so i missed darin's smg-1 in the sales forum last month and was bummed. it's a watch i've always wanted to try after really enjoying a short stint with a ti soarway diver. they don't come up often, and they're a bit of a gamble given the service history, but for some inexplicable reason, it is still very appealing to me (realizing opinions of kobold's recent business practices are low, i still hold their early models in high regard, purely based on aesthetics, legibility, etc., so this appeal is more for this particular watch rather than any appeal for the brand). I love the idea of a lightweight watch that excels on nylon and is very legible as an everyday workhorse.
so when mike posted his ti seal for sale here a week later, i didn't hesitate. i really wanted an "all black" face but it clicked for two out of three. i had never worn a seal and had some concerns about the thickness but life is short and the price was good, so on we go. i really enjoyed it for a while, but i knew in my heart i really wanted the smg-1 (preferably the all black tactical version). i wasn't really jiving with the thick ti bezel on the seal (i realize this is why most adore it) but i loved the fit and feel and it wore so well on nylon. i briefly considered curing this one hangup of mine by trying to source a black bezel for it.
But alas, while researching my options in that regard I came across pics of a pvd oceaneer and immediately got distracted---in a big way. i quickly found a nice example of a regular oceaneer for sale and bought it post haste with the idea that i would send it to jack immediately for a service and have him pvd the case and bezel. maybe the ti seal and the pvd oceaneer combo could together scratch my itch for the smg-1 tac.
As it turned out, the oceaneer ended up being a bit too heavy to wear nicely on nylon straps. Further, this example seemed way too pristine to send off to be bead blasted and pvd'ed. Playing around with some straps I found it fit quite nicely on the ted su dive buckle and strap. With the infinite adjustment and counterweight of the buckle I could get it to plant very comfortably.
flash forward a few weeks, and liz posts her smg-1 tac for sale. timing, timing, timing. oh well, after some discussion it turned out she was eager to take the ti seal in trade (plus a little cash) to make the swap. and with that the fricker shell shuffle goes on. it showed up today and fits and wears marvelously. not sure if it's my cuppa long term, but it's ticking all my boxes for a light, legible, nylon friendly daily. now i have to decide if i keep the oceaneer as is or move it on.
think i'll live with the smg-1 for a while before making any more rash decisions. probably too much overlap to keep both, but i'm enjoying them both for now and we'll see which fricker stays, if any, in the end. hope i don't regret trading the ti seal, but so far i'm finding the fit of the flatter smg-1 much more comfortable on my diminuitive flat wrists.
thanks for listening. pics for reference...
yahoo!
Can 
