The Seiko H601 - The "Other Arnie"
Feb 6, 2015 13:07:26 GMT -8
Groundhog66, trandy, and 2 more like this
Post by dasher on Feb 6, 2015 13:07:26 GMT -8
I recently purchased a watch lot that contained a very nice example of the Seiko H601-5480. This watch is often called an "Arnie" after the popularity of the H558-500x analog/digital hybrid watch worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger in his 1985 action movie "Commando". However, as any true WIS (watch idiot savant) will tell you, "there can be only one" true Arnie, and that is the H558-500x.
Nonetheless, the H601-5480 is a very close approximation and gets lumped into the "Arnie" category by way of physical association. I do not have a true Arnie in my watch collection, so this review will be strictly limited to the H601-5480, or as I call it, the "Upside Down Arnie". Let's proceed, shall we?
Here is the H601-5480:
Lovely, isn't it? The watch, including the black shroud around it, measures at approximately 45 mm, with the lugs measuring in at 22mm.
The analog dial is very easy to read, the round hour markers make reading the time easy work. The digital display down at the six o'clock area has enough contrast between the numbers and the LCD display to also make out the time with a casual glance. The uni-directional bezel clicks with each setting, helping the wearer measure elapsed time among other things.
The H601-5480 is a hacking (the seconds hand stops when the crown is pulled out) quartz watch that takes an SR920W battery. These batteries are expected to last 2 years, according to my research.
On one side of the watch are the two pushers used to operate the digital functions (Time, Stopwatch, Alarm, Time/Calendar Setting, Calendar). There is also a big screw holding the shroud in place:
On the other side of the watch is the screw-down crown, with two more shroud screws in place:
The shroud is made of either plastic or metal, I've not yet figured out which material, and many aftermarket colors and types exist on the open market.
The case back is a screw-down case back:
By the serial number on this example, this watch was made in July of 1990 a few years after "Commando" but during "Kindergarten Cop". Alas, Arnold did not wear this in Kindergarten Cop, he wore a Casio!
Now for the real information: while this is certainly a very attractive watch, it is not all that utilitarian in terms of "toughness". The owner's manual advises that the 15 bar water resistance is good only for bathing (I'm assuming either a shower or bath) and shallow diving, but not scuba diving:
The watch is comfortable too, being a quartz watch with lots of plastic parts, it has nothing of the weight a Spork may have. The digital functions are very helpful, with the alarm and hourly chime being very handy when you need a reminder of the time. The digital screen has a light that, when pressed, seems to emit from the right-hand side of the LCD display.
The H601-5480 sells for a lot less than an H558, and for someone that just wants to see if this style of watch is right for them, I cannot fault them for trying on the H601 before considering the purchase of a H558. The H601 is cheaper, but seems to be in almost an equal amount of demand.
All in all, a decent watch that for some may just scratch the H558 "true Arnold" itch enough to warrant not purchasing another.
Thanks for reading!
Dan
Nonetheless, the H601-5480 is a very close approximation and gets lumped into the "Arnie" category by way of physical association. I do not have a true Arnie in my watch collection, so this review will be strictly limited to the H601-5480, or as I call it, the "Upside Down Arnie". Let's proceed, shall we?
Here is the H601-5480:
Lovely, isn't it? The watch, including the black shroud around it, measures at approximately 45 mm, with the lugs measuring in at 22mm.
The analog dial is very easy to read, the round hour markers make reading the time easy work. The digital display down at the six o'clock area has enough contrast between the numbers and the LCD display to also make out the time with a casual glance. The uni-directional bezel clicks with each setting, helping the wearer measure elapsed time among other things.
The H601-5480 is a hacking (the seconds hand stops when the crown is pulled out) quartz watch that takes an SR920W battery. These batteries are expected to last 2 years, according to my research.
On one side of the watch are the two pushers used to operate the digital functions (Time, Stopwatch, Alarm, Time/Calendar Setting, Calendar). There is also a big screw holding the shroud in place:
On the other side of the watch is the screw-down crown, with two more shroud screws in place:
The shroud is made of either plastic or metal, I've not yet figured out which material, and many aftermarket colors and types exist on the open market.
The case back is a screw-down case back:
By the serial number on this example, this watch was made in July of 1990 a few years after "Commando" but during "Kindergarten Cop". Alas, Arnold did not wear this in Kindergarten Cop, he wore a Casio!
Now for the real information: while this is certainly a very attractive watch, it is not all that utilitarian in terms of "toughness". The owner's manual advises that the 15 bar water resistance is good only for bathing (I'm assuming either a shower or bath) and shallow diving, but not scuba diving:
The watch is comfortable too, being a quartz watch with lots of plastic parts, it has nothing of the weight a Spork may have. The digital functions are very helpful, with the alarm and hourly chime being very handy when you need a reminder of the time. The digital screen has a light that, when pressed, seems to emit from the right-hand side of the LCD display.
The H601-5480 sells for a lot less than an H558, and for someone that just wants to see if this style of watch is right for them, I cannot fault them for trying on the H601 before considering the purchase of a H558. The H601 is cheaper, but seems to be in almost an equal amount of demand.
All in all, a decent watch that for some may just scratch the H558 "true Arnold" itch enough to warrant not purchasing another.
Thanks for reading!
Dan
