Traveling to Japan soon and building my first collection from scratch. Rate my shortlist and suggest swaps.
Hey everyone,
I’m completely new to the watch world. Honestly, the only thing I’ve ever worn on my wrist is an Apple Watch, but I have a trip to Japan coming up soon and want to use the opportunity to dive headfirst into proper Japanese horology. My goal is to bring back a solid 5 to 7 watch collection straight from the source.
I’ve been doing some research and put together a shortlist of watches I plan to track down while I'm there. Budget isn't really an issue for this starting lineup, so I can buy all of these at once. But since I'm a beginner, I want to see if the community has better suggestions. If you think a specific watch here is redundant or if there's a legendary JDM (Japan Domestic Market) model I should swap in instead, please let me know!
Here is my current shopping list:
The Rugged/Divers:
Citizen Promaster Marine Diver (BN0151-17L) — Blue dial, Eco-Drive
Citizen Promaster Marine Series (BN0190) — Gold accents, Eco-Drive
Seiko 5 Sports SKX Series — Pepsi (Blue/Red) Bezel, Automatic
The Dressier/Mechanical Picks:
4. Orient Star Semi-Skeleton (RK-AT0004S) — White dial open-heart
5. Orient Bambino Sun & Moon — Vintage Ivory dial
Everyday Steel Braces:
6. Citizen Collection Eco-Drive (BM7620) — Silver/Gold dual tone
7. Citizen Collection Eco-Drive (BM7620) — Clean black dial.
A few questions for the sub:
Do you see any major overlaps here? I'm wondering if I should drop one or two of the Citizen Eco-Drives so the collection doesn't feel too crowded with similar styles.
Also, since I will physically be in Tokyo and Osaka, are there any Japan-exclusive models like specific Seiko Alpinist variants, the Casio Oceanus line, or unique Orient Stars that I should look for instead of these standard models?
Lastly, should I swap one of these out for an entry-level Swiss piece like a Tissot PRX or a Hamilton Khaki Field, or should I just stick to pure Japanese craftsmanship for this specific trip?
Any advice on cool watch boutiques to visit in Tokyo, or general swap suggestions to make this a well-rounded collection would be awesome.
Thanks in advance!