Vintage Grand Seiko 6145-8000

I end the year with the other Grand Seiko I've recently acquired.  It's practically the same as the 6146

except that this only has a date feature. Here's a nice reference article for the Grand Seiko:

https://thespringbar.com/blogs/guides/grand-seiko-collectors-guide/#RECOMMENDATIONS

The 6145-8000 has only a date feature.

Close up of the dial shows the imperfections.

Side view showing the signed crown

The other side view

The case back shows a medallion in great condition and the serial number indicates this watch to have been manufactured in July 1968.

The obligatory wrist shot

Another wrist shot with this classic Grand Seiko

This watch is powered by a 6145A movement that runs at 36,000 beats per hour. I haven't really timed the watch but it has been quite reliable in terms of both accuracy and power reserve.

This is definitely an everyday watch or beater for those who prefer the term. I can say the same for the 6146 I featured previously. These two just made my rotation more difficult with the selection getting even more crowded. That means lesser wrist times for other watches but I think I can manage; at least with the favorites in my collection.

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Vintage Grand Seiko 6146-8000

Did you get what you wished for as Christmas present(s)? I certainly did and I now have a couple of Grand Seiko watches thanks to some luck through a suki seller from Fukuoka, Japan. Both are models of the popular 61GS - one 6145 and a 6146. Here are photos of the Grand Seiko 6146-8000. I just had to change the leather strap on this immediately after it was delivered. Good thing that I could easily transfer straps from other watches.

The watch has both day and date features. This model only has the English day wheel.

Side view showing the signed crown

The other side view

Case back showing the medallion and serial number. Based on the serial number, this watch was manufactured in July 1969.

The routine wrist shot

This watch is powered by a 6146A movement that runs at 36,000 A/h. The hi-beat movement matches those of my KS 4502 and Longines Ultra-chron.

Another photo of the movement showing the model number

I said these were Christmas presents because these normally cost twice, thrice or four times the prices I got them for. And the watches were in great condition so I was surprised few were bidding for the watches. I was expecting more competition as the clock wound towards the end of bidding and I couldn't really do a stake out as I was driving home both times the auctions ended. I guess, these were proverbially "for me"? I will feature the other GS before the year ends.

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A Blessed Christmas to everyone!

I just want to wish everyone a Blessed Christmas!

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Conclusions - Star Wars, Avengers and Frozen

We watched the 9th, maybe last with the exception of spin-offs, Star Wars movie last weekend. The storyline and its features probably compelled me to write this article. I'm no movie critic but I do have my strong opinions about movies (especially epic ones) that I watch. Among the ones I loved or likes were the cinematic adoptions of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Sure they weren't as faithful to the book as purists would want them to be but they were excellently done including the casting, costume and props, and the special effects.

Marvel's (or should I say Disney's?) Avengers movies were also very satisfying to me and I do look forward to the next phases of their so-called cinematic universe both in the theater and on TV. I would dare say that the Infinity series was nicely done and the ending was not one you'd expect though there were rumors or suspicions about it ahead of the screening. Marvel did well, very well compared with the still disappointing but improving DC universe. I also have an opinion about how dark comic book-based movies should be but that's me wanting more fun in such movies rather than gloom.

A couple of weeks back, we watched Frozen 2 with our daughter and I guess she loved it based on her still singing the songs at home an in the car until now. In fact, she's memorized the words and could sing them well enough that her mother already took several videos that she's shared with family and close friends. We thought the story for Frozen 2 was a bit more complex for many kids to understand with one viewing or without anyone to explain it to them. But it made sense to us and while there's closure, there still something there that could spawn a spinoff or special.

Now comes The Rise of Skywalker. Was I satisfied with the ending? Yes, I was. And I was also elated to see many familiar faces coming back especially Han Solo's. I already knew Lando would be there and a lot has been leaked about CGI and stock footage Princess Lea. Luke was easy because he could easily show up as a force ghost. I was also happy to see the redemption of Ben Solo. I just felt that the movie was too short as it packed a lot of information in there including the revelation on the return of Palpatine and the final battle when you already knew the rest of the galaxy would eventually show up. They should have done a film as long as The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings. People wouldn't have minded.

I would certainly watch this movie again and in 3D. We just wanted to catch the movie before theaters started exclusively showing Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) movies for most of the holidays. I guess we have to wait a while though I think IMAX theaters are exempt from the MMFF. 

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Chocolate review: Cacao de Davao Calamansi 70% Dark Chocolate

I bought several packs of chocolates at SM Lanang Premiere and so far only tried one (there are many chocolates to choose from in our cache).  I was curious about the 70% dark chocolate with calamansi (Philippine lemon) and so opened one.

The chocolate comes in a resealable foil pack.

Details on the chocolate including source of cacao and the production. Of course, the nutrition information is here as well as information about the company producing this.

Instead of a bar, inside were tablets of chocolate

We thought that the chocolate was okay but it was 'not yet there' in as far taste and texture were concerned. Surely, it is not yet at the level Malagos or Auro. I thought that it was not yet level with another chocolate with calamansi  - Theo and Philo's 65% dark chocolate with calamansi. The latter was more refined though the small bar seemed to be "bitin" and disappointing because of the quantity. For now, I would classify Cacao de Davao's 70% dark chocolate with calamansi as "pwede na yan"; meaning its okay but not really a must try. I would probably buy a pack again in the future just to see (and taste) if it improves. One pack retails for above 200 pesos.

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Chocolate review: Seattle Chocolate 72% Dark Origin

My backlog of chocolates include another souvenir from a trip by the wife. It's pretty obvious where she was when she got this chocolate. I just don't remember her getting more of it as this seemed to be included in their conference pack rather than a purchase.

This is a 72% dark chocolate made more tasty by the truffles in the ingredients

Details on the chocolate at the back of the package include nutrition information and something we found curious. There's "Women Owned" stated there, which I suppose means the company producing this chocolate is owned by women.

This was a smooth dark chocolate. We were expecting it to be bitter but it turned out to be an enjoyable bar. Perhaps it was the infusion of the truffle that improved the texture? I wonder if this was available at the regular store or maybe at the airport but this is definitely a good buy at 4.79 USD (about 240 PHP).

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Vintage Zenith Sporto

I have sold my 1949 Zenith a few months ago. But then luck smiled and I was able to acquire this Sporto a couple of weeks ago. It's in excellent shape as the following photos show:

Simple dial with raised hour marks and a second sub-dial

Side view showing the signed crown

The other side view

A clearer view of the signed crown

Case back showing what appears to be the watch's serial number. The two scratches are the only "issues" for this watch.

This watch runs on a Zenith Cal. 40T beating at 18,000A/h with a potential power reserve of 47h. The movement dates the watch to the early 1960s.

The obligatory wrist shot

The watch came in the elegant rally leather strap. It is now part of my somewhat regular rotation. I say somewhat because that rotation is already loaded as far as I am concerned with the Seiko GS and KS also figuring in the share of wrist time. And there are only 7 days a week and I am not accustomed to wearing different watches everyday. Believe it or not but I usually use one watch over 2 to 3 days; longer if I am traveling. In fact, in a recent trip to Singapore, I brought an Omega and a Grand Seiko. I always bring a back-up watch but not exceeding 2 watches per trip.

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Paradise Dynasty - Xiao Long Bao

The wife and I met up for a Fridate at The Podium and took our time choosing where to have our dinner. Having had our good share of pasta and Filipino dishes the past days, we decided to go for some Chinese food. We actually spotted a restaurant as we went around to familiarize ourselves with the recently renovated mall and came back to try their specialty, a favorite of ours - xiao long bao.

I was not familiar with a lot of the restaurants at The Podium and it was the first time I've seen this Chinese resto. Paradise Dynasty turned out to be an international brand. I only learned about this when I was going around Singapore a couple of weeks ago and saw a couple of their branches there.

Black truffle xiao long bao (near) and garlic xiao long bao (far)

Yang Zhou (yang chow) fried rice

Preparing the dip for our xiao long bao

Stir fried beef with assorted mushrooms in Szechuan bean sauce

We had our fill of xiao long bao that night including their signature original bao. The truffle variety was excellent. And we also enjoyed the stir fried beef we ordered. It was just right in terms of spiciness. Needless to say, we will be back for more. This adds to our list of reliables when it comes to Chinese food especially the xiao long bao.

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Teppanyaki at Somerset 313

Part of our itinerary in Singapore was to eat at the teppanyaki restaurant at the top of Somerset 313. We used to eat there a lot when we were staying in Singapore 7 years ago. It was among what we considered as comfort food while living abroad.

Our set orders being prepared for the frier

Surf and turf - our set included wagyu beef, prawns, scallops and salmon, with a generous serving of veggies (yasai itame) on the side

Here's the entire set with miso soup and rice

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Street ice cream in Orchard Road

Only a week ago, we were walking along Orchard Road and on the way to a late lunch at the Somerset 313 when we passed by a popular ice cream stand. A lot of people were getting their cold refreshments from a couple of 'uncles' and there were photos on the stand of some celebrities who enjoyed an ice cream sandwich or cone there. We had ours, too, for the price of 2.50 SGD each. That seemed expensive in the Philippines but it's quite cheap in Singapore considering the serving size.

Popular ice cream stand that looks as if it were informal like the 'dirty' ice cream we have in the Philippines

You have choices of ice cream flavors including vanilla, yam (ube) and chocolate. And you can have them in a variety of cones or bread. The ice cream were a hit on that hot day and a lot of us enjoyed eating at Orchard. I wouldn't mind coming back for second or even third servings.

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Walking along Orchard Road

The recent trip to Singapore was like a sentimental journey for us. We had lived in the Lion City for almost 2 years and consider this a second home (actually a close third for me because I consider Yokohama as a second home having lived there for 3 years). Among things we truly missed about Singapore aside from friends (many of whom have already moved to other countries) and food were the public transport and the walking. Singapore is a walkable city and the excellent public transport along with the land use planning has allowed healthier commutes for people.

The environment along Orchard Road is inviting and conducive for walks.

Wide sidewalks accommodate more people and don't make it feel so crowded even during the peak hours.

It was easy to log more than 10,000 steps per day in Singapore. In fact, I was happy to have walked an average of 11,000+ steps per day for the 3 days were there. One could only hope we can have similar infrastructure in the Philippines.

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Chocolate nostalgia - Serg's chocolates

We start December on a positive note. I am sharing this recent article on the comeback of a brand that's all too familiar with many chocolate lovers whether you're a boomer or a Gen X'er or millenial (at least those who were able to enjoy the chocolates before the company finally closed.

Pedrasa, I. (2019) Beloved Serg's stages a comeback, Philippine Daily Inquirer, https://business.inquirer.net/284034/beloved-sergs-stages-a-comeback?fbclid=IwAR2QDkyP-VBUArORVPqnC259noLq2HqswEExAAfRl_3vjV7OwNOhpJf3zIg [Last accessed: 11/28/2019]

We await Serg's comeback and perhaps their coming up with new products to gain new fans. It's quite a difference market now that nostalgia might not be enough to keep it afloat what with the market already saturated with lots of chocolates including those from abroad and the emerging ones from the Southern Philippines (i.e., Malagos and Auro) that have taken chocolates to another level.

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Wouldn't it be nice if life were like a box of Valrhona chocolates?

We finally consumed the last of the chocolates from a box of Valrhona's last week. The wife didn't like milk chocolates so it had to be me to finish the chocolates - not that I minded that. :)

Box of Valrhona chocolates we got at the airport duty free shop

This is the outer package that showed which chocolates were included in the box. These were all what Valrhona calls Grand Crus chocolates - Guanaja (red), Caraibe (blue), Tainori (yellow) and Tanariva (orange). Only Tanariva is milk chocolate. The rest are dark chocolates.

Details on the chocolates at the back of the outer package.

Close-up for the ingredients of each chocolate

Nutrition information and serving size

There are 52 squares - perfect for samplers and to control your consumption. :)

In praise of the chocolates

Close up of the rows of chocolates

Valrhona chocolates don't need an introduction. These are among the top chocolates in the world and I use them as a benchmark for comparing the chocolates I taste(d). I often compare local (Philippine) chocolates to these and so far, only a couple brands come close to Valrhona on a head-to-head comparison (e.g., same % of cacao at least). If only we had an unlimited supply of these chocolates! We'll probably get another box or two in our next trip.

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Chocolate review: Nadalina Mediterranean Passion

One of our friends was recently traveling in Europe and gave us some chocolates from Croatia. I wasn't able to spot the chocolate in our refrigerator until I saw the opened box one time I was browsing for some dessert after a late dinner. Here are photos of the box - the chocolate was almost all consumed by the time I got to it. Still, I was able to enjoy a couple of bites.

Dark chocolate with almonds, dried figs and raisins

Details on the chocolate at the back of the box including where it is manufactured

Close up showing the ingredients. I was also surprised to see a translation in Japanese. This tells me that there are a lot of Japanese visitors/tourists in Croatia

This is a dark chocolate with a minimum of 69% cacao based on the label. It was enjoyable and I thought the dried figs and raisins enhanced the taste - giving it a nice combination of sweet, bitter and sour. I haven't been to Croatia but this is definitely a good buy and souvenir from a trip to that country.

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Vintage Citizen Diver: Dolphin WR200

Many watch collectors have specialty collections (e.g., chronographs only, WW2 watches only, divers only, hand winds only, automatics, etc.). I started with Swatches followed by Seiko AGS/Kinetic watches, picking up a few of my grail items along the way. Incidental was the accumulation of divers watches including a Glashutte, a Luminox, and a Mido that is my usual watch for the beach or pool. I also have an original Seiko SKX399 apart from the 2 others I've acquired with replacement inserts (these I am unloading). 

It seemed only natural to pursue a few divers watches anyway. And the opportunity to acquire this classic diver from Citizen came up. So I ended up getting a few Citizen divers that were in great condition and water resistant.

The watch features a big rotating bezel, and day and date functions

Side view showing the screwdown crown

The other side view

Case back was polished to the point that one cannot clearly see or read the watch specs from most angles.

Close up of the case back showing more clearly the text

Close-up of the well-preserved dial

Citizen caliber 8200 movement running at 21,600 beats per hour with a power reserve of 43 hours.

I got this watch for cheap and so far it has been a steal. I usually use this for the weekends including when I go to the market on Saturdays. It keeps time and has had a decent power reserve (i.e., I can leave it overnight and it is still functioning in the morning).

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