u/mrmmmok3

The sun is cool. Using the sun to track the date, time, and duration is cool-on-cool. I've been getting more into solar/quartz lately after coming from the land of automatics, and it's a refreshing world of accuracy, accessibility, and technology.

Not too long ago, I ranked chronographs at the bottom of my watch-type list. To get a quality automatic chronograph, it meant you had to spend a good amount of money for a relatively thick movement, and then even more money for a thin movement. I am more likely to use a helium escape valve than a tachymeter.

But, enter the Seiko Speedtimer solar quartz: it's not too thick, it's accessible, and the hook is that it has real heritage in the world of chronographs. The tachymeter remains nearly useless, except now I can tell you how many times in an hour I can tie my shoe.

The fit & finish of the dial and bezel is really quite good. At 39mm, it fits a lot of info into a small area, and the detail work is easy to appreciate. The indices have the classic Seiko shimmer, and all the hands line up (more on this later). The sandblast finish on the dial is subtle but very effective in making it more interesting.The case finishing, however, is only adequate. The top of the case rolls into the polished sides, versus a clean cut seen in higher-end watches in the same Prospex line.

With the busyness of a chronograph dial, I am glad Seiko decided to anger a lot of people and stick a really small date window at the 4:22 position. I don't get the current obsession with opting for no-date complications just for the sake of a "cleaner aesthetic" (I hate these 2 words together btw). Give me a date -- especially for a watch that is meant to be set-and-forget while it lasts 6 months on a single charge.

SIX MONTHS on a single charge, and +/- 15s PER MONTH. I have nothing to add to this point. If you don't like this, then you are an incongruent person who has spent $20k to solarize your home and charge your EV but yet cannot fathom a solar watch.

The bracelet is fine, and has no quick micro-adjust (I bet another version is out within the next 2 years), but that's not a deal breaker for me. I lost a collar for 2 days while downsizing the bracelet, and then miraculously found it sitting in between the keys of my laptop. So now I take it as a sign that Seiko's idiotic pin & collar system is really just a divine event waiting to reveal itself.

It sits thinner than the dimensions suggest, and the 39mm and lug-to-lug feels true-to-size on my 6.25" wrist. I hate typing out my wrist size. It's self-flagellation every time I do it. Like I deserve it. Some reviewers have said it feels heavy, but I don't notice the weight.. maybe because I have a total of 4 links on it to fit my hairline wrist.

The 24 hour subdial is nearly useless to me, and then it's double-useless when you consider that the lume is trash. So if you were in a situation so discombobulating that you didn't know whether it was day/night, you wouldn't even be able to see the time because the lume is non-existent. That's a real shame if you are familiar with other Seikos.

I was close to returning this when I noticed that the chrono seconds hand sat sliiiightly to the right of the 12 o'clock marker. I read that you can manually adjust the alignment, so I tried this, but then it was too far left of the 12 o'clock marker. And then I tried it again the following day, and it aligned perfectly. I can't explain why it didn't work the first day, but it's aligned now and I just take it as another divine experience of owning a Seiko.

So yea, it's solar, quartz, and a Seiko. Triple whammy for unknowing watch bros. But when/if they ask "Hey, is that a Daytona?", I'll make sure to respond with, "Ha - no, it's a Speedtimer, actually" and make them feel like they should really know what a Speedtimer is and shut them the hell up.

The sun is cool. Using the sun to track the date, time, and duration is cool-on-cool. I've been getting more into solar/quartz lately after coming from the land of automatics, and it's a refreshing world of accuracy, accessibility, and technology.

Not too long ago, I ranked chronographs at the bottom of my watch-type list. To get a quality automatic chronograph, it meant you had to spend a good amount of money for a relatively thick movement, and then even more money for a thin movement. I am more likely to use a helium escape valve than a tachymeter.

But, enter the Seiko Speedtimer solar quartz: it's not too thick, it's accessible, and the hook is that it has real heritage in the world of chronographs. The tachymeter remains nearly useless, except now I can tell you how many times in an hour I can tie my shoe.

The fit & finish of the dial and bezel is really quite good. At 39mm, it fits a lot of info into a small area, and the detail work is easy to appreciate. The indices have the classic Seiko shimmer, and all the hands line up (more on this later). The sandblast finish on the dial is subtle but very effective in making it more interesting.The case finishing, however, is only adequate. The top of the case rolls into the polished sides, versus a clean cut seen in higher-end watches in the same Prospex line.

With the busyness of a chronograph dial, I am glad Seiko decided to anger a lot of people and stick a really small date window at the 4:22 position. I don't get the current obsession with opting for no-date complications just for the sake of a "cleaner aesthetic" (I hate these 2 words together btw). Give me a date -- especially for a watch that is meant to be set-and-forget while it lasts 6 months on a single charge.

SIX MONTHS on a single charge, and +/- 15s PER MONTH. I have nothing to add to this point. If you don't like this, then you are an incongruent person who has spent $20k to solarize your home and charge your EV but yet cannot fathom a solar watch.

The bracelet is fine, and has no quick micro-adjust (I bet another version is out within the next 2 years), but that's not a deal breaker for me. I lost a collar for 2 days while downsizing the bracelet, and then miraculously found it sitting in between the keys of my laptop. So now I take it as a sign that Seiko's idiotic pin & collar system is really just a divine event waiting to reveal itself.

It sits thinner than the dimensions suggest, and the 39mm and lug-to-lug feels true-to-size on my 6.25" wrist. I hate typing out my wrist size. It's self-flagellation every time I do it. Like I deserve it. Some reviewers have said it feels heavy, but I don't notice the weight.. maybe because I have a total of 4 links on it to fit my hairline wrist.

The 24 hour subdial is nearly useless to me, and then it's double-useless when you consider that the lume is trash. So if you were in a situation so discombobulating that you didn't know whether it was day/night, you wouldn't even be able to see the time because the lume is non-existent. That's a real shame if you are familiar with other Seikos.

I was close to returning this when I noticed that the chrono seconds hand sat sliiiightly to the right of the 12 o'clock marker. I read that you can manually adjust the alignment, so I tried this, but then it was too far left of the 12 o'lock marker. And then I tried it again the following day, and it aligned perfectly. I can't explain why it didn't work the first day, but it's aligned now and I just take it as another divine experience of owning a Seiko.

So yea, it's solar, quartz, and a Seiko. Triple whammy for unknowing watch bros. But when/if they ask "Hey, is that a Daytona?", I'll make sure to respond with, "Ha - no, it's a Speedtimer, actually" and make them feel like they should really know what a Speedtimer is and shut them the hell up.

This hurts to say - I am returning the CAS1. I own a few EG gear (CTB26, CBB22, CAS2 v1, CAP0.5) and I've successfully influenced others to buy EG gear. My position still stands: I love EG gear and continue to recommend them.

The CAS1 on paper makes a lot of sense to me. Just large enough for a pocket dump for when I don't need the extra capacity of a CAS2, which is my absolute most-used gear/bag. It's rare I leave the house and don't have the CAS2 on me.

Initial impressions of the CAS1 was that it was quite small and a bit oddly organized. The back retaining section expands a lot more than I realized -- this ended up being fine/okay, if I needed to double-stack flat items against each other. I would rather a slimmer back retaining section to allow for the main compartment to shine. The interior zipper pocket is nice, but the 2 smaller slip pockets inside that pocket are really, really small and short. I ended up putting bandaids for my kids in there, but not sure how else to use those slip pockets.

A couple days of use later, I found the small size as a feature, and could look past the organization mentioned above -- what I began noticing was how the bag would sit uncomfortably on my neck. No matter how tight/loose I had it or how packed it was, in the cross-body position the strap kept digging into my neck. For it to be comfortable enough to forget about, I had to swing it around so the pack sat on my back (not preferred). In addition, it wants to "pull away" from my chest more than the CAS2, which hugs the body a bit more.

I gave it a few more days and kept switching between the CAS1 and CAS2. With the same load-out, the CAS1 would consistently drape in a way that caused the strap to dig into my neck (see photos of CAS1 vs CAS2 fit). So that's it I guess -- I like the size, style, and quality but it hurts to wear. I am sorry EG, I am sorry.

Visited 2x in the last month, once for al a carte and the other for Omakase at the chef's bar. I don't see much online about Nomonomo, so figured I'd share my experiences. How noble of me.

In summary, I think Nomonomo is a great addition to Logan Square that offers fresh, good quality sushi that doesn't take a month to budget for. For that neighborhood, it's a unique value proposition.

My a la carte experience drew me back for the omakase. We took my parents here, which is always a big risk because they hate spending money at restaurants, and will scoff at a cocktail that costs more than an appetizer. But they were paying, so I can handle their judgy looks. Turns out, my dad really likes cocktails before he gets the bill. We ordered a few rolls, one of which is my wife's new favorite (surf & turf), and some udon. The blend of traditional and modern at Nomonomo works really well, and I appreciate that they chose to specialize in udon dishes alongside their sushi.

I like the variety of seating they offer and the friday-at-the-office feel. You can bring a date here, your family, a small group, or your kids. You can sit at the large windows near the front, at the bar, the chef's bar, or the more romantic small tables/booths seating near the back. It feels nice to be in there, and it matches what you eat and what you pay.

The $79 12-course (no fluff dishes) omakase is a surprising and welcome offering. A few of the nigiri courses (hirame, otoro, hotate) were really good, the rest good, and one was just okay (the uni & roe tasted a little bitter). We ended up getting an udon halfway in that wasn't completely necessary, but when you're already paying a baby sitter and already have pants on, sometimes you just go for it.

The $79 makes sense. For a 12-course that doesn't use filler dishes, and has some standout courses, $79 in 2026 is amazing. But it's also $79 so don't expect insightful conversations with the chef, a serene and isolated environment, consistent plating, or the general feeling of being catered to. I love this world where $79 and $250+ omakases co-exist, and Nomonomo does the $79 really well.

I tried sitting my family down yesterday to talk about my new pen but no one cared, so I'm here instead. Context: this is my first and only premium machined pen (second, if you count Uniball Zento Signature).

Before I act like I know how to design and machine pens and run a small business, I'll say that I am enjoying this pen after a couple days of normal use at home for work. It feels of quality, the bolt mechanism is fun/useful, and it's another dumb and inconsequential thing that I like.

I had a couple of discounts to use, so grabbed it for $80 direct from Big Idea Design. I was cross-shopping this one and the Tactile Turn Slim, and ultimately chose this one because I want the flexibility of refill compatibility and cost (Tactile Turn Slim currently sits at $120). I'm not here to debate whether $120 for American Made is worth it over Big Idea Design's Chinese-made. But I am sure you are -- so go ahead in the comments!

The clip is really tight, but my main complaint is that it's (really) deep carry. For a pen that is just over 5 inches, deep carry means it really only fits comfortably in dedicated pen slots or bags. It bottoms out in all shirt pockets and in most pant pockets that I have. Yes, I could get the shorter version but then I'd lose out on some refill compatibility. This could be solved by it not being overly deep carry, like most regular pens (see photo).

It works great with a Uniball Zento refill (0.5), however a tool-less adjust would be preferred. This is my current refill that I enjoy. I tested it out with a Zebra Sarasa Gel refill, and that works as well. However, it did NOT work with a Zebra G402, which all things equal, I actually prefer the most. Anyway, tool-less adjust would be a great feature, but I understand that adds complexity, bulk, and cost.

It's a bit imbalanced, which is likely true for most bolt action pens where the mechanism weighs down the top. It would benefit from a counter-weight near the barrel, as the balance currently sits right near where the clip ends (see photo). For anyone who writes a lot (in 2026???), this is actually really annoying. Someone in the comments will tell me to 3D print a custom barrel counter weight and slide it inside the barrel [waiting].

Minor gripes include: the clip is really thick and a bit inelegant, the bolt knob could benefit from a raised lip or some texture (like on a pocket knife thumb stud), and the milled lines on the barrel could be deeper and extend further up the barrel for functional grip.

Anyone want to chime in? What 3D printer should I buy to make a barrel counter weight? What's the Amazon $30 version of this pen that gets me 80% there?

Smyth thinks it's all that, and it's priced accordingly. I think the price is off, but I guess you're paying a premium for the only 3 star in Chicago right now. Stars or not, Smyth is good. But it's not ~$500 all-in per person good. It's more in the $250-300 range. We got free parking right outside on seemingly the only block in the area that is not zoned or pay-to-park, so that's another reason to go to Smyth.

A lot of reviews on Smyth complain about the overkill of certain flavors, but my main complaint is the silverware. I liked the food -- I felt like they did umami and velvety-textures really well, and personally it wasn't overkill for me. There was a lot of gelatin-like sauces, which would've been fine, except the freaking pill-shaped spoon they give you is NOT effective in these situations. The silverware handles were also like toothpicks, so you just feel like an idiot most of the night pinching your spoon-ish spoon, trying to scoop wriggly and jiggly sauce into your mouth. For a $420 tasting menu, I need to feel like a king, not a court jester. I am a fool in my normal life, and I don't need to perpetuate that at a nice dinner.

The cocktails were also very very okay. There was absolutely no flair to me them, visually or otherwise. But then, one of the desserts had way too much flair it was almost gimmicky. I was eating ice cream off a literal birch twig. Just felt stupid... like a court jester.

The highlights for me were the umami-bomb dishes, including the trout donut, and the venison with blood sausage. Great, great red-meat dish. Service was attentive and friendly.

So, for two people, 3 drinks and 20% tip it was ~$1200. I would not go again, not because of the food, but because there are so many other great places nearby to visit for much less. The novelty of Smyth is now gone for me, but I am glad I went.

3-Star Worthy? Yes, but borderline. Every dish was good, a couple were great, and another couple were really great. The desserts didn't shine and the drinks were flat, but if we're 80% here for the food, the food held up.

Bonus content: while the silverware was an annoyance, the glassware was ELITE. The water glass was so thin, like magic. Great wine glasses too.