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I like the patina’d watches, but I like keeping my things in good condition / have a desk job. The worst I have is my 2007 Aquaracer which due to extensive wear under a shirt would be about as patina’d as SSS Triple date on the bezel, and not a mark on the crystal.
Here’s a question, do people wear watches in bed or take them off? I know for sure I’m uncomfortable wearing a Bracelet in bed yet tend to leave my strap watches on.
If I wanted a nice looking watch for not much, just for the occasional time when I go out and my old plastic Casio isn’t appropriate, what should I look for?
If you perform an accurate web search you’ll find a Seiko Monster Antarctica on sale at - I think - £375 before 31st. Good watch with a bit of Cache…. For a bit more I think the Speedtimer’s look nice.
Those Speedtimers look nice, esp in white. I've an Orange Monster (cousin to the Antarctica) and an old Seiko 150m divers watch - the one with the rubber strap in my 'set'. Both tremendous value. The 150m started life with the Pepsi bezel which had to be changed to an all black one at some stage due to an incident that may have been in Mogadishu (or perhaps the back garden as I've never been to Mog 🙂 )
Well, my Barton watch band/strap finally arrived and I think they really lift the two intended for watches:
Prior original straps:
New Barton straps:
For those that haven't experienced them I can tell you that the Barton Elite silicone on the Tissot really is very, very soft and compliant and came with two lengths. Hard to see in the pics but it has a "file" texture on the outside.
I think the black leather really lifts the Hamilton.
Those Heimdallr watches are interesting in that they're using ETA movements. I'd love to know why ETA would supply a Chinese Homage maker but refuse to supply to Swiss and basically every other manufacturer outside of the SWATCH group. I know you can buy Chinese clone 2824's but surely they wouldn't be using these and claiming they're the real thing...?
an Orange Monster
I have the odd fantasy of me lying on a beach as if marooned in raggedy shorts with a beat up orange monster on a suitably matching yet stained and very lived in Nato.
I have the odd fantasy of me lying on a beach as if marooned in raggedy shorts with a beat up orange monster on a suitably matching yet stained and very lived in Nato.
Riiiiiiigggghhhht... Did you get the girl/boy and/or save the world...? 🙂
They are reeeeaaaally good value. I bought mine from Singapore and cost less than a decent meal IIRC.
Kryton the Hamilton looks stunning on that leather.
If I wanted a nice looking watch for not much, just for the occasional time when I go out and my old plastic Casio isn’t appropriate, what should I look for?
An analogue, stainless steel Casio?
EFV-110D for example...
There are absolutely loads to choose from.
I'm waiting in one of These EFR-S108D cos it's got a saphire crystal and slightly Royal Oak(ish) looks for under £100...
(*Don't just look on Amazon, not always the cheapest)
On the theme of Christmas present watches, the old ball and chain got me this - bloomin' lovely it is 🙂
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@bullet, very nice that Certina, and a great fit for your wrist. Congratulations, my wife got me a box of After Eights!
@gaidong, thanks. I'm very particular about fit, I like it loose but snugs up as your arm warms the watch. This was easy to have adjusted in the shop so really happy.
How many times am I going to say 'I don't need another watch' 😉
This was easy to have adjusted in the shop so really happy.
No, no, no. To still be posting on page 109 you must at least have purchased a spring bar tool, if at not least a whole portable watchmakers kit to carefully and with great pleasure tap out your pins. The shame... 😀
Nice Certina!
Would have been quicker to be honest - had time to drink coffees and for the Mrs to spot some earrings 😉
Heimdallr are just a fairly cheap brand that tend to copy other manufacturers designs, nothing wrong with them.
To be fair, there’s a lot of more expensive brands who’ve happily copied significant design details of the top brands, like using Rolex-style hands, ‘Pepsi’-style two-colour bezel inserts, etc.
What attracted me to Heimdallr was the fact that they were doing modded homages, ie versions of the SKX007 with mods already done, and a lot cheaper than an actual un-modded SKX007 was fetching; one thing about Seiko watches that I’m not so keen on is the style of hands most use, I prefer MarineMaster 300-style, so getting a decent quality watch, for a reasonable cost, with a Seiko movement, and looking exactly how I want it to look, was irresistible.
There are a lot of really expensive watches that I would never buy even if I could afford them, purely because of a small design detail, like the hands, or a textured face. TAG Heuer have done a Night-Diver style watch recently, it’s got a faceted bezel, rather than round, which puts me right off! I do love most Tudor designs, though.
@Fudd - I’d noticed that some Heimdallr watches, mostly European based designs, had ETA movements, and I’ve seen other makes with them as well, I didn’t know that ETA were picky about who used their movements though. I haven’t looked through Heimdallr’s range lately, I don’t want to be tempted. Although the Yema Navygraf would be my first choice for another watch.
Spotted this watch review today that might interest anyone looking at getting a sports watch that isn’t stupidly expensive and comes from somewhere a bit different.
https://www.fratellowatches.com/hands-on-celegin-draken/
This is a first-time effort, and it’s Swedish, with a Swiss movement.
This is well worth reading as well, it goes into the R&D that watch brands are doing to continually improve the accuracy and working life of modern analogue watches…
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/luxury-watch-r-and-d
New watch day
That's smart!
Yes indeed! Lovely
Happy new watch day indeed!
It's SPB197J1 Prospex Alpinist aka Mountain Glacier, it was somewhat controversial when it was released last year as they released the SPB199 which is identical but on a leather strap at a higher price and as a limited run, then released it cheaper, on metal strap which unsurprisingly upset a lot of people
on metal strap which unsurprisingly upset a lot of people
TBF those end links are upsetting me but I do now feel slightly more forgiving about my POS Uncle Seiko attempt.
TBF those end links are upsetting me
Ha, tbf I am looking for a leather strap for it already, in the end its a Seiko and at any price point they are never going to be winning praise for their straps but I would still rather it came with a metal strap I won't use than not
I am looking for a leather strap for it already
I think my SARB017 looks good on a plain vintage Horween, I also like it on a green/yellow Marine Nationale. Though anything's an improvement on the unyielding faux croc it came on.
I rather like the look of this
@Fudd – I’d noticed that some Heimdallr watches, mostly European based designs, had ETA movements, and I’ve seen other makes with them as well, I didn’t know that ETA were picky about who used their movements though. I haven’t looked through Heimdallr’s range lately, I don’t want to be tempted. Although the Yema Navygraf would be my first choice for another watch.
Swatch group who own ETA stopped supplying to others back in 2015/16, so brands outside of Swatch who've relied on ETA movements for years such as IWC, Breitling and Tag have been forced to either adopt the Sellita equivalent movements, look elsewhere as Breitling have done with Kenissi/Tudor, or buy an existing movement manufacturer like C Ward have done and claim you're now 'In-House'.
The point I was making was that Helmdallr's claims of ETA movements in their watches is BS as new ETA are no longer available direct from the factory, not unless you're one of the Swatch brands. I've also seen other micro-brands claiming they use ETA and it's tripe, it has to be when no one else can buy them, so what are they actually fitting? If they were using Sellita then they'd just say so, so my money's on them using Chinese ETA clones, possibly even stamped with ETA and then charging an extra £200 or so for a movement that costs similar an NH35.
Or maybe I'm just a cynical old bastard and some of the Chinese micro-brands do indeed have Swatch group exec's on speed dial...
Chinese ETA clones, possibly even stamped with ETA and then charging an extra £200 or so for a movement that costs similar an NH35.
I've heard rumours before that this is the PT5000, which in its own right is making itself the cost effective replacement of the NH35. Its supposed to be very good - perhaps Chronometer good in fact. I have one in my Geckota and it - from an outside and non technical perspective - seems very accurate and reliable.
Is PT5000 the modern Seagull perhaps...?
I've handled one watch with a PT5000 and the rate changed by 8 seconds depending on position, so it could be regulated to +4/-4s/d. Not quite chronometer spec but still respectable and better than the NH35 which average around +7/-7 once regulated.
Copied from my WUS post:
It has been a few months now I've craved a large display back'd watch with a nice slow movement, to while away the winter hours by the fire. I looked around, liked the Stowa Marine Original, and thought I'd have a go at building my own.
The case, dial (silver, I think) and hands (thermally blued) were from a French company about 20 km from me, and the ETA 6498-1 came pre-regulated from Switzerland. Of course, assembling these components should have been incredibly easy but I'm happy to admit it took me hours. Hours of gurning, sweating and cross-eyed trembling at my desk. I was desperate not to scratch anything or get it dirty. Even getting the dial feet in and secured was a challenge with the recessed screw and a fogging loupe. Hardest was the subseconds hand, as my tweezers weren't fine enough and I didn't have the proper tool to seat the hand. Anyway, I got it all done....
....until I was at home and, thank goodness, looked down at 17:55, to realise that my hour hand was about to hit the subseconds spindle. Crown out, wind back, case front off, bend hand up a bit, check it didn't hit minute hand, reassemble.
Overall, I got the look I wanted for about 1/3 of the price and learnt at lot, not least a much increased appreciation for those who work on tiny and/or complex movements. I'll be sticking with my day job!
good effort
Heh, good skills. I'm much too much of a clumsy oaf to attempting things that fiddly. Mouse gynaecology is, also off the agenda...
Swatch (ETA) didn't stop supplying that long ago, they were in a supply agreement which tapered until 2019 so supply ended last year at the earliest.
I'm not sure what they are putting into the market now but it wouldn't be unusual for their to still be sufficient stock in wholesale channels to supply microbrands putting out small numbers.
Great work @gaidong. Getting the seconds hand located on its pinion can be very tricky, but if you can do that without destroying the hand or dial then it's a good indicator you have the dexterity for movement work.
Swatch (ETA) didn’t stop supplying that long ago, they were in a supply agreement which tapered until 2019 so supply ended last year at the earliest.
I’m not sure what they are putting into the market now but it wouldn’t be unusual for their to still be sufficient stock in wholesale channels to supply microbrands putting out small numbers.
Not sure which wholesalers you use but Cousins almost doubled the price of ETA movements and Omega parts overnight when the ban came into effect and they now hold a fraction of the Omega stock they had 4 or 5 years ago. They still have 'loose pack' ETA movements which will have come from elsewhere and should ideally be serviced before fitting to a watch, but there's very few factory sealed movements available anymore.
This seems a good time to ask if theres a site/forum anyone would recommend for selling a seamaster?
@fudd So if you've got one of the older Seamaster with the ETA movement, what are the imitations for service/repairs/spares please?
@fudd, I used this ebay shop ( https://www.ebay.fr/usr/b_line55cc?_trksid=p2047675.m3561.l2559)
@scrumfled, I've made multiple sales via Chrono24 and all has been fine. They earn their 6%.
@all my complimenters, thanks!
This seems a good time to ask if theres a site/forum anyone would recommend for selling a seamaster?
Putting a speculative ad on the classifieds and linking it on this thread wouldn't be a bad idea. I bought a lovely vintage Seamaster off wally this way.
At least tempt us by telling us what it is and how much you want for it!
@fudd So if you’ve got one of the older Seamaster with the ETA movement, what are the imitations for service/repairs/spares please?
Having an independent servicing the movement should be no problem as there'll never be a parts shortage with Sellita and others making movement parts now, but if you want it waterproof you'll need a new crown and HE valve which are becoming hard to find. I expect there'll be more aftermarket case parts coming to market like there is with bezel inserts but who knows what the quality will be like.
Cousins have taken Swatch to court in Switzerland accusing them of anti-competition by refusing to supply parts, just like there was years ago when the EU forced car manufacturers to supply parts, but I got an email from Cousins this morning and it's not looking good -
Judgement Given by the Bern Court
On 28 December 2021, our Swiss lawyers received the long awaited judgement from the Bern Court.
At the moment we do not have a full translation, but whilst the Court confirmed our position that Swatch are 100% market dominant in the supply of spare parts, it does not appear to have followed previous case law relating to companies with such monopolies, and has ruled that Swatch’s refusal to supply Cousins does not breach British and EU Competition Law.Cousins has until the 1st of February 2022 to lodge an appeal at the Swiss Federal Supreme Court. Our legal teams in Switzerland and the UK will be studying the judgement over the next few days, and we will provide further information and updates as we are able.
@fudd Thanks for that. Sorry about the Engrish, automangle made a bit of a mess of it...
So 300m is no more and don't wear it in the bath...
Isn't the Crown and Helium valve an Omega part rather than ETA as it's the case rather than the movement? Not arguing the toss, just curious.
So the upshot is that anyone who has a watch with an ETA movement in it, you can now only get it reliably serviced by the OEM in case it needs any bits?! Oh unless it's older watch from a non-Swatch company, when it might be unrepairable.
That sucks and sounds sort of like the situation where car manufactures were told they couldn't void warrantees just because a main dealer hadn't done servicing work.
@fudd Thanks for that. Sorry about the Engrish, automangle made a bit of a mess of it…
So 300m is no more and don’t wear it in the bath…
Isn’t the Crown and Helium valve an Omega part rather than ETA as it’s the case rather than the movement? Not arguing the toss, just curious.
ETA and Omega are both owned by Swatch group and have the same restrictions.
ETA and Omega are both owned by Swatch group and have the same restrictions.
Right. So that being the case, what's the issue with Omega servicing their own watches? Or is the parts famine applicable to 3rd party repairs/servicing only?
I think I'm probly being a bit dense here - or only have part of the story.
Interested party here, looking at £450 to service my Tag, of which the winding has got a bit stiff (2006 model, never serviced).
Got my 2006 Subby serviced recently. Indépendant watch service. Rolex was too long lead time and too expensive. Was £440.