Nice To See This Forum Still Going, And a Slightly Modded Bond Seamaster

[Teeritz]

Haven't visited here in quite a few years and it's good to see this forum still going strong a decade since it started. Well done to the mods for setting it up, and the members who've kept it going!

Anyway, I've been wearing this one a little more since I made a change to it.



I got this watch in November 1999. As a Bond fan who couldn't afford a Submariner, I got this watch and was very happy with it. It served me well for the first six years that I had it, before my collection began expanding. This watch was on my wrist when both of my kids were born, so it's a keeper.
However, in recent years, as my eyes got older, like the rest of me, I found the skeleton hands difficult to see in the dark. So, I began thinking about a mod that I had see done by other folks on the web.
Most had used the hand-set from the other Seamaster of the era, the 2254.50.00 model, but one fellow did a hand mod whereby he used the hand-set of the old 1960s Seamaster 300.
The main difference is that, while the 2254.50 minute hand tapers down towards the central post/pipe, the SM300 minute hand has more of a picket-fence post design, remaining the same width throughout.
I much preferred this look, because it reminded me of those cool military-issue Submariner 5517s and Seamaster 300s of the 1970s.
The only thing is that the hole at the base of the minute hand needs to be breached slightly to fit onto the post, but this is something that a competent watchmaker should know how to do.
Lucky for me, the watchmaker that I work with just happened to have an old set of the SM300 hands lying around, so he was able to alter and fit the hands without any issues.
Must say I was very happy with the results.
Your Bond/Seamaster purists may scoff - and indeed some did! - but that's okay. To each, their own. This change to the watch has made it much more wearable for me.



I hope you've all been well, and thanks for reading!

[Mediocre]

Haven't visited here in quite a few years and it's good to see this forum still going strong a decade since it started. Well done to the mods for setting it up, and the members who've kept it going!

Anyway, I've been wearing this one a little more since I made a change to it.



I got this watch in November 1999. As a Bond fan who couldn't afford a Submariner, I got this watch and was very happy with it. It served me well for the first six years that I had it, before my collection began expanding. This watch was on my wrist when both of my kids were born, so it's a keeper.
However, in recent years, as my eyes got older, like the rest of me, I found the skeleton hands difficult to see in the dark. So, I began thinking about a mod that I had see done by other folks on the web.
Most had used the hand-set from the other Seamaster of the era, the 2254.50.00 model, but one fellow did a hand mod whereby he used the hand-set of the old 1960s Seamaster 300.
The main difference is that, while the 2254.50 minute hand tapers down towards the central post/pipe, the SM300 minute hand has more of a picket-fence post design, remaining the same width throughout.
I much preferred this look, because it reminded me of those cool military-issue Submariner 5517s and Seamaster 300s of the 1970s.
The only thing is that the hole at the base of the minute hand needs to be breached slightly to fit onto the post, but this is something that a competent watchmaker should know how to do.
Lucky for me, the watchmaker that I work with just happened to have an old set of the SM300 hands lying around, so he was able to alter and fit the hands without any issues.
Must say I was very happy with the results.
Your Bond/Seamaster purists may scoff - and indeed some did! - but that's okay. To each, their own. This change to the watch has made it much more wearable for me.



I hope you've all been well, and thanks for reading!

Welcome back, that strap is a perfect choice!

[Teeritz]

Thanks, Mediocre! I wanted to de-Brosnan the watch a little, but without de-Bonding it too much. Hence the Regimental single-pass strap, similar to the design of the Connery/Goldfinger-era strap.
Although, I think I'll put a standard NATO on it at some point, just for the extra steel that's visible. Make it look a little more bad-ass.

[Mediocre]

The single pass does keep the Bond vibe. Nato before you take it in the water!

[Matt]

How could you?



You'll be changing the bezel for one that works in water next. Then where would we be?

Good to see you about.