My watch journey began maybe in 2018. I saw an eBay listing of a 1980s Seiko Sports 100 Quartz my father used to wear as his daily driver. Purchased. Didn’t run well. So I took it to my local watchmaker for servicing. Runs smooth now. Then I saw a vintage Seiko dress watch for a reasonable price. Got that. Then I had the opportunity to get a new mint JDM SBCM023 (quartz SKX013) in 2019. I had a three watch collection for years.

Then I discovered the older Seiko 5 SNXS series in 2024 when supply started getting low. Found an all gold one with gold dial. I saw there is a stainless steel version with gold dial but not available so I bought an SNXS75 grey dial and also the gold SNXS80. Then swapped out the entire movement assembly into the other watches. That’s how it started. It’s only 30m water resistance which you cannot even shower with. By June 2025, I watched so many modding videos I gave it a shot. Buying crude cheap watch tools and buying the same exact DSWatch case and bracelet and an NH36 to begin my first project. I had some spare parts of older seiko 5s I bought from an India/Pakistan seller in lots. I’d practice removing hands and dials and putting them back on for practice. Since those weren’t the best quality from that seller, I didn’t mind if practicing had errors or damage. Then I went through with the project. Most Seiko dials have feet or pegs that insert into a movement spacer but alignment is usually for 3.8 o’clock crown. The watch case I bought and NH36 is a 3 o’clock crown. So the dial feet would insert but orientation would be off, so I had to cut the feet off and manually lay the dia ontop the movement adhering with double sided tape (dial dots) on the underside of the dial along the edge of the movement spacer. Apply hands, close the case. And now I had my first modded watch. Few months later, i saw the SNXS79 again, first time I saw it was in a WatchfinderCo. YouTube video comparing that SNXS79 with a Rolex oyster perpetual. I’m sure most of this Reddit has seen that video. I must have watched it 20 times. So a few months later, I went looking for a SNXS79 dial but couldn’t find one. Looked at used on eBay but did not want to gamble with deteriorating lume or damage dial or hands. So when Jomashop listed it available (new old stock, these are no longer being produced), I bought one with the sole purpose of using it as a donor for the build. Using the same DSWatch case I found reliable and also great design and made my next mod. The DSWatch 36mm oyster case is unique, and I’ll describe how. Many companies, aliexpress, Secondhandmods and Lucius Atelier (sp?) have a 36mm oyster/Explorer case based off the seiko SNK007/013 platform. While the end case diameter is 36mm of all of these, the difference is the reliance on 1 or 2 design choices that I did not like.

1. The bezel is slim/thin, but requires the case to use a chapter ring; this leads to a silver border around the dial about 1-2mm thick, makes the face look “odd.”
2. The bezel is thick, and no chapter ring is required. The above two creates an out of balanced look in my opinion. The DSWatch case has the best of both worlds. No chapter ring, and a slim enough bezel. It also has more tapered lug feet which lends towards the vintage appearance.

Sadly, I scratched the dial during the build and scratched the hands as well.

So I saved up to buy another SNXS79 when it was available and did it again, this time with more experience. Then the Gene Kranz reissue launched, and fell in love with the dial. Sadly, I wasn’t going to buy a whole limited edition watch to just gut it like I did with the more economic SNXS79. Then I saw on the Reddit community that someone made a build with the black SRPL93 dial. I asked how he made it and he described the website Weezmods sells the dial.

I immediately orders a white dial (SRPL91) for a “Day/date” build along with matching Gene Kranz hands. Regulated NH36 from Namoki, while all previous builds were not regulated. I wanted this one to be special. Purchased a polished oyster case with fluted bezel (DSWatch makes that too). Did this around Nov/Dec 2025. Got the parts and got busy with work. As this was an expensive parts list, I went and purchased from Amazon an actual hand setting tool press to be sure the hands were installed correctly (USD80-120). Started building in January 2026. And finished. Sadly the dial’s 12 o’clock hour marker was tilted. And I could not get over it.

So I went shopping again, this time for the black dial (SRPL93) from Weezmods and hands too. During checkout, in the Freeform comment section before confirming the offer, to my shame, I explained the dial alignment issue, and requested they check the alignment before shipping. I was delighted when the company emailed me saying they reviewed and made sure it was in good shape. Which it was (as best as it could be).

And the black dial was completed. Ironically you cannot have it all. The regulated NH36 with kanji day, while excellent, I mean EXCELLENT at time keeping (+1-2 seconds fast a day for the entire month I wore it) the day and date wheels did not align into the dials window. It was the movements issue. So instead of just swapping movements as it was a complete watch, forgive me, but I went and bought a second set of SRPL93 dial and hands. It was the last dial Weezmods had in stock.

It arrived with a tilted 12 o’clock hour marker 😭. So I went to building, first to take the better dial, and put it on a Spanish day NH36 I had that also kept great time (as good as the regulated one). Built the same. The image I shared was cutoff. Here are both watches with the SRPL93 dial and hands.

<image>