal it back n water n pressure test.

I do not let my mods get too wet;)
Quasimodo
Re: Your thoughts on Modding?
Had acquired an old orange Sumo head with some signs of wear--ding on the bezel insert and some minor scratches on the crystal. But it quickly became my favourite everyday wear because it was soooo comfortable. SO it made a great platform for experimenting! Recently purchased a bunch of parts from Harold, with grand plans in my head:



a) domed sapphire crystal (I really wanted an exaggerated bulge)

b) bezel insert with more modest typeface (the Sumo insert typeface is chunky and rather out of character for Seikos)

c) clear caseback (I mean what's the point of having an automatic if you can't see the innards?)



I had intended to make the mods on my own but after a short cht with roo7, I though better of it and sent it off to Mr Goh at K2 who charged me a VERY reasonable rate for the work. And I must say that at a glance, the watch looks brand new! Well, the inset and crystal are pristine and that is the most visible part of the change.



I take time to fondle the watch when I wear it, just to admire the organic design of the steel and how it flows into the lugs... now I get to flip it over to admire the movement thru the clear caseback too... Overall, very pleased with the results... with a couple of minor grouses:



a) The curvature on the sapphire crystal is a little more pronounced than the Seiko one, but still looks flattish to me. Am going to keep looking for a more pronounced curved crystal.



b) The glass on the clear caseback doesn't sit flushed against the metal frame that holds it; it protrudes by a small fraction of a millimetre. Enough to feel it and catch your fingernail when you slide your finger against it. It does bother me and would have preferred a flushed finish. I don't know what it would feel like against the back of the wrist if the head was worn with a bracelet or a regular leather strap as I use a NATO strap. But I imagine it may not be too noticeable.



I'm still on the lookout!
Badern
Re: Your thoughts on Modding?

"Quasimodo"

Had acquired an old orange Sumo head with some signs of wear--ding on the bezel insert and some minor scratches on the crystal. But it quickly became my favourite everyday wear because it was soooo comfortable. SO it made a great platform for experimenting! Recently purchased a bunch of parts from Harold, with grand plans in my head:



a) domed sapphire crystal (I really wanted an exaggerated bulge)

b) bezel insert with more modest typeface (the Sumo insert typeface is chunky and rather out of character for Seikos)

c) clear caseback (I mean what's the point of having an automatic if you can't see the innards?)



I had intended to make the mods on my own but after a short cht with roo7, I though better of it and sent it off to Mr Goh at K2 who charged me a VERY reasonable rate for the work. And I must say that at a glance, the watch looks brand new! Well, the inset and crystal are pristine and that is the most visible part of the change.



I take time to fondle the watch when I wear it, just to admire the organic design of the steel and how it flows into the lugs... now I get to flip it over to admire the movement thru the clear caseback too... Overall, very pleased with the results... with a couple of minor grouses:



a) The curvature on the sapphire crystal is a little more pronounced than the Seiko one, but still looks flattish to me. Am going to keep looking for a more pronounced curved crystal.



b) The glass on the clear caseback doesn't sit flushed against the metal frame that holds it; it protrudes by a small fraction of a millimetre. Enough to feel it and catch your fingernail when you slide your finger against it. It does bother me and would have preferred a flushed finish. I don't know what it would feel like against the back of the wrist if the head was worn with a bracelet or a regular leather strap as I use a NATO strap. But I imagine it may not be too noticeable.



I'm still on the lookout!


Were you wearing the Sumo when we met up on Saturday?



Sounds like a cool mod ! Pics bro!

About the crystal , I know Swedefreak on SCWF sells ultra domed crystal (also known as Bubble boy) for 6309 divers. Maybe you can ask him if he can order something for sumo?



Example here - http://forums.watchuseek.com/f29/fs-seiko-6309-7040-mod-bubbleboy-765385.html" false;
Quasimodo
Re: Your thoughts on Modding?

"Badern"


Were you wearing the Sumo when we met up on Saturday?



Sounds like a cool mod ! Pics bro!

About the crystal , I know Swedefreak on SCWF sells ultra domed crystal (also known as Bubble boy) for 6309 divers. Maybe you can ask him if he can order something for sumo?



Example here - http://forums.watchuseek.com/f29/fs-seiko-6309-7040-mod-bubbleboy-765385.html"http://forums.seikoclubsg.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1634" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://forums.seikoclubsg.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1634" false;



On Sat, was it an orange dial on an orange NATO? Then yeah, it was the Sumo. :) Am eager to do more!!
roo7
Re: Your thoughts on Modding?

"Quasimodo"

[quote="Badern"]
Were you wearing the Sumo when we met up on Saturday?



Sounds like a cool mod ! Pics bro!

About the crystal , I know Swedefreak on SCWF sells ultra domed crystal (also known as Bubble boy) for 6309 divers. Maybe you can ask him if he can order something for sumo?



Example here - http://forums.watchuseek.com/f29/fs-seiko-6309-7040-mod-bubbleboy-765385.html"http://forums.seikoclubsg.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1634" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://forums.seikoclubsg.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=1634" false;



On Sat, was it an orange dial on an orange NATO? Then yeah, it was the Sumo. :) Am eager to do more!![/quote]

Super dome is really nice. I must show you that Sandoz one day... ;)