Sure ye've seen the a few times. An catch, I bought it on 16 September, and it arrived on 29 September. Not bad considering it came from Hyderabad, India.

I didn't go into a lot of detail in the other posts, and I'll try not to rehash too much here. But I will mention that you can find the seller's (quite decent) photos in the former post, and a fairly comprehensive report on the seller's service in the latter. And, yeah, I'm gonna quote meself again.

Quote
Ricky Lee

(is) a brand that I've owned before, liked, and regret parting with. So much so that I put it on me Official WIShlist, albeit near the bottom. So when this clean vintage example appeared at a favorable price I just couldn't resist.

All stainless, screwdown caseback, 37mm w/o crown, all original incl. bracelet, 21-jewel auto billed as "running strong".

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

That first Ricoh I owned would have been in 2006, maybe 2007, and though I've searched high an' low I can find no photos. Hard as it is for me to accept, I apparently never shot any. It was similar to this one..


..except it had a black dial. And I don't recall it had the bosses or "bumps" on the bezel at 2,4,8 and 10. Other'n that, though, pretty much the same watch. Suffice to say it was a sweet-running li'l guy, and never gave me any trouble. But it was around 35 or 36mm, and there was a time when I felt that was just too small. So when bloke at the flea-market made me a decent offer on it, away she went. I soon missed it, though, and Ricoh has been on me Official WIShlist for at least two years.

As mentioned above..

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..it's all SS, screwdown caseback, non-threaded crown, 37mm X 40mm X 13mm thick, with 18mm lugs. The crystal is a medium-domed acrylic.

OK, another quote.

Quote
Ricky Lee

Cut to the chase, I'm just pleased as punch with it. It runs fine (maybe +2 sec. to Atomic Time over the ~ 6 hours I've been tracking it), and the condition it better than the seller's photos indicated. To the point that you could nearly convince me it's NOS. Still, close inspection tells me the case and bracelet have been polished, and there are some dial and hands flaws evident under the loupe. That's OK, though, 'cause it reassures me that the watch is 100% Original, not refinished.

A word about that bracelet. It is, of course, too short. By a full inch, at least. So I'm wearing it on a black single-run nylon w/ gold buckle. Not sure if that's the way it'll stay, but it is expedient. I'm thinking this one may need leather. We'll see.

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo


Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

You'll be seeing the original bracelet here, mostly, but I'll throw in a photo of the current combo at the end. The more I've thought about it, I believe that adapting the signed clasp to an aftermarket SS bracelet is the route I'll take. Oh, and the reason that the clasp closeup looks a bit.. well, different than the other pics is that it was taken with the iPhone where the rest, except the HWS, were taken with my S700 point-n-shoot. Dunno which is more accurate, but obviously the and the have different ideas on what the white balance of Natural Sunlight should be.

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo


Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

I'm still very happy with the overall condition of the watch. I'm convinced that the dial and hands are 100% original and, while the case has obviously been polished, it was done quite sympathetically. The lines of the case are quite crisp, and I do so love the subtle asymmetrical "keystone" shape. It's unlike anything else in my collection and, to me, offers a very pleasing profile.

Likewise..

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..the caseback is still relatively crisp, and is quite fetching in person. I've given the watch a thorough cleaning since I shot these photos (I know, it'd have made more sense t'other way 'round ) and the back is one area that really benefitted by the application of a bit of elbow grease.

One aspect that was a bit of a disappointment..

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

I'm quite interested in the history of as it relates to horology. After all, this is a company that, at one point, seemed to have the potential to turn the "Big 3" of Citizen/Seiko/Orient into "The Big 4 Japanese Watch Companies". But, alas, there's not much hard info out there.

It would seem that Ricoh "bought in" to the manufacture of mechanical movements via the acquisition of a company called Takano. They definitely did produce their own mechanical movements in house, but there's also evidence that these were, in some cases at least, not designed in house. There was some collaboration between Timex and Ricoh in the sixties, and some speculate that Ricoh obtained the rights to certain Durowe/INT designs in this deal. (Timex owned Laco/Durowe between 1959 and 1965.) Also, there was a rather more well-documented collaboration between Hamilton and Ricoh (see HERE), though this applied only to Electric movements, and lasted only from 1962-1964.

And, while not many WIS seem to realize it, Ricoh remains a player in the Watch Business to this very day, via the . Not only are Elemex replacement movements readily available (see HERE and HERE), but they also make complete watches:

Click HERE for Official Web Site

These REQ watches are apparently JDM-only, at least officially, but are also apparently very highly regarded in their home market.

Well. That's about a wrap, I reckon..

But wait! I promised ye a photo of the Current Combo, didn't I?

OK, here ye go...


Sorry, no hi-res versions. Dad-gummed iPhone focuses a bit fuzzy sometimes especially indoors.

Anywho. I got to say, it wears Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr8!

Thank for readin', y'all.

Sláinte!

-Ricky