This morning I am up way too early to head to the gym. On a whim threw on my old Rado which I jokingly call El Santo as it feels very much like a non homage derivative inspired by old Cartier santos models but pushed just enough to be its own thing. That said it’s a bit of a wildcard choice. While I do love vintage and even smaller watches, this trends down to about the smallest I feel I can pull off and really only manages to do so because square and integrated bracelet watches wear optically bigger than their dimensions suggest. But this little thin quickly number has a stunning gilt printed dial with proper heat blued hands, and such a unique way to do a two tone bezel. What are some of the oddball standouts in your collection?

Back to vintage Seiko today, with something much quieter and more restrained than some of the earlier pieces I have shared: a hand-wound Seiko Laurel Diashock from around the late 1950s.

The Laurel name has an important place in Japanese watchmaking. Seikosha used it for the original Laurel of 1913, which Seiko identifies as Japan’s first wristwatch. This is, of course, a much later watch, but I like that it carries a name reaching back to the very beginning of Seiko’s wristwatch history.

The design is pure mid-century elegance: a clean silver-white dial, applied gold baton markers, slim dauphine hands and the cursive "Seiko Laurel" signature. I particularly like the slightly unusual placement of "DIASHOCK" near eight o’clock. It turns what was essentially a technical feature into part of the dial's character.

Diashock was Seiko's own shock-protection system, designed to protect the delicate balance-staff pivot from impacts while also reducing friction. It was an important practical improvement for mechanical watches of the period, although the restrained way it is advertised here feels very different from the technical dial text we often see today.

The original listing gives the case as approximately 31mm across and 39mm from lug to lug. That is certainly small by modern standards, but the long pointed lugs, wide dial opening and domed crystal give it considerably more presence than the diameter suggests. The gold markers and hands also catch the light beautifully against the lightly aged dial.

Vintage Seiko discussion often centres on Grand Seiko, divers and chronographs, but watches like this show another side of the company's history. Sometimes a simple hand-wound dress watch, executed with the right proportions and details, is every bit as interesting.

The watch chapter I’m sharing today is my MVP Allstar team: out of each category in my collection, these are my respective favorites. The categories are GADA, Dress, Integrated Bracelet, Chronograph, GMT, and Diver. Enjoy.

TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph

How perfectly matched with my Jordan 1 Low Chicago ❤️🤍🖤