u/Chinmaur76

So I finally bought my first Pilot Custom 823, and I’m just going to say it: I feel kind of stupid for waiting this long. And yes, i do own other Pilot fountains pens.

I’ve been collecting fountain pens for a while and the 823 has obviously been on my radar forever. Everybody talks about it. Everybody recommends it. But I kept passing on it for one very simple reason: I never really liked the demonstrator/translucent look on the 823.

Nothing against demonstrators. I own some from other brands. But when it comes to my nicer pens, I tend to like more traditional, classic-looking pens. That’s just where my taste normally goes.

Then I found the transparent black/smoke 823. It’s obviously still translucent, but it’s dark and discreet enough that it doesn’t scream “demonstrator” to me. So I finally decided to give it a shot. Well… I should have done this a long time ago

The balance is fantastic. The weight and size feel right in my hand. The ink capacity is ridiculous. Everything about it just feels incredibly well thought out.

What surprised me the most is that I recently got a Montblanc 146, which has been one of my grail pens for a long time. I absolutely love that pen. But sitting here with the 823 in one hand and the 146 in the other, I’m honestly amazed at how well the Pilot holds its own.

I’m not saying they’re the same pen. They aren’t. But purely as a writing instrument? The 823 is playing in that league for me. No question.

And considering what I paid for each one… that’s pretty remarkable.

For the other 823 owners here, did you have that same “oh… NOW I get it” moment when you finally bought one?

After months of searching, I finally got my Meisterstück LeGrand.

For some unknown reason, this particular configuration just kept escaping me. I wanted the classic black and gold LeGrand with a Medium nib. Nothing particularly exotic, but somehow I went through months of out of stock, unavailable, and dealers unable to procure one.

I checked several authorized dealers and even tried sourcing one from outside the U.S. At one point I had a dealer overseas trying to procure one for me, but that wasn’t going anywhere either. I know Montblanc inventory comes and goes, but after a while it honestly became a little frustrating.

There were other Montblancs available, but this was one of my grail pens and I didn’t want to spend this kind of money and compromise on the configuration I actually wanted.

Finally, Dromgoole’s here in Houston had exactly what I was looking for.

It arrived yesterday, I filled it with Montblanc Royal Blue, and started testing it. The Medium nib is incredibly smooth, the LeGrand size feels perfect in my hand, and this is exactly the Montblanc writing experience I had been looking for.

After all the trouble finding one, I’m actually glad I waited for the exact pen I wanted.

The one that kept escaping me is finally home.

A little follow-up to my previous post asking about vintage fountain pens.

First, thank you to everyone who commented, shared advice, and encouraged me to give vintage pens a try. I read through the recommendations and decided to take the plunge.

My first one arrived this week: a Parker 75, French-made, matte black with gold trim and a 14K medium nib.
And… yeah. I get it now.

I’ve been using it for several days and I’m genuinely impressed. The nib is incredibly smooth, the pen feels fantastic in the hand, and there’s something very different about using a writing instrument that’s already been around for decades and is still doing exactly what it was designed to do.

So now I’m turning the question back to all of you who got me into this:

Show me your vintage fountain pens!

I have a feeling this Parker 75 may have opened a door I probably should have left closed.

Let’s see them!

I wasn’t expecting this level of lume when I bought it.

Fresh charge, a few seconds under a flashlight, and it absolutely lights up the room. The bezel pip, indices, and hands are all evenly matched, and the brightness is honestly impressive for a watch in this price range.

Definitely one of the strongest lume performers in my collection.

I picked this one up mostly out of curiosity, and I honestly wasn’t expecting it to impress me this much.

The 38mm case is just about perfect for my wrist. It has that classic vintage diver feel, wears incredibly comfortably, and the proportions are spot on.

The lume is absolutely phenomenal. I knew it was supposed to be good, but it exceeded my expectations.

The only modification I made was swapping the original bracelet for a jubilee-style bracelet. To my eye, it really completes the vintage look and gives the watch even more character.

Sometimes a watch just clicks the moment you put it on. This has become one of those watches for me, and I find myself reaching for it far more often than I ever expected.

Does anyone know if there’s an original quick-adjust ratcheting clasp available for this bracelet, or even a complete bracelet with an integrated ratcheting clasp that fits this model? I’d love to keep everything looking as close to OEM as possible while adding on-the-fly micro-adjustment.

I bought this Land Tortoise because I loved the case and size, and it’s been with me for a few years now.

Over time, though, I kept finding myself wishing it leaned a little more toward the diver side of the family.
So instead of buying another watch, I decided to slowly evolve this one.

First, I replaced the factory Hardlex with a domed sapphire crystal featuring blue anti-reflective coating.

That alone completely changed the personality of the watch and made the dial come alive.

I also swapped the original bracelet for a more refined jubilee-style bracelet, which completely transformed the comfort and gave the watch a personality that suits its new look much better.

The latest change was swapping the original compass bezel insert for a classic black ceramic dive insert. I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but once it was installed, it finally looked like the watch I had been imagining.

It’s still very much a Land Tortoise underneath, but now it feels like the Land Tortoise that secretly always wanted to be an aquatic one.

Some people prefer keeping everything original, and I completely respect that. For me, though, modifying watches is part of the hobby. It lets me create something that’s a little more personal while still appreciating the original design.

I think this one has finally reached its final form.

I made an exception to my usual automatic-only rule and picked up this JDM Casio Wave Ceptor in titanium.

I knew it would be light… but I wasn’t expecting this light.

I wear an Apple Watch Series 11 in titanium very often and somehow this Casio feels even lighter. Once it’s on the wrist, it honestly disappears. It’s one of those watches you forget you’re wearing after a few minutes.

Between the titanium case and bracelet, Tough Solar, Multiband 6, and 100m water resistance, it feels like Casio engineered it to be the ultimate grab-and-go watch.

Anyone else own one of these titanium Wave Ceptors?

I’m starting to understand why they have such a loyal following.

Went with a classic today.

I grew up watching James Bond movies with my dad, so 007 has always been something we shared.

When Omega released the Seamaster 300 “Spectre,” it immediately became one of those watches I knew I’d eventually own.

Beyond the Bond connection, I just love the vintage styling, the broad arrow hands, and how comfortable it is on the wrist. It’s one of those watches that never gets old.

What’s on your wrist today?

The Omega Seamaster 300 never disappoints after the lights go out. One of my favorite nighttime companions.

Let’s see your best blue lume!

My first Proxima finally arrived, and I have to say… I’m seriously impressed.

I’ve owned and handled plenty of watches across very different price ranges, and this doesn’t just look good in photos, it genuinely feels like a quality watch on the wrist.

The finishing is excellent, the dial and applied markers have real depth, the domed crystal looks fantastic, the bezel action feels solid, and the lume is great.

The bracelet and clasp also deserve some credit. The clasp is a substantial piece of steel and feels far more solid than I expected. Once sized, the whole watch feels very well balanced and comfortable on the wrist.

Nothing about it feels rattly, flimsy, or cheap.

The seller also regulated it before shipping, and the timegrapher showed -1 s/day, 301° amplitude and 0.0 ms beat error.

What surprised me most is that I’m not thinking, “This is great for the money.” I’m thinking, “This is just a genuinely good watch.”

For those of you who’ve owned Proxima watches for a while, which model do you think is their best? I have a feeling this won’t be my last one.

Giving the Seiko Land Tortoise some wrist time today. I’ve changed a few things over time: domed crystal with blue AR and a beads-of-rice bracelet, and it has become one of the most unique watches in my rotation.

What’s getting wrist time for you today?

Seiko lume never disappoints. What’s glowing on your wrist tonight?

Caught this view of the Battleship Texas during sunset this evening. The lighting, signal flags, and reflections on the channel made for one of my favorite shots from the trip.

It’s easy to forget you’re looking at one of the most historic ships in the U.S. while enjoying a Gulf Coast sunset.

Anyone else enjoy watching the ship from this angle?

Took the Montauk out on the Galveston-Bolivar Ferry today. It spent the day at the beach, on the water, and in the Texas heat without missing a beat.

The beads-of-rice bracelet continues to be one of the most comfortable I’ve worn, and the blue dial looks even better in natural sunlight.

Anyone else wearing a dive watch today?

Took the Squale Montauk to Galveston this evening. The combination of the clean dial, slim profile, and beads-of-rice bracelet makes it incredibly comfortable, and it just feels like it belongs by the water.

What are you wearing today…?

One of my favorite things about Seiko is that they don’t just make bright lume, they make usable lume.

This is my Prospex SNE595, and every time I step into a dark room I’m reminded why Seiko’s Lumibrite has such a loyal following.

What watch in your collection has the best lume? Let’s see those glow shots!

I’ve had this Proxima PX1697 sitting in my Amazon cart for about a week now.

On paper it checks a lot of boxes for me:
Clean white dial
Slim vintage-inspired diver look
No unnecessary text
Date at 6

Seems like a great everyday beater

My hesitation is that I already have a few divers, and I’m trying to decide whether this is genuinely a great watch or just another case of “new watch syndrome.”

For those who own one:
How’s the finishing?
How’s the bracelet and clasp?
Any regrets?
Does it wear as nicely as it looks in photos?
Yey or ney?

I’ve owned quite a few dive watches over the years, from affordable pieces to Swiss brands, and I thought I had a pretty good idea of what “good lume” looked like.

Then I turned the lights off on this Henry Archer Nordsø.
The photo honestly doesn’t do it justice. The dial, hands, indices, and bezel all light up like a tiny flashlight on the wrist.

What are your current lume monsters? I’m always looking for new additions to the collection….