Who Watches the Watchmen (Our Chit Chat Thread)

Thirdfox

It’ll be right twice a day - which is actually more accurate more often than a watch that loses 4 seconds a day.... so a stopped watch is more accurate than cosc?

banie01

If you were to buy this or similar?https://www.chrono24.co.uk/iwc/pilot-spitfire-chronograph--id17112749.htm


Would you sell this?



Or would try and argue the point with your wife that despite both being 2 register chronos?
That they are both totally different watches deserving of a place in the box?

Cyrus

banie01 wrote: »

If you were to buy this or similar?

Would you sell this?



Or would try and argue the point with your wife that despite both being 2 register chronos?
That they are both totally different watches deserving of a place in the box?

i had the 3878 on bracelet once upon a time lovely watch,

so id say yay

banie01

Cyrus wrote: »

i had the 3878 on bracelet once upon a time lovely watch,

so id say yay

The bracelet or something like IWC's topgun composite stap would be lovely, but waaaaay outside current budget.
I'm shopping at the very bottom of the 3878 barrel at the mo

Cyrus

banie01 wrote: »

The bracelet or something like IWC's topgun composite stap would be lovely, but waaaaay outside current budget.
I'm shopping at the very bottom of the 3878 barrel at the mo

the brown croc looks great too to be fair, its a nice barrel no matter what end you are in :cool:

unkel

I stuck my polar explorer on a tan Martu leather strap I've had for a few years but barely used. It looks great. Will post up picture tomorrow.

Then I went surfing and came across this strap which just looks stunning on the hulk



Linky


Thinking of getting one made just like that, perhaps with white stitching? Thoughts? I've contacted the seller.

banie01

unkel wrote: »

I stuck my polar explorer on a tan Martu leather strap I've had for a few years but barely used. It looks great. Will post up picture tomorrow.

Then I went surfing and came across this strap which just looks stunning on the hulk


Thinking of getting one made just like that, perhaps with white stitching? Thoughts? I've contacted the seller.

That style strap is lovely on the Rollie!
I really like the look of Subs on vintage and rally straps, set the watch off really nicely IMO.

On my own new acquisition front, xrp wash trading has been good to me today
May yet manage to keep my bund as well as buy an IWC

46 Long

Gloss ceramic bezels with leather straps always strike me as a fundamental mismatch. Almost like buying a modern carbon fibre road bike and festooning it with Brooks leather accessories. Both lovely things in and of themselves but not a great pairing.

I would however, be curious to see how a hulk looked on a chocolate brown suede. Better yet - a black sailcloth with contrasting dark green stitching.

Cyrus

unkel wrote: »

I stuck my polar explorer on a tan Martu leather strap I've had for a few years but barely used. It looks great. Will post up picture tomorrow.

Then I went surfing and came across this strap which just looks stunning on the hulk



Thinking of getting one made just like that, perhaps with white stitching? Thoughts? I've contacted the seller.

That’s an abomination

Rolex look best on their bracelet, rubber b are ok anything else is gash .

Save your money

david

unkel wrote: »

I stuck my polar explorer on a tan Martu leather strap I've had for a few years but barely used. It looks great. Will post up picture tomorrow.

Then I went surfing and came across this strap which just looks stunning on the hulk


Linky


Thinking of getting one made just like that, perhaps with white stitching? Thoughts? I've contacted the seller.

Not too keen on that look - I'm not against leather/rubber in principle provided it's kept at 20mm width. The apparent 24-26mm width of that strap really messes with the classic proportions of the Rollie in my opinion. Reminds me of a Casio strap.

banie01

Well if nothing else Unkel...
That Swiss ammo strap certainly has sparked a bit of controversy :pac:
I am a fan tho, particularly as I said of rally style straps.

unkel

Some interesting points, particularly the vintage strap clashing with the modern ceramic bezel. Now of course that picture was for reference, my own Rolex is vintage in its own right

Here on the Martu taken just now:

banie01

unkel wrote: »

Some interesting points, particularly the vintage strap clashing with the modern ceramic bezel. Now of course that picture was for reference, my own Rolex is vintage in its own right

Here on the Martu taken just now:

See I like that!

Cyrus

banie01 wrote: »

See I like that!

i dont take it off

unkel

Yeah I like it too, but maybe the strap on that Hulk going the full width of the outside of the lugs is a bit OTT alright and gets the proportions wrong. And it's not like these are big watches or heavy for that matter

It's all a very interesting journey anyway. This is by far the Rolex that's most "me". The Explorer 214270 is a classy understated watch, bit dull though after a while. The Milgauss 116400GV is pure class and a beautiful watch but simply too dressy for me, 95% of the time I'm jeans + t-shirt. And I'm fairly big at 1.86m (6'1), 100kg and 7.5cm wrists

Maybe the size of the polar Explorer II 16570 looks alright in those pictures, but I still feel it wears small at the usual 40mm of the Rolex sports watches (sub / GMT). Perhaps I should think about trading it in for the considerably larger current model 216570 (42mm). Unfortunately this probably also means that my grail watch, the blue Yachtmaster 40, which (like a submariner) has relatively more (prominent) bezel than the Explorer II, is simply too small. They have a blue YM40 in Pride & pinion in Belfast, although overpriced. Might go and try it on...

Thirdfox

unkel wrote: »

...And I'm fairly big at 1.86m (6'1), 100kg and 7.5cm wrists....

I wouldn't be boasting about your puny 7.5cm wrists :pac:

Though if you meant 17.5cm wrists - that should fall well within the general category of "normal"/average sized at around 6.9".

For Starlight we've covered the "average" range from 6.25-8.125" - but there are always outliers too - for the salmon straps people have asked for 5.5" to 9" wrist size accommodations.

unkel

Well spotted, I'm a bit over 7.5". Inches, not cm

Even a newborn baby probably has a bigger wrist than 7.5cm

893bet

unkel wrote: »

I stuck my polar explorer on a tan Martu leather strap I've had for a few years but barely used. It looks great. Will post up picture tomorrow.

Then I went surfing and came across this strap which just looks stunning on the hulk



Linky


Thinking of getting one made just like that, perhaps with white stitching? Thoughts? I've contacted the seller.

That offends my eyes! I don’t think I have ever seen a worse combination.

unkel wrote: »

Some interesting points, particularly the vintage strap clashing with the modern ceramic bezel. Now of course that picture was for reference, my own Rolex is vintage in its own right

Here on the Martu taken just now:

Not as bad as the hulk but still looks wrong.

Cyrus wrote: »

That’s an abomination

Rolex look best on their bracelet, rubber b are ok anything else is gash .

Save your money

Yup. Bracelet or fitted rubber. Some worn on nato ok if that’s your thing.

banie01

893bet wrote: »

That offends my eyes! I don’t think I have ever seen a worse combination.



Not as bad as the hulk but still looks wrong.





Yup. Bracelet or fitted rubber. Some worn on nato ok if that’s your thing.

Guess I won't ever be asked for decor advice round your way

The Hulk, I'd much prefer if it was a 20mm tapered strap with a matte finish, but I do like the quirkiness of it.

The Explorer 2, I'm taken with buy the strap needs speedholes!

hitemfrank

unkel wrote: »

Even a newborn baby probably has a bigger wrist than 7.5cm

I feel personally attacked

unkel

Some conservative, nearly reactionary opinions here

I've tried liking rubber, got an Isofrane for my Seamaster, wore it all last summer. Can't warm to it. I like leather (for winter) and nato / sail cloth for summer as I swim in the sea regularly and the leather would be a gonner in one summer. I guess that's not the end of the world either. Just never been much of a bracelet man. I can tolerate the Rolex Oyster bracelet, even slept with it on a few nights, I just don't prefer it.

redlead

The Hulk on that strap is an abomination. I think your Polar on it just about works to be fair. The beauty of the polar dial is that you could put nearly anything with it and it would look good. Have you ever tried those hybrid straps that look like leather but must be a rubbery material. I saw Barton have them. Maybe that might be good option for you if you like the feel of leather but want to swim?

Thirdfox

I wonder would ray look good with the Hulk?

https://dangerous9straps.com/blog/category/stingray-watch-strap

Glossy ceramic balls (from the natural skin of the stingray) matching the glossy ceramic bezel?

I looked long and hard at using stingray for Sólás but ultimately decided against it for personal reasons - but on an individual basis it looks to be a very unique and eye-catching material - something the Hulk is anyway.

Cyrus

Thirdfox wrote: »

I wonder would ray look good with the Hulk?

https://dangerous9straps.com/blog/category/stingray-watch-strap

no

Fitz II

Oh Jesus Thirdfox, that is fecking manky

Wibbs

unkel wrote: »

I stuck my polar explorer on a tan Martu leather strap I've had for a few years but barely used. It looks great. Will post up picture tomorrow.

Then I went surfing and came across this strap which just looks stunning on the hulk



Linky


Thinking of getting one made just like that, perhaps with white stitching? Thoughts? I've contacted the seller.

I like it tbh.

To be fair ye know my taste. *Unkel deletes history, buries laptop in back garden, has a stiff drink and buys a bracelet*

david

Sail cloth could work in the right circumstances if rubber or metal isn't doing it. Should be fine for swimming. Not as nice as rubber/metal in my opinion but not awful either. This Olive green colour would look decent with the red seconds and white dial IMO.

unkel

Wibbs wrote: »

I like it tbh.

To be fair ye know my taste. *Unkel deletes history, buries laptop in back garden, has a stiff drink and buys a bracelet*

Nope, I think one of the benefits of being our age and knowing you have more days behind you than ahead of you, makes you not give two fukcs about what people think about you. Not that I ever did much of that anyway

Interesting all the same to see these sharply contrasting opinions!

Fitz II

For me a Rolex watch is half the watch and half the bracelet. Take the bracelet away and its half the watch. I have tried Rubber B, and they look good and integrate well, but they make the watch feel insubstantial and none have stuck with me. Oyster flex is different, its a bracelet inside and has a good weight to it, it also comes on some seriously nice Rolex watches which helps too.

The sub/explorer bracelet is famous as one of the best in the business, nothing aftermarket can touch it.

njburke

Same here, I'm a fan of the stock bracelet on something like a submariner. I bought a citizen BN0191, that came on a PU strap. I chased down and bought the oyster style citizen bracelet for it, transformed the watch as far as I am concerned. The weight of the bracelet, seems to balance the watch.