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The "Official" Shogun Thread

503K views 2K replies 418 participants last post by  Evolutionary Reject 
#1 ·
So we have an official Tuna thread, official Sumo thread, official Solar Chrono thread...we definitely NEED an Official Shogun Thread. I know that this will not be as popular as the others given most enthusiast's opinion of the Shogun however I would love to see a nice collection of pictures, thoughts and opinions in one thread. I'll start:

I've had Swiss divers more than any others and in all honesty (and for various reasons) just have not been happy with them. I've owned several Seikos in the past and have flipped them...but always missed them when they were gone. I've also never been a fan of titanium as I preferred the heft of stainless but I did not want to let that limit my choices.

I did my research and the biggest issues I found were the price point and the use of the Monster style hands. Personally I really like the Monster style hour hand...it really lends to the overall design elements of the dial. Another issue was Hardlex being used as opposed to sapphire...again, no issue for me as I prefer this. That left price...so I sold off a few items and that no longer was an issue.

The Shogun was delivered two weeks ago and I've been wearing it non-stop. At first I was taken aback by the light weight...it just felt "cheap". Everything is titanium; case, bracelet and clasp. Despite how it felt it looked like a million bucks! I've got pretty big wrists so I didn't need to remove any links, just the micro-adjustment. I immediately put it on my wrist and all weight issues were forgotten. It's just such a beauty with it finely brushed finish and complimentary polished areas. The lugs are angular, though not to the extent of the Samurai. This aspect of case design isn't always captured in pictures.

I must say, the feel of titanium is just so silky that it really makes up for the lack of weight. In appearance the Shogun is the best of both worlds...looks like stainless but with the slightly darker grey of titanium.

A couple things I do not really like. The included "rubber" strap is cheap...it just doesn't feel cheap, it IS cheap. It does have titanium hardware but it is very thin and composed of plastic...very stiff and non-conforming. I'm also not a fan of the titanium bracelet...it's also quite thin. I guess being titanium bulk is not needed for strength but it just seems "weak"..



 
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#1,729 · (Edited)
The "Official" Shogun Thread

I just realized that the SARB021 has the same case design as the shogun, with a notch added to the crown guard and overall the whole case is downsized a bit ("baby shogun?"). Until I realized it was downsized I was thinking it would be a source for another bracelet and a glass case back (though not titanium). I don't know if I'm disappointed that the case that I thought was unique is on another watch, or if it just shows that Seiko aimed to make a classy, maybe slightly subdued style that can do double duty as an authentic diver and also in the office.

there are good pics all over the internet (like here) but I'll grab one or two to put up here soon.

EDIT: pics.


This one borrowed from the sales forum:


Not the same case, but there are some cues carried over here too.
 
#1,740 · (Edited)
The "Official" Shogun Thread

It's here!!

https://www.crafterblue.com/seiko-shogun-strap-cb04


Only black and blue options. They seem to be hedging their bets on this one, and I can understand that with the mixed feelings Seiko fans have for this watch. I had hoped to also pick up a yellow, orange, or olive, but for me black will suffice for now. I was wondering if they would leave the polished section between the lugs uncovered, as some of their designs go right up under the bezel. I think it would have looked cool if they had covered it, but that would be in conflict with the original design intent from seiko, so it would probably have bothered me after the initial ooh-ahh phase. I also really like that they went with the grooved surface, like on their sumo strap, and not the more flat surface like on their turtle strap. I ordered mine immediately - Free three day shipping, but my shogun is still in the shop! This is going to make me crazy, the waiting...
 
#1,741 ·
Re: The "Official" Shogun Thread

It's here!!

https://www.crafterblue.com/seiko-shogun-strap-cb04


Only black and blue options. They seem to be hedging their bets on this one, and I can understand that with the mixed feelings Seiko fans have for this watch. I had hoped to also pick up a yellow, orange, or olive, but for me black will suffice for now. I was wondering if they would leave the polished section between the lugs uncovered, as some of their designs go right up under the bezel. I think it would have looked cool if they had covered it, but that would be in conflict with the original design intent from seiko, so it would probably have bothered me after the initial ooh-ahh phase. I also really like that they went with the grooved surface, like on their sumo strap, and not the more flat surface like on their turtle strap. I ordered mine immediately - Free three day shipping, but my shogun is still in the shop! This is going to make me crazy, the waiting...
I've been wanting one of these, but two things disappoint me about this. First it doesn't look like it's matching the lug shape correctly based on the pictures, and 2nd it's 15mm longer than my Sumo strap. I like the shorter length for a 7" wrist.

I'll be interested to see your real world pictures.
 
#1,742 · (Edited)
The "Official" Shogun Thread

I'll certainly be posting when I get it.

edit - i think that the lug shape mis-match that you're speaking about couldn't be matched without covering the polished middle section that is recessed from the lugs. That might look cool because it would allow the strap to come all the way up to under the bezel, but it would change the look of the watch significantly by hiding both the polished inter lugs and the curved polished bridge between them - the seiko bracelet preserves these details, why wouldn't crafter blue? I will reserve my final judgment until mine arrives, but my first impression after considering your comment is that they made a good compromise between their conventional approach to running the strap against the simpler inter-lug shapes in the other watches, and preserving the details specific to this model.
 
#1,743 · (Edited)
EDIT - +1 on the black strap - have been wanting to try crafter blue for a while... but I see can the point made by 59yukon01 - the straight edge of the hinge in the strap doesn't quite work with the curved edge of the case in that pic - hopefully just a photoshop issue :)
Watch Analog watch Watch accessory Black Fashion accessory

have to say the finish on the buckle and keeper also looks good :-!
Analog watch Watch Watch accessory Fashion accessory Strap
 
#1,744 ·
EDIT - +1 on the black strap - have been wanting to try crafter blue for a while... but I see can the point made by 59yukon01 - the straight edge of the hinge in the strap doesn't quite work with the curved edge of the case in that pic - hopefully just a photoshop issue :)
View attachment 13437427
have to say the finish on the buckle and keeper also looks good :-!
View attachment 13437441
awesome strap but really, really too high, It looks like a wrist rest
 
#1,745 · (Edited)
too "high?"

If you mean the thickness of the strap, it's the same as the strap for the turtle, and I found that to be just fine. And, the height of the shogun is only 0.7mm shorter than the turtle, so relative height shouldn't be perceptibly different...

The stock plastic strap for the shogun is 6.5mm at the lug, and about 2mm after the accordion section, compared to 7.5mm at the lug on the Crafter blue, reducing gradually to 3.5mm at the end (i think it drops to about 5 right away after the lug on the turtle, but I don't have it anymore so I can't check).
 
#1,746 ·
I was ready to jump on these when I received the email today and then I noticed the (to my eye) total mismatch between the lugs. It looks like they altered the SKX strap to fit the Shogun, if real life images look better I'll reconsider.

We've been waiting what 2-3 years now ? Very disappointing for me.
 
#1,747 ·
The "Official" Shogun Thread

I was ready to jump on these when I received the email today and then I noticed the (to my eye) total mismatch between the lugs. It looks like they altered the SKX strap to fit the Shogun, if real life images look better I'll reconsider.

We've been waiting what 2-3 years now ? Very disappointing for me.
I'm trying to see what you guys are seeing, but I must not be understanding. If I look at the way the bracelet fits in the space between the lugs and how the rubber from the crafter blue strap, they look comparable,and fill the space fine. Is it just the horizontal line on the CB? I think that looks fine...

 
#1,748 ·
cave diver I understand what you're saying and certainly don't want to rain on your strap purchase, I was just hoping for a better design, imo the bracelet lug dip did not need to be copied and the horizontal line looks off in it's present position, just my 2 cents.
Hope you enjoy your strap and I'm looking forward to the pics.|>
 
#1,749 · (Edited)
the part I was looking at is circled below. The straight horizontal line doesn't follow the curve of the case - I am thinking its either a trick of the light exaggerating the line or it will be more subtle when the strap is on the wrist
Watch Analog watch Watch accessory Fashion accessory Strap

... imo the bracelet lug dip did not need to be copied and the horizontal line looks off in it's present position, just my 2 cents.
.|>
I think the bracelet lug dip is needed otherwise would cover the polished part of the case as cavediver said...
 
#1,750 ·
Re: The "Official" Shogun Thread

The above illustration is exactly what first caught my eye that I didn't like.

I would not have wanted the polished part covered up either, so hopefully this "line" is just a play on lighting in this particular picture. However both my Sumo and MM300 straps have that.

Shogun + DAS for last day of August.

 
#1,764 ·
Much better looking in your pictures and glad that's the case.

I did read they come with the "slim fatties" so that's slightly disappointing, but not a deal breaker.

I'll be ordering one soon.
I considered lubing up some seiko fat spring bars, but haven't tried it yet. The holes are too small for seiko, but bigger than borealis, so it's doable I am sure. My gripe is with the keeper. This one isn't sharp like the one that I had with my turtle, but it's still not great at keeping the tail... and i guess I just don't like any extra metal on a rubber strap. I am using some other plastic keepers that are too big, and will order some smaller rubber keepers this weekend.

Overall it is super light and comfy, it doesn't feel like it clutches my wrist so aggressively as the turtle version, either because of the longer lug to lug, the apparently less acute angle of the strap to the case, and/or what appears to be a thinner strap. I considered a comment someone made before, that the crafter blue strap for the skx overpowered the watch. I haven't tried that combination, but even as light as the shogun is, I cannot imagine anyone thinking that it is overpowered by this strap - it's JUST thick enough to have integrity, and keeps the watch head in place, even when loose, without "clutching" my wrist.
 
#1,766 ·
I can't resist...

...the new strap is reminding me how much I love this watch. The handset, I was originally ambivalent about, I just love it when I catch it with the points out like this - everything looks so sharp. The grey glisten of the dial is complimented by the sheen of the rubber strap, as are the long, sculpted lugs.
 
#1,767 ·
I've been waiting on the Crafter strap for awhile now but I'm somewhat disappointed with the holes not accepting fat bars. Was that really this difficult? [emoji107]

I've been using the wjean MM300 styled rubber for awhile now. Its similar feel to the stock MM rubber , definitely not soft but not too hard either, it conforms to the shape of the wrist after awhile and it accepts fat bars. Plus I like the rugged look, rings close to the 'Shogun' nick.

 
#1,770 · (Edited)
The "Official" Shogun Thread



Wrist circumference is 7.25" with an oval cross section. I'm this picture I'm wearing it loose for working at the computer, whereas I wear it one hole tighter when I'm up and around.



Here it is again one hole tighter, very comfy.


The buckle is really nice - never pokes or catches, smooth and low-profile. It's the same on their other straps, but the angular cuts compliment the shape of the shogun case nicely. Also, since you don't ever see bother the buckle and the case at the same time... well... I was going to say that you never notice that the stainless buckle is a light color metal, but now I'm really looking at it and I can't tell a difference... how did they do that? Maybe it's just my lighting here.
 
#1,772 ·
Re: The "Official" Shogun Thread

Thanks a lot for that quick and detailed response. I have a 6"wrist. I suspect, unfortunately this (otherwise awesome strap) will be too long for me ... it seems just right for your wrist.
May i see a picture of the shogun on your wrist? I know someone with a 6" wrist who likes the shogun but doesn't think it would work on him.
 
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