Post pics of your watches Part II
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Had this beauty serviced since I bought it two months ago 'cos it was running a tad quick. Learned it was never opened and never polished and most likely never or hardly ever worn. Needless to say it wasn't polished this time around either. Got really lucky with this one I think and really chuffed with it.
Sunshine makes all the difference, too.
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Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,159 Mod ✭✭✭✭
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Oldest wristwatch I have and pretty early for a Longines wristwatch. 1912, the year of the Titanic. Sold through their rep in Rome. The retailer's name would have been overprinted in the space under the 12, long since washed away.
Unlike the far more luck than judgement on my part with my other early wristlets that came to me in daftly, nay criminally good nick, this one was a bit of a Trigger's broom. The movement was pretty gummed up with a busted balance staff. A clean and a donor movement from a ladies pocketwatch sorted the balance bits. The Breguet hands had been replaced and the original "red 12" dial had more dodgy hairlines than a Turkish wig emporium and was held on with a dab of glue😳. Took a while to source both, again from yet another pocketwatch movement that was toast(a lovely 18 jewel job), but the dial and hands were tip top.
The watch was a 130 quid three snifters of Bordeaux past midnight hail Mary punt, the spares racked up to 60 quid all in. Followed by fiddly cursing with my tongue making it's home peeking out the corner of my mouth. With more cursing. Sadly I'm not anything like as skilled as H_Lime of this parish when it comes to the watch spannering.
Still, pretty good for 200 euroquids for a little piece of history. From a time in collecting when that was still possible. Though of late I'd say it still is with a keen search, though supply is way down compared to ye Olde Days.
Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.
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Steinhart Nav B back on the wrist again today for the first time in ages.
Quite a big dial to get used to after wearing the 39mm Speedmaster Reduced for a few months in a row.
It's such a clean dial though, absolutely love it. No mistaking the time whatsoever while out on the bike!
There are absolutely loads of scratches all over the bezel from wear and I have to say, it really looks great in person. Contrasts against the (almost!) flawless sapphire crystal.
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Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,159 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 59087
Grand old thing for the warmer weather, and though ickle by today's standards built like a brick poo palace.
German. Service Watch/Army 1941/42.
Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.
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If its a fluorine fkm rubber strap it's a good one imo.
What I do with them is coil them into a small diameter glass and pour off the boil water in and leave for ten mins. Instant form fitting on the wrist.
I have a few crafter/seiko oem rubber straps on the way for the ever growing enormous collection of every conceivable strap.
That Scurfa earns it's keep! Great to see it.
I can confirm my hitherto indestructible f91w's display greyed out once my sauna went past 90c. Mind you I nearly did too.
Worked later after it cooled though! :)
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Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the weather. Last Friday marked 1 year already since I moved over to Henley, still enjoying everyday, learning something new 🙂
On the bench today, Servicing movements, disassembling ready to go into the cleaning machine
And a nice walk along the River Thames to end the day
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This is just back from John Donohue for service. It had been running fine but just stopped one day early in May. Was a bit concerned about it but sent it to John and he serviced it for 260 and arrived back today. He said they do tend to just stop when they need a service as opposed to anything major being wrong. Very happy with the cost of service. 2 year warranty with it. i had been a little worried about it as the seller i bought from had sourced in china (looked legit boxed/cards) i guess just paranoia kicking in - i thought john might open it up and say there's something dodgy inside!
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Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,159 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 59087
Lovely, and you can't go wrong at 260 quid for a service. 👌
Echoing Dragratchet's Citizen ghost dial today.
Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.
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Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,159 Mod ✭✭✭✭ Join Date:Posts: 59087
Thanks H. IMHO they were always something of a "bargain". Vintage Heuer(with Sinn history), one of the finest chrono movements ever produced and in this case with hacking and flyback, extensive issued military history(mostly fighter and helo pilots, some artillery in the sidereal versions and still in official use in niches today), with a tool layout going back to the early days of the jet age, a "waterproof" clamshell case design going back to the 30's and in my experience far more robust than most vintage Heuer(which I found to be "delicate"). Even if dealers and watch "journalists" tried to hype the prices up. EG...
Pity that was over three years ago. 🙄😁 More like 3500 Euro on ebay auctions. Clearly the "smart money" was huffing herbs. As usual.
Interestingly Jack Heuer in his autobiography and biography of the company doesn't mention them once. last time I checked the TAG history on their website doesn't either and they've never Done A Longines(TM) and considered a re-issue(Sinn has done a few). Odd given the history and they would have been a decent income for the company which tended to wobble from profit to loss and usually more towards the latter. I suspect because they were bought in as a design lock stock and barrel when Heuer bought Leonidas in the 60's, so Not Invented Here may be in play. Leonidas had produced a near identical watch for outfits like the Italian air force(with original expanding bracelet. As was the fashion of the time. I sourced a NOS 1960's Expandro 'Made in West Germany" for mine).
and mil contracts are always a very handy money spinner. Breitling had their own versions, as did Blancpain, and that's before the various French Type XX's.
They also didn't feature in Heuer sales catalogues of the time. They supplied the German military, their biggest customer(others being the Yugoslavian and Norwegian militaries)and as "military items" it was quasi illegal to sell them to civvies under German law. Civilian versions like mine are actually the rarer by some measure and usually cheaper with it.
By the late 80's when they were being phased out as military surplus, Sinn, who had the servicing contract for them, sold them off as "Service watch Luftwaffe" through newspaper ads(typo, they were issued from 67-86).
Some even gained Sinn dials, others had the non tritium replacement dials, others still were made up of parts Sinn had in stock. The Norwegian examples suffered a worse fate as the majority were destroyed. They literally took a hammer to them and into the bin, so survivors are rare.
Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.
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