u/Gr1mR34p3r85

Some of you didn't like I don't like that dials + LCD modules are rotated and that cheap watches aren't for me:
https://www.reddit.com/r/SkmeiWatchFans/comments/1t9b38u/dial_rotations_on_some_ali_watches/

https://preview.redd.it/dsdki4n6fz0h1.jpg?width=4096&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a9f2f6781dccd995298ceffa68fb92105e5b2d99

You can enjoy your rotated dials all you want.

But it turned out it's like a 10min job. I did it right before going to sleep.
I had to rotate the dial all the way from far clockwise to far counter-clockwise, looking from front that mean clockwise. It had just enough play to make it completely straight.

https://preview.redd.it/j2uqet7ffz0h1.jpg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=36a6f146d797d6fd1f7c48cca9f90a43701d2015

I even managed to align the caseback better, but still a smidge counter-clockwise.
Oh, you don't need a press, just a light press with thumbs. Water resistance is probably very questionable.

https://preview.redd.it/poeezc7hfz0h1.jpg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1307a35ec96e55e989c6f2d525f33d7512203609

https://preview.redd.it/40vyopaifz0h1.jpg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=fed9f1e0f471d0646bcbb0ccc6d8db86f5f58f93

Around 19,50 EUR for a watch that has watch face like 80% close to 600 EUR CASIO Casiotron TRN-50SS-2A. You also have gold, black and blue. But blue is the only one with option of negative display only. I am wary of those as I fear visibility will not be good. SANDA 2162 G-Shock clomage has blue case and positive display, that will be a better option.

It even has 24 hour time format.

Accuracy is +12,6s per week. My worst two watches have -14,8s and +14,0s. This one is 5th worst as I also have -12,6s (well, on digi that is basically the same as from 30s forward minute goes +1 anyway, I just love digi watches, so much simpler than that analogue minute hand that is a PITA to align) and +13,0s. That means you have to reset it like every month. But being a digital it is a matter of 2 button presses. You can set it at -30s or even -60s and you can effectively double the setting interval, so not that big of a deal.

Lug width is 16 mm compared to 20 mm of original. But in this case that is even better as you can just buy a G-Shock bracelet from Ali. You can even get one with milled clasp for a really premium look and feel.

Original bracelet is hollow link which is even worse than folded link. But advantage is low weight. My experience is if you have it set tightly, it doesn't jangle.

Only real flaw of the watch is you can go straight to the settings with right upper button, just one click, not by pressing it down 1-3 seconds like on CASIO or other digital watches. I had to check the manual before. But now that I know which button it is, I can next time just click it again if I mistakenly press it.

Now I have 4 more watches that need dial alignment.

But removing dust from the dial/LCD is probably a more involved process. I have to do that on SKMEI 1628 as it is really bad, even more than 5 mm dust. I would say the 4 buttons might provide a challenge. I have to watch some Youtube video of how to remove a dial on a digital watch.
I can't even imagine where they put together these watches, it is certainly not a clean production area.
This one is fine though.

I learned today by measuring that I can detect 0,5° dial rotation almost immediately upon unboxing. I also learned 0,5° is still acceptable for me, but 0,6° (if I measured correctly) is certainly not.

https://www.pixozone.com/angle-calculator
I used this site for measurement of angle of rotation, for 3rd point I zoomed that much so I could align blue line to bottom edge of the window. Also for some images I rotated them in paint so bottom 2 lugs align. But upper 2 were not aligned. Basically it is very hard to make a straight on photo, so my measurements for sure can't be +/-0,1°, but more like +/-0,3°. That doesn't even matter, what matters is if rotation is 0,5°, 1° or 2°.

Non affected watches:
SKMEI 2478 (big digit)
SKMEI 2465 (A158/A168 clomage)
SKMEI 1456 (CASIO G-Shock metal GMW-B5000D-1 clomage)
SKMEI 2451 (CASIO AE-1200 clomage)
SKMEI 1628 (CASIO G-Shock DW-5600UE-1 clomage) (but I got hair on LCD module - dispute)
SANDA 329 (CASIO G-Shock DW-5600UE-1 clomage) (but it is a big ass watch, and I read that here from 2 people, but still didn't believe it - dispute)
MEGIR A0330
MEGIR A0329

Affected watches:
SKMEI 2004 (Patek Philippe Nautilus clomage) - minus 0,6°, but it is quite a lot in real life, seems more like minus 1°, either I didn't measure correctly or 0,6° is already a big angle.
According to Ali photos, all watches of this model are affected.

https://preview.redd.it/5eua4ncn1c0h1.png?width=1162&format=png&auto=webp&s=edb4a1b51be3463ba7479089d74e1de0d37ab05f

SKMEI 2460 (CASIO A1100D clomage) - minus 0,5°, this one is acceptable, but you can still see it with naked eyes

https://preview.redd.it/xbk06wjq2c0h1.png?width=655&format=png&auto=webp&s=d1126540c2d74672fd9e8621e30ed0db65467041

BINBOND Tissot PRX Digital homage - plus 2° (LCD) to -2,7° (BINBOND text)
According to Ali photos, all watches of this model are affected and all around 2°, but some are rotated in minus.
Other flaws:

1. both left buttons have same function
2. if you turn on the light with either left button, display changes and you have to press left button 3 more times to get back to time display
3. scratch on LCD, you can see it bottom right of digit 6

https://preview.redd.it/ha6kpsvx2c0h1.png?width=1162&format=png&auto=webp&s=7975d68c5bdf180129448bb176c66c62ee0fd8fb

https://preview.redd.it/4klsw9ky2c0h1.png?width=1162&format=png&auto=webp&s=d9034027f81f808e40dd00183146da656449ea1b

CAIAS 2100 Silver (CASIO Casiotron TRN-50 clomage)

https://preview.redd.it/o8fnzy1h3c0h1.png?width=1162&format=png&auto=webp&s=b9136c4f5463a486210a4d69a16a75885c840e7b

https://preview.redd.it/t3wlgyti3c0h1.png?width=1162&format=png&auto=webp&s=6929e704626691875ea14272cb207faf441fc818

https://preview.redd.it/kie1mcin3c0h1.png?width=1162&format=png&auto=webp&s=efeb390e15186c190e7b1604f10f4a48f806c245

Now to make disputes. 5 out of 12 are dispute worthy. I already have photos with angles added, so if this won't go through, then f*** them, I won't spend any more time on these watches as I already did.

And it also resets stopwatch by itself to zero, so stopwatch is useless and having it for time is a PITA as this watch doesn't have an instant mode button, but you have to keep it pressed for 2-3 seconds. And thumb doesn't even work as it is too soft. You have to use index finger or a nail.
It really sucks, you pay 176 EUR and then 69 EUR for customs and then you get this.
I think Honey Suckle from USA otherwise has good descriptions of watch problems, but here he clearly missed what was wrong with it.

>This watch is in full working condition, and all features and functions are operating properly, including time display, chronograph, calendar, and light functions.

And dial is crooked to the left. This is the best photo I managed to do. If I open with Windows Photo Viewer and check lines and text alignment to bottom edge of the Viewer window, most are pretty much aligned, top half a little to the left. But if you look at bottom case edges, right bottom lug is certainly lower then left one. So there is certainly some left rotation of the LCD module, not much, like 1-2 degrees.

I just got 6 Chinese digital watches yesterday and those don't even know the word QC. There is like 10 degree rotation on some and hair on the LCD on one. If you have to buy 6 for 100 EUR and only get 2 good ones, then that loses any sense. You could get 2 CASIO A168 or A1200 for that price. Sure, I will make disputes and return some, but I already know I won't get all my money back.
Can LCD module be rotated +/-10 degrees and buttons still work or what is up with that?
Can I just open all these watches and realign the dial and LCD module or is it not as simple as that?

https://preview.redd.it/bhzxrv78d40h1.jpg?width=3060&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9412ef3071047cd8dd3ef0372984c61ca3788212

I really want a blue face watch. But I have trouble finding G-Shock blue bracelet with solid links, solid end links and milled scissor part of the clasp. Original with hollow links is not an option.

Watch:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005011772541166.html

Bracelet:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005003261719061.html

So I have options:

1. blue + silver
2. silver + silver
3. black + black
4. gold + gold

Maybe gold would be a nice alternative to a 500 EUR CASIO G-Shock GMWBZ5000GD9.
Maybe even better as G-Shock has those stupid recessed buttons. For that reason I only use my M5610U for time and not for stopwatch.

I doubt mixed color blue + silver would look good.

So I would rate them like this:

1. gold + gold
2. black + black
3. silver + silver
4. blue + silver

Lansko leto sem za probo vzel te iz Ali za 27 EUR:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007277302470.html

Drugače se mi zdijo povsem v redu, iz nylon fiber. To mora biti najboljši price/performance, res priporočam vsem začetnikom SPD pedal.

Ampak letos sem že četrto furo na teh pedalih, pa ne vidim prednosti. Izgubim pa verjetno ene 2 minuti na 1 uro, ko se moram pred vsakim križiščem izpenjat, potem pa spet vpenjat. Ali pa če na kakšni ozki cesti pride nasproti avto, to je toliko enega dela da se ustaviš in spet spelješ.
Do padca na srečo ni prišlo. Lansko leto, ko sem jih samo probal za 10min, pridem domov in izpnem samo desno pedalo, a nagibati se začnem na levo stran, tako da sem moral med padanjem izpeti še levo pedalo. Od takrat pred ustavitvijo vedno odpnem obe pedali, better safe than sorry.

Nimam pa nobenega občutka, da bi dobil nazaj vsaj sekundo od tistih izgubljenih 2min.
Tako da počasi razmišljam o menjavi nazaj na flat pedala. SPD je OK samo če narediš vsaj 20 km v kosu brez ustavitve. Saj kakšno turo bom šel tako, ampak take bodo ene 2 na 10.

Vzel sem jih seveda samo zato, ker se tako spodobi za cestno kolo. Ampak mora biti še kakšna dejanska prednost, ne da samo lepo izgleda.

Pravijo da se z SPD pedali poganja tudi navzgor. Jaz tega ne delam. Sem probal v nedeljo, pa je to zelo težko. Pa tudi pedalo ima zračnost v kontaktu s čevljem in ne gre kar tako poganjat navzgor. Sem probal, ampak potem seveda z dvigom ta luft dvigneš, ko poženeš navzdol, pa seveda potem zabije. Mogoče so preslaba pedala, ampak če bi imel bolj fiksna, bi bil pa problem z izpenjanjem.

Razlika v teži tudi ni ne vem kakšna:
flat pedala Crank Brothers Stamp 1 Small V2 - 323,2 g
SPD pedala RACEWORK R26 - 260,9 g

Daleč največjo razliko naredijo 25 mm gume in 10,7 kg težko kolo. To gre praktično sam tudi v vse klance kjer sem se prej matral s 14 kg gorcem oz. sem moral izbrati res nizko prestavo. Velik del poti lahko prekolesarim v stoje, pa sem že čez 40 (no saj to je v bistvu malo, če ne skoraj najmanj, čeprav ene 5 let prej bi se komot lahko lotil. 15-letniki so itak na mopedih, 20-letniki v avtih, 30-letniki pa na motorjih), tako lahkotna je vožnja. Edina slabost je, da me lepo preruka čez kakšna naselja kjer je povsem razbit asfalt. Pa če je kakšna luknja na cesti, si vedno zapišem lokacijo, da ne grem na istem mestu 2x vanjo. Ampak na splošno itak da je razlika hardtail gorsko 14 kg vs. 10,7 kg cesto, tudi če na tistih 2 km razbitega asfalta voziš malo počasneje, ampak si na lepem asfaltu veliko hitrejši.

Boljšega/dražjega kolesa pa mislim da ne rabim, za letošnjo sezono pa sploh ne. Itak bo še dolgo moja največja omejitev kondicija in moč v nogah, tako da mi ne bi pomagalo 7 kg težko kolo. Mislim, malo že, ampak ne toliko kot boljša kondicija in moč.

Imam tudi ravno krmilo, pa moram tudi še enkrat probat zakrivljeno. Pač oboje bi imel rad optimalno, ne da se neki matram, izboljšave pa ni nobene.

Imam tudi eno benchmark progo 19,5 km kjer sem vozil na čas:
prva fura s fotrovo specialko iz 2006 - 51min, povprečna 22,9 km/h
najboljši čas z gorcem - 53min, povprečna 22,5 km/h po števcu, izračunana sicer pride 22,1 km/h
najboljši čas s cestnim kolesom s flat pedali - 44min, povprečna 25,8 km/h
najboljši čas s cestnim kolesom z SPD pedali - 50min, povprečna 22,9 km/h

Nisem sicer izgubil 6 minut. Od letos probam voziti po pravilih, tako da čakam tisti semafor za kolesarje. In to v obe smeri in je tako 3-4min samo zaradi tega. Potem sem imel kar prav tisto z 2 minutami zaostanka na 1 uro. Saj malo se še da izboljšati s prakso, da bom hitreje izpel in vpel, ampak mi bo tudi tako še vedno manjkala minuta.

Sicer je pa najbolj pomembno kaj ustreza meni in ne kaj si ostali mislijo. In to so flat pedala in ravno krmilo. Ravno krmilo predvsem zato, ker imaš vedno na dosegu zavore. Kot pravim, bom še probal zakrivljeno, ampak zaenkrat sem takega mnenja. Itak pa da mora biti prestop iz gorca na specialko postopen.
Fotr je probal moje kolo, pa pravi da je nevarno zaradi širšega krmila (592 proti 450 mm, gorec ima pa 650 mm, za ravno krmilo ožje pač ne gre), da hitro spremeni smer. Jaz nimam takega občutka, se peljem povsem varno. Malo vem kaj je mislil, ker sem imel tudi sam manjši problem pred in čez eno krožno, ko sem malo preveč na ostro zavijal.

Meni se je začelo že oktobra 2011, po komaj 26 letih od rojstva.
Saj sčasoma se navadiš na bolečino, ki je za nekje 2-3/10. Ampak včeraj sem se pa spet začel osredotočati nanjo.
Najbolj se čuti, če se predklonim za 90° s hrbtom in s prsti potisnem 5-10 cm pod žličko.
Če napnem mišice in pritisnem, ni nič, tako da je sigurno bolečina bolj od znotraj, želodec ali prebavila.

Enkrat mislim da 2017 sem bil na gastroskopiji in niso nič našli. Ampak občutek je pa tak kot bi želodec žarel, recimo kot bi bil ves rdeč namesto rožnat ali kakršnekoli barve že je normalno.

Sem govoril z AI in nekega čudežnega zdravila ni. Se pravi preprosto moraš potrpeti zadnjih 55 let življenja in je to to? Res bedno.

That was some really weird shit. 1 hour and a half spent just to learn on the internet (AOE2 Wiki and Steam) that you are supposed to leave all the gold, stone and berries and transport vills to south-east Jin's (yellow) island and establish a base before his north-east gate. Where there are no resources, mind you.
Of course you could leave 1 vil behind in the north. But he would be defenseless against red's rocket carts. I doubt he would survive making a TC. You need to be in Castle Age to make a second TC. So probably best to just send like 5-10 vils from Jin's island when you have enough to spare. But I doubt that is before 40min when Jin builds a wonder. So defeating Jin is first priority and then you have more than enough time to go back north and establish a base.

In first playthrough it is logical that you would stay in the north, boom up and destroy the triple gate. After all you don't even know that there will be a Wonder timer, that yellow is on the island (was funny when I tried to get units there, but they just stood on the shore) and that he has enough space for a base. I even remember destroying those green triple gates and towers from my 2009 playthrough of AOK and AOC. I have to load that save game and see what I did.

But there for sure weren't rocket carts back then. Looking at AOE2 Wiki, it seems from update April 10th 2025. Now it is really hard just to tear down the gate, those rocket carts kill down my units like flies. I actually managed to destroy the gate, but there is not enough time to reach Jin's wonder. Maybe if you are really fast before the timer starts and after the timer starts.

I really hate missions on a timer. Those so far were:
Prithviraj - 3 - Hand of a Princess
Prithviraj - 4 - The Fate of India - Relic countdown from 200 years, in that time you have to raze 1 of 3 monasteries and then repeat the process 2 times, I have yet to complete this one
Gajah Mada - 5 - The Pasunda Bubat Tragedy - once you get into town, you have 20min to complete the objective - Kill all of the Sunda Royal Fighters in the capital.
Tamerlane - 3 - Harbinger of Destruction - Wonder, only 2 out of 3 vils are building it, so not very hard, I managed to raze it at 3800/4800 HP built
Tamerlane - 4 - Sultan of Hindustan