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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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#159 ·
Shogun now in my possession ... and I don't see that ever changing !!!
Cannot say enough about this watch !!
It has been on my wrist for 6 days now, and it is 6 seconds fast in that time frame, and the most comfortable watch I own.
This could turn into my favorite Seiko, I finally know what all the fuss is about !!

Now a few pics







My Prospex Trio







 
#162 ·
Shogun now in my possession ... and I don't see that ever changing !!!
Cannot say enough about this watch !!
It has been on my wrist for 6 days now, and it is 6 seconds fast in that time frame, and the most comfortable watch I own.
This could turn into my favorite Seiko, I finally know what all the fuss is about !!

Now a few pics
Glad to hear you're enjoying the Shogun! Now I think your Prospex trifecta is complete.
 
#164 ·
I really wish I found this watch before I purchased the Sumo, it seems to solve any issues I had with the Sumo, but with the same movement is it worth double the price? And would the Ti feel cheap and tinny, the Sumo feels stout and I like that.

Can someone provide a reason for me NOT to sell my Sumo and buy this watch?
 
#165 ·
I had a Sumo and flipped for a MM300. I know a lot of people like the look of the Sumo, but to me it never said "diver" like the MM300. The oversized numerals on the bezel, the bezel itself flared out and sunk into the case, and the 12 o'clock marker (and the original nick name for the Sumo that it inspired). Apart from those purely subjective aspects, the Sumo is a nicely made watch with a good movement inside.

But the Shogun, well that's a diver. It looks like a classic diver to me, and is a real "little brother" to the MM300. I flipped the MM300 for a Shogun, and it's my favorite watch. First, I've owned Titanium watches in the past, and agree that they can be tinny and too light. The Shogun, while light in weight, is like no other TT watch I have every had. The treatment they give it to harden the surface is amazing. I have been wearing mine as daily wear for about 6 months now, and there are no scratches or marks anywhere. Even my MM300, and my SARB059, have small signs of wear on the clasp and on the case. You know, those hair line scratches only you can see. There are none on the Shogun.

You could look at the difference in price as just the case cost. There is a lot of solid TT in the case and bracelet, not just plating or a hollow parts. I'm not an expert, but I'd hazard a guess that the metal cost alone justifies the cost difference. When you add in the treatment and that it really works, the trade up looks better. Then the subjective part. If you like the look of the Sumo, then given the quality of the watch itself, it's a steal. But if the look doesn't work for you, the Sumo becomes something else.

To me, the Sumo is like that discounted model of something you find at an outlet store. It's made by the same designer or manufacture of a high desirable brand, it's at a good discount, but it's an odd variation of the model that made this design so desirable in the first place. So you're trying to convince yourself you like it just as much, but somehow deep down you know the reason this version is at the outlet in the first place is because it didn't sell at full price because it just missed the mark somehow. Like if you really wanted a Rolex Sub, black or blue, and one day at some outlet found a Sub at a big discount, BUT the bezel was purple and twice as thick as the normal one, with the edges square and not rounded, the face was bright green, and the lume was pink. Sure, its got the same case and movement, but ...
 
#168 ·
Yeah it's tough, all 3 have flaws to me, for the Sumo it's the long lugs, stamped clasp, and thin bracelet, the MM300 it's the 20mm bracelet on a 44mm case, and the Shogun it's the monster hands and too "buttoned up" sub homage look, it's a little vanilla to me.

But there are parts of all three I really love too, and certainly better than anything else at their respective price points. Tough call, I'll probably stick with the Sumo for now, but the MM300 and Shogun are probably inevitable. The Shogun I imagine is one of the watches you need to see in person and I would probably love it on my wrist.
 
#170 ·
If you mean lug tip to lug tip (not width for the band size), the Shogun is a lad longer than the Sumo. My guess would be the MM300 is going to light your fire. If you really like the Sumo and don't like what the Shogun looks like in pictures, and don't care for TT, my guess is live and in person your feelings won't change. The MM300 has that uniqueness that the Shogun does not have, at least in appearance. Good luck!
 
#172 ·
Had the chance to try on a Shogun recently, and I have been lusting for it ever since.

(Forgive the poor pic)


Can anyone verify that the Shogun is indeed out of production? I have tried to read up about it, but it all seems pretty inconclusive...

By the way, @cajun1970, you can consider getting a Shogun from Amazon Japan. The price is pretty good now! :)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk m
 
#173 ·
I really like the Shogun - it's just so much money :(

Had the chance to try on a Shogun recently, and I have been lusting for it ever since.

(Forgive the poor pic)


Can anyone verify that the Shogun is indeed out of production? I have tried to read up about it, but it all seems pretty inconclusive...

By the way, @cajun1970, you can consider getting a Shogun from Amazon Japan. The price is pretty good now! :)

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk m
 
#189 · (Edited)
I have a 15 year old SQ 100 Kinetic Titanium watch with a 5M43 movement in it. The clasp had one adjustment issue which was fixed easily enough by a watch maker. It has been on my wrist every day for 15 years pretty well. I think the clasp design just works and the band on the Shogun is heavier duty as the band is wider.

The MM300 clasp no doubt is bullet proof and has better adjustment.

The Shogun looks great and very is very light an easy to wear. I guess I am a fan of Titanium.
 
#190 ·
Flipped my Blumo, my SKX007 and 6309 7049 for this.



Had it for a few days now, and here are my thoughts.

Amazed at how comfortable it is, and I have been wearing it literally the whole day, except during showers. Yes, I don't take it off at night.

Was thinking of putting it on a Zulu strap, but after sizing the bracelet myself (scratched up the lugs but achievement unlocked!) with the watch kit my girlfriend got as an early Valentine's Day gift, it's comfortable enough to wear the whole day without any problems.

Watch kit from Dagaz.



While not as curvy as the Sumo, it's handsome is a classic diver way.

Performance-wise, so far it's running at -2.5 spd, very respectable.

Bonus rocketship shot! The Monster hands don't bother me much.


Bezel works great, much easier to operate than the Sumo, but perhaps due to the nature of titanium, it sounds really loud and tinny.

Overall, really satisfied with the Shogun.

A couple of noob questions though. Would polishing Diashield titanium be the same as polishing stainless steel? Was thinking if the scratched up lugs ever bother me enough, I might try my hand at polishing.

The lugs are not brushed, so would a Cape Cod cloth, or other polishing methods (scratch remover pens, or polishing pastes, etc) work the same on titanium as stainless steel?

Thanks for reading! :)

 
#191 · (Edited)


Seiko MM hands (though I might switch again to PO style hands to me the watch scream Japanese planet ocean in the case size)-
the tail of the original minute hand bugged me, even though it fits the dial indices better,
Sapphire with blue AR
On leather for now.
 
#193 ·
#194 ·
Oh, anyway, I have been trying to find the official Seiko page about Diashield but can't seem to find it.

A little help? Sorry I am hopeless at the Search function, and using Google. :(
 
#195 ·
Oh, anyway, I have been trying to find the official Seiko page about Diashield but can't seem to find it.
A little help? Sorry I am hopeless at the Search function, and using Google. :(
Some info about DiaShield is included within the information on 'Comfotex.' at the Seiko.jp site.
(Just scroll down the page in this link)


Seiko Comfotex


Iirc the top-to-bottom order of the chart goes like this......
1) DiaShield Ti.
2) Stainless steel 316L.
3) Untreated Ti. (probably referring to Grade 5 Ti)
4) Seiko's proprietary High Intensity Ti/Alloy.




 
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