Post pics of your watches Part II
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Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,109 Mod ✭✭✭✭
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OK, I'm getting nerdy here: So when I got my Heuer 1550(Bund) many moons ago unlike most out there it was in "honest" shape for a near forty year old watch(at the time). Grand. A few years later I sent it off for a service in Germany. I told them not to beadblast the case, as I knew well German watchmakers in particular will do this in my experience, so they didn't. They enquired if I wanted new hands, crown and pushers. I said no(only the very earliest had polished crowns and pushers). Well it came back with a NOS/Sinn replacement bezel and a NOS crystal. A happy bunny I was not. They said they essentially threw out the old bezel and crystal and couldn't understand why I was vexed, as they had "added to the watch's value". They then asked if I wanted an issued bund caseback as compensation as that would add value too...(they also said they'd sell me a red (3H) dial which would add 25%. No doubt with the ink still wet...). Pointless pointing out to them the fact it was a two digit serial, one of the very first after Heuer bought Leonidas and it was a non issued one which technically speaking you couldn't get at the time(their sale to Joe Public was banned until the 80's). That's why I wanted it.
Anyway so I went looking for original bezels and crystals. I got the crystal handily enough. The originals are flat and stand proud of the bezel by barely a blonde one. The service replacement and Sinn ones are domed and stand near two mill above the bezel. An original bezel was much harder to source. The originals look black, but with a distinctive blued tint to them and on the reverse have machining marks. Later Sinn/service ones are jet black and the markings are slightly thicker and the coin edges less defined.
As an example of a Bless me father for I've been Sinned, here's one on eBay.
Five odd grand. "Minimal signs of wear" indeed. The dial(luminova), hands(ditto), including sub hands, crystal(domed) and bezel are all 90's NOS Sinn.
So a bezel escaped me for donkey's. And the prices went a bit silly too IMHO. 150-200 quid for a Sinn one? feck off. But three weeks ago I was on the Bay of an evening, glass of a cheeky burgundy in hand, and I spot an auction for one, and one like I've never seen before. Mashed my fingers at the keys, woke up the next morning to find I won the auction for 40 quid inc shipping. 🤘
Now ye may have heard of "ghost bezels". This is when over time and exposure to light and the air or just a cuff leads to bezels fading in particular ways. 1960's and 70's watches are particularly prone to this. Something to do with the metalurgy and chemistry of the time(much like blue dials from back then get fecked, or "starry night" if you're a dealer). More modern stuff doesn't and of course brands like Rolex have gone to ceramic to stop this ever happening in the future. These ghost bezels are a "thing" in collecting. If you have a 70's Tudor Sub, or a Speedy, or an Autavia, all things being equal the one with the ghost bezel will be worth more. To the degree that these are faked and google will tell you how(though fakes are easy to spot if you know what to look for).
It arrived and I got to work...
With the bezel off you can see this watch is all case and bezel, otherwise it would be a 36mm chronograph like they used to be. The old bezel also came with an original circular spring thingie which was thicker. A thundering C U Next Tuesday to get on with it, but much nicer in operation. Smoother and stiffer. Once set it ain't moving unless you want it to.
I know it'll divide opinion, but I bloody love it. My now lost original had started to fade, but not to this degree. I've seen this kinda thing on other brands and Heuer's too, but never saw one like this on a Bund before. It's really hard to get a picture of the colour. It's an eggshell blue grey that shifts and shimmers with the light. It's similar to that bluish Admiralty Grey of the original issued Phoenix G-10(NATO) straps, so I slapped a vintage one I had on. I've ordered a 20mm, though I have a weird gra for the under strap, as you see this on old untouched milwatches. Plus I still have the NOS bezel if I want to change back.
Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.
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Wearing an electric Seiko today from 1975, an elnix 0703. It's a transistorized 28,800 bph movement.
Pic from my reference book of an 0702 movement, which is the date only variant of the day date 0703.
It runs well but a little fast, and that strap needs to go.
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Bought two watches over the last year, not like they will ever see water...
Have to say the Seiko is a big favourite for me, the dial is so nice and the rubber strap is very comfortable. The U1 is a big chunk of heaviness, still love it.
The Seiko has a lovely textured dial that plays with the light. There are outlines of penguins on the bottom left of the dial and the bezel has very fine lines on it that the photo doesn't show. The gold accents on the second hand and on the number indicators really set it off. Funny for a watch that costs about 25% of the Sinn I would choose it over the Sinn (if I really had to, and based just on looks, but I appreciate the build of the U1. It is a tank, feels amazing and the legibility is second to none.)
Post edited by aristotle25 on19 -
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Lume shot of my collection
From left to right:
Man size: Marina Militare MM20 RXW by Ken Sato - 47mm, a big watch for a big man
Mid size: Gruppo Gamma Divemaster II DG-06 500m - 45mm, excellent proportions, lume on the bezel so makes it look bigger than it is. Would suit most men, class watch
Baby size: Rolex DeepSea Sea-Dweller 126660 "James Cameron" - 44mm, this is a watch for the smaller gentleman
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Loving this! Truely special watch. Trying to figure out if there is room on my collection (by room I mean will both watches end up being too similar and then I end up wearing neither almost) for a second one. Going to plan gently towards one for 2-3 years time and see where I get distracted along the way.
The actual owner in the background ain’t interested just yet! But some day.
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Didn't think I'd go for this colour combo - I think it's the first black diver I've owned - but so far so good. It came with a few straps and a replacement bezel with ceramic insert, which I might try out if I don't scratch the hell out of the case.
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I know, I know that I'm currently selling a Sinn 103 variant but, hear me out...
I just saw this Sinn 356 variant with a guilloche dial and apart from the colour, the gold hue doesn't suit this watch IMO. I think I want one 😖 in a green or blue dial tho.
I never learn
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Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,109 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 59038
I've been alternating this pair of late. Nearly a centimetre apart in case size. 😮
Not too far off the same thickness mind you. I generally don't wear watches in bed, but there are four watches in my hoard that if I forget to take them off after I settle in the leaba, I don't go "ah feck!" and then take them off. These are two of them. The 43mm chrono(minus crown and pushers) shows how clever case and lug design can make watches "shrink". I have found down the years military specced watches about the best designed in this regard. I suppose because they're designed for more constant use and for a wider range of wrist sizes, so it's less about fashion?
I've also been fiddling with their regulation. Both are down to +2/3 seconds per day on the wrist. I'll stop fiddling now before I break something and cry. 😁 I also replaced the chronographs chrono hand because it had become floppy(a known issue with vintage valjoux stuff). It might return to 12 on reset, or 1, or 10, or... Got one from a German contact. Chronograph hands have to be on tight. Very tight, as the forced of reset are very strong. The flyback function adds more grief. This design doesn't help with the big "heavy" feckin triangle of lume on the end and it's entirely friction fit. The hand pinion is like one and a half blonde ones, the socket on the hand itself one blonde one. It took me a half hour to line up. Then prayers to various deities pressing it on. But now it resets like a boss.
Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.
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