Anyone else like watches???

[Stuno1]

I have been on this forum for a while so thought I would share my little journey. My first watch I ever really loved is the Seiko that my dad let me choose from his collection when I was 16. It originally had a gold bracelet but after 4 years of abuse it was ruined. I wore the watch daily until my wife (then my girlfriend) bought me the white dial tommy hilfigure watch. That then became my daily for the next 4 years. Both are worth nothing in terms of pounds but to me they are both priceless. I intend to get the Seiko professionally finished soon and start wearing it again.

A change in job bought in additional income when I was 27 and that’s when my research really started. Like many I thought tag was the nuts and impulse bought a aquaracer. The crown threaded its self and i returned it for a full refund.

During my time with the tag I researched watches a lot and ended up replacing it with the seamaster Aqua Terra golf. I still love this watch! It will always be my first real watch. The little green details make it for me. The exhibition back really is lovely and the movement looks superb. It is wearable in all situations but for me is more dress than sports. Also I learned the hard way that places like iconic watches exist having bought for 5% discount from a boutique when I could have got 20% off!

I decided the omega attracted too much attention at work for me so fancied something a bit cheaper, still smart, rubber strap for hot weather and I could swim with. Enter the longines conquest sport roughly 6 months after the omega purchase. This watch has travelled with me on many adventures and has been worn every day for 4 years with the omega coming out on weekends and during time off work. 

My funds then went in to cars and motorbikes which are my primary passion. This year I had to sell my car in preperation for a house purchase next year so treated myself to a new watch. The idea being to replace the longines as a daily. I wanted a understated sports watch with a power reserve long enough to see out the weekend and also chronometer. This means I can swap out for my omega on Saturday and the new watch won’t stop ticking when put back on for Monday. The accuracy also means not having to amend the time as frequently as I do with my longines. It had to be able to go in the pool and ocean and also be something different colour wise from my current watches. Initially I had looked at and tried in the Rolex explorer 2 polar and was convinced this would be the watch.....I actually almost bought it twice last year.

Enter the blue pelagos. I was ready to pull the trigger on the Rolex then tried on the pelagos having seen it on this forum and that was it. The blue is stunning, deployment clasp is genius, accuracy is amazing, all brushed effect, epic lume and comes with a rubber strap. I don’t regret the decision at all. 

All my watches are bought with a purpose and never with the intention of selling. Each has memories associated with it and reflect the time in my life they were acquired. Looking at them remind me of people and places. They are all special to me.

Anyway, well done if you made it through that drivel! My attention will be turning back to cars soon and then again to watches. I quite fancy the IWC pilot range. 

Stu

https://photos.app.goo.gl/vgRGylzHVm1l70kz1

[stevet]

I bought a Citizen Eco Drive when I got my first Lexus IS200 just because the dials looked the same as the cars. That was 19 years ago and it’s been worn every single day, been to lots of different country’s, swam in every ocean. Never lost time and never changed the Battery yet. I’m still impressed when it changes the time automatically spring, autumn and when I enter a different country. Didn’t cost much and probably worth nothing now but could never change it.


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[Stuno1]

Watches are like tattoos. It’s. It the price but the memories associated with them. I hope you continue to enjoy it.

[sorcerer]

Music does it for me. I hear a song and I'm instantly transported back in time to the people and the things we were doing when I first heard it - and it's a lot cheaper and less painful than either watches or tattoos  

[steveledzep]

1 hour ago, sorcerer said:

Music does it for me.

Me too.  I don't have time for watches.

[Stuno1]

7 minutes ago, steveledzep said:

Me too.  I don't have time for watches.

Watches are much like cars in that it is a mechanical simpathy and appreciation that draws draws a person to both. The precision required to manufacture a mechanical watch is amazing and something to behold. 

[bluenose1940]

I inherited my Dad's Longines Conquest, beautiful watch.  I only wear it for special occasions, perhaps I should wear it more often.

[NemesisUK]

My Breitling SuperOcean Professional,  I've worn it everyday since purchasing it back in 2003. Costs more to service than my AMG did!

Mind you, Mercedes don't completely dismantle, clean and re-calibrate their product at each service. 

[Stuno1]

5 hours ago, bluenose1940 said:

I inherited my Dad's Longines Conquest, beautiful watch.  I only wear it for special occasions, perhaps I should wear it more often.

Definitely! Make some memories with it and then hand it down as well. I love the idea of a watch (expensive or not) being in a family for many generations

[65mike]

Hi all

Mine is the same make as peter's a Brietling but a Navitimer Heritage had it 13 years now worn at weekends and holidays got it on now beautiful watch only problem is it costs £600 pounds for a overhaul but there overhaul means stripping down to a box off bits and comes back looking like brand new.

This is similar to mine but has silver bezel mine has black.

65mike

 

 

 

 

[NemesisUK]

6 minutes ago, 65mike said:

it costs £600 pounds for a overhaul but there overhaul means stripping down to a box off bits and comes back looking like brand new

It's amazing what they can do to make my watch appear brand new each time. The 10-12 weeks turnaround is quite 'painful' my wrist feels very naked!

 

(Stock photo)

I still have the original bakelite box and all the paperwork for it. A dealer offered me £300 just for the box!

 

[65mike]

Hi all.

der seems i have 3 picture don't ask how site seems slow and was having problems

65mike

[65mike]

Hi all.

Peter i had a lot off trouble with mine when purchased went back to there uk office and was waiting for it for weeks when spoke to them the lady said got our top watch maker on it she is very particular and we are waiting for new hands from Switzerland could have knocked me down with a feather.

Must say she made a excellent job as it was a wright sod to get going before she sorted it out it has had another overhaul 3-4 years ago and is due either a service or a overhaul now but keep putting it off.

65mike.

[65mike]

Hi all.

Peter mine is kept in the same box but i still have the cardboard outer case which it goes in they also gave me a travel case with cleaning cloth and when it went back for it's second over haul they retuned it in another case with zip and another cleaning cloth it gets looked after more than i do pampered is the word.

65mike

[NemesisUK]

Mine was perfect up until it's first (complimentary) service after which it started loosing 2-3mins a week. It got sent back to Switzerland for re-calibration and pressure testing. It came back 3months later running perfectly again. 

It's had 4 services since then, each time going back to Switzerland and taking approx 3 months. Each time it looked incredible and ran spot on. The last one was completed  just recently but now the watch is loosing time again, almost 2min a day! 

Guess I'll be sending it off again....

[65mike]

Hi all.

Peter that's strange why not serviced in uk at there service centre like mine has been twice now.

Mine was a pain in the a**e had to literally shake the life out off it to get it going and was loosing 4 minutes in 3 days until it went back under warranty within 6 months off purchase been fine since.

65mike

[Odysseus]

Watches are cool. Good thread.

I have a 20 year old Omega Seamaster which I’ve worn almost exclusively during those 7,000+ days. It’s been on four continents, been under the sea with me, was on my wrist when I met my wife and when my kids were born, and is one of my most prized possessions.



A decade or so ago I spent some time in Hong Kong and acquired some ‘reproduction’ watches of variable quality, but we won’t talk about that sort of thing here. [emoji846]

The Omega lives on my left wrist. On my right lives my FitBit, quietly logging the full extent of my athleticism (cough, cough) and also telling the time.





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[Stuno1]

10 minutes ago, Odysseus said:

Watches are cool. Good thread.

I have a 20 year old Omega Seamaster which I’ve worn almost exclusively during those 7,000+ days. It’s been on four continents, been under the sea with me, was on my wrist when I met my wife and when my kids were born, and is one of my most prized possessions.



A decade or so ago I spent some time in Hong Kong and acquired some ‘reproduction’ watches of variable quality, but we won’t talk about that sort of thing here.

The Omega lives on my left wrist. On my right lives my FitBit, quietly logging the full extent of my athleticism (cough, cough) and also telling the time.





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And this is the point of a watch. To wear and appreciate it. Make memories with it and then hopefully pass it on for others to enjoy. Lovely watch. 

[NemesisUK]

On 30/03/2018 at 5:31 PM, 65mike said:

Hi all.

Peter that's strange why not serviced in uk at there service centre like mine has been twice now.

Mine was a pain in the a**e had to literally shake the life out off it to get it going and was loosing 4 minutes in 3 days until it went back under warranty within 6 months off purchase been fine since.

65mike

Well, Friday night something drastic happened inside my watch! It started to sound like a grandfather clock ticking and when tilted made an awful rattle...

Took it in to dealers Saturday morning to be sent off for repair, under warranty thankfully. Guess I'll have a naked wrist for the next couple of months 

The young lady did say they do use a UK based workshop, so my previous comment was incorrect, thinking they still used Switzerland.

[aero-hot]

My Oris GMT World timer decided to split its bracelet last week. I bought an Oris meistertaucher titanium from a Jewellery shop in Knutsford last month, it was brand new but had sat there since 2012. Cheekily I offered a grand for it and they took it! I don't think you beat Oris. If I was wealthy it would be a Panerai Chronograph though. Another world sadly.

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[Stuno1]

16 hours ago, aero-hot said:

My Oris GMT World timer decided to split its bracelet last week. I bought an Oris meistertaucher titanium from a Jewellery shop in Knutsford last month, it was brand new but had sat there since 2012. Cheekily I offered a grand for it and they took it! I don't think you beat Oris. If I was wealthy it would be a Panerai Chronograph though. Another world sadly.

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Nice, oris do some lovely watches and I almost bought one in favour of my longines when I was looking. 

I do like panerai, instantly recognisable. 

[Stuno1]

Well I added another watch (Tudor black bay 58) to the slowly growing collection last week. Didn’t mean to but having tried on its bigger similar looking brother I had to put down a refundable deposit to be sure I didn’t want it. It’s a classic size with diameter of 39mm and height of 11.9mm. On the leather strap it’s an absolute corker. Once it arrived and I put it on it was only ever going to come home with me. Hadn’t intended to buy a watch until my 40th in 5 years but yeah.... couldn’t resist.

[Bluesman]

Great hobby. Can you tell me if there is any truth in "You can tell if its a real Rolex as it won't keep time"

[Stuno1]

33 minutes ago, Bluesman said:

Great hobby. Can you tell me if there is any truth in "You can tell if its a real Rolex as it won't keep time"

Maybe I am being dense but not heard that  one before...

[PRT68]

Ordered a Rolex Submariner non date 19 weeks ago and picked it up yesterday. Very lucky, as there seem to be huge waiting lists for the sports models. So much so, that unworn examples command a fairly high premium over list price. The dealer insisted on removing the protective stickers and retained the guarantee for 6 months, to discourage selling it on. Haven't even put it on yet or had the bracelet altered. Put masking tape on the back and sides to protect it and put it aside. Better than money in the bank.

Also have a very battered Oyster, purchased 1989. Omega Chronostop, 1972. And Various Citizen Eco Drives for daily wear.