The Watch Appreciation Thread - Page 1088

With all this talk ot potential fakes, here are Couple images of my daily watches. I've owned a handul of mechanical watches over the years but I stopped horsetrading a while back. Per my earlier post of the SD/16610, there are a few that I wish I held onto. I now rotate between the GMTIIC and an Omega Seamaster.

The last one I picked up was the GMTIIC in 08. The SS version had just been released the previous year so they were still hard to find. I travel a fair amount so I'd call AD's in all the cities I visited; SF, SD, Manhattan, Chicago, etc. All had wait lists (including my hometown). I got stuck in Syracuse one night in a storm so I called around and found one in an AD's case. He even gave me a 10% discount, which was unheard of for stainless sports models and especially for in-demand models like the new GMT (at the time). I was ecstatic! I wear this most work days and for business travel. Now I don't have to do all that pesky math from the west to east coast .

The Seamaster was the first mechanical watch I bought in 2000, IIRC. I wear it on a NATO style Maratac strap for water duty (we are sea kayak people). It came with the old Bond style bracelet. At the time, they didn't offer it on the current style. I had to trade a guy on TZ for the "Speedy Style" bracelet. He was nice enough to sent it complete with dead skin and arm hair .

The brown strap is an oversized strap from Don Ginsler. I wanted the look of a beefy strap so I bought the 24mm and notched it to fit the 20mm lugs. It's very ghetto but works for me.

The last one is a 1969 Omega Chronostop that my mother bought for my father in 1969. It's a unique single pusher chronograph designed to be worn under the wrist for drivers (not divers).The first push starts the central seconds hand and the second push stops & resets it. I don't wear it much but it means a lot as I got it overhauled as a surprise by Omega (Switzerland) for my Dad and he died not long after. I had to source an OEM clasp which had been lost decades before. He still had the original mesh bracelet and I found a guy via TZ for the original style clasp.

Ad original ad for the watch from the 60's or 70's.

I could use a chronograph so I've been keeping my eye out for a late 90's early 00's IWC 3713 Doppel Chrono. It's comes in at 42mm which I think is manageable. I always loved the "5 link across/beads of rice" bracelet they came with. The new Doppel is just too big for my taste (and more than I want to spend). I sadly sold off an IWC 3706 Flieger Chrono as well as a Sinn 356 Flieger Chrono, both of which I thought too small at the time. I regret not keeping one of those (the IWC stings the most).

I sold off the 16610 as I didn't think I wanted two diver's watches. The Seamaster filled the same slot and was my first mechanical so the SD was sold to fund the GMTIIC. Once my wife stopped working to stay home with our kids, watch collecting took a back seat...however the kids are 9 & 6 now and she just went back to work...

If you made it this far, thanks for reading.

Quote:

Originally Posted by patrick_b 

 

The last one is a 1969 Omega Chronostop that my mother bought for my father in 1969. It's a unique single pusher chronograph designed to be worn under the wrist for drivers (not divers).The first push starts the central seconds hand and the second push stops & resets it. I don't wear it much but it means a lot as I got it overhauled as a surprise by Omega (Switzerland) for my Dad and he died not long after. I had to source an OEM clasp which had been lost decades before. He still had the original mesh bracelet and I found a guy via TZ for the original style clasp.

 

 

 

Ad original ad for the watch from the 60's or 70's.

 

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

 

 

 

 

 

 

I could use a chronograph so I've been keeping my eye out for a late 90's early 00's IWC 3713 Doppel Chrono. It's comes in at 42mm which I think is manageable. I always loved the "5 link across/beads of rice" bracelet they came with. The new Doppel is just too big for my taste (and more than I want to spend). I sadly sold off an IWC 3706 Flieger Chrono as well as a Sinn 356 Flieger Chrono, both of which I thought too small at the time. I regret not keeping one of those (the IWC stings the most).

 

If you made it this far, thanks for reading.

Great story about your Dad's vintage Omega.  I'm glad to hear your got it serviced and sourced the clasp and bracelet.  Very cool example.  Until your post I don't recall seeing a single pursher chronograph from Omega.  Thats a very interesting watch.

I really like the late 90s early 2000s Fliger chrono and 3713 Doppel.  Both are great pieces, and I greatly prefer them to what is currently offered in IWCs Pilot line.  I also like the early style of braclet that was available on these watches.  Its been revised twice and neither is as good looking as the original with the sort of pyramid shaped links.  Hope you find one to add to your collection soon.

As someone with a 6 month old, I feel your pain but as I am sure you would agree, its a fair trade.

I have a JLC MUT Moon 39 from my wife as a wedding gift

and a Omega Speedy Pro 3572 to commemorate the birth of our first child.

I'm not really sure where my collection will turn to next. I'm currently lusting after some vintage rolex. Either a 1675 GMT on a jubilee, or a 1680 sub. A JLC Reverso is never far from my thoughts either.

Decisions, decisions--but I'll have to wait for a new child, or a promotion or something

FWIW, I enjoyed the read.

I'd actually like to see this watch reimagined/cleaned up/simplified

...I have no idea what they were thinking. Make RDM one watch, and a world timer another.

the catch is that I have to give it to him on his 18th/21st birthday/some other milestone.

At first I was selfishly hesitant, but once he was born I can't wait to give it to him
 

As far as the wife is concerned, shes down for it. Even if a girl comes next, she said well youll have to get something for her husband when she marries. NOW THAT I MAY HAVE A HARD TIME WITH

"HERE IS A QUARTZ TIMEX SIR"

It's always good to see some watch love.  I don't buy and trade watches like I used to, but a few months ago I got the bug and picked up a few vintage pieces.  Always a fan of dive watches, I snagged this 1970-ish Fortis Marine Master Supercompressor.  Turns out this one was in really good shape.

At the same time I found an old Tudor Oyster Prince in 34mm. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by DerekS 


HA!!! i wont find out what were having for a few more months...but im praying its not a girl. if so, i wont need to worry about future husbands...it will be hard for her to meet boys when shes homeschooled and locked in my basement.

Whatever the case, congrats are in order 

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhcam8 

Some other gloves:

 Man you just love those gloves with zippers.  I don't think I could feel comfortable with zippers so close to any of my good watches.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kaplan 

(Well, I actually only agree with the Rolex part; no matter how many times Omega pays their way into a Bond movie it'll never make Omega seem Bondian to me - not that I don't appreciate some Omegas. The obvious choice for Bond reading would be a vintage no-date sub, but even more appropriate would this one be, awesome as it is: Fleming's Explorer (Click to show)

Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show)

 

- that's his actual watch, which he seems to have based the description of Bond's watch upon.)

 

Agree completely.  Omega has made some great watches.  However, just as BMWs never really seemed like Bond cars, Omegas never seem like Bond watches to me.  There was a great article (not sure if that is where you got the Flemming Explorer photo) in Watchtime or one of the other watch magazines a few years ago.  In addition, on my last trip to Las Vegas I saw some first edition Bond books at a rare book store and several of them were about the price of a new Non-date SubC.  I had no idea that 1st edition Flemming novels were fetching that kind of money.