I do like the Captain Cooke. There's something about that concave bezel.
Yes that and the domed crystal give it a good look.
Happy birthday! That Tissot looks smashing. What is the movement in those?
Powermatic 80 - 80hrs power reserve. Its based upon the ETA 2824-2
AHH yes, and I think the same or very similar to the movement in my captain Cook. I think they call the base calibre the C.07 or something like that. Based on the venerable 2824 but new materials and manufacturing techniques, resulting in tighter tolerances and a more efficient drive train, plus a better spring barrel. So less wasted energy and more stored in the spring plus higher accuracy which is then traded back to previous accuracy by slowing the beat to 3 Hz.... Resulting in 80 hours run time and I presume less wear/longer service intervals. I like the theory of a slower beat and have thought hi-beat movements a step the wrong way since watching a YouTube of a Roger Smith lecture a couple of years ago. The more noticeable ticking seems odd though!
New Vanguard strap for the BB58. Loved it on the bracelet but this makes it feel like a new watch. Really good quality strap.
I wish I could wear a rubber strap, they look great, but even ones with lots of ventilation channels soon feel sweaty for me. Looks good on the bb58 👍
Had a Vanguard on my GMT. They are excellent
I've been watching this thread since the beginning.
Here's my first contribution to it. 🙂
Mine and my son's Scurfa. The one with red hands below is one of an edition made for staff on the Seven Kestrel diving vessel.
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@johnhe good choice, they are lovely watches. My wife bought me a Seastar 2000 (with the green face) in January for my birthday. It's a beast of a thing! Would post a picture of it if I could work out how to do it 😉
I have the Diver One in blue.
I've had it since December 2018 and it's been accurate and reliable. One battery change.
They look and feel great.
Good choice for dad 'n' lad.
Oooh, Sinn mixing it up with new variations on the U50 - which I believe is already their best-selling watch ever.
T50 comes in Titanium, with the classic sword hands and variegated lume; and also in a gold-bronze variant. If I had the cash, I'd be sorely tempted...
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When I tried it on I had to have it but now it’s here I don’t feel the same. I’d have to l really love it for the money, but in the flesh it just doesn’t excite me the way that it should and I’m a bit ‘meh’ about it. Going to move it on I think, certainly won’t lose on what I paid for it. Maybe I’ll get that Speedy I’ve always wanted instead…..
OPs are lovely. I sort of think I might feel it's 'not quite an explorer' but it's a lovely watch
Chaps, need to get the first ever watch I bought myself serviced and “I think” a new battery, it’s a seiko auto kinetic relay, which I was going to move on, but when I wore it for a week the second hand jumped regularly - indicating a new battery was required.
Anyone know of anywhere reputable that I could send it off to ?
My normal go to for all things watch related, a very old school watch shop, has gone as the main guy retired.
That would indicate battery yes. For a simple battery change even timpsons should be fine.
it’s a seiko auto kinetic relay, which I was going to move on, but when I wore it for a week the second hand jumped regularly – indicating a new battery was required.
I'd be inclined to give it at least a couple of days on a well lit windowsill to give it a chance to recover.
That would indicate battery yes. For a simple battery change even timpsons should be fine
I think if it's a kinetic it'll be a rechargeable which may well be soldered in and so a bit beyond Timpson's.
I’ll dig out a pic later, but this is the kinetic auto relay, which has a power reserve and some funky gubbins which magically allows the watch with just a few shakes to wake up to swing round to the correct current time, after being in a drawer for a long time.
My father and I were blown away when we saw it in action. So I bought one (low first job wage, so had to pay for it over 3 months), that was um er a very very very long time ago.
No way am I taking this to timpsons.
I've got a Seiko Kinetic diver (SUN019) and had the capacitor replaced by the Seiko service centre. Queried why at still didn't seem to hold a decent charge when you shake it. They advised that it needs to be worn several hours a day regularly to build up a decent reserve if charge, just shaking it isn't enough. Since doing that it is easily up to a month's worth as indicated by the second hand.
Nice. There's a few Kinetic restores on youtube, not sure if any of those would lead to someone reputable?
Reminds me of my Kinetic Arctura (5M42-0E39). I found it lying ay the bottom of a box in the garage during a lockdown clearout. A bit of a wipe and some shaking later and it works perfectly, its about 30 years old!
I’d be inclined to give it at least a couple of days on a well lit windowsill to give it a chance to recover.
Ahem. Kinetic. Sorry, I was clearly having a brain fart, a kinetic won't be recharging from light! Wear it for a few days at least to see if it picks up a bit is definitely worth a try, I'm not sure what a new battery/capacitor gubbins will cost you but they're not hugely expensive.
Think my Seiko service was £115...
Dear Horophiles,
I have a Steinhart watch ( yeah, I know, homage). It is a RacerTimer - their copy of a Tudor.
It has a chronograph bevel ( that doesn't move) - it's aluminium - and very , very battle scared.
It measures 37-43 approx in diameter.
I can have it replaced by Steinhart fro 60 Quid - but I have to send it to them§.
In the great scheme of watch fettling - is it likely to be a standard size , that I could replace with a. ceramic bezel of much better quality?
@walowiz
I swapped the capacitor on my Seiko kinetic watch. After 10 years it gave up after being off my wrist for a month.
It was a bit fiddly. I went very slowly.
There was a video on YouTube of someone swapping the capacitor on my watch. It wasn't much more involved than changing a battery, I just had to remove the rotor- tiny specific screws.
Got this suggestion from a Watchfinder sales emailshot.
I quite like this. Comments please!!
walowiz, check out rexworthywatches on Instagram. He did a brilliant refurb on a Seiko pogue for me, was really well priced and is a complete Seiko expert.
@richpips - those Scurfa’s make a nice pairing! I’ve been toying with getting one, after they popped up in an online article about British watch brands, and they really caught my eye, being a proper tool watch designed for actual saturation diving employees of the creator’s company. They’re also ridiculously cheap for what you get, and as I’m expecting some redundancy money, along with a surprisingly large lump sum from the Department of Work and Pensions having just put in for my state pension after deferring it since 2018, I’m going to spoil myself. I really can’t justify something like a Pelageos, but I might also go for a Yema NavyGraf as well, to go with my half-century old RallyGraf.
@memfoo - very difficult to say; I bought a DLW (IIRC), fully lumed ceramic bezel insert for my Heimdallr SKX007 ‘MM300’ homage, but it was fractionally narrower than the original, and left a tiny gap on the inside. However, I’ve also got a Heimdallr brushed steel ‘Tuna’ homage, and the insert fitted the bezel on that absolutely perfectly. Which worked really well with a replacement limited edition MM300 dial and hands I bought for an aborted project.
There's a chap who advertises on Ebay who specialises in Kinetic capacitor replacement and seems to get decent reviews. It not hard to diy if you've changed a battery before, but if it your first time tinkering and you also have to buy screwdrivers, a case back opener and springbar tool to get the bracelet out of the way then you're probably better off giving it to someone who's done it many times before.
ETA: When the capacitor goes really flat they can take a long time of shaking in your hand to get some charge back in, so try that first.
Comments please
I don’t like it. For me it needs some kind of patterned dial, the arabics are too indistinct and I can’t get away from the Bat Signal on the dial.
There’s some lovely watches appearing again, I love the Scurfa. I’d like to get one for Junior as he’s decided he wants to start his own collection with a dive watch for the summer hols but he’s on a journey to earn his own cash (and I’m skint) for it so price and availability are beyond his reach. He’s done some research though and has settled on a Casio Duro Batman as an affordable and credible target which personally I think is a great way for a 14yo to start thinking about watches.
I’ve sold three of mine now, some I’m down to 8. Despite the politics I couldn’t rid myself of the Vostock Batman which I’d love the wear but well, won’t. Some tough choices ahead!
I quite like this. Comments please!!
At first glance I liked it but the more I looked at it the less pleasing it got. I think it’s the hour numbers; their size, font, colour and basically existence spoil it for me.
Not my cup of tea either, just looks old fashioned to me, but not in a good way that a lot of genuine vintage watches manage.
But hell, if it floats your boat SSS, go for it. Doesn't matter what we think.
But hell, if it floats your boat SSS, go for it. Doesn’t matter what we think.
I beg to differ - a good proportion of the posts on here are either "here's my watch, tell me how much you love it" or "if I buy this watch will it make me one of the cool kids"!
CountZero - thanks
Waiting to see what Steinhart offer up in terms of support. I would rather fit a bezel myself that send it back
I think im with Kilo on this. First impressions, i thought - ooft, i like that - then the longer i looked at it, then thought the numerals were too faint, and a few other distractions to make me go 'hmmm' maybe not. Wondered if it was just me, But obviously not with the 'yeah, but no'. Not popular piece perhaps with the low (reasonable?) price point. I dont know much about Baume.
I need this strap https://cnswatchbands.com/products/adjustable-bronze-single-pass-strap-midnight-and-barley
But in a 21mm size. It would work very well I think with the captain Cook. Much as the leather strap it comes on suits it and is very comfortable, I've already had it in the swimming pool and this, sweat and so on will not do a leather strap any good. I have conditioned the leather post swim but I'm keen on a sailcloth or such like. Of anyone knows where I could find a nice blue one with bronze hardware in 21 mm width please let me know.
Got this suggestion from a Watchfinder sales emailshot.
I quite like this. Comments please!!
Baume & Mercier
@SSS I have a soft spot for a moon phase watch - which I assume is what the bat logo is (if it’s not then it’s a no from me).
I quite like the new ones in blue, I’m not such a fan of this black variant, the main issue I have is with the rose—ish gold hands and the gold 1-12 numbers. For me they spoil what could have been a classy watch.
But we’re all different - as this thread highlights daily - if you like it, don’t listen to any of the above I’ve typed.
Big saving from a new one.
neilnevill
Free Member
I need this strap https://cnswatchbands.com/products/adjustable-bronze-single-pass-strap-midnight-and-barley
/blockquote>You don't, it looks cheap and nasty just in that picture.
I like a NATO/sailcloth type strap. I like tool straps on tool watches. Or a bracelet, but bronze and bracelets don't work.
Barton seem to be a go to for sailcloth straps. I bought one from them, but didn’t really get on with it as it was very rigid and as it turned out the watch looked better on a Zulu. However it was good quality and the q/r function was a nice touch.
IIRC delivery was a bit slow
https://www.bartonwatchbands.com/products/royal-blue-sailcloth-quick-release
neilnevill
Free Member
I like a NATO/sailcloth type strap. I like tool straps on tool watches. Or a bracelet, but bronze and bracelets don’t work.
Oh I'm not saying that the style of strap is cheap, just that particular version of one looks flimsy. Maybe worth getting one to see if the style works before getting a nicer version?
I had one of those Barton sailcloths. The stiffness didn't really trouble me, but the tang holes frayed horribly and from pretty much the first wear. A lot of the reviews said as much too.
Hopefully they have sorted it now, but if not their customer service is absolutely top notch at sorting out complaints.
Little bit later than I’d planned, but hopefully here’s a pic of my thirty plus year old seiko
Right, the Orients are up for grabs on the classifieds if anyone fancies taking over the collection...
[url] https://singletrackworld.com/classifieds/advert/orient-watches-others/ [/url]
Oh I see. It's a ribbed single pass NATO, (Zulu?) Which I think is the Tudor 'twill' style
For example
https://www.beaverbrooks.co.uk/0122372/Tudor-Black-Bay-FiftyEight-Navy-Blue-Automatic-Fabric-Mens-Watch/p?gclid=CjwKCAiAjPyfBhBMEiwAB2CCIl7v4l6vtKo79u4SFleYjWvXdRWbimMF6lE6BmSKW_TwaBzuGGV5PRoCS2UQAvD_BwE
Now while there is still variation in finish and thickness I tend to think with this sort of strap you rapidly get into diminishing returns. The price of a Tudor ( or omega) OEM fabric strap is somewhat absurd.
My preference would be for a two piece like this
https://www.watchgecko.com/products/zuludiver-seasalter-two-piece-nato-watch-strap-black-blue-beige?currency=GBP&variant=42543457337507&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google%20Shopping&gclid=CjwKCAiAjPyfBhBMEiwAB2CCIn_0klAYdbY3WXCUHviPEA-GmdqqR9mCQUR2cTxMSudL0sRpb0CTmxoCc9EQAvD_BwE
The difficulty is the slightly unusual 21mm lug width for the Rado. Although I might try a cheap 20 and cheap 22 to see how bad they look. 21mm and bronze hardware is trickier again.
Barton seem decent but like so many sailcloth style straps they have leather lining, which sort of defeats the aim doesn't it? I believe blancpain made sailcloth fashionable fitting it to the fifty fathoms (and charging the earth for a fabric strap again), and there's is leather lined too. It's supposed to be a waterproof strap, leather is a great material but waterproof it is not.
Zuludiver straps are usually very good in my experience, if they've got one which fits the criteria then I'd go for one of theirs.
Originally posted on p120 or so, I have. Zuludiver seasalter on my CW. I think its very good, this is a pic 5 mins ago (apologies for my grubby desk), after a year of bi-weekly wear:
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52719634426_bcf0c002ec_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52719634426_bcf0c002ec_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2ojDUAf ]IMG_3705[/url]
Its kinda double NATO thickness TBH.
I'd quite like another for my Gecko as I find this one a bit floppy, but I can't get as good a colour match:
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52720067305_21143f7864_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52720067305_21143f7864_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2ojG8gF ]IMG_3706[/url]
I'd definitely give the seasalter 2 piece a try, except it's not 21mm.
21mm and bronze hardware is tricky.
They are pretty snug, you may get away with a 20mm.
Tw
@pisco I do like that also. Had a look on the Ball website. Looks like theyre limited editions. You can get a limited serial number between 1-1000 and egraving.
It looks the best in the Blue dial. However there is a Bronze dial which is 70% of the other dials. Obviously not a popular choice!!
I'm really rather taken with this 39mm Timex Marlin:
£250
The Citizen NJ0100 range has a similar case design to that Timex
This one seems to be £100 currently, I think they are great value. I personally prefer the Blue and Brown ones
https://ormoda.co.uk/citizen-nj0100-89a.html
Anyone have any experience of Marloe watches ?
https://www.marloewatchcompany.com/products/sceptre-black-edition
I have a hankering after the above
Those here who like NATO/ZULU straps, and similar styles on tool and sport watches, might be interested in these, they have genuine military provenance. I’m seriously considering a Yema NavyGraf, and Yema offer a free one of these type of straps with the watch.
Swatch have excelled themselves with this new MoonSwatch. A golden chrono hand made for one day under the February full moon. ….
Who comes up with this nonsense
The Rolex lasted a whole two weeks as well. Just couldn’t get excited by it and as the missus said, it was a lot of money to not be sure about. Made a profit selling it on mind you so have something coming that I've always wanted. Wasn’t made under a full moon either
…they have genuine military provenance.
Unless one has genuine military provenance oneself I find this desire to wear regimental/ French navy unit colours a bit weird tbh.
I'd it that or just a belief that if it was good enough for military use it must be tough and good value?
Military spec generally means the cheapest option which hit the minimum requirements, it probably shouldn't be used as any sort of guide to quality. 😀
Quite like the look of the Marloe, except for the name on the dial.
Have put my modded Seiko on the classified and open to offera.
Hopefully get my kickstarter watch later this year.
I have the Erika's Original version of the Marine Nationale strap and it's brilliant. Really comfy and secure.
I sold all my Seiko divers during lockdown and decided there was a Seiko sized hole to be filled. Bought this new to me SPB053J1. Came on a Strapcode Super O with an unused original rubber strap and an unused seatbelt NATO. Well happy with it. The finishing is great and the colour really pops.
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Really, you really did that over buying my spd081J1? Really? Really! Well some people have no taste 😉😉
Mine pops more though.
Sorry my man. Send me pics and I may be convinced otherwise 😉
Finding my love for Seiko again, which is no bad thing.
I don't need another watch, especially not another Seiko. I don't really need a GMT either, but I do like these. £1700 is chunky though...
@beanum those are nice but these GMT's are much cheaper:
https://www.seikoboutique.co.uk/product-category/seiko-5-sports/sports-style/filters/calibre/4r34/
The Sharp Edged series is in between.
Never considered a Yema watch before but since GMT was mentioned, spotted this updated Superman GMT 500 and really like the red and white bezel...
https://en.yema.com/products/yema-superman-500-gmt-ygmt23b39-ams
Oh well if you like a seiko GMT I've been wearing my snr051 pretty solidly. Although I'd probably go for the 033 if one had come along.
I do like that SNR051 with the black / white bezel. I can’t bring myself to consider a circa £1-2k Seiko after all the alignment issues during ‘22.
I too liked the Yema having recieved an email from Yema last week, but is that printed indices on a £1200 watch? Hmmm. Other than the movement, it’s almost the same as the £199 Geckota GMT…. …albeit the Gecko is quartz. Every time it comes out it looks flat to me, I guess I’m an applied index man.
Never considered a Yema watch before but since GMT was mentioned, spotted this updated Superman GMT 500 and really like the red and white bezel…
YEMA Superman 500 GMT
I was about to buy a Navygraf Heritage until I read an article by a watchmaker which was quite scathing about the in house movements.
I've just put my Baltany 42mm military manual wind on a Hirsch Kent.
I think it looks lovely. Yes they are assembled in China but the movement is enclosed by stainless steel and sapphire crystal and the Seagull movement keeps good time. £180 + £32 for the strap.
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Thats very nice.
Thanks Kryton.
I've got a Seamaster and a Constellation etc. but this is the one I go for.
So it doesn't have to be a Swiss timepiece to groove your truffles.
Most of the £5k spent on an Omega goes to advertising, paying their ambassadors and staffing / lighting / renting the boutiques in airports and expensive shopping areas.
Oh well if you like a seiko GMT I’ve been wearing my snr051 pretty solidly. Although I’d probably go for the 033 if one had come along.
SUN019P1 Prospex Kinetic GMT here
I quite fancy one of the swatch planet watches not entirely sure why maybe nostalgia as they started my love of watches.
I do need** a new Smart watch as my Samsung active has battery issues but well out of step with them, just not apple as it needs to be as tough as my g shock.
What's out there not fussy about mapping