Who Watches the Watchmen (Our Chit Chat Thread)

banie01 · 06-01-2022 3:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118426988#Comment_118426988

So many wonderful innovations abandoned on the back of Brabazon and later the infamous Sandys whitepaper.

The Miles M52 and some other wonderfully inventive and advanced ideas that were abandoned spring to mind.

cnocbui · 06-01-2022 3:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118426988#Comment_118426988

They were forced to and their industry was likely sabotaged by the US. The US war against the Concorde was another example of sabotage. The NSA were used to hack Airbus for negotiation price secrets to give dear old Boeing a leg up, then of course they had the gall to accuse Airbus of being subsidised vs Boeing. The UK sound barrier effort was cancelled to allow Yeagar the glory. Amazing how the yanks had a huge stability problem then suddenly didn't when they put the horizontal stabiliser on the top of the tail like the UK did to overcome the same problem. The UK didn't manage to repay their WW2 debt to the US until Blair's time.

The US bled the UK dry - aviation, computing, radar, jet engines - you name it, they pretty much stole it.

Wibbs · 06-01-2022 3:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118427173#Comment_118427173

Yep and what was left they got from the Nazis. Sorry, upstanding German American citizens. 😁

banie01 · 06-01-2022 3:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118427173#Comment_118427173

Not just the US, the USSR gained quiteabit of jet tech from the Brits too. The RR Nene was the core of the Soviet drive to introduce comparable tech to the US.

The US combo of access to Brit research via the Tizard mission, the Germans via Operation paperclip and the sheer willingness to spend really gave a huge advantage to the US. Particularly when post war Britain was reliant upon US cash and credit to continue as both a bulwark against USSR and pay for empire drawdown.

Wibbs · 06-01-2022 3:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118426882#Comment_118426882

Slide film is astonishing; 60 years on and look at them! I did photoshop away some dust and other blemishes, but I do wonder how many people who take digital photos are going to still have them accessible by their descendents 60 years from now. I have family photos that are over 100 years old.

Kodachrome was the absolute bomb. Digital doesn't come close and to get close you need to fiddle with it to a scary degree. And I would agree as far as digital snap's longevity. The cloud has helped, but I wouldn't trust it for centuries. The envelope of negatives in your granny's sideboard is a much safer bet. I've seen stuff lost already and a few times. Photos backed up to CD's that failed over time, or backed up to now defunct media. Two years ago someone I know found a load of her late dad's correspondence and photos. Problem was they were all on Zip disks. Luckily for her I have a functioning Zip drive and was able to retrieve them. It was a third part expansion bay zip drive that fitted a PowerBook G3 Pismo from 2000. That still works too and I use it on occasion. I've posted a fair few times to here on it.

My treasured Seiko LCD digital - one of the first - which likely cost my poor parents a bomb in the 70's became irreperable when the LCD leaked LC goo everywhere. Similarly, I have my late brothers spectacularly thin Longines Split 5 and the LCD on that has leaked it's goo also. Uselees...

If you like C, I can get digging with my contacts to see if I can get a new LCD for both. The Seiko should be findable. The Longines may prove more difficult as they often used bought in boards and screens but tweaked them to their own specs. My dad's first series Seiko calculator watch had a screen that had faded and a non working bulb and I was able to find a NOS one and replace it. The electronics back then were quite 'big' compared to later stuff and more modular too so they are more fixable. When I took the seiko calculator apart I never expected the keys were all individually placed... That was a fun few minutes on my hands and knees on the floor as the air turned blue. 😁

Your Longines Split 5 would be 'interesting' to take apart. They were scary thin. As was the fashion in them days. Then again soon after wristwatches came out the brands competed with each other to make every new model as small and thin as possible to show off their skillz. By the 1920's you ended up with men's Tank watches that were 25mm by 34mm lug to lug and 8mm thick. So I suppose it's not a surprise that when quartz came out, which led to a big leap in watch sizes simply because the early movements were so large(which heavily influenced 1970's mechanical watch sizes), that when the tech improved they revisited the "look how small and thin we can make them" trend. That lasted well into the 1980's. I remember when my dad got his Longines VHP in 85 he marvelled at how thin, elegant and light i was. 32mm. The ladies version was so small, you'd need to look down the wrong end of the Hubble telescope to tell the time. 😁

Cienciano · 06-01-2022 5:05pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118426851#Comment_118426851

If only!

3 things I learned from watch forums.

People love to talk about rolex, almost like every other brand combined is still less than rolex. It's assumed everyone wants to go from their cheap watch, to omega, to tudor and finally to rolex. Because obviously everyone wants one

Everyone at least breaks even when they sell on their old watch. From Vostok to Patek, when someone sells on their watch they always say they at least got what they paid for it. No one has ever made a loss on a watch other than the odd g-shock.

Ask for recommendations for €500 budget, you'll be given watches that are at least twice that. Ask for recommendations for a watch at €1000 and you'll be told to a Rolex for €5k 😁

njburke · 06-01-2022 6:33pm

Couple of things my dad's film stock came from the aerial recon group. They repacked bulk film into 35 mm cannisters, developed the slides, they didn't mount them and the shop sold mounts.

There's a great line in Ice Station Zebra where the British spy Patrick Mcgoohan tells the American Sub captain Rock Hudson that "The Russians have put put your film emulsion made by your German Scientists into our camera made by our German Scientists into their satellite made by their German Scientists"

893bet · 06-01-2022 8:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118427014#Comment_118427014

Did you say Daytonas used be runt? Think I seen that before alright.

I am giving serious consideration to cashing out also. Especially the Aqua. Discontinuation ain’t far away and a 6 figure value, if you can believe those prices. Sadly with price rises I don’t view it as a watch anymore. It is an investment at this point which means I should protect it i.e. not wear it, so the fun is gone.

It seems there is no shortage of fools with money though so ca-ching.

Mad about baa baas · 06-01-2022 9:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118409278#Comment_118409278

Anyone? Was a genuine question..I don't have much knowledge of watches but do know this is an expensive item..not by some standards here obviously but a good chunk of change all the same

Cienciano · 06-01-2022 11:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118429460#Comment_118429460

Looks like a sort of microbrand style to commemorate the horse. From a quick google it's got wild variation of prices, over €3k on the official site but €1k on a few hong kong sites. Actually, not just a one of commemorative watch, but an entire brand with a load of watches. It probably supposed to be a limited edition, but the official website has the date "2016" on it and you can still buy them, so not exactly a collectors watch in high demand. I would imagine the high price is so people can quote the "official price" when offering it at a discount which is still far above what it's worth. It's a nice watch, but probably worth closer to €300-€350 new, depending on the finish. People who are into microbrands (paging @Thirdfox ) would know better. Personally I like the style of the black dial one. Would be impossible to sell on unless you found a guy who fell in love with it.

scwazrh · 06-01-2022 11:06pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118429209#Comment_118429209

Dont cash out , Didn’t you hear prices are only going to keep rising …

893bet · 06-01-2022 11:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430302#Comment_118430302

Maybe so! But I ain’t greedy. Gotta leave a little for the next guy!

893bet · 06-01-2022 11:19pm

Any one been having a look at this little Scottish micro brand specialising in enamel dials? Nice watches IMO (and nice prices for OTS movements!).

https://anordain.com/collections/all

banie01 · 06-01-2022 11:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430378#Comment_118430378

I'm the next guy!

Can confirm some was definitely left 👍😁

893bet · 06-01-2022 11:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430397#Comment_118430397

Sometimes a little too much is left!

scwazrh · 06-01-2022 11:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430378#Comment_118430378

You’ve now moved to the next level of watch collecting - Philanthropy

soon you'll be able to include your watch transactions in your tax returns as tax deductible charitable donations

893bet · 06-01-2022 11:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430478#Comment_118430478

I have been called worse 😅.

Banie surely owes some gift tax on it anyway!

banie01 · 06-01-2022 11:39pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430509#Comment_118430509

Certainly some tax or a little community service!

scwazrh · 06-01-2022 11:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430388#Comment_118430388

Only just watched a YouTube from teddy baldassare and Kevin o Leary with one of the Anordainnwatches - very nice dials.

ideal for a Ming enthusiast and those who like something a bit different

893bet · 06-01-2022 11:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430559#Comment_118430559

Sadly there is a huge wait list……..I believe Teddy’s video put them on the radar a bit there last year.

njburke · 06-01-2022 11:51pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430388#Comment_118430388

Looks a nice three hander, post office red looks good to me. They're made of unobtainium at the moment though, no price I'm going to guess £850, based on the 12 hour dial processing.

893bet · 06-01-2022 11:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430594#Comment_118430594

A good bit more depending on option.

Mad about baa baas · 07-01-2022 12:25am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430265#Comment_118430265

Appreciate the reply thanks..don't intend selling it anyway was just curious really

unkel · 07-01-2022 12:44am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430302#Comment_118430302

If I had an Aquanaut and I could get 100k for it, I'd sell tomorrow. I really don't get these, doesn't even look like a €17k (retail) watch to me 😂

And yeah, I had it on my wrist.

njburke · 07-01-2022 1:01am

I don't buy new watches so I guess I'll have to sum the cost of parts and labour then double or triple that. My doxa is similar spec, retails currently for £1850 and came with a receipt for that from CW Sellors, nice bag,box and Orange doxa baseball cap. It was three months old when I got it on eBay.uk for £1250. It's likely to be still worth that or thereabouts. At £1850 it doesn't seem value for money to me, anyway.

Cienciano · 07-01-2022 1:32am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430873#Comment_118430873

I'm expecting to see Casio written on it rather than PP. Has a casio look to it

Wibbs · 07-01-2022 10:59am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430388#Comment_118430388

They look like lovely dials alright. Enamel dials are a weird one. 100 years ago even cheap stuff had enamel dials and they were being rattled off in their millions, yet today they're seen as this almost magical thing that requires mad skillz to pull off. It shows how economies of scale and generational experience can impact a technique and technology. The lack of skillbase could be seen even by the 1930's as most brands went to printed metal dials. The 1930's Longines Czech pilot's watch I had was a first series one with the enamel dial and the 'anti-magnetique' printing on the dial was fuzzy and the numerals weren't as crisp as offerings from the teens.

Now back in the day quality could certainly vary. The cheap end was less crisp and had less depth to it, but what has surprised me is viewing current examples that are very much high end like Patek enamel dials. Yep, they are better than the cheap end of a century ago, but mid range from back then was better and high end would nuke the new stuff from orbit. And that's before you look at the current examples and it's all in one plane. No double or triple sunken dials.

Wibbs · 07-01-2022 11:17am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430873#Comment_118430873

I have to say I like them. I think they're a very elegant watch that also has a rugged side to it(that's maybe more the very 70's design?). Now granted the price.... but still IMHO anyway, above the 10k mark, unless the watch is made from a kilo of solid gold or has more complications than a space shuttle dashboard you're pretty much paying the brand/luxury/exclusivity tax. That's just the nature of the game.

I was watching a documentary on Paul McCartney recently and noticed he has one. Ringo has one too and he has had a couple of Patek and Cartier in his time. John Lennon had a moonphase Patek.

George Harrison was a Cartier chap

893bet · 07-01-2022 12:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118430873#Comment_118430873

I find it difficult to disagree. It’s a long way from 100k at the moment. C24 has the SS at 65k. Which is also bananas.

But when it’s discontinued….. ….Which ain’t far away as it’s the same age as the 5711.

Like many watches it ain’t worth it’s retail even yet alone it’s grey price. I am hopeful of rolling it into something special and walking away with a decent profit still.

Edit-but it’s an amazing watch all the same, one you need to handle and stay a while with to appreciate.

Cyclingtourist · 07-01-2022 12:31pm

Wibbs: "Kodachrome was the absolute bomb. Digital doesn't come close and to get close you need to fiddle with it to a scary degree."

Ad for Kodachrome in National Geographic 1940

cnocbui · 07-01-2022 5:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118427557#Comment_118427557

Many thanks for the kind offer, and apoligies for the tardy acknowledgement of same, but I needed to have a look in the loft to see if the Seiko might be extant, but alas, I no longer have it. As I suspected, I likely tossed it in a rationalisation necessitated by moving countries.

If you know of a source for the Longines LCD, I would be grateful.

The watch I really should put money into restoring is my fathers service issue WW2 Omega, but the main issue with it is severe corrosion to the point one of the strap lugs is largely gone.

Lorddrakul · 07-01-2022 6:31pm

@cnocbui "my fathers service issue WW2 Omega"

Rulez, man!

POIDH!

😉

cnocbui · 07-01-2022 7:34pm

There's also the Jaeger leCoultre pocket watch used for navigation, but I already posted lots of pics of it in the pics thread.

Anyone opine as to whether this is fixable?

cnocbui · 07-01-2022 7:39pm

A real bummer was we had a clock out of a Hurricane that was a gift from some ground crew. It was installed in a cabin cruiser my father built. One night some theives stole it.

I do still have a US made first aid kit out of a Hurricane, though, but I'd prefer that clock.

Lorddrakul · 07-01-2022 9:57pm

@cnocbui thanks for that.

That is definitely worth reviving.

Fitz II · 09-01-2022 5:45pm

Not my watch so leaving it on this thread. Visited a friend and he had this brand new Rose Daytona....nice piece but I have to say would not be wearable for me with my complexion, and too bold a statement. He is going to trade it into a royal oak. Still heavy hitter and nice to see IRL

eljono · 09-01-2022 5:52pm

That is stunning. Have never before seen a Daytona in RG, works perfectly imo.

Wibbs · 09-01-2022 5:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118435287#Comment_118435287

Those WW2 alloy cases can be a right pain alright. So very soft. But there was a war on so steel was at a premium. Though I never quite bought that idea for a few reasons. It was Swiss steel not British. Unless they were cased in England? That had been in play from early on, but only in precious metal cases as the metal was heavily taxed if i were imported. The Germans were to the pin of their collar at the same time and their issued stuff was chromed brass, both Swiss and German and a few steel cases in the mix too.

Could someone use laser welding with alloy? Though I suppose since we don't know the exact alloy that might be a hard task. I'm sure a casemaker might be able to cast one from scratch, but Lord knows how much that would cost. Maybe try the guys on the military watch forum? Now sadly the numbers in the community are way down compared to what they were, but they can be incredibly helpful lads. One might even have a spare case. It wouldn't surprise me in the least. I've been shocked by the spares some of those guys have. Deeply knowledgable bunch and very quick to share it.

Wibbs · 09-01-2022 5:58pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118444691#Comment_118444691

It would not be wearablefor me with my face. Not unless I was part of a segment on Garda Patrol. 😁

newport2 · 12-01-2022 3:01pm

Apologies if this is not the right place to ask, but I didn't want to create a new thread to ask a question. So......

If I purchase a secondhand watch from Watchfinder.ie (based in France) ordering from Ireland, am I liable for any tax/duty/vat on it not included in the price?

(I'm finding it hard to get a straight answer to this on revenue. When I rang watchfinder and all I got is "No, we don't do taxes")

Thanks

Cyrus · 12-01-2022 3:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118461427#Comment_118461427

no, its coming from France, no issue, have bought several (and even some from the UK site that i asked them to route through france)

unkel · 12-01-2022 3:25pm

Nope. Both Ireland and France are in the EU, free exchange of goods.

I bought a watch from watchfinder (based in France) recently which had to come from HongKong first into their office in France. There was VAT due when coming into France and WF agreed that they would cover it, so even in that case the watch is coming from France to you, so again nothing due. Hope that explains!

Ian OB · 16-01-2022 11:41am

Behind a paywall so I only got the 1st two paragraphs.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/apple-now-sells-more-watches-a-year-than-the-entire-swiss-watch-industry-combined-but-not-to-me-gxqvl70kr

Same with this one

https://thecurrency.news/articles/71170/what-conor-mcgregors-expensive-watch-collection-says-about-the-investing-outlook/

Wibbs · 16-01-2022 1:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118483539#Comment_118483539

Where it's different this time compared to the so called quartz crisis of the 1970's is that the Swiss biz is a niche today. Apple watches aren't really replacing Swiss watches. If the market of back then was like today it would be like the Swiss sell the vast majority of all wristwatches on the planet and there are hundreds of Swiss companies doing it. Along comes Apple and takes half of all that business in a couple of years and Swiss sales fall off a cliff.

This time Apple have essentially created a new and separate market to the Swiss. Sure it will nibble at the edges of their market and could hit them harder down the line, but I suspect a large percentage of Apple watch customers wouldn't be in the market for a Swiss watch anyway.

Lorddrakul · 16-01-2022 2:44pm

The Apple Watch is not a watch. It is a small iPhone accessory that is worn on the wrist.

Among other things, it can also tell the time. It is not a watch in any real, comparable sense for the traditional watch industry.

It would be a bit like comparing the sales of laptops to typewriters.

banie01 · 16-01-2022 3:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118484456#Comment_118484456

Same, I have a smartband on my right wrist that's a tool for notifications, health and activity tracking.

When I check the time? It's still a look at the watch on my left wrist.

Smart watches and their ilk aren't in competition with the traditional watch imo.

NIMAN · 16-01-2022 6:55pm

But it kinda is a watch, or at least it is worn by millions of people in place of a watch.

A watch is worn fundamentally so you can see what time it is. If this gadget tells them the time, then its a watch as far as they are concerned. Even better for most the fact that it offers so many more features than a watch.

Haven't got one myself. Wore a tracker for a short length of time but soon threw it to one side as I didn't really need a gadget to tell me I wasn't sleeping enough. Think I'll be sticking with a traditional watch.

893bet · 16-01-2022 7:18pm

It is a watch but it ain’t competing with the Swiss watch industry which is for the most part high end.

Aint to many out there that have dropped heavy hitting Swiss brands permanently in favour of and iwatch. Overall I would say the iwatch could easily end up being a gateway to an interest in watches.

RMDrive · 17-01-2022 9:55am

Interesting discussion. IMO the Apple Watch is definitely competing with all other watch brands ... simply because most people will only wear one watch on their wrists at a time. So the person who would have thrown on a wristwatch before going to work every day, may now throw on their Garmin or Apple Watch. I see this every day at work - indeed at a monthly meeting I attend where a few years ago you would have expected to see a few Rolex and a few VC/Patek, several of those people now wear activity trackers instead.

Cyrus · 17-01-2022 10:21am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118487896#Comment_118487896

I see that a bit its almost a reverse snobbery thing or something, i make millions but i wear a fitness tracker 😁 because i am humble

Who Watches the Watchmen (Our Chit Chat Thread)

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