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Excellent that they take photos
Special request. I've OD'd on all those YT vids that show someone servicing a welders Roly or some such and was curious about the guts of mine...
Looks great, love the photos. Were they expensive? The crown has come off my Thunderbird so I’m thinking of getting them to repair and service it.
Rolex crowns are very hard to find when they suddenly ping off in hotel rooms with thick rugs - guess how I know that!
Half the price of the official service centre in Mayfair. So £450 which I appreciate is still a lot for a watch service in anyones book.
Just picked up a cheap ballistic case from the ‘bay to “get those bloody watches off the coffee table”
That’s a decent collection.
Thanks. The C11 may or may not be for the chop as time goes on as I hardly wear it, but it was the first ‘proper’ watch I bought.
Mmmm, I do like an Omega Speedy! Very nice indeed. I can’t ever really justify one, I already have a Yema chronograph, and I hardly ever use the stopwatch function on that, but it’s such a nice watch, with proper history behind it.
So £450 which I appreciate is still a lot for a watch service in anyones book.
That’s what I was charged by Deacons in Marlborough, that included a new mainspring and crystal as well as the service, but it’s a fifty-odd year old watch. Having said that, it has a Valjoux movement, which are still around. And it’s worth a lot more, now, too.
Nice collection !
My case arrived today too.
A Seamaster and a load of has been G-Shocks.
Here's my latest arrival, a JDM only Seiko 7A28-6040 from 1984. It was listed as a non-runner and showing plenty of caked in dirt, but it fired up with a new battery which was nice.
The only problem was the pushers were jammed with dirt, so the case a bracelet got several cycles through the ultrasonic cleaner and all gaskets were replaced. I decided to re-brush the bracelet and clasp while I was at it -
I also fitted a sapphire with blue a/r but it looked out of place on an almost 40 year old watch, so the old one which was scratched but not enough to detract was refitted. The minute counter hand was ever so slightly out of alignment and bugging me so I was going to fix that, but as I'd originally planned to give the movement a full service...
TBC...
And then a couple of hours later...
I'll be honest and say that when it arrived I'd almost instantly decided I was going to sell it on - it's a 37mm case and like nearly all Seiko's it wears smaller than it's true dimensions, but I decided to give it a week on the wrist and now that I'm used to it it's safe for now. The biggest problem is that it's got me looking at other 7A38's so it may still get chopped if a 7030 appears for a good price...
@fudd wow, very impressive.
It would have taken me a few weeks, not just a few hours. That’s if I could remember how it all went back together.
Ah, someone was asking a few days ago who could swap a crystal, and I was racking my brains to try and remember the user name. Fudd could do it, that's who!
Nice job.
DIY watch repairs or send to Fudd. Brilliant sequence, thanks.
Just picked up a cheap ballistic case from the ‘bay to “get those bloody watches off the coffee table”
Nice Fortis! What movement is in it?
Nice Fortis! What movement is in it?
it’s a Valjoux 7750. It’s a lovely watch, have the bracelet as well but prefer it on the rubber strap. There’s loads of fakes of the 3 hand around, the Chronograph, not so much.
Very nice, I've been after a lemania powered one for a while with the large minute chrono hand that's been a revelation on my current chronograph.
Lovely stuff @Fudd. Didn't know there was so much to a quartz watch.
I like that it's on the Japanese day display! I leave my Seiko 5 on Japanese days because I can never be bothered to set the correct weekday on the 1st!
My STOC here...
... with the Vostock Batman GMT in mothballs.
Oh Lordy:
Makes the classic design fail of cutting off a random bit of a number with a sub-dial. Lazy.
Fudd : Amazing +1
Thanks y'all!
Lovely stuff @Fudd. Didn’t know there was so much to a quartz watch.
I like that it’s on the Japanese day display! I leave my Seiko 5 on Japanese days because I can never be bothered to set the correct weekday on the 1st!
Most collectors have no idea how a quartz works and can be dismissive of them, but once you understand them and see the similarities with mechanicals you gain a new appreciation for them.
Unfortunately the early 80's was a high point for Seiko quartz (GS and Credor excepted obvs) as they learnt that they could make plates and wheels out of plastic thus requiring no lubrication, and they could make the coils part of the circuit board to save production costs, so now most modern quartz are disposable when they eventually stop working.
As for the Kanji day on display - if you're wearing a JDM watch then them's the rules.
Oh Lordy
That is very nice, looked a bit classsy and possibly expensive, so I googled the anticipated price, as on their web site as it’s officially price on application.
Blimey £134,000 ! Holy moly.
on their web site as it’s officially price on application
Lol, when I saw that I didn’t bother going any further. I hadn’t noticed the clipped 11 that Ivandobski points out, what a shame, but £134k for a watch… 😳
I may go googling for Fudd’s Seiko speedy later, I keep coming back to that post - what a great series of pics as always.
Has anyone got an automatic Certina DS Podium? Reviews are a bit sparse
Also, Certina and Tissot are part of the Swatch group but are some of the models the same case with different dials? There's a lot of similarities
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Back down to 4 + an Apple Watch. The battered gold Seiko was my grandfathers so for sentimental reasons stays. The Stowa I bought last month was lovely but wore a bit small and needed to leave to balance the books on the Speedmaster. Think I do want a G-Shock though. Even if I won’t wear it much
Think I do want a G-Shock though. Even if I won’t wear it much
Can't go wrong with a G-Shock. The black one in my photo is from 1996 and I can confidently predict that I was wearing it every time I fell off a bike, built a wall, painted the house, went on camp, or did anything else that involved hurting myself or getting covered in filth. Still going strong. The paint has come away from the buttons and I could replace the case, but it has history with me. If I want a pristine one they are about £50 from Creation Watches.
Think I do want a G-Shock though. Even if I won’t wear it much
With working from home, my G-Shock is my most worn watch by a mile. I'll wear something else if I'm out and about bit given I spend most of my days at home the G-Shock stays on my wrist.
Thanks for having this conversation AFTER I sent the Casioak back 😀
About to go off to watch hospital.
Nice, but a worn Jubilee if ever I saw one!
Thanks for having this conversation AFTER I sent the Casioak back
You can always buy another!
I put the 5 GMT on a Zulu waffle, looks better than the Jubilee I think:
This is possibly my holiday watch (or is it... lol).
Quite like those GMT seikos. How are you finding it?
@kryton57 Did you go and see and try on the Tudor?
No I had to stay later in the week than anticipated in Gloucester last week so I missed it and am therefore now next on the list.
Quite like those GMT seikos. How are you finding it?
Well, in my simplistic terms my moans and niggles are... The friction bezel doesn't normally move itself, but has moved at times as I must of brushed against something. Obs it takes 2 secs to re-align so depending on your OCD levels/time tracking requirements some people don't like that. The crown is a tad fiddly to wind as it isn't screw down therefore it doesn't pop out for winding, and its close to the guards, and I'm not sure about the Cyclops TBH. It relatively but not overly heavy - I wouldn't have thought it'd sit well on a NATO that wasn't tight for example.
Other than that its a very quiet unfussy watch, just gets on with the job in the typical NH34/35 way and has the propensity to look more expensive that it is at times.
I found this review and pics quite accurate: https://twobrokewatchsnobs.com/seiko-5-gmt-review-and-info/
@SSS
Yes mine’s going off to Calibre too. I sent them a link to this thread after their photos were shared, I think they were quite chuffed to be getting such good press and they said they’d do some photos of mine too.
@fudd wow, very impressive.
It would have taken me a few weeks, not just a few hours. That’s if I could remember how it all went back together.
Yeah, the one very good reason why I refuse to ever consider trying to take a watch apart!
Nice Fortis! What movement is in it?
it’s a Valjoux 7750. It’s a lovely watch, have the bracelet as well but prefer it on the rubber strap. There’s loads of fakes of the 3 hand around, the Chronograph, not so much.
Pretty sure that’s the same movement that powers my Yema Rallygraf; no, just checked, it’s the 7736, from 1970-79. 3-register, though.
Ah, someone was asking a few days ago who could swap a crystal, and I was racking my brains to try and remember the user name. Fudd could do it, that’s who!
Nice job.
That was me, and indeed, a nice job. I thought about Fudd, but I didn’t want to impose on his good nature.
If you’re ok with replacing the crystal with a proper sapphire one, Fudd, I’d be delighted! I’ve no idea what a quality sapphire crystal costs, I guess they can’t be too expensive. Nothing else really needs doing to the watch, I guess I’ve had it getting on for 10-12 years now, but it hasn’t been worn excessively, and it seems to be keeping pretty good time, so I doubt a service would be worth doing.
Let me know what you think, ok? I can live with the scratches, but they’re a bit unsightly.
The SPORK? If so then we talked about it a while back and there was no sapphire option available - the crystal has a bevelled edge to clear the insert so you can't fit a generic crystal, and there was no aftermarket sapphire I could find. Original is the only option and I couldn't find one of those either.
Or I might be getting mixed up and you're talking about something else..?
Hi, Fudd, sorry, that was a while ago, and that conversation had slipped my mind, a lot’s happened since! The fact that OEM Hardex crystals don’t seem to be available is a bit of a concern, that could make my watch unwearable, if the crystal sustained damage that might compromise it’s water resistance. 🙁
DUFA Anyone? Just acquired one of these for this month's N+
41mm, bezel and face both navy blue so not as bright as the pic
Could do with a few more lines on the face 😉
Looks quite nice
What is a gangreserve ?
🤔
German for power reserve I guess...Freitaucher - Freedivers
12hr bezels should be more common imo.
I hope it’s as nice in the flesh as no local shops had it.
I’m deciding between that and an Orient Sun & Moon white dial as a dress watch currently. Please post up pics when it arrives!
This thread is lethal. I've gone from being a one watch owner to a three watch owner in a matter of months.
My new day to day watch.
Citizen Garrison Eco-Drive Titanium.
A photo of this watch on a green NATO caught my eye the other week and I decided to do a bit of research and decided it was just what I wanted.
I Ditched the standard strap (not a lover of metal straps generally although the Ti on this is quite a nice darkish brushed grey) in favour of a nice selection of nato's. Think I like the Bond at the moment although they all look pretty good (in my humble opinion) and it's very very light..
Nice field watch that Breg. And no battery changes to worry about. Is the lume good?
I really like those Citizens, looked at them in the metal a few times and keep thinking I should get one.
Really nice Citizen
They do a version with a thick brown leather strap. It looks lovely
derek_starship
Free Member
Nice field watch that Breg. And no battery changes to worry about. Is the lume good?
I tried to post a photo last night but Imgur seems to be playing up. To be honest I'm not blown away with the lume. Didn't seem to be particularly bright and needed total darkness to be visible. Not really a massive issue for me though. Overall I'm really pleased with it.
Am I daft for wanting a Japan made Gshock over a Chinese one?
Tissot PRX 40mm.... noticed a colleague had a blue auto one of these and I got to briefly drape it over my wrist. It fits a lot better than I expected. I liked them but always thought it wouldn't fit my wrists. Now the question is do I still want one, and if so which one?
The quartz probably makes more sense, but then isn't the lure of these a very nice Swiss auto for £500? I might prefer the Quartz dial though, at least the blue. The white quartz looks great in the Tissot catalogue shots but nowhere near as sharp in people's reviews of it.
Then I might just be over them, although I guess others are too so second hard bargains might be available.
My brother has the blue dial quartz PRX with the on the bracelet - it's very nice, much nicer in the daylight than the photos
but then isn’t the lure of these a very nice Swiss auto for £500
they’re over £600 rrp now. I paid £470 for mine from an eBay seller, but was still brand new with all plastic on it. A few used ones were selling for the just over £400 mark and Quartz was around £300,
Francis & Gaye are selling multiple PRX variants with 15% off
Use code: FG15Z
https://www.francisandgaye.co.uk/watches-c2/prx-t1606
Hamilton Murph 38 or champagne dial Field King?
I own the latter but I know where there’s a 15% discount on the former which as a dressier GADA better fulfils my brief with its 100m water resistance. Yet, no morse code, so is it really a Murph?
Refreshed the collection a bit just by swapping straps:
Not sure if it works, but I'm more inclined to wear the Hamilton casually with that Nato.
@Fudd - I’ve found someone selling mineral glass, (Hardex, iow) crystals to fit the SPORK; I searched using the movement number on the caseback - 4R15-00D0.
Not too fussed at the moment about getting it fitted, I’m just pleased I’ve got one ready in case I really need it, and nobody’s got one.
Has anyone bought from MKS straps recently (used to be Monkey Swag) ?
Are they still good?
FYI, Monkey Swag a.k.a MKS are now effectively operating as wholesale only with min order £150
I’ve used the straptailor for quite a few, seem good quality to me…
I also seem to have had a n itchy trigger finger, NWD again! G-Shock doesn’t do anything for me, been looking for a while to scratch a digital itch and couldn’t resist at 40% off. 
That's a cool watch!
Love that Hamilton. I mean, I absolutely love that.
I don't need another watch. Can't afford one anyway but if I could, I'm not sure I'd resist..
Sorry to piss on your ahem watch blazin but that Hamilton is not all that.
I bought one new from Sellors in 2021 and I was really disappointed.
I have to say, the build quality is superb but the functionality is not.
The so called hybrid display is great when illuminated but unless you're in bright sunlight, it's barely legible. In blazin's photo, he's hit the button to light it up.
Functions? Time oh and seconds that display for a woeful duration (10 s)such that it's a gimmick at best. Date? No. Option of 24h? No.
I'm just glad I managed to sell mine to another dreamer!
Isn't that the point though?
It literally tells the time when you press the button, otherwise it's asleep?
I've always really liked them and finding out it doesn't do 24hr pretty much rules it out entirely even if it was a remote possibly anyway but I'm not sure how you'd ever end up with one and think you were getting a Fenix 9 or whatever.
Derek. Isn’t that all most watches do? Tell the time? I bought because I like it and think it looks pretty cool and it looks well made, the same buying decisions I make se when buying mechanicals as well. I wasn’t expecting, or needing a ton of functions I don’t use. You didn’t like it, that’s fine, there’s a whole lot of watches in the world for everyone, be boring if everybody liked the same thing.
I actually like the fact it’s not lit up like a Christmas tree all the time, and I know if it’s AM or PM generally unless I’ve had a really bad day!