The Seiko Eiko Philippine Eagle 6R35-02L0

Despite last year's unexpected acquisition of the Sunrise, I think the top catch was the Philippine Eagle. I already wrote about the watch early this month but not in my usual manner of documenting my watches. Following are photos of the Eiko, SPB345J1.

The watch is a sumo model featuring red and burgundy combinations for the dial and bezel. There is a date complication.

Side view showing the crown at 4 o'clock. Some people have opined that the crown should have been signed considering the price of the watch.

The other side view

I use the original oyster bracelet instead of the extra strap that came with the watch. While I have many straps that I can use with this, I usually go with the default strap.

This is the latest limited edition released to the Philippine market. This one is number 639 of 1,000 produced.

A close-up of the textured dial and the hands.

 

Here's a lume shot I took while in the tunnel access to the Angono Petroglyphs site.

Here's a wrist shot prior to our exit via the tunnel.

The watch is powered by a Cal. 6R35 that runs at 21,600 A/h and has a potential power reserve of ~70 hours. This is so far the superior movement among the three official Philippine release models. It can be hand wound and has a hacking feature (the second hand stops when you adjust the time setting). I have all three official Philippine market release models. Their value have increased significantly (I wouldn't say dramatically) as there are limited numbers in the market and some people seem to have hoarded many units to sell for a sizeable profit (you can easily see posts for the Tubbataha, Sunrise and Eiko on FB, for example, that has at least +5000 pesos above the  original SRP of the watch). I wonder if Seiko will be releasing another Limited Edition for the Philippine market this 2023.

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A vintage Eterna Matic 1000

Another vintage watch in my collection is this automatic from Eterna. The Eterna Matic 1000 is a rather simple piece that came out sometime in the early 1960s, making this a 60 year old watch.

The watch features are simple. There are no day or date complications so its no hassle to adjust after not being used for some time.

Side view showing the signed crown

The other side view showing the overall good condition of the watch.

The case back appears to have been over-polished. The serial number survived and is visible in the photo.

Close up of the dial showing Eterna's 5-star emblem

An old wrist shot, probably when I first wore the watch.

 

Inside the watch is an Eterna Cal. 1479K that runs at 21,600 A/h with a potential power reserve of 49h.

A more recent wrist shot after I changed the strap

 

From the caliber, we can determine that the watch was manufactured in the early 1960s. The reference for the caliber may be found here stating that the movement came out sometime in 1963. Here is an example of how to date the watch. It is not perfect or precise but accurate for the period when the watch came out. 

I was planning to unload the watch and have posted it for sale several times. There were no takers so I decided to keep it. The watch is quite reliable and it being quite plain is advantageous as people probably won't take a second look or suspect that it is a middle value watch. It's a keeper for now.

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Ash Wednesday musings

It is the first Ash Wednesday since 2019 that we actually went to church to receive the sign of the cross on our foreheads. I was not able to do that in 2020 not because of the pandemic but because I was on field work and could not go to church. In 2021 and 2022, we still were hesitant to go to church because of the health protocols. Our first face-to-face Mass was a baccalaureate Mass in May 2022. Prior to that, we only had online Masses. Instead of going to UP Diliman's Parish of the Holy Sacrifice where I usually attended the Mass for Ash Wednesday, I decided to go instead to the Parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary near Hinulugang Taktak in Antipolo. This was after I dropped off our daughter at school. There were already many people for the 7AM Mass so it felt like old times. The only thing different was that people wore face masks. Mask-wearing is still practiced by most if not all people despite government declaring that people may no longer wear masks. I guess many are wary about COVID-19 and masks still offer additional protection after being vaccinated vs. the virus.

This morning, we were reminded more of our mortality as the priest who celebrated the Mass suddenly froze at the altar when he was just about to start the communion rite. He was already holding the host and everyone was silent as we kneeled after the rite of peace. People including a minister and the sacristan had to rush to him to check on him. Eventually, more people came to help as it was clear that something was wrong. The parish priest also rushed to the altar and a couple of doctors and nurses also came to help. Most people appeared to be in shock including the lector who could have asked for the help of any doctor in the church. It appears that the priest's blood sugar went down as he apparently recovered after drinking some Coke (yes, that's a sugar rush for those in need of one). Still, the parish priest had to take over and preside over the communion and concluding rites of the Mass.

That experience reminded me of how quickly things might change and how delicate our lives really are. We should reflect on this and have "time outs" every so often as we have become too busy, too engrossed with doing something. We have forgotten to do nothing and have no appreciation to the quiet time that we can use instead for meditation and seeking the peace we desire.

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The Seiko Philippine Sunrise 4R36-11M0

The second official Philippines limited edition watch from Seiko is called the "Philippine Sunrise" due to its color design that is supposed to evoke the beautiful sunrises in the islands. I was not able to reserve one from a Seiko store so I did not expect to acquire one from a Seiko store. I learned that it sold very quickly and that includes units being bought by resellers (or scalpers as I call them) who buy several units of the watch to be resold for profit. As such, the price of a BNIB (brand new in box) piece escalated quickly. A casual question to the staff on a chance visit to the Seiko store at SM Aura (the wife and daughter were shopping for clothes at a nearby store) allowed me to inquire about the watch. And they had good news for me after I asked if they had by chance still had a unit available. They had one last unit, which was originally reserved but was not claimed and paid for by a customer. As fate would have it, the unit was mine, months after most if not all 1,000 units were sold.

The watch features a golden dial and bezel. It has day and date complications.

Side view showing the crown and the gold-colored bezel.

The other side view

The watch came with a stainless steel oyster bracelet.

The case back showing this watch as a limited edition model. This is unit 811 of 1,000 units produced that was released in the Philippine market.

Close-up of the waffle dial. The day wheel is in English and Spanish.

Wrist shot with the two other official Philippines Limited Edition watches - the Tubbataha and the Eiko/ Philippine Eagle.

The watch is powered by a Cal. 4R36 that runs at 21,600 A/h with a potential power reserve of ~40 hours. It can be hand wound and has a hacking feature (the second hand stops when you adjust the time). I have worn the watch for swimming in Cebu and Bohol. It is one of my favorites and is an easy choice whenever I go on trips recently either as my primary or back-up watch.

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Article share: Autopsy findings of people who were vaccinated for COVID-19

I don't usually post medical or related topics here. Yes, even during this pandemic. I make an exception today as I found a nice article on Medium that I am sharing here. The article contains a lot of links and is presented in a factual, evidence-based manner. Of course, I leave it up the reader to exercise caution in reading and interpreting various articles that have come out about COVID-19 vaccines and their effects on health.

Yong, S.J. (November 25, 2022) "Autopsy Findings of Vaccinated People (With Covid Vaccines): An Update," Medium, https://medium.com/microbial-instincts/autopsy-findings-of-vaccinated-people-with-covid-vaccines-an-update-15bcdab5b806 [Last accessed 2/19/2023].

To quote from the article:

Finally, to recap, here are the two main takeaways from Part II:

• Compared to Part I, most of the autopsy papers published concern post-mRNA vaccine deaths. This is probably because potential fatalities from VITT are already a well-acknowledged risk of DNA vaccines; as a result, scientists lack the incentive to publish similar findings. In contrast, fatalities from mRNA (and subunit) vaccine-induced fulminant myocarditis are relatively less known.
• But fatalities from mRNA vaccine-induced fulminant myocarditis are extremely rare — in about 1 in 10 suspected post-vaccine deaths (i.e., 1 in 20,000,000 vaccinated individuals). And this also means that 9 out of 10 suspected post-vaccine deaths are not causally linked to the vaccine.

 

Basically, the article and the data state "that most suspected or suspicious vaccine-induced deaths were due to causes other than the vaccine."  But while there is strong evidence for this, I am sure there are skeptics and conspiracy theorists out there who will reject these conclusions. From where I stand and what I understand, these people who claim to be safe from the virus and remain unvaccinated are safe because most people around them chose to get vaccinated vs. COVID-19.  The former are a form of freeloaders who get benefits out of the contributions of other people.

There is also a link to the previous article on the same topic that the author wrote.

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A "True" Bruce Lee, Seiko 6139-6010?

My hunt for a "true" Bruce Lee is over. I am referring to the Seiko 6139-6010 model that was dubbed after the popular actor-martial artist who owned one and wore it regularly. This was not the Speedtimer variant, which was a Japan Domestic Model (JDM) but an international release. While one story goes where the watch was supposed to have been given by his mother who was based in Hong Kong, it seems the actor already had the watch prior to his mother's visits to the US when she gifted him with many other items. Read for yourself about the watch and the documentation based on various photos showing the actor wearing the watch. Here is a link to the article on the watch worn by the late Bruce Lee: https://www.dcvintagewatches.com/the-seiko-6139-true-bruce-lee

The watch features a black dial, day and date complications and the Water 70m proof at 9 o'clock. This is a "proof-proof" model, so-called due to the proof on the dial and the Water Proof indicated on the case back. The hand set are accurate.

Side view showing the chronograph buttons and the crown. The chrono works and resets to zero.

The other side view showing the overall good condition of the case.

This is the correct strap for this piece. I actually got this from my 6139-6012.

The case back indicating the watch to have been manufactured in September 1969 - consistent with the model worn by Bruce Lee. Incidentally blue variant was also made in September 1969.

Close-up of the pristine dial.

My two 6139-6010's

Wrist shot the first time I wore the watch last Wednesday.

Of course, my watch does not have (yet) the Stelux bracelet like the one in Bruce Lee's photos. Mine also doesn't have the Chinese or Hong Kong day wheel (Spanish and English on mine). Still, I am content with the acquisition and especially on the condition of the watch.

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Marugame Udon, Robinsons Antipolo

Marugame Udon recently opened at Robinsons Antipolo. It is another welcome addition to the mall's expansion as it provides another dining option to the big market served by the mall. The variety in the menu and the option to take out food is certainly welcome to people who probably just want to buy good quality or authentic Japanese food for take out and to enjoy at home.

The restaurant has more selections despite their udon specialties. You can pick up tempura, gyoza, karaage and other items as you file towards the cashier. It is basically self service with the staff preparing your food as you queue. The more familiar or common selections are shown in the photo including katsudon, tendon, teriyaki and curry rice.

The interior features diner style chairs and tables that can seat 1 to 4 people (even 5 to 6 if you have kids and don't mind the space). There are bigger tables inside and smaller ones for those going solo or on a date.

I had gyudon, fried gyoza and chicken karaage for lunch

Another view of the interior of the restaurant

The restaurant can get very crowded during the peak hours at lunch and dinner. There is always a long line and they try to manage the queue considering some customers really take their time eating. The tip is to go there for an early lunch or dinner. Going there late isn't a guarantee as people tend to linger even after their meals.

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The Seiko 5 GMT 4R34-00A0

Seiko released a much-awaited GMT model for their Seiko 5 line. There are three variants - the SSK001 (black and grey bezel, black dial), SSK002 (black and blue bezel, blue dial - "Batman"), and SSK003 (black and grey bezel with orange numerals, orange dial). The models appear to be homages to the very expensive Rolex models that have very similar bezels and dial designs. I have an SSK001, which I thought was the least noticeable among the three.

The watch has 4 hands - hour, minute, second and GMT. It has a date complication.

Side view showing the crown at 4 o'clock.

The other side view

The watch came with a jubilee stainless steel bracelet.

The watch is not a limited edition and has what looks like a regular serial number. The number though is unusual as it does not seem to be indicate year and month of manufacture. If we follow the conventional interpretation, then this watch would have been made in Feb 2015.

Wrist shot with 2 other recent Seiko 5 models, both limited release and numbered pieces.

The watch is powered by a Cal. 4R34 GMT movement that runs at 21,600 A/hr with a potential power reserve of ~41 hours. The watch also has hand winding and hacking features. Seiko has made this GMT movement available to other makers, which now makes it possible for others to come up with their own GMT models. Even modders now have a GMT movement to for their homage watches. 

The watch is easily a beater considering the features. It would have been even better if this were a diver and the crown can be screwed down to keep it water tight. Although the watch is rated to have 10bar (100m) water resistance, Seiko could have made this a 20bar (200m) diver.

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The Seiko Eiko - SPB345J1

I have not written about or taken nice photos of last year's most significant acquisition - Seiko's third 'official' Philippine Limited Edition Prospex watch, the Eiko. I already have the first (the Tubbataha - a monster) and the second (the Philippines Sunrise - a pagong or turtle). This time, they released a 'sumo' model that's named after an actual Philippine Eagle rescued in Davao the brand adopted and will support in raising. Eiko means "fluorishing" or "prosperous" in Japanese and these words might just describe many a collector's watches or their economic status to collect these.

A typical wrist shot of the Eiko. It's not my first as I have worn the watch several times since I acquired it last year.

Outdoors with the Eiko. I haven't taken this swimming yet. That will be in Panglao during the Holy Week break. Of course, I will bring along my favorite Mido for that trip.

I purposely took this photo in the sun to bring out the texture of the dial. That texture is not noticeable in the other photo as well as if you look at the watch casually.

I will write about this watch in a more proper manner in another article. That should have photos to show the watch features and specs.

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February moon - snow moon

This February's full moon is also called a snow moon. It is called the snow moon because of its occurrence during the winter and presumably during times of significant snowfall. There is no winter or snow in the Philippines so I am quite content (and happy) to just gaze at this marvelous sight in the February night sky.

Full moon taken behind a hibernating fire tree (no filters)

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Miguel's Garden Cafe, Sumulong Highway, Antipolo

There's a cafe that's becoming popular if not yet that popular along Sumulong Highway in Antipolo. It is right across from Haven of Angels Memorial Chapel and Crematorium. We thought that it would probably be popular with those who have their dead at Haven of Angels with visitors doing the ritual 'pagpag' (shaking off) after going to a funeral wake. Since it is also along a popular bike route, I suppose that cyclists also go there for meals or drinks.

The entrance is at the back and away from the busy Sumulong Highway

A serving of potato wedges for a relatively heavy merienda

Coffee for the wife

Ripe mango shake and ube cake for me

The interiors are well-lighted and very pleasant to the eye. It gives a light, relaxed feeling to diners.

It was off-peak when we had our merienda there so there weren't many people around. There was a large group in a separate area though who were eating there after a funeral ceremony (most of them wore black and an urn was on the table near people who might be the closest kin of the departed).

Our merienda was good and we hope to go there again for either lunch or dinner. There are many items on their menu and some friends who've eaten there say their orders we're okay. It has a sister restaurant across the highway (beside Haven) that's called The Grounds. We haven't checked that out but will surely try eating there in the near future as we are curious about the new restaurants and cafes sprouting along Sumulong Highway. There are many already operating at the section near Cloud 9 and Padi's Point that we wanted to try eating at. So far, we've only managed to order from Behrouz when we had a craving for Persian food.

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