Thanks Neil, will PM you later

It’s a 75190?

The most dangerous thing about about horology is knowing a little but not clearly enough.
Wally has been a muppet again.

What have you done Wally?

Right then the watch swap, the inevitable has happened, I’ve acquired two watches, each within budget and I like both, they each have their Pro’s and Con’s and so I’m struggling to decide which one I send now…

I guess I could describe them as one being more “Quirky” and the other as more “Classical” in appearance without giving much away. I’d personally be happy to receive either but I’m worrying now about other’s expectations, and imposing my tastes and compromises on some other poor bugger.
I don’t want to send something they’re going to hate…

Anyone else facing a similar conundrum with this game?

Anyone else facing a similar conundrum with this game?

Kinda, but in the end I’m going to go with “if I was buying a watch for myself, and I was going to spend thirty quid, what would I buy and be happy with?”. People’s tastes vary, obvs, but that’s part of the fun I reckon.

Yeah, I’ve not purchased yet but have my eye on a few things of various types.
Shall I go vintage or new(er)?
Classic in design/boring or something modern/quirky?
A brand I’d heard of or something random?

Hmm.

I decided to just go for one specific brand that I was aware of, but happened to have never bought an example of before, which I sort of knew I could find reasonable examples within the target budget, that helps narrow the process down a fair bit…

I think I’ve made up my mind now, I can see myself looking about for a similar one for myself later, which I’m treating as an indicator that it’s the “better” watch.

Got myself into a pickle here with a monoblock pre “Ray Mears”

I jumped on a watch swap in haste, it arrived pretty quickly and it’s rubbish. Got to be something you’d wear yourself I reckon so this is just going straight back on eBay.

It was absolutely vile filthy too. 🤮 Why would you not spend 10 minutes cleaning off your own mank before sending it off.

Hopefully have something more suitable on its way now otherwise it’s getting a bit costly!

Also in the game, there appears to be a lot of rubbish around! My thinking is that it has to be something I’d wear. I’ve got a couple I’m mulling over, the one I prefer might like a night cheap in real life, but it looks good in the photos.

I think I’ve now sorted the watch swap watch.
I bought one, panicked, and bought a second. Hoping at least 1 will be as good as I hope.

Happy new watch day to me

That Tudor is rather lovely! If I had a need for a more understated watch, that would be the perfect compromise between a diver and a dress watch, a clean bezel-less case, but the large, clear hands and indices. 😍

does everyone else find that seatbelt straps stretch considerably when wet? or is it just the ones i got from georgesstraps?

Got three small diameter watches to sell:
Omega Seamaster 1960’s (has been through Swiss Time Services), Seiko Prospex titanium air diver solar JDM (New from London Seiko boutique) and a Smiths Everest 36mm (New from Eddie of Timefactors). Is the best method to wait until you get from ebay a £1 max fee and then take your chances on letting an auction run?

Pickle with monoblock sorted with excellent advice on Timefactors watch forum, turns out they are a notoriously difficult watch to open and repress and Cousins had the gaskets.

Have you not been on tz long enough to post in sales corner? All 3 would sell easily there I’m sure my. Failing that then yes I reckon a week on eBay and they would generally fetch their value. Lots of photos and a good description, answer any questions quickly and cross you’re fingers.

Could we have pictures? I always like a vintage seamaster. Well… There are a few perhaps i don’t, but mostly I like them.

Been on TZ since Feb 2018, but only 50+ postings, so nearly 200 short. I do think STW could learn a little from this method. I think I will sit tight and get to 250 and then post up on there. I do loathe and resist giving Ebay money. In no rush this end. Be fun,interesting and useful to start somewhere reliable run by hobbyists.

Hmm, that looks like ideal an ideal WatchSwap candidate. Will you take £30 for it? 😁

@CountZero cheers! Yeah it nicer in the flash too. Maybe would have preferred a dome on the crystal but really pleased with it

@Wally that Seamaster is fab!

Lovely! NIce to see the coathanger ‘S’. Similarish to my own of the same age.

Well I’ve requested to return my watchswap watch. It is a small but nice looking old Oris on one of those expanding straps. I’ve been wearing it for a few days to regulate it and although it’s tiny 30mm I’ve grown to the looks.

Regulation however is knackered. It swings wildly between -10 and +10 mins a day so barely counts as telling the time.

Unless I can find something quick, it’s going to be the reliable but not so cool backup.

My package of two new watches arrived today from Zelos watches. I give you the amazing value proposition of the Zelos Swordfish 40mm.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zsu7owT1WMw69PYQJzw6hjhLK9aH5e2j/view?usp=drivesdk

Unfortunately I find it very difficult to take decent photos of watches.

Unfortunately I find it very difficult to take decent photos of watches.

Unless you sort out the permissions on the pic we’ll never know! I would have been all over those 40mm Swordfish if I didn’t have a 42mm bronze one already – as it is I just managed to talk myself out of it.

I need STW’s help!

Im after a simple field/tool daily watch to replace an aged and battered G10, the requirements are;
numerals
date
cheap (which rules out an Oris Propilot) ideally less than £200
Must be solar/kinetic/auto ie no battery.
Future fixable ie new crystal when I inevitably scrape it.

I think I’ve narrowed it down to the following watches in order of preference but im not 100% on any of them for the following reasons hence a bit of STW assistance in choosing one!

4.
Seiko EN471 solar
downsides – 44mm case which is probably too big for my small/medium sized wrists.

3.
Seiko SN13Z13J
downsides – the unused ‘real estate’ round the outside of the upper dial face annoys me a little

2.
Orient Defender
downsides – bit overly fussy with the 2nd hour indicator dial

1.
Seiko SNK381
downsides – 38mm case is possibly too small, polished case – prefer brushed/blasted finishes

Thoughts and comments please!

The finishing on the Orient will be a lot better than you’d expect for the price and the smaller hr dial effectively acts as an AM/PM indicator which helps when setting the date.

I’m buying that same model at some point soon but I’ll put a NATO strap on it I reckon.

RNP – Get yourself on Timefactors forum , post and wait.
I have only had two days of “sales corner access” and …..it’s been fun.
Posters often allow 10% to the website runner as a sign of gratitude.
If only STW learnt a little from this method of classifieds.

This fits your bill, +£75. on for sale.

Tz-uk is very good, very good indeed. Currently wearing my sc purchased pelagos.

Rusty, of those is pic the SN13Z13J, Ive had one in the past, it’s a good, very reliable watch and can be worn on loads of different straps.

However, I did buy my, rather large wristed brother a SNK381 and it does look bad at all on his wrists. He normally wears it on a leather strap. I’m sure you can find that watch with a brushed finish if you look around.

^thanks for the comments.

I should just buy the two Seiko’s and be done with it but when I buy a watch it pretty much goes on my wrist and comes off again when it’s broken ~10 years or so later so I don’t want it annoying me for that long!

I was going to pull the trigger on the Orient earlier today but thinking about it for a few hours longer that 2nd 24hour indicator is still annoying me and it’s the dearest watch out of them all.

It’s going to be either the 381 or the 13z

The finishing on the Orient will be a lot better than you’d expect for the price and the smaller hr dial effectively acts as an AM/PM indicator which helps when setting…

A mate of mine rocked up with an Orient Triton the other day, I was amazed at the build quality tbh.

I’ve managed to knacker one of these 🤦🏻‍♂️. The regulation was all over the place from when I got it (from Creation). It’s a 2ish years old and recently started running 2hrs/days fast. When I tried adjusting I accidently moved the beat regulator (not that it was useable anyway). It doesn’t really work at all now. I looked at servicing costs but it’s similar to what the watch costs. It also has a tiny bit of lume on the inside of the dial which has driven me crazy from the moment I noticed it 😬. Not sure what to do with it now 🤷🏻‍♂️ assume it’s worthless.

I’ve got my eyes on one of these now. Looking to buy from UK supplier this time though. Price alert set up on Camel Camel Camel. I know it it’s a bit of a Tudor rip-off, but I really like it:

I’ve got an app in my phone called Clock Tuner. It doesn’t tell you the beat error, but it does give a trace like one of those fancy machines so you could see how re adjusting the beat regulator works.

Although if it’s 2hours per day out, there’s probably something more fundamentally broken than that. What movement? Probably just easier to swap it, can be done DIY, I managed it!

@ross980, currently £136 at Creation Watches, I only know this as I’m looking too.
Not UK but the service and shipping is always very good from them. https://www.creationwatches.com/products/orient-watches-252/orient-mako-iii-ra-aa0011b19b-sports-automatic-200m-mens-watch-14879.html

These look good to

Got to add Duty/VAT and handling fee to Creation though. I got stung with it last time. It’s cheaper on eBay once that’s factored in. Next watch I get in double checking dust/lume under the glass before I start wearing and will be returning if not perfect. My Seiko was a Japanese made one which are supposed to have better QC 🙄

Got to add Duty/VAT and handling fee to Creation though. I got stung with it last time. It’s cheaper on eBay once that’s factored in. Next watch I get in double checking dust/lume under the glass before I start wearing and will be returning if not perfect. My Seiko was a Japanese made one which are supposed to have better QC 🙄

If you choose the royal mail ~£6 option you don’t end up paying import duties/tax. The free shipping option does. Not sure how it works plenty of Google about it

@ross980 – I just looked, 4R35 movements are £37 to £40 on eBay, would be a lot cheaper to have whoever you would used to service just to swap it. There are also people who offer SKX007 upgrades for about £100 including the movement, it’s essentially the same job.

If you decide to replace I’d have the old one off you for a few quid, (to you or charity) and fix it.

OOS on Creation. Ended up just ordering from Amazon.it , much cheaper than Amazon.co.uk
For anyone else looking for similar things it’s often worth looking at Amazon .fr .de.es.it etc. The prices vary wildly and can be a lot cheaper, even with currency conversion and postage (at least for now whilst there’s no VAT/Duty!).

I think I’m going to hang on to it @tthew , I might try and swap the movement myself at some point in the future.

I might try and swap the movement myself at some point in the future.

Good plan, if its already broken, you’ve little to loose! There are lots of YouTube films showing how to upgrade the SKX’s to that movement and you won’t have the complication of changing the stem. You will have to change the date wheel across and the hands are the most tricky bit, but not impossible.

So how are the Watch Swappers’ watch searches going? I had my eye on a few, missed a couple, have now hit a bit of a dry spot. Hmm.

I did find this though, which brought on a pang of nostalgia as my very first watch, circa 40 years ago…

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A-VINTAGE-TIMEX-TRAINING-WATCH-IN-GOOD-CONDITION-FULLY-WORKING/313185277535

I’ve hopefully got something arriving this week.
If it’s as good as the eBay pics I think the person receiving it will quite like it, we’ll see!