As we get deeper into the MOD watch thing, NWC magazine thought we would put some money on the table and buy something cheap and cheerful, just as a starting point. I mean, you could always change the dial, bezel and hands at a later date just to increase your own Modding skills level right?

So we found Martyn Stimpson online, a London based guy making/selling some eye-catching watches that we could called Seiko homage. Martyn also deals in vintage watches and you can’t argue with a running Smiths or Favre Lueba at under £80 really.

The dive style, brand new models Stimpson London sells are 40-42mm wide watches, with DG auto Chinese movement inside, mineral crystal, steel case, sterile dial (no brand name) screwdown crown and a solid caseback. I chose a blue and white one and paid just over £51 inc postage.

If you want to upgrade, Stimpson sell Seiko NH35 powered watches that look prettymuch identical to the one I bought. They cost around £99 by the way.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

Glad you asked, there is no box. Well, you have to get down to an ebay price of £47 plus postage somehow and that doesn’t seem unreasonable to me. The watch was very well bubble wrapped and boxed, with the foldover clasp covered in blue sealing tape, plus bracelet polythene wrap either side of the clasp too.

This one has a 40mm case, exc crown, with a unidirectional clicking bezel.  You grab the serrated edges and wind it to the left, or anti-clockwise. Bit stiff, but as I won’t be diving in a watch with a 30m depth rating, it doesn’t matter. It’s the look and feel that counts for me at this price.

Inside you can hear the movement spinning its rotor like an old fashioned 45rpm record when you shake the watch. I gave it about ten mins of shaking and it ran overnight fine.

UPMARKET TOUCHES

The crown unscrews nicely and once you line it up dead straight, it screws down perfectly too. The case edges are well chamfered and rounded, no sharp edges sticking in your wrist. I like the blue inlay in the crown too, like Cartier touch there, although under a loupe it does look like a blue sticker.

There is a Rolex syle serrated caseback, and although In have a set of tools somewhere in the spare room to jam it in the vice and open it, I haven’t bothered. I can’t see the movement being exciting to look at frankly, what matters is that it works. So far it’s been keeping time spot on for a day, but I will update you in a few months and see what the accuracy is like.

I had to remove 4 links to fit my wrist, so I was pleased to see screwdown pins fitted. This is usual on expensive watches, or the capped variety, but far better than push-pins, as they tend to bend slightly when tapped back into brand new bracelet links in my experience. Definite plus point for this level of watch.

ON THE WRIST

The watch isn’t too wide or too heavy for me. It’s not too high like a real dive watch with 300m resistance might be at say 15mm plus, this one measures at  13mm dead on my Vernier gauge, inc the caseback and crystal cyclops detail.

The cyclops gives you a decent view of the date and it is set dang straight on the glass too. The clasp snaps shut and prises open with a nice blend of ressistance. All round, this is a superb watch for Sekonda money and feels good to wear. It won’t impress any fellow collectors, or fashionistas who worship particular Indie brands, or Swiss dive models. Fact is, it isn’t a real dive watch, just a homage.

But the MOD movement is all about getting your own look, a unique take, on the Seiko SKX dive style, isn’t it?