# Ricoh Ocean Master



## pauluspaolo (Feb 24, 2003)

Hi all,

I got this today









Build quality seems very good, the case is stainless steel with a combination of brushed & polished surfaces. The crystal is acrylic & domed, it came with some faint scratches (possibly storage marks?) which I've polished out using polywatch - it's now immaculate. The big signed screw down crown is at 4 & controls the internal bezel (bidirectional) as well as the time & date setting functions. The day is not quickset & it's in one language only (Spanish presumably).

The dial is a pale grey colour, the internal bezel is black and the indices appear to be a sort of peachy(







) colour, I think they may have been orange when the watch was new but have possibly faded over the years. The hands have an orange insert (maybe the indices were originally this colour) with lumious inserts at the ends - I've no idea yet if this still glows.

I've modified a 22mm thick leather strap to fit the 18mm lugs which I think looks much better than the rather flimsy 18mm folded ink bracelet that the watch came fitted with. This is a genuine Ricoh item though so I will, obviously, keep hold of it









I don't know what year the watch is from but it's got waterproof on the back, so does anyone know what year manufacturers changed from waterproof to water resistant ( I thought it was 1972 but may be wrong)? It's also got the numbers 087336 AA on the back - I don't know if these are a date code or movement calibre information.

A view of the back









Side view showing the domed crystal & signed crown









Forgot the dimensions - 42mm across (not including the crown), 13mm thick & a lug width of 18mm


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## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

Not bad at all Paul. That company name rings a bell with something other than watches for some reason.


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## Roger (May 17, 2003)

> That company name rings a bell with something other than watches for some reason.


Paul,

Cameras, printers, photocopiers to name a few...


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## normdiaz (May 5, 2004)

Interesting model.

Ricoh also maufactures the REQ (rechargeable electromagnetic quartz) movements, which require a separate charger and appear to provide the movements for Dakota Watch Company's REQ models.



normdiaz said:


> Interesting model.
> 
> Ricoh also maufactures the REQ (rechargeable electromagnetic quartz) movements, which require a separate charger and appear to provide the movements for Dakota Watch Company's REQ models.


REQ site link:

http://www.ricohelemex.co.jp/e/products/req/index02.html


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## MIKE (Feb 23, 2003)

Hi Paul,

I was watching one of these on E-Bay. A different good looking watch 

Went for a bit more than I wanted to pay









Completed listing, with a bit of info.

Mike


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## pauluspaolo (Feb 24, 2003)

A bit more information: I bought the watch from the same eBay seller that Mike linked to and he was fantastic to deal with, very polite with good communication. I emailed him via Ebay initially enquiring if he had anymore of these watches for sale as I'd been watching an auction for one (possibly the one Mike has linked to) but missed the end of it. He replied stating that he only had 2 more & that I could have one for a price that was too good to miss. The whole deal went painlessly & smoothly & the watch itself has exceeded my expectations. Quality is every bit as good as Seiko's of the period (early 70's I think) and it's NOS so the condition is superb, plus the fact that it's rare and slightly different. I don't think it would have been a cheap watch when new - I think it's blooming marvellous









I'd also like to thank Nick (N







for all his advice & help. He posted this link earlier which first alerted me to the fact that this watch even existed: http://www.rltwatches.co.uk/forums/index.p...=12636&hl=ricoh

Here are some more pictures - there was better light (which has now gone







!) this morning. I also noticed last night that the lume still glows well & that the peach on the indices is luminous material & glows too - it's not a peach glow though! I'll try for a lume shot later on this evening.










Another photo - that's it for the moment


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## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

Roger said:


> > That company name rings a bell with something other than watches for some reason.
> 
> 
> Paul,
> ...


Ah yes - thank you Roger


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## PhilM (Nov 5, 2004)

I like it especially the way the seconds hand goes into a very thin point, have to agree that the crown also looks very unusal but again looks good


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## pauluspaolo (Feb 24, 2003)

Sorry to keep harping on about this Ricoh - but it's the best watch I've bought in ages









I've been attacking a beefy 22mm mesh bracelet (thanks (& sorry!) Richard!!!) with a dremel this afternoon & this is the result. I think it looks good and it's extremely comfortable. I've had to grind the bracelet ends down to 18mm & I've also had to fit a new slightly smaller clasp to allow the bracelet to fasten slightly tighter.

Anyway let me know what you think - I like it









Another shot


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## PhilM (Nov 5, 2004)

Paul superb job on the strap it really goes well with the watch for sure


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## N_B (Jan 8, 2006)

hey Paulo...good to see she arrived.....and cheers for the shout, was great to assist in finding you one









The above review and postings read well. One can only presume your as chuffed with her as i suggested i was of mine. Agreed 70's Seiko quality (which aint somathing to giggle at and far from poor qual) so not the priciest of watches but deffo eyecatching, unusual and as the RLT posse are buying them up surely becoming rarer.

The handy work with the bracelet looks great, in fact whats the gen on the chainmail bracelet if you dont mind ?? Noticed these in years gone by and spotted various people showing them off  in pictures in recent times but never come across any for sale (must try harder obviously).

Once again great to hear ur smiling with the buy, nice one.

- N_B

p.s At this end i'm keeping the Ricoh on the undersized 18mm steel although got something more macho arriving on an 18mm that will look just the job in that chainmail.


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## pauluspaolo (Feb 24, 2003)

That's the nicest looking Sicura chronograph I've seen Nick - I look forward to you posting some more about it when it arrives









I got the heavy duty mesh (chainmail) bracelet from a friend who found it too small for his gargantuan wrists (hi Richard







) - I've sent you a PM sent about where you can get them from.


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