What Tthew said, although I’d struggle with:

I’m reluctant to swap it as the wife and daughters chose it,

Equally though its not fair to them if you don’t wear it because you regret it being on your wrist.   Better is subjective – I think the one you’ve linked to and Sprockers Calibre 5 look “Omega” like and therefore a bit more middle aged than your watch which is a good or bad thing.   Then again, I like chrono’s.

Both likely have a Ronda quartz in them so your essentially paying for the name and the build.

TDLR pick the one YOU like best.

I’m reluctant to swap it as the wife and daughters chose it

It’s a dilemma.
I’m not sure the Aquaracer is higher or lower than the Formula 1, just different styles and ranges.
I think my wife would like to have something I like and wear regularly. I think I’d have a look at others, but unless something really stood out I’d stick with what I’ve got.
The Tag Link I posted on previous pages was a present, my wife said the same “go to this shop to adjust the bracelet, they’ll swap the watch if you prefer another one”. There were a couple that I liked but in the end I stuck with what she’d saved for and bought, and I’m very glad I did.

I’ve developed a bit of a liking for Tags recently, mainly because they still get a bit of watch-snob hate and I’m a contrary f****r like that. The recent Aquaracers look smart, the tortoiseshell version in particular and they’re a decent size as well.

Oh yes, that red one does look nice.

@Kato

How much for that seagull ?

@brads £150 posted? Open to negotiation though Jon DOT Hitchcock AT gmail DOT com

And Brad saves me, unless I’m gun jumping again.

See now the blue one…niiiice!
The red. No. I just…no.
Watches are very personal aren’t they!

Re which tag odd best, what does best mean to you? Are there features in one your rate? Movement differences, water resistance, case size/shape/weight/fit, bracelet or clasp size, fit, adjust, build or complications or crystal sapphire Vs acrylic or mineral, with or without ar, style, colour, readability etc etc etc. You get the idea!

and I quite like the red one!

Mine is the black on steel, would stick a pic on but its technically beyond me.

Eww, been following this on my phone today and now I’m on my computer just noticed the faux crocodile and stitching rubber strap on the Tortoise shell Aquaracer. That’s not nice.

It can be changed easily.

Speaking of Tag’s, I’ve still got my first one, a mid size (38mm) F1 chrono bought new in the summer of 2000 –

Within weeks I’d gotten the sickness and was glued to the internet learning the difference between Submariner’s and Seadweller’s etc, but I was earning 20k and planning to do my bike test, I wanted a new MTB and I really should have been saving for a house, so I made a concious decision to stop looking at watches.

I wore it 24/7 apart from when it was getting a battery fitted. The first battery cost me £75 from the place that sold me the watch and they tried to upsell a full service at over £200 on a two year old quartz. The next battery died at around five years old and the shop insisted on a full service due to the age of it, otherwise they wouldn’t send it for a battery, so I left and went to a place down the street who fitted a battery for £5. It performed flawlessly for the next five or six years until one day I looked at it and it was 20m slow. It happened a few more times so I knew it was now due a service but £250 on what was now a £350 watch was hard to stomach. It was around this time I saw a thread on here about modified Seiko’s and the sickness returned. I loved the idea of building a custom watch for less than the price of getting the Tag serviced, so the Tag was retired and I became a massive Seiko fanboy.

In the years that followed I went from swapping dials and hands on my own watches to buying old dead Tag’s on Ebay, fitting a new movement and flipping them. I then learnt how to service a quartz rather than spending £30 on a movement and then progressed to mechanical movements. I had some spare time during lockdown so I decided to pull the Tag out of the safe and give it some long overdue TLC. A new movement for this model is around £100 but as I was time rich and cash poor, plus now having the skills I decided to spend a few hours on it.

Here’s the back view of the ETA 251.262 movement –

There are five different circuits in this movement, one for each sub dial, one for the minute counter and one for the timekeeping, so basically five different quartz movements within one. It’s quite complicated inside when the bridges are removed to reveal the train wheels –

There’s a tiny wheel in each of the five metal parts called the rotor. This wheel is magnetic and is driven each time the coil next to it gets a pulse from the circuit and that’s how a quartz watch works. Many collectors turn their noses up at quartz saying they lack soul or whatever but I gained a new appreciation of them after servicing a few.

Train wheels removed –

Circuit revealed –

Circuit removed to reveal the keyless works which is for hand and date setting –

While the movement parts are in the cleaning machine the case and bracelet get ultrasonically cleaned and new gaskets fitted –

…and finished –

It was nice to get it up and running again and I was going to treat it to a new bezel, but after wearing +40mm watches for years it felt tiny and I doubt I’ll ever wear it much. It seems a bit silly spending £70 on a new bezel just to having it looking good at the back of the safe. Here it is next to a 42mm Speedmaster –

The lug to lug distance is very short and it has a small dial so wears more like a 35-36mm watch. Still, it’s the only watch I’ll never sell so it’s nice to know it’s back to full health again.

I bloody love it when you do this Fudd, thanks for posting, those pics will keep me entertained for hours.

@Kato

Missus saw this over my shoulder lol. Been warned, no more watches for the moment so still up for grabs folks.

Pity as it has an Orient feel about it that I like.

As we’re moving onto TAG appreciation, I bought this about 31 years ago as a young lad, my civil service colleagues at the time couldn’t understand paying £180 on a watch. It’s had new internals and a fair few battery changes since then but just sits in a watch box nowadays.

Why won’t the bloody image upload!! GRRRRRRRRR.

@brads haha I think we are all on a one in one out rule from the wives!

Seriously impressive work Fudd.

I’ve got a Vostock manual movement which was DOA, stops after about 30 mins if not on wrist. I might see if I can take it apart, not necessarily to fix it, just to see if I can reassemble it following your inspiration.

TAGception.

My 2000 from, er the year 2000. 30th birthday present.

My ocd!

So a question; would you buy a Grand Seiko?   For me it’d have to have a spring drive…

So a question; would you buy a Grand Seiko?

Absolutely. Not a quartz though

Yep, even a quartz…

In fact, given an unlimited budget I’d basically replace my penchant for cheap Japanese automatics with one for expensive Japanese automatics.

So a question; would you buy a Grand Seiko? For me it’d have to have a spring drive…

Absolutely yes, and not necessarily a spring drive, though it is a magical bit of kit.

Think I’d have a Grand Seiko over the Omega that was the first thing I really fancied now, (that one’s a beaut arogers)

I’d probably prefer a spring drive without the odd power reserve dial though.

Yes GS do some lovely watches. I’ve been considering a snowflake…but tbh I just have too much of a liking for rugged divers…so I’ve gone off it again….for now. I like the divers Ivan posted. especially the white one…my current favourite next watch is a white with black dial seamaster but now i see that GS…hmmm What is the model? although…no…sorry…can’t do quartz. stupid, its far more accurate and needs less maintenance but…no

kilo, that Tag is lovely.

wow fud, thanks.

I’m always impressed when Fud posts one of his sequences, no way I’d ever be able to do that!

Thanks gents.

As for Grand Seiko, just yes. They’ve been creeping up in price for the last few years but there’s still very little that compares. My only issue’s are that I’d rarely wear a dress style watch and some of the sportier GS’s can be a bit fugly, but that’s just me.

Yes it’s the snowflake / sbja211 that I was looking at.   I’ve been thinking / saving for my 50th and I’m torn between a GS and a Speedmaster currently (if either actually happens).  It’s quite a clean / dress look.   I’ve also got a hankering for a GMT as I don’t have one, so the SBGE201 appeals.

@arogers that’s awesome detail, which model is that?

I guess my question was based around my own knowledge I that I don’t know if a £5k Seiko is appreciated in the wider world, but I guess so!

which model is that?

SBGH267 It was a limited release in 2018.

I’d love a GS. Saw this when I was in Malaysia in January but couldn’t afford it and it would have been hard to hide!

Top post Fudd

@Fudd (probably, but anyone feel free to chip in) can you recommend a set of jewellers screwdrivers that’ll be better than the 2 quid eBay specials I have. Not mega expensive, and I’m not bothered about a rotating stand or anything. Also, what’s the smallest size needed? 1mm still seems a bit chunky for many small screws.

Awesome post Fudd!!

With regards to your Speedmaster, ever had any issues with it? Mine stopped working yesterday…its fully wound but nothing works – odd as I haven’t hit it or had it under water and its generally considered to be bombproof.

@Fudd (probably, but anyone feel free to chip in) can you recommend a set of jewellers screwdrivers that’ll be better than the 2 quid eBay specials I have. Not mega expensive, and I’m not bothered about a rotating stand or anything. Also, what’s the smallest size needed? 1mm still seems a bit chunky for many small screws.

If you’ve already got a cheapo set you can upgrade them with better blades from the likes of Bergeon, Horotec or AF Swiss. A set of five between 0.6mm and 1.2mm will cover almost everything you’ll encounter but a good oil stone is also essential as you’ll get some watches with very thin screw slots (vintage Omega for example). If you’re buying a new set AF Swiss are probably the best VFM and Horotec the daddies.

Awesome post Fudd!!

With regards to your Speedmaster, ever had any issues with it? Mine stopped working yesterday…its fully wound but nothing works – odd as I haven’t hit it or had it under water and its generally considered to be bombproof.

It could be any number of issues but without stripping it down almost impossible to diagnose. They have a great movement but it’s still a complex mechanical chronograph with a large number of components that can break or fail. They don’t have any particular weakness or common point of failure like some watches so time to send it off for an expensive service and repair I’m afraid.

Kryton, we may have had this conversation before, I’m guessing we are similar ages. My ‘trying to save for another good watch’ is for my 50th. I’ve got time, I’m 47, but I’ve 3 young kids and,.. Well, you know!

Kryton, we may have had this conversation before, I’m guessing we are similar ages. My ‘trying to save for another good watch’ is for my 50th. I’ve got time, I’m 47, but I’ve 3 young kids and,.. Well, you know!

Ha! One year older and one less child but same boat.   I also made a lot of effort over recent years to calm materialist tendencies so I’m now the other way, with nearly every £ finding it’s way to a savings account.  I’m bouncing between new bike/new watch, but I don’t NEED either.  Perhaps a nice holiday instead but will COVID allow that in 20 months time?

If I bought a GS I’d quite like that whole grandiose display Kato posted sitting on a shelf 😀

Thanks for the screwdriver knowledge Fudd.

a good oil stone is also essential as you’ll get some watches with very thin screw slots (vintage Omega for example).

I suspect the opportunities for me to bust out my tools on a vintage Omega will be few and far between! 😁

Any experience / love / contempt for the Spinnaker brand?

They do some good looking pieces. Just wondering about build quality and reliability of movements.

I think Seiko do a new presage cocktail time which is very similar but a lot cheaper to that. It has a reddish dial.
I’ve just ordered an Islander from Long Island watches its the Diver with the all blue dial. I hope it gets here alright!.https://www.longislandwatch.com/Islander_Automatic_Dive_Watch_p/isl-09.htm

I think Seiko do a new presage cocktail time which is very similar but a lot cheaper to that. It has a reddish dial

That’ll be the one JOMW was raving about a couple of days ago, very pretty and a nice size but not a style I’ve much occasion for.

I’ve just ordered an Islander from Long Island watches its the Diver with the all blue dial

It’s a strong colour statement, that’s for sure! The pricing has just a whiff of BS about it though – $399 list, Island Watch price $299. Who is listing it at $399? It’s a LIW design produced exclusively for them AFAIK.