Update on Alba Watch - It has now been just over 2 month since I got the watch and adjusted the time to my Swiss quartz watch, I have again compared the time keeping - Happy to report that the automatic movement has not deviated in the plus or minus, keeping exact time - just a great watch for the price !

Thank you Jody for powering through and pumping out content. Get well soon.

Alba Watch last update: Almost 4 month now. I have checked the Alba watch and compared the time keeping against my Swiss Quartz watch and noticed a pronounced deviation of around 2.5 - 3 minutes going slow, not sure why the sudden change. I suppose it eventually had to go into a deviation of sorts. However it is not posing a big problem as you need to adjust the calendar date at least once every 2 or so month for the shorter month and when doing so you can adjust and correct the time too. Still a great watch and not loosing or gaining 30 seconds a day as per the specifications.😊

Alba, Lorus and Pulsar. The 3 of them are made by Seiko and the 3 of them are still a great value for the money. Great video!

I’d recommend Steeldive too. I have the Capt Willard homage and it’s an amazing value.

For a few $$ more I would go for the Steeldive. It's a great tuna homage with NH35 and 300m. I can tell you don't feel well and I admire your work ethic. Praying for your quick recovery! By the way Jody I do shop at Aldi and your comparison is spot on. It brought a few chuckles on this end.

I purchased the 20 bar green dial ALBA automatic about 3 weeks ago, with the crown located at the 3 hour position. I could not be happier with this watch, it was cheap as it was on special at $155 AU. Now the the night illumination is fantastic, it lasts the whole night through, amazing ! I set the watch time to my swiss made quartz watch and after 9 days checking the time fluctuation I found it has neither lost nor gained time, another amazing feature !. I'm going to leave it running for more days and weeks and will check it against my quartz watch periodically. According to the write up it is about +/- 40 seconds per day., but have not experienced this kind of deviation as yet. Not sure then if ALBA made some kind of improvement or if the watch is a fluke !

My Seiko 5 was destroyed and I needed a quick watch asap as cheap as possible and have an Alba and so far I’m happy with it. Here in Japan at least in my scenario my Alba came in a Seiko Box and the guarantee card mentions both names.

That Alba looks good to me, specially at that price. Thanks for the review!

Wishing you a speedy recovery and cheers for the fun review as the Aldi reference brought a smile to my face. 😁

I remember how thrilled I was when I bought my first automatic watch, a Seiko SNK805. Same 7S26 economy movement and an even more paltry 30m water resistence rating. It's saving graces? Principally the exhibition caseback, which allowed me, as a mechanical watch noob, to marvel at the rotor, tiny gears and balance wheel spinning away hour after hour, month after month, year after year. That and it's over-acheiving Lumibright lume and whatever incremental increase in scratch resistence Hardlex offers over normal mineral crystal. It's still in my collection and I love it. Everything's relative, Jody. The Alba is probably a lot more appealing to the neophyte watch enthusiast than those of us who've been in the game for a while. But I agree at it's price point a budding watch collector can find far better options. If Seiko had deigned to slap an exhibition caseback on this Alba-branded watch, it would be a more intriguing proposition.

Get well soon, friend

I saw these appear at my local jeweller a couple of weeks ago and thought I'll wait for JOMW. I'm a sucker for a vintage seiko and I'm disappointed some of their TV dial models aren't available here in Australia from the distributor.

Some of the Wired stuff looks appealing too; their integrated bracelet chronos for under $200 are more like the Seiko of yore (except with solid endlinks!). I think these subbrands will bring the real budget value now that Seiko wants to push their brand upmarket.

Reminds me when I was a kid I wanted a Sony Walkman for Xmas and received an Alba Walkman instead with no rewind button 😂

In my opinion Lorus (easier to find in the U.S. and Europe) and Alba are pretty good value Seiko sub-brands (if you get the right watch i.e. Lorus Lumibrite and Alba make a Titanium version of it) and are often priced where Seiko used to be. Plus they are brands watch enthusiasts recognize. Bracelets are like Casio bracelets ... which is why with the savings you ALWAYS swap then out.

That logo on the casebook is the Pulsar logo.I remember Pulsars in the 80s and 90s being half the price and as good as Seikos.

This was the first I’d heard of Alba, so I looked them up while watching the video. I found the same Tuna homage that you reviewed on Amazon Canada and it was $351.90!! That’s a hefty price to pay to have the hair removed from my left forearm.

Ordered an Alba once, waited keenly for delivery but once it was in front of me I felt really deflated. It just didn't quite measure up, much as you've described Jody, so the almost-Seiko was sent back the next day. The experience did make me appreciate the quality of the catalogue photographs though. That photographer was highly skilled!

Our buddy still giving one if if best watch content even though he was sick. Get well soon ❤

My mate recently bought an Alba with proper Arabic (and I mean 'Arabic') dial here in Qatar and to be honest it is absolutely awesome - QR 220-00 or equivalent to US$ 60-00. It is an absolutely amazing piece!!!!!!

Mr. JOMW! I was a regular watcher a while back and have returned! (Though I haven't *really* stopped watching, just wasn't able to catch the videos on the day posted). Thanks for inspiring me to get into budget watches and watch modding! I now own 6 NH35, and 2 PT5000 powered watches now all built in the comfort of my own studio, with specs that would blow any retail watch at its price point out of the way! I'm very proud of them and it's all thanks to you for the inspiration! In addition, I've built watches as gifts to family and friends and they love em!

That's the problem with the budget sub brands. The Aliexpress watches are undercutting them. They provide better materials and movement for the same price.

Giving us some serious Sean Connery vibes with the voice, Jody! Get well soon! Alba I believe replacing Pulsar as Seiko's budget brand in Australia? Bit of a pity as I love a Pulsar.

Very glad to see you improving, Jody. The watchworld just wouldn't be the same without you. I too, am an avid shopper at Aldi's. IDK about the ones "Down Under," but the Aldi locations here in" the states," have non-food related items, where I find the best deals on all kinds of household items. Sheets, rugs, air-conditioners, cutting-boards, mixers....you name it. Most of the items, very well made for the price. 😄Seriously!!! For a minute I got excited, (as I've never heard of Alba) but then I remembered, that we are dealing w/ Seiko here. Lol. I just don't understand why they don't abandon the old "rolled-links" at this stage of the game. SMH. Bravo, Jody.....bravo👏!!!

5:21 I would call that Billabong logo Homage 🤣

It's not often you hear a Vostok described as having "better lume". That really says it all about the lume on the Alba ...

This Alba looks exactly like my citizen promaster that I have just purchased, it’s even the same colour.

Good to know if the movement in my first gen Seiko Monster ever dies I'll have no problem finding a replacement.

I have worn the Vostok as a daily for the past year and have to agree, its far better. Change the bezel and strap and it becomes gorgeous, very beautiful and the friction bezel is useful when you dont want to make noise.

Damn, this deep voice is Radio worthy! 💪 quick Recovery, Sir 🙏

I was going to ask on a recent video when we were going to see Seikos (Pulsar, Lorus and I’d forgotten about Alba). These are presumably the reason Seiko is raising prices so it becomes mid-tier, these cover the budget market and Grand Seiko have high-end (with Credor in the horological space). They’re creating their own market from bottom to top.

Put some u.k. prices on it, lots of viewers over here love your channel. If you can that is. Love the vids make a lot of my collection choices on your reviews, top class stuff.

We already miss your smooth and positive voice, get well soon m8❤️

It’s like a Vostok for folks who don’t feel particularly comfortable wearing something quite so Russian on their wrist 🤣

I have an Alba from 96 , titanium case full lumed dial field watch and it's awesome, lume lasts all night

I'm sure they're great watches, but no one should buy a Vostok today with a clean conscience.

I think you are being a bit harsh on the Alba. When it comes to value for money, you really can't beat the Ali Express brands like Steel Dive, Pagani Design, Seestern and the like. Even Seiko and Orient watches would lose in such a comparison. What you do get with an established brand like Seiko (and its subsidiaries like Alba) is security - they have a reputation to uphold and customer service to match. Can the same thing be said about the Ali Express brands (and I am a fan of theirs, thanks in no small part to you :P)?

I have a Seiko SKN800 series watch with the 7S26 movement. Bought it at probably 15 years ago for between 70 and 80 USD. I wear it everyday as my beater and the thing just won't give up the ghost. Since I'm a cheapskate I can't buy another watch until this one dies. It might just outlive me.

Well done Jody. Feel better

i always hated your starting hello . bizarrely i love your new sick tone Voice ! this entire episode is much more pleasing to my ears!

Great review as always and kudos for continuing to upload videos while being under the weather. 👍Get well soon! Not sure if they're made anymore but I've always thought the Alba bullhead chronographs are interesting. For $65.00 these days, the only thing you can buy with the Seiko name on it is a silicone strap with an oversized buckle and a metal keeper.

I don't know how you managed to snag one for what you got it for, as they're listed on the Alba Australia website for $240 AUD. This may be cheaper than a Seiko but certainly not bargain basement.

Lorus is sub brand too of Seiko, great watches for afforable price.

Thank you very much for this 'eye-opener'. I have the Seiko 5 SRPK53K1 (Pepsi Bezel) and was looking at the Alba AL4209X1 (Tokyo Neon) with a Jubilee bracelet - as I liked the colour combination, but the points you have raised here are very interesting and make a lot of sense. Subsequently, I have dropped the Alba purchase. Thank you very much, once again.

7s26 ~ old is gold

And there I was thinking that we are starting this with a Sean Connery voice over...

5:26 The wave on the back is Seiko’s icon system of showing how water resistant the watch is Pulsar and seiko both use this icon system as well

Your voice is already legendary, but you sound like a synthesized narrator for an awesome anime! Quite interesting. I do hope you feel better 🙏🏼

I gotta say. Your voice giving out has its charms! Get well soon!

Didn't alba make VCRs in the 80s? Thought for a minute that was a future modding piece as a cheaper alternative...but sounds like there's too much to do lol. But the alternatives are definitely better 👍

get well soon Brother. One of the models that they launched has exact tiffany blue dial. I suppose it’s sold out.

Apparently this isn't meant to appeal to American buyers... This Alba is $250 on amazon for me in the USA. Another site has it for $150.

The lume on both my Alba and Lorus are standard lumibrite and full dial. So I don't get what is going on there. Got the Lorus for $40 and the Alba for around $90. Both quartz, though.

Maybe have a look at another Seiko budget brand, Lorus. They have some nice looking automatics for around £100 or under.

Hope you are feeling better, great reviews

There's some interesting JDM Alba models to look at

Ace show Jody.... its an OK watch. but you are bang on with the other makes.

if I spotted that watch in our local Aldi I would definitely check it out. However my wife wouldn't be all that happy with me, oh no not another watch Robert!, would be her reply.

As soon as I saw Alba I think back to those crappy cheap VHS cassette players and CD players

It's not a disaster of a watch with a couple of nice features. The pressed and rolled links are usually found on cheap and nasty watches, utter crap. Good review

Feel better soon, my good man.

Alba is Gaelic for ‘Scotland’ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Slanj! 🥃😊

I've always found something endearing about the venerable 7s26. If they had one of these for $65 that looked like an SKX I'd get one for the novelty of it... if I hadn't bought an SKX013 clone with an NH35 on Ali for around that price a few weeks back. If only one of those sub brands like this or Lorus could bring those back and be to the SKX what the Black Bay 58 is to a Submariner!

Thanks for the great video Jody! Hope you get better soon.

Good review! 👍🏻 I’m just not a fan of Seiko watches, Toyota Cars, or AK pattern rifles.

I know the 7S26 ain't much to write home about, but damned if I haven't beat the absolute hell out of my Seiko SNK805K2 and she's still not in need of a service after about 7 years of ownership. Well, maybe 2.5-3 years of hard wear, then a lot of time on the winder. I appreciate that watch so much, it was my first automatic.

Steeldive looks good. Not sure i'd want to wear a Vostok in today's climate - mine is inches from the recycling bin 😂. Have you looked at Lorus - another value Seiko brand. They have some bargains - I bought a Lorus quartz titanium field watch for about £40.

Great timing, started digging into the Alba for the first time just two days ago! I do think there's great value there if you go for the right pick. The AS9K80X1 is so kitsch, but would be a fun going out watch, and I wouldn't be too sad if it got lost probably. Am I also tempted by their Studio Ghibli money grabs? Yes, yes I am.

Seiko srpd is very nice but 2 things are unacceptable for the price braclet and bezel insert

The logo on the back of the watch is the wave logo from the silverwave edition watches back in the 70’s

There's a frog in there! The Alba range is really decent, I'm just missing the sapphire. But at the prices the Alba's sell for, I can easily overlook that.

I know how you feel Gary laying in bed fighting Covid and bingeing on youtube ... hope you feel better soon.

I always enjoy your videos, Jody. Will you review a Long Island Watch Islander at some point? I have a few of those already, and they seem excellent to me, but I'd love to hear your analysis. Get well soon.

Hello, very good video as usual, with a lot of details and macro shots (that we love !). Hope you are getting better soon. Take care of yourself.

Intersting offer for some... it reminds me of my citizen pro master eco drive green dial. From the top it looks very similar to citizen,but the similarities ends there. Get well soon!

I've been curious about the alba. Get well soon. I found that the additional booster, you will never get sick again.

The caseback design isn't so much the current 'great wave', but rather similar to the Seiko Sports 100 caseback of the 80s! 👍

Alba is a brand from my childhood .Saw a lot when I was on vacationing in the Philippines . I prefer orients .

Wasn't that mask thing from Aldi in "Die Another Day"? Not like you to miss a filmic reference! Trust the voice comes back very soon and has stopped hurting.

Aldi is practically my 2nd home lol. They always got what I need

Not going to buy Alba, certainly not buying anything from Russia ever again, but I might pick up a Steeldive Tuna. That looks pretty sweet. The law of unintended consequences strikes again.

Jody, just saw your surname up on the screen and it looked familiar so regoogled and lo and behold it is familiar. Really loved your academic writing on Iris Chang (vale). Hope your submission on your PhD went well. That's a very hard slog mate. Channel. PhD. Dunno how you do it but you're a champion.

Can't believe the price that you managed to get the Steeldive for!! Do they have regular sales or is it just a case of checking on the website daily? Hope your voice and throat get better soon.

Check out some other Alba models. I have an Alba field watch that I dearly love!

Those of us that remember the late 80s and 90s reminiscing Alba from the Argos catalogues lol

I agree with the Voice. Get well soon☘

I'll buy alba then replace it with a seiko dial.. next thing you know, it is all Seiko watch.. I just save me a bunch of cash..

Here in the UK we have Seiko's sub brand Lorus, which looks very similar to Alba, but definitely not sold in Aldi. Lorus has been around for a long time, but was taken over by Seiko some yrs ago and is now doing some mechanical movement watches here. I don't think Alba is an Aldi watch brand made by Seiko. It's just being sold by Aldi, possibly just in Australia. I've seen Alba is sold in Asia and some models very similar to Lorus, prices to. I think Lorus & Pulsar metal bracelets tend to be cheap with hollow links. But having said that there are some Seiko's now being sold with same cheap feeling hollow bracelets unfortunately

I was expecting an Invicta killer, got disappointed

Great review, as usual, Jody! :) Between the clasp and the movement, I just don't see the appeal. If you're okay with a homage, you could get a Pro Diver that at least has a hacking movement and the NH35. It's got the same shitty clasp, but at least it's a *little* bit of an upgrade.

Have you had a look at the Foxbox Tuna from the Aldi ...er I mean Alibaba Lige store? It has the r4emovable shroud & a solid end link engineers bracelet and looks like the steeldive, mine was $34.85 Aussie dollars landed here, It does have a quartz movement though and when I checked the Steeldive they were $177.43 so you were lucky Jody. I had bought all the bits to build one but it will sit on the back burner for a while now.

Review the titanium alba! The titanium field watches they make are fantastic buys! Personally i have the black dial non solar version on the bracelet but they make a luminous dial as well thats quite a bit of watch for 120 canadian dollars! Insanely light and has been a trusty companion of mine!

An opportunity to recommended a watch for small guys here. Alba aefd530(black bezel) or aefd529(silver bezel). Solar 200m(iso certified) diver at 38mm. A seiko submariner homage from the 90s. Killer specs and a good price and looks the part

Always enjoy your videos - wishing you a speedy recovery. But until your voice returns, have you considered doing an asmr style video?

Great video, get well soon. Don't you think it's about time for another in depth t-shirt video? I'm sure you have lots of new ones by now.

back in the 80s seiko was never a cheap brand. yes you could get an entry level seiko 5 for around £40 to £50 , which in today's money is over £100. lorus was the cheap seiko and pulsar was the middle ground. They got a bit cheaper over time, although they were good quality. even now a decent seiko automatic will set you back around £300 for an entry level one. which isn't far off what you paid in real terms back then. A mid tier seiko is around 1k now, so about 2 weeks wages for the average man. The average man was perceived to be doing ok if he had a seiko on his wrist. tag heuer were the luxury brand to have then, and a decent formula one , was considered a very good watch. breitling was a big luxury brand, but not many men , could afford one of those, then. as times have changed, the average man , can afford the tags , breitlings , Tudors, omegas and even rolexes now, so our expectations are higher as a result. so why your bothering to review an alba is a bit of a mystery, to be fair. we all moan that times are hard , but in reality to the past, we look at brands such as seiko , tag heuer , breitling , tudor and omegas as fairly mainstream now. in another hundred years we will painting our houses and doing the gardens in our patek phillipe, or audemars piquet, beaters ? Lol

I've been wearing the same Hublo every day since '88, never a problem.

If you are looking at seiko sub brands don't go for an automatic, go for a solar version.

Thank you so much for the introduction to this brand. A decent alternative, imo.