Four years ago to the day I built my first custom watch. It was the start of the pandemic, we were stuck at home and I was looking for something to do. I was about to build a custom mechanical keyboard when a Youtube video of a Seiko SARB033 sent me down the rabbit hole and out I came building watches. My first build was a nod to the Marinemaster.
The dial and hands are long gone but I kept the rest and used them in a reminiscent build to celebrate 4 years of building custom watches. The case, chapter ring, crown, and bezel live on in this build I’m calling Game Day. It started with an idea for a football themed bezel insert for all the family and friends who give their time to support loved ones playing football on the weekends.
The insert went through a few iterations and was meant to be finished with resin but in the end I preferred the flat look with the fully visible white and red rings on the inner edge. I designed other variations with minute tracks in an attempt to make the insert usable for more general duties. Every attempt felt like a compromise on the original idea with its clean look and specific use case. This is a watch to be worn on Game Day.
I selected an SKX171 dial for its classic monochromatic looks and it never disappoints with the domino calendar wheels. The red Sunday is a bonus – especially when Sunday is Game Day! 🙂 A red minute hand was a must for quick and easy legibility of elapsed game time.
The last 4 years have been challenging, fulfilling and life changing. Thanks to everyone who has supported me along the way.
 Bezel Insert){kind=link}