Post pics of your watches Please NO QUOTING PHOTOS

peasant · 11-02-2012 1:25pm

some more (I really should clean watches before taking pics

)

In case you're wondering what the submarine on the back is all about:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ORP_Dzik

and if the overall design looks somewhat familiar, this is what inspired it, the original Vostok Amphibia

peasant · 11-02-2012 2:15pm

my wife's watches:

Slava/Spetsnaz Sturm with slava double-barrel handwind movement

Fantasy dial watch with Raketa case and movement

Zim/Pobeda with lovely guilloche dial (hard to photograph)

Vostok with slim 2209 movement

peasant · 11-02-2012 2:21pm

continued:

A Belorussian Luch:

and not included in the line-up above, the Vostok Amfibia Lady first

and the Chaika ring watch

as already introduced elsewhere

Reloc8 · 12-02-2012 1:35pm

Posts in this thread reminded me of how much I like my quartz beater option (Casio PRW-5000T).

Very comfortable (has those wing things under the lugs), light despite good size (titanium), good clear display (as per pic) and geeky cool (ABC functions).

Also always accurate (Multi 6 atomic timekeeping) and solar powered. Ah lak it a lo.

Edit : I did/do have a bit of a thing for Protreks.ABC's I'm not goint to lie.

PRW-1500 on resin (favoured for running/work out - on rubber, light weight, relatively low profile, great big numbers on display)

PRG-240T (Used to like this a lot more than I do now. I really liked the duplex screen (traditional protrek feature). Now I find I have little cause to wear it, owning the PRW-5000T and the PRW-1500 as I do). In an ideal world I would probably sell this and the 1500 and trade up to a Manaslu protrek. I have other rubber watches to work out with. I may yet do that.

I also have a Timex WS4 (blue one). Now there's a hunk of plastic for you

My other thinking is to convert the PRW-1500, PRG-240T and Timex into part of a Tissot Touch Expert. I feel I'd get more wear out of that generally - in fact, I'll probably do that. But I like the PRW-5000T to much to move it on.

Deep Thought · 13-02-2012 7:50pm

New Steinhart Ocean 1 GMT White

CarltonBrowne · 14-02-2012 3:58pm

peasant · 14-02-2012 6:09pm

Another new arrival

Vostok Amphibia (in the so called ministry case) with black (PVD??) coating.
They have somehow managed to coat a mirror polish in black. The end result is a watch that wears like a disco glitter ball and is impossible to photograph.

It is so ghastly, it's really cool

Bought it on impulse and regretted it almost instantly afterwards, but now (having worn it for a day) I'm really glad I did.

picktshaaaahs:

In case you haven't averted your gaze in horror yet ....the watch itself is the usual Vostok Amphibia with 2416b auto movement, screw down crown, poor lume, 200 m WR rating on a cheap&nasty folded bracelet that is juuust about wearable without pulling all your hair off your wrist.

A shade over 60 quid delivered ...and so worth it

Daniel S · 14-02-2012 6:11pm

peasant wrote: »

Another new arrival

No pictures showing up for me.

Eoin · 14-02-2012 6:21pm

Daniel S wrote: »

No pictures showing up for me.

Well, he did warn you!

peasant wrote: »

... impossible to photograph.

peasant · 14-02-2012 10:09pm

CarltonBrowne wrote: »

Is that mechanical? ('tis very thin)

If so ...any info on the movement?

Bullseye1 · 14-02-2012 11:00pm

Very nice P. Bracelet reminds me of an IWC one.

peasant · 14-02-2012 11:16pm

Bullseye1 wrote: »

Bracelet reminds me of an IWC one.

:eek:

Dear God ...no!
This is an absolutley horrible affair, made from folded sheet metal, cheap, nasty, flimsy, squeaky and hungry for your wrist hair ...admittedly with a nice polish though.

But I'll pass your comments on to Vostok, I'm sure they'll be pleased

Bullseye1 · 14-02-2012 11:32pm

LOL. Is it all that bad?

peasant · 14-02-2012 11:37pm

For what it is ...a cheapo folded sheet metal bracelet ....it is very well made, especially the outer surface.

But basically ...yes ..it is THAT bad

(most people who buy Amphibias don't even bother with re-sizing ...they just re-place immediately)

Bullseye1 · 14-02-2012 11:45pm

Here is the one I was thinking it reminded me of.

Reloc8 · 14-02-2012 11:57pm

Peasant.

I think this is the first time I ever said this.

I...I...I...don't like that watch.

There, I said it.

Dee Clothier · 14-02-2012 11:58pm

A little something for the wife for the day that's in it!

Clearly a 17 jewel Soviet-era Sekonda. As far as I know it's a rebranded Zarja. In any event, it's nice and dressy and the right colour for Valentine's day.

Seller's photo as I still haven't got the hang of photographing watches

CarltonBrowne · 15-02-2012 9:19am

peasant wrote: »

Is that mechanical? ('tis very thin)

If so ...any info on the movement?

Yes but handwound; unfortunately not one of the micro-rotor ones. I did make a note of the movement reference but can't find it at the minute; when I get a chance I'll look it up on Ranfft. Here's a picture though.

Wibbs · 15-02-2012 11:05am

CarltonBrowne wrote: »

Yes but handwound; unfortunately not one of the micro-rotor ones.

How did I miss your pics? This is my kinda thing. That's a bloody lovely watch CB. Handwind too? Niiiiiice. Feckin automatics *shakes fist*:)

Bullseye1 · 16-02-2012 7:59pm

This is my Tag Heuer Link Chrono (quartz) I bought back around 2005. It is 42mm so around the same size as the current Speedy. I personally think its one of the nicer Links from TH.

Wibbs · 17-02-2012 6:59pm

Put very crappy and blurred pics of this one up before. Then just before Xmas I dropped it while putting it on and broke the old, scratched and yellowed (and weak) glass.

The radium on the dial does no favours either. Checked around locally and either they BS'd me, or wanted stupid money to replace it, or couldn't get a similar glass. The original is quite domed, so a flat glass won't work. Bit of online digging and I found a source of new old stock acrylic glasses. Exact bloody match! Ordered one in what looked the right size and got it this morning. 3 quid. Yep, there isn't a zero missing. Bit of fiddling and bobs your uncle.

The dust I only noticed after I downloaded the pic.

Must learn good lighting...

It's an Alpina 592 KM as issued to the German Kriegsmarine(navy, though Kriegsmarine sounds way cooler) in world war II. This example dates from 1941. Their dials usually really suffer with time and fall apart. Probably because of the radium lume and the fact they're not waterproof at all. Yep a navy watch that ain't waterproof.

So an original dial(and all hands) in that condition can be hard to come by. The cases are brass with chrome plating which wears badly, but I like the patina. It even has the original winding crown. Again rare enough, mainly cos they're tiny and shíte.

The movement is a 15 jewel with shock protection. It also retains it's original movement holder. Not fancy but nicely made and finished(nice anglage on the plates). Remarkably accurate too. Loses or gains maybe 10 seconds a day, :eek: which is bloody impressive, given it's likely in need of a service.

PS it's small, maybe 30mm. Lucky I got girly hands. On a normal bloke it would be lost.

peasant · 17-02-2012 7:08pm

Nice watch ...but I hope you were taking precautions (like a dust mask and thorough washing of hands afterwards) while messing around with the exposed radium dial ...that stuff is still pretty dangerous even after all these years.

peasant · 17-02-2012 9:19pm

The quintessential Vostok Amphibia ...the blue "Scuba Dude"

As the stock bracelet is a ball of shoyte (it'll pull all your wrist hair and have you in tears) this one got some blue rubber swimming togs and is coming with me to the next holiday on the beach

Bullseye1 · 17-02-2012 9:35pm

That looks great. What is the bracelet?

peasant · 17-02-2012 9:39pm

No idea of the make ...it's rubber with a deployant clasp and cost twelve fiddy in the bay

see here: http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310377459339

available in black, blue or white 18,20,22 or 24 mm ...cheap & cheerful stuff

Wibbs · 17-02-2012 10:42pm

peasant wrote: »

Nice watch ...but I hope you were taking precautions (like a dust mask and thorough washing of hands afterwards) while messing around with the exposed radium dial ...that stuff is still pretty dangerous even after all these years.

Yea, dead right P and very good point worth making. You have to be careful alright. Radium has a half life of 1600 years, so still bloody "hot" and a lot more high energy than Tritium.

That said this particular watch gives off low enough levels(have an old gieger counter). Not much above background, so they musta scrimped on the radium. Which may explain how well the dial survived. The original acrylic glass hadn't gone yellow either. Another sign of radium damage(glass "glasses" go bluish). Plus the lume itself hadn't gone very dark, black or brown which the radium stuff usually does if very hot. Still like you say you have to be careful alright.

I had a WW1 omega trench watch many years ago and the dial set the counter mad. Had to keep upping the scale. :eek: Chernobyl on the wrist time. Though little enough penetrated the back of it, it was all through the dial side. It had a solid silver case, maybe that's why? IIRC silver is quite a good radioactive insulator. Proper scaaaaary levels from it though. Put it this way, if you held a more modern non radioactive luminous watch against it face to face in the dark it would actually charge the luminova as if you shone a torch on it:eek: I moved it on double quick warning the next owner. He had it cleaned I gather.

PS I think I've worked out why their navy watch wasn't waterproof. It was your fellow countrymen being boastful about the quality of their navy. "Our watches don't have to be waterproof, our ships are so good our sailors never get their feet wet.

That always worried me about airline pilots wearing diving watches. Not exactly confidence inspiring as you fly the atlantic. I mean what do they know we don't?...

What? Oh Rly! · 18-02-2012 4:50am

My first G-Shock.

bogmanfan · 20-02-2012 6:11pm

These all arrived in the last fortnight. Only got around to taking pics today.

First up: Technomarine Cruise Night Vision. Bought this as a gym/climbing/cycling beater watch. Rubber coated case. Japanese quartz movement. This is really comfy on, but it's not the most legible in the world. Could really have done with using a different colour for the hour and minute hands. Still a lovely watch, for little money.

Second: IWC Aquatimer Chrono. Of all IWC's offerings, I've always liked the Aquatimer range best. Especially the newer, 44mm versions. I've always like a blue watch, and this colour scheme is now discontinued. Got this on tz-uk and hope to hang on to if for a good while.

Finally: a 1970 Breitling Navitimer Chrono-Matic. This is model 1806, and houses the Calibre 11 movement, the first automatic chronograph, coming out just a few months before Zenith's El Primero. I like the re-issue, but at 49mm it's just way too big. So when I was offered an original (46mm) in trade for my JLC I had to jump at it. It's in amazing condition for a 42-year-old watch, with nice sharp edges to the case. I suspect it's been re-dialled at some stage, and also had replacement hands. Also, although it's a tritium dial, the numbers seem to have luminova coating, so has probably been relumed at some stage also. Still, it was serviced less than a year ago, and seems to be running great. I'm not usually a vintage fan, as the 34mm sizes just look ridiculous on me, but this is a winner!

SmartFox · 20-02-2012 6:24pm

bogmanfan wrote: »

These all arrived in the last fortnight.

Beautiful haul! Particularly like the AT chrono. You'll need to get some wrist shots up soon.

Marcusm · 20-02-2012 7:12pm

The Breitling has a Heuer movement?

Bullseye1 · 20-02-2012 7:19pm

Very nice BM. The Breitling reminds me of this Heuer which was posted on TZ yesterday.

bogmanfan · 20-02-2012 7:31pm

According to my research (google

), the Calibre 11 was a joint effort by Breitling, Heuer, Buren and Dubois-Depraz.

Marcusm wrote: »

The Breitling has a Heuer movement?

Wibbs · 20-02-2012 10:15pm

[vintage nerd]:o

bogmanfan wrote:

According to my research (google ), the Calibre 11 was a joint effort by Breitling, Heuer, Buren and Dubois-Depraz.

Yea a very important milestone in modern horology that movement. Very strong and reliable movement to boot.

So when I was offered an original (46mm) in trade for my JLC I had to jump at it. It's in amazing condition for a 42-year-old watch, with nice sharp edges to the case. I suspect it's been re-dialled at some stage, and also had replacement hands. Also, although it's a tritium dial, the numbers seem to have luminova coating, so has probably been relumed at some stage also.

They've good strong metal cases on them lads. The hands may be replacements, but I'm not that familiar with that model. Still I've seen hands even older than that "look like new" so they're just as likely to be original. As for the redial I'm not so sure. If it is one it's either made in house by Breitling themselves or it's the best third party dial I've ever seen.

Don't be thrown by the lume in thinking it's luminova. Tritium doesn't burn out the phosphor material to nearly the same degree as radium. So after the tritium is inert the phosphors can still glow brightly from exposure/charging with strong light. My Heuer Bundeswehr chrono is slightly older than your Brietling(1967) is all original(save for the bezel), has the original Tritium dial and hands and both glow strongly if exposed to light though the tritum is well dead.

Have to say love the Breitling BMF. A rare statement from me

. Big watch too. More in keeping with current fashion that's for sure. The 70's stuff tends to be. That time seems to be the start of the move towards the larger cased watch. Before that only "tool" watches were of a larger size and you'd look weird back in the day wearing one. It was more about "elegant/dress" watches. Every day mens stuff was waaay smaller than today, even some tool watches. Men have been getting larger in limb since the invention of the wristwatch with better diets so that would have something to do with it I suppose(not fatter BTW, just bigger). That and the show off thing we all have

:). As well as fashion the smaller watch was considered a greater show of the watchmakers art. I remember my dad discussing watches with mates and showing off how thin a dress watch was. Quartz kinda did away with that. Then there was less likelihood of a smaller watch smacking off something while wearing it. [/vintage nerd]

TL;DR? Only gorge BMF, well may you wear.

bogmanfan · 20-02-2012 11:27pm

Thanks for the detailed response Wibbs. I guess I just assumed because it looks so good that it was a service replacement, but perhaps not. The only vintage models I've owned previously were a Speedmaster and a Rolex Datejust, and both looked considerable more 'worn' than this one. Hopefully you're right, and I just got someone's safe queen.

Wibbs wrote: »

[vintage nerd]:o Yea a very important milestone in modern horology that movement. Very strong and reliable movement to boot.

They've good strong metal cases on them lads. The hands may be replacements, but I'm not that familiar with that model. Still I've seen hands even older than that "look like new" so they're just as likely to be original. As for the redial I'm not so sure. If it is one it's either made in house by Breitling themselves or it's the best third party dial I've ever seen. Don't be thrown by the lume in thinking it's luminova. Tritium doesn't burn out the phosphor material to nearly the same degree as radium. So after the tritium is inert the phosphors can still glow brightly from exposure/charging with strong light. My Heuer Bundeswehr chrono is slightly older than your Brietling(1967) is all original(save for the bezel), has the original Tritium dial and hands and both glow strongly if exposed to light though the tritum is well dead.

Have to say love the Breitling BMF. A rare statement from me . Big watch too. More in keeping with current fashion that's for sure. The 70's stuff tends to be. That time seems to be the start of the move towards the larger cased watch. Before that only "tool" watches were of a larger size and you'd look weird back in the day wearing one. It was more about "elegant/dress" watches. Every day mens stuff was waaay smaller than today, even some tool watches. Men have been getting larger in limb since the invention of the wristwatch with better diets so that would have something to do with it I suppose(not fatter BTW, just bigger). That and the show off thing we all have :). As well as fashion the smaller watch was considered a greater show of the watchmakers art. I remember my dad discussing watches with mates and showing off how thin a dress watch was. Quartz kinda did away with that. Then there was less likelihood of a smaller watch smacking off something while wearing it. [/vintage nerd]

TL;DR? Only gorge BMF, well may you wear.

Wibbs · 21-02-2012 12:11am

bogmanfan wrote: »

The only vintage models I've owned previously were a Speedmaster and a Rolex Datejust, and both looked considerable more 'worn' than this one. Hopefully you're right, and I just got someone's safe queen.

maybe and a good find BMF. It so depends on how they're worn and looked after. Materials and quality of same can make such a difference. I've a 1916 Longines that you could say to a non watch person nutter "oh that? Got it ten years ago" and they'd likely believe you*. It looks "newer" than another 1950 Longines I have. Some models and materials can look remarkably fresh if looked after even a little bit. Most speedmasters that were looked after look pretty fresh. Ditto for 60's Rolex. IWC dress watches of the 50's can look brand new. Patek Calatravas can be very hard to date by looking at them. Could be 50's, 60's or later. I suppose quality lasts.

*mostly down to the dial I reckon. Early wristwatches tended to use ceramic/porcelain rather than metal dials which so long as they don't crack look exactly the same as the day they were made. Pity they're so delicate. Plus many were made with either high quality nickel or silver cases which will polish up like new. Look at this American lad's ebay stuff. He does full back to new looking restos on early wristwatches and all the parts are original, just cleaned and polished. When I say just, I'm more than slightly negating the work the guy puts in to be fair. Lots of effort and skill. Not my bag, I prefer the patina of age, but design wise aside they look like watches made yesterday.

BUACHAILL · 21-02-2012 1:15am

Great watches Bogmanfan you know how to pick em I will tip my hat to you on that. Love the Breitling hybrid ;-).

Now with all your purchases comes sales ! Lets be having ya ? lol

peasant · 23-02-2012 6:16pm

The P52 got new shoez (from the watchbancenter).
Only problem was that the end links were a bit too beefy for the fancy lugs and holes didn't quite line up. So I spent three hours yesterday evening attacking the bracelet with a file

(luckily all the scars are hidden under the swivel lugs)

I like the result very much, the hevay bracelet balances the heavy watch out nicely and is actually more comfortable to wear than on the strap even though the whole ensemble now weighs in at a whopping 230 g.

dancrowley · 27-02-2012 8:03pm

Today, it's my recently acquired Stowa Marine Original.

Wibbs · 27-02-2012 9:51pm

I bloody love the Stowa range dancrowley. Very understated and elegant. Very little bling going on. Classic styling with little movement touches to match. Look at the vintage stylee regulator on that beauty. Just like they had back in the day. Handwind too, none of this automatic lazy boyo stuff

Lovely watch DC, well may you wear.

dancrowley · 28-02-2012 7:03am

Wibbs wrote: »

I bloody love the Stowa range dancrowley. Very understated and elegant. Very little bling going on. Classic styling with little movement touches to match. Look at the vintage stylee regulator on that beauty. Just like they had back in the day. Handwind too, none of this automatic lazy boyo stuff Lovely watch DC, well may you wear.

Many thanks, Wibbs! I've a soft spot for what these guys deliver, too. This was my first Stowa, and for sure it won't be the last. They had a sale recently, and I picked myself up one of what you see below... it's one of just 19 (w/black hands, logo and date); they're unsure if they'll make any more of these, so for now it's a "Special Edition".

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

These watches are an absolute steal. I was in a high-end watch store last night trying on pieces which cost many times what I paid for the Marine Original, and the sales guys couldn't take their eyes off it. Definitely worth the 3-month wait!

Cul a cnoic · 29-02-2012 1:30am

I have always had an interest in watches but don't have many and this was given to me at the weekend.

Its a Stainless Steel Baume but thats about all I know of it. I believe it was bough in America in the fifties, new or secondhand I don't know, so it maybe older.

I have ordered a new strap and spring pins, as you can see from the last pic, a soldered wire was previously used to hold it onto the old type military straps. It also needs a good cleaning as it has been in a box for at least the last 25 years. These pics were taken tonight without flash, so the quality is not great.

Anyone know anything about this type watch, there are none like it an the old internet?

Thanks

Wibbs · 29-02-2012 9:47am

Looks like 1950's to me alright. Stylish looking. Are Baume the same as Baume et Mercier? I think so, in which case it's a good solid maker and would have some value alright. How big is it? Size affects value as vintage tends to be smaller than the monsters of today

If it's around the 35mm wide mark then that helps, if under 30 mm not so much.

Like you suggest I'd get it cleaned and oiled, slap a strap on it and wear it as a bit of family history. You won't see anyone else wearing one anyway. Nice present.

CarltonBrowne · 29-02-2012 10:13am

peasant wrote: »

Is that mechanical? ('tis very thin)

If so ...any info on the movement?

Apologies for the delay; it had slipped my mind. The movement is a Universal 1-42. The original seller's movement pic.
Movement%20Universal%201-42.JPG

http://www.ranfft.de/cgi-bin/bidfun-db.cgi?10&ranfft&&2uswk&Universal_42_1

Cul a cnoic · 29-02-2012 11:27pm

Wibbs wrote: »

Looks like 1950's to me alright. Stylish looking. Are Baume the same as Baume et Mercier? I think so, in which case it's a good solid maker and would have some value alright. How big is it? Size affects value as vintage tends to be smaller than the monsters of today If it's around the 35mm wide mark then that helps, if under 30 mm not so much.

Like you suggest I'd get it cleaned and oiled, slap a strap on it and wear it as a bit of family history. You won't see anyone else wearing one anyway. Nice present.

Thanks Wibbs for the reply. Just measured it and its 35mm outside diameter. Its keeping good time, so not interested in opening it up as yet. Apart from leaving it to get serviced (and cleaned), any tips for a general cleaning of it myself to start with.
Thanks again.

Wibbs · 29-02-2012 11:42pm

35 MM is a nice size, especially for vintage. Myself I'd leave it pretty much alone C. Down the line maybe get a pro to polish the case? Stainless steel is a beauty for this. About the best material for a watch case for longevity. A new glass properly fitted and in keeping can make a helluva diff with a vintage. Leave it alone and wear it on a nice strap and enjoy it. Nice watch. Kudos and well may you wear.

Wibbs · 01-03-2012 12:44am

OK I've been saving the pennies and taking a leaf from Peasants book(a very good book BTW. Cheap too

). Been keeping my poor monetarily constricted eye out for bargains. I have a couple pending but here's one I got in the post...(for mid range G-Shock money too)

It's a Hampden "wristlet" watch(on a period so called Kitchener strap I had laying around) from before world war one. Like 1909. Over a century old. It's a lever set watch. What this means is that rather than pulling out the winding crown to set the hands, you have to flip the lid and slide out a lever under the 5 and then the crown will set the hands. Very steampunk looking too, I've been informed by the better informed/younger set

.

The case is fixed lug and very high quality. I have polished it up a little, I could make it like new, but I like the patina of age.

The movement is very nice. Most early wristwatches are low jewel ladies pocket watch movements. 7 jewel or less. Not this bad boy. 15 jewel in screwed chatons and micrometer adjustment with very fancy finishing on the plates.

That's the movement in a pocket watch, but you get the idea(it's like 25mm :eek:). IMHO our Yankee cousins were massively ahead on this score at the time and after. With a few notable high grade Swiss exceptions(Zenith/Longines/Omega) early wristlet movements were very workaday. Early Rolex movements with the very rare exception of their extra prima line were pretty basic, even crappy. An Elgin or Zenith would blow the majority of Rolex movements out of the water IMHO. Nearly a century later my 1916 Longines is consistent to a few seconds a day either way. And I don't spare the horses when I wear it at least once a week. Hell I had a bad fall that left me wrecked and I even landed on it, but it kept on going. These early wristwatches are not nearly as delicate as claimed in my experience. I wouldn't go swimming in one but otherwise I've been surprised.

The only thing is the dial. It's an original (and rare enough in my searching) Hampden dial alright and the hands are right too, but one doesn't fit the other quite right... The dial is designed for radium paint, the hands aren't. Luckily I found an American chap who sent me the right dial for the hands and at a daftly low price. Like just over a tenner. And he was overly cautious in his description. Nice guy. I could have looked for the right hands and keep the existing dial instead but they're rarer again.

Hopefully I get one more "grail" watch, if my funds will allow. Fingers crossed...:o:)

This has been brough to you, by the Vintage nutter society of Ireland. Down with automatics and reliable water proofing we say. New fangled nonsense. Haaaarumph.

Bullseye1 · 01-03-2012 12:53am

Is that a birth year watch W.

Wibbs · 01-03-2012 1:01am

Banned...

Bullseye1 · 01-03-2012 1:23am

Testing!

LOL

Cyrus · 01-03-2012 9:51am

Morning all,

For some reason the IWC flieger chrono and I werent getting along, so it promptly got moved on, and i had the opportunity to buy another classic pilots watch that i have always wanted to try, Breitling Navi in tri compax format, chuffed with it

Also bought from adverts so that was nice, thats a few watches ive bought and sold in ireland which is always good!

Post pics of your watches ***Please NO QUOTING PHOTOS***

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Post pics of your watches Please NO QUOTING PHOTOS