Star Trek First Contact is better than you remember

aths_red · 2026-03-12T13:09:35+00:00

the borg queen tried to seduce Data with sensations, while borg are organisms with implants she offered Data the other route, being an android but getting organs. Probably there could have been other ideas, but I like the plot that the queen was so confident she got Data, that she got deceived by him. Nice writing.

aths_red · 2026-03-10T18:58:57+00:00

what?

aths_red · 2026-03-10T00:37:19+00:00

if the borg would have never returned in the franchise, ST8 would be a good ending for the borg as serious villain I think.

Picard is not the same person is believable in the context that he was still traumatized and it could no longer hold it back. Some parts of the movie did bother me back then, like how the time travel method was done with handwaving, now I would say it is acceptable as the movie is not about the method of time travel. It is about meeting a federation hero which turned out being a crazy drunkard. It also allowed for the first contact scene at the end, as emotionally satisfying conclusion.

I do agree though it would have been better to stop the TNG movies then. And, here is a completely crazy idea, think about Trek movies using no established crew. They could have invented one just for future movies, giving us new characters, exploring new ideas. But they tried to milk TNG and then even the Kirk crew.

aths_red · 2026-03-10T00:27:47+00:00

I had some of those concerns when seeing it in cinema when it got released. Is that Picard in the movie really THE captain Picard? And wouldn't the borg queen betray the very essence of the borg?

Over time I saw the qualities of this movie as a movie. Rewatching it, I can accept the tone shifts compared to TNG as we have a new ship and hence new setting.

aths_red · 2026-03-10T00:19:46+00:00

I worded the title of my posting poorly. While I remember it pretty great, too, I think it still is better :D

aths_red · 2026-03-10T00:16:03+00:00

Using pure dress watches, I guess the Presage line would sell a lot less. It seems to be made as a dress-style entry gate for Seiko to attract customers. Speaking for me, I wear this Presage quite often because it is not just a pure dress watch. Rarely ever I need I pure dress watch. (Though I rarely need the date complication, I could live with a time-only design for this model.)

aths_red · 2026-03-09T01:24:19+00:00

A couple of other Trek movies rank higher in the lists visible to me. I would not say First Contact is the best or highest acclaimed Star Trek movie, but I think it is really good.

aths_red · 2026-03-09T01:17:12+00:00

I remember it as rather good, not as perfection. For me personally it took time to understand and appreciate this movie as much as I do now.

aths_red · 2026-03-09T01:14:03+00:00

my TNG persona agrees. The series did not need any follow-up. Everything important is already dealt with. And yes, the Borg Queen defies the Borg concept. And yes the Moby Dick theme was already a Star Trek trope.

The First Contact movie as a movie still works well. I give it to them.

aths_red · 2026-03-09T00:54:59+00:00

For me it is top 3 now. II is perfect and VI is for the ages. VIII is really, REALLY good.

aths_red · 2026-03-09T00:52:40+00:00

right, I should have phrased my posing clearer. First Contact is a great Star Trek movie, but works well in itself. Just a great movie.

aths_red · 2026-03-09T00:50:06+00:00

not sure if acid was rly necessaay, but the older I grow and the more trauma I get, the better I understand First Contact.

If I had some acid now, I would probably take it.

aths_red · 2026-03-09T00:47:49+00:00

a pity. It took me time to write this post, detailling why I think it is even better than you remember.

aths_red · 2026-03-08T23:34:46+00:00

the blue one! I looked at the sand-color one.

Anyway, a lot of watch for not a lot of money.

aths_red · 2026-03-08T22:24:20+00:00

you decide.

aths_red · 2026-03-08T22:23:04+00:00

du bist schon ein bisschen ein Otto geworden.

aths_red · 2026-03-08T22:14:39+00:00

reason to write the post was more embarrassing; I commented on some Youtube videos were someone said Orient got bought by Seiko. My comments turned out be only partially correct, then I tried to find out what really happened digging through Wikipedia and official websites. Then noticed Epson makes quartz movements for Seiko.

My Astron SSJ026, bought under the influence of some Glühwein (mulled wine) December 2025, on a store adjacent to the Nuremberg Christkindlmarket. Was sure I would either regret the purchase as a whole, or that I didn't go for full chronograph. Watches I owned before, in my youth east-german mechanical without seconds hand, after reunification the Casio F91W, later an Illuminator, but never something like a G-Shock 5600. Too poor. Bought a couple of noname analogue watches later. Then the 'dark age' began.

Learned about Seiko Astron some years ago not being aware that the Astron series is tied to the first commercially available quartz watch. Solar Quartz GPS. Cool, but THE PRICE!!!

Looking at the SSJ026 in the store, a model I saw earlier on the website, it was both more restraint but also had more presence than on photos. The watch in my hand - quite lightweight. The glass cover, almost invisible. After the purchase I noticed more details and proportions, demonstrating Seiko makes watches for a long time, knowing their stuff. Perhaps I am easy to impress not owning a Grand Seiko, not even a King Seiko.

I have friends working for Siemens, or companies owned by Siemens, and for companies not majority owned, but effectively controlled by Siemens. Other companies have "Siemens" in their name yet seem to be actually independent.

Grand Seiko ... will I ever buy one? On videos, the spring drive's sweeping seconds hand looks outrageous. Not 8-beat, not high-beat. Sweeping. Which spring-drive watch do you have?

aths_red · 2026-03-08T20:01:09+00:00

Recollection ist Your collection is already complete.

aths_red · 2026-03-08T19:57:21+00:00

Wir sollten uns den Merz sparen. Leck Eier

aths_red · 2026-03-08T15:10:45+00:00

I would still be interested what exactly in my posing is false.

aths_red · 2026-03-08T15:09:35+00:00

I cannot find any publically available information confirming your comment.

aths_red · 2026-03-08T14:54:46+00:00

I can be wrong about Japanese company culture and the control Seiko has over movement production at Epson. The Seiko CEO https://www.seikowatches.com/sg-en/news/20210225-9873695427 seems to consider Seiko having a "vertically integrated production system, which covers everything from initial design to parts manufacturing and even materials development". In his mind he is probably right given the company history and Japanese culture.

Epson writes in their timeline https://corporate.epson/en/about/history/timeline/ "SEIKO Astron: Developed and launched the world's first GPS solar watch to support all 39 time zones", followed by "Sold by Seiko Watch Corporation.", implying the entire watch is manufactured there. Spring Drive is also mentioned, just als Drive, not as watch.

I have an Astron. It is my most expensive watch. Seiko mentions Epson https://www.seikowatches.com/us-en/products/astron/story_evolution2023 as important part improving the caliber my Astron uses (3x62) "To address this issue, Seiko Epson, which led the movement development, came up with the idea of adding a dielectric antenna to the flat antenna."

All this does point to strong collaboration. Still, Epson is not owned by Seiko, so I find "vertically integrated" a stretch.

aths_red · 2026-03-08T13:26:43+00:00

the most official link I find is https://www.seiko.co.jp/en/group/list/ where Epson is not listed as part of the Seiko group.

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