Latest Review
It’s been made pretty clear time and again that we’re big fans of Seiko 5’s here at w&w. We’re are also into the Seiko sub-culture of watch modding, which is detailed in our Modding 101 article… Lastly, we can’t pass by a nicely executed field watch without taking a second look. So, when Go and Behold contacted us saying they were working on a modded Seiko 5 field watch with modder Nick Harris, it was clearly something we had to look into and share.
Before we get into the watch, let’s look at the players behind it. Go and Behold is a new on-line men’s store who are looking to bring “under-the-radar brands with great products and sensible prices to a discerning audience”… a goal we can certainly get behind here at w&w. Their small selection of wares currently include some selvedge jeans, chambray ties, leather wallets and a few other items. Naturally to our eyes, the Field Standard watch stood out as a really cool and unique offering from the store. With the fair amount of on-line men’s sites out there, few if any have pursued a custom watch, deferring to a slew of generic offerings. As Go and Behold co-founder Rohan says, the Seiko offers a lot of what they are about “refined style, solid craftsmanship and a lot of value for the money”.
The other half of the equation is Nick Harris, a relatively new player in the modding game. Based out of his home town of Philadelphia, Nick got into modding the old fashion way, by teaching himself out of fascination. He says it all began when he inherited his grandfather’s Omega Constellation. It was missing the crown and stem and he wanted to fix it himself… After doing some research he decided it was best to leave it to the professionals in that instance, but it put him on a path. Eventually, he made his way to vintage Seikos, and he started reading about them and experimenting. Now, he pursues small batches of mods based on Seiko 5’s and SKX’s. Ranging from Sinn-esque sterile pilots to a very exotic piece using mokume-gane (a laminated metal with dramatic graining) on the dial and bezel, he’s built a nice collection and a growing following.
And now, back to the watch. You simply can’t argue with a good field watch. They are purposeful, practical and oddly stylish. So, turning a Seiko 5 SNKL09 into one makes perfect sense… At 39 x 42 x 12.75mm, it’s the perfect size for a field, neither too big or small, wearing modern but hinting at its vintage influences. The L09 case is particularly nice too, featuring slight crown guards for a sportier build. For the dial, they went with a classic mil-layout hearkening to fields of the 60’s. Twisting things a bit, the hands are a much older style, speaking more to early twentieth century designs. The mix of the two works well though, creating something a bit more unique and playful. Finishing it off, they also added a domed mineral crystal, giving it a more vintage look.
On the wrist, it looks and wears great. In the scheme of Seiko 5’s, it sits between the SNK80x’s and the larger SNZG’s, putting it in a bit of sweet spot. Field watches are so versatile, that this is the kind of watch you could wear everyday easily. Just swap out the complimentary faux-croc leather for the original bracelet (also included) or for a nylon strap to adapt to the situation. The subtle but stylish decisions made for this watch (no logo, domed crystal, white hands, etc..) also give it a bit more personality than many current field offerings, which despite being classic can be a bit dry.
Coming in at $275 (or $315 in gold) and being limited to a handful of pieces… like 10 or so, the Go and Behold x Nick Harris Field Standard is a pretty awesome offering from the duo and hopefully the beginning of a continued collaboration. While the price is considerably more than an SNKL09 standardly is, for an extremely limited mod that is done by hand, the price seems very fair. Regardless, it’s awesome to see the sub-culture of watch modding starting to make its way into the world of bespoke style, as the two go hand in hand.
