Caveman's Watch Forum


It's a happy day, a new watch arrived Watch or Accessory Review Freestyle Shark Night Vision 100M

December 17, 2011 04:33PM

First, a big shoutout to Bro. MCV, as this is part of the donation he sent to Ricky Lee's Home For Wayward Wristwatches last May. The watches in that shipment all belonged to Marc's late father, and I'm ashamed to admit that I haven't been very diligent in reviewing them. Oops! Yeah..

Photo by Ricky Lee

..I still have a considerable backlog. Blushing Mind you, this makes the twelfth one* I have written about, so perhaps we could put this down in part to Marc's extreme generosity, rather than procrastination on my part. Wink

Bit of a story to set this one up. A co-worker bought a Freestyle diver whilst I was out on medical leave, and as I just returned to work on Monday the 12th, Tuesday was the first chance he had to show it off. This is the one:


Stock photo
Click HERE for larger photo

Submersion model FS81212

He got it from amazon.com and, I got to say, it's a mighty impressive watch for the money! All SS, solid-link bracelet, 200M WR, superlative fit & finish, all for US $72? Sold! Laughing

Anyway, after admiring drooling all over his new watch I got to thinking - "Heeeey. Wasn't there a Freestyle in that whacking great shipment that Marc sent to RLHfWW?" And..


Photo by Ricky Lee
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..sure enough! Not merely a Freestyle, but a ! WooHOO! Cool

I'm at a loss to explain why I didn't put it into service sooner. I am confused I think it was because I'd judged the size as too small by Diver standards. Bordering on "Ladie's Diver", frankly. Laughing And it still struck me as small, when I first pulled it out of the drawer. I estimated it at 34mm, and judged the strap to be 16mm. But, to my astonishment..


Photo by Ricky Lee
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..it's actually only a fraction of a millimeter below "standard-sized", at 37.8mm x 41.5mm x 10.2mm thick. Oh, and the strap is 18mm.

Base metal bezel, SS screwdown caseback, push-pull crown, 60-click unidirectional bezel.


Photo by Ricky Lee
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

Nice profile, and the clear resin bezel is really growing on me. Thumbs up!

Photo by Ricky Lee
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

Nicely minted caseback, with a robust O-ring and smooth thread engagement.

The movement..


Photo by Ricky Lee
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..was a bit of a surprise. At first I took it for some whacking great proprietary module. Oops! Then I thought, OK, it's a 6 3/4 x 8 ligne Miyota with a whacking great proprietary Night Vision module wrapped around it. But no! Turns out it's actually a bog-standard Miyota 6N30, which is widely available just as you see it there for under US $20. Hey, A-OK by me! I got no problem with a at all!

The light show? Yeah! It's got one!

There is conventional lume on the hands..

Photo by Ricky Lee

..and a couple of notches stouter and more long-lasting than I expected. There's none at all on the dial but, of course..

Photo by Ricky Lee

..since the pusher at 2 o'clock fires up the active illumination, there's absolutely no need of it. Laughing


Photo by Ricky Lee
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

All in all a nice, satisfying li'l watch. It came with a nifty "tropic" resin strap which was way, way too short for me ankle-sized wrist. No biggie, that's Par For The Course. Wink You see it here on an 18mm single-run budget nylon from Uncle Otto. No problemo! It..

Photo by Ricky Lee
Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..wears Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr8! WIS Honeymoon

Thanks for readin', y'all, and Thank you! once again Bro. Marc for your largesse.

Cheers!

-Ricky


* Also, Freestyle© has a fairly interesting blog HERE.

Ricky Lee McBroom
"A watch should be worth looking at even when you already know the time" - vintage Omega ad

Messages In This Thread

It's a happy day, a new watch arrived Watch or Accessory Review Freestyle Shark Night Vision 100M Image Attachments URL

Ricky Lee 1034 December 17, 2011 04:33PM

Congrats Ricky & WTG Marc Clapping! (n/t)

Adam in NYC 69 December 18, 2011 06:57PM

your bezels way way cooler that the co-workers smile
Congrats on a fine watch, and nice review

Cleans Up 60 December 18, 2011 04:59PM

Re: Congrats on a fine watch, and nice review
Thanks mate. Blushing

Quote
Cleans Up
your bezels way way cooler that the co-workers smile
Well.. I think so, too. Wink But I may be biased. Laughing

I thought someone would point out the wonky bezel (and dial?) alignment Eek! in the stock Amazon.com photo, for sure. But his FS81212 looks perfect in that regard. Thumbs up! It really is a darned impressive watch for US $72! WIS Honeymoon
Ricky Lee 52 December 18, 2011 05:57PM

Wicked cool watch and well done review, Ricky! Thumbs Up Oh, and a big Clapping! for Marc his generousity! Thumbs Up
What a strong way to go Thumbs up!

Bock 44 December 18, 2011 11:53AM

Much appreciated Bro. Erik! Blushing

Quote
Bock
Oh, and a big Clapping! for Marc his generousity! Thumbs Up
Yes indeed! WIS Honeymoon Is this forum amazing, or what? Cool
Ricky Lee 82 December 18, 2011 03:28PM

Re: "Is this forum amazing, or what"?
Definately, Ricky! Thumbs Up When a guy offers (a part of) his Dad's watch collection in such way to another, then that stuns me in a way of deep respect. And, if on top of that they go the way to the home for wayward wrist watches....well, that is truly the cherry on the cake! Thumbs Up Thumbs Up smile

Seriously, I feel they couldn't end up better then your place in this event, as I know you love to take care of them Thumbs Up

Enjoy enjoy! smile

Bock 61 December 18, 2011 04:31PM

Looking good, Ricky.Thumbs up! (n/t)

Mark C. 64 December 18, 2011 07:31AM

Thank you! Bro. Mark! You reckon it'd be safe for Surfing Duty? Smile Gif Attachments URL
After all, and bill themselves heavily as THE Surfing Watch. Laughing

Ricky Lee 46 December 18, 2011 10:34AM

Cool watch. I like that clear bezel, with the wavy pattern Thumbs Up (n/t)

JP 65 December 18, 2011 06:59AM

It "makes" the watch, for me. Smile

Quote
JP
Cool watch. I like that clear bezel, with the wavy pattern Thumbs Up
Thanks for the kind words. Blushing
Ricky Lee 55 December 18, 2011 10:30AM

A very nice one!SmileThumbs up! (n/t)

IF 46 December 18, 2011 01:57AM

Thanks Bro. Yannis! Cool (n/t)

Ricky Lee 57 December 18, 2011 10:27AM

Poy likes it! Nice little wearer. (n/t)

poywatch 58 December 17, 2011 10:24PM

Thanks Bro. Jim! Did I mention that.. Image Attachments URL
..the fellow who just bought the new Freestyle Submersion also wears a Freestyle Hammerhead Night Vision as his workaday watch?

Photo by Ricky Lee
Click HERE for larger photo

And, yeah, he bought that watch from me. Laughing

It still runs like a champ, ~ 2 years on, though it's even more wabified beat to hell than it was in those photos. Eek! Still, he's so happy with it that, when he decided he needed a pretty watch for Stepping Out, he specifically sought out another .

For good or ill, I reckon I made a convert. Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off If the new one's half as good, it'll be one darned good watch indeed. A much under-rated brand, is Freestyle. Crazy! Loco! IMHO. Innocent
Ricky Lee 56 December 18, 2011 10:26AM

Eek! Wow! You sold your Hammerhead! Mine is a keeper! Jpeg Attachments
Ricky had heard this story before along with a couple of others, but a good deal is worth repeating. Laughing

A good friend of mine had this exact watch for about 10+ years. He is an avid scuba diver & this watch was put through it's paces. I always wanted one. Then I found a NOS one on a clearance table@ Dillards, marked down from $120 to $34! It is now my mediocre beater.


Photo by Timemiser

Photo by Timemiser

Timemiser 78 December 18, 2011 11:10AM

I did. Smile But.. Jpeg Attachments URL
..it is a solid watch, which I liked just fine. If it had been in just a little better cosmetic condition, I'd likely have kept it.

Quote
Timemiser
Then I found a NOS one on a clearance table@ Dillards, marked down from $120 to $34!
You stole it! Clapping! Rolling on the floor laughing my a.. off
Quote
Timemiser
It is now my mediocre beater.
You do that watch a dis-service! Eek!





It is an excellent beater! WIS Honeymoon
Quote
Timemiser
..a good deal is worth repeating. Laughing
'tis! Thumbs up!
And as long as we're re-hashing old stories, I was goin' to link the one of when I originally sold The Dude abides! the Hammerhead. But, alas, it appears to have fallen victim to the last PMWF database purge. Database purges suck!
Ricky Lee 127 December 18, 2011 03:18PM

That clear resin Shark bezel is nifty! Thumbs up! ...
I can see myself wearing a watch like that just for the pure fun of it.
Whistle

Jimmy50 53 December 17, 2011 07:10PM

Re: ..I can see myself wearing a watch like that just for the pure fun of it. Whistle
It is a fun watch. Smile

Thanks mate!
Cheers!

Ricky Lee 57 December 18, 2011 10:10AM

Nice job, RL, enjoy! Smile (n/t)

MCV 51 December 17, 2011 06:19PM

Thank you! Gif Attachments
It's a pity your father never paid us a visit here on the . After becoming intimately acquainted with so many of his watches, I think he'd have been a natural on The Phorum. Smile

Cheers!

Ricky Lee 62 December 18, 2011 10:08AM

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