MDC UK2-MD-019-S-N
Turning an £11 Disappointment Into Something Better
Sometimes buying a used watch doesn't quite go according to plan.
I found this MDC by Infantry field watch on Vinted. The photographs showed a watch in remarkably clean condition and, at just £11 including postage and Vinted's buyer protection fee, I thought it was well worth picking up.
Unfortunately, what arrived wasn't quite the watch I'd seen in the photographs.
A Lesson in How Not to Post a Watch
The problem wasn't necessarily the original condition of the watch. It was how it had been posted.
The seller had simply put the watch loose inside a brown envelope, with no proper protection whatsoever. After making the journey from Northern Ireland to Essex, perhaps unsurprisingly, it arrived with considerably more scratches and marks than had been shown in the listing.
The seller's response was essentially that it was a used watch, so it didn't matter.
I disagree.
Whether I'm selling a £5 watch or something worth considerably more, it's going to be properly protected and packaged. The price of an item shouldn't determine whether you make an effort to ensure it reaches its new owner in the condition you sold it.
The seller did agree to accept a return, but I'd have been responsible for the return postage as he refused to pay the return postage fee. More importantly, completing the return would also have meant losing the opportunity to leave feedback about the experience.
So I kept it.
And that's where this watch became much more interesting.
Making the Best of the Damage
The scratches weren't something I could simply polish away.
The case originally had a coating, and some of the damage had gone straight through it and exposed the base metal underneath. Trying to touch up individual areas wasn't going to work, and polishing the entire case would have completely changed its character.
Instead, I decided to do something different.
I refinished the entire case by hand, giving it a brushed appearance.
This wasn't a five-minute job. I worked carefully and methodically to keep the brushing consistent across the case and, considering why I had to do it in the first place, I'm incredibly pleased with the result.
In fact, I think I prefer it.
The finish now has an unusual warmth to it. It's not quite bronze, but there's definitely a bronzed tone there, particularly under certain lighting. More importantly, none of the original shipping scratches are noticeable anymore.
Rather than trying to make the watch look factory-new, I've ended up giving it a finish of its own.
And I think this is one I'm going to allow to age naturally. A few years of wear and patina could make that case look even better.
And While We're At It… Sapphire
The case wasn't the only casualty of its journey through the postal system.
The original crystal was also scratched.
Since it needed replacing anyway, I decided there wasn't much point putting it back exactly as it was.
So the original mineral crystal came out and was replaced with a sapphire crystal.
Is fitting sapphire to an £11 MDC field watch financially sensible?
Probably not.
Do I care?
Not particularly. 😂
It's now considerably more scratch resistant than it was when it left the factory, and because this is a watch I intend to wear and enjoy, that's an upgrade worth making.
Proper Field-Watch Simplicity
Underneath the modifications, this is still a wonderfully straightforward field watch.
The black dial uses large white Arabic numerals for the standard 12-hour display, with a smaller 13–24 hour military scale positioned inside them.
Around the outside is a bold minute track with substantial luminous markers, while a triangle at 12 o'clock makes orientation instantaneous.
The hands are equally straightforward: large, highly visible and filled with lume. The red-tipped seconds hand adds just enough colour without compromising the functional appearance.
There's also a day and date display at 3 o'clock, making this a genuinely useful everyday watch rather than something that's merely styled to look military.
The MD-024 family was originally sold with a Japanese quartz movement, mineral crystal and 50 metres of water resistance.
Nothing fancy.
Just a very readable, functional field watch.
Finding the Right Strap
For the moment I've fitted a spare black and grey NATO strap.
And it works.
The monochrome colours complement the black dial nicely and give the watch an appropriately military appearance, but I'm not completely convinced it's the final choice.
With the newly brushed case having developed that slightly warm, almost bronzed appearance, I think something with a little more texture could suit it even better.
A rustic canvas or sailcloth strap is probably where I'll go next, although another good-quality NATO is certainly an option.
That's one of the enjoyable things about a simple field watch like this. A strap change can completely alter its character, so I'll experiment until I find the combination that looks right.
From Disappointment to Something Unique
Had this watch arrived properly packaged and in the condition advertised, I'd probably have fitted a strap, worn it and thought no more about it.
Instead, somebody's poor packaging forced my hand.
The damaged coating led to the hand-brushed case. The scratched crystal led to the sapphire upgrade. And what started as a slightly disappointing £11 Vinted purchase has ended up becoming a watch that's completely individual to me.
Funny how these things work out.
The Casio Collector Verdict
This MDC isn't expensive, prestigious or particularly exotic.
But that's really not the point.
At heart, it's a simple, affordable quartz field watch with excellent legibility, useful day/date functionality and classic military-inspired styling. The original specification is pretty respectable for such an inexpensive watch too, with a stainless-steel case, Japanese quartz movement and 50m water resistance.
What makes my example interesting is what happened after I bought it.
I could have returned it. Instead, I took an already inexpensive watch that had been damaged through careless packaging and used it as an opportunity to create something better.
The hand-brushed case has completely disguised the damage and given the watch a character it didn't have before, while the sapphire crystal is a genuine upgrade over the original mineral glass.
Once I've settled on the right strap, I think it'll be finished.
Although knowing me, “finished” is probably a dangerous word to use.
The Casio Collector Rating: 7.5/10
Specifications
Brand: MDC by Infantry
Model: UK2-MD-019-S-N
Display: Analogue
Movement: Miyota Japanese Quartz
Case Diameter: 40mm
Lug/Strap Width: 22mm
Dial: Black
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, day and date
Time Display: 12/24-hour military format
Water Resistance: 50 metres / 5ATM
Original Crystal: Mineral glass
Crystal on my watch: Upgraded to sapphire
Original Strap: NATO-style nylon strap
Current Strap: Black and grey NATO
Case Finish on my watch: Hand-refinished brushed finish
A Video Review will be added once created and edited