The following is a copy of a review I posted on the old site before we came over. The watch is an SBBN007 which was given to me a s a parting gift by about 50 members of the old Watchuseek SCO forum - a truly humbling and impressive gift. enjoy the review:
As most of you know, the past month has been a bit "momentous" for me, with the abrupt end of my tenure and membership at Watchuseek, and the wonderful opportunities that have opened since as a result. This past month has been a perfect example for me of that old saying of when life closes a door it opens a window. In my case I feel like a whole wall full of windows has opened, and I owe that to all of you. This leads me to what this post is really about. After my departure it seems like some of the members of the WUS-SCO forum decided on their own to take up a collection and give me a parting gift. I heard about it a sometime after they had started and was very appreciative, and even tried to discourage them. Over the past few weeks I've gotten a number of cryptic e-mails from different forumers hinting at some surprise. Of course all those rascals let me sweat it, since none would say what the surprise was.
Well this past Thursday the surprise finally occurred. I'm sitting in my office when my assistant walks in with this large box (imagine an extra long shoe box in size). It was addressed from fellow forumer Upstandingcitizen so I had a pretty good idea of what it was about. Sdaly I didn't have time to open it and figured I'd do it once I got home. Well that was a bad idea. My toddler demanded all my attention and she picked that one day to refuse to go to sleep. I was finally able to open the box at around 10:30 that night (after curiosity had been burning a hole in me all day). Well I opened the box and found not one, but three packages inside:
Hmmm. What could they be. Maybe if I peek on top:
Prospex? Now that sounds interesting. What's that, a strap? and what is that ominous looking black box?
Figuring I'd leave what was obviously the watch for last, I started with the bag:
And this is what I found inside:
How COOL is that? A new Z-22 in it's Japanese packaging and a beautiful watch stand. Wait a minute, A z-22? What are these guys hinting at. Finding nothing else in the bag I moved on to the mysterious black box. I sent my daughter's chicken to check it out first:
The chicken said everything was cool, so I opened the box and check out what I found:
It looks like a leather box of some kind, but for the life of me I can't figure out what it is. The inscription is really cool though:
Wanting to know what it was, I went ahead and opened the box and imagine my surprise, it is a leather watch carrier for large watches:
Now that is really cool!
Ok so first is a dive strap and now a carrier for dive watches. Hmmmmm.... By now I'm sweating, so I turn to the prospex box:
Let's open that bad boy and see what it is:
No hints there. let's try a little more:
Instruction manuals, Cool. Wait what's that one on the bottom:
Japanese writting? 7C46? Nah, It couldn't be? Now I'm digging into the box:
Yes here is the prize. the all mighty yellow JDM prospex box. Let's open that sucker:
Hmm??? Is that an Anvil bracelet? Now I'm confused. but I continue and suddenly the room goes quiet and my jaw drops to the floor. here is what is inside the box:
Yes folks, these rascals somehow managed to find an SBBN007 Tuna can and gave it to me as a gift! WOS, I am deeply touched, especially since this is my favorite of all the shrouded divers and one that I postponed buying for a long time, then they went out of production and prices skyrocketed. I figured I'd missed the boat on them. Somehow these guys found out that I wanted one and managed to track one down. Yes I squealed like a little girl. Here are a few more pics:
and the obligatory Wrist shot:
I forgot to record my self squealing, but I did manage to take a blurry picture of the next generation of WIS after I showed her the watch the next day. As you she started dancing and was very happy (though that might have been because I had just given her her own watch):
The watches came with a couple of letters (which I originally missed and almost threw out). the letter was addressed from the roughly 50 forumers who helped put this together. Thanks so much for everything guys, you have made my year. Rest assured that this is one watch that will never get traded or sold. This is one with a hell of a story and I will always treasure it. Thanks, you guys are the best!
The second letter was more surprising. Apparently they collected too much money and there was some left over, which they are going to donate to a charity of my choosing. It's amazing to me that there was such a response and that it was not official, but rather from regular forum members. Guys who I'm sure I've argued and had lively discussions with before. I am forever in your debt guys. It is times like this that I see that this is far more than a simple hobby. This is really an extended family of friends that extends far beyond watches. You guys make me proud to be a small part of it.
Thank you.
Gabe
