# Seiko "Planet Monster"



## ASRSPR (Jun 8, 2009)

A few weeks ago, I was looking to put together another project watch. I wanted the best of both worlds (at least for a budget south of the $300 my recent Speedmaster purchase left in the Personal Watch Fund): a tool watch that dresses up. A diver was the obvious genre for this and within that, Seiko seemed the clear choice of base given the wide variety of custom parts to choose from.

I liked the 007's case and bezel, but didn't fancy its dial or hands - but of course these were exceedingly easy to find replacements for. I loved the Monster's rectangular dial indices and desired its legendary lume, but not much else about it (sorry, I know it has its fans; the, uh, aggressive bezel is a bit too bold for me), so I was rather pleased to learn from this forum that the Monster dial, with the integrated chapter ring removed, fit nicely into the SKX007 case (thanks nakedjohnny and V8!). From there on out, I just chose whichever parts I thought might good together and hoped for the best. I think it turned out rather well:










Big version:

__
https://flic.kr/p/4307698365

And the obligatory lume shot:









Big:

__
https://flic.kr/p/4308434566

In my previous research, Monster-dial-in-007 mods are pretty rare and I haven't seen any others with a Planet Ocean style bezel, so I'm going to take the opportunity to make this look the "*Planet Monster*". Charming, right?

Here's the parts list:
- Seiko SKX007K base
- Seiko OEM Black Monster dial (from Yobokies)
- Yobokies orange plongeur minute hands and Planet Ocean style bezel insert
- Noah Fuller aluminum chapter ring
- Motor City Watch Works plongeur hour and second hands
- William Jean Super Oyster Type II bracelet

*Observations:*

* I used V8's hour hand because it extends past the post, similar in shape to his and Yobokies's minute hands, lending a pleasant symmetry. The lume rectangle on his second hand also seems to be just marginally larger than the one on Yobokies. Lume on these hands is about even with Yobokies's hour and second hands.

* The lume on my Yobokies minute hand is *ridiculously* bright. The lume shot is a bit exaggerated because I've just charged the face with a flashlight, but it is evident even in normal use. The color is not much different from the dial indices - it looks white in the photo because it is overexposed (and thus brighter than the green indices). The lume on the other Yobokies hands are weaker and on par with the MCWW hands. What he calls "red" is more reasonably "orange" (at least on for the minute hand). MCWW's red is actually red.

* The Yobokies PO bezel insert has pretty weak lume. It is also shipped with a protective plastic overlay; mine seemed to have gotten caught where the lume dot fits over into the insert. The small strips that get torn off when removing the plastic are extremely hard to remove without scratching the insert. The lume dot is also highly domed rather than flat (common with fake POs, I understand).

* The Noah Fuller chapter ring had a bit of grease on it when it arrived, but this was pretty easily cleaned off. There are a few microscopic dots of it that I found zooming in to 1:1 pixels on macro shots, but these are generally invisible to the unassisted eye. Though it's mostly an aesthetic decision, the brushed aluminum finish reflects the lume light a bit, which is kind of nice in the dark.

* The Monster dial works really well here, I think. Removing the integrated OEM chapter ring is pretty straightforward, but a bit hard to do without deforming it (it's plastic). Removing this leaves four holes on the dial, visible in the pictures above. They're at 1:30, 4:30, 7:30, and 10:30 and are small and inconspicuous enough that they do not bother me at all. The plongeur hands work really well with it, as a number of people have also found. The hour hand is just shy of the ten-minute numerals on the shorter indices. The lack of minute-markings because of the removal of the Monster OEM chapter ring is remedied by using an SKX007 chapter ring with minute hashes.

* Speaking of which, aligning the chapter ring is *$#@ annoying. It was off by about half a degree and I couldn't live with it. I think it might still be about an eighth of a degree to the left, but it's too small a difference to be sure. Noah includes a small bit of a sticky gel to hold it in place, which is an absolute requirement for ensuring correct alignment. I used a very small amount for the chapter ring and the rest to glue the bezel insert on.

* William Jean's newish Super Oyster bracelet with solid end links is very nice. I wouldn't have thought that I'd fine a screw link bracelet at twice this price. Fit and finish are very high quality. The deployant is rather weak though. It feels far cheaper and much less well-finished on its internal surfaces than the bracelet links. On the hierarchy of diver clasps, it rates lower than the Orient Mako's or Watchadoo straps'. The bracelet has nice Seiko fat spring bars on the lug ends, but the deployant side uses very thin and cheap spring bars that make me a bit concerned - I replaced them with some thicker, more solid-feeling spring bars from smaller watches. The end links on the deployant side are also a bit less impressive and are made of a rolled bit of steel. Nothing to really worry about (unlike, perhaps, the deployant bars), but worth noting.

* The SKX007 has an exceptionally nice case at this price point. It's not immediately clear from most photos, but the top is brushed, but the sides and back are polished. It's a subtle, but *great* look. The sides of the bezel are, I think, too polished out of the box. A little work on them has made mine match closer the case top's brushed appearance.

* I did not feel like I had to adjust the watch. I think its daily rate has been around +3-4 seconds average for the past week. I'm pretty happy about that.

* I had an excellent experience with all the vendors. The actual watch parts were all ordered pretty much simultaneously, with MCWW's parcel arriving first by virtue of the fact that V8 is stateside. Yobokies beat out Noah Fuller by a few days, but I think they shipped around the same time and the difference is just a matter of chance.

Edit:

Adding two detail shots and a quick wrist shot:




























I also posted some minute hand color variations on this later post.


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## Beau8 (May 24, 2008)

Outstanding looking mod~Cheers! ;-)


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## W123 (Oct 15, 2007)

Wow.. impressive. Looks good. Im surprised at how good that monster dial look in the 007 case.


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## mngambler (Nov 2, 2009)

wow that is awesome...put a blue hand instead of the orange and I'd buy one instantly, great work I wish I had the patience and steady hands to do some mod work like this


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## T. Wong (Apr 5, 2006)

Very nice mod, with that PO bezel style! the slight curve makes it all! Well done!


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## pupuek (May 12, 2009)

nice nice nice!!!:-!


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## ancient_mariner (Jul 21, 2009)

Very impressive work! More photos please.


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## BenL (Oct 1, 2008)

Very impressive work! Yes, we definitely need more photos, please.


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## Mr.Charles (Feb 17, 2009)

Beautiful mod. :-!


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## Nimbrag (Apr 6, 2009)

Nice job!


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## aladin_sane (Mar 22, 2008)

To address the problem of the holes left after removing a chapter ring on this mod, I added a drop of the appropriately colored auto touch up paint to the back of the dial. The paint is drawn into the hole by capillary action and did a pretty good job of filling it in with no visible brush marks. I'm sure you could do the same with good results. The holes in my dial are at 5, 20, 35 and 50.


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## Outlawyer (Feb 21, 2009)

Whoa! Niiiiice


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## bluloo (Nov 24, 2008)

Beau8 said:


> Outstanding looking mod~Cheers! ;-)


++

Great photo too.


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## Rubber Strap (Feb 4, 2009)

Nice mod.



ASRSPR said:


> The sides of the bezel are, I think, too polished out of the box. A little work on them has made mine match closer the case top's brushed appearance.


I tend to agree about the finish on the bezel. Please tell and show us more about what you did to your bezel.


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## MarkB (Dec 5, 2007)

WOW

Very well thought out mod!!!


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## ASRSPR (Jun 8, 2009)

Rubber Strap said:


> Nice mod.
> 
> I tend to agree about the finish on the bezel. Please tell and show us more about what you did to your bezel.


Nothing really exotic I guess. Just sanded it down a bit with some 1000 grit sandpaper after removing the bezel insert. It isn't a very dramatically different look, but it is less shiny. The sort of crenelated section of the bottom side of the bezel matches the finish on the top of the case better now, I think.


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## AadmanZ (Mar 1, 2009)

Very nice...

Inspiring.. (for an aspiring Modder:-x)


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## louis (Feb 11, 2006)

@ ASRSPR

These two I don´t know :
- Motor City Watch Works 
- William Jean 
Would you mind giving me the links to them ?

Thanx

louis


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## Tank (Mar 14, 2006)

Very well done! That looks OEM!|>


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## ASRSPR (Jun 8, 2009)

louis said:


> @ ASRSPR
> 
> These two I don´t know :
> - Motor City Watch Works
> ...


MCWW is V8 of this forum. He's very helpful; his site is here: http://motorcitywatchworks.com/

William Jean's new Super Oyster IIs have been making a splash in the last few weeks. Isthmus reviewed it here: https://www.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?t=340714

His ebay listings are here:







http://myworld.ebay.com/wjean28/







http://myworld.ebay.com/wjean28/


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## louis (Feb 11, 2006)

Thanx a lot.


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## gregl515 (Aug 19, 2008)

Excellent job!


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## KaiZen (Sep 29, 2009)

Simply stunning!..

It really _does_ look OEM, as Tank said..

It would definitely be my next watch if it were available :-!


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## ASRSPR (Jun 8, 2009)

KaiZen said:


> Simply stunning!..
> 
> It really _does_ look OEM, as Tank said..
> 
> It would definitely be my next watch if it were available :-!


Thanks!

But why not build one yourself? If you get a good deal on the base watch, the total cost with the OEM strap is right around $200US. MCWW, Yobokies, and Noah Fuller were all a pleasure to deal with.

If you don't have the tools, cheap Chinese and Indian tools are good enough for this project. All you need are a caseback wrench, a hands pusher, a pair of tweezers (if you're careful, a cheap pair is okay, because it's just for the hands), a caseback knife (to get the bezel off - any cheap thin folding knife will do), and a crystal press. If you don't mind the stock black-with-white-hashes chapter ring, you don't even need the crystal press. Findingking should have cheap Asian-manufacture versions of all the stuff above for around $20 ($20 more for a cheap press).

I know that, as great and dependable as Seikos are, this one will get alot more wrist time because I did the work on it myself.

(This is just shameless self-promotion - if people make their own, maybe years down the line, "Planet Monster" will be a standard part of the informal vocabulary of the internet watch community - ah, probably not though!)


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## Spring-Diver (Jan 26, 2009)

Congrats on an excellent mod


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## Matt (Mar 8, 2006)

That is a fantastic mod! I love that such different elements all work together make such a cohesive final product.

Well done!


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## ASRSPR (Jun 8, 2009)

Per demand, I've gone back and processed a few detail shots. I don't think these are as good; the lighting was hurried and I didn't have the time to postprocess them fully.



















And a quick wrist shot:


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## bluloo (Nov 24, 2008)

Damn, you take great photos.

Looks like the crystal isn't even there. 


I took some today and was almost embarrased to post them after reviewing yours again.


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## zippofan (Feb 11, 2006)

Sweet mod, congrats on a great watch :-!

Hmmm, I'm thinking a Seiko mod may be in my future...

Cheers,
Griff


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## solarservant (Nov 6, 2009)

Well done. Want to buy one!


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## crew (Aug 14, 2008)

As everyone else has said, you did a FANTASTIC job with this! I really thought it was a new production model! :-!

I may have to try this when I decide to get another Seiko.... I'm still kicking myself for selling my 007 mod. :-( Maybe it's time... thanks for sharing!


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## Robson-RJ (Feb 26, 2009)

Great job! It was very beautiful, it's all perfect.


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## kvn (Oct 13, 2009)

Very nice! I'd love to get this one done, or attempt it when I find the skx007. Best of both worlds


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## little_w (Jan 21, 2009)

just found this post. now, that is a seiko i'd buy in an instant. should noah or someone else decide to make it a standard offer, i'm one happy buyer!


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## Ryan Alden (Nov 19, 2008)

that heavy modded. like it mate :-!


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## Ryan Alden (Nov 19, 2008)

btw, are you relume it as well? the lume looks very strong


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## oca_9i (Sep 9, 2009)

nice watch...i have ordered mine from Yokobies with the crstal sapphire glass and i hop that his is as perfect as yours...


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## samanator (Mar 8, 2008)

Very nice. One question, were you going more for a PO look? If so why didn't you use Harold's PO hands?


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## ASRSPR (Jun 8, 2009)

samanator said:


> Very nice. One question, were you going more for a PO look? If so why didn't you use Harold's PO hands?


I'm very fond of the look, but the PO's wider and flatter bezel makes for a very different profile than the 007 (or the Monster) case. I've seen the PO mods from Yobokies, with the bezel, hands, and 3-6-9 numeral dial and it didn't quite look right. So this is intended to be a somewhat new (franken)design rather than a homage.



oca_9i said:


> nice watch...i have ordered mine from Yokobies with the crstal sapphire glass and i hop that his is as perfect as yours...


Sweet! That's straight from Harold? An OEM Planet Monster, as it were. ;-)
The black chapter ring is a subtle difference. Makes the watch look a bit more serious and tool-like and a bit less, ah, "pretty". I know that Yobokies doesn't sell a stainless version with minute hash marks (mine is from Noah Fuller). Enjoy it!



Ryan Alden said:


> btw, are you relume it as well? the lume looks very strong


It's the stock Monster dial, which is rather bright. As I said, I'm not sure if I got a fluke minute hand or not, but that one hand does glow much brighter than the rest.


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## watch.aholic (Jan 19, 2011)

ASRSPR said:


> Big version: All sizes | Custom Seiko "Planet Monster" Diver watch | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
> 
> And the obligatory lume shot:
> 
> ...


Bump........but not without a reason...

Does anyone have a picture of this mod with a slight twist.....A blue minute hand instead of the red minute hand?


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## mav66 (Sep 1, 2008)

Stunning looking watch and great pics


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## ASRSPR (Jun 8, 2009)

Oh hey, this thread is back. Images per request:









Blue









Sky blue









Lime Green









Red









White


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## photoshooter (Nov 25, 2010)

If we're voting I like the green and the blue.
If I we're not voting I still like the green and the blue.

You're going to make me do one of these mods aren't you...
I don't think I can hold out much longer.


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## boatdrinks (Nov 16, 2008)

Great mod, kudos!


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## djchris (Oct 27, 2007)

I wonder how this piece would look like on a mesh bracelet.


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## Jonboy500 (Nov 29, 2011)

Just discovered this thread, sorry for resurrecting it.... actually no I am not! 

That is stunning! Not a fan of the 007, I know they have many fans but, just not for me. I am a fan of the Monster, I love mine, but the combination of the two with that bezel insert and those hands.... Perfect! b-)

Now I need to find funds after Christmas and build me one of these! :-!


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## pbj204 (Oct 23, 2008)

*Planet Sport*


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## photoshooter (Nov 25, 2010)

*Re: Planet Sport*

Very nice combo


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## Arco10 (Sep 10, 2009)

Just saw this thread, well done mod here is mine with sapphire crystal, black day & date, SUS style second hand with lime green Plongeur. 
Had it less than a year and still really enjoy it !


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## Marrin (Feb 8, 2011)

just WOW


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## kvn (Oct 13, 2009)

Nice this is the watch that got me started in this hobby. But I have to part with it, and have it up in the market place


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## zeroes n ones (Jan 15, 2013)

thought i'd give props to ASRSPR for this inspirational mod

your planet monster & its numerous revisions truly ignited my horology & mod madness

here's my spin on your legendary timepiece


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## NaturalMystic (Jan 14, 2011)

^Nicely done sir!


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## zeroes n ones (Jan 15, 2013)

cheers Natural

i only wish i had more left arms 😝


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## ASRSPR (Jun 8, 2009)

zeroes n ones said:


> thought i'd give props to ASRSPR for this inspirational mod
> 
> your planet monster & its numerous revisions truly ignited my horology & mod madness
> 
> here's my spin on your legendary timepiece


Well, I don't know about "legendary" ;-)

But hey, that looks great! The geometry of those hands matches the square indices rather well and I'm a big fan of the Murphy bezels too (I've got one on my "Middle Class Marine Master" mod that I showed off a few months ago).


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## blondeshot24 (Jun 14, 2013)

SO sexy!


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## Hwkaholic (Dec 23, 2012)

SHOT IN THE DARK HERE...

DOES ANYONE HAVE A PLANETMONSTER THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO SELL?? SEARCHING FOR A GRAIL!!! WILLING TO PAY TOP DOLLAR!!!


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## badams118 (Feb 10, 2011)

Just have Yobokies make you one.


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## Hwkaholic (Dec 23, 2012)

badams118 said:


> Just have Yobokies make you one.


Why?? When I can have an awesome WUSer sell me this mint one for an amazing price??


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## SgtBatman (Jan 26, 2012)

ASRSPR said:


>


This is the shot that convinced me that I wanted a '007.


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## idcastandblast (Jan 2, 2014)

Does anyone know what bezel this is? I really like the aggressiveness of it.



Hwkaholic said:


> Why?? When I can have an awesome WUSer sell me this mint one for an amazing price??


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## Mike.45 (Jul 3, 2012)

That is a Dagaz triple grip bezel used on the Tsunami and are no longer available. 

I have seen them on some modded SKX's in the sales forum but the are pretty rare outside of the Tsunami.


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## Beer O'Clock (Jul 14, 2012)

How have I never seen this piece?


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## Hwkaholic (Dec 23, 2012)

idcastandblast said:


> Does anyone know what bezel this is? I really like the aggressiveness of it.


From Yobokies. They are no longer available and are said to have been sold in limited quantity. I tried to buy a couple a few months ago to make another watch, but he was out.

Best bet is to find one already installed or in used condition.


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## timetellinnoob (Sep 23, 2010)

When I got this bezel (early 2011) I had no idea it was so sacred and limited =)

The option was there and I took it, never even had a second thought, haha.


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## BenGmin (Dec 25, 2013)

Wow that looks incredible! So much want.

dont suppose someone could tell me the parts I'd need to make a "Planet Monster"? Sorry for asking to be spoon fed but I'm a total noob! 

Cheers

edit - ignore me, just noticed parts list in OP. Serve me right for skim reading


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## Hwkaholic (Dec 23, 2012)

Here is the complete parts list and prices from Yobokies. (Minus the bezel)

- Black Monster Dial SKX779 - $38
- Domed Sapphire with inner AR coating - $48
- Plongeur hands with red minute hand and red second hand - $26
- black PO bezel insert for SKX007 - $26
- Silver Chapter Ring - $25

I have an extra set of hands that I would be willing to sell if you're interested. They're brand new never removed from package. Would sell for $22 shipped.


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## zeroes n ones (Jan 15, 2013)

thanks to eBay & left over parts i built another variation to ASRSPR's Planet Monster

staying true to the original black monster by keeping its chapter ring & black movement

here's my Planet Monster V2


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## Hwkaholic (Dec 23, 2012)

^does that have a black bracelet? Could you show moar pics please!!

I added a new bezel and bracelet today. I love how interchangeable the parts are on this watch!


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## zeroes n ones (Jan 15, 2013)

Hwkaholic said:


> ^does that have a black bracelet? Could you show moar pics please!!
> 
> I added a new bezel and bracelet today. I love how interchangeable the parts are on this watch!


its worn on a DLC coated super engineer 2 bracelet

wish the end links on the bracelet were curved flushed ends



















lord knows the sellers only need to coat one more link (emailed them of course)

i could send em to harold to have coated but the end result may not be an exact match (different DLC sources)

whatever

hey Hwkaholic, i love your set up so much just curious where u got the bezel insert & the hands?

if you dont wana advertise the ingredients to the colonels secret recipe shoot me a PM

cheers


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## Seiko Madness (Aug 6, 2013)

Hwkaholic said:


> ^does that have a black bracelet? Could you show moar pics please!!


I posted pics of my Planet Monster with a black oyster here: Post your mods here => - Page 165.

I also posted pics of another watch with a black super enginner here: https://www.watchuseek.com/f21/post-your-mods-here-=-246526-164.html#post7526892.


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## Hwkaholic (Dec 23, 2012)

zeroes n ones said:


> its worn on a DLC coated super engineer 2 bracelet
> 
> wish the end links on the bracelet were curved flushed ends
> 
> ...


Everything is from Yobokies.

I actually prefer the straight end links on the PM. gives it a slightly different look.


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## wm5382 (Sep 8, 2012)

wow

that's truly beautiful 
wish seiko could make one exactly like yours

Sent from my GT-I9500 using Tapatalk


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## Hwkaholic (Dec 23, 2012)

wm5382 said:


> wow
> 
> that's truly beautiful
> wish seiko could make one exactly like yours
> ...


Wish they wouldn't. That would take all the fun away from customizing!!


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## Dec1968 (Jan 24, 2014)

I have a modded 009 that I'm going to do this to. I like the mods but would LOVE this look.








The above watch will become a Planet Monster soon....


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## Dec1968 (Jan 24, 2014)

And now it won't. Sold it last night. LOL


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## Seiko Madness (Aug 6, 2013)

Dec1968 said:


> And now it won't. Sold it last night. LOL


That watch looks good. I guess there is a happy new owner somewhere in the world.


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## Dec1968 (Jan 24, 2014)

Seiko Madness said:


> That watch looks good. I guess there is a happy new owner somewhere in the world.


Yes and that matters.


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## lamlux (Feb 28, 2014)

Just finished up my Planet Monster, took a few photos of the process! I love it.

Planet Monster - Imgur


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## Duchf (Aug 28, 2013)

Hi folks,
Finally I'm gonna assemble PM as they keep me quite a long time.
I already got an offer from Harold. But I have some doubts which crystal to chose.
There are bubble boy coated sapphire, single domed and double domed crystal. Or fourth option is to get sapphire from ebay, that is much cheaper.
My concern about BB glass is that it's more looked as a big dial loop and creates strange proportions. but what is about both another?
I'd like to get clear deep dial as on most popular pic on the top of thread.
What is your opinion?

Thanks in advance.


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## Fluffyfreak505 (Jan 16, 2016)

I must buy a monster and do this. Thanks. Thanks alot :wink::wink:


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## nolte (Jun 28, 2016)

Thanks OP for sharing your creativity with us... and thanks Harold (Yokobies) for making one available to me. Just a really awesome watch.


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## Fazraza (May 16, 2017)

I'm looking to buy. Planet monster. Is anyone looking to sell or where can I build one from? Thanks


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