Initial thoughts on a 36mm beauty!

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jkbarnes
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Initial thoughts on a 36mm beauty!

Post by jkbarnes »

Finally walking the walk, with the purchase of a CW, after lots of talk! When the Sealander was released in 36mm, I knew this was the watch for me. I placed my order as soon as the codes were available, and it arrived today - about a month earlier than expected!

The watch is extraordinary, everything I was hoping for. Here are my initial thoughts after just a few hours (in no particular order).

Size
The size is perfect for my wrist, exactly what I was looking for. I knew I wanted something smaller than my Trident Vintage, but I was concerned that 36mm wasn’t significantly different enough from 38mm for me to notice. I was wrong. It definitely is noticeably smaller without looking excessively so, as can be seen in these side by side photos…

01ABB74D-0412-453A-8C67-FA40133FA3F0.jpeg
36mm Sealander vs. 38mm Trident Vintage

D1EC8CE4-E2CC-4EEA-8E36-DAA974EA09D9.jpeg
36mm Sealander vs. 37mm Seiko SNK809

Legibility
Legibility is not an issue at all. At various angles, the hands and indices stand out, at times looking almost black. There’s also a reflection off the chamfered ends of the indices that adds a nice little sparkle at times. I think the date will border on impossible to read, but that’s because of my eyesight.

The Case
On my C65 AMGT LE, the light catcher cases is perfectly nice, but nothing about it grabbed my attention and made me say wow. With this smaller Sealander, I definitely see the appeal of the light catcher design. It looks ridiculously low profile on my wrist, and I love it!

Strap Monster
It’s a strap monster, for sure! I ordered it on the camel vintage oak, and it looks fantastic. I’ve included some pics on a number of other straps - it looks great on all of them. I can’t wait for the colored NATOs I ordered to show up.

C24F323D-B186-487E-B8C2-FD9AA53E2353.jpeg
Where to start with the straps?! It’s on the camel vintage here (extra small size - perfect for my wrist).

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CW canvas strap

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CW brown Peccary leather

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CW dark brown embossed leather

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Old school CW rubber strap

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Hirsch Performance sailcloth strap

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This is a Crown & Buckle NATO they put out in support of breast cancer awareness. I think it looks good against the white dial


Differences from C65 Trident Vintage
I’ll be honest, I was worried I’d simply see this as a white dialed variation on my C65 Trident Vintage. It’s not. While there are some similarities, it’s a completely different beast. The hands, the flat crystal, and the beefier crown definitely push it towards being more casual and sporty than the C65 TV. The indices are noticeably different. On the C65 TV they’re simply raised batons covered in lume. On the C63, the only common denominator is the shape. The polished steel indices are a completely different beast, giving a very different look. And there’s no comparison with the lume!

A4089B7D-7282-446B-8F7A-4351BB356C41.jpeg
Speaking of lume…

[the only editing done to the photos was to even out the rather harsh lighting across all the photos and to bring out some of the detail in the straps]
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Re: Initial thoughts on a 36mm beauty!

Post by Thunder1 »

Congratulations!!!..and it looks like it's a strap monster, as well..a very nice pick up!!..
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Re: Initial thoughts on a 36mm beauty!

Post by thomcat00 »

Congratulations on the new acquisition! Thank you for your in depth and detailed examination of the 36mm Sealander. The pictures are a great aid to your descriptions especially when comparing the C65 with the new watch.

When I opted for a Sealander earlier this I went for the 39mm C63. I thought the white dialed auto would be a suitable alternate to my largely dark dialed watches. Selecting the smaller variant looks to be a good decision. Enjoy it!
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Re: Initial thoughts on a 36mm beauty!

Post by jkbarnes »

Thunder1 wrote: Mon Sep 12, 2022 3:41 am Congratulations!!!..and it looks like it's a strap monster, as well..a very nice pick up!!..
What, no talk of watch gods & raised glasses?! I’m hurt, Chuck. :lol:
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Re: Initial thoughts on a 36mm beauty!

Post by golfjunky »

Proper chuffed for you bud, it’s a stunner!
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Re: Initial thoughts on a 36mm beauty!

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

Really pleased for you, Andrew. I can see you are going to have a lot of strap fun with this one! :thumbup:
What, no talk of watch gods & raised glasses?! I’m hurt, Chuck. :lol:
A poor substitute, I know, but…

Pan cavorts in a camp and envious way, Dionysos gets drunk, and Herodotus the great historian, hair and beard grown out, shows off his new Trident to an admiring audience.

Image


Meanwhile, Athena is fresh for a sesh!

Image
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Re: Initial thoughts on a 36mm beauty!

Post by camdenhells »

Watch definitely is a strap monster, the 36mm is definitely on my wish list


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Re: Initial thoughts on a 36mm beauty!

Post by Viognier »

Great addition Andrew - sincere congratulations !
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Re: Initial thoughts on a 36mm beauty!

Post by missF »

Brilliant! What a great watch. Please keep posting lots of strap pics. This watch will take you anywhere :thumbup:
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Re: Initial thoughts on a 36mm beauty!

Post by nbg »

Andrew, I am pleased, that you are pleased. :)

The 36mm Sealanders really are very neat, well proportioned, well made watches, that are enjoyable to wear. :thumbup:

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Re: Initial thoughts on a 36mm beauty!

Post by MiniMpi »

Congratulations Andrew !!! :thumbup:
Delighted that it has worked out so well for you my friend.
Enjoy it 8)
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Re: Initial thoughts on a 36mm beauty!

Post by strapline »

Great watch, Andrew, really pleased for you. I’m not sure there’s another person on this forum that will take more pleasure from a new watch. It has been a long time coming which will make the whole experience all the more sweet. All the best.

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Re: Initial thoughts on a 36mm beauty!

Post by gannet »

so much strap fun in your future :D

congratulations on your new watch ! :thumbup:
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Re: Initial thoughts on a 36mm beauty!

Post by jkbarnes »

strapline wrote: Mon Sep 12, 2022 9:00 am Great watch, Andrew, really pleased for you. I’m not sure there’s another person on this forum that will take more pleasure from a new watch. It has been a long time coming which will make the whole experience all the more sweet. All the best.

Des
Thanks Des! I really appreciate this comment. Very thoughtful of you!
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Re: Initial thoughts on a 36mm beauty!

Post by jkbarnes »

missF wrote: Mon Sep 12, 2022 7:50 am Brilliant! What a great watch. Please keep posting lots of strap pics. This watch will take you anywhere :thumbup:
Waiting on the NATOs, actually kind of annoyed they’re not here yet. When they show up, I’ll post to your NATO thread.
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