This would be such a great collaboration! Adam, you have inspired me through my formative years to pursue a career in research. I will now be moving to Copenhagen to complete my PhD in understanding human structural variants and their functional role in human diseases.
A few of his videos popped up for me and his voice sounded so familiar and relaxing, it wasn't until the third or fourth video of his that I realized why it was so familiar. Two of my hobbies had crossed over in the strangest way and I realized I was listening to Marshall Sutcliffe, of Magic: the Gathering fame.
As someone new to both watch collecting (1 year) and woodworking (3 years) I'd really love to see Adam build a watch display/storage box. I've just finished making my own and it was really satisfying bringing the two hobbies together to make something I can't stop looking at and playing with.
Did I write this? I think I have 2 and 4 years but yeah, same story bro! ;p I swear the more I see the more I'm convinced that Adam and I are the same person, he's just a level 10 and I'm like a level 2 haha
The watch they inserted for the closeup is NOT the Seamaster you mentioned - you asked for the chronograph, and the editor inserted a No Time To Die Seamaster. And shout-out to Marshall!
Adam did a video a few years ago talking about modding Seiko watches, it's what got me into the hobby. I have modded probably 100 watches now. I have a lot of friends who wear custom Seikos that I built for them. Modding Seikos is fun. (Once you figure out the trick of installing second hands) One trick I learned for changing bracelets, have a small container off to the side to put all the small parts and pins you remove. Because if you lose a part, it's gone forever.
I recently modded an unbranded Tandorio (SKX homage with NH35A) that I purchased on AliEx for about US$ 55. The dial, a beautiful white Mother of Pearl. Black 120-click ceramic bezel with lumed pip. Circle applied indices with lume. Sapphire Crystal. Screw down unsigned crown. I added a "SEIKO" applied logo ($8) and NATO strap ($5). For only $68 all in...a terrific looking and reliable watch.
Adam. If you keep the 12 o'clock side of the bracelet a little longer than the 6 o'clock side, by removing more links from the 6 o'clock side, a lot of good things happen. The clasp will tend to center itself on the bottom of your wrist which will make the watch ride towards the inside of your wrist up on top. That will tend to protect the watch a little more from scratches when you do things like rest your arms on a desk or bench. It'll also make it easier to read the time because you'll have to rotate your wrist less to look at the watch dead-on. I find it makes a difference.
Wow I've genuinely never thought of this... When I get home I am absolutely moving one of the links to the other side because I do notice it tends to slouch outwards!
Hey Adam, if you ever want to try building some custom Seiko's, I'm happy to provide any help! I have lots of videos posted that show the process of general modding and making custom parts as well.
Your videos on the process are awesome BTW. You inspired me to mod the Samurai I had. (Love your Blood Moon mod) Which led to a dozen custom builds. Now I have way too many watches. LOL
Blood Moon mod is awesome. My two sons and I were just talking last night about it and considering how pricey it would be to have 3 made so we could all have the same style
As a fan of Adam and of Seiko, this was a delight to see in my feed - just so random and cool! I personally have a little Seiko mod watch as well. The movement is encased in a Explorer homage stainless body, with Automatic stamped on the dial (as well as my own logo, hehe), and a beautiful sapphire crystal - and it didn’t cost much but the quality is absolutely bonkers, I love it!
Love the Wristwatch Revival mention. It'd be interesting to have him repair yours and try to identify potential design defects that cause persistent failures.
I worked for a watch shop for a while and did a lot of bracelet adjustments. You can use a wooden or bamboo chopstick to push the pin into place, or put the bracelet back into the pin vise and tighten the pin back into position that way, if you want to avoid scratching the link edges.
Great video! Some watchmakers charge way too much for an easy job like that. Everyone can easily do that at home with a little push pin and pliers. Little tip: Almost every watch has a pin at the end of the band in the clasp which can be set in three position. Its purpose is to fine adjust the fitting of the band. You can make it wider and looser that way too without taking links out
There is normally an arrow embosed on the back of the bracelet to indicate which way to push out the pins. I suggest a sharpened chopstick to push in the end so you avoid scratching your bracelet. You new mod looks like a Railmaster.
And if there's no arrow, another good way is to simply look at both pin ends. If one side appears split (almost like a screw head), you need to push it from the OTHER side, TOWARDS the split end. EDIT: Yep, Adam ends up explaining it correctly.
There are a number of designs of pins for watch bracelets. Often, the ones most expected to be adjusted will use this type of bent pins, but some actually are screw posts or other designs. If you aren't sure, see if you can look up your watch to find out before scratching everything up.
I use to work at bimart, my first job out of highschool, so 2002. They use to fit watch bands, replace batteries all kinds of stuff of the sort. They had several old band pin presses, like you used in your video. Just that they were built when tools were made amazingly well. Adjustable bezel wrench's. Was fun learning how to use them and other cool tools.
That Seiko SKX009K2 is beautiful, as is the mod! I originally thought you were showing off an Omega but that is so cool to have a mod that is significantly less painful on the wallet!
Adam mentioned Seiko modding in a video with VSauce a few years back. It was the first time I had heard of it. Though I had never owned a watch before then, the hobby piqued my interest as an engineering student. I jumped into it myself. I became engrossed, learned the tools of the trade, worked in a watch repair shop through college, and now have an amazing job in the luxury watch industry. I’ll even be going to watchmaking school soon to become a fully-fledged watchmaker. Thank you, Adam - you really changed the trajectory of my life!
That's so cool! A Seiko powered vintage Omega Seamaster homage! I was considering that model Seamaster homage from Pagani Design. I love Omegas since I saw my dad's wedding set gold Omega Seamaster vintage watch as a kid. I got to wear it for a while and even fixed it for him with a new band. I think he still has it and I hope to inherit it. He's 93! And he's now a watch guy. My later mother bought us matching Seiko SQ100 two-tone 'Royal Oak' models back in 1978. I still have that one too. Don't know if it still runs after all these decades. I think he still has his too somewhere. As for your love of Seamasters, me too. Love them. I had a '90s era Valjoux powered chronograph in Ti-Rose Gold. What a beautiful beast. I was afraid to wear it because of the finish. Wow! I lost my entire Swiss watch collection when my ex-wife stolen my possessions and heir looms during a hostile divorce. PTSD followed. I hadn't wore a watch for a decade following the aftermath. I lost everything, including my good name and career because of her treachery. I was only after the passing of my mother recently that I rekindled my watch obsession. I had to adorn a watch for the trip home. And relied on it. It was my Seiko Black Monster on my wrist the day I last set foot in my own house prior to the 2-year long brutal divorce. I can never replace my lost collection that took decades to collect. Nor can I afford to unless I win the lottery! But I discovered affordable homages soon afterwards and in my decade absence, weren't aware of their existence. I now enjoy my 'Omegas' again in spirit on my wrist. With a heart of Seiko movements, they are RELIABLE!
I've had the opposite experience. My seiko srpd crapped out in 2 months and my Seamaster professional has been rock solid, less than a second a day accurate, and very durable.
going back a bit , when you did the pocket ref book thing , not easy to find in the uk , but i found one online , arrived today ..... where has this been all my life!!!!! wow. this will be with me at all times . and thank you for a, being an inspiration, b for mythbusters, and more importantly c, showing that making is fun , educational and inspirationaly inspiring and teaches problem solving , and opens the mind to new ways . THANK YOU ADAM
Adam, absolutely feel the same about Omega, love the seamaster but for an everyday wear I've been really happy with my Bulova. Had it for 6 years with zero issues.
I've been building custom Seiko and selling them for years. The NH35 is such a robust movement and so much fun to work with. Great to see you getting into this. Cheers
Seeing Adam love watches is simultaneously wonderful and interesting. I'm around a year into my watch collecting journey, and seeing one of my favorite and inspiring heroes love watches as much as I do makes me love it even more.
Carefull Adam. Restoration and repair of watches is addictive. I was a collector only for many years and started watching Mark Lovick and The Nekkid Watchmaker and started buying tools and began servicing and restoring old watches off eBay. It's very enjoyable.
I’ve done Highrise window cleaning for two decades with my titanium chronograph Seiko proudly strapped to my wrist and always have someone compliment the timepiece. Nice to hear you’re a gentleman of similar tastes, may your movements be kinetic my friend!
Welcome to the watch world and watch modding and repair. Come down the rabbit hole and you won't be happier. That's how I began and now I make my own watches. Can't wait to see more videos of you exploring watches. 😎👍🏻
@@TheDylls Thanks! Long story short. I began with modding watches with hands, dials, bands. Then began designing dials for some watches until I realized, I should just make my own. So I designed cases, dials, hands, etc. I'm hoping to have them out next year. As to learning watches, RUclips has been amazing and I would get junk movements off of ebay and try to restore them to running.
Another happy Seiko owner here (got my Seiko 5 after seeing Techmoan's Mat gush over his, and have enjoyed it almost every day since), though I did have to regularly adjust the mechanism for quite a time, which was an interesting learning experience. After a few months, I was able to get it to around ten seconds fast each day (which is fine for an amateur I think), I assume you're probably a lot more precise than that. Great video!
As a watchmaker its cool to see you share this passion.. I've always liked your Planet Ocean you have!! The pins are called cotter pins. Its really best to hammer them back in with a delrin (plastic) tipped mallet to not mar the side of the case and not deform the heads of the pins where they aren't as tightly secured in place as they should be. Pretty solid work! PS. If you ever need assistance with your any of your watches, the shop I work at is one of the most qualified shops in the country and we'd be happy to help. 😃
I'm a watch guy too, and love this mod! I agree about the face and hands combo, just love that look. I'm also a fan of Marshall, I wish I had his skills, so I appreciated the shout-out!
This is one of the things that I admire about you and find myself in agreement with you: whether it be tools or watches, in order for it to be good, it doesn't always have to be the most expensive item. Sometimes the middle ground - in term of expense - can offer just as much quality and reliability as those things in the upper echelon of cost.
Beautiful Seikomaster from another Seiko fiend. Appreciate getting to size it with you and see how you do it. Something we all do a bit differently. Good it isn’t pin and collar, those can be maddening. I do catch myself checking out your SKX and Tuna during videos. They did a great job on your mod with even the crystal that looks so omega. Right away when I saw it I thought you got a vintage sea master. The sea master is always in the conversation of most iconic watches ever. I love wristwatch revival, and Marshall.
I have a 1982 Seiko speed master I bought NEW when I was 19 years old. It was one of the first 7A28 movements, a quartz watch with analog chronograph face. I’m 60 years old now. So I’ve owned that watch for 41 years. I recently had it refurbished and still wear it daily. I have other seikos (5) but that watch will always be special to me.
Adams watchs tested. New show. Deep Dive into watch macanics. Every watch brand would pay big bucks to open their fine timepieces on the show. Watch enthusiasts would love to see that.🎉🎉❤.
You (and Jeremy Clarkson) inspired me to save up for a long time and levelup my watch collection to an Omega Seamaster Diver 300 in blue which I adore... Not because it's fancy, or the price tag, but because of the engineering and craftsmanship. The process of saving, and then finally being able to purchase it. People who buy fake Rolex's or watches are frauds. How can you look down at your wrist knowing that your attempting to trick everybody and take a shortcut. Careful though, automatic watches are addicting. If you know... you know.
The dial looks very much like the Omega Railmaster style, rather than one of the Seamasters, although there are plenty of varieties and I may have missed the one it’s based off. I’m glad to see I wasn’t the only one who was expecting to see a very different image and was thrown by the NTTD variant being shown. Also, great to hear Marshall get a shout out too - love his content too.
Yeah it does look very much long the Railmaster 60th anniversary trilogy model. I love that watch because it’s not just a regular Seamaster. Just a little different
I have a Steinhart that I use as a daily driver which has a vintage vibe. I've modded my Invicta pro diver a bit. You might like Islander watches as well.
I have a Steinhart, the 39mm OVM1 such a great piece. I figured if I’m gonna have an homage it might as well be to one the most badass, impossible to obtain references ever.
Adam, never be afraid to open the caseback, as long as you have steady hands and a decent technical background, you can do most watch services and repairs yourself, it's incredibly satisfying and something i think youd really enjoy.
Congrats on your purchase. It looks like a nice homage to the Seamaster 300 Master; have you ever considered running a “NATO” style strap instead of the metal band? As lovely as the metal is, I prefer the warmer, more secure feel of cloth, and you can change out the strap for different looks quite easily.
4:35 Perhaps a modified Knipex Pliers Wrench could serve all 3 steps to remove and replace the pins. It can pull the unseated pins out and press them back in as standard, and if you had a pusher pin welded to the inside of the top jaw and a matching hole in the bottom jaw it could push the pins out that first bit really nicely. Maybe a 150mm set would be a good size.
There are some fantastic ready to assemble kits out there like DIY watch club and others. everything you need in a nice presentation box. Just the thing adam would love.
Ahhh! As a lifelong fan of yours and fellow watch enthusiast, I always take note of what model you're wearing for any particular build or occasion. So cool to finally hear more about your experience and thoughts on your outstanding collection! And I couldn't agree more about Seiko; They are truly the Toyota Hilux of the watch world. If you ever need a custom elastic watch strap handmade right here in California, let me know!
Love your videos Adam but this one is a real treat, I'm partial to anything watch related. I just took delivery of a beautiful Doxa 300T today, nice and easy screw links 👌
I purchased a new watch for my dad for the holidays a couple of years ago and had to adjust the band for him. It was the first time I ever had to shorten the band of a watch like this and all I had was the little screwdriver set you get from Rite-Aid. I'm amazed I was able to figure this out the first time. I've had metal watches myself before, but I guess they were all the cheap kind that had a slide clasp, making it a LOT easier to size.
“Bullet proof” is accurate. My father found a Seiko auto-winding watch in a restaurant ash tray in the 60s. He wore it till the mid 80s when we bought him a new one. He was a heavy construction worker and wore it every day while welding and pipe fitting factories, oil refineries and nuclear power houses.
FINALLY!! I've been commenting about your watches forever, and you finally spoke about them. I noticed right away when you switched from your Speedmaster to your new SKX Pepsi.
I’d gone almost 12 years without a wristwatch when my significant other gave me a Seiko for my birthday (it was the Model 5 that kinda looked a lot like a Omega/Rolex diving watch) and I have had a Seiko on my wrist ever since. Three years later she did it again, but this time she gave me Seiko Coutura with beautiful blue dial. That watch is basically a mechanical marvel to me (automatic mechanism with a electric reservoir powered by a solar cell under the watch face and with a radio receiver for NIST that automatically sets time and date accurately - all in fairly compact and elegant case.) She offered to get me an apple watch recently (she carries one) and I was like ‘not on your life!‘ Seeing how people mod their Seikos is really rather inspiring to me. They are lovely (and reasonably affordable) watches, imo
Not surprised at all id see this come across your workbench. Its a perfect fit. youre a watch guy and youre technically skilled. It was bound to happen. Nice shoutout to wristwach revival! Hes a great source of info. You gotta do a mod for the channel. Youve got the ability and seems like the passion too. Ive been building and modding watches for years now and always thought youd get to it.
Adam, for future reference, the inside of a watch band will have arrows which show the correct way the pins should be pushed out. The way you do it is correct, the arrows just make identifying the correct end to push on easier.
I've loved watches forever, and within the last year have used Wristwatch Revival as the impetus to start getting watches off eBay to get them working again. Naturally the next step was building my own watches. I'm currently on my third and trying to resolve an issue with my NH35 keyless works, and have the final parts getting delivered today to build a watch for my girlfriend. I would love more horology related content with Adam.
As a watch collector myself, with a few Omegas myself (World Timer, AT Summer, Japan PO) and a bunch of Seikos (SARB011, SBCJ023, etc.), and as a fan of yours, it makes me happy to see you have similar taste! Love the Heritage-look mod. I would love to see more horology content!
3:41 i'd love a mini podcast with Norm, you and Marshall talking about all things watches. 4:47 next time you're in Europe, try and see if you manage to slide over a watchmaker's convention and go peruse. Hat, different glasses, incognito. You'll find the tools you want, and the prices aren't gonna make you cry. Seriously, worth booking time just for that alone. Switzerland, Belgium, France, Germany etc. There's always some convention, gathering.
My dad has got really into the Seiko modding scene. Its his birthday this week so Ive bought him some components to make his own as he got himself all the gear.
Instead of using the plyers you can use the same tool you used to push out the pins to push the pin pack into the bracelet. You don't want to push it in too far. Some kits also come with a plastic hammer for smacking the pins flush without scratching the side of the bracelet
Love you Adam savage. You were a part of my childhood with. The show you were involved with. The fact you like watches make me like you even more as an adult lol
The Kickstarter custom builds are so nice and they mainly rock a Seiko movement inside, with fancy engraved backs but if you're ever after a really pretty beater watch they're well worth a look
That Adam Savage is a watch fan… like I needed another reason to love this childhood hero of mine. But then he reveals that he loves playing with Seiko mods?! This made my day man.
I have a Seiko automatic 6118-8020t from the late 70s, my father in law made me it up from original movement and new/old unused frame. I broke the strap falling ice skating and breaking my wrist, but I love it. No battery and it holds time perfectly whenever I use it. I would love a glass back for it at some point but the counterweight is a little tarnished so better clean that up first.
I'm a huge watch nerd and occasionally Adam watcher, so the RUclips algo was excited to serve this to me. I already know how to size a band of course, but love your enthusiasm for Seiko.
Very addictive hobby watches, my bank account can a-test to that over the last 40 years 🤣 Seiko SKX is a legendary watch despite it's pitfalls, they have a huge following and the modding crowd love those time pieces. Like yourself, Marshall is a legend in the watch community, love his content just like your own. Cheers
This is so cool! Thank you Adam and Tested crew for sharing your opinions and helping us understand how to shorten the band on a watch! ❤ Love from Oklahoma! 😎👍
Love the watches. My brother gave me a custom made "Seiko homage" watch called Tsunami 1 of 100. double coin edge bezel, 6R15 movement, Seiko case, custom face, turtle case, oyster style bracelet. LOVE it.
Adam, I have several Seikos, and LOVE them, but my all-time favorite daily GADA (Go Anywhere, Do Anything) Watch is my Casio Oceanus OCW-S100, Titanium Case & Bracelet, Sapphire Crystal, Solar Powered, Atomic Accuracy, G-Shock internals, Tough as old boots.
Thank you! I bought a Seiko watch in 2008 and have yet to make the band shorter for proper fit… now I can.. just need to figure out which box I have it in after moving 3 times since it’s purchase. (I have been in the same house for 4 years and still have boxes packed from the first move in 2009)
I've had a Seiko Kinetic for probably close to 30 years. It's been my daily driver and it kind of shows, I'm on my 2nd band clasp and 3rd capacitor but it just keeps going. It sorely needs to go in the shop for a new crystal and get it's 12:00 indicator glued back into position. I'm weighing its sentimental value against what it will cost versus just buying a replacement. It's been one of the most faithful watches I've owned.
The Omega Seamaster and Speedmaster (Moon Watch) are both in my top 5 list.. Fantastic watches. But a 2 tone Submariner with a blue bezel and dial is my number 1 followed by a Daytona w/ white dial/black bezel in stainless. I have a Tag Aquaracer that is basically a Sub clone. And let's be honest, the modern Seamaster is also basically a Sub clone. Go take a look at the earlier Seamasters, it's a beautiful watch and I will certainly have one before to long, but it's a totally different watch than what it is today. If you look at the early Subs, they have more or less been the same since the beginning. That's one of the things I think is pretty cool about horology, everyone does what they want. If they like the design of another watchmaker, they just make it haha Companies LOVE copying Rollies... And I don't think Rolex cares 1 bit. haha
I recently found my old Seiko automatic and I've ordered a new nicer stainless steel bracelet for it and started wearing it again. I forgot how much I loved it and after a clean it's as nice as the day I bought it. They really are bulletproof fantastic genuine mechanical watches for almost no money.
I've definitely noticed Adam wearing a Seiko more now lately . As a watch guy that also collects watches you notice these things . He was an omega guy now it's a apple and occasional pilot watch and Seiko . Love to see it
The watch shown at 1:13 is not a “Seamaster chronograph with Orange numbers”. That’s the No Time to Die edition of the Seamaster Professional, and is neither a chronograph or orange. If the editor googled images of a Planet ocean chronograph in orange, that would probably yield what you’re looking for. Omega has MANY similar SKUs, so easy to see how someone not super familiar could struggle to identify the correct model being referenced!
This is the nice thing about watch modding, you can get yourself the watch you want that doesn’t exist as a regular retail product. Then there are folks who started out selling modified watches who went on to start their own brand with original designs.
I love that you were wearing a SKX 009. I have worn one as an automotive restoration tech and builder for over ten years now! I had to replace the movement (but I have a completely stock original as well) I just started building my own mods now too!
This looks like an Invicta based mod. It uses a Seiko movement NH35 if I'm not mistaken. I've done several Seiko mods prior to getting sucked into the smart watch world (for fitness tracking), I do miss my automatics though.
Adam, if you ever want to join us as a guest on the Watchfinder channel, we'd be thrilled to have you!
This would be such a great collaboration!
Adam, you have inspired me through my formative years to pursue a career in research. I will now be moving to Copenhagen to complete my PhD in understanding human structural variants and their functional role in human diseases.
Excellent
That would be amazing, I have wanted a video like that for years from Adam!
Yes!
YES PLEASE! and will love to hear the story of his omega planet ocean and the skx009
I love that you mentioned Wristwatch Revival. The Bob Ross of watch repair!
him and the naked watchmaker. hes a joy to listen to as well.
A few of his videos popped up for me and his voice sounded so familiar and relaxing, it wasn't until the third or fourth video of his that I realized why it was so familiar. Two of my hobbies had crossed over in the strangest way and I realized I was listening to Marshall Sutcliffe, of Magic: the Gathering fame.
SAME!@@SiftAndWinnow
Haha, yeah, that was an unexpected shout-out.
Suddenly I'm wondering about a WR + Handtool Rescue collab. I don't know what would happen but it would be neat.
As someone new to both watch collecting (1 year) and woodworking (3 years) I'd really love to see Adam build a watch display/storage box. I've just finished making my own and it was really satisfying bringing the two hobbies together to make something I can't stop looking at and playing with.
Did I write this? I think I have 2 and 4 years but yeah, same story bro! ;p I swear the more I see the more I'm convinced that Adam and I are the same person, he's just a level 10 and I'm like a level 2 haha
Better yet, for self-winders he can build one of those motorized cases that rock them to keep the strings wound.
I literally just built a watch box over summer, I need to get some paint for it and some foam inserts for it but it is useable already
How cool for you...
This!!
Huge respect for the Wristwatch revival shoutout! Both of you guys are my favourite channels to watch in my spare time
The watch they inserted for the closeup is NOT the Seamaster you mentioned - you asked for the chronograph, and the editor inserted a No Time To Die Seamaster.
And shout-out to Marshall!
Yeah I was gonna say this too! Haha
Yes, Marshall Sutcliffe is the best!
bro had one job
yea, that was Omega NTTD, not a chrono..
Yeah, I was about to say that's not a chronograph dial. But hey if Adam loves it then who cares
Adam did a video a few years ago talking about modding Seiko watches, it's what got me into the hobby. I have modded probably 100 watches now. I have a lot of friends who wear custom Seikos that I built for them. Modding Seikos is fun. (Once you figure out the trick of installing second hands) One trick I learned for changing bracelets, have a small container off to the side to put all the small parts and pins you remove. Because if you lose a part, it's gone forever.
that kind of content ticks all the boxes- no pun intended
I recently modded an unbranded Tandorio (SKX homage with NH35A) that I purchased on AliEx for about US$ 55. The dial, a beautiful white Mother of Pearl. Black 120-click ceramic bezel with lumed pip. Circle applied indices with lume. Sapphire Crystal. Screw down unsigned crown.
I added a "SEIKO" applied logo ($8) and NATO strap ($5). For only $68 all in...a terrific looking and reliable watch.
Definitely would 1,000,000% love to see more Horology based content! Anything on this channel is Gold!
I quite like watching whorelogy too. r/WCJer the 4th
Adam. If you keep the 12 o'clock side of the bracelet a little longer than the 6 o'clock side, by removing more links from the 6 o'clock side, a lot of good things happen. The clasp will tend to center itself on the bottom of your wrist which will make the watch ride towards the inside of your wrist up on top. That will tend to protect the watch a little more from scratches when you do things like rest your arms on a desk or bench. It'll also make it easier to read the time because you'll have to rotate your wrist less to look at the watch dead-on. I find it makes a difference.
This is what I do, but I always thought I was crazy for doing it, because nobody else seems to do it that way. 😂
@shaftwood This guy knows.
Huh, my best fitting watches are like this and I didn't even realize why. Thank you!!
Wow I've genuinely never thought of this... When I get home I am absolutely moving one of the links to the other side because I do notice it tends to slouch outwards!
clearly not concerned about scratches considering the huge ones he created with those pliers
Hey Adam, if you ever want to try building some custom Seiko's, I'm happy to provide any help! I have lots of videos posted that show the process of general modding and making custom parts as well.
Your videos on the process are awesome BTW. You inspired me to mod the Samurai I had. (Love your Blood Moon mod) Which led to a dozen custom builds. Now I have way too many watches. LOL
THE GOAT
Literally used your videos to work up the courage to mod my SKX. Thank you!
Blood Moon mod is awesome. My two sons and I were just talking last night about it and considering how pricey it would be to have 3 made so we could all have the same style
As a fan of Adam and of Seiko, this was a delight to see in my feed - just so random and cool!
I personally have a little Seiko mod watch as well. The movement is encased in a Explorer homage stainless body, with Automatic stamped on the dial (as well as my own logo, hehe), and a beautiful sapphire crystal - and it didn’t cost much but the quality is absolutely bonkers, I love it!
7s26 or 4r36 ?
Love the Wristwatch Revival mention. It'd be interesting to have him repair yours and try to identify potential design defects that cause persistent failures.
It’s nice to see the SeikoMod community get so much love from you Adam! Pretty much ever one of us are Adam Savage fans too! 😁👍
Love Marshal content, he makes everything looks so easy.
I worked for a watch shop for a while and did a lot of bracelet adjustments. You can use a wooden or bamboo chopstick to push the pin into place, or put the bracelet back into the pin vise and tighten the pin back into position that way, if you want to avoid scratching the link edges.
It's incredible seeing Adam into the same hobby of watch stuff, he's honestly a hero of mine so it's really cool
Great video! Some watchmakers charge way too much for an easy job like that. Everyone can easily do that at home with a little push pin and pliers.
Little tip: Almost every watch has a pin at the end of the band in the clasp which can be set in three position. Its purpose is to fine adjust the fitting of the band. You can make it wider and looser that way too without taking links out
There is normally an arrow embosed on the back of the bracelet to indicate which way to push out the pins. I suggest a sharpened chopstick to push in the end so you avoid scratching your bracelet.
You new mod looks like a Railmaster.
It's an unbranded copy of the Seamaster 300 "SPECTRE"
And if there's no arrow, another good way is to simply look at both pin ends. If one side appears split (almost like a screw head), you need to push it from the OTHER side, TOWARDS the split end. EDIT: Yep, Adam ends up explaining it correctly.
There are a number of designs of pins for watch bracelets. Often, the ones most expected to be adjusted will use this type of bent pins, but some actually are screw posts or other designs. If you aren't sure, see if you can look up your watch to find out before scratching everything up.
I use to work at bimart, my first job out of highschool, so 2002. They use to fit watch bands, replace batteries all kinds of stuff of the sort. They had several old band pin presses, like you used in your video. Just that they were built when tools were made amazingly well. Adjustable bezel wrench's. Was fun learning how to use them and other cool tools.
That Seiko SKX009K2 is beautiful, as is the mod! I originally thought you were showing off an Omega but that is so cool to have a mod that is significantly less painful on the wallet!
Adam mentioned Seiko modding in a video with VSauce a few years back. It was the first time I had heard of it. Though I had never owned a watch before then, the hobby piqued my interest as an engineering student. I jumped into it myself. I became engrossed, learned the tools of the trade, worked in a watch repair shop through college, and now have an amazing job in the luxury watch industry. I’ll even be going to watchmaking school soon to become a fully-fledged watchmaker.
Thank you, Adam - you really changed the trajectory of my life!
I own two mechanical seikos and I love the Mythbusters. So I love videos like this.
That's so cool! A Seiko powered vintage Omega Seamaster homage! I was considering that model Seamaster homage from Pagani Design. I love Omegas since I saw my dad's wedding set gold Omega Seamaster vintage watch as a kid. I got to wear it for a while and even fixed it for him with a new band. I think he still has it and I hope to inherit it. He's 93! And he's now a watch guy. My later mother bought us matching Seiko SQ100 two-tone 'Royal Oak' models back in 1978. I still have that one too. Don't know if it still runs after all these decades. I think he still has his too somewhere.
As for your love of Seamasters, me too. Love them. I had a '90s era Valjoux powered chronograph in Ti-Rose Gold. What a beautiful beast. I was afraid to wear it because of the finish. Wow! I lost my entire Swiss watch collection when my ex-wife stolen my possessions and heir looms during a hostile divorce. PTSD followed.
I hadn't wore a watch for a decade following the aftermath. I lost everything, including my good name and career because of her treachery.
I was only after the passing of my mother recently that I rekindled my watch obsession. I had to adorn a watch for the trip home. And relied on it. It was my Seiko Black Monster on my wrist the day I last set foot in my own house prior to the 2-year long brutal divorce.
I can never replace my lost collection that took decades to collect. Nor can I afford to unless I win the lottery! But I discovered affordable homages soon afterwards and in my decade absence, weren't aware of their existence. I now enjoy my 'Omegas' again in spirit on my wrist. With a heart of Seiko movements, they are RELIABLE!
I've had the opposite experience. My seiko srpd crapped out in 2 months and my Seamaster professional has been rock solid, less than a second a day accurate, and very durable.
going back a bit , when you did the pocket ref book thing , not easy to find in the uk , but i found one online , arrived today ..... where has this been all my life!!!!! wow. this will be with me at all times . and thank you for a, being an inspiration, b for mythbusters, and more importantly c, showing that making is fun , educational and inspirationaly inspiring and teaches problem solving , and opens the mind to new ways . THANK YOU ADAM
Adam, absolutely feel the same about Omega, love the seamaster but for an everyday wear I've been really happy with my Bulova. Had it for 6 years with zero issues.
Norm, you have the wrong model of Omega watch ...
1:13
Adam's watch is a "Planet Ocean 600M Co‑Axial Master Chronometer Chronograph"..
I've been building custom Seiko and selling them for years. The NH35 is such a robust movement and so much fun to work with. Great to see you getting into this. Cheers
@barryvercueil2346 do you have a website?
Seeing Adam love watches is simultaneously wonderful and interesting. I'm around a year into my watch collecting journey, and seeing one of my favorite and inspiring heroes love watches as much as I do makes me love it even more.
I love my automatic Seiko’s too. More watch videos please!
The Planet Ocean 2210.50.00 you usually wear is an awesome watch. I also love how you just get on with stuff in the shop and don't baby it!
Carefull Adam. Restoration and repair of watches is addictive. I was a collector only for many years and started watching Mark Lovick and The Nekkid Watchmaker and started buying tools and began servicing and restoring old watches off eBay. It's very enjoyable.
I’ve done Highrise window cleaning for two decades with my titanium chronograph Seiko proudly strapped to my wrist and always have someone compliment the timepiece.
Nice to hear you’re a gentleman of similar tastes, may your movements be kinetic my friend!
Welcome to the watch world and watch modding and repair. Come down the rabbit hole and you won't be happier. That's how I began and now I make my own watches. Can't wait to see more videos of you exploring watches. 😎👍🏻
I'm super curious, how does one even BEGIN to make their own watches?! Sounds freakin awesome!
@@TheDylls Thanks! Long story short. I began with modding watches with hands, dials, bands. Then began designing dials for some watches until I realized, I should just make my own. So I designed cases, dials, hands, etc. I'm hoping to have them out next year. As to learning watches, RUclips has been amazing and I would get junk movements off of ebay and try to restore them to running.
@@Blueeyes2584A Thank you! That was extremely succinct and useful. (And I suspect I may eventually come to "hate you" for getting me into this 😜❤️)
@@TheDylls As Adam wrote me in my autograph, "Stay obsessed!" 😎
Another happy Seiko owner here (got my Seiko 5 after seeing Techmoan's Mat gush over his, and have enjoyed it almost every day since), though I did have to regularly adjust the mechanism for quite a time, which was an interesting learning experience. After a few months, I was able to get it to around ten seconds fast each day (which is fine for an amateur I think), I assume you're probably a lot more precise than that. Great video!
My two favorite things to view here on RUclips are Tested and watch videos…and here, at long last, worlds collide. Thank you for this!
As a watchmaker its cool to see you share this passion.. I've always liked your Planet Ocean you have!!
The pins are called cotter pins. Its really best to hammer them back in with a delrin (plastic) tipped mallet to not mar the side of the case and not deform the heads of the pins where they aren't as tightly secured in place as they should be. Pretty solid work!
PS. If you ever need assistance with your any of your watches, the shop I work at is one of the most qualified shops in the country and we'd be happy to help. 😃
I'm a watch guy too, and love this mod! I agree about the face and hands combo, just love that look. I'm also a fan of Marshall, I wish I had his skills, so I appreciated the shout-out!
This is one of the things that I admire about you and find myself in agreement with you: whether it be tools or watches, in order for it to be good, it doesn't always have to be the most expensive item. Sometimes the middle ground - in term of expense - can offer just as much quality and reliability as those things in the upper echelon of cost.
Beautiful Seikomaster from another Seiko fiend.
Appreciate getting to size it with you and see how you do it.
Something we all do a bit differently.
Good it isn’t pin and collar, those can be maddening.
I do catch myself checking out your SKX and Tuna during videos.
They did a great job on your mod with even the crystal that looks so omega.
Right away when I saw it I thought you got a vintage sea master.
The sea master is always in the conversation of most iconic watches ever.
I love wristwatch revival, and Marshall.
I have a 1982 Seiko speed master I bought NEW when I was 19 years old. It was one of the first 7A28 movements, a quartz watch with analog chronograph face. I’m 60 years old now. So I’ve owned that watch for 41 years. I recently had it refurbished and still wear it daily. I have other seikos (5) but that watch will always be special to me.
Horology and Tested, two wonderful worlds colliding 🤩
Adams watchs tested. New show. Deep Dive into watch macanics. Every watch brand would pay big bucks to open their fine timepieces on the show. Watch enthusiasts would love to see that.🎉🎉❤.
You (and Jeremy Clarkson) inspired me to save up for a long time and levelup my watch collection to an Omega Seamaster Diver 300 in blue which I adore... Not because it's fancy, or the price tag, but because of the engineering and craftsmanship. The process of saving, and then finally being able to purchase it. People who buy fake Rolex's or watches are frauds. How can you look down at your wrist knowing that your attempting to trick everybody and take a shortcut. Careful though, automatic watches are addicting. If you know... you know.
The dial looks very much like the Omega Railmaster style, rather than one of the Seamasters, although there are plenty of varieties and I may have missed the one it’s based off.
I’m glad to see I wasn’t the only one who was expecting to see a very different image and was thrown by the NTTD variant being shown.
Also, great to hear Marshall get a shout out too - love his content too.
Yeah it does look very much long the Railmaster 60th anniversary trilogy model. I love that watch because it’s not just a regular Seamaster. Just a little different
I have a Steinhart that I use as a daily driver which has a vintage vibe. I've modded my Invicta pro diver a bit. You might like Islander watches as well.
I love my Steinhart Ocean 1! Got it a couple of years ago, such a beautiful watch; an amazing homage to the Submariner!
I have a Steinhart, the 39mm OVM1 such a great piece. I figured if I’m gonna have an homage it might as well be to one the most badass, impossible to obtain references ever.
Seconded on the Islander, I have a few and they're great.
Adam, never be afraid to open the caseback, as long as you have steady hands and a decent technical background, you can do most watch services and repairs yourself, it's incredibly satisfying and something i think youd really enjoy.
Congrats on your purchase. It looks like a nice homage to the Seamaster 300 Master; have you ever considered running a “NATO” style strap instead of the metal band? As lovely as the metal is, I prefer the warmer, more secure feel of cloth, and you can change out the strap for different looks quite easily.
4:35 Perhaps a modified Knipex Pliers Wrench could serve all 3 steps to remove and replace the pins. It can pull the unseated pins out and press them back in as standard, and if you had a pusher pin welded to the inside of the top jaw and a matching hole in the bottom jaw it could push the pins out that first bit really nicely. Maybe a 150mm set would be a good size.
You should buy the pieces to assembly your own watch. It's nice to see some horology videos here. Nice mod by the way.
There are some fantastic ready to assemble kits out there like DIY watch club and others. everything you need in a nice presentation box. Just the thing adam would love.
1:06 the watch in the close up does not have 3 dials.
YESSS!!! My wish has been granted! love an Adam watch video!!
Seiko mods!!! YES!!!
Ahhh! As a lifelong fan of yours and fellow watch enthusiast, I always take note of what model you're wearing for any particular build or occasion. So cool to finally hear more about your experience and thoughts on your outstanding collection! And I couldn't agree more about Seiko; They are truly the Toyota Hilux of the watch world. If you ever need a custom elastic watch strap handmade right here in California, let me know!
Nice, Marshall shout-out 😂
I bet if you send Marshall your Omegas he can service them for you if they are running unwell.
As someone who is also quite into watches, it's always really fun to see someone else enjoying them in their own way. The watch looks great!
Love your videos Adam but this one is a real treat, I'm partial to anything watch related. I just took delivery of a beautiful Doxa 300T today, nice and easy screw links 👌
I have the same model with the orange face. I absolutely love it.
@@RobertSpitzer it's an awesome piece, I picked up the black dial "sharkhunter"
@@Huwberts_Emporium That it is. I came very close to buying the black version. In the end I have too many black faced divers already.
I purchased a new watch for my dad for the holidays a couple of years ago and had to adjust the band for him. It was the first time I ever had to shorten the band of a watch like this and all I had was the little screwdriver set you get from Rite-Aid. I'm amazed I was able to figure this out the first time. I've had metal watches myself before, but I guess they were all the cheap kind that had a slide clasp, making it a LOT easier to size.
“Bullet proof” is accurate. My father found a Seiko auto-winding watch in a restaurant ash tray in the 60s. He wore it till the mid 80s when we bought him a new one. He was a heavy construction worker and wore it every day while welding and pipe fitting factories, oil refineries and nuclear power houses.
Wrong Seamaster pictured. Fire your editors IMMEDIATELY! 😎
Yeah what a balls up... totally wrong haha
FINALLY!! I've been commenting about your watches forever, and you finally spoke about them. I noticed right away when you switched from your Speedmaster to your new SKX Pepsi.
Seiko 5's are the G.O.A.T.
9:51, wasnt that bad? You scratched the shit out of it hahahah
I’d gone almost 12 years without a wristwatch when my significant other gave me a Seiko for my birthday (it was the Model 5 that kinda looked a lot like a Omega/Rolex diving watch) and I have had a Seiko on my wrist ever since. Three years later she did it again, but this time she gave me Seiko Coutura with beautiful blue dial. That watch is basically a mechanical marvel to me (automatic mechanism with a electric reservoir powered by a solar cell under the watch face and with a radio receiver for NIST that automatically sets time and date accurately - all in fairly compact and elegant case.) She offered to get me an apple watch recently (she carries one) and I was like ‘not on your life!‘
Seeing how people mod their Seikos is really rather inspiring to me. They are lovely (and reasonably affordable) watches, imo
Not surprised at all id see this come across your workbench. Its a perfect fit. youre a watch guy and youre technically skilled. It was bound to happen. Nice shoutout to wristwach revival! Hes a great source of info. You gotta do a mod for the channel. Youve got the ability and seems like the passion too. Ive been building and modding watches for years now and always thought youd get to it.
Seconded, I found myself going down the watch rabbit-hole after a few of his vids.
I've got a Seiko bullhead in many pieces infront of me right now :)
Love those seventies seikos! got a replica rally diver build on my bench@@njones420
Adam, for future reference, the inside of a watch band will have arrows which show the correct way the pins should be pushed out. The way you do it is correct, the arrows just make identifying the correct end to push on easier.
I've loved watches forever, and within the last year have used Wristwatch Revival as the impetus to start getting watches off eBay to get them working again.
Naturally the next step was building my own watches. I'm currently on my third and trying to resolve an issue with my NH35 keyless works, and have the final parts getting delivered today to build a watch for my girlfriend.
I would love more horology related content with Adam.
As a watch collector myself, with a few Omegas myself (World Timer, AT Summer, Japan PO) and a bunch of Seikos (SARB011, SBCJ023, etc.), and as a fan of yours, it makes me happy to see you have similar taste! Love the Heritage-look mod. I would love to see more horology content!
3:41 i'd love a mini podcast with Norm, you and Marshall talking about all things watches.
4:47 next time you're in Europe, try and see if you manage to slide over a watchmaker's convention and go peruse. Hat, different glasses, incognito. You'll find the tools you want, and the prices aren't gonna make you cry. Seriously, worth booking time just for that alone. Switzerland, Belgium, France, Germany etc. There's always some convention, gathering.
My dad has got really into the Seiko modding scene. Its his birthday this week so Ive bought him some components to make his own as he got himself all the gear.
Instead of using the plyers you can use the same tool you used to push out the pins to push the pin pack into the bracelet. You don't want to push it in too far. Some kits also come with a plastic hammer for smacking the pins flush without scratching the side of the bracelet
As someone who has just recently found the joys of Seiko watches and the modding community, I'm super happy to see this video. :)
It is so cool you mentioned wristwatch revival. I love that channel. I can watch Marshall for hours repair watches.
Love you Adam savage. You were a part of my childhood with. The show you were involved with. The fact you like watches make me like you even more as an adult lol
The Kickstarter custom builds are so nice and they mainly rock a Seiko movement inside, with fancy engraved backs but if you're ever after a really pretty beater watch they're well worth a look
That Adam Savage is a watch fan… like I needed another reason to love this childhood hero of mine. But then he reveals that he loves playing with Seiko mods?! This made my day man.
I have a Seiko automatic 6118-8020t from the late 70s, my father in law made me it up from original movement and new/old unused frame. I broke the strap falling ice skating and breaking my wrist, but I love it. No battery and it holds time perfectly whenever I use it. I would love a glass back for it at some point but the counterweight is a little tarnished so better clean that up first.
Great video Adam! Love seeing Tested and horology meet. 👍
The Marshall mention was awesome. One of my favorite time keeper channels. 🤘🏽
I'm a huge watch nerd and occasionally Adam watcher, so the RUclips algo was excited to serve this to me. I already know how to size a band of course, but love your enthusiasm for Seiko.
Nice call out to Wristwatch Revival and Marshall! I love watching his show. It's very....relaxing to listen to in the evening.
Very addictive hobby watches, my bank account can a-test to that over the last 40 years 🤣 Seiko SKX is a legendary watch despite it's pitfalls, they have a huge following and the modding crowd love those time pieces. Like yourself, Marshall is a legend in the watch community, love his content just like your own. Cheers
I'm all about more watch content! Keep those videos coming.
This is so cool! Thank you Adam and Tested crew for sharing your opinions and helping us understand how to shorten the band on a watch! ❤ Love from Oklahoma! 😎👍
Love the watches. My brother gave me a custom made "Seiko homage" watch called Tsunami 1 of 100. double coin edge bezel, 6R15 movement, Seiko case, custom face, turtle case, oyster style bracelet. LOVE it.
Adam, I have several Seikos, and LOVE them, but my all-time favorite daily GADA (Go Anywhere, Do Anything) Watch is my Casio Oceanus OCW-S100, Titanium Case & Bracelet, Sapphire Crystal, Solar Powered, Atomic Accuracy, G-Shock internals, Tough as old boots.
Thank you! I bought a Seiko watch in 2008 and have yet to make the band shorter for proper fit… now I can.. just need to figure out which box I have it in after moving 3 times since it’s purchase. (I have been in the same house for 4 years and still have boxes packed from the first move in 2009)
I've had a Seiko Kinetic for probably close to 30 years. It's been my daily driver and it kind of shows, I'm on my 2nd band clasp and 3rd capacitor but it just keeps going. It sorely needs to go in the shop for a new crystal and get it's 12:00 indicator glued back into position. I'm weighing its sentimental value against what it will cost versus just buying a replacement. It's been one of the most faithful watches I've owned.
The Omega Seamaster and Speedmaster (Moon Watch) are both in my top 5 list.. Fantastic watches. But a 2 tone Submariner with a blue bezel and dial is my number 1 followed by a Daytona w/ white dial/black bezel in stainless. I have a Tag Aquaracer that is basically a Sub clone. And let's be honest, the modern Seamaster is also basically a Sub clone. Go take a look at the earlier Seamasters, it's a beautiful watch and I will certainly have one before to long, but it's a totally different watch than what it is today. If you look at the early Subs, they have more or less been the same since the beginning. That's one of the things I think is pretty cool about horology, everyone does what they want. If they like the design of another watchmaker, they just make it haha Companies LOVE copying Rollies... And I don't think Rolex cares 1 bit. haha
5:30 Did Adam just take off his glasses to see better? Lmao
I love it when my worlds cross each other. I love Marshall's channel, I just let it play in the background while I"m working.
I recently found my old Seiko automatic and I've ordered a new nicer stainless steel bracelet for it and started wearing it again. I forgot how much I loved it and after a clean it's as nice as the day I bought it. They really are bulletproof fantastic genuine mechanical watches for almost no money.
I've definitely noticed Adam wearing a Seiko more now lately . As a watch guy that also collects watches you notice these things . He was an omega guy now it's a apple and occasional pilot watch and Seiko . Love to see it
besides polaroid history a timpiece is also exterior automotive design language
The watch shown at 1:13 is not a “Seamaster chronograph with Orange numbers”. That’s the No Time to Die edition of the Seamaster Professional, and is neither a chronograph or orange. If the editor googled images of a Planet ocean chronograph in orange, that would probably yield what you’re looking for.
Omega has MANY similar SKUs, so easy to see how someone not super familiar could struggle to identify the correct model being referenced!
That's awesome. Been watching your shows for years and did notice you wearing a real watch. Great video.
This is the nice thing about watch modding, you can get yourself the watch you want that doesn’t exist as a regular retail product. Then there are folks who started out selling modified watches who went on to start their own brand with original designs.
1:12 Wrong Seamaster model picture presented. He even physically gestures and says "3 dials".
I love that you were wearing a SKX 009. I have worn one as an automotive restoration tech and builder for over ten years now! I had to replace the movement (but I have a completely stock original as well) I just started building my own mods now too!
This looks like an Invicta based mod. It uses a Seiko movement NH35 if I'm not mistaken. I've done several Seiko mods prior to getting sucked into the smart watch world (for fitness tracking), I do miss my automatics though.
That deep scratch you did on the bracelet with the players caused me so much pain. I love your content :)
YES! I love watching Marshall on Wristwatch Revival!!! So cool for you to shout him out!!