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Watches

Started by Twed, September 01, 2018, 03:55:52 PM

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Attila

Last January, my mom gave me a bag of watches -- the blinged out butterfly watch was some silliness she bought about 20 years ago, but the others belonged to her sister. I've no idea how old they are or if they're of any value. I had to take them all to a local hole-in-the-wall jeweler/watch repair guy in the village who dismissed them as 'trash', but whatever. (He told me he'd buy them off me altogether for £10 because they were 'worthless junk' -- no, thanks.) This was just before the first lockdown in March, so he was the first place I went to to get batteries changed/evaluation -- so I haven't had a chance to take them to anyone else. Not expecting any revelations, but was just curious about their age and that.

I would love to have the gold one with the chain/ball set-up repaired, as the material inside the ball seems to have perished (so the ball, which is supposed to slide up towards the wrist and hold the watch in place, no longer holds. He had no clue how to fix it).

I've got my mother's old Elgin watch, as well, which dates from her first wedding anniversary, so around 1949 or 1950. I don't care for the band she's got on it -- she replaced the original band with a turquoise-stone one she got on a holiday to the Grand Canyon. When she originally gave me the watch, I asked if she had the original band (which she did, though).

Silly bling: (these Lenox watches were also made in pink crystal and in yellow, but my mother opted for the tasteful white). This is battery-powered, and a pain in the ass to get the cover off to replace the battery. Mr Attila finally had to build a little tool to sort it out.



This is the one with the ball & chain clasp; no idea how to get this one repaired (to be fair, the local guy is a jerk, so it's probably a matter of finding a decent jeweler). It's a stem-winder. It's gold, although it's looking washed out in this photo. This is the first of the set dismissed as trash by the jeweler.



One of the 'junk' (re: jeweler) watches; my uncle gave this to my aunt on a wedding anniversary. I think the stones are diamond, not crystal, dunno. It's a stem-winder.



Another 'trash' (according to the jeweler) anniversary watch, fairly modern. I think these are little diamonds, not crystals (not fussed either way). This is battery-powered. It's a gold watch, I guess; the lighting in this room is pretty washed out.



Another 'trash' anniversary watch; this one is a stem-winder. I like the art-deco numbers, though.



Another 'trash' stem-winder with a nifty folding clasp (it's open in the photo)




A fun brooch-watch I found in a Parisian puces about a year & a half ago (Christ, as it been that long since I've been able to get to Paris?). It's a semi-reliable stem-winder.





And here's my mom's little Elgin late 40s/early 50s



Quote from: Attila on December 26, 2020, 10:55:50 AM
And here's my mom's little Elgin late 40s/early 50s



I really like that one, very unusual.

Attila

She wore it for years, up into her 80s before her wrists were too swollen to wear it anymore.

The original band is silver; she got the one that's currently on it on a trip outwest. Dunno what all of the stones are, but deffo got some turquoise in there.

The watch still keeps excellent time :)

Blue Jam

Quote from: Attila on December 26, 2020, 10:55:50 AM
Last January, my mom gave me a bag of watches -- the blinged out butterfly watch was some silliness she bought about 20 years ago, but the others belonged to her sister. I've no idea how old they are or if they're of any value. I had to take them all to a local hole-in-the-wall jeweler/watch repair guy in the village who dismissed them as 'trash', but whatever. (He told me he'd buy them off me altogether for £10 because they were 'worthless junk' -- no, thanks.)

I'm sure you realised this but the cheeky fucker would only have taken them to his his mate at Portobello Market to sell them all as "vintage" at a huge mark-up. Wanker.

QuoteI would love to have the gold one with the chain/ball set-up repaired, as the material inside the ball seems to have perished (so the ball, which is supposed to slide up towards the wrist and hold the watch in place, no longer holds. He had no clue how to fix it).

This is the one with the ball & chain clasp; no idea how to get this one repaired (to be fair, the local guy is a jerk, so it's probably a matter of finding a decent jeweler). It's a stem-winder. It's gold, although it's looking washed out in this photo. This is the first of the set dismissed as trash by the jeweler.



Er, dude, that's a Hamilton... on second thoughts, this jeweller actually might have been clueless after all. Especially as he had no idea how to repair the ball. Don't worry, someone else will. Or they'll have a spare ball lying around. Go and find a better jeweller, especially as this is a really nice and unusual watch. I like the uncommon mix of hour markers and I do like a square case.

How does the fastening mechanism work? Is the ball supposed to be packed with something that grips the chain when you pull it through? Surely you could get a little clasp added? Maybe get one of those little crab claw clasps to hold the chain in place once you've threaded it through?

Quote from: Attila on December 26, 2020, 11:35:14 AM
She wore it for years, up into her 80s before her wrists were
The original band is silver; she got the one that's currently on it on a trip outwest. Dunno what all of the stones are, but deffo got some turquoise in there.

The watch still keeps excellent time :)

It's the band that makes it

Attila

Quote from: Blue Jam on December 26, 2020, 12:48:29 PM
I'm sure you realised this but the cheeky fucker would only have taken them to his his mate at Portobello Market to sell them all as "vintage" at a huge mark-up. Wanker.


No worries -- I've had people tell me stuff is 'junk' before, and try to buy it off me for a song, thinking I was an idiot [re: someone trying to buy my 1980s koa wood Martin acoustic off me, claiming, 'Oh, you don't want a piece of junk like that.' I've had other twats attempt to trick me out of my lovely guitars on various occasions, and I figured, yeah, this dude is up to the same shit. I'd never gone to him before, so the initial visit was just to get a watch battery sorted on that Lenox, as Mr Attila couldn't get it apart initially]

Quote

Er, dude, that's a Hamilton... on second thoughts, this jeweller actually might have been clueless after all. Especially as he had no idea how to repair the ball. Don't worry, someone else will. Or they'll have a spare ball lying around. Go and find a better jeweller, especially as this is a really nice and unusual watch. I like the uncommon mix of hour markers and I do like a square case.


Thanks! It's my fave of the auntie watches; my uncle had a good eye for jewelry and stuff -- I don't think he got her nasty pieces for these presents.

Yep -- once things open back up again, I may take it round to the city where my university is -- there are  a couple of jewelers in the one high street or close by, and colleagues recommended them.

Quote

How does the fastening mechanism work? Is the ball supposed to be packed with something that grips the chain when you pull it through? Surely you could get a little clasp added? Maybe get one of those little crab claw clasps to hold the chain in place once you've threaded it through?

I think initially the ball had cork or something like silicon in there that would have allowed the chains to slide under pressure, then grip them in place once you stopped pulling on them -- that's the stuff that's perished so the chains now slide freely.

I figure, something like an added safety chain (like the sort you've mentioned; I have them on other bracelets) would be the alternative if it can't be repaired.

I do need to find a decent jeweler, though, as my mom's given me a lot of her good jewelry, really nice pieces, but some of the crappiest clasps known to man. It surprises me, as she was always all about decent clasps and safety chains and that.

Quote from: Better Midlands on December 26, 2020, 12:54:46 PM
It's the band that makes it

It has grown on me over the years, since she gave it to me. :)  I think she may have got it back in the 80s when she and my dad did a lot of travelling.


Just now realised, I put nothing for scale with any of those watched -- they are tiny. The face of my mom's watch is no biggest than my girly thumbail, and my auntie's watch faces would easily sit on a 5p piece.

Quote from: Attila on December 26, 2020, 01:01:37 PM
It has grown on me over the years, since she gave it to me. :)  I think she may have got it back in the 80s when she and my dad did a lot of travelling.

The juxtaposition of the strap with the vintage watch is a bold move, but it works for me.

Blue Jam

Quote from: Attila on December 26, 2020, 01:01:37 PM
No worries -- I've had people tell me stuff is 'junk' before, and try to buy it off me for a song, thinking I was an idiot [re: someone trying to buy my 1980s koa wood Martin acoustic off me, claiming, 'Oh, you don't want a piece of junk like that.' I've had other twats attempt to trick me out of my lovely guitars on various occasions, and I figured, yeah, this dude is up to the same shit.

I encountered comparable twats on eBay when I used to sell records and DJ equipment: "I want this item but I need it now. How about (paltry sum) in cash?" Pffffft, as if a paltry amount being in hard cash in an envelope somehow makes it less paltry than a nice big sum being conveniently deposited into your bank account. You know your item must be worth a lot when people send you messages like that ;)

QuoteI do need to find a decent jeweler, though, as my mom's given me a lot of her good jewelry, really nice pieces, but some of the crappiest clasps known to man. It surprises me, as she was always all about decent clasps and safety chains and that.

The Devil's in the details... but hey, even Rolex get this wrong. I've read a few stories about the pins holding the case to the strap failing and plenty of Rolexes ending up on the sea bed. It seems to be a common problem with Rolex watches in particular. I had the same problem with my now-knackered Breil quartz, with it being a heavy watch and the pins bending, but even so, my Seiko Recraft is heftier and I haven't had that problem at all. Pins may need replacing occasionally but you'd think a pricey luxury watch would have better pins!

As I said, I like the unusual arrangement of hour markers on your Hamilton's dial, there was some discussion of this upthread:

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,68891.msg4082025.html#msg4082025

Blue Jam

I should probably mention the Casio G-Shock I got for Mr Jam. I do love a Casio and I do love a G-Shock, they're a bit Hank Schrader but this one mostly looks Thundergun as fuck:



Not sure what that thing top right is. It looks like you could use it to launch a drone strike or something.

Attila

Quote from: Blue Jam on December 26, 2020, 01:22:39 PM
I encountered comparable twats on eBay when I used to sell records and DJ equipment: "I want this item but I need it now. How about (paltry sum) in cash?" Pffffft, as if a paltry amount being in hard cash in an envelope somehow makes it less paltry than a nice big sum being conveniently deposited into your bank account. You know your item must be worth a lot when people send you messages like that ;)


Yep -- as soon as you tell me that XYZ is junk but you'll gimme a tenner for it, nope nope nope.

Quote

The Devil's in the details... but hey, even Rolex get this wrong. I've read a few stories about the pins holding the case to the strap failing and plenty of Rolexes ending up on the sea bed. It seems to be a common problem with Rolex watches in particular. I had the same problem with my now-knackered Breil quartz, with it being a heavy watch and the pins bending, but even so, my Seiko Recraft is heftier and I haven't had that problem at all. Pins may need replacing occasionally but you'd think a pricey luxury watch would have better pins!


It's funny that, isn't it. She's got a few really good bespoke pieces with those cheap clasps. Slowly but surely getting them replaced (and safety chains added to a few things.


[quote
As I said, I like the unusual arrangement of hour markers on your Hamilton's dial, there was some discussion of this upthread:

https://www.cookdandbombd.co.uk/forums/index.php/topic,68891.msg4082025.html#msg4082025
[/quote]

Cheers! I rarely, if ever wear watches (and I don't have a phone that I carry, just a crap burner pay-as-you-go one I keep in my satchel for emergencies) but I will wear these occasionally as a piece of jewelry rather than a timepiece.

Quote from: Better Midlands on December 26, 2020, 01:05:17 PM
The juxtaposition of the strap with the vintage watch is a bold move, but it works for me.

With my mom, it was less 'vintage' and more 'I got this when I was 20, and it's still working when I'm 80, so who needs a new watch.' As far as I know, it's the only one she ever wore -- that mad ugly Lenox thing was a gift from my sister and never came out of its box. She saw the watch band in Arizona, liked it, had it put on her watch, bam., done. No fucks given if it went with the style or not.

Cuntbeaks

Inspired by this thread, i decided to take the plunge and buy a new watch, my first in 20 years.

I've always been drawn to watches with decent luminosity for night use. With this in mind there was only one winner brand wise, Luminox. Eventually settled on the 3081.BO

Couldn't be happier.




Blue Jam

Quote from: Attila on December 26, 2020, 01:49:34 PMWith my mom, it was less 'vintage' and more 'I got this when I was 20, and it's still working when I'm 80, so who needs a new watch.' As far as I know, it's the only one she ever wore -- that mad ugly Lenox thing was a gift from my sister and never came out of its box. She saw the watch band in Arizona, liked it, had it put on her watch, bam., done. No fucks given if it went with the style or not.

I would say your mum sounds cool as fuck if only I hadn't read everything else you've posted about her.

Quote from: Cuntbeaks on December 26, 2020, 03:11:28 PM
Inspired by this thread, i decided to take the plunge and buy a new watch, my first in 20 years.

I've always been drawn to watches with decent luminosity for night use. With this in mind there was only one winner brand wise, Luminox. Eventually settled on the 3081.BO

Couldn't be happier.





Yep, that's badass. Well worth the wrist cancer. I especially love the way it looks monochrome by day and lairy by night. Got a bit o' lume on my new Seiko but it's the wimpy non-radioactive kind, still nice to have though.

Blue Jam

Anyone got a Victorinox watch? I like their knives and their watches also look quite smart but come on guys, "Swiss quartz" is still quartz. They do automatic ones but they ain't cheap, certainly not compared to Seiko.

I like this one but at £160 with a Swiss quartz movement I still think my Seiko 5 was better value with a Malaysian automatic movement. Nice heft to this watch but I think the design of the Seiko 5 looks a bit cleaner:



Do the Victorinox watches live up to the name made by their famous knives? If so I could be tempted to get an automatic one day.

Blue Jam

#583
Quote from: Better Midlands on December 25, 2020, 11:22:02 PM
Nice one that BJ, I swapped my strap out for a brown leather one but I think yours would look good with a NATO.

Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on December 26, 2020, 12:56:49 AM
I put a leather nato on my Seiko 5 but that's because it had a pretty crap woven strap and think it was an improvement. That looks decent with a metal strap imo.

Cheers guys! I like the metal strap on the Seiko 5 but I have been thinking about getting a leather NATO for my old Diesel quartz:





50 pence piece for scale. It's a ladies' watch, narrow but still got a bit of heft, the case is almost a cube. Got a bit of lume on the hands and a nice waffle texture to the dial. Model DZ-5022, it's supposed to look like this, a bit girly but tough:



Eventually the strap just wore out and I found it impossible to source a replacement, which seems to be a common issue with Diesel watches with their quirky and unique but not indestructible leather straps.

I could get another white leather strap which would make it look more like a dress watch but I'm tempted to go for a lairy burnt orange one. Could do with a bit of inspiration here.

Quote from: Cuntbeaks on December 26, 2020, 03:11:28 PM
Inspired by this thread, i decided to take the plunge and buy a new watch, my first in 20 years.

I've always been drawn to watches with decent luminosity for night use. With this in mind there was only one winner brand wise, Luminox. Eventually settled on the 3081.BO

Couldn't be happier.





That looks well butch. My Seiko "Orange Monster" is so garish it looks better in the dark (or for as long as the luminosity lasts anyway).





The luminosity is pretty good straight after exposure to bright light but fades quite quickly.

Ferris

^love that chunky orange bastard

Had this lad on yesterday, felt festive


Blue Jam

#586
Quote from: Voltan (Man of Steel) on December 26, 2020, 04:37:49 PM


Quote from: FerriswheelBueller on December 26, 2020, 04:46:17 PM
^love that chunky orange bastard

Yep, it's an impressive and gorgeous lairy beast.

Voltan, I like the fact that you photographed it on a Saturday because the day name is in cyan which clashes nicely with the orange. My Seiko Recraft 70's darts players'/Bargearse watch also has that feature, with SAT in blue, my Seiko 5 only has SUN in red with the rest of the day names in white on a black background. I suppose too much colour on a black watch dial would look wrong, but it really works on a green sunburst dial or a chunky orange bastard. WANT.

Seikos are addictive, dammit.

Attila

Quote from: Blue Jam on December 26, 2020, 03:21:14 PM
I would say your mum sounds cool as fuck if only I hadn't read everything else you've posted about her.


Sadly, our relationship is 'difficult' at best, and that's putting it diplomatically -- ah well.

I'll post later a photo of the watches with a coin or two for scale -- really should have done that to begin with!

Blue Jam

Quote from: Blue Jam on December 26, 2020, 01:35:02 PM
I should probably mention the Casio G-Shock I got for Mr Jam. I do love a Casio and I do love a G-Shock, they're a bit Hank Schrader but this one mostly looks Thundergun as fuck:



Hank Schrader's actual G-Shock here:

https://www.watchuseek.com/threads/hanks-g-on-breaking-bad.739977/



G2500, not far off! I have noticed all the DEA agents in Breaking Bad and other government types like FBI agents in other series tend to favour a nice G-Shock, I have to wonder if real gubmint agents do the same. In any case I think Mr Jam's is more Thundergun than anything else.

Blue Jam and Ferris:

It is a bit of a chunky orange bastard and weighs a bit too - you certainly know you're wearing it. Luckily I'm a bit of a chunky (pale) bastard myself so I'm used to dragging a bit of excess poundage around.

I've already got two - the black and orange versions - so I can't really justify buying another (but I'm tempted).



shiftwork2

How are people coping with the date complication being anywhere other than at three 'o' clock?  It's at half past bleedin' four on the Victorinox watch.  How can you not mind this???

Blue Jam

Quote from: shiftwork2 on December 26, 2020, 07:49:59 PM
How are people coping with the date complication being anywhere other than at three 'o' clock?  It's at half past bleedin' four on the Victorinox watch.  How can you not mind this???

I actually hadn't noticed that before, but now you mention it that placement is a fucking abomination and it offends my senses greatly. Sorry Victorinox, but perhaps you really should just stick to making really sweet-ass knives. And perhaps I should just keep buying/getting bought Seikos.

Icehaven

Do you watch afficionados see many backwards ones? The only non digital clock I regularly look at is a backwards one a friend gave me years ago and I just got used to it during lockdown, so I gave in and bought a backwards watch a few months back, but I found there wasn't much choice. It does kind of fuck up other clocks for you though so I'm not too surprised they aren't that in demand.

holyzombiejesus

I like watches and would really like one but every strap I've tried has given me an allergic reaction. I don't like metal straps so haven't tried those but the leather/ faux leather/ plastic ones all give me a watchstrap shaped rash after a couple of days.

Blue Jam

#594
People who are allergic to metal can do that trick where you put a coat of clear nail polish inside the strap, but that might fuck up a plastic strap, and you'd have to be very careful with a leather strap, and keep touching it up after that. Ever tried a woven nylon strap? Some of those look quite smart, nice and rugged. Also are you sure it's an allergy or do you just have sensitive skin? I'm not sure how it's possible to be allergic to plastic or something with no proteins in it.

Got my new watch band adjusted today, had three links taken out and it fits perfectly. It turns out Timpson's isn't classed as a non-essential shop after all. People need shoes for the winter weather, I guess.

Sebastian Cobb

Quote from: holyzombiejesus on December 29, 2020, 05:01:05 PM
I like watches and would really like one but every strap I've tried has given me an allergic reaction. I don't like metal straps so haven't tried those but the leather/ faux leather/ plastic ones all give me a watchstrap shaped rash after a couple of days.

Have you tried fabric? You can get fabric nato's and if you wanted to avoid the metal holders all together, the likes of Animal make 'outdoorsey' watch straps with velcro fastening. At least they'd be breathable.


holyzombiejesus

Quote from: Blue Jam on December 29, 2020, 05:48:56 PM
People who are allergic to metal can do that trick where you put a coat of clear nail polish inside the strap, but that might fuck up a plastic strap, and you'd have to be very careful with a leather strap, and keep touching it up after that. Ever tried a woven nylon strap? Some of those look quite smart, nice and rugged. Also are you sure it's an allergy or do you just have sensitive skin? I'm not sure how it's possible to be allergic to plastic or something with no proteins in it.


Maybe it is sensitive skin, I'm not sure. How can you tell the difference? Would hypoallergenic straps (if such a thing exists) still give me the rash if I 'just' have sensitive skin rather then an allergy?


holyzombiejesus

Quote from: Sebastian Cobb on December 29, 2020, 11:00:55 PM
Have you tried fabric? You can get fabric nato's and if you wanted to avoid the metal holders all together, the likes of Animal make 'outdoorsey' watch straps with velcro fastening. At least they'd be breathable.



Your image isn't showing for me but I didn't really like the Animal straps I've seen, they're a bit outdoorsy. Might look for some plain ones though, cheers.

Blue Jam

Quote from: holyzombiejesus on January 01, 2021, 11:10:31 PM
Maybe it is sensitive skin, I'm not sure. How can you tell the difference? Would hypoallergenic straps (if such a thing exists) still give me the rash if I 'just' have sensitive skin rather then an allergy?

An allergy is a specific immune response to a protein, sensitive skin is more generalised inflammation I think, easily irritated skin that reacts badly to heat, sweat, perfumes etc. I think it's a matter of allergens vs irritants. I have sensitive skin on my own phizzog and I think it's because it's just a bit dry and gets a bit irritated by harsh skin creams, peel-off face masks etc.

btw I wasn't using the word "just" to imply that your skin condition isn't serious. I would never belittle a man's skin condition. Sensitive skin is a pain in the arse. Probably even more so if it's on the skin of the arse.

holyzombiejesus

Quote from: Blue Jam on January 01, 2021, 11:20:35 PM
An allergy is a specific immune response to a protein, sensitive skin is more generalised inflammation I think, easily irritated skin that reacts badly to heat, sweat, perfumes etc. I think it's a matter of allergens vs irritants. I have sensitive skin on my own phizzog and I think it's because it's just a bit dry and gets a bit irritated by harsh skin creams, peel-off face masks etc.

btw I wasn't using the word "just" to imply that your skin condition isn't serious. I would never belittle a man's skin condition. Sensitive skin is a pain in the arse. Probably even more so if it's on the skin of the arse.

Ha! I didn't realise you had said "just have sensitive skin", the 'just' in my post was down to me thinking it was possibly less serious than a skin allergy. Thanks for the advice, I'm gonna try nylon.