Horological window shopping in Tokyo

Sept 2009

After returning from Sendai to Tokyo on September 30 (around 7pm) I decided to check out Ueno. Ueno has about 4 streets of roughly 5 blocks of shops selling everything from cheap shoes (try a pair of Puma or Addidas sneakers for AUD$60 when we expect to pay double that in the land Down Under) to bags (real and fake) to food but of course, surprise surprise, there were a few pawn shops AND secondhand watch dealers!!!!

Actually, what really caught my eyes were these Casio Calculator watches!!! At 6000 Yen I really wanted to get one.  As a child I had always wanted a Casio Calculator watch as I was never allowed to have one so now, I have a choice!

I have never seen so many vintage, modern, limited edition Omegas etc in a single display window!

The usual suspects in the vintage Rolex line-up...

Blancpain, Corum, and of course, being in Japan, the Seiko!

More Rolex. Actually, the Japanese really care for their watches and you can often could pick up watches in near mint condition. Of course, they don't come cheap either!

However, some shops had a few Pateks PLUS one Lange Datograph, which really caught my eye!

I don't understand the Japanese though, as there seemed to be a lot of second hand Chanel J12 and Bvlgari watches but these are not my style...

Some dealers dealt with  only Rolexes. I saw a few nice 1680s with original dial and hands AND box and papers... plus many 16800 with the matte dial (i.e. matte dial but with sapphire instead of plexi) to many, and I mean MANY, SS white Daytonas with the Rolex-modified Zenith El-Primero movement (cal 4030).

Note : The exchange rate at the time - 1 AUD bought 78 YEN

[JH]