Post pics of your watches Part II

Lorddrakul

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118185321#Comment_118185321

When you say 'reasonably priced'...

Wibbs

Going diving today, in velour flares.

I reckoned it needed a service as it was acting funny, but thought I'd try another new battery in it and now it's running A OK. Even the humming is louder.

Blanchy90

This lovely Seiko mod arrived today

njburke

My Breitling is back from service, I'm wearing it again for the first time in years.

unkel

I know Breitlings can be busy, but that one takes it to a new level 😁

njburke

Not what i'ld choose for myself these days, but twenty years ago I had better eyesight for a start. A friend had lent me his, and whilst we were both working in Singapore, I went in and bought this B2. Its an odd beast, it has a helium release valve.

Lorddrakul

I love the look of the older Breitlings, much more of a tool than the latter fashion statements.

IrishPlayer

Wearing the Business Bell on a fresh morning walk

scwazrh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118204534#Comment_118204534

I think the new model breitlings are starting to go back to the older style ,They’re a bit less blingy than the breitlings of the last 20 years

Wibbs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118204534#Comment_118204534

+1. Breitling used to be a much bigger and more popular brand in the past, but for some reason faded away a fair bit. They've certainly got the "heritage" angle and one that's bigger than most.

In the batch of ebay French LIP steel and rubber staps I got this French ZRC expander job with funky clasp.

unkel

micks_address

Nice unkel is it new to you? Apologies if I missed a previous post

unkel

Took it as part/ex this evening against my Panerai. I should really have fitted the spare link before taking that picture, but hey, my rep is for taking terrible pics anyway 😂

scwazrh

a bit smaller than your used to , though will be an easy sell

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118213500#Comment_118213500

unkel

Yeah, the Panerai was only up a couple of days, got a lot of views, but the realist in me knew that when I got a decent offer of a Rolex steel sports plus a wad of cash that I should just take it. The Panerai was originally listed at WF for not an awful lot short of 5 figures, so that would not have been a very easy private sale for me at the best of times.

Chances are I will own a Panerai again, but probably not a Radiomir. For the moment I am having a few gawks at AP Royal Oak Offshores on chrono 😁

scwazrh

Same as that , I’ve been spending a lot of time looking at offshores .

The radiomir is a great watch but for me a Panerai has to have a crown guard . It’s the most unique thing about them .

unkel

I like the look of the Radiomir, but on the wrist it just looks too posh / stylish for me. So yeah maybe another Luminor, they suited me perfectly. Or dare I say a submersible, got a new appreciation for them. But that would only be directly competing with the James Cameron.

Which ROO are you looking at? I like the orange diver and I guess a bit of a safer choice - some of the blue dial chronos (the one with the silver registers in particular looks good)

njburke

This Lip Nautic Ski is back in the game. I bought it as a non runner, found a running movement and had it swapped in. I had bought a tropic strap for it and fitted it today. I'll see how it's accuracy is over the next few weeks.

It's an electro mechanical movement, there is a coil energised from a battery. The balance wheel activates a small pair of hair like contactors to the close the coil circuit. The magnetic field from the coil forces the balance wheel, I assume is soft iron or Ferro magnetic. A diode acts as a snubber to prevent arc at the contacts when the circuit opens. This was an innovation in watchmaking developed by Lip and Hamilton in the fifties. It wasn't viewed as horological heresy until much later on.

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118213908#Comment_118213908

i had an offshore diver for a bit, now thats a solid hunk of steel, not really my thing unfortunately as i wanted to like it.

Wibbs

Yay! LIP Twins!. Oh wait... that sounds wrong. 😁 My one in my last post is a second series from around 98/69, yours is the early 70's third series in the SuperCompressor case. I think they've a really nice dial in the flesh. French national colours too. These were used quite a bit by the Cousteau diving team. Very popular among sailing types too. And skiers. That's where the Nautic Ski bit comes from. The head of LIP's daughter was an avid skier and that pursuit is hard on watches, lots of shocks, temperature shifts and lots of moisture too, so she asked the Da to think of that sport when coming up with a more rugged watch. The Nautic-Ski was born. Initially in mechanical trim, but in 66/67 they fitted the electronic movement. These were the first battery powered divers. There was an Accutron diver that followed a year or two later, but it turned out to be about as waterproof as a teabag. Oddly, given the lack of need to wind or set a quartz so less likely to compromise the seals, when quartz came along, quartz dive watches were slow to hit the market, only really coming out in the late 70's.

That diode was one of the differences LIP introduced over the early Hamiltons and meant that technically they were able to claim it was "electronic" rather than "electric". It was also a far more robust movement than the Hamilton, which were about as a reliable as a 1970's Fiat. It and the Bulova Accutron were real gamechangers and the first truly reliable battery powered wristwatches(though the Accutron was even more radical. The only movement where the oscillator directly drives the hands). LIP were the first battery movement to also have a date. Accuracy wise I've found these LIP R184's can run pretty well. Around the accuracy of a well made and maintained mechanical of the time. Under 30 seconds a week kinda thing. It'll be interesting to see how yours fares.

Rightplace2016

For all guys who helped me on other page and I said I'd put it up here

njburke

I knew mine was a later model than yours, early seventies is best I can place mine. It came from Japan and has very little wear on the case and acrylic crystal. There's a pit of lume on the hour hand, I'm guessing it flakes off with age. I bought two straps, the other has holes perforated in, rally style, not sure which is more appropriate. I think Cousteau must have had every dive watch available in his day.

I'll keep an eye on the rate, I've only one measurement so far, -4 sec/day. I'll see how it's doing in a few weeks.

Wibbs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118217517#Comment_118217517

Tropic style rubber was the original strap, though there was a steel bracelet, but I've been looking for one of those for donkey's years with zero joy. Rocking horse poo territory.

In the cache of LIP straps I got last week I also got what was an original strap for LIP divers of the early 70s(if they were 20mm). Black rubber with a seahorse on the back of it. Placcy buckle too for full 70's glamtastic plastic*.

*though straps back then were very much considered a wear/service item and often even big name brands came with straps that were clearly made to a budget. I remember strap and bracelet ads in magazines, even TV ads for Spidel expanding bracelets. AKA hair removal devices.

IrishPlayer

That's really cool @njburke Spotted a LIP the other day that really got my attention, fantastic watches from one of the most interesting periods in watchmaking. Might just have to get one myself! 😁

Wibbs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118217742#Comment_118217742

The non diver examples can be pretty cheap. The LIP Himalaya dress types which came out at the same time as the Nautic-Ski can often be had for under 200 quid. The diver examples have softened a lot in price too as the vintage market has saturated and softened. Unless you're buying from Hodinkee of course..

micks_address

Picked up this tonight. Had one few years ago and enjoyed it. Managed to buy it at pretty much the same price I sold mine at and it's pretty much new in the box. Might seem like an odd step but glad to have one back

https://ibb.co/vLZqj2z

(tweaked the pic for more visibility)

Lorddrakul

I'm liking that Steinhart GMT.

Strong visual vibe of Accutron Astronaut about it for me. Lovely.

Cassius99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118230875#Comment_118230875

Always loved the style but at 42mm it tends to wear big on me due to the dial area. Managed to pic up one of the 39mm editions this week without the vintage lume so I'll see if that hits the spot.

micks_address

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118231246#Comment_118231246

Looking forward to seeing pictures.

Cassius99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118232501#Comment_118232501

It's always annoyed me slightly. As Lord said above I really got the Bulova Astronaut buzz off it too, and that's what made me go for it. But it's always been just that little too much like a dinner plate on my skinny wrists. I've really wanted to love it, but it was always slightly off. I hope this finally solves the problem.

I'll stick up pictures as soon as the postman arrives. And assuming the missus doesn't murder me over yet another purchase!