Post pics of your watches Part II

H_Lime · 17-10-2023 12:21pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121249216#Comment_121249216

Different strokes B.

I own many oem seikos and I also own many seiko homages. I assembled these from exhaustively researched parts/suppliers. Many of my homages include an element that intentionally identifies it as non oem, usually to the betterment of the watch or its ownership.

These builds are in no way about faking an inherent value or cachet, more an expression of my love for seiko and directions I would take design I'd was sat round the table (how's about that for ego) . For these reason my builds are more important to me than my oem seikos.

A parting "for instance". I am now on my third sapphire crystal install on my orange skx011j due to my ocd nitpick re bevel, ar quality/colour, it's second movement, third bezel insert, and it's 2nd second hand as I preferred a white tip. That's more time, effort and money than anyone needs to spend on an skx but that's me. Yer man above is obviously off his meds but I'd bet he's happy and loves his creations more than something you walk into a shop and open your wallet for.

Again, not for everyone but takes all kinds!

banie01 · 17-10-2023 12:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121249372#Comment_121249372

Ah now Harry, buying a Seiko and transforming it into something you want? Is night and day different from dressing up a fake.

From your own builds and experience, surely you can appreciate that? I mean yes, one can dress up a Seiko, but more often than not, is such a mod ever presented as anything other than a Seiko? Indeed, surely there is a massive sense of pride both in one's own skill to do it, and in the end result.

I've not built a Seiko(yet, it's drawing me in more and more lately, your fault😉) and I've only built 1 watch, and that is very much an Omega homage. I picked a Hangzhou 6460 GMT and struggled far too long with switching the datewheel.

I'm proud of my awful effort, I hand on heart say it's inspired by my pre-ceramic Seamaster. Yes I even have a nice 12 slot watch tray in my dresser drawer that does a nice job of displaying my watches. I can even understand the joy that comes with putting stuff you love/collect on display. Both in the pride of ownership and wanting to share your love of whatever you've collected. I have a couple of collections that I display, and I love the sense of being my own docent.

I don't or at least, I can't square that pride, with creating an honestly better than retail/boutique level of display for a collection that's primarily fake. I mean the craftsmanship on that cabinet, and indeed the eye for design and detail, is exceptional.

H_Lime · 17-10-2023 2:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121249439#Comment_121249439

First off well done on your Omega homage. It's not everyone who can do that so all credit as Roy would say. The fact you chose a 6460 gmt as your ice breaker was a steep learning curve on several fronts build wise so your clearly able.

You should delve a little deeper as you've busted your cherry. Have a gawk at namoki and go wild picking out say one of their new milspec brushed stainless case as a starting point. There's myriad choices of everything else enough that you should, or could, end up with something unique to you! It also doesn't have be a homage or anything just a mod build using a namoki dial.

As to your guy above I made an assumption he built these watches or was at least instrumental in instructing a builder in their design. This pairs with my concept of why he's gone to such lengths as there's rewards there as I outlined.

If on the other hand he just bought them willy nilly yea that's a bit touched lol. He's clearly a chippie (or should be?) and a damnable decent one too, that cabinet is beautifully made and he could easily make a living selling bespoke furniture.

Betcha the watches ain't his only bug, gotta be other addictions, always is!

And while I'm painting with broad strokes here what's the bet most mech watchaholics are somewhere on the spectrum lol?

banie01 · 17-10-2023 5:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121249963#Comment_121249963

Thanks for the compliment. I don't know that I'll ever have the skills to service it, but I told at least manage to get the stem sized and the datewheel fitted altho I may go back to an all white 1.

From reading the above guys thread, he seems to have spent years buying the watches and most of the work on the Frankenwatchs done by some obviously skilled folk.

I honestly think the cabinet and the finishing would sit well in any Panerai boutique.

I think you're likely on the nail with regards to other interests/bugs. I think we all have other things aside from watches and it's nice to have such a wide variety of us here interested in watches. The other hobbies and interests thread is always worth a look.

The world would be a boring place if we all liked the same stuff. I suppose I'm just blown away by the money, sweat and effort the lad has put into his horological choice. That said, it's long been said that many models of Panerai have been near perfectly faked. I had hands on one myself a couple of years ago that only for a sanity check here where the flaw/fake was pointed out? I'd have bought it.

Wibbs · 17-10-2023 6:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121249216#Comment_121249216

TBH with the sheer number of fakes and frankens, some daftly accurate, in the Panerai world I'm not sure I'd trust one unless I walked out of the actual factory with it. 😁 Vintage Panny? Not a chance in hell. Faking them and faking them extremely well, is a near cottage industry in Italy. Some vintage Omega and Rolex are readied up in the same 'cottages' and all too regularly end up in auction houses to be 'blessed' as authentic.

Cienciano · 17-10-2023 7:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121249216#Comment_121249216

The fact that he has so many similar watches is the bit that confuses me. I also don't get having the sheer amount of watches. But I'm not into collecting shít for the sake of it

Greg81 · 18-10-2023 7:33am

Good, old Swatch

Detritus70 · 18-10-2023 1:28pm

My very wonderful wife has bought me a Nixie watch and I'm just over the moon.

It's made in Ukraine, she won't tell me any more.

Eoin · 18-10-2023 4:25pm

I finally got around to getting this serviced and a new (spurious) crown fitted. This was my grandfather's; bought in the 60s I believe. My dad never wears a watch so gave it to me. I have the box, but unfortunately the bracelet is long lost. One of those stretchy/pinchy ones apparently.

Quite a bit smaller than what I usually wear, but a very nice heirloom to have been given.

Detritus70 · 18-10-2023 5:52pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121255411#Comment_121255411

Pure class. I love Longines and Seiko, just nice watches.

H_Lime · 19-10-2023 2:16pm

....

banie01 · 19-10-2023 9:46pm

Very nice Harry 👍

@Wibbs I saw this and thought of you 😉 perhaps bring a bit of colour to one of your vintage bits 🤣

https://redd.it/17bsguk

Wibbs · 20-10-2023 8:43am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121260783#Comment_121260783

Fair play to them. 😁 Apparently it looks whiteish uncharged and only goes full artist formally known as Prince when charged up. Compared to the officially made bejeweled yokes that seem to be popular with some, but to me look anyway like a vajazzle on the wrist, that's pretty mild.

H_Lime · 21-10-2023 11:53am

Appropriate wear!

Wibbs · 21-10-2023 6:56pm

Have this 30+ years. If it's a bit odd today, it was really weird for a 20 year old to wear something like this back then. 😁

I didn't hear the term 'trench watch' until after the interwebs came along. I knew it was as old as the Easter Rising(hallmarked), but didn't know that men's wristwatches hadn't been around that long, or much of anything else tbh. The only brands I knew were the ones in jeweller shop windows, or magazine adverts. Vacheron Constantin? Who? Is he some fashion designer? 😁 The only inkling I had of the Swiss mechanical revival was ads for IWC's DaVinci in the Sunday Times magazine. Quartz was still very much king. The early days of the web were a revelation as far as finding even the basic stuff out.

artanevilla · 23-10-2023 1:56pm

On Mondays we wear digital.

banie01 · 23-10-2023 4:30pm

Bought a new to me, regimented Sinn butterfly clasp and tegimented bezel today 😁

I can take or leave the white Silicon 🤨 but I've been humming and hawing over the new style clasp for ages and managed to a deal that costs less than the "new" claps price that covers strap, clasp and bezel 😁

An early(very) birthday present to myself. The bezel can swap into my U2-SDR so I can go with the black bezel or just plain old bead blasted steel and the strap can be used on any of my 4 Sinns to dress them up for Halloween 👻🎃

H_Lime · 23-10-2023 5:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121275090#Comment_121275090

Very nice B.

Will you be dropping it in for the bezel swap or doing it yourself?

Some watch bezels can be very difficult to swap without leaving marks. I'm unfamiliar with Sinn in this regard.

banie01 · 23-10-2023 6:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121275341#Comment_121275341

I'll be doing it myself, Sinn use a set of screws as the their bezel retainer. They call it a "captive" bezel, it's really just 4 set screws through bezel edge and into a track under the crystal. It makes bezel swapping and indeed stripping the watch for deep cleaning quite easy.

H_Lime · 23-10-2023 8:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121275442#Comment_121275442

And yet another reason why I should own a Sinn. That's ingenious and seriously user friendly!

banie01 · 23-10-2023 8:56pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121275903#Comment_121275903

If you're out and about near Limerick let me know and I'll be more than happy to let you run your paws over my few 👍

H_Lime · 23-10-2023 9:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121276116#Comment_121276116

That's mighty nice of you Banie, thanks for the offer. The 103st is what I've lusted after but I'm a little uncertain about the case height. Do you have one on the stable?

banie01 · 23-10-2023 10:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121276298#Comment_121276298

I have a 103 variant, with plexi so it's probably the highest of 103s around. That said, the way the lug tapers does a very good job of masking the height. It's in and around 15mm high but doesn't wear as if it is that big.

H_Lime · 23-10-2023 10:55pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121276441#Comment_121276441

I suppose it's one of those things where as you say if its incorporated into the design well it's not a sore thumb. It's just that 15mm is an upper limit like 50mm L2L and a 42mm case (in my head anyway).

Doesn't look overly tall in that shot.

banie01 · 23-10-2023 11:08pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121276570#Comment_121276570

It really does taper well and hide the height. I have a Blackbay 41 and I think that wears far taller. Those slab sides just seem huge 🤣

H_Lime · 24-10-2023 12:43am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121276617#Comment_121276617

I should start saving instead of satisfying my shorter term wants. I was looking to pull the pin on a SPB313 this wknd and the plan was to buy a mates Sbdx001 for chrimbo.

A 103st may be more desirable than both....