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Watches N+1...

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£500 for a Seiko 5? Hahahaha! No.

Ball o know little of but perceive them as good. It certainly looks smart. Very Seiko presage but hunkier.

Incoming! Something utterly ridiculous! Apparently the sapphire crystal on it is 7mm thick.... That's a lot of ridiculous! Can't wait.


 
Posted : 09/06/2022 9:54 pm
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@murray, I'm very tempted by Ball at the moment. Go for it!


 
Posted : 09/06/2022 10:03 pm
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For what it's worth I just noticed a scratch on my hardlex Seiko crystal today, haven't really noticed when it happened so it can't have been a particularly hard hit.


 
Posted : 09/06/2022 10:12 pm
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Incoming

Gives up with drums fingers gif…


 
Posted : 09/06/2022 10:19 pm
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Kato
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His deployants are nice, but I’ve always looked elsewhere due to him being in the States. Have you bought one form him?

Posted 1 day ago

Yup, you can kinda see it here. It's lovely (the deployment), feels quality in use and rock solid.

[img] [/img]


 
Posted : 09/06/2022 10:48 pm
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Very nice! Where did you get that from?

The Casio's from Discovery Japan.

I’ve no problem at all with hardlex on a tool watch, it’s the better material for the job.

Unless the job's staying scratch free.


 
Posted : 09/06/2022 11:22 pm
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I’ve no problem at all with hardlex on a tool watch, it’s the better material for the job.

I've had a 5 for just over a year now and it gets hammered - I'm an engineer in a chemical plant so think pipe fitting / heavy engineering and it's surprisingly scratch free and I never take it off.


 
Posted : 09/06/2022 11:52 pm
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[url= https://i.ibb.co/BLrnR1w/9418-CA29-6-BDA-4853-AD15-89-EB688335-DB.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.ibb.co/BLrnR1w/9418-CA29-6-BDA-4853-AD15-89-EB688335-DB.jp g"/> [/img][/url]


 
Posted : 10/06/2022 12:12 am
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I’ve had a 5 for just over a year now and it gets hammered – I’m an engineer in a chemical plant so think pipe fitting / heavy engineering and it’s surprisingly scratch free and I never take it off.

TBH I've a few Seikos and never had a problem with the Hardlex picking up scratches, though mine have an easy life compared to yours. That 5 looks well worn in, I like it!


 
Posted : 10/06/2022 1:05 am
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I'm quite fancying this 5

5


 
Posted : 10/06/2022 5:46 am
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^ nice.


 
Posted : 10/06/2022 9:22 pm
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New Seiko Arnie alert! Frankly, I don't like the extra pusher and chopped indices, I'm happy that mine's truer to the original as well.

You can see the old and new here at Jura: https://www.jurawatches.co.uk/search?q=arnie%20AND%20-vendor:Archive%20AND%20-tag:Insurance&type=product


 
Posted : 11/06/2022 2:56 pm
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I’ve no problem at all with hardlex on a tool watch, it’s the better material for the job.

There’s probably Seiko execs scratching their head trying to understand the weird obsession with putting sapphire crystal on everything.

Mineral glass picks up scratches far easier, I'm fine with it on a G-Shock where it's recessed 2mm+ behind some PU, but on a Seiko you either have to accept it's going to pick up some "character" in the form of scratches and therefore really isn't 'for best or look elsewhere. As noted above if you're not worried about the brand and don't have to have a mechanical movement then a Casio Edifice with a sapphire crystal is a proper bargain, after 5 months mine is looking shiny and new and has become my default work watch smart enough for the office and slim/tough enough to wear in the workshop.


 
Posted : 11/06/2022 4:21 pm
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hehehehehe! It arrived this morning, I put it on and haven't stopped laughing! I absolutely love it, its just insanely ridiculous! its 18.5mm PLUS a heavily domed crystal thickness full of absurdity! its 300g of stupidity!

43mm without the crowns. SW200 movement, ceramic 120 click bezel, beautifully brushed all over bar the polished slim chamfer, very solid screwed together bracelet with milled clasp, and yes its a sapphire crystal. presented in a 4 watch leather roll inside a lovely wooden box with a steel warranty card. waterproof to 3000m I reckon it'll be safe at family splash time, and in the shower after.

my door frames are quivering with fear, but at least I know I could pull off a Deepsea as a daily based on this, hahahahahaa! and all for 3/4ers the price of the turtle gmt seiko 5 above. I do have to look at seiko's lower end watches and ask ...why?

this thing is about twice as thick as my seamaster


 
Posted : 11/06/2022 8:04 pm
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Seiko sapphire glass is amazing, im very impressed with how hard it is, nothing has scratched it, except one thing.
Unthinkingly wore mine whilst mig welding and the drop of molten steel which hit it gave it a little crater in the crystal. Other than that, i work in a toolroom and nothing has scratched it all. The rest of the watch is scratched all to hell though.
I had a seiko with mineral glass which was so scratched you legit couldnt read it once. I bought some kind of powdered glass polish and polished the crystal, it was like new after an hours work.


 
Posted : 11/06/2022 8:17 pm
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Pretty sure it was cerium oxide powder.


 
Posted : 12/06/2022 1:26 am
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@TheArtistFormerlyKnownAsSTR

I’m quite fancying this 5

Like that. But as I’m trying very hard to thin out my collection, I am going to try and resist.

@neilnevill

hehehehehe! It arrived this morning, I put it on and haven’t stopped laughing! I absolutely love it, its just insanely ridiculous! its 18.5mm PLUS a heavily domed crystal thickness full of absurdity! its 300g of stupidity!

That’s a monster of a watch, weight wise, width wise, lugs and just how tall is it. Damn good value at 700 bucks for a watch that looks like it could survive anything you can throw at it. Notice on the website they are pretty much sold out, bar one colour scheme, but I can understand why that one is still available.

Bonkers. Not sure I could wear it. It is distinctive though. Thankfully it’s nowhere near as stylish as the green seiko you sold me 🙂 so I’m not tempted.

but at least I know I could pull off a Deepsea as a daily based on this, hahahahahaa! and all for 3/4ers the price of the turtle gmt seiko 5 above. I do have to look at seiko’s lower end watches and ask …why?

The black turtle that @Kryton57 posted a pic of is only £379 or so ? Have interest rates moved beyond belief overnight ? Or am I looking at completely the wrong watches.


 
Posted : 12/06/2022 10:17 am
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The zelos abyss in steel no turbine like mine in £365, bronze £395, so about the same then. I'd read elsewhere the Seiko was coming in at £500.

It's distinctive for sure! Just a bit of silly summer watch fun. ... Which is what the sumo was when I got it... Big can be beautiful 😂


 
Posted : 12/06/2022 10:39 am
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Oops no, my mistake, I just checked (I actually got mine used so...) I'm a hundred quid out, £465 and £495 is what you'll pay new. Ok the Seiko isn't SUCH a bad deal.


 
Posted : 12/06/2022 10:56 am
 Kato
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The old Turtle’s with hardlex crystals were £350 or so. The King Turtle’s with sapphire and ceramic bezels are around £500

i had one and for my £500 I had a misaligned bezel and a wonky cyclops

wasn’t impressed with the QC for the money. Nice watch though


 
Posted : 12/06/2022 11:23 am
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That is a large part of the issue with the cheaper Seikos and even into the mid range, £500 to £1200 ish range. It extends to the movement too. Take the 6R15 or 35 which is prevalent in that price bracket and a step up from the 4R/N35. It can be cosc accurate, or it can have a daily variation of +/- 60 secs. They are more consistent I think if worn consistently and kept powered up, but then the 6R35 has a 70 hour reserve so it's designed to go a couple of days without wear. If you do that it could be 2+ minutes out when you pick it up again.

I guess you could get your Seiko regulated. Maybe they ought to offer that, they could offer their watches with an 'elabore' version of their calibres for those buyers that expect to wear the watch daily.

It baffles me they Seiko can see the importance of quality mechanisms and innovate spring drive, but be a little laise faire on there mid range watches.


 
Posted : 12/06/2022 11:54 am
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I've seen exactly that. I've got a SPB143 with the 6R35 mechanism. Great watch and if I wear it all the time, even at night, it is VERY accurate, I've never measured it over more than a week but it barely gains or loses time. If I take it off and pick it up a couple of days later however, it can be 5 minutes fast...:-( It's annoying but I can live with it because I like the watch so much.

I've got an SKX007 that I modded with a 4R35 mechanism and that keeps good time too, but a couple of times I've taken it off, picked it up less than a day later and it has lost hours (!) but is still going... I don't wear it much now as a result...


 
Posted : 12/06/2022 12:00 pm
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hehehehehe! It arrived this morning, I put it on and haven’t stopped laughing! I absolutely love it, its just insanely ridiculous! its 18.5mm PLUS a heavily domed crystal thickness full of absurdity! its 300g of stupidity!

I know what you mean, I've got a bronze Swordfish 42mm which still delights me every time I put it on, though it's a masterpiece of understatement compared to that chunker of yours! I liked it so much I picked up a 40mm stainless steel version on a later release but tbh it lacks to bruiser charm of the 42, it's practically subtle.


 
Posted : 12/06/2022 2:00 pm
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Yeah I was looking out for a used bronze abyss, ideally non turbine, with green or blue dial, but this sand black dialed steel lump came up so I jumped. Glad I did, in love it, it's fabulously absurd!


 
Posted : 12/06/2022 3:23 pm
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Please help save me two grand. I am fighting to resist this:

I usually don't like a date window (Pelagos-discreet is acceptable) but I also want a complete calendar (yeah, annual or perp. cal. would be nice too...) and I've long had a thing for a moonphase. I don't see the Ball as a grail watch but it has a nice symmetric layout and has 10 atm WR for practicality. I don't know if the silver dial has a sun ray effect.

What would be grail-ish is a Reverso complete calendar, like this refer<span style="font-size: 0.8rem;">ence from 2012. I see it as retirement planning, for when you forget what day it is  😀 (I forget already but still need to know...). Please find all the faults you can see with this view of the Ball and/or any previous experience. </span>


 
Posted : 15/06/2022 8:55 pm
 SSS
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The Ball for me. Wins hands down (or hands ten past ten 😀 )

It resembles closely the JLC Master Calendar and the Patek 5396. Both beautiful watches.
Although a lovely piece, isn’t the Reverso face quite small for that amount of information (long way of saying practicality for old/bad eyes) 😀

Not keen on square/rectangular watches myself.
Only Square watch I would have is the Heuer Monaco.

I have no experience with Ball. But do with JLC….. So from a brand perspective would lean to the JLC.


 
Posted : 15/06/2022 9:13 pm
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@SSS, thanks...., you enabler you :D. Those Reverso Grande Calendars are fairly rare these days. The new JLC Master Control Calendar with Date Sautante is indeed very nice, but it's over €15k (and I'm not convinced by the 9, 12, 3). The Ball is €2100


 
Posted : 15/06/2022 9:19 pm
 SSS
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The Ball price point is very attractive.

Even used for a JLC Master Calendar Steel or say a Blancpain Villeret, can’t get near that.

Lots of good feedback for Ball recently on the thread. I’ve never seen one up close and personal however.


 
Posted : 15/06/2022 9:32 pm
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Well gaidong, I can save you £5k on the blue titanium blancpain FF. 10 month old one on Tz-uk sales corner now for £10500

Oh and the ball does nothing for me.


 
Posted : 15/06/2022 10:23 pm
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@neilnevill, that's more like it! @SSS, just kidding :D.

A BP FF is a long way down the pike unfortunately, and will certainly require the Pelagos to be chopped in, which I'd only do after a service and refinish (not polish on a Pelly!). However, I'd always go to my AD... I'd expect a pretty decent discount on a BP, and then that buy would be conditional on a SS Rolex pro at the same time. Sure, the prices are cooling but that way my putative BP FF would be almost 'free'. Apologies to those who find my attitude cynical but I have champagne taste and beer money!


 
Posted : 16/06/2022 8:07 am
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Apologies to those who find my attitude cynical but I have champagne taste and beer money!

Jebus, I wish I could afford to drink in the same pub as you!


 
Posted : 16/06/2022 9:50 am
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@tthew, I'm willing to bet my salary is well below average on here. 75% of what I earn goes straight in the family pot. Of the remainder, my savings rate is over 90%. I have all the bikes I need (plus spares!) and have no mates/social life, so me little watches get all the love!


 
Posted : 16/06/2022 11:24 am
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Fair play, I'll just keep admiring them on here if you keep buying them. 👍


 
Posted : 16/06/2022 12:55 pm
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@tthew, they only count if they're on my wrist! The rest is procrastination... 😀


 
Posted : 16/06/2022 1:16 pm
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Haha! It's all good though isn't it? This thread spans from Heimdallr and Seiko 5 to blancpain and beyond with quite a bit in between.

I look at the blue FF and can think, 'i wish I could...'I can also look at it, or my pelagos or omegas and think ' why? What more does this give that CW or Zelos or higher mid range Seiko don't?'. That way only frustration lies. Frustration leads to jealousy, jealousy leads to hate, hate leads to anger.... That is the way to the darkside my young padawan 🤣

Rolex prices are definitely softening quite a bit, but longer term the hot models, the SS GMT and sub, will always drop less and recover fastest.


 
Posted : 16/06/2022 2:17 pm
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Has Omologato been covered yet? Just bought a Le Mans 59 and it's beautiful in the flesh. I'm hoping the quality is not just skin deep with this brand. Not too familiar with them but I just loved the look of the watch and I'm a bit of a motorsport fan.


 
Posted : 16/06/2022 7:51 pm
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Nope, pics, details, review?


 
Posted : 16/06/2022 9:02 pm
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Christ those are overpriced. Probably about double what they should be for whats in them.


 
Posted : 16/06/2022 9:04 pm
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I must stop buying watches!
Current daily beater is a nice Citizen Promaster dive, with full lume dial:

Promaster


 
Posted : 17/06/2022 9:14 am
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GT Dave I have a black dial NY0040 which I have had for 20 years. Never serviced, battered and bruised, lume gone blotchy but the thing keeps going and keeps pretty accurate time. The NY0040 is a beast and I prefer it to the SKX007. There I said it. Hahah


 
Posted : 17/06/2022 10:33 am
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I’ve been looking at the new pro master actually. I’d quite like one but am in a “don’t need another watch” phase.


 
Posted : 17/06/2022 10:56 am
 SSS
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@Kryton57

Get the blue one! Discounted with H Samuel

https://www.hsamuel.co.uk/webstore/d/1016903/citizen+promaster+diver+blue+rubber+strap+watch


 
Posted : 17/06/2022 11:05 am
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Unfortunately I don’t like it. If I were to get one, it’d be this green one.


 
Posted : 17/06/2022 12:28 pm
 SSS
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@Kryton57 maybe explains why its half price, not many others like it either 😀


 
Posted : 17/06/2022 12:32 pm
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Where would people put their money for between £1000-£1500?

After something sporty/ dressy. Im leaning towards the Tudor 1926 with the white dial and blue numbers but thought I'd see if anyone had any alternatives


 
Posted : 18/06/2022 12:19 pm
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