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The watch thread: pocket, wrist, sporty, showy? You name it!

antinchip said:
Thanks Steve, this is reassuring. It would be a heart v head purchase, partly to support the group and partly given a family connection with the aircraft type. I don't need another watch, so it would be for posterity as it were. The group are restoring a WW2 Hawker Typhoon Mk1b to flying condition. My late uncle was CO of 182 Sqn flying Typhoons and was KIA in 1943.

The group are selling only 396 individually numbered Typhoon watches to correlate with the aircraft number RB396, with proceeds going to the restoration. No doubt a modest premium to pay, but it will be "unique" and associated with my family history.

Thanks again.
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In the end I got two, one with metal strap, one with leather. I will wear the former and keep the second for posterity. For anyone interested in finding out about the the Hawker Typhoon Preservation Group, please visit; https://hawkertyphoon.com/

RB396 watches by Anthony Pugh, on Flickr
 
I saw this:

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B08CRSQVS1/?tag=pinkfishmed08-21

on Amazon Deutschland, and thought that, at that price, it's worth a try. It uses a Chinese Seagull movement, and I'm told that they're quite good. It certainly seems well made, but the leather strap is poor.

But is it too good to be true? In a word, yes. I do realise that I'm getting on in years, but I found the little dials and the tiny windows hard to read - something that you can't do at a quick glance. In addition, those two buttons sticking out the side that look so much like chronograph buttons? They aren't (so why it has a chronograph scale around the edge of the dial is one of the great mysteries of the age). The bottom one operates the date subdial at 3 o'clock, the top one operates the month window. The other two subdials appear to be purely ornamental! There are two push buttons on the side of the case, the top one of which works the year window, in that it makes it jump forward. However, since the year is set at 2024, this is a problem, as it only goes forward, and there's no apparent way to go back. The other push button operates nothing at all.

To cap it all, the instruction booklet that comes with the watch (which intriguingly includes a photo of the Zytglogge in Bern!) does not mention this particular model at all!

So, a good watch for wearing while I'm doing DIY jobs.

It has also done me an enormous favour. I've often dreamed of owning one of these, just as soon as I strike oil in the back garden:

https://www.thewatchbox.com/ch/en/s...4KXMo2bsjcNlhOb2BpOnvvD-Chi9Y_ykaAue2EALw_wcB

However, I now realise that owning such a thing would be pointless, as I'd struggle to read the thing! It would come down purely to pride in owning such a mechanical marvel, which can, of course, be suitable justification, but I simply don't have that much pride.
 
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Nero said:
Well that was a mistake. The combination of flakey software/app and feature bloat means I will stay away from smart watches for a while. This one will go back.
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My first foray into smart watches is the Hauwei GT2 Pro.No Google which is a blessing!.
Charge lasts up to a week.
Build is stellar,titanium case with sapphire crystal.
Really quite a useful blend of good looks and apps that work ;).
 
stevec67 said:
Nice work! Why the complete new movement? I thought this range were very durable. Did it leak?
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I bought the crystal ,insert and bezel from Marc @ LIW.
Then got a uk based watchmaker to rebuild everything.
For the price of a movement service he installed the new movement.
The seals on the old movement were intact.
The person in question is - onatelier.co.uk.
You'll find his site online.

Sorry for the slow reply....have been busy upgrading my Linn Analog/ Digital front ends...
 
tones said:
I saw this:

https://www.amazon.de/dp/B08CRSQVS1/?tag=pinkfishmed08-21

on Amazon Deutschland, and thought that, at that price, it's worth a try. It uses a Chinese Seagull movement, and I'm told that they're quite good. It certainly seems well made, but the leather strap is poor.

But is it too good to be true? In a word, yes. I do realise that I'm getting on in years, but I found the little dials and the tiny windows hard to read - something that you can't do at a quick glance. In addition, those two buttons sticking out the side that look so much like chronograph buttons? They aren't (so why it has a chronograph scale around the edge of the dial is one of the great mysteries of the age). The bottom one operates the date subdial at 3 o'clock, the top one operates the month window. The other two subdials appear to be purely ornamental! There are two push buttons on the side of the case, the top one of which works the year window, in that it makes it jump forward. However, since the year is set at 2024, this is a problem, as it only goes forward, and there's no apparent way to go back. The other push button operates nothing at all.

To cap it all, the instruction booklet that comes with the watch (which intriguingly includes a photo of the Zytglogge in Bern!) does not mention this particular model at all!

So, a good watch for wearing while I'm doing DIY jobs.

It has also done me an enormous favour. I've often dreamed of owning one of these, just as soon as I strike oil in the back garden:

https://www.thewatchbox.com/ch/en/s...4KXMo2bsjcNlhOb2BpOnvvD-Chi9Y_ykaAue2EALw_wcB

However, I now realise that owning such a thing would be pointless, as I'd struggle to read the thing! It would come down purely to pride in owning such a mechanical marvel, which can, of course, be suitable justification, but I simply don't have that much pride.
Click to expand...
Update: The lower push button actually does work, but it takes a lot of determined pushing to persuade it to work (it changes the day subdial at 9 o'clock). The dial at 6 o'clock is a 24-hour dial with a moon phase (no idea how the moon phase correlates with reality). Alas, the year window is a lost cause, as it only goes forward (currently 2028!) but as (a) I can't read it, and (b) very few people forget the year anyway, I can live with that.

I've worn it for a while, and it does look good and its timekeeping is fine (+5 sec a day), so, all in all, a useful, practical acquisition.
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Bought this today! Seiko SPB147 ‘1965’

B9354-D7-B-3-A9-E-466-E-9678-AE8486686-CAE.jpg
 
narabdela said:
Lovely watch, but...Seiko prices are getting a bit silly. :(
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Thanks, and true re’ the price. Great quality and a 70-hour power reserve but £900 retail is a bit steep for this watch - considering other Prospex’s with the same movement are less than £500 (but arguably not as stylish). It’s a good thing dealers are offering nice discounts!
 
One of the factors of owning a decent mechanical watch is the fact that it has to be serviced every now and then. Here is a recent entry in Watchfinder of my dream watch:

https://www.chrono24.ch/jaegerlecoultre/master-eight-days-perpetual--id24357417.htm

and a fine Irish example, to be sure! However, one of the photos relates to the servicing of the watch, and the price is there. Gulp! So I thought I'd ask JLC. JLC recommends that such a watch be serviced every 5-7 years at a cost of - please sit down - CHF3090 (currently £2670). Oh well, if you're going to have a dream that will forever remain a dream, might as well have a big one...

https://www.chrono24.ch/patekphilip...al-calendar-chronograph-5204r--id20182934.htm
 
tones said:
One of the factors of owning a decent mechanical watch is the fact that it has to be serviced every now and then. Here is a recent entry in Watchfinder of my dream watch:

https://www.chrono24.ch/jaegerlecoultre/master-eight-days-perpetual--id24357417.htm

and a fine Irish example, to be sure! However, one of the photos relates to the servicing of the watch, and the price is there. Gulp! So I thought I'd ask JLC. JLC recommends that such a watch be serviced every 5-7 years at a cost of - please sit down - CHF3090 (currently £2670). Oh well, if you're going to have a dream that will forever remain a dream, might as well have a big one...

https://www.chrono24.ch/patekphilip...al-calendar-chronograph-5204r--id20182934.htm
Click to expand...
Serviced every 5-7 years? Ouch. I have an inexpensive Seiko auto, it's been on my wrist most days for 8 years. It's now looking fairly battered with a couple of deep scratches on the face but the mechanicals are A1. Needless to say, when the thing stops, it's probably going to be not worth repairing. However i have heard of the things running for 10-15 years without incident, so it's unlikely to be a problem I have to face soon.
 
stevec67 said:
Serviced every 5-7 years? Ouch. I have an inexpensive Seiko auto, it's been on my wrist most days for 8 years. It's now looking fairly battered with a couple of deep scratches on the face but the mechanicals are A1. Needless to say, when the thing stops, it's probably going to be not worth repairing. However i have heard of the things running for 10-15 years without incident, so it's unlikely to be a problem I have to face soon.
Click to expand...
I have my GMT-Master serviced every 10 years, and that seems to work OK.
 
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