Who Watches the Watchmen (Our Chit Chat Thread)

funkyouup

Great video of a Breitling Aerospace having its quartz movement re built.

Wibbs

I love that guy. Very relaxing to watch and informative and a great sense of humour with it.

Lorddrakul

He is good, I like his attitude, as well as his obvious skill.

Plus the fact that he obviously has to cope with little hands in the room too.

Wibbs

His assistant.

Thirdfox

Oh and a call out for the pen corner too on College Green - pretty lovely shop even to go in and browse (back in the days when browsing was possible).

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/best-shops-2014/best-specialist-shop-the-pen-corner-1.1919127

unkel

funkyouup wrote: »

Great video of a Breitling Aerospace having its quartz movement re built.

That's class, his eye lash

"You have to break a few omelettes to make scrambled eggs, right?"

Wibbs

Having repaired in very basic terms a couple of mate's quartz watches and a couple of my own, I would say in some ways they're a curse compared to mechanical movements. Absolutely tiny screws for a start. Example.


They were main plate type screws. On a mechanical you'd only be getting that kinda sizes on some jewel settings and balance cocks.

Then you have extremely delicate parts like coils and circuit boards and like you see in his vid even smaller cogs than most mechanical movements. Plus things like static can blow movements and have to be kept separate from mechanical bits and bobs. The slightest pressure on LCD panels can cause failure, like what he was repairing in that watch.

The very early quartz stuff tends to be much easier as the components were just larger and the designers were also taking third party watchmakers untrained in the new tech into consideration(these days they make it so they have to back to factory in most cases).

Tuning forks are a another black art. I don't know of any watchmakers here in Ireland that deal with them, or maybe I'm wrong there?

cnocbui

Speaking of black arts, anyone know of or could recommend, a watchmaker who could silver solder or otherwise build up the metal of a badly corroded Omega case and then replate it and attend to the workings which may or not be calso corroded?

IrishPlayer

Talking of Quartz, saw this posted on a WRUW



In danger of jumping to Stage 4 of watch collecting!:mad::D

Might be a stupid question but often wondered,how does the Oysterquartz compare to the Omega 1310 found in the Mariner or the Omega cal 1516 found in the Marine Chronometer? Is it as big as the difference as the prices suggest?

Wibbs

IMHO the Marine Chronometer is far ahead, but it's way ahead of pretty much every high end quartz movement out there, with some exceptions like Citizens high frequency movement of the time. It's also an extremely well bolted together watch and a better overall design. The Omega would be below the Rolex movement. It's quality, but not the same quality. The case and bracelet quality would be below the Rolex.

Original prices reflected that. The Rolex was around a third more expensive than the Omega Mariner, the Marine Chronometer was insane money. Like ten or more times the price.

Wibbs

Found an old folder of watch stuff I had buried on an external drive. I think this collection was a chap from the MWR forum. I wish I kept the link to credit him.



Original promotional thingie from the mid 1930's. With the watches. :eek: Even have their original straps. Vintage watch porn, right there. I dread to think what that lot would get at auction. That would be pretty much peak Longines too(with a later upswing in the 50's). And talk about celebrity endorsement. Lindbergh was the most famous man on the planet and your lineup had a watch designed by him? Those on that list would be household names back then, some still are to some degree, Lindbergh, Amundsen, Hughes, Earhart, Johnson.

Then some earlier post Great war print ads trying to convince men that watches weren't "girly".



For strong, virile, two-fisted(oh er matron) men apparently. Even have especially wide "mannish" straps just to be sure. Though the straps are decidedly un wide at 12mm. "Nearly waterproof". So not then?

Then this chap with a bad case of stage four hairy hands and kingkongitis.



At this stage of things you see some fecking around with watch placement. Inside the wrist as well as outside. I remember the inside wrist position being a thing with some men back in the day. Haven't seen an example of that in ages though. Note too how the buckles were often on the other side of the watch to today. I'd love to find a "Foch" watch. Show it off in south county Dublin and await the looks of horror.

Though in America at least the male resistance to the "wristlet" was strong enough and after the war a flood of them came onto the market as returning soldiers went back to their "manly" pocketwatches.



So the companies who had tooled up and produced hundreds of thousands wristwatches were naturally looking to sell them. In Europe this was far less in play. In Britain even the original old style Trench design lived on and you could still buy new examples through the fashion changes of the 20's and 30's into the early 40's.

CalamariFritti

Wibbs wrote: »

Could be legit. Vanishingly few normal people would have heard of Breguet, but most would have heard of Rolex. Then again a quick google search back in 12 or today would educate you quick. It's written right there on the dial. Then again I've snagged auctions on ebay listed as "Lomgines" and "Logines", only bidder. For the craic since I've two ebay searches for those two and I'd reckon at least once a month one or both come up. Mostly crap, but... There was the guy who had a vintage WW2 IWC pilot's watch listed on the bay as "Watch. Black dial".

Thats how I got my lovely vintage seamaster for €200. Fella in Belgium had it misspelled 'seamster' or something like that. No one bidding on it, snapped it up at reserve. I made the same typo in my search. Only then it dawned on me that chasing typo bargains could be a thing. Havent done it in a while though.

IrishPlayer

*Types in Omega Seamster Mariner 1 Quartz*
Damnit didn't work:mad::P

Have seen a couple of examples like that,or the VERY rare occasion when the seller doesn't know what they have like my Dolphin Bell listed simply as a regular 4006-7000, the one that came up last year had the full works,' Month of the Dolphin' serial numbers etc and attracted way more attention and the final bid reflecting that

Lorddrakul

Ye have t' be canny...

Wibbs

IrishPlayer wrote: »

*Types in Omega Seamster Mariner 1 Quartz*
Damnit didn't work:mad::P

I seem to recall I got mine by just typing quartz, restricting it to the EU and auctions under 200 quid ending soonest and poured a class of a cheeky* red and scrolled. Now it was spotted but only had three bidders or something and they weren't on the collector/dealer radar back then because quartz, so was only getting the Omega guys throwing hail mary bids in its direction.

I've got a few bargains doing that method substituting quartz for whatever. The other "trick" was going to local ebay domains. .es .it .fr were my best hunting grounds. German ebay was inevitably more expensive though, often much more.




*barefaced cheek to call it red wine.

CalamariFritti

Wibbs wrote: »

I seem to recall I got mine by just typing quartz, restricting it to the EU and auctions under 200 quid ending soonest and poured a class of a cheeky* red and scrolled. Now it was spotted but only had three bidders or something and they weren't on the collector/dealer radar back then because quartz, so was only getting the Omega guys throwing hail mary bids in its direction.

I've got a few bargains doing that method substituting quartz for whatever. The other "trick" was going to local ebay domains. .es .it .fr were my best hunting grounds. German ebay was inevitably more expensive though, often much more.

*barefaced cheek to call it red wine.

Yes thats another 'trick'. Often local ebayers - local as in other countries local - dont offer international shipping. So they wont show in your eBay.ie results even if you go for advanced and then pick EU or worldwide.

So you go to the national eBay site and pick them out there. With a bit of communication international shipping often is no problem (especially if you have the home lingo).

unkel

I've picked up a few misspelled bargains on adverts over the years alright

Too many people now on eBay for misspelled bargains to happen regularly I guess but I did pick up a bargain brand new swiss Davosa clone (with ETA 2824-2) on eBay Italy a good few years ago for €210 including shipping from a Slovenian seller. He communicated in perfect English and shipping was no problem. I was aware of the make and model of the watch and actively looking for one thanks to peasant (late) of this forum. Come back in here, man!

IrishPlayer

Even my current quest hunting for a bracelet for my Dolphin Bell, wording it in varies ways yeids different results e.g Seiko Bell, Seiko 4006, Seiko 18mm, Seiko Bracelet,Seiko Band, Seiko Wristband, Seiko strap,Seiko parts etc.... And each of those consists of a few thousand results!!..... It's all about the trill of the hunt and a good bit of digging

Wibbs

IrishPlayer wrote: »

*Types in Omega Seamster Mariner 1 Quartz*
Damnit didn't work:mad::P

Speaking of as it happens. Damned thing needed a battery change. The ubiquitous for the time Renata 344, so always have a little stash of them. Unless Longines, cos reasons.



Always worries me changing a battery on these. One slip and you're into a dead coil(300 quid from Omega, plus they insist on a service so bend over and brace). Massively exposed of course right beside the battery clip screw... :rolleyes: They came with a coil protector cover. Grand. You need to remove it to change the battery. Anyway, the patient survived the procedure, (very)softly ticking away again.


SpudCam3000 1 Elephants/F Eleventy.

Wibbs

IrishPlayer wrote: »

It's all about the trill of the hunt and a good bit of digging

This. Sooo much this.

Thirdfox

Why the concern about the dead coil? Is it from using metal screwdrivers to take out the cell? Would pegwood sticks or dowel rods (sharped to an edge) help in getting the cell out without potential for shortcircuiting?

Or is it they are very fragile components and an inadvertent knock will result in the coil not working anymore?

Wibbs

They're scarily fragile TF. Look at them funny and they can go open circuit. Brand new ones are bad enough, but old ones are even worse, because they're coated with a lacquer that often gets more brittle with age. With the good brands that's less of an issue, but still.

IrishPlayer

Wibbs wrote: »

I noticed you rarely see them with english day wheels. Here is a video showing different functions.

Interesting ability to move the hour hand only by pulling out the crown, will be handy to know if I ever hunt one down;)

Speaking of day wheels, picture of a 4006-6027 Bell-Matic from John Bentley (TheTigerUK)

Best day of the week!

cnocbui

I'm afaraid I gave up on watches that require battery changing, nearly 30 years ago. Which reminds me, I should dig out my last battery watch, an early 80's Pulsar LCD digital, get a battery for it and see if it still works.

Cyclingtourist

We need to talk about Oisín.

I expect some of you guys have seen his latest video where he forks out another €11k on basically the same watch he bought a week previously.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guB-ZThle9I&t=191s

So what's to talk about? It's his money and apparently he can afford it so it's nobody else's business, right?

You could argue however that he's putting this out on YT which is a form of social media so it's going to be the subject of public discourse.

For me his style is sufficiently self-deprecating to not find his extravagance objectionable.

Bluefoam

I'm waiting for him to add a Portugieser and a Panerai to his mix... He'll shock the YouTube when he does.

I think the IWC would suit his style very well.

Cyclingtourist

Bluefoam wrote: »

I'm waiting for him to add a Portugieser and a Panerai to his mix... He'll shock the YouTube when he does.

I think the IWC would suit his style very well.

Well he's also purchased a Seiko dive watch (King Turtle?) as seen in the video wrist-check. Not an expensive watch by any means, more my league.

So can we expect a 'King Turtle in Trieste' to Bach's second symphony sometime soon? I hope so.

CarProblem

Grand Seiko seems to divide opinions in here but looking for to a few reviews of this

News: A rival to the beloved snowflake? - The Grand Seiko SLGH005 “White Birch” from Watchfinder

Hodinkee Article

Hi beat rather than Spring Drive, looks amazing in the photos. A few macro shots in time from YouTube reviewers is what I can't wait to see

Bluefoam

Cyclingtourist wrote: »

Well he's also purchased a Seiko dive watch (King Turtle?) as seen in the video wrist-check. Not an expensive watch by any means, more my league.

So can we expect a 'King Turtle in Trieste' to Bach's second symphony sometime soon? I hope so.

I believe from some of his comments on the channel, that he has a few Seiko's...

I'm sure he bases his content on what is more popular and gains most views... I would also speculate that his watch buying has changed based on the needs of his channel as opposed to being solely personal.

His collection does represent the mainstream, and I'd like to see him showcase more diverse marks. Didn't he mention that a turtle video was coming? He definitely said that it's seeing allot of wrist time and that it's his current favourite.

Fitz II

You dont know what Oisin keeps and what he sells. If he is keeping all these watches fair play, but I would think he is flicking half the watches once the content is made. He certainly like to play the AD game and take any scraps he is given. Personally I dont think begging and waiting is a luxury experiance.