@neilnevill that’s a very nice looking seiko. Always fancied a spring drive. The dlc coating looks so different to my dlc seiko special which is super stealthy black, I’m sure yours is black - but it really doesn’t look black in the pic. Quite cool finish though. You got it for a good price too.
Might be the picture angle, but the croc strap doesn’t suit the watch IMVHO. Seiko have the seichu straps that might work ?
Do you people wear these watches in public? Here in France they’ve become a target for thieves that’s enough of a trend to make the national news headlines.
I've only ever felt wary a couple of times and that was in Rome at two "tourist traps", the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. I was wearing my Aqua Terra and at each place the guys plaguing tourists with roses and tat souvenirs seemed to take an interest in it. Several of them asked me what time it was, looking at my wrist, clearly hoping to get a better look at it.
I'm occasionally conscious that my Planet Ocean might attract attention, so it spends time under my cuff in crowded places.
Do you people wear these watches in public?
Yes, why own one otherwise.
The only places I’ve ever purposefully not are Rio and Durban and that was us following specific tourist advice about anything expensive at all being on show .
Quite possibly the only expensive 'fashion' watch I'd consider buying has popped up on eBay today.... A Hamilton x-01
The last watch I spent that kinda money on was a Garmin though......
Question is what do I sell to enable me to purchase it 😂
That x-01 is quite a “challenging “ look!
That x-01 is quite a “challenging “ look!
For something that was designed in the 60's for a film set in 2001 it's spot on though....
Thanks walowiz. My wife thinks it's black, in some light I think it's black, but there are many many shades of black aren't there and to me this is a brown. I like it all the more for that, I think black is cold but this dark brown is a warm shade.
Just looked up the seichu straps, wow, but no I can't bring myself to pay that sort of money for a NATO. I've also become a firm fan of two piece straps again as all my watches are big, and they help a watch head sit better on the wrist. I still like a NATO though. I think this thing could be a strap monster skin to a panerai. With the watch head stealth it can wear pretty much any strap from stealth to vibrant probably. So currently I'm ordering various cheap straps to try different looks. I actually really fancy a sailcloth in faded brown and frayed to f***.
As for wearing expensive watches. They are easy to spot once you are in to them and around London I see a lot. Stood in the queue for my zaki zaki falafel wrap on strutton ground off Victoria the other day, spot a women in a Cartier, a guy in a new Starbucks submariner, and a couple of other expensive watches. My Planet Ocean was cheap by comparison. Go on a busy tube and look at the wrists of those holding the rails it's unusual to not spot at least one luxury watch, at New white Hart lane the other day guy at the bar reaching out to pick up his pint had a datejust, guy in the seat behind me had a milguass. Basically yes there are muggings, but it's not like everyone in an expensive watch will get mugged, luxury watch ownership is far more common than you might think.
at New white Hart lane the other day guy at the bar reaching out to pick up his pint had a datejust, guy in the seat behind me had a milguass. Basically yes there are muggings,
To be fair those you mentioned are getting mugged paying to watch Spuds. 😉
Ironically the daily beater I wear to work is the only one I'd be upset to lose as it was my dad's. Don't think muggers target 2000's Seiko chronos though!
My "posh" watches tend to go under the radar as they're thirty-odd millimetre, usually on natos. I don't have the funds nor the cojones to wear a big shiny two-tone diver on a bracelet, but if I did, I would probably keep it in a safe and wear a Chinese rep around town!
TBH those articles that Edukator linked - you could substiture "watches" for "MTBs" and it would still make depressingly familiar reading.
My friend has inherited her grandfather’s Rolex Oyster Date 1550. Dates from the 70 I think. Watch keeps time and winds but the date wheel doesn’t advance either in normal operation or with the crown. Don’t know much about the insides of these, but something a watchmaker could fix or the domain of sending it Rolex. She’s not mad into watches and most probably wouldn’t be keen on the money Rolex will ask
Bit of advice needed. I know nothing about watches. I have a 25 year old Tag I never wear, a collection of increasingly broken/dog chewed G Shocks, some massive Watch/compass thing I've lost the instructions to and an Ti Animal. So you know not a connoisseur 🙂 Mostly wear my Fenix 6 but would like a 'normal watch'
I keep coming back to one of these:
https://www.panzera.shop/time-master-42-s/
Obviously you get 40% off your first order so it ends up being about £300. I'm wondering if there's anything else I should be looking at with a similar stye. Don't like 'fussy' watches, don't like divers much. There's a couple of the Torgeon pilot watches I do quite like but their Planet X type pricing puts me off!
Any recommendations for something else would be great. Or 'if you like that' buy it works for me as well 🙂
Have a look at Baltany watches. Really good value. I've just bought their 42mm military manual winder and it's fab. £165. Sapphire crystal, 50m water resist.
Thanks Derek. Not really floating my boat. Defo need sapphire crystal tho as I'm a clumsy so and so!
. Don’t know much about the insides of these, but something a watchmaker could fix or the domain of sending it Rolex
I would go to an independent before Rolex, mine has been repaired once, and also serviced once, by Alsal on the Strand.
This person is supposed to be good
https://www.webwatchmaker.co.uk/prices
As are Swiss Time Services.
Agreed - you want to keep a watch like that as original as possible and I've heard Rolex like to replace period parts. I'd resist getting it polished too, tbh.
A few here. https://www.watchgecko.com/collections/automatic-watches?sort=price-ascending
They also have some nearly new deals at the moment.
Cheers Kilo & Bob I'll check them out
As mentioned before on this thread, i get mine serviced HERE
Very recently got my Omega and vintage Rolex serviced. Very good service and reasonably priced.
@kato, I suspect someone tried to change the date when the time was within a few hours of midnight (some movements 'close' is just a few hours, others 'close' is about 10pm to 6am) that should never be done, it will have snapped part of the date mechanism. a full service will clean it, replace the broken part, replace any worn parts like the main spring. I wouldn't argue against a good indy and many will be fine with rolex movements but don't worry about rolex replacing dials or polishing cases, they won't if you tell them not to. So if going to the strand, I'd also pop into rolex St James service centre and ask for a quote for a service. they will give you a ball park but won't give a final price until they've popped it apart and diagnosed. they will not proceed with work without authorisation though, so you don't get in deep if you don't want to.
Saw another Rolex at a pawn shop (blue colour face) selling 2nd had for £42K ++ and I think it is 31mm size I think. I suspect there will be many more in the pawn shop soon.
@alex - if you like Pilot style watches why not go for one of the original big German five - Laco - https://www.laco.de/en/watches/pilot-watches-basic - the 'basics' have a fairly, erm, basic Miyota movement (there is a rather nice quartz too, the Zurich) but thats par for the course at those prices. The finishing on the cases is superb, same as the more spendier/posher versions. You can pick the case size to fit you 39/42mm etc. and free engraving if you order through the. I've got the blue faced one as a everyday watch and I'm really impressed.
Soo tempted with one of these faux antique if I had a bit of spare cash...
Or, of course, Hamilton are swiss movements and have a good range, though possibly bit more than £300...
Anyone know how I set my Casioak to GMT?
If I mode through to London it goes to BST - The BT version dosnt seem like such a daft idea at the moment!
Thanks both - will have a look at those tomorrow.
Fancy a cheap beater but having an internal debate about whether a Chinese homage at £300 is actually a cheap beater
You could do worse than one of the Heimdallr watches - I’ve got two, an SKX007 MM300 homage, and a sandblast steel Tuna homage, which has had a MM300 face and hands swap carried out after I buggered up the original movement changing the date at the wrong time. The Tuna is my everyday work watch, currently on an orange Geckota NATO with black fittings, and I’m very happy with it. It’s got a Seiko automatic movement, a 6r35, IIRC, which might need a slight adjustment, but honestly, with a hackable movement, it’s a thirty second job to reset it once a week or so.
My two Heimdallr’s when I first got them.
The Tuna with its new face and hands
And the Tuna with a fully lumed ceramic bezel, but obviously not with the current orange NATO fitted - that one’s a seatbelt NATO to match the face.
@Alex you may want to read this 😀
So, the Great Cull. I'm finding this very hard but have narrowed so my move to 6 watches (I know, I said 5) as follows:
Everything on the right I'm keeping - Aquaracer (Wedding Gift), Chris Ward (50th), Arnie, champagne Hamilton for dress, and the Gecko. The space is for an incoming and perhaps slightly controversial GMT that was on flash sale yesterday, more on that when it arrives. If it goes back, the Gecko GMT will move across.
I'm finding it very hard to have to sell the Samuari, and the Citizen AT has been good to me. Weirdly selling these off feels like I've "failed" somehow.
if you like Pilot style watches why not go for one of the original big German five – Laco
I recently bought a Laco, there was a psa on them from @neilnevill, can’t recommend the Laco enough, I only got one of the “basic” pilots b dial, but it’s a lovely piece
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My OH has decided she wants my seamaster! Although at the moment it's, ' if you see something else you want them I'll have it.'. 😳
@Kato I bought a San Martin Tudor BB58 clone a month ago, for a bunch of reasons including test riding whether I actually wanted to shell out for a BB58.
I ordered it via amazon:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?rh=n%3A328228011%2Cp_4%3ASan+Martin&ref=bl_sl_s_wa_web_328228011
Arrived 9 days later. I'm super pleased with it. Beautifully finished and running at +2 seconds a day. Supplied with a very solid steel bracelet (heavier than Rolex/Tudor equivalent) and a Nato strap. I put it on a fave Nato I had, and if you get over the Swiss brand thing (I have a few which maybe helps, maybe doesn't) it is a winner. I might just buy a blue one, or another San Martin and put in a draw for a rainy day.
HTH C.
Some nice looking Zelos watches "launching" soon at $300. Usually a bit of a price hike when the initial batch has depleted. Very tempting (and I'd deffo hit one if I wasn't getting a Ti Helm Vanuatu!!!)
Thanks for all the recommendations/links. Still pondering.
So where do you all sell your watches ?
I know I’ve moved one on here at STW through this thread, but considering moving on my Seiko Turtle (Black) Prospex - SRPC49K1 - Limited Edition. No point creating an ad here on STW for a watch, as it’ll just sit there in the chasm that is STW classifieds.
Here or on tz-uk. eBay and chrono24 are alternatives, the authentication service on eBay seems to make that a reasonable option.
Been fairly uninspired by watches recently but saw a couple of the new Seiko 5's in flesh this week that may get my credit card twitching.
Good luck with tz-uk. I’ve tried signing up there for months but just get a message stating they’re not accepting new members
I like the flieger style one @lunge. Was looking at the black one on the Milanese
So where do you all sell your watches ?
Unless anyone here wants one of the 6 I’m getting rid of, they will go on eBay when it next has a sale on its fees.
I am however tempted to try the Tissot and the Samuarai on chrono24
Good luck with tz-uk. I’ve tried signing up there for months but just get a message stating they’re not accepting new members
Ho hum, tried to register at to-uk earlier “ Sorry, due to the high number of bogus registration attempts registration has been temporarily disabled by the administrator.”
Think when I first got into watches, I registered on watchuseek, not to-uk.
@lunge Nice seiko5’s there, like the first pilot style one great colour combo, esp like the strap.
@neilnevill, I may have read your comment incorrectly but in my experience with Rolex Service Centres, there are services that are optional, like a polish or replacement scratched bezel insert, and there are those that are compulsory, in my case replacing a crown tube. Of course, they couldn't force me to replace the crown tube but without me accepting, they wouldn't service the watch - which they then guarantee for two years. I wanted the guarantee to make it sell easier (it did) so accepted. If there is a scratched dial, or anything that may create debris in the movement (like dial particles can) or affect sealing, they will insist on replacing those parts. If you want to keep them, get a non-RSC service.
Maybe I read you wrong, just my $0.02.
That's my understanding to, if it affects function they insist or won't touch the watch, agreed. You don't have to get a polish, you don't have to get service hands or dials or bezel inserts if there change ones are patinad/aged, but a damaged dial eg through water ingress, they would insist on replacement.
Tz-uk, if you aren't a member then you'll not get to sales corner to post (sell) for 6 months anyway. If you want to join I'd try a message to Eddie direct.
Just read an interesting article by Fratello Watches about micro-brands, and it mentions the sort of business practices that are becoming increasingly common among the major brands, as has been talked about here.
Looking at those Seiko 5s I think one of my pet hates in field watches is the unnecessary inclusion of a 24hr scale.
Just read an interesting article
I enjoyed that, and for me its very timely. Using my cull to think about why I'm interested in watches, I'll admit there is a part of me that wants a Big Brand piece, but there's a tight fisted part of me that refuses to lay out £5k easily. So I think my £5k piece is the grail watch, and I don't what it is yet so I need to remain patient.
It reminded me in the interim I'm interested in the education of horology, historic time pieces and mechanics that I've learned through this thread. I'm keeping a Vajoux Chrono, a film industry/ of its time recognised Solar, a genuine compressor, a micro brand, A powermatic 80 based field/dress watch and one other TBC. And in fact, I take a little pleasure in having to explain why they are significant, rather than have someone go "oh look a Rolex!" To that end, a "pagani homage" doesn't do it for me either.
To emphasise this point, a few weeks ago a guy rocked up I the office with a Hamilton Murph, with no idea why it's significant - he didn't even read the literature and didn't know about the morse code. I took great pleasure in the reveal.
Its easy to ooh and ah about the offers I get in my inbox. After the mystery watch arrives this week I reckon the next purchase is a moon phase complication, but I've no rush and I think I'll start with a logon on chrono24 and not defer to the junk mail.