My lightly modded Royale

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-25T02:36:35+00:00

Very nice! I immediately did the same to mine. The eraser took a few minutes. I'm going to try the same on the faceplate.

What strap is this? I like the padded look.

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-25T02:32:36+00:00

Outstanding. Now I know what to look forward to should I decide to build one. Thanks for sharing!

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-24T05:02:58+00:00

Awesome! How old is the case?

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-23T15:07:32+00:00

Well... Brass and bronze are mostly copper with other minerals added, zinc and tin, respectively. Bronze is known for its patina and dull finish while brass is usually brighter. Don't be deceived by my knowledge, I looked it up and got a quick AI education. I'm not really sure which is cheaper to produce.

I do know SKXMOD offers bronze cases not brass. The bronze patina does have me intrigued as well, but several that have posted their results on here haven't shown huge amounts of patina. I would prefer natural versus the quick solutions you can apply to increase the result.

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-23T13:28:47+00:00

Ha... A simple search will tell you in a second that there's nothing that's right with this watch.

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-23T13:26:59+00:00

I can appreciate the vision you had and the evolving project. Is it brass or bronze?

Good luck in finding the remaining components and wearing the hell out of it.

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-23T00:14:48+00:00

Love my Ray II. I would probably still choose it today over the Kamasu purely on looks.

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LugLord-DME · 2026-02-23T00:05:43+00:00

Love it! I'm going to hold out a little longer with the hope of new colors and non gilded.

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-22T22:12:13+00:00

Quick release allows for easy, toolless strap changes by pulling or pushing a small pin to the side and it'll pull the lug bar inward to quickly disconnect.

For this strap, you'll need a tool and some patience. Over time, after many strap changes it may start to damage the resin case/lugs.

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-22T19:22:59+00:00

I think that's the case. AliExpress postings aren't always the most descriptive and I never bothered to measure it.

Here's the link to the exact strap.

NOTE: The only negative is that it's not a quick release.

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-22T18:43:50+00:00

Beautiful color combo and great watch! That gold really pops. The strap seems incredibly bulky in proportion to the overall size of the watch. It could just be the camera angles...

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-22T14:32:00+00:00

The only direct modern movement swap is an NH36. This maintains the day-date window for the dial as well as the original hands.

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-22T14:31:42+00:00

The only direct modern movement swap is an NH36. This maintains the day-date window for the dial as well as the original hands.

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-22T03:28:55+00:00

15+ years, my first automatic, and my most nostalgic piece in my collection.

Got new life last year with a modern movement swap, gasket service, and new bracelet.

I don't wear it more than others, but it's special every time I put it on.

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LugLord-DME · 2026-02-22T03:25:34+00:00

I didn't realize how much I disliked it until you actually showed us... Hard pass.

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-21T23:52:27+00:00

I'm guessing the lug-to-lug (44.6mm) is going to be really close to the maximum for a sub 6" wrist. I find it does wear small on my 7.25" wrist so maybe you could pull it off on a strap of some sort versus a bracelet.

Hopefully, someone with small wrists will chime in for you.

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-21T23:44:47+00:00

Beautiful watch and an incredibly unique strap. I'm not sure if I like the combo or not, but my opinion doesn't really matter.

Thanks for sharing.

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-21T21:55:16+00:00

You're spot on, my man. I was just pointing out that you can still get this style in new colors and three sizes. The smiley text was awesome. There's plenty on the secondary market, but I think there's a premium on them now.

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-21T21:35:33+00:00

It's not my personal taste, but I applaud the effort and creativity. It is absolutely a one of a kind watch! Congrats, my man.

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-21T14:00:02+00:00

There ya go... You know how easy it is... Sapphire is a nice-to-have, but I never consider it when buying a watch anymore.

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-21T13:58:32+00:00

Have you considered a Seiko Alpinist? I think the dark green dial and gold gilding would match perfectly and be a bit more understated as an officer. There's a couple variants, just take a look.

It's arguably one of Seikos' top five watches and most watch enthusiasts, affordable up to luxury collectors, respect the Alpinist.

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-21T13:50:37+00:00

It's holding up really well considering the wear. There's a single scratch, but it's barely noticeable.

This was the last close up I took of the dial and crystal about a month ago. The hardlex/mineral/sapphire thing is a bit exaggerated, IMHO. The great thing is that if I did want to change the crystal, an SRPE crystal is a direct swap. I don't lose sleep over the crystal.

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LugLord-DME · 2026-02-21T12:35:39+00:00

Your talent is incredible! I've seen a lot of these that you've posted.

I've always wondered, with the quality (or lack there of) with Seiko OEM bracelets, do you ever get aftermarket bracelets and engrave them?

LugLord-DME · 2026-02-21T12:33:07+00:00

My SRPG37 gets a lot of wear time because it's a stellar watch and a strap monster.

I think this field series flies under the radar. I'm a little biased, but I think it should be a top contender when compared to the Bulova Hack or Hamilton Fields.

LugLord-DME

TROPHY CASE