SEIKO Dive Watch Giveaway with DC Vintage Watches

Mar 24, 2020 | Art prints, Design, Horology Series, News, T shirts

Seiko Dive Watch Giveaway

uchi horologi series ホロロジーシリーズ

DC Vintage watches along with uchi and Southpaw Leather Goods is giving away a Seiko dive watch package, which includes:

1) 1993 Seiko 7S26 automatic dive watch

2) Two Southpaw Leather Goods leather straps

3) The uchi SKX “The Wave” print and a SKX Day Date Wheel T shirt!

Read on to find out how to enter

The Watch:

There are many vintage Seiko divers popular with collectors, and the legendary 7S26 is one of these. With good reason, Seiko was able to build a cult following around this movement and its various iterations. Of significant note – Seiko oddly discontinued these legendary divers in 2018.

The design of this 7S26 is classic and simple, with immediate evidence of those that came before it, namely the instantly recognizable Seiko 7002 automatic, 7548 quartz, and even the famous 6309 diver. Its automatic movement is tough and reliable – during its heyday, it was also popular with various armed forces for this same reason, despite the widely held (false) assumption that military personnel only wear military watches issued to them.

Seiko’s 7S26 is a logical step in its mechanical movement line, which debuted in 1996 to replace the 7002 in Seiko’s popular dive watch line. This 7S26 incorporates quickset day and date displays, and automatic bi-directional winding via Seiko’s patented Magic Lever system. The 7S26 automatic movement is a very reliable workhorse – with a power reserve of approximately 40 hours – and it runs at 21,600 beats per hour.

About DC Vintage Watches

DC Vintage Watches has great respect for classic mechanical movement timepieces – usually originating from the vintage and retro eras, spanning from the 1950’s to 1990’s – for the care taken during this period by Swiss, American, and Japanese watchmakers to ensure the owner had a keepsake worthy of lasting decades (and longer), all at an affordable price. We strive to bring these beautiful and interesting watches, the type people will undoubtedly notice on your wrist, to our discerning customers.

Each one of the vintage watches we curate has its own unique story, which we do our best to track down for our customers – doing the research to find these stories is half the thrill of the vintage watch hunt, and we do it well.

You can find DCVW on Instagram @dcvintagewatches or via email at dcvintagewatches@gmail.com.

The SKX Wave Print and Day Date T Shirt:

If you are an Seiko SKX009 owner (the ‘Pepsi’ bezel version) you will know the relevance of featuring the Hokusai Wave in this design. The engraving on the back of the SKX dive watch is a homage to Hokusai’s Great Wave woodblock print. This is an unframed, high quality, signed and titled art print, printed onto a lovely 300 gram matt paper.

The Seiko SKX Day Date Wheel Watch shirt based on the Seiko SKX diver’s watch. As with many watch day date wheels, the SKX has various versions – choose between the International Day Date Wheel with days in English and French, the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) Day Date Wheel which has the days of the week in English and Japanese typically for watches intended for the Japanese domestic market (JDM) or the Arabic Day Date Wheel version with Arabic and English days of the week.

Seiko SKX meets The Great Wave off Kanagawa wall art

Seiko SKX Pepsi meets The Great Wave off Kanagawa wall art

Seiko SKX Pepsi meets The Great Wave off Kanagawa art pint detail

Seiko SKX Japanese day date wheel men's black T shirt

Seiko SKX Japanese day date wheel men's white T shirt

Seiko SKX International day date wheel men's black T shirt

Seiko SKX International day date wheel men's white T shirt

Seiko SKX Arabic day date wheel men's black T shirt

Seiko SKX Arabic day date wheel men's white T shirt

The Straps:

Two high-quality hand made leather straps, one navy blue with red accent stitching, the other black with white. Both straps comes with high-grade stainless steel brushed hardware – nothing but quality here!

More on Southpaw Leather Goods:

Southpaw Leather Goods is a maker of fine leather watch straps and wallets based out of central Iowa. Using only the highest quality leathers, Andrew creates each unique piece entirely by hand using traditional leather working techniques. SLG specializes in custom straps, using a few measurements from you and your watch to create a finished strap completely custom to you and your watch.

You can find Andrew on Instagram @southpawleathergoods or via email at andrew@southpawleathergoods.com.

TO ENTER

Like our post on this contest on Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter;
Follow @dcvintagewatches, @uchiclothing, and @southpawleathergoods on Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter;
Repost this contest onto one of your social media accounts, preferably Instagram;
Tag two people.

That’s it!

Giveaway ends April 5th, 2020

uchi horology series

Watch this space

Brand Ambassador for Geckota

Jun 10, 2018 | Horology Series, News

Brand Ambassador for Geckota

I was surprised, honoured and humbled when asked to collaborate with Gloucestershire-based watch and watchstrap company Geckota Ltd, and be one of their first brand ambassadors.

Now, a year later, I feel less overawed and can see how our shared commitment to authenticity, original designs, ethical business and engaging stories means we complement each other remarkably well…

One of the things I like best is the match between our ethical and creative approaches. Like my Uchi brand, Geckota Ltd, and its WatchGecko e-commerce presence, grew from one man’s (Jonathan Quinn, Geckota Ltd’s founder) passion to source and supply quality watchstraps and watches. Jon saw an opportunity to create products that weren’t available at a certain quality and price point. Similarly, Uchi grew from my desire to express certain ideas and inspirational feelings in urban wear, artworks and homewares.

Grounded in authenticity

Both brands are grounded in authenticity – never parody. We’re committed to original designs, artistic integrity, good value and quality. And respect for what inspires us – always with an interesting backstory.

I grew up immersed in Hip Hop, but always believed that the culture is more than just ‘rap, dance and graffiti’. So, alongside a career dominated by design, printing, photography and typography, I was driven to create a brand that celebrated intelligent, deeper understanding of the Hip Hop culture. That was how the Uchi Clothing brand began in the 1990s. Since then, it’s evolved into a speciality bricks and mortar, and online, retail business in Bristol. And become a creator of original limited edition screen prints and luxury homewares inspired by lifestyles, science, mathematics and art. And now, measuring time…

I hadn’t worn my watches for years

I’ve always appreciated watches that were meaningful to me and own a couple with the simple, clear, analogue dials that I like. For whatever reason, I’d never got into the passion and intense enthusiasm of watch lovers – whether for affordable micro brands or ultra-luxury watches costing the price of a nice house in Bristol. Now I’m starting to explore this world – and ‘getting’ the passion that drives watch fans.

The nostalgia of old watches

To be honest, it took a few days actually living with some Geckota watches (their first-generation Miyota-powered K1 and K1 V28) to bring me around. Suddenly, I realised that I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed wearing nice watches. Especially watches with stories behind them, which Geckota’s certainly have.

There’s something about the nostalgia of old watches and their respectful contemporary homages. Maybe it’s the way they need winding – that regular daily attention like feeding a Japanese Tamagotchi. Or the tactility and constant reminder of geometric precision and micro-engineering that’s with you when they’re on your wrist.

Meeting the Geckota team and being given a couple of their pilot watches didn’t just rekindle my appreciation of watches. It reawakened something hard-to-define and nostalgic in me. Since then, I regularly catch myself being seduced by the tactility and micro-engineering of timepieces. Above all, I’m discovering this world and its design possibilities with fresh eyes. And growing more fascinated and inspired to create by the day.

A logical extension of my existing designs

I’d long harboured, and put off for years, a desire to experiment with more geometric, mathematical, mechanical and technical illustrations. Doing so seemed a logical way to extend my existing designs. They say every idea has its time. Being introduced to Geckota fits perfectly with my aspirations – and theirs.

With the gradual blossoming – like sakura across springtime Japan – of our relationship, I know the time has arrived. This renewed exposure to horology excites me with its opportunities to experiment with illustration inspired by watches’ geometric, mathematical and technical form. It’ll be an interesting, and well-overdue, extension of the creative work I’ve done before – including projects based on the Fibonacci sequence, the Golden Section, the mathematical constant Pi and designs featured in Spain’s Alhambra Palace.

A serendipitous opportunity

There’s something particularly inspiring when a serendipitous opportunity (in this case, being introduced to Geckota) corresponds with timely reawakening of aspirations. It’s given me the excuse to experiment with ideas that I’d put off for years. Perhaps in future, I’ll fulfil another long-held ambition and design a Uchi watch, maybe with Geckota. Why not?

Then there are the more immediate and realisable possibilities of teeshirts, watchstraps and high-quality prints inspired by classic watch formats. And of course, as with everything I’ve done already, they’ll be designed and printed in Bristol, and given my unique Uchi twist. As well as stretching my creativity, what a great opportunity to extend the exposure of the Uchi brand to new audiences.

Harnessing decades of experience

Now to embrace this new world (to me) of horology. I’m confident. It’s a long way from the disciplines of printing, photo-typesetting, desktop publishing, technical writing, typography, design and urbanwear that have occupied me for over three decades. But what an opportunity to harness everything I’ve learned and apply it to the world of watches and watch design…

As ever, I’ll listen to my inner voice. Then I’ll do what I always do – what I was put here to do – and draw on all those years of experience, and the influences shaping my approach to design: influences as diverse as Japanese language and culture; Hip Hop artists like KRS-One; typeface designers including Ed Benguiat and Jonathan Barnbrook; comic book illustrators such as Frank Miller; Animé masters Hayao Miyazaki; and even Harry Beck, the designer of the iconic London Underground map.

Let’s see where it all leads…

Take these, then mix with everything I’ve learned and the myriad ideas in my head. Trust the self-belief that’s served me so well before; be guided by my proven commitment to authenticity, artistic and production integrity, originality, and really caring for what I do. Basically, what served me so well for years.

And see where the world of watches and the new association with Geckota takes me…

TAG Heuer Monaco art prints and t-shirts

Jun 7, 2018 | Art prints, Art work, Design, Horology Series, News, T shirts

TAG Heuer Monaco art prints and t-shirts

uchi horologi series ホロロジーシリーズ

For our first Uchi Horology Series project, we’ve created a couple of unique TAG Heuer Monaco art prints and digitally printed t-shirts.

At the suggestion of our friends at Geckota, we took a classic – genuinely iconic – racing chronograph… So here’s our unique take on the Heuer Monaco. Not just any old Heuer Monaco either, but the famous Cal. 11 powered Ref. 1133B ‘Steve McQueen Monaco’. The watch that made history on McQueen’s wrist in the movie Le Mans…

Highlights of this design include Heuer’s exquisite Cal. 11 movement. Then we added some Junghans references (imagine if Max Bill had designed the Monaco). There’s more than a nod to Jo Siffert’s Porsche 917K (Kurzheck, or short tail) too. In particular, references to the Number 20 car (chassis 917-024) driven by McQueen’s character, Mike Delaney. We bring everything together with a unique Uchi treatment showcasing our graphic design, typography, technical communication and design-for-print skills.

We hope you love your Heuer Monaco timepiece art as much as we’ve enjoyed researching, designing and printing it for you.

Browse our Heuer Monaco timepiece art now

More on Heuer Monaco art prints and t-shirts

Our TAG Heuer Monaco inspired artwork and printed garments have been designed and crafted to delight watch collectors, racing fans and movie buffs alike.

Maybe you own a TAG Heuer Monaco watch or collect Steve McQueen art? If so, these designs have lots to offer. Equally, if you collect Le Mans art, Jo Siffert art or even Porsche 917 art, at least one these prints or garments really should be in your collection.

The inspiration for our Heuer art prints

The inspiration for these timepiece artworks comes from the famous avant garde Heuer Monaco watch worn by the late, great, Steve McQueen in the motor racing move Le Mans. Then, for good measure, we referenced the awesome Porsche 917K, itself an iconic sports car, driven by Mike Delaney, played of course by the King of Cool, Steve McQueen, in the film.

The birth of the Steve McQueen Monaco watch

According to Jack Heuer’s autobiography, The Times of my Life, the Heuer Monaco’s distinctive square case was designed by case supplier Piquerez. Swiss watch case makers Piquerez supplied many cases to Heuer in the 1960s. The Monaco wasn’t the first square-case chronograph. Universal Genève and others had manufactured square button chronographs for decades. What made the patented Piquerez case different was that it was the first fully water resistant square case. Heuer quickly negotiated a deal with the Jura-based firm to give Heuer exclusive use of the new design for chronographs. The story of the Steve McQueen Monaco, Heuer’s ‘Project 99’, with its Calibre 11 automatic winding mechanism, had begun. Now, half a century later, this innovative watch inspires the first Uchi Horological Series art work.

For collectors of Jo Siffert art too?

Great successes often come from serendipitous events. Uchi’s introduction to UK-based watch and strap company Geckota is a case in point. Our relationship was key to the launch of the Uchi Horology Series.

Heuer’s inspired decision to sponsor young Swiss racer Jo Siffert in the 1960s was similarly important. Indeed, Siffert was arguably the prototypical watch brand ambassador. Through a fateful series of events, the relationship gave Heuer’s watches the promotional boost needed to bestow iconic status for ever.

This was particularly so with Heuer Autavias such as the 1966 ‘Rindt’ Ref. 2446 and the panda-dial Ref. 1163T ‘Siffert’. And, of course, the most famous Heuer of all – the Steve McQueen Monaco.

In the late 1960s, Jo Siffert, who, tragically, was to die at Brands Hatch in 1971) was widely considered one of the greatest talents in Formula 1 and sports car racing. Because of this, our Heuer Monaco watch art works should also appeal to collectors of Jo Siffert art.

When Heuer was finalising development of the square-dialled ‘Project 99’ Monaco chronograph, Jo Siffert drove for Porsche in sports car racing events, including the annual 24 Hours of Le Mans. He was also the official Porsche dealer in Fribourg, Switzerland – an hour’s drive (or maybe less for Jo Siffert) south from Heuer’s La Chaux de Fonds factory. The Swiss also owned numerous contemporary racing cars, and was well liked and well connected on the Formula 1 and sports car racing scenes. This would soon lead him to involvement in Steve McQueen’s forthcoming project to direct and star in the greatest, most authentic, motor racing film ever made.

Racing watches for the Le Mans movie

By 1970, Heuer had appointed film industry property master Don Nunley to help with product placement in Hollywood movies. In June 1970, Nunley was property master on the forthcoming Steve McQueen film, Le Mans and needed a selection of watches and other timekeeping equipment. Heuer were quick to oblige…

Jo Siffert had joined the project to organise drivers and cars to for additional filming. This took place later in 1970, on the Le Mans circuit, using cars that had been in the actual race, interestingly, the whole 1970 race was filmed from trackside and from a camera-equipped Porsche 908. During the race, Siffert and co-driver Brian Redman drove the now-iconic Number 20 John Wyer Automotive (JWA) Gulf Porsche 917 that McQueen’s Mike Delaney drives in the movie. Unfortunately, despite leading the field on the first lap, and building a sizeable lead, they were forced to retire with gearbox problems while leading the race in the early hours of Sunday morning…

Steve McQueen wanted to replicate Jo Siffert’s look

McQueen was mentored by Jo Siffert and Gulf Porsche teammate Derek Bell during filming on the Circuit Permanent de la Sarthe after the 1970 Le Mans 24 Hours race. Though an accomplished sports car racer (who nearly won the 12 Hours of Sebring earlier in 1970), his insurers forbid him to drive in the actual French classic. No such bans applied to him driving the mighty Porsche 917 during later filming. McQueen loved Jo Siffert’s ‘look’, complete with Heuer-emblazoned racing suit and Heuer chronograph watch. He insisted on replicating this look exactly in the film, complete with the same racing suit.

At this point, the story goes, Don Nunley offered McQueen an Omega to wear. However, the star rejected this due to fears that Omega would exploit the association. Instead, McQueen chose the less well known Heuer Monaco Cal. 11 that now inspires the first Uchi Horology Series designs.

Not only was wearing a Heuer watch consistent with the racing suit logos for filming continuity. Significantly, the Monaco, rather than the round-dialled bi-compax Heuer Autavia that Siffert wore, was the only Heuer watch on set for which there were three identical copies (for filming, stills and backup).

The rest is watch, motor racing and cinematic history…

More on Heuer Monaco art prints and t-shirts

As you can see, our launch products for the Uchi Horology Series come with impressive historical influences and a great back story.

TAG Heuer Monaco Watch Art – Heuer Art Prints – TAG Heuer T-shirt

This is must-have suite of high quality Heuer art prints finalised for digital, Giclée or digital t-shirt printing. Will you choose one of our digitally printed TAG Heuer art prints, several striking t-shirts, or a print and t-shirt set?

Whatever you select, you, or a lucky gift recipient, can look forward to a product designed and manufactured with passion and attention to detail. The same kind of passion and attention to detail that Steve McQueen put into Le Mans. And that Heuer (the watchmaker only became TAG Heuer in 1985) put into its now-iconic Monaco racing chronograph.

It’s time to choose your Heuer Monaco art work

So, which of our tribute art works to the classic Heuer Monaco, the King of Cool, and a golden age of sports car racing will you choose?

Welcome to the Uchi family and our unique Horology Series.

View the uchi horology series

SHOP

Written by
Al Hidden
June 2018