iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 05/10/2026

New strap for this vintage beauty I restored. It's also keeping remarkable good time with health amplitude.

A wrist wearing a vintage Citizen Crystal Seven analog watch with a olive green textured leather strap. The watch features a silver dial with metallic baton hour markers and pointed silver hands. The text "CITIZEN" and "Crystal Seven" is printed below the 12 o'clock mark, a date window displaying the number "5" is located at 3 o'clock, and a day window displaying "MONDAY" along with "33 JEWELS" sits above the 6 o'clock mark. The background shows an outdoor setting with concrete pavement and blurred green foliage.

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 30/09/2026

She's done! Got a NOS crystal in from Japan and I've regulated it and its running pretty perfectly for a watch from July '66.

Disassembled watch parts laid out on a dark green workbench surface. The components include an empty stainless steel watch case, a metallic bezel ring, two clear watch crystals, and an unopened small plastic packet containing an official replacement Citizen crystal with a blue and white label marked with part number "54-6013".

1100

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 21/09/2026

My first Citizen watch serviced. Just waiting for a new crystal to arrive to case it back up.

1140

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 17/09/2026

Chicken/mushroom congee and shishito peppers I grew! Sick dinner.

A white rounded square bowl filled with chicken congee (rice porridge). The dish is topped with chopped green scallions, crushed toasted peanuts, a drizzle of sesame oil, and ground black pepper. Pieces of tender cooked chicken are visible mixed into the porridge. To the bottom left, a portion of roasted green peppers rests in a dark dish on a dark table surface.

A hand holds a dark ceramic plate filled with blistered, pan-charred shishito peppers. The vibrant green peppers feature dark brown blistering from searing. In the blurred background on a kitchen countertop sit an Instant Pot pressure cooker, small condiment bottles, and pantry items.

0180

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 15/09/2026

Working on my first Citizen from 1966. The dial is gorgeous and I adore the italicised CITIZEN logo which is not very common. Higher end for the time, at 33 jewels.

A close-up, top-down view of a vintage stainless steel Citizen wristwatch head resting on a dark green surface without a strap.

Case: Silver-toned metal case showing signs of wear and fine scratches. A textured winding crown is positioned on the right side at 3 o'clock.

Dial: Light silver dial featuring silver applied hour indices with subtle black center lines. Beneath the 12 o'clock marker, "CITIZEN" is printed in block letters with "Crystal Seven" in a cursive script below it.

Complications: Above the 6 o'clock position, a framed window shows the day of the week, "MONDAY", with "33 JEWELS" printed directly underneath. A magnified date window at 3 o'clock displays the number "10".

Hands: Silver dauphine-style hour and minute hands with a thin second hand.

Condition: The watch crystal has light surface scuffs and scratches visible under direct lighting.

060

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 14/09/2026

So after billions of dollars this is the best Vancouver could do for such an important street (Broadway)

A high-angle, close-up shot of a paved outdoor walkway made of gray and reddish-brown rectangular pavers, bordered by smooth, light gray concrete slabs.

350

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 10/09/2026

No spyware in this beauty. Even tells time! No charging necessary.

7420

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 31/08/2026

Finished this Seiko 5606-7000 'Lord Matic'. It was a bit of a journey: I ruined the original mainspring, ordered a replacement and ruined that one...then almost ruined the next replacement. Somehow misplaced a screw but found a spare in my parts drawer....

A close-up overhead shot shows a vintage Seiko Lord Matic watch head resting on a round, light grey work pad atop a green work mat. The watch has a polished stainless steel case with no strap attached. Its silver sunburst dial features silver baton hour markers, silver hands, and a day-date window at 3 o'clock displaying a Japanese Kanji day character alongside the number 31. Text on the dial includes "SEIKO" below the 12 o'clock mark and "LM / LORD MATIC / 23 JEWELS" printed above 6 o'clock.

A close-up shot of a hand holding a vintage Seiko Lord Matic watch, now fully assembled with a black textured leather strap. The watch features a silver sunburst dial, silver hour markers and hands, and a Japanese Kanji day-date window at 3 o'clock showing "月 31". The background shows a green watchmaker's workbench with various tools slightly out of focus.

160

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 25/08/2026

she also showed up to everything, too. AND DYK for a many years, she personally paid for childcare subsidies for attendees of the @queerfilmfestival.ca ?

Text clipping with the heading "CHILDCARE SUBSIDIES". The body text reads: "Childcare subsidies are available for all screenings upon request. Parents or guardians will be given a maximum of $10 per screening to assist with childcare costs. Request forms are available at the membership table at each Festival Theatre. Generously sponsored by barbara findlay, Q.C."

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Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 24/08/2026

Furthest north I've been is Iskut, BC. I'd love to get to the "true" north some day.

A color-coded map titled "Canada: where I've been" displays travel history across Canada's 13 provinces and territories.

Map Legend & Breakdown:

Lived there (1 - Dark Blue): British Columbia

Passed through (1 - Light Green): Manitoba

Visited (8 - Medium Blue/Teal): Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador

Never been (3 - Yellow): Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut

Stayed a while (0 - Blue): None

At the bottom left, the image attributes the source to whereidlive.com, and the bottom right notes "13/13 rated."

760

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 20/08/2026

Finished servicing a Seiko 9943 Grand Quartz. This came out in 1978 and was a big deal: it has two quartz crystals and was rated at ±10 s/year...this would have likely cost you over $3000 CAD in today's dollars. Brilliant piece of engineering. Ordered a new crystal and observing/testing now.

An exposed Seiko quartz watch movement mounted on a metal movement holder against a muted green work surface. The circular movement features gold-plated metal components on the left and a green circuit board on the right, held together by tiny screws and jeweled bearings. Printed text on the circuit board and plate reads "SEIKO QUARTZ," "ADJUSTED TO TEMPERATURE," "SEIKO JAPAN," and "FIVE 5 JEWELS." A copper coil is visible on the far left, and an empty round battery compartment sits near the bottom center.

1110

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 14/08/2026

this was the timegrapher BEFORE. A right MESS.

A white Weishi No. 1900 Multifunction Timegrapher sitting on a dark workbench. The LCD screen displays watch diagnostic measurements:

RATE: -103s/d

AMP. (Amplitude): 141°

B.E. (Beat Error): 0.3ms

L.A. (Lift Angle): 52.0°

Below the readings, a heavily scattered, downward-sloping dotted trace appears across the dark screen, indicating poor timing and low amplitude. In the foreground sit cotton swabs and a covered blue watch parts tray.

020

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 14/08/2026

SO satisfying to finish a watch service with a beat error of ZERO and decent time keeping. Healthy amplitude should be above 270 but it'll need 24 hours for the oil to settle. Hopefully it goes up!

A Weishi No. 1900 Multifunction Timegrapher digital display showing watch timing metrics: Rate +23s/d, Amplitude 259°, Beat Error 0.0ms, Lift Angle 52.0°, and Beat 18000.

A disassembled mechanical watch movement mounted in a silver movement holder inside a round blue parts tray on a green watchmaking bench mat.

070

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 13/08/2026

Next up on my bench: a 1960s "Britix" watch with a FHF 72 Movement

A top-down, close-up photograph of a metallic mechanical watch movement undergoing repair. The circular mainplate, exposing gears, pink synthetic jewel bearings, and internal mechanisms, is clamped inside a silver Bergeon 4040 watch movement holder. The assembly sits on a smooth green mat, with watchmaking tools resting softly out of focus in the background.

060

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 12/08/2026

upcoming election has me going thru my photo archive - I WAS A BABY (2018)

A selfie taken inside a vehicle showing a smiling man sitting next to a medium-sized, fluffy black dog with pointed ears. The man is tilting his head toward the dog, smiling brightly, and making a peace sign with his hand. He is wearing a blue collared shirt, a dark grey blazer, and a circular "OneCity" lapel pin.

A close-up selfie of a woman with light brown hair and a nose ring next to a man with short dark hair, both smiling broadly at the camera. Behind them on a dark wall is a large cyan outline map featuring the bold cyan text "EVERY NEIGHBOURHOOD FOR EVERYONE" printed inside the map's border.

A black and white studio-style portrait of a man with short, styled dark hair looking up and smiling towards the left side of the frame. He is wearing a light-coloured button-up shirt with a small circular "OneCity" button pinned to his left chest pocket, set against a dark, neutral background with dramatic side lighting.

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Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 11/08/2026

I lost a TINY screw and found it using a magnet

Extreme close-up of a miniature metal watch screw held in place over a silver circular magnet. The magnet is embedded in a blue rectangular plastic head wrapped in green tape, mounted on a thin wooden stick.

2180

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 10/08/2026

HALLOWEEN HAS BROKEN CONTAINMENT IN EARLY AUGUST

A storefront window display for Lush cosmetics decorated with Halloween items. On a light wooden table sit several festive products: bright orange pumpkin bath bombs, white ghost bath products, bright red sphere soaps on wooden sticks in a mini crate, stacked white tub containers, wrapped gift boxes labeled "Boo Bears", and white lotion bottles with ghost eyes labeled "Boo!". A sign above reads "Get into the spirit of self-care," and the reflection shows a street scene.

1140

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 05/08/2026

She works! Running pretty good but may attempt some fine tuning another day (beat error is around 2ms and you want it under 1ms)

A close-up view of a vintage Seiko Champion Calendar watch resting without straps on a grey pad. The watch features a round gold-tone case, a brushed silver sunburst dial with crosshair crosslines, gold dauphine hour and minute hands, and a date display window at the 3 o'clock mark showing the number 13. Cursive text on the dial reads "Seiko Champion Calendar" near the top and "Diashock 19 Jewels" near the bottom.

0110

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 01/08/2026

Going to the baseball game today. Death to the opposition!

A mirror selfie of a person standing in front of a wooden door frame. They are wearing a dark blue baseball cap with a red graphic patch, a white graphic t-shirt, an unbuttoned charcoal grey denim shirt, and dark jeans. They are holding a black smartphone with one hand to take the picture and throwing up a peace sign with the other.

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Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 01/08/2026

It's hard to say...do you have the reference/model #? But my gut says this:

100

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 27/07/2026

So....I'm 3 for 3 today. Opened up this Seiko Lord Matic 5606 and disassembled and found a broken jewel so I'll be ordering that part, too! Hobbies are fun even when things don't go as expected!

A vintage silver Seiko Lord Matic 25 Jewels wrist watch head without straps, resting on a green mat. The silver dial features black line indices, a day-date window at 3 o'clock showing a Japanese kanji character and the date "12", and a scratched crystal cover.

A close-up view of the back of a mechanical watch movement, Seiko 5606A 25 Jewels, resting on a round grey surface. The internal gears, jewels, balance wheel, and brushed steel winding rotor engraved with "SEIKO" are clearly visible.

A top-down view of watch disassembly components resting on a grey circular cushion. The top piece shows an intricate watch movement displaying a circular day-date wheel written in both English and Japanese characters alongside numbers 1 to 31. Below it lies the detached silver-colored back of a watch dial base showing a rectangular cutout for the day-date window and a central hole for the watch hands.

0100

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 26/07/2026

Welp, while I wait for my part to arrive, I'll move onto another "easy" project: this cute littl Britix manual wind - pretty dirty and some magnetized parts.

A vintage gold-toned Britix wristwatch case resting on a dark green background. The white circular watch face features gold Arabic numerals and indices, gold hands showing approximately 11:53, and reads "BRITIX 21 JEWELS" at the top and "INCABLOC ANTIMAGNETIC" near the bottom. The watch shows slight wear and is missing its strap.

An open case back of a vintage mechanical wristwatch, revealing the intricate inner movement. The silver-colored metal components include intermeshed gears, screws, and visible pink synthetic ruby jewel bearings, set inside the reverse side of a gold-toned watch case on a dark green background.

070

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 22/07/2026

This little beauty is coming along. Worried about the pallet fork but might be able to get away without replacing it.

Overhead shot of a Seikosha 19-jewel mechanical watch movement secured in a metal movement holder on a green work mat. The bridge is engraved with "SEIKOSHA 19 JEWELS", revealing intricate gears, screws, and pink synthetic ruby jewels.

050

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 16/07/2026

Chinese restaurants have the biggest fucking TVs and should be a fanzone

The back of a man with short, graying hair sitting at a round banquet-style dining table set with white plates, bowls, and chopsticks. He is watching a soccer match playing on a large television screen mounted on the wall in front of him.

090

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 14/07/2026

This little B. Modern watches mostly have an easily adjustable way to fix beat error, not this beast. I had to stick a small oiler into that slit in the central brass collet and turn it TINY amounts and test.

A close-up, top-down view of a mechanical watch balance wheel assembly resting on a circular frosted plastic base. At the center is a tightly coiled, metallic blue hairspring. It is surrounded by a gold-colored, split bimetallic balance wheel rim fitted with several small, adjustable brass timing screws along its outer edge.

2100

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 10/07/2026

New tools mean I can finally work on my friend's pocket watch: finally cleaned all the parts tonight.

A top-down, close-up photograph shows a disassembled mechanical watch movement organized inside a circular, bright blue plastic parts tray.

In the center compartment, a dark, metallic mainspring is partially uncoiled and lies flat against the circular main plate. To the right, several polished silver-colored bridges and brass gear wheels are separated. On the left side of the tray sits a golden balance wheel assembly with its hairspring attached, alongside smaller components like the pallet fork and tiny screws. The tray rests on a dark, textured work surface next to a green cutting mat.

1220

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 06/07/2026

Out door knocking with @onecityvan.bsky.social today and a tortoise showed up at our BBQ

A land turtle on grass wearing a harness

5273

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 05/07/2026

Now that I cleared two watches off my bench, time to start another! This pretty Seiko Champion from 1963: Look at the calendar plate!

A top-down view of a vintage gold-toned Seiko Champion Calendar watch case without straps, resting on a gray circular tray. The watch features a silver sunburst dial, gold hands, a small date window displaying the number 8, and text reading "Seiko Champion Calendar" and "Diashock 19 Jewels".

A top-down view of the exposed mechanical movement inside a gold watch case. The intricate gears, rubies, and a bridge engraved with "SEIKOSHA 19 JEWELS" are visible. The watch sits centered on a round gray tray.

A close-up, top-down shot of a disassembled watch mechanism components, showcasing the white date wheel indicator with blue numbers ranging from 1 to 31. The parts rest on a gray circular tray over a dark green workbench surface.

2170

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 05/07/2026

SECOND PROJECT COMPLETE. Seiko Type II Quartz This took several months and spending more than I needed to because it turns out the information I researched was incorrect on how this case works. Oddly enough AI came to my rescue on this one. Bought for $10CAD online. After & before photos:

A silver dial Seiko Type II Quartz watch from the 1970s with a new crystal

Really beat up watch and you can barely see through the crystal

160

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 04/07/2026

Finished my project while watching the game

a hand wearing finger cots displaying a watch face. It's a circular UFO stainless steel case with a black dial, white arabic numerals with orange hands.

4230

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 03/07/2026

lubricating these tiny rubies is difficult. Showing you two shots to see how small these things are. Didn't have any tough springs today so that was nice.

a green desk mat with tools and watch parts. There are brass tweezers to the left and in the centre is a green lump of rodico with a tiny ruby on it.

close up of the lump of rodico with the tiny ruby at the tip.

030

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 03/07/2026

Assembling the smallest movement. I use my digital microscope to inspect because it's very easy to break parts. Can't really work under it because I don't get an idea of depth but it's so neat to zoom in!

A hand wearing white finger cots with a yellow oiler (small pen like tool) next to a watch in a movement holder. Above that it a big screen of a digital microscope which shows everything enlarged. You can see gears and the pallet fork and pallet cock.

3170

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 30/06/2026

Landlords don't have a real job example 9,234,341

a smoke detector that replaced a larger one and there's now a gap into the ceiling and area where there's no paint. It's really janky.

291

Brandon Yan 甄念本 @brandonyan.com · 29/06/2026

New project: Seiko 2140-0010. Apparently rare from about 1969. It's got a very tiny manual wind movement in it. The dial is surprisingly gorgeous. I bought it for $50 from an online auction in Abbotsford. It's probably value is much higher. It's going to be a gift for a friend.

A UFO style watch face with a black dial, white Arabic numbers, and orange hands. Seiko 21 jewels.

watch face with a black dial, white Arabic numbers, and orange hands. Seiko 21 jewels.

the seiko 2140A watch movement outside the case

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