Comments on: Alba Riki Watanabe Collection — A Step Above

by: GMT+9 » Blog Archive » SNAA41 Seiko Chronograph Paul-Newman-Daytona-Like Watch

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:53:31 +0000

[…] SNAA41 Seiko Chronograph arrived on Saturday, and I’m glad it did. I wrote about the black-dialed version, SNAA45 Seiko Chronograph, a few weeks back. Like Lee® with his Alba Riki Watanabe Automatic, after the black-dialed one arrived, of course I had to have the white-dialed one too. […]

by: T. Wong

Sun, 28 Oct 2007 11:23:31 +0000

Hi Pete,
The wife just purchased the copper dialed version! I found it through Japan auctions and couldn’t pass it up…not many around! Thanks to Mr. Anderson’s review on the military Riki, it led me further to your blogg on these dress Rikis. Yes, you can call me your Seiko groupie haha! As you know, your past posts on the SUSs and Fieldmaster series led me to acquiring examples of both models…Geez wizz…what next??? haha! I think I should start a petew watch fund!

by: Chee

Thu, 31 May 2007 09:18:40 +0000

very nicely written article. I came across this watch in of the stores in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. I like it instantly. I tried it on and it did’t fit me very well in terms of it’s look on my wrist. In my opinion, the watch is more for women than for men tho’ i know it is a men’s watch. Also, with 7S movement in it, i think it is a bit pricey. I understand that one of the features of Watanabe-san’s designs is “praticability” (correct me if I’m wrong). However, with a +-1 minute in accuracy, I wonder the watch meets his standard. This makes me wonder if it was his idea at all to have a mechanical line in his collection.

by: GMT+9 » Blog Archive » Alessi Record AL6003 by Seiko—Apassionado

Sun, 27 May 2007 16:56:29 +0000

[…] This piece shares much in common with watches designed by Japanese master Riki Watanabe (see here and here for GMT+9 articles on Riki Watanabe designs). Both Castiglioni and Watanabe created affordable, yet high quality, machine made watches with lots of design. Both designers preferred inexpensive quartz movements over mechanical ones because they were cheaper to produce and therefore the watches were affordable. This was an important consideration to many industrial designers in the periods just before and after World War II. […]

by: bryanandersen

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 00:43:46 +0000

Hi kubson,

Thank you for visiting gmtplusnine.com! We also like your blog very much. It’s funny you exchanged your Riki for a Spirit. I exchanged my Spirit for a Riki! I guess we were keeping everything in the world in balance.

Regards,

Bryan

by: kubson

Fri, 13 Apr 2007 06:15:41 +0000

“psychoanalyst” has landed! hello to you all dear japan-watch enthusiasts you have a very nice blog here, Riki was one of the watches I liked most - unfortunately was as I have exchanged it for a Seiko Spirit and more than one dress watch is just too much (for my wife of course) although the riki’s are officially certified as “wives approved” - low cost, great design…

by: bryanandersen

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 21:33:34 +0000

Yup, that caught my eye right away. Another kindred spirit who knows the difference between Bauhaus and the bow-wow house, who appreciates pens, and fine whiskey (see his most recent post on his blog). Looking at your article here again today, it really hit me how outstanding your pictures are. Again, nice work on this one, Lee.

by: Lee®

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 21:11:35 +0000

Thanks for the link, Bryan. Wish I could read Czech though! That fountain pen he’s using caught my eye too. Note the use of clear plastic on it - pen companies tend to call a pen like this a “demonstrator” model because the transparency allows you to see its innards.

by: bryanandersen

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 20:00:25 +0000

Lee, check out this link I found. It's to the blog of a Czech psychoanalyst. He does several other blog posts on his Alba AAAA101 Riki Watanabe Automatic. Click the picture below to go to sivek.com's blog. Image comes from that Czech-language website.

by: Lee®

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 15:51:31 +0000

Glad you enjoyed the writeup, Evan. And when you contact that watch-pusher, be sure not to mention my name—he’ll charge you extra!

by: Evan

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 06:09:58 +0000

Thanks for the great writeup guys! It always feels great to find a gem at such an affordable price. Like Lee, I have been eyeing the Nomos Tangente for a long time; however these inexpensive Rikis may very well satisfy my yearning for a Bauhaus inspired watch. What’s really interesting is that the dark coloured dial seems to radiate a dark copper colour just like the Grand Seiko SBGR023 when lit with a brigh light source from certain angles. I’m wondering why I haven’t purchased one of these yet, in fact, I’m gonna send an order to one of our favourite watch pushers right now.

by: petew

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 01:26:00 +0000

Perhaps we should do another review like we were an old married couple! That could be kind of funny. Bryan, good eye in discovering that train clock. You can certainly see the resemblance.

by: lee®

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 01:00:46 +0000

Thanks, Larry, but Bryan deserves the credit for that. It was his idea! I’m just glad we didn’t come off sounding like an old married couple!

by: Larry Biggs

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 23:07:02 +0000

Great article guys! I really like the back and forth style between you two, makes for a great read!

by: bryanandersen

Mon, 26 Mar 2007 04:35:48 +0000

Nice work, Lee and Pete.

Lee, your pictures are outstanding. They really make me want to buy a white-dial version, which reminds me of Riki Watanabe’s 1972 masterpiece “pole clocks” located in front of Hibiya station in Tokyo!

Both, the clocks and the watches, are so round and thick, and simple, easy to read, with short wide hour hand and long thin minute hand, and even though the hour indices are squarer on the clocks, they remind me of the ones on the watch. It’s easy to see both were designed by the 95-year-old master, Watanabe Sensei, himself. Picture above courtesy lovethelife.org.