5 More Interesting Mods We Spotted on Instagram (Part 2)
Is it just us, or are mods getting better and better every week? With each new release from mod part suppliers like us, the modders’ options grow, and beautiful new combinations get unlocked.
In this series, we share some of the most jaw-dropping watch mods from the last month, who is the genius behind it, and how you can DIY it if you wish to do so. Today we look at a different kind of Batman mod, a couple of summer watches, a skelly build, and an unusual case that you’d want to get your hands on. Let’s get right to it!
@jack_hypoxia | A Different Batman Mod named “Gotham”
Jack’s one of the most familiar names in the modding scene, and it’s obvious why. His mods are always superbly made, cleanly designed, and always on top of current trends if not starting them himself. A trend that we’re all aware of is the “Batman” mod which usually features a black and blue motif as inspired by the original cartoons.
Quick Trivia: in the original designs, Batman was supposed to don a purely black and grey costume but due to the way early comic books were colored, the black parts of his costume were highlighted with blue. The overall dark look of the caped crusader reflected his character being the line that separated good and evil.
When the comic’s popularity was going down, the writers decided to create lighter storylines for the character while also changing his appearance. This is when the yellow Batman logo first came out. This is the look that @jack_hypoxia based his “Gotham” mod’s look on.
The watch is of course made stealthy, with black being the main color save for the few yellow color accents on the dial and hands. The Submariner case is fitted with a black crown with muted S logo, and the bezel insert features engraved markers and a matte finish. The yellow Batman logo can be seen beside the 9 hour marker opposite the date window. For the handsets, he uses black Mercedes style hour and minute hands, while the seconds hand is a bright yellow that when viewed at the right time, looks like the beam that sends out the bat signal. Pretty cool!
If you want to remake this watch, you’ll just need to focus on deciding what you want the yellow accents to be, and every other part just needs to be a stark black. You can play around with where to put the yellows, but for the case and bezel you’d need a black Submariner styled part. You can get our Sub Style Stealth insert if you want the exact same look as in the Gotham mod. The dial is a custom, but you can recreate the look with a matte black dial with black lumed hour markers like this one and put a yellow Batman logo sticker on it.
Just want to get the watch without having to DIY? Reach out to @jack_hypoxia here.
@koda_watches | Summer-Ready Yellow Zimbe
The Seiko Zimbe is an entire line of Prospex watches, but perhaps the most popular one with the modding community is the green and yellow models, the SRPD17 and SRPD19. These are Thailand limited edition watches, with only 999 pieces made per model. You can say that there’s a bit of rarity to these watches adding to their popularity.
But even if they weren't limited edition, we think these bright-colored Zimbes would still be as popular, and probably even more so than it is now thanks to its mesmerising, swirling pattern in a mini Turtle case. The nickname ‘Zimbe’ actually comes from Jinbei Zame or ‘whale shark’ in Japanese, whose scales probably inspired the pattern on the SRPD17/19 dials.
@koda_watches (previously seikomodsaustralia) makes good use of this dial by creating a perfect-for-summer watch that just seems to be bursting with sunshine. The yellow rubber straps seem to enhance the vibrance of the dial. He adds extra detail through the bezel insert which is different from the usual 60 marks insert that we see on diver watches. Instead, it features a respiration and pulse counter, presumably to determine if someone is hyperventilating from excitement at the sight of this watch. There are also sprinkles of red on the chapter ring and on the hands to complement the yellow primary color of the build.
To recreate this look, the essential parts are the dial and straps. If you can’t get your hands on a genuine SRPD19 dial (they’re limited after all), you can get our Sakura Yellow dial which features the same pattern as the Zimbe dial. Then you’d just need to find the yellow straps to put on an SKX007 stainless steel case. The bezel insert is an opportunity to add extra character to the mod. A U1 Style Black insert might be a good alternative to the one used by @koda_watches especially if you also plan on adding a red color accent to the build. And for the hands, you can use an MM1000 handset.
Want this summer watch ready to wear? Message @koda_watches here for a build quote.
@meticulous_watch_man x @andoandoando_design | A-1 Auto Mod
"Now that's different," we hear you say. The modding scene is home to endless creativity, and it slowly manifests in new and interesting watch mod parts. The case featured in this mod is perhaps the most interesting one in recent memory.
The case was actually not meant to be a watch mods part at first, and is not a readily available part as of this writing. The case is from the A-1 Auto watch, a microbrand watch from the mind of @andoandoando_design. It embodies a harmonious mix of Finnish practicality and Japanese minimalism. It's not clearly comparable to any other watch case out there, with the "body" being positioned to the left and "bulging out of the frame." The crown appears recessed, with the side of the case serving as the crown guard and connecting to the lugs. It was actually inspired by classical architecture, specifically the Étienne-Louis Boullée's Cénotaphe à Newton. If you stand the watch on its crown side, you quickly see the inspiration.
When the modding community first caught wind of this intriguing watch, they were quick to develop custom ideas for it. A couple of prominent modders were able to secure a case and executed their own designs on it, with one coming from @meticulous_watch_man. Now, since the case is already the big talking point of the mod no matter what dial you put in it, he goes for the neutral-looking Divemaster Stealth. The legible markers and minimalist style of this dial follows the aesthetics of the A-1 Auto watch case without taking away any attention from it.
Currently, a kickstarter campaign is running to get this watch mass produced to satisfy the demand from the modding community. It is already 51% funded with less than 2 weeks remaining, so if you also have ideas for this case, you best pledge your support soon! Visit their Kickstarter campaign through this link.
Want the A-1 Auto watch as intended? Send @andoandoando_design a message here or you can also directly visit his shop here.
@bbmod_france | Black and Orange Square Skelly
We know it’s still months away from Spooktober, which is when these types of mods are usually most popular. But we can’t just pass up a feature for this exotic looking pilot mod by @bbmod_france. We’re not even sure if it’s fair to call this a pilot mod just for the case as it is styled more closely as a dress watch with its openworked dial. Perhaps we can call it a hybrid of both?
The square case used for the build is inspired by the Bell & Ross BR03, an ever popular aviation watch which is in turn inspired by the Seiko 2628 SilverWave Cockpit, the first cockpit watch characterised by its square case and circular dial. It’s a shame that Seiko has not followed up the decades old 2628 with another model because from what we’ve seen from mods using this square case, the demand for this form factor is huge!
Looking now at the mod: this is primarily a stealth build, with all black parts chosen for the case, strap, crown, bezel and Yachtmaster insert. Despite this, there is no monotony to the watch due to the different finishes of these parts, mixing polished and brushed together. The stealth is finally broken by the bright orange chapter ring with black markers. There will be no alignment issues with the dial at all, as the Skeletonized dial used for the build only has applied markers for the hours and no minute indices. Orange is once again used for the handset to complement the chapter ring.
How do you redo this design? The important parts are the case and the dial. Our black B&R case already comes with the crown and caseback so the only individual parts you’d need are a black coin edge bezel, a Yachtmaster ceramic insert, and a double domed crystal with no bevel edge (for a seamless fit with the insert). Since you’ll also be using a skeleton dial, it’s best to get a skeleton movement with it too. Now the mod we’re emulating uses orange, which is one of the better combos to black, but you can actually use any other color for your accents. You can pick a yellow chapter ring and handset, or blue ones. Even gold is going to be a good option if you can also get an NH71 which is the gold-plated version of the NH70.
Want to skip all the fuss? Send @bbmod_france a message here to inquire about a build.
@im_late_modz | THE Summer Watch
Gulf blue and orange is an immortalised livery combination with global fame. These colors became inseparable from when it was first used by the Gulf oil company to paint the Ford GT40, the back to back winner of the Le Mans endurance race in 1966 to 1969.
The fame of the Zenith Blue and Tangerine colors of the Gulf company spilled over from the automotive to the horology scene when the oil giant partnered with some watch giants, but perhaps the most popular one is the Tag Heuer Formula 1 Gulf Special Edition Watch, with the color combo being displayed on the dial. It seems that Gulf has also partnered with Seiko for a promotional quartz watch in the 70s, sporting a blue and orange strap and featuring the Gulf logo by the 9 hour marker. Soon enough, Gulf color parts entered the modding scene as well.
@im_late_modz brings the blue and orange motif out of the racetrack and into the beach with a really fun summer build with several eye-catching features, starting, of course, with the face of the watch. The turquoise blue of the dial is the stage for the handset with an orange Mercedes seconds hand. The gulf colored bezel insert is not so ordinary either, in that it has bakelite on top of it for a retro vibe. All these sit on a nautical style case, which is then rounded off by an orange stingray leather strap that looks absolutely summer-tastic! Just imagine yourself on a beach vacation, cold drink in hand and nothing but a gorgeous view of the splashing waves under a bright, cloudless sky. You take a look at the time and see this beauty on your wrist. Life is good.
To be honest, recreating this mod might be hard to do. After all, we already sold out of the gulf colored glass bezel inserts a while ago and it was a limited edition release. If you manage to find one though, along with a turquoise dial, you’re pretty much set. Any stainless steel diver-style case will work for the build. A genuine stingray leather strap might be a tad pricey but it is an absolute must-have for this look.
If you don’t want to go through the trouble of finding all these parts and putting them together, try contacting @im_late_modz to see if he can make another one for you.
Wrap Up
Modding is a constantly evolving niche. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, a brand new part (or part bundle) comes along to send one’s mind racing with ideas for the “perfect mod.” And since perfect is different for everyone, we watch-lovers can all enjoy a variety of designs from the creative minds of the modders in our community. From the tens or hundreds of varieties coming out every day, we think these are some of the better ones that we can take design cues from.
Be sure to check our website for high quality mod parts. If you want to recreate the builds listed out in this article, most are actually available from our catalog so have a browse and send us a message at support@namokimods.com if you have any questions or suggestions!
Do you agree with our picks? Have you found awesome mods that not many people have seen yet and want to share it with us? Let’s talk in the comments below!
Happy modding!