For many of us, owning a luxury Daytona or Sea-Dweller is a luxury we can only dream of. Mod watches offer an affordable alternative while we save up for our dream watch - offering a similar look and feel at a fraction of the price.

 

Mod watches are watches where the hands, bezel, dial and sometimes even the crown and crystal have been modified in some way. These 5 tips below will help you in the hunt for your very first mod watch.

 

#1 Price Point:

Mod watches are a fraction of the price of its luxury counterparts, typically between 180-350 USD apiece. This cost accounts for the original price of the watch as well as the time and effort spent on customization - which are typically done by hand. A good place to understand the price range of your desired mod type is Etsy (https://www.etsy.com/search?q=seiko%20mod&ref=search_bar) where you can understand the general price range of the design you are looking for.

 

#2 Aesthetic

When choosing your first mod watch, it is generally recommended to have some sort of design consideration in mind - whether it is a specific model, a particular color, or a specific type of strap customization you are looking for. When shopping online, pay extra attention to pictures - do the dial and bezel look similar to the model you have in mind? If possible, look at pictures taken by customers' reviews - these will give you the best idea of what the products actually look like.

 

#3 Movement

Mod watches are typically quartz or mechanical. Quartz watches are battery-powered, and may turn off some users who are after the tradition and craftmanship associated with the coiled spring of a mechanical watch. These days, you can also find hybrid movement watches that provide manual wounding and power reserve associated with mechanical watches, while providing a smooth glide movement and accuracy (some even more accurate than quartz watches). For example, the popular VK series (VK63, 67 and 83) are quartz watches with a mechanical chronograph. The NH35 and NH34 are both automatic mechanical watches, which wind themselves while worn, the notable difference being that NH34 features a GMT function (which displays two time-zones at once).

 

#4 Product reviews

Mod watches are almost exclusively available online, since few retailers would willingly carry customized watches. They typically tend to be sold by online stores, or via Etsy shops, since they do involve a degree of customization. When in doubt, purchase from 5-star sellers like Smoothmodsco - who have sold to over 200 happy customers ( www.smoothmodsco.com )

 

5. Shipping and handling

Finally, the last thing to pay attention to is shipping and handling. Watches are delicate products and can be fragile. Shipping location not only affects the time it takes for the product to get to you, but changes in temperature and humidity can also affect the final product quantity (i.e. condensation occurring over time). Finding a local mod watch supplier will save you time, shipping costs and ultimately any headaches that come with damage due to long and extensive shipping.

 

Enjoy your first mod watch hunt - if you enjoyed this article, check out the listings available on (shopify website), or reach out to smoothmodsco@gmail.com with any questions.