Watches were something that a Poly friend of mine got me into - my first one was a Seiko SKX007 that I still have to this day. Being an affordable mechanical watch from a reputable Japanese brand, it was something that I figured I could save up and get into. But the journey didn't end at getting the watch. Shortly after, I was introduced to the world of watch modding...

Apparently, the SKX007 looks somewhat like the higher-end Marine Master 300, and there are people who swapped the dial and hands over from the latter to create what was called the 'PMMM' - Poor Man's Marine Master. I ended up ordering various parts to spruce up my SKX007: Sapphire crystal, Grand Seiko Diver inspired hands and even a movement upgrade eventually! All the work was done by Mr. Goh at K2 watch co.

Okay, so, enough with the back story. In more recent times, my watch hobby has continued to grow, and I ended up buying the tools needed and started putting together watches with parts bought online. So I'm here to share about my most recent build, a watch for my mum!

The square Bell&Ross inspired watch case was originally for another project of mine, and while I ended up using another case, this one caught my mum's eyes, so I asked her to pick out a dial, and I'll put together a watch for her. Pictured here are the main components for you to build a watch: A watch case, dial, the movement (in this case a Seiko SII/TMI NH35) and the watch hands.

A closer look at the components

Putting the dial in for a test - seems like the indices on the chapter ring (the black ring with white markers on it) is a little too much, considering the dial already has its own minute track printed... I'll have to do something about the chapter ring.

A quick press and the crystal is off, and so is the chapter ring. 

Using some Isopropyl Alcohol, I've managed to remove the paint and printing on the chapter ring, resulting in a nice mirror finish.

Doesn't it look much cleaner now?

Now, it's time to get the hands on! Using some plastic sheets that I've cut from old ziplock bags as a dial protector, the Hour hand is successfully installed!

The rest of the hands are installed, and what's left is to install the entire thing into the watch case!

The movement I bought came with a custom date wheel that has lumed dates (glow-in-the-dark), a nice touch isn't it?

So, this is it! The watch build for my mum! If you are someone that loves DIY projects, putting a watch together is a fun hobby that you can consider. While there are some challenges due to how small the components are, you just need to rack up some experience and you'll quickly start to enjoy the process!

-Zhi Xuan