The Watch Appreciation Thread - Page 682

Quote:

Originally Posted by in stitches 

not a bad watch. the others were better imo. i learned once when shopping for watches, there are a bazillion options out there, and its easy to get distracted from what you wanted and end up with something else entirely. stay focused on what you want in a watch and why. go from there. my advise anyways.

Which one, the chrono that looks like the Striking Tenth cept in 38 mm with a date window at 4oclock or the other dressier looking chrono?

Totally agree with in stitches here. Your mind will play tricks on you. There will be watches that make a lasting impression, and others will be a passing fad. It's often hard to know which is which. If you give it time though, things will become clear.

For obvious reasons, I still say JLC Master Series

Sidenote: in stitches avatar is both mesmerizing and hilarious

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kid Nickels 

 I guess my lust vs. love affair conundrum is only limited by my willingness to finance it!

To a point yes, but even if you had the money to satisfy all your whims, there is a diff between the watches you keep and the watches you trade, or the watches you wear and the ones that stay in their box day in and day out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cylon 

Thought I'd finally stop using the iPhone for pics...

 

Cylon, that is stunning!  Very elegant and clean design, and their movements are always a pleasure to see.

Quote:

Originally Posted by in stitches 

glad you did that. beautiful watch, front and back. although i am really disappointed in JLCs decision to change their folding clasp. the old one was so much nicer, heftier and had an amazing finish.
new clasp

old clasp

NO CONTEST

In Stitches,  part of the change in the deployant clasp design may have been due to complaints it either fit comfortably or it did not, there was no in between.  It was acutally the same design that Lange was using also (when people opted for their deployant).  I know many people had to have the strap & clasp turned so it opened from the other direction for a better fit on older JLCs and Langes.
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuttingboard 

Zenith, known for its movements in the Rolex Daytona, is making a comeback and their prices are within my budget and I can get a stainless steel bracelet. I really like the El Primero 36,000 VPH and the El Primero Captain Chronograph.
I
El Primero Captain Chronograph

Here's a chart that I thought was interesting. Changing Appetite for Luxury Watches

I like the Zenith El Primero 36,000 VPH in the top photo.  I prefer its chunkier case lugs, crown and pushers. 

As for the movement, yes an El Primero was used in the Rolex Daytonas from around 1989-2000, but it was a significantly modified movement.  Most notably the rate of VPH was slowed from 36,600 to 28,800, and there were suposedly more than 100 modifications to the movement before it went into a Rolex.  Hence, its fairly different from the El Primero found in Zeniths.  Brands like Ebel, also used the El Primero, but I do not think they made any substantial changes to the movement.  A friend of mine has had a Zenith chronograph with El Primero movement for at least 5 years and he is very happy with it.

My only issue about Zenith, is if you are going to buy it, make sure you love it.  Its not as well known as JLC or IWC, and I think it would be tougher to get a good price for if you want to sell or trade it someday.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuttingboard 

...I'm not a fan of the moon function and it seems as though every JLC has the moon function. I have no idea what purpose it serves. No offense intended!

Don't worry, none taken

It's a really good question though.

I’m sure if you were to ask people on the street their opinion of the best complication on a watch, chronograph would most likely come out on top. I’d wager that’s because aside from those of us who like watches, the only time you ever hear about watch companies in general is when they plaster their “official timekeeper” status at various major sporting events--watches are important to us nowadays so we can enforce the rules and/or measure competitive sport, and who the hell doesn’t like the Superbowl or the Olympics?!

Things like a moon phase complication strikes us as quaint, odd or even utterly useless because we don’t really remember what purpose they serve, but it’s really at the very heart of timekeeping.  Rather than try to write it myself, I found a quote that sums it up perfectly:

“Time keeping and construction of calendars are among the oldest branches of astronomy. Up until very recently, no earth-bound method of time keeping could match the accuracy of time determinations derived from observations of the sun and the planets. All the time units that appear natural to man are caused by astronomical phenomena: The year by Earth's orbit around the Sun and the resulting run of the seasons, the month by the Moon's movement around the Earth and the change of the Moon phases, the day by Earth's rotation and the succession of brightness and darkness.” (http://www.maa.mhn.de/Scholar/times.html)

We have, by and large, forgotten that connection with nature. Insofar as the calendar system is considered a standalone abstract entity, the moon phase is considered an anachronism. I guess that’s precisely what appeals to me: that connection with the history of timekeeping from its earliest beginnings. Nowadays we may get excited about a special edition in platinum, or debate the virtues of plastic or sapphire crystal, patina on a dial, or an increase in case size from 40mm to 42mm; but that little moon reminds me of so much more.

Anyway, this all probably sounds really douchey and pedantic so I’m gonna stop. Not trying to say YOU MUST LOVE THE MOONPHASE, just trying to explain why I like it

As a final (and probably simplest) note: I’m Muslim so tracking the lunar calendar remains important to me. I honestly can’t wait to see Ramadan approaching on this little watch of mine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by gdl203 

So here is a home to post your pictures of your watches

The Orient was purchased in 1991 from a street merchant in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.  Yes, it runs counter-clockwise.

Quite the conversation piece.

Ciao !