I picked up a Ulysee Nardin a few months ago and couldn't be happier. Truly great watchmaker.
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Cerrot, UN IS a very special watch! They were known for their early Ship Chronometre work. I have a UN wrist watch from 1940's. Marked Chronometer on dial with blued (purple) Breguet styled hands, sub seconds. Rectangular case marked Staybrite with thin inner case to help prevent magnetism. Rectangular movt. marked 3 adjustments with Breguet overcoil hairspring. I grew up in the Antique business and later became a Watchmaker as I did like watches that much! Thanks for reminding me of it. I wouldn't mind hearing more about yours.. (hint) Enjoy!!! |
Nice to see some fellow watch freaks too. I have IWC, UN, and Tag in my collection, with the IWC being my favorites. I have STOWA which I like because of its history. Here are some links to my watches: UN: http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr108/tboooe/ULYSSE%20NARDIN%20Maxi%20Marine%20Chronometer%2026366/ULYSSENARDINMaxiMarineChronometer9.jpg IWC: http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr108/tboooe/IWC%20Pilot%20Chrono%20371701/IWCPilotChrono371701BrownBPStrap013.jpg http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr108/tboooe/IWC%20Portuguese%20Automatic%20500109/IWCPortugueseAutomatic5001-09008.jpg http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr108/tboooe/IWC%20Portuguese%20Chrono%20371438/IWCPortugueseChrono005.jpg Stowa: http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr108/tboooe/STOWA%20Marine%20Original/STOWAMarineOriginal3.jpg |
Thanks, Isochronism. I like UN alot and am thrilled to finally have one of his pieces. I have the Marine Maxi 1846 in silver with titanium. I cant wait to get another one! I was online at a store a while ago and the guy infront of me was wearing The Freak by Nardin. Needless to say, I freaked when I saw it and he freaked when he saw I knew what it was. |
Tboooe, Schaffhausen, Excellent collection!! IWC always had a much nicer finish inside than Rolex. (bite my tongue) The quality was only splitting hairs away from the few top makers. The one I always wanted was Ref 5251. Rare and expensive if found. Cerrot, I had to look them both up. Your power reserve indicator is always a cool feature. And Chronometer Grade is the best!! The Freak...Tourbillon.. WOW. The price of a really nice audio system!! You have to be a bit of a (watch) Freak yourself to have spotted it! HA I have a Audemars Piguet 2870. First automatic tourbillon, from 1980's. I bought it from a vintage dealer years ago. WAY, WAY cheaper than all the new tourbillons!!! |
"An iPhone! I wear it like a pocket watch. I have not had a time piece on my wrist for years. Wrist Watches are just BLING!" Do you remember a time before digital time pieces? It was great. When asked the time it was always rounded. 5:08 was ten after five. 2:03 was two O'clock. People glanced at their watches and rounded the time and for some reason the world was a better place. Bling? Not for everyone. There was and is plenty of watch wearers who wear them and depend on them to keep track of time. |
Donjr, I fully agree with you. Someone will see that I have a watch on and ask me the time. Once in a while, depending who it is, I will say like "it's a quarter of". They will then ask " a quarter of what?" I say, (as I look back at my watch) "well.... the hour hand broke off my watch, a week ago and I had not gotten around to fixing it yet, but it's a quarter of something". Some get the joke, some just give me a strange look. The ability to keep accurate time changed the world. Look up John Harris Marine Chronometer. Watches represent more than just telling time to me, and quartz watches are not a real watch, to me. A Frank Muller was brought to be serviced. It had a very large, Manly looking 18K case. The back said something like "The Jewelers Watchmaker" or whatever. Upon opening it, I found a little tiny quartz movement made for a small Ladies watch. HA If the guy wearing it only knew. They are making more high-end mechanical watches with complications than ever before. Someone likes them!! |
I've been a watch collector for most of my life. Although in the past, I collected stuff from most of the Swiss houses, today, I tend to collect some of the more obscure Japanese stuff. Believe it or not, companies like Seiko make some extremely high end watches that compete with most of what the Swiss make at almost any level and is one of the few companies in the world that makes all their own parts and movements in house. You won't however see any of these watches here in the US at the local mall although there are a couple of dealers now beginning to dabble in High End Japanese timepieces. It's only been in the last 10 or 15 years that the rest of the hard core collecting world has learned about some of the Seiko domestic products and today it's not uncommon for a heavy duty collector with a 6 or 7 $ figure collection to tell you that their Seikos are among their favorites. So that kind of explains my Username. That said, I actually have a Panerai on today. :-) |
The big Seiko flashy/sporty automatics and Divers, etc ALWAYS caught my eye when I was a young boy!!! They certainly had their own unique look to them. I also very well remember their magazine advertisements back then. They are slightly tricky reinstalling the main bridge until you've done a few. Also the automatic rotor bearings would wear, "if I remember right". Very strong running watches. It holds true as with other watches, as in rare dials, tho I know very little about Seiko collecting. |
@Isochronism Some of the older vintage Seiko dive watches from the 60's are worth good money today. A nice 6159 300M or a 6215 300M can fetch 5k or more. The market is very hot for them. A one button manual wind Seiko 5718 chronograph can easily fetch 8k or more today. Here's a shot of one of my old Seiko Divers, it contains a high beat 36kbhp movement. http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z284/wpetew/t6159.jpg |
Syntax, The Rolex Oyster cases are unbeatable!! The screw-down pushers were an excellent addition! (a lot of gaskets in that case :) Always great pictures from you:) I think that watch still has the Valjoux 72. I am lucky to have the model with a Valjoux 72C. "C" designating addition of triple calender feature. Early 1950's. Seikosha, Your Diver is a "high-beat" All very cool stuff! They must be very hard to find. Donjr, There are SO MANY vintage watches for sale at very reasonable prices. Just look at Epay. Be selective. You want a watch with the original dial finish. (not re-done) Like a Hamilton manual wind from the 1940's, as example. Excellent quality!! And It'll run forever. Enjoy |
Just picked up this watch for my 55th birthday (as a gift from my wife): Frederique Constant Moontimer - exposed heartbeat - moon phase - day count hand http://adventika.ru/images/products/Frederique%20Constant%20FC-335V6B6/!Frederique_Constant-FC-335V6B6.jpg |
A basic Seiko dial watch I bought with my first ever bonus check in 1987. But if I could, I'd wear a Rouchefoucauld. The thinnest water-resistant watch in the world. Singularly unique, sculptured in design, hand-crafted in Switzerland, and water resistant to three atmospheres. This is *the* sports watch of the '80s. Six thousand, nine hundred and fifty five dollars retail! It tells time simultaneously in Monte Carlo, Beverly Hills, London, Paris, Rome, and Gstaad. :) |
Out of all the watches I've owned over the years, fancy and non-fancy, my go to is a big ol' Panerai, simple, with black face, white hands, i've replaced the tan leather strap several times from wear; I crashed on a motorcycle wearing this watch 10 years ago and thought it was destroyed; it was sent back to the factory and for what I considered a modest charge, the watch was totally rebuilt, new parts, still runs great, and best of all, I can SEE THE DAMN THING! God bless the Italian Navy ! |
06-09-14: Onemug Onemug mentioning old Chicago album, $6.95 Onemug mentioning old Chicago album twice, $13.90 Not concerned about his watch? Schubert's 2¢ cents worth Onemug comment about Roxy 54's comments......... Priceless For everything else there's Mastercard |
Schubert, The enjoyment factor for those who own one or more better watches comes from a deep appreciation of the quality, craftsmanship and science involved in the making of the movement, as well as the artistry in the design of the case, and the unity of the two as a whole. Comparing watches to audio equipment in the way that you are doing is not really valid. |
I fully understand the appeal. Its a matter of beliefs and values to me. My excuse , come Judgement Day, for my paltry audio system will be it bolstered my Christian beliefs through Bach Cantatas etc etc. I can't think of one that would excuse me laying out the cash for the Omega I would like, instead giving to the Child Funds, Doctors without Borders etc needs. YMMV of course. |
I think a system to play Bach Cantatas is VERY necessary and anything more than a Seiko is not. My current system cost about 8k , I could have achieved what was required for 2k so I'm as guilty as anyone else. perhaps more than most 'cus I know better. Not to mention the other many K's I've spent over the last 40 0dd years. |
Hi Schubert, Sorry for the confusion. I was actually referring to the comment about all watches telling the same time, regardless of cost. I am sorry that you feel religious guilt concerning material possessions, and I'm not sure of what you mean when you say you know better. I guess I know for sure that you don't care about watches, and you like Bach cantatas. |
I have a couple of broken $50 watches around here somewhere. If I want to know what time it is, I pull out my trusty dumbest of all dumb phones and hope the battery hasn't run out yet. The retail value of my entire wardrobe is probably below 2K, including socks and under ware, and I drive a 2006 accord with about 130K miles on it. I can afford everything I want, and pay cash, because I don't want much. There are those who desire things that scream, "look at me." I'm somebody. For the most part, I stopped seeing myself through the eyes of others when I was 19. I know who I am. To me, stuff is just perishable stuff waiting to be consumed on the last day--see Brahms German Requiem. Alles herrlichkeit des Menschen wie das Grasses, blumen, Aber, Bach cantatas bliebt in ewigkeit. Now, I have absolutely no problem with someone buying a 10K watch, as long as they are financially secure and responsible, As for me, keep your Rollex and give me Schutz. |
