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

[Bart]

When I was a lad back in the 70's I went to Italy with some mates. One had just had an Omega for his 21st - pretty rare in my neighbourhood- so we knew what they were worth.
One day on Rimini beach a dodgy looking Italian furtively approached and asked if we wanted to buy an Omega which he duly fished out of his Speedos (ugh!). Assuming he had nicked it from an hotel we hastily agreed a price and smuggled it back to base not daring to look at it till we got there. Imagine our delight to see that the signature logo was a bit wonky and one of the hands was almost falling off! Later that day our friendly pizza waiter told us there was a factory nearby churning them out by the dozen daily. We dropped it in the river on the way home - well it was waterproof to 1000 atmospheres after all.

 

[-alan-]

Trouble is, I'm a tiny bit of a snob, so if I had 5 big ones in the pocket, and knew I could buy an IWC, or a Tudor, or an Omega
or a Seiko

I MIGHT just say, sod the engineering, and go for the name.

I'm probably an even bigger watch snob, but I'd put the Grand Seiko at least on a par, or more likely ahead of most of that lot

 

[venton]

Anyone who knows about watches will know Grand Seiko, and hold them in the highest esteem. Granted, Joe Public won't, but I find that quite appealing.

 

[stevec67]

I agree that the less recognisable stuff is classier than the shouty "look at me I've got lots of money" brands.

 

[windhoek]

Call me crazy, but I just ordered this Casio F-91W for £7.93 delivered at Amazon - I know, I know, I should've ordered when it was £7.83 delivered, but I waited too long and had to pay a full ten pence extra. Oh well...

 

[Rockmeister]

crazy.

 

[windhoek]

crazy.

Thank you

 

[cutting42]

I went back to James Porter & Son this afternoon to look at the Grand Seiko Snowflake - sorry, that's the (five and a half) Grand Seiko Snowflake - and as suggested in some reviews online, the texture on the dial has to be seen in the flesh to be fully appreciated as the silky soft, snow-like texture is very nice indeed.

But like the Seiko SARB017 Alpinist that I previously saw through their window, it didn't speak to me either; which makes me think simply looking at a watch through a window without even the briefest of contact, whether a moment or two on the wrist or a couple of seconds in your hands, isn't anywhere near enough to get a feel for whether that watch is the one for you - or one of the ones for you.

That is lovely. Read some of the reviews and am seriously tempted but not sure I am ready to spend so much on a watch.

 

[windhoek]

That is lovely. Read some of the reviews and am seriously tempted but not sure I am ready to spend so much on a watch.

If I could afford one, I'd try it on for sure as the hybrid movement - mechanical-powered, quartz-controlled, electromagnetic-braking - blends past and present technologies like no other watch has done so before or may ever do again.

 

[cutting42]

If I could afford one, I'd try it on for sure as the hybrid movement - mechanical-powered, quartz-controlled, electromagnetic-braking - blends past and present technologies like no other watch has done so before or may ever do again.

They just need to make it Fitbit compatible and I am in.

 

[windhoek]

And a calculator would swing it for me lol

 

[windhoek]

I've been watching the The Urban Gentry's Youtube channel recently and have found his videos to be really useful. I just wish I'd watched this one before buying any of my Fossil watches, however, for having since bought an automatic Seiko and a cheap Casio, the Fossil watches (an aviator and dress watch) are somewhat surplus to requirement as the Seiko is my nice dress watch and the Casio my down and dirty watch, and neither Fossil is quite right to be an everyday watch. For that purpose, I might just buy a Hamilton Khaki King as they're tough but nice to look at.

[YOUTUBE]12-184SQNlM[/YOUTUBE]

 

[windhoek]

After a lot of deliberation and having finally seen a similar Hamilton with a similar champagne-like dial - a champagne-like dial that's more matt than satin, more flat than fizzy, more still than sparkling... more subtle than showy - I've now ordered a Hamilton Khaki King Auto (H64455523) from Jura Watches - link. They didn't have the version with the H-40 movement in stock (only the version with the ETA 2834-2 movement), so I'll have to wait a week or two before I can get my hands on it and get it on my wrist.

Fwiw, Jura Watches offered me the choice of a free gift (the choices vary according to the amount being spent) so I chose a Sterling Silver Open Heart Necklace, and the code HMTN10 brought the price down to £328.51 delivered

As an aside, I just picked up my car from Arnold Clark after its service and received a free 'Arnold Clark' woven carrier bag, and inside, a small tin of 'Arnold Clark' mints and an 'Arnold Clark' new-car scented air freshener - my lucky day or what lol

 

[windhoek]

At the risk of turning this thread into a soliloquy, I thought I'd share what's been happening in my watch-world. I've received my Hamilton Khaki King and it's very nice indeed. I bought a bunch of Nato straps last week and they've transformed my Fossil watches as I didn't quite get on with the leather straps they came with. Nothing wrong with them, but the Nato straps are so much more comfortable to wear and better looking imo. I've ordered some 20mm Nato straps as well so I can fit them on my Seiko SARB033 and Khaki King - the latter of which merits a military strap for sure.

I also bought this watch travel case for watches that aren't going to be stored in my wooden display case. It's great value for the money and does what it says on the tin as it were.

 

[whatsnext]

I discovered Solar powered watches and SNE359P2 V158 from Seiko http://www.seiko.co.uk/collections/men/discover-more/sne359p2
prior to that a Citizen BM8240-03E http://www.citizenwatch.com/en-uk/watches/watch-detail/?model=BM8240-03E
amazing the accuracy of both. Not the impressive exotica some seek but they do the job well!

 

[paulfromcamden]

These perlon straps are a nice alternative to a NATO strap

https://www.watchgecko.com/eulit-panama-2-piece-perlon-watch-strap.php

 

[Mullardman]

I spent a few hours in for tests at the local hospital over the last couple of days.
( Nuclear medicine stuff. Radioactive injections and 'heart stressing' drugs..)

'The radiation isn't dangerous.. but stay away from small children for a few days' .. WTF?'

Anyway.. I digress...

At least three and possibly four people of clearly impeccable taste homed in on my relatively humble Rado Ceramica.

"Ooooohh what a lovely watch.!"
"Thank you.."
" It's different!"
"Yes.. I prefer it to Rolex etc.. they all look the same.."
"Yes.. and over rated too.. but that is a lovely watch.. what is it?
"It's a Rado"
"It's lovely"
"Thank you.. I like it very much"
" You have good taste"
"Thanks again.."



Mull

 

[Rico]

The Hondas of watches surely ?

hell no. Honda's don't respond well to being neglected in servicing terms. Seikos on the other hand are rock-solid and dependable, aren't too fussed if they don't see a drop of oil in ten years. Seiko's are well-engineered, but well-executed too.

Never mind spurious vehicle comparos, they're fine watches at very reasonable pricing.

 

[windhoek]

These perlon straps are a nice alternative to a NATO strap

https://www.watchgecko.com/eulit-panama-2-piece-perlon-watch-strap.php

I actually bought a cheap perlon on ebay a month ago or so, £2 delivered or something like that, but I didn't really get on with it. I see the perlons at watch gecko are £16, so perhaps it was the cheap quality of the strap I didn't get on with rather than the style of strap. I'll whip it out of retirement and wear it for a day and see how it goes from a strap-style perspective.

 

[Rico]

I have just three timepieces (ignoring 3 or 4 Swatches from the late 80's, and a few batty-flat casios from the mid-80's)...

A Tag Heuer 2000 (not the new 2000), WE1110R. Black face, satin bracelet. Recent service from the NZ authorised service agent which includes new seals all round, new batty, check movement and timing, clean, reassemble, two pressure tests NZD140 (which I view as good value). Bought new in Dec '96, when the 'New 2000' had just been released. The service agent remarked it was the nicest example they'd seen in some time.

this is it snapped about 4.5 years ago.

A Seiko SKX009J (the made in Japan model) 'Pepsi'. I wear it on a cheap almost-nato black strap with black hardware, it's amazing how many people comment on it. It's solid, reliable, and I'm really happy to have it on my wrist. I seemed to have timed my purchase perfectly, offered at the end of an auction I seem to recall it was a shade under NZD200. They're now over $400, and Japan version appears to be nearly unobtanium, the Singapore-built model is around.

This is it two years ago, when almost new. I've a dark blue leather strap with black hardware I've been meaning to try on it.

Third is a prototype Magrette big watch, chrome case, white face, miyota movement. black leather strap. On my list of things to do is to buy a Magrette from the catalogue.

I've been toying with the idea of a nice 1960's Omega, (more dress/less sports) but with the pitfalls am put off. I don't need an obsessive search to find the ideal watch. So I'll probably buy another Seiko or two! While I wait for the right time to buy a Magrette.