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Neilnevill. Thanks for the offer I’ve succumbed to one already off eBay 🙂
Any recommendations for second hand vintage watch shops around London/ Essex area?
Wally, my local is in crystal palace, he's good. There are several used watch dealers on the strand and Burlington arcade near regent Street, but both are costly.
If you have any idea what you want and budget, I can look in the window for you and maybe take some photos. He always has more inside though including the higher end stuff. Window has lots of tag, 60s, 70s and 80s omega, Cartier stuff at £5-700 ish plus a few at a bit more, last time I was in for a chat he showed me a couple of Rolex datejusts he had in....seem. 4-6k iirc.
I can pop over Wednesday, where are they?
Crystal Palace Jewellers London
76 Church Rd, London SE19 2EZ
020 8653 7507
It's 3 or 4 minutes walk from the bus parade, 5 from crystal palace or gipsy hill station.
Daryll is very knowledgeable and friendly, normally will chat for hours about watches.... It's normally me thinking 'i need an excuse to leave!'
Stay away from the two 36mm bond seamaster professionals. (one quartz, think the other is auto as it's stopped and Daryll always does new batteries). They aren't for you... No no no. 😉
That shop is a couple of min walk away from me, always has a lot of 50’s to 80’s Omega, longines and the odd zenith. Just be aware that some are redials. Nothing wrong in this just some people don’t know and think it’s just really good condition, there’s 3 omegas in the window now all with the same silvered 3-6-9 Arabic numerals that look box-fresh (redials). Prices are reasonable too.
There’s a couple of shops in clerkenwell worth a look too.
Daryll has an Omega trained guy that services the watches and (not sure if it's the same guy or another guy) who cleans/freshens dials. Most look (Imv) patina'd nicely.
I find Daryll very honest, if you are unsure of something just ask and he will explain. If the dial looks good, ask if its redialed.
His prices are very reasonable... Although up considerably on a few years ago. I've a 1960 seamaster manual wind that I got from him err... 6 years ago for £300, now I see similar in his window at £500+. However if it were in the place on the Strand it would be £800 or so and DEFINITELY a redial.
Time to disgust everyone.
I’ve just pressed the button on a Fenix 3, which means the Seiko Prospex Kinetic GMT (SUN019P1) is going out of rotation and into storage.
The Oris Pro Pilot GMT and the 7754 Valjoux Torgoen are safe though.
No GMT fetish here. Oh no.
I think Japanese watches are highly underrated. I own a few Seiko and Citizen (and a Tag).
This is interesting https://deployant.com/5-facts-about-citizen-watch-company-which-you-may-not-know/
Thats very interesting. My horologist friend recommended I but an eco-drive, explaining to me that Citizen were to him as Giant bikes were to me. That makes sense now, but I never realised they were 100% Japanese made.
That Super Titanium looks nice - and 1s per year accuracy for the Calibre 0100!
I’m loving this thread, its a great learning curve.
Neilnevill out of curiosity how much is the London Jewellers looking for the G10?
I wonder what impact smart/activity watches will have on the nice watch market. Having just the other week got a Garmin Instinct my daily wear for the past 15 years Seamaster has hardly been on my wrist.
thatscold - nice link.
Loving this (slightly, but not very, Swiss) Citizen
Beautiful.
Now if it were GMT...
I wonder what impact smart/activity watches will have on the nice watch market. Having just the other week got a Garmin Instinct my daily wear for the past 15 years Seamaster has hardly been on my wrist.
Likewise while I’m at home recently. I wear a vivosmart on the other wrist permanently anyway for sleep & HR observations mainly and don’t need the instinct so when I leave the house I wear a proper watch. I have my eco drive on now (AT4008-51E) the instinct is charging but I alternate between the eco drive and Tag Aquaracer for work/with suit.
I think likely i’ll be saving up to get the 12yo Tag Serviced and cleaned - it was a wedding present - and box that for Sunday best and rotate the Eco Drive and the Samurai instead.
Most likely what will happen is that each will be worn on the whim of the day.
I wonder what impact smart/activity watches will have on the nice watch market. Having just the other week got a Garmin Instinct my daily wear for the past 15 years Seamaster has hardly been on my wrist.
I bought a Garmin about 2 years ago at the same time I put my Speedmaster somewhere safe! I can’t remember where I put it but I know it’s safe. Not worn it since though
This is a great thread. Makes a pleasant change from previous watch discussions. I rotate my watches week to week. Hopefully this will help to keep the movements in good order but either way they'll all need a service a some point.
Mine are: Rolex Sub (Kermit), Rolex Cellini, IWC Pilot XVI, Omega Seamaster.
Rotation is good.
I wonder what impact smart/activity watches will have on the nice watch market.
Not much, really. I’m pretty sure anyone buying a smar****ch knows it’s going to be obsolete within a few years, once the battery dies and software updates are no longer available, probably five years at most. A decent analogue watch from a good maker will still be usable a century on. My mechanical Yema Rallygraf is now around fifty years old, and works fine after a new mainspring and service. My TAG Heuer Series 1000 ‘Nightdiver’ is getting on for thirty-five years old, is working just fine, hasn’t needed a battery for some years, had a redial around twenty years ago after the retaining pins on the back of the original face fell off.
I cannot imagine any smar****ch lasting even ten years.
I’ve just had an email from Huckberry in the States, they gather all sorts of outdoor gear, and they have limited numbers of an Italian watch brand that might be of interest:
https://huckberry.com/store/unimatic?utm_campaign=01.01+Unimatic+%28NPFNJj%29&utm_medium=email&_ke=eyJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJhZHJpYW4uaGlsbGllckBtZS5jb20iLCAia2xfY29tcGFueV9pZCI6ICJiVnZ2QmUifQ%3D%3D&utm_source=Newsletter+-+International
I'm selling a BNIB Edifice Toro Rosso if anyone likes them, drop me a message
Plus one, not sure, I'll try and go past and look, it was in the window so if it's still there I'll let you know the asking price.
Wysiwyg - ygm.
This thread has made me want a new watch.......
Really like the look of the STW favourite Seiko SNDA57 but can I find them for sale, no, no I can't!
Neilnevill thanks.. I’ve never looked at as many watches in my life !! See my current collection swelling 🙂
Anyone have any opinions on the Orient Ray II? Just as an everyday watch, would more than likely change to a leather strap of some sort also.
https://www.orien****chusa.com/products/ray-ii-faa02005d9
What about...
Not saying Orient aren't OK.... They're good watches. But I think a few quid more gets you better. In terms of movement, build, glass, lume. Newer models of Phoibos seem to be getting pricey. 250 ish dollars gets you quite a nice deal thoigh at the moment.
Just as an everyday watch, would more than likely change to a leather strap of some sort also.
A diver on leather?
Outrageous behaviour.
I think likely i’ll be saving up to get the 12yo Tag Serviced and cleaned
I had my WAJ1110 2009 serviced/refurbished/polished by these guys: http://www.watchrepairuk.com/
Did a great job and looked good as new (apart from a big dent in the clasp which wouldn't come out) and cost me a little over £300 (back in Sept '18)
Tropic ftw
I've got that exact Orient Ray II and like it a lot. Keeps good time, robust and looks a lot more expensive than it is, the blue on the face is really good. The bracelet it comes on is OK, but I prefer it on either a NATO or a brown leather strap.
You'll not go far wrong with it at all.
Orient I believe are ok. Steinhart are only a few quid more and come with eta movements, some elabore, and rest of the build quality is very good, so you should consider those too.
I bought a phoibas as shown ^ by aphex_2k, PX002Aas shown here with quartz movement and it has only lost 11 seconds over the last 8weeks since setting the exact time - that's a helluva lot better than the seiko automatic (yobokies) it replaced, I changed the strap for a Zulu Diver 300 rubberstrap from watch gecko (smells of vanilla for some reason).
It's obviously outclassed by just about every other watch on this thread but it tells the same time as any other watch so i'm perfectly happy with it
with quartz movement and it has only lost 11 seconds over the last 8weeks
Joking aside, that’s not great for a quartz movement. It’s not bad for an auto but I’d expect a quartz to be a little better than that.
Steinhart are only a few quid more and come with eta movements
Orient are in house movements (well, that or Seiko movements), which, if they were Swiss, you’d pay a big premium for. The movements are not particularly pretty but they are solid, reliable and accurate and certainly no worse than a generic ETA movement.
Thanks lunge. I know little about Orient, just by reputation they are ok.
It seems a bit odd to me to prize in house movements in lower to mid end watches, the makers aren't investing heavily and driving development forward.... The recent restrictions in ETA ebouchments has driven many to their own movements, which although I've not read into I suspect most are cloned Seiko or ETA. High end brands do develop clever bits and generate sales from their development... But lower down I'm not convinced it's a selling point. If it's got an ETA, it's easily serviced.... That is a selling point to me.... Although I'm not saying Orient movement isn't good, just it's worth considering a known good movement.
Just bought a 009 jubilee and a sea urchin. Great
Whilst visiting I took a trip into London today. I am not normally into expensive baubles, cars or other extravagant items with fashionable labels.
I did however pass pleny of jewellers with loads of vintage men's Rolex watches. I found myself quite smitten. I like a leather strap. If I wished to get a decent vintage watch without spending silly money, where might be a good place to look or a manufacturer to look out for?
If I wished to get a decent vintage watch without spending silly money, where might be a good place to look or a manufacturer to look out for?
The classics, like Rolex, Breitling, etc, are all fetching high prices, you need to look for early models of less well-known watches, which is where the collectors are starting to look. One example is my TAG Heuer Series 1000 ‘Night Diver’ - I paid £250 for it around 1985-ish. It was one of the first sports watches Heuer produced with TAG’s involvement, and came in a variety of models, all black finish with luminous face, stainless with luminous face, plus a couple of other variations.
Up until very recently, nobody was paying much attention to them, until collectors obsessed with the watches worn by James Bond checked the first Timothy Dalton film, and realised he’s wearing the TAG ‘Night Diver’ in the first scenes, set on Gibraltar, and the stainless version in the rest of the film. Prices are nw starting to go up as a result, I’ve seen examples of mine starting to go for £1000 or more. Maybe older Citizen watches, or similar might be worth looking at, I don’t know, I’m not someone who collects watches for any monetary reasons, I’ve just bought mine years apart because I like them. Just by chance my old Yema is worth getting on or £4000, I paid £50 for it!
Really, just find something you like the look of, and if the price is doable, buy it.
CWC G10 arrived this morning it’s 1990
Navy issue. Bar a tiny graze on crystal(hard to see) I looks as new 🙂
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For the love of god tuck that Nato in...
This might be of interest to everyone on this thread, I’ve just watched (ha!) it through and it’s fascinating. It’s a watchmaker taking apart two movements, one Japanese, one Swiss, both used by the same watch brand:
I had the black face version of the Orient watch shown in the picture above. I used it for a year or so and then sold it to an Egyptian guy who worked in a dive shop in Eugpt while I was on holiday there. I went back a year later and the watch was still working perfectly and looked to be in pretty good condition, although I think he had changed it to a rubber strap. Given they are not that expensive and it had probably had a hard 12 months after I sold it in Eygpt I was genuinely impressed in how it had stood up to the use.
I would happily buy another one.
This might be of interest to everyone on this thread
I found that fascinating, thanks for posting.
However, $300 difference for essentially 2 plastic cogs and a the addition of a lever to stop the clock on adjustment? I was kind of hoping for a "and this is why..." lightbulb moment.
I’m new to Nato straps I had tucked it in as it was annoying me !! 🙂