Watches N+1…

Not sure I’m keen on that, looks like something my user named alter ego might wear…

Well, it’s got some angles for sure. Too big for my taste but I quite like the looks and it’s good to see a micro not taking all their design cues from industry classics.

Ah the old “an heirloom” marital justification method…

In the interests of fairness it’s got to be one heirloom per child…

Ah the old “an heirloom” marital justification method…

Yeah – I mean, it depends why you’re into watches, right? If you’re into the idea of owning one (or N+1…) watches that grow old with you, develop their own patina and ultimately become something you pass down through your family – then you’ll want to buy a watch that can withstand a lifetime (or more) of wear.

Personally I’m quite into the ‘romantic’ ideal of wearing one watch which will grow old with me, with it’s own battle scars and unique patina.

If that’s not something you’re into or if that sounds stupid, that’s absolutely fine – maybe luxury watches aren’t for you. Or maybe you’re into luxury watches for other reasons, which again – is fine.

They’re expensive, fairly redundant objects – so you gotta make sure you’re buying one for a reason you’re at peace with yourself with. Otherwise you’ll never be able to truly enjoy it!

plyphon nails it.

the tudor is a far far better watch that will still have a lot of value in years to come, it’ll run better, it will look better…..and yes you pay a lot of extra for the little shield too.

Kryton, I’ve pm’d you.

They’re expensive, fairly redundant objects – so you gotta make sure you’re buying one for a reason you’re at peace with yourself with. Otherwise you’ll never be able to truly enjoy it!

Having slept on it I think this bit is key, and also true – at least for me – about most significant purchases. Out of interest generated by this thread I’ve been looking and discussing watches for a long time now, but until I saw that Black Bay I didn’t really want to buy another.  Nor do I want to buy it to say “look at me!”   But the more I learn about it – the growing patina of Bronze watches I discovered earlier in the thread, the movement detail and lesser pretentiousness of Rolex from Plyphon earlier helps me build a story.  And it’s a story about watches that I have discovered I like.   Yes looks are influential but being able to tell – or bore – someone with a history and detail that is investested I the Watch I have found it key.  Now, maybe I’ll end up with a Bronze Black bay one day, maybe not but if so I could indeed hand this down with a back story of quality care and attention that it deserves.

The only other watch I feel about is the Citizen Chronomaster – a huge back story and every detail has a quality and mystical telling of manufacture and technique from unique Washi faces and long historic Samurai polishing methods.  I mean jeez, there’s such an investment in skill and time in that watch that transcends centuries and tells to the skills of an ancient society.   What a thing.

Personal connection to your watch is super important – both my luxury watches I had a major life goal/milestone/etc behind the reason to purchase. It’s nice to celebrate things via something luxury that you’ll get to wear and enjoy every day.

Agreed. 40th birthday= my planet Ocean, married this year = my pelagos.

When it comes down to it, it’s just jewellery and it’s about making you feel good for wherever reason you have.

Oooo, its nice! The sumo has arrived! Photos tomorrow maybe. i need to get the bracelet sized or buy the tool, pins and collars to do it myself (if anyone wants to make suggestions please do) it is a very good fit though! the head I mean. very surprised, i really thought it would be huge but …well…it isn’t. until i hold my PO next to it I’d never think it were larger.
I’ll report more once I’ve had a proper play

The sumo has arrived! Photos tomorrow maybe.

Great stuff, I look forward to it!

buy the tool, pins and collars to do it myself (if anyone wants to make suggestions please do)

TBH any old thing will do, a cheap kit like this one from Amazon will be fine for home use – it’s got everything you’ll need (unless the links are joined by screw pins, in which case a tiny screwdriver is what you need). Pay more money and you’ll get something that’s nicer to use and more robust but I’ve never bothered. You won’t need extra pins and collars (if it even has collars), you’ll reuse what you take out to rejoin the bracelet.

Heads up, some good prices on Seiko on Creation Watches today, £255 for an SKX007/9 or less if you’re happy with the Korean model.

Hmmm, 94 watches listed under Prospex, all of them listed as in stock and all of them also listed as not available for sale… Dafuq?

https://www.creationwatches.com/products/seiko-prospex-299/

Hmmm, 94 watches listed under Prospex, all of them listed as in stock and all of them also listed as not available for sale… Dafuq?

Some sort of geolocation nonsense going on there, they may have an agreement not to sell into the UK market. If I switch server to US, Netherlands or France they’re available. Whether switching locale would let a purchase go through with a UK card or delivery address I’ve no idea.

Any good Black Friday deals?

While “Christmas shopping” I’ve accidentally ordered my first ever G-Shock an AW-591.

I’m excited now about it coming now, and oddly enough I’ve never had a G-Shock before despite being a bit of a Casio fan…

It’s apparently not as comically huge as some other G-Shocks (~46mm) and is a Ana-Digi type watch, both of which which appealed to me.
Straight after ordering that I found myself looking at the stealthy negative display, Black DW-5600, I may have started on another slippery slope…

Still need to buy some presents for the missus though!

Right, the Count’s SKX007 has developed a fault. It’s started losing a random chunk of time, between 15 mins to 1 hour some days. Every time but one this has been overnight, so I assumed around date change, but one random loss in the morning has confused that.

Any idea what the issue might be? With the 7s26 movement is it really worth trying to get it repaired or just bang a replacement in? Could even get it upgraded at the same time to a hacking/winding one.

(sorry cookeaa, a hijack. Put a picture up of it when it arrives).

Magnetised?

In what way Kryton? Left next to a powerful source overnight, (in which case, no) or can a ‘belt’ of magnetism permanently affect them? In think that’s very unlikely too. Although I work in a power station with magnetic exclusion zones for pacemakers and such, I have no need to get that close to these sources.

This thread is relevant to my interests.

I’m someone who hasn’t got the money to burn on Rolex’s etc, so am a budget peruser.

So far my favourite is my custom 80’s SX007 7002 (and a couple of broken ones). Have a few Seiko 5’s, a couple of Vostoks, etc. I also have a couple of Grayton Harriers which were an interesting Amazon find.

Was a bit of a Master copy collector, but found that they generally couldn’t take daily use, often failing when knocked or dropped. I do fancy one of those Parnis’s tho…

However my pride and joy is my quartz Heuer Diver 980.006 – a rare and appreciating little curio – 40mm case, but super tough.

or can a ‘belt’ of magnetism permanently affect them?

It sure can – your symptoms perfectly describe a magnetised watch – random erratic losses of time.

You can buy a demagnetiser on ebay for a couple of quid, or take it into any jewellers and they should have a wotsit that does it.

Excellent, cheers plyphon. You’re right about the cost of a demagnetiser, I’ll give that a go.

Love this thread. Always have a read when I get a chance. So I thought I’d share my watch history.

Always been fascinated by watches. I got a Timex digital watch for my 8th(ish) birthday. One of the LED ones that you had to push the button in to see the time and the battery lasted about 2 month at a time, no idea what happened to it and I regularly look for one the same on ebay and can never seem to find one the same, maybe after all these years I remember it incorrectly, so I never will.

I was then hooked, I remember being obsessed about getting a calculator watch after my uncle got one with tiny buttons you needed a pen to us, he gave it me a few years later and I still have it somewhere.

Once I started work one of my first purchases was a Seiko divers style watch, another uncle had a Rolex and I converted from the day I saw it.

Then things got serious, I got a Tag 1500 for my 21 birthday. I still have it, wore it pretty well every day until I was 30. Unfortunately I swapped the strap out for some trendy surfer Velcro one at some point and although I still have the original metal strap I can’t find the “shoulders” to put it back on. Again they are on an eBay search.

I went for an Omega Seamaster for my 30th from a shop in Australia. It was a very good deal, good discount and with the exchange rate at the time it was hard to say no. Although I liked it to start with, I always felt I probably bought it because of the deal and I never really likes the wave lines on the face.

On my 40th I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to trade in the Omega and get the watch i had wanted for a very long time. A Rolex Deepsea Seadweller. I still love it as much now as the day I got it. I’d saved hard for a good few years in order to get it, it wasn’t just some whim. I’m 50 next birthday and my wife asked if I wanted to change it, but I don’t think so. On the plus side it’s worth a lot more now after 9 years than I paid for it.

I don’t wear it all the time, a day or 2 a week. I currently wear a Garmin Fenix 3 most of the time (maybe I’ll update that for my birthday). I also have a Casio G-shock GNW-1000B as my holiday watch, great watch. Solar and radio adjust, so always accurate and I never have to worry about it.

Although my Rolex is very important to me, it is just watch, it’s on the house insurance and could easily be replaced. Therefore it is not my most treasured watch and I am not being flippant in anyway.

For my 18th birthday my late Nan asked what I wanted and knew instantly. My grandad had been given a watch for his retirement, it wasn’t some mega money thing but it was a nice Rotary and he’d worn it every day. He’d past way nearly 10 years by then, at one point she had leant it to my dad while his was getting fixed or something, so I knew it was around somewhere. So I cheekily asked for it, we have a big family so I was well down the pecking order for it, but nobody else had ever thought to ask(there where comments after the fact) so tough. Turned out it was broken by then. So she had it fixed and put a new strap on it for me. I have worn it to every wedding, funeral, christening, graduation etc I’ve ever been to . Years later my mum told me I’d made my nan cry when I’d asked for it, she was so happy (is it’s dusty in here). Truly love that watch, keeps shocking time though.

What a great story johnikgriff.  Moving, and thanks for sharing it.

Truly love that watch, keeps shocking time though.

Want to borrow my demagnetiser? 🤣
See, there’s the thing about watches vs. the smartphone in your pocket. So much more to them than just being functional.

Great story, thanks for sharing

EDIT: I’d love to see pics of your Sea Dweller, they’re great watches.

Yes, and the unreliable Rotary. Photos from Neil_Bolton too.

What no picture of my Garmin.

Rotary looks so small compared to my other watches now.

Not sure you can see, but the winder on the Rotary is not the original. It was the bit they repaired, tbf i thought it was very “clunky” compared to the original, but didn’t want to change it as that’s how she had it replaced. It’s not long had to have the strap replaced again, the other just fell apart.

Note, my arms aren’t as hairy as they look in the photos

https://www.flickr.com/photos/185838450@N04/shares/DxC70u

I’ve not posted pictures in ages (clearly). I’ll keep trying, but I’m hoping the link works at least.

Right, the Count’s SKX007 has developed a fault. It’s started losing a random chunk of time, between 15 mins to 1 hour some days. Every time but one this has been overnight, so I assumed around date change, but one random loss in the morning has confused that.

Any idea what the issue might be? With the 7s26 movement is it really worth trying to get it repaired or just bang a replacement in? Could even get it upgraded at the same time to a hacking/winding one.

Definitely not magnetised. When that happens the coils on the hairspring stick together, effectively shortening it and causing it to run several hours fast per day.

My money’s on a worn/loose cannon pinion. It’s the bit the minute hand is mounted on and is friction fitted to the centre wheel acting as a clutch when setting the time – in normal use the ‘clutch’ is locked and transferring power from the movement to the hands, but when setting the time the clutch/cannon pinion slips allowing the hour and minute hands to be set independently of the movement. If the cannon pinion is too loose then it’ll start to slip when the date change introduces some more resistance and eventually as it gets worse the hour and minute hands won’t move at all.

It’s a relatively easy fix for a watchmaker to do but requires almost all of the dial side of the movement to be removed. Most watchmakers will quote for a full movement service and possibly for more than what the watch is worth so it works out cheaper buying the upgraded movement and required crown/stem and only paying for a movement swap. Make sure you buy a movement with the date at 4 and not 3, otherwise it won’t line up. Also be aware that new movements don’t ship with a day disc but if your watch has a 7S26C movement you can use the old one on the 4R36/NH36/6R15. If the watch was made prior to 2008-ish then it’ll be a 7S26A or B version and a new day disc and day advance wheel will also be required.

Cheers Fudd for taking the time to type that comprehensive answer, not quite sure what to do now! Might just take it to my local watch place and let him at it, I certainly can’t put up with it as is. An hour out again this morning.

On a different note, anyone seen the new Bond watch yet? Nice.

Fudd has much deeper knowledge than me! Interesting to read, thanks for taking the time to diagnose that.

I like some aspects of that new Omega – the domed crystal, the all brushed case, the typeface and hour markers are all great.

But the faux-sun bleached patina is a bit strong for me. Sometimes I don’t mind faux-patina but it does feel overdone here.

N-1.
20 years of faithful service & the bezel has gone.

Can’t you just glue it back on?

Not if I want it to go round. I found the retaining ring after it I Chad stood on it. I’ll take it to the watch maker when I get a chance.

On a different note, anyone seen the new Bond watch yet? Nice.

Very Nice!

£7,320

Oh well…

On a different note, anyone seen the new Bond watch yet?

Comes on a Mesh Bracelet, in fact a titanium mesh bracelet!
I like a Mesh bracelet, Can’t afford £7.5K though…

N-1.
20 years of faithful service & the bezel has gone.

The chap behind Animal watches now runs Elliot Brown watches and I hear he still works on Animal watches where parts are still available. That would be my first port of call.

Thanks for that Fudd, I’ll look him up.
Though I’m on the bottom of the world, so cost may be prohibitive.

I don’t like the mesh strap on the omega but the head is quite nice and I’ve seen a mock up of it in a sand coloured NATO which worked well. It’s costly, it’s Titanium… My it’s a lot more than the standard one costs….. But omega are pushing their prices up constantly.

You can get it with that mesh strap, or a Bond grey and black NATO natch. The article suggested one of the other, but you’d have thought for the price of it they’d throw a strip of nylon in with the mesh one, the tight arses.

But the faux-sun bleached patina is a bit strong for me.

I just see it as ‘brown’ and quite like it as such. However, it’s unlikely to be something that ever really troubles me at the price, (with or without the extra NATO strap. 😀)

Having seen one in this thread I’m getting an Alkin for Xmas. The white face and stainless steel case. My first automatic watch. I like the minimalist design.
Getting the brown strap.

Nice choice

I keep toying with buying stainless/black face/black strap

But then it’s £250 towards the Stowa that I really want…..