UncleSeiko Kakume Bracelet: Does it Cut the Mustard?
Sept 15, 2019 4:15:25 GMT -8
Groundhog66, siralan, and 8 more like this
Post by SeikoPsycho on Sept 15, 2019 4:15:25 GMT -8
Larry's newest addition to his reproduction bracelets has been on my want list for quite sometime. An original Kakume bracelet is hard to come by. Often times when buying a 6138-0030 the bracelet is long gone. Such was the case with my first two Kakume's. When confronted with this situation there is only one thing you can do: Try a strap.
So I threw my first Kakume on a nice Hadley Roma Leather Strap:
It works but not as intended and I'm more of a bracelet guy. I'm hands on and often busy with heavy physical activity of some sort. Having a leather strap soak up all that sweat just isn't pleasant to think about. A bracelet is the way to go. It's also more comfortable when it comes right down to it. So, with that in mind I set out on Alternatives for the Kakume while I searched for an original bracelet. I discovered a couple of possibilities that would work providing I had some end links that would fit.
The two choices I came up with were an Original Seiko slotted "H" link bracelet:
Or one of Jonathan's East Tech "H" link bracelets. (This was before we had an "Uncle" in the business of reproduction bracelets)
Both of these choices worked well and beat the heck out of a strap that just didn't look right but didn't seem to be as Hefty as the original. At this point I had been searching for an original bracelet for quite some time. Years! I was able to sort some bits and pieces as time went on to possibly "build" a bracelet but that was going to be a time consuming endeavor. Finally, I had to buy a less then desirable Kakume just to source a complete bracelet. When it arrived I set about removing the DNA and doing a light re-finishing just to bring it up to par with the watch I was mounting it on. Once it was mounted and on the wrist I discovered the original bracelet was "The Bee's Knees"! This bracelet really fit the watch well and at this point there was no turning back! The Original was the only way to go.
That was, Until Now. Larry had been pondering the possibility of reproducing the Kakume bracelet. He inquired as to if I might have an original I could sacrifice for this project. I thought to myself: "Ugh, well, No! but I'll see what I can come up with". I didn't want to offer up the only complete original bracelet I had because in the reproduction business this doesn't usually end pleasantly. They have to take the bracelet apart in order to reproduce it. Once that's done it doesn't just go back together. So, I got all my bits and pieces together and assembled a bracelet that would suffice for a sample to work from. With this, Larry was able to take things to the next level on his end and proceed with reproducing a long needed bracelet for the Seiko community! This is easier said the done. There is a lot of back and forth discussion and technical aspects to this process. Samples followed by revisions. Revisions followed with consultations and more revisions. It takes Months from beginning to end but once again Larry has come through with a product that is Top Notch! My Hat is off to Larry! (Well in this case, my Watch is off for the efforts he puts forth to get things right with his reproductions.
Once I received the new bracelet I decided to see how it measured up to the original, side by side. As you can see it is an exact duplicate. As close to perfect as one could get with a reproduction.
The Original on top, Larry's on bottom:
Next, I decided to lay one bracelet over the other. A true comparison link to link. Once again, Original on top, Larry's on bottom:
Then, Larry's on top, Original on bottom:
Meanwhile, while compiling this review my laptop at home crashed. I was already having internet issues so this just complicated matters. Additional photos for this review were lost until my data is recovered so at this point I just grabbed a couple of quickies and took them to work to finish this review.
As you can see from the photo's above Larry's Kakume bracelet is a Top Notch Reproduction! Other then the clasp + the upgraded Solid bracelet links it's a dead ringer to the original. It wears very well and is extremely comfortable just like the original.
Thank you Larry for bringing back a much needed bracelet to the Seiko community! Well Done!
And there you have it! Bob's Your Uncle! Or in this case, Larry.........
So I threw my first Kakume on a nice Hadley Roma Leather Strap:
It works but not as intended and I'm more of a bracelet guy. I'm hands on and often busy with heavy physical activity of some sort. Having a leather strap soak up all that sweat just isn't pleasant to think about. A bracelet is the way to go. It's also more comfortable when it comes right down to it. So, with that in mind I set out on Alternatives for the Kakume while I searched for an original bracelet. I discovered a couple of possibilities that would work providing I had some end links that would fit.
The two choices I came up with were an Original Seiko slotted "H" link bracelet:
Or one of Jonathan's East Tech "H" link bracelets. (This was before we had an "Uncle" in the business of reproduction bracelets)
Both of these choices worked well and beat the heck out of a strap that just didn't look right but didn't seem to be as Hefty as the original. At this point I had been searching for an original bracelet for quite some time. Years! I was able to sort some bits and pieces as time went on to possibly "build" a bracelet but that was going to be a time consuming endeavor. Finally, I had to buy a less then desirable Kakume just to source a complete bracelet. When it arrived I set about removing the DNA and doing a light re-finishing just to bring it up to par with the watch I was mounting it on. Once it was mounted and on the wrist I discovered the original bracelet was "The Bee's Knees"! This bracelet really fit the watch well and at this point there was no turning back! The Original was the only way to go.
That was, Until Now. Larry had been pondering the possibility of reproducing the Kakume bracelet. He inquired as to if I might have an original I could sacrifice for this project. I thought to myself: "Ugh, well, No! but I'll see what I can come up with". I didn't want to offer up the only complete original bracelet I had because in the reproduction business this doesn't usually end pleasantly. They have to take the bracelet apart in order to reproduce it. Once that's done it doesn't just go back together. So, I got all my bits and pieces together and assembled a bracelet that would suffice for a sample to work from. With this, Larry was able to take things to the next level on his end and proceed with reproducing a long needed bracelet for the Seiko community! This is easier said the done. There is a lot of back and forth discussion and technical aspects to this process. Samples followed by revisions. Revisions followed with consultations and more revisions. It takes Months from beginning to end but once again Larry has come through with a product that is Top Notch! My Hat is off to Larry! (Well in this case, my Watch is off for the efforts he puts forth to get things right with his reproductions.
Once I received the new bracelet I decided to see how it measured up to the original, side by side. As you can see it is an exact duplicate. As close to perfect as one could get with a reproduction.
The Original on top, Larry's on bottom:
Next, I decided to lay one bracelet over the other. A true comparison link to link. Once again, Original on top, Larry's on bottom:
Then, Larry's on top, Original on bottom:
Meanwhile, while compiling this review my laptop at home crashed. I was already having internet issues so this just complicated matters. Additional photos for this review were lost until my data is recovered so at this point I just grabbed a couple of quickies and took them to work to finish this review.
As you can see from the photo's above Larry's Kakume bracelet is a Top Notch Reproduction! Other then the clasp + the upgraded Solid bracelet links it's a dead ringer to the original. It wears very well and is extremely comfortable just like the original.
Thank you Larry for bringing back a much needed bracelet to the Seiko community! Well Done!
And there you have it! Bob's Your Uncle! Or in this case, Larry.........