Alternative Time Watches

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Alternative Time Watches

I'm all about transparency and no bs.

I’m a one person operation who designed and ordered 100 custom Fliegers (MOQ is normally 500-1000pcs) from a very well established watchmaker in Guangdong, China, who also makes watches for other popular brands.

07/10/2025

x because why not?

30/09/2025

For the newcomers, please check the last dozen posts or so (I really don't like to post much anyway) for the reason why I had to temporarily halt operations. Normally around this time I'd be travelling and would drop by HK and Shenzhen but I couldn't this year. I'm still in contact with my manufacturer and we were working on a GMT and diver, but unfortunately I had to skip it this year even if it was to hang out at the factory and drink with the owner. So I'm still trying to keep the relationship alive despite my tiny order of 2x 50pcs, and probably the same amount for the next couple watches which is very rare for a manufacturer of their size. They also help me source parts for the mods I'm making for fun which I'm very thankful for.

Website will be back soon, but you can still check it out because it's a very quick read, I try to keep it simple with no fluff, while still including all the important info. Prob take 5 minutes of your time. Cheers

29/09/2025

Update: I realized a few things. I'll be selling these made to order for $200 with 3 straps, so $165 is too high for these protos. Also there is a dial with not great lume application, a couple dials with no lume at all, and some dials with "automatic" on them but I guess they could pass at a glance with a 2hz movement. I will no longer be using these dials.

So the price is $120 shipped. Again, please check my previous 2 posts for more pics, info, specs etc

Here are some lume shots. Casebacks are all the same. DM if interested, or drop a comment if you'll be interested in a personal one, leave any feedback or requests. I'd like an idea of the level of interest, even though I don't have any followers if you know anyone interested lmk cheers

27/09/2025

I banged out 15 watches today, which I think is a record. These are prototypes of me just messing around with different case colours and dial combos. I currently only have one handset; the maroon dial one is from a scrapped watch when I made my first one of these and the hands are a little bit scratched because VH31 are a PITA but I think I've nailed them now. Bottom ones are NH35/36 and have logos so not for sale, for obvious reasons, and also because I don't have many NH movements with the crown position at 3.8. and the prices now are too high even at wholesale. But most importantly, I want to keep the price below $200.

No date dials are kinda hard to find, so I just got some I find interesting. I have more coming, as well as another handset and more movements and cases.

Because I cbf taking these apart, and they are just prototypes, I'm gonna sell these, as is, for $165 shipped via PayID because I'm not ready to relaunch the site yet to have these made to order. You'll still get 2 years warranty. Specs are in my previous post. I'm not in it for the money, I just really like the case and want to share it with people.

More pics and info tomorrow or Monday. I think I'll call this the "element series" s/o to k.dot

12/09/2025

This is what I would order:

VH31 mecaquartz
SS case with black ceramic bezel and sapphire crystal
Solid caseback
Engineer bracelet with a swapped out s**tty clasp to a milled one with on-the-fly micro adjustments
A very field dial, or the full lume pilot from yesterday's post
Still waiting on the hand sets

Because I'm a genius, I got some dials with "automatic" on the dials. The blue and red ones look like dials.

I looked through my dial stash and here are a couple very dials; a GMT one and a full lume, but they're a no-go because I'm using a VH31

Then there's the old dials, and if I include diver dials, that adds 30 more options.

I can pretty much use any NH 28.5-29mm dial (which I have a lot of already) because I have to chop all the legs off because of the 3.8 crown position of the case. But I can only use certain hand sets, because NH hands don't fit on a VH31 movement.

The engineer bracelet with upgraded clasp is just a thing I made for myself. The clasp itself costs more than the bracelet and movement.

I think I'll have 2 hand sets, 4-6 dials, the cases I posted yesterday, and 3 straps. No bracelet or movement upgrades because it would defeat the purpose me wanting to make a baby SK-Ex for $200 shipped.

The other "diver" is on hold for now because I get distracted very easily, and I want to share my love of the with everyone at a reasonable price.

11/09/2025

I think I'll do these first because I'm only missing the handsets and different dials. The other "GMT diver" is a pita and needs more testing.

Specs for these baby SK-exes:
- 37mm case - SS, gold, rose gold or black PVD with different colour ceramic bezels. I considered titanium cases but this is a small light steel case anyway, and i can't justify the additional cost just to cut the weight by about 20g.
- Seiko VH31 mecaquartz 3 hand no date movement that is supposed to be "sweeping hand" but it's 2hz so it's more like a stuttering hand tbh
- Mineral glass exhibition case backs because according to an article I read on about .watches "quartz movements should be showcased and celebrated" paraphrasing but it was something along those lines
- or just a solid caseback
- flat bevelled sapphire crystal with a refracted effect around the edge.
- screw down crown and case back
- different pilot/field dials
- nylon, rubber and leather straps included
- not a diver, so let's just say 5ATM to be safe. Just use common sense considering the specs and parts.
- I might add a very simple logo on the dial and hand engrave some stuff on the case backs
- all made to order

$200-250 shipped depending on config, I can bang these out pretty quickly once I have all the parts, and it's an easy build. This is a boutique lovingly handcrafted artisanal timepiece where I'm barely making anything. Yeah you can get something similar on AliEx for $60 but does it come in one of the GOAT diver cases?

As k.dot said, "I don't do it for the 'gram. I do it for Compton (the culture)"

The all black one with a full lume dial is running an NH35 that I made for fun today, because the gold one I made with scraps is kinda trash and not representative of the final product.

20-30pcs. Custom orders so you can pick the case, dial, and straps. 2 year warranty.

Once I get this sorted, I'll relaunch the website for these, and I still have about 15 each of the fliegers to get rid of.

08/09/2025

I have been having a love affair with the 37mm case. The second pic is just me trying stuff as much stupid colourful s**t and a GMT into a small diver case. I've got rubber, nylon, sharkmesh, presidential, jubilee, oyster and engineer bracelets on these mods. The last pic was made from scraps with a VH31 mecaquartz. I'm thinking of doing a small run of a field/pilot dial with that movement in this case and sell it for a reasonable price. Kinda like the green bezel one in the third pic. The crystal is sapphire but is bevelled around the edge so you get this refracted effect which I think is cool.

Update on the diver. I got 5 working prototypes. Still sourcing cases that I want which is proving to be difficult. The NH34 is double the price from the beginning of the year. I have a stash but not enough for 28. It will still be $350. Hopefully drop it this month. Showed my mate a proto, and he said, "I get the concept, but I don't think it'd sell because it's not for everyone, a bit too edgy and on the nose." But I don't really care because I make watches for fun that I like. If they sell, awesome, if not, I'm happy to take that L

04/09/2025

Quick update on the "diver" that's not really a diver because it's not ISO certified. I'm trying to source old school 90s cases for what I'm doing. I may use several different diver cases, but the concept and cw will be the same. I got a prototype working until it didn't. Troubleshooted with my dad and I think I need to order more parts to customise. Mum doesn't like it at all lol

Some hints:
28pcs
$350
It's an homage of an homage

20/08/2025

I talked to my manufacturer about my diver and they were like, "you want what?" So they can help me source some parts but there's one part I'll have to make myself, and will be building the watches myself. I should have a prototype in a couple weeks. It's probably going to be a bit divisive; some will think it's clever, irreverent and funny, others will think it's too "edgy" or stupid. Idc because it's only going to be 28 pcs. Because of the low run, the case will be an existing case design (or several different ones) Every post will have hints for the design.

13/08/2025

Sorry, a bit late. love u Taylor, but it was all last month

I'm currently working on a very low run . Maybe 20pcs. There's a hint in this post about the design.

I've made over 100 mods in the past few months and have to offload some. DM if interested. I already have about 300-400 watches I never wear. I don't need another 100 wacky concept watches I made for fun.

Also, these posts are automatically cross posted to FB which I uninstalled ages ago because the non stop notifications for friend suggestions and other bs. The best way to contact me is IG or [email protected]

Address

PO Box 2097, Magill North
Adelaide, SA
5072

Telephone

+61474047517

Website

http://alttime.au/

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