Watches N+1...

That's a nice Explorer - good choice. That might just be mine as well if I don't get near a Daytona in the next couple of years 👍

New strap on the Helm

https://imgur.com/gallery/9CogJ4s

Good luck with the Daytona. Got the run around from a large business that rhymes with Oldsmiths, waiting over a year, so went to our other local smaller AD who only sell Rolex and Patek.  Got a message in 4 weeks from registering interest.

Just paid £324 for a Garmin Epix Gen 2 (not pro) from H Samuel - mostly to use on the bike  

@blazin-saddles

Very nice. I also got a call and am picking up an Explorer 40 next week. Three months on the waiting list wasn’t too bad in the end.

Only 3 months kilo? Do you have a particularly good relationship with your dealer; or is it just that there are fewer people interested now??

Nicko - I only waited a month for mine, pretty much the next delivery into the AD.  I think now the pricing has started to correct back to where it should be and there’s not the profit margin for the scalpers, more people are saying no or de-listing.  Which is good for the people who actually want to buy a watch rather than turn a profit.  Daytona, submariner and GMT2 still not easy to get though.

I got a Boldr Venture Rally this week. Still deciding if it's too small for my twig-like wrists. It's small compared to my other watches but doesn't seem too bad.

I was “introduced” to the AD by a friend who has had three watches off him (a sub, an explorer 2 and a sea dweller) in the last year or two but no idea if that makes any difference. 

Although there’s a ‘waiting list’ my understanding is it’s in no way chronological.  The sales people have the ability to prioritise as they see fit.

 I just asked if there was a chance I could have it in time for my 50th, only asked for one model and made it clear I’d got the cash and wasn’t messing about or wanting to resell it.  I had a bit of banter back and forth with the sales guy on WhatsApp and a few weeks later he messaged to say he’d got what I was after and it was mine if I wanted it.

Anyone got an opinion on the sizing of that Boldr above?

I'm still undecided 

Explorer 40 just collected, very pleased with it.

Pretty sure an Explorer is going to be my 'one day, when I've got some money' watch. I've been wearing an Steinhart Adventurer in the meantime, just to make sure, but I think the look and size of the Rolex Explorer is great.

@Blazin-saddles

I've the later (2017) 232.30 with the 8500 & clear back.

It's my favourite watch - looks & feels great, if a little weighty, & has been perfect in the 8 years I've owned it.

Mine's pre Bond promo so has a proper box not the Skyfall one they started putting them in.

 <!-- Font Awesome fontawesome.com --> <!-- Font Awesome fontawesome.com --> <!-- Font Awesome fontawesome.com --> This one 

Mine's this version - WVA-M640D from 2016 and still going strong, looks like this - 

The latest version is this one and it's only £125!

They're dead light, feel good on the wrist and having tried lots of others still my everyday watch.  Don't worry about scratching it, etc.

The older Waveceptor looks better, the new one's a bit too busy for me

Kilo that's absolutely spot on. They just look 'right', the bracelet and strap feel like the standard to which others aspire; and my 39mm at least just feels right on the wrist. 

Nobby: looks great! I love a glass back on a watch, it's one of the first things that first drew me to my Aqua Terra. 

Kilo - perfect.  That’s the watch that first sparked my interest in nice watches and the one I thought I would buy, probably still would with unlimited funds, but I want a black Sub and can’t have 2 black faced Rolex!

Nobby - looks great.  My search is off now as after my recent purchase, the watch kitty is very much empty for a while!

Posted by: johnners

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How much of a turn is it likely to need?

.

A tiny movement produces a substantial effect IME. It could take a while to get a reasonable result though, unless you're using a timegrapher or some sort of app you'll have to wait a fair while to see the effect of what you've done.

Having done it some years back on my SPORK, the amount is fractions of a millimetre! A barely perceptible nudge can make a significant difference to the timekeeping. It might help using a jewellers loupe to see how much you’re moving the adjuster.

Posted by: gecko76

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Dad turned 21 in 1966 and this is what he wore for years, before switching to Seikos. Question is, is there anywhere in Edinburgh recommended to have a look at it, or better going online?

Difficult to say for sure, but that Breitling looks like it should have a Tachymetre bezel: stet that, it does, around the chapter ring but the numbers have practically disappeared, I only noticed them when I zoomed in; I can just see the 500/400/350 alongside the 1-2 o’clock markers. Definitely worth getting that restored as much as possible, my Yema shares the Valjoux 77xx movement, and while it cost me around £460 to get it fixed and serviced, against the £50 I paid for it 50+ years ago, it has significantly higher value now!

You're not wrong - the photo at the top of the previous page shows it better. Not sure what would have caused the numbers to wear off but it had a hard life (Dad was a very hands on engineer at BR). 

Just got the watch back from Calibre yesterday after the chronograph function was repaired under guarantee. I could ask about a replacement bezel but think I'll leave it as is.

  This has been languishing in a drawer for  10 years since I’ve been wearing Garmins daily so the capacitor was naturally dead - took it to the local guy who put a new capacitor in it and replaced all the gaskets.

its massive and heavy but I find it very comfortable and even after not having it on in a decade, it feels very familiar on

Citizen eco-drive calibre 2100

Seiko have just announced a rather fun limited edition diver, featuring the drag racing/hot rod company Moon Equipment, famous for their Moon Eyes logo. Still very much a going concern, and having a Japanese branch, Seiko have done a tie-up. 75 in the U.K.

Bit of an odd post this one.

I bought a fake Moonswatch in December to use as a donor to make a steel bodied conversion to see how it went. The fakes are far easier to take apart to make up a new watch so it is a good way to try.

I haven't got around to ordering the other parts because it is actually a bloody good watch it cost £11 and I bought a strap for £9.

The point of the post is more of a warning. These are so good that you see loads of them passing off as the real thing on EBay. I tried reporting some but EBay never did anything, they always claimed it was fine.

Anyway the giveaways are the top right dial which is pointing to the 4 on my watch is supposed to be a 1/10 second stopwatch timer so should be at the 10 position when not in use. The fakes use a 24hr watch timer so that rotates once every 24 hours. A lot of the fake sellers now sell the snoopy moonphase watch as that is harder to spot in an EBay listing. Instead of the 1/10 timer snoopy moves around over a 28 day period but in the fakes he will move around every 24 hours.

Additionally on mine the gold second timer hand is slightly off centre.

The case has slightly less texture on the fakes but again really hard to spot. They do seem to get better all of the time as well.

Actually I don't think you really need the EBay warning now. In the two months since I last looked it is just flooded with fake Moonswatch's that are obviously sold as fakes. The place is a shit show

So, I've been given a Stauer Graves 33 (it was my granddad's) it comes complete with perished watch strap, cardboard box with the glue failing and advertising cutting from the radio times (or similar). 

Is it worth anything (apart from the £150 on their website) to anyone? 

I do fancy some macro photography on some watch movements though.

Can anyone recommend a nice rubber strap for my Citizen Promaster diver watch? I fancy a change from the metal bracelet

The face is black with a black bezel so I'd like to add a bit of colour

Barton Bands do nice silicon straps that are different top and bottom contrast colours. Not mad expensive and come with 2 lengths of hole end straps for different wrist sizes. I've had a couple of them. 

Barton Bands do nice silicon straps that are different top and bottom contrast colours. Not mad expensive and come with 2 lengths of hole end straps for different wrist sizes. I've had a couple of them. 

Thanks 

Watchgecko have a big selection of rubber straps too

Sorry, the Stauer Graves 33 looks like it's a generic watch being branded and sold by a drop shipping company - the brand is based at a warehouse in Sittingbourne

I’m sure nobody’s going to be too surprised on seeing this, I just couldn’t resist it, having had Mooneyes decals on my school satchel fifty-odd years ago! I put the NATO strap on because the bracelet was much too big for my skinny wrist, now my mate has taken several links out it fits perfectly, and I didn’t want to wear the nylon out, as it’s somewhat limited in availability…

Replaced the Turtle with a Turtle

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Apologies, I know it'll have been asked on here loads of times, but any recommendations for servicing/repairing a Seiko Diver SKX007?

Mine started running really fast (I think after I dropped it), no amount of regulation would sort it, so I took to a local repair guy before Christmas so he could take more of a look at what the problem might be. I've just rung him to find out what's happening with it and he's told me that it's running really fast and no amount of regulation will sort it, so he'll need to take more of a look at what the problem might be...

The usual answer is Steven at Calibre. Dundee or similar IIRC. I've used them a few times and always had A1 service.

For an SKX you just get a new NH36 movement for about thirty five quid and swap it. https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/seiko-kinetic-mechanical-movements

You'll need a new crown and stem too, there are instructions of how you can even DIY on YouTube. It's not hard, just small. 

I know that financially and functionally it makes more sense to change the movement, but then it's not the same watch is it? And I know that's daft, but, well, I dunno, it just feels wrong.

Could it have become magnetised?  That usually makes things run very fast.

I know that financially and functionally it makes more sense to change the movement,

I'd say it is of the case, face, hands are original and you have the strap it came with, YMMV though. The newer movements have hacking and hand winding too. 

I've had all of my watches serviced by David McKane in N.Ireland. Not sure if he's on here, but he's on Retrobike. He loves a Seiko and has always done a great job. And I bought a Seiko diver off him too. Happy to give you his details if you want. 

Posted by: Chipps

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Not sure if he's on here,

He certainly is. That's @Fudd who repaired my old Seamaster for a very fair price. 

@chipps and @tthew, thanks for the mention chaps.

@IHN It's a common problem with the earlier 7S26 movements where they take a knock and the hair spring gets hooked on the regulator, effectively shortening it and causing it to gain several hours a day. The easiest way to fix it is by slapping the watch dial down on your palm to unhook it, but it doesn't always work and sometimes needs the balance wheel removed and refitted.

Another possibility is that oil has migrated or there's dirt attached to the hair spring and the watch is overdue a service, in which case it's cheaper to fit a NH36. It's an upgraded version of the 7S26 with hacking and hand winding and something I've done to every SKX I've owned, but I also see the attraction of keeping it original when the NH mod is so common these days.

If your repair guy can't sort it you can contact me though here or email me at Dave at benchdweller.uk.

This place is great, innit?

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It's a common problem with the earlier 7S26 movements where they take a knock and the hair spring gets hooked on the regulator, effectively shortening it and causing it to gain several hours a day

I think this is what has probably happened, I did drop it putting it on, and it was one of those times when you manage to drop something thing much harder than it would seem possible to do?

Anyway, thanks for the advice, I'll see what the fella says next week 

For the Zenith El Primero fans amongst us. It's very blue...

Is the blue case and strap due to the photography, or is it genuinely that colour?

it's very much blue, and very much $25K
Which is a lot of money obvs, but even moreso considering a bright blue watch is unlikely to be your only one. I'd have to sell every watch I own to afford it, and it's not a GADA.

It's that colour. I won't be rushing out to get on the list.