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Should a modern homage to the Seiko 6139 Pogue be made?

  • Yes. If the quality / price were good, I'd buy one

    Votes: 25 53%
  • Yes. But perhaps a modernised looking version, that keeps the originals asthetics

    Votes: 4 8.5%
  • I guess I'd have to see it first

    Votes: 14 30%
  • No. Don't mess with this classic

    Votes: 4 8.5%

Is A Modern Homage To The 6139 Pogue A Good Idea?

11K views 36 replies 15 participants last post by  Mr.Jones  
#1 ·
Hi Gents,
I know I have a low post count here, but there's a bit of my past that I haven't shared with you, basically as it has no real relevance to Japanese Watches, but it's a bit more in depth here:

http://www.watchfreeks.com/9-introduce-yourself/188578-new-member-says-hi.html

Anyway, 10 years have passed and I've got the itch to make some more watches.

But I don't want to make a "trendy" watch, or another diver. I want to remake a watch I want to make.

As the title suggest, I want to make a modern Pogue, my all time favourite Seiko.

It won't be a straight copy, primarily because there's no suitable Japanese auto movement.

But there is a suitable quartz Seiko moment. The main "second" hand would be the chrono seconds, the 6 o'clock subdial would count the chrono minutes, but it would be 60 minutes instead of 30.

There would be the date window, but not the day. I'd go for the "sunburst" yellow dial with the pepsi bezel.

The case would be a new mould based on the original. It would be SS. The strap would look the same, but be of solid links.

The inner bezel would rotate as per the original, the glass would be a sapphire crystal, it would have 5ATM water resistance.

I'm still in the design phase with my partner in the east, but after initial specs and design, he says that with new tooling, it would be achievable.

It obviously wouldn't be branded Seiko, or Pogue or 6139, but by a new brand I'll create (not Bravus, if you read the thread on WatchFreeks).

I wouldn't do a fancy box, books or collection of tools and straps, it would be about the watch and making it as attractively priced as possible.

I think I'd get about 300 made maximum, as that the MOQ to get the tooling and production done.

So, the question is in the poll. Is this a bad idea or is this something you'd actually buy, depending.

I do expect hostility as I'm not past thinking it may be sacrilege to do this, but I thought if anyone would appreciate a watch like this, it would be you guys.

Again, I'm doing this just because I want to and it would give me a project to get my teeth in to that would offset the monotony life can be sometimes.
 
#2 ·
I'd hit it. Please go ahead!

... partly because it IS sacriledge, and doing that requires some guts and a bit of tongue-in-cheek humour. Partly because it is a watch mostly wanted by watch nerds who'd spot it as about "hommage" immediately. So, IMO, not a watch you'd buy in order to impress the hoi polloi ... :)
 
#3 ·
Cheers,
It's a watch nerd wanting to do something his own would like. It would not look identical. I quite fancy doing one with a red or chocolate sunburst dial to be honest.

Otherwise I'd play it safe like I did before and do another Rolex homage for mass market appeal, if that's what I wanted...
 
#4 ·
I was excited until you said quartz movement, but reality always intrudes, doesn't it?
 
#6 · (Edited)
I was excited until you said quartz movement, but reality always intrudes, doesn't it?
I know.
A Valjoux 7750 would be awesome, with 2 dials just hidden behind the dial leaving the one at 6...but then we have a $700 watch, at least.
Then we have a chinese auto and I don't think that idea would appeal to anyone...
There's the Seiko NE88, but it has the hour counter a 6, so it wouldn't work either.

I want to sell it for less than ÂŁ200, shipped, all in.
 
#8 ·
Well, there is the Time Module NE88, but I don't know what pricing or availability is on that movement. I believe it has been used in some low volume watches, though. There is also a Miyota (Citizen) movement, but again, I don't know pricing or availability.

Good Luck!
 
#9 · (Edited)
Yeah, the NE88 has the hour counter at 6, so it wouldn't work...and the Invictas which have them are in Swiss Watch price territory, so I think they would be out of the price range too.
I couldn't find a Miyota auto chrono, their ones that look like auto chronos are those "day, date, 24 hour" dials, which I personally don't like.
But personally, I feel that it should have at least a Seiko heart.

In reality, no hands move on a Pogue unless you're using the chrono (or letting it run as you don't want to put stress on the clutch), so it normal use, you wouldn't know if it was powered by an auto or not :)
 
#10 ·
Yeah, I was confused about the Miyota movement. I thought there was a chrono, but no, only in quartz. Ah well.

Cheers!
 
#13 ·
Agreed. The case shape and the dial are going to be very similar to the original. The crystal won't be domed plastic, but flat sapphire.

With the all steel construction and sapphire, 10ATM "shouldn't" be a problem.

But the water resistance hasn't really been on the agenda at the moment, since the other watch I'm looking at doing is going to be based on a classic diver...:97:
 
#23 ·
TBH, when it comes down to it, I just couldn't do a straight copy. I wanted my watches to be more. They may not be totally original, but they're not a copy of anything. If you look at version "C" of my Rapide chronograph (it's in another thread) you can see where the inspiration came from. Unless 300 of you guys want to pre order one and we'll make it an SCWF one off and brand it accordingly?
 
#24 ·
To be honest I think it's only a good idea if it's only for you. Doing something because you love it is one thing, but doing something that's really personal to you AND trying to make it appeal to others can be a real challenge. You say it's only for you but you're petitioning to get at least 300 people to buy in. You'll probably get quite a few, who also have recommendations on the direction the watch will take. And at the end of the day, is it still going to be the same thing that you initially wanted?

So I say if you're willing to take a big loss in making the watch of your dreams, sure. If not, I'd research more into something that can be a happy medium between your dream watch and mass appeal.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#25 ·
Thanks, but in my previous comment I said that I just couldn't do a straight clone. However, I also started this thread. Maybe I got people's hopes up, but then let them down. I'm petitioning no one, but if 300 people wanted one, I would make it happen as, like I say, I started this thread and then changed my mind.
If you look here:
http://www.thewatchsite.com/21-japa...panese-watch-discussion-forum/197017-new-deaumar-rapide-chronograph-design.html
Look at version C. Not a straight copy at all, but certainly influenced.
 
#26 ·
I'm not saying you're making a straight clone, unless a straight clone of a Pogue is your dream watch. :) I'm just saying that the fact that you're going to be making 300 with the intention of recouping some of the money means you will make changes to it that moves if away from your "dream watch". If money was no option, and you just wanted to create a watch that was only desirable to you, then go for it. If people buy it along the way then sure.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#27 ·
Ok. We're getting a bit lost here. When I originally posted this, I had the idea of making a pogue homage. But as time went on, I realised I didn't want to do a clone. But I did say it might be happening and I don't want to disappoint people who thought it might be happening. So, since the thread was "bumped" I made the offer that if people really wanted a cloned pogue, I need 300 people to want it, as that would be the minimum I could get made at a decent price. If no one does, then it's a none issue. I don't seriously expect 300 people to say "yes please" without even so much as a rendering to look at, but I've made the offer anyway [emoji3]