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/

TM42-01SL5.jpg

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.

@Alex

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.

@alex @breatheeasy

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.

Cheers @neilnevill never used tz-uk, will give them a look

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

@Kato

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.

The Rise Of The Microbrands — Filling The Gaps Left By Big-Name Watch Brands

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.

Well that arrived faster than I thought!

So here we go then, the controversial watch, or not? I’ve never owned an SKX and of course the prices these days are astronomical, but I did fall for the Seiko Diver indices when I bought my Arnie.

Then, this got release as too expensive and under specced. I watch several video reviews, and kept an eye out for any offers – of which there was a flash Sale on Saturday! And of course, who doesn’t want an Orange Diver? Here we go then for my modern SKX interpretation, and a bargain mechanical GMT to replace the over complicated Citizen AT as part-time office & travel watch:

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nY2jMt]Unknown[/url]

Ta Da!

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nY2jLS]IMG_3418[/url]

Insane Lume…

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nXZZHW]Unknown[/url]

…an bi-colour hardlex bezel. Looks bigger here but its 42.5 and actually wears much more like a 41 IMO.

I’d welcome your thoughts, and could have waited for a micro GMT with the 4R34, but I got this at almost half price. Not sure if it’s staying yet though, stickers still in place.

Surely the answer to the 5K question is a Grand Seiko? That must narrow it down a bit 😉

An orange Seiko diver is an iconic and appealing thing. Glad your got a deal though.

Slightly biased, but an orange seiko is an underrated classic IMVHO.

@kryton57 and on a deal too. Nice work.

Thanks. Yeah, I wouldnt have paid £400 for it… probably.

Its such an intriguing thing to look at, they’ve slight bevelled/top-hat the crystal, the dial has a slight sunburst, the bezel and edge glitters, the jubilee is single links so doesn’t jangle as much as an SKX and the bracelet is slightly dulled like gunmetal, the friction bezel – something I was nervous of – is pretty stiff and can’t be accidentally moved, and the sometimes visible two tone bezel is a talking point.

But its it really the “SKX of 2022”? I think for me it is, its easily worn as a desk mule, would look great on black rubber for holiday, and somehow manages to look a bit upmarket also include some recently missing Seiko cache!

Either deliberately or accidentally Seiko seemed to have hit a mark with this one, perhaps bringing something more than a homage to their own models for a change.