I'm also a member at one of the big watch forums. Pinball and watches are my "Big Two" in hobbies with others coming and going over the years. I've loved watches probably since I was 10 or so.....roughly the same time I started playing pinball.

Well I just got the most significant and meaningful watch (to me) so far. My so called "grail". The OMEGA Speedmaster Professional - AKA "The Moon Watch". Probably the most iconic watch in history....at least in my opinion. The style has not changed since 1957.....and like a man's suit will seemingly never go out of style. First watch on the moon and it also saved the lives of the Apollo 13 crew when it was used to time their re-entry burn since the electronic timer on the ship was out. It's still the only watch authorized for by NASA for use outside of a spacecraft.....amazing.

Anyway....long story short, the folks over there wanted to see pics of the watch and the pins together....so I figured I might as well share them here as well.

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Depends on the watch but there are MANY ways to tell the real ones from the fake. Although the fakes are getting better (some of them).

In regards to my Speedmaster Professional its really pretty easy to spot 99% of the fakes.

1. In the fakes the little sub-dials are spaced way too far apart (because of the fake Chinese movements that are used most of the time). Also the spacing of the numbers on the outer "Tachymetre" ring are usually incorrect as well.

2. The fakes are normally a lot lighter due to the cheap bracelets used.

3. The fine details (The logo, they type face, the markers) are often way off on the fakes.

Replica watches are highly frowned upon.

I can remember when a $100 watch was expensive to me; and I would buy a $100 watch.....not a fake Rolex. (In fact I still don't own a Rolex).

Well I certainly don't suffer from "Affluenza". I drive a 7 year old Dodge and have no plans to upgrade anytime soon.

I appreciate watches in a very similar way that I appreciate pinball machines. It's their mechanical nature (yes I mostly own mechanical watches....I only have one quartz watch and only because that one has an alarm on it). I'm fascinated by their complex mechanical nature. That something with hundreds of moving parts and no power source (other than a spring) can keep relatively accurate time is very cool to me.

Same way I appreciate the complex mechanical nature of pinball machines.....although granted I prefer the more modern SS machines over the the EM's generally speaking. I still appreciate the complexity of the EM's.

That Monaco is sick! Probably my 2nd favorite watch of all time......don't own one......yet.

Here are couple of others from my small collection.....nothing as nice as the Speedmaster but I like them:

Ball Engineer Master II DLC
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XW "Tsunami" Limited Edition
XWTsunamiSilver.jpg

Steinhart Ocean Vintage Military
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And this one is incoming - Helgray "Meca-Quartz" Hybrid Movement (Mechanical Chronograph but Quartz time keeping)
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Well just make sure you don't get the original "Moon Watch" Omega Speedmaster then.

It is absolutely a tremendous "bang for the buck". Very nice "fit and finish".... Swiss ETA 2824 elabore automatic movement, solid bracelet, domed sapphire crystal (with anti reflective coatings) , dive rated (300 meters), Super Luminova markers.....tough to beat at its price point.

Very cool, and very rare....the ultra rare 18k version no less! I don't know because you never see them for sale but my guess is that puppy would trade fairly with an HUO Spider-Man (or IMVE, or Tron Pro.....place 5k pin here....)

It's a fine line I guess but generally "homage" is okay and "knockoff" is a huge no-no. The difference.....a Homage says Steinhart (or whatever) right on the face....and they have subtle style differences that are all their own.......a knockoff say's Rolex....but isn't a Rolex.

Hell 80% of the dive watches on the market are "homage's" to someone.....mostly Rolex but there are plenty of Omega's and many others. As long as it's got quality parts and it's own badge on the front it's okay by me. You would never ever catch me wearing a knockoff.

Mine

Mine is like the original right Dow to the hesalite crystal. It can scratch but is also easy to fix with some Polywatch and a soft cloth. No permanent scratches so far. It does give the watch a different look. Also interesting to note is that the sapphire version is not NASA approved even to this day.

Yes...manual wind roughly 40hr reserve. I just wind it once a day when wearing.

The ceramic should be far more scratch resistant.....for that reason alone I'd go for it.

I think we covered this already.

Fake = Watch says and looks like a Rolex (or whatever) but is not actually a Rolex. THIS is not okay.....ever. If you can't afford the name brand watch you like then....

Homage = Resembles a famous watch but has the actual manufactures name on the watch. So looks very similar to a Rolex but says Steinhart (or whatever). This is perfectly acceptable.

So, if you like the look of an expensive watch but can't afford it buy the nicest "homage" you can find in your price range. If one doesn't exist buy something else but don't buy a complete fake.

My first nice automatic was a Seiko. Cost me $100 on eBay. Still have it:
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To my knowledge this does not happen in the watch world.....especially when talking about the big brand name manufactures.

Rolex, Omega, Breitling, Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai and many others (Including Seiko) make their own movements (In-House) and you will not find another watch brand with the same movement anywhere.

You may think branding is stupid but most of these companies built there reputations in the watch world over a long period of time......they are by no means "hot today, thrift store junk tomorrow".

You might think the price of one of these brands is absolutely ridiculous....and from some perspectives they are. But, they hold their value and in MANY cases increase in value. You take care of that Rolex and there is an excellent chance it will be worth more than you paid in twenty years. Investment vehicle....NO! But at least they aren't "junk tomorrow" as are most Timex's and cookie cutter "fashion" brands.

And I'm not a "brand snob" I buy all kinds of watches. I bought a $130 watch off Amazon a couple months ago just because I liked the look and the functions it had on it (It certainly didn't say Omega on the front of it though )

Yes.....very respected. I was just throwing out some examples of in house movements off the top of my head......there are many others.

Then there are the brands the use Swiss ETA movements but modify them with some unique in-house touches.....Tag Heuer and BALL come to mind.

Then there is the plethora of boutique manufactures that use straight out of the box Swiss ETA's. This tends to be your biggest "Bang for your Buck" group. Highly competitive and usually limited edition watches. I bought a small boutique brand German Flieger that was limited to a run of 50. Sold it two years later for 2x what I had paid. Typical pricing here is $300-$1200 with the vast majority being $400-$600.

Best site for finding used watches in any price range:

www.watchrecon.com

I don't use them. I don't mind winding up a watch and setting it when I go to wear one. I think I'm more anal about unnecessary wear and tear on an automatic running 24/7 then just setting it when I want to wear it. I can go for many months without wearing a particular watch.

That makes no sense. And without actual evidence I will dismiss it (not you......it). I'm an "evidentialist" and only believe things to the degree that their is evidence to support it. I also change my beliefs (or the degree) as new evidence emerges.

Actually can you show me where a manufacturer recommends this? That still wouldn't be evidence to follow such a recommendation but it would be interesting to read their recommendation and see if they provide an explanation with it.

Actually it appears I came off the wrong way. I didn't feel attacked in any way and was simply trying to describe how I think about things in general. I'm not arguing one way or the other but just saying how I arrived at what I do. No worries, and I wasn't trying to tell anyone else what they should think or do.

Nice....love the Panerai's but the vast majority of them are too big for my tiny wrists.

Well I spotted another watch and have decided to put up my BALL in order to fund it (if anyone is interested):

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f29/fs-ft-ball-engineer-master-ii-dlc-2025313-post17127977.html#post17127977

So I'm looking at two watches right now......and they are completely different!

1937 Longines (fully restored):
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Modern (but based on 70's Style Cushion Case) Hamilton Pan Europ with 80hr reserve:
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Thoughts? (Price is nearly identical)

Click on the images to see a much clearer version.

I saw that coming.

Yep....that's why I said "completely different". The Longines is a classic dress watch....and a conversation piece.

The Hamilton is a fun/sporty/casual weekend watch.....or for me a daily wearer since I'm casual most days.

Tough call......The Longines is more of a "one shot", they don't come around often especially in this condition. The Hamilton will most likely be available for a while (years). That says I should get the Longines. However it was the Hamilton that had me put my Ball up for sale (It sold BTW). So that tells me I should go for what I set out for in the first place and get the Hamilton.......ahhhh!

The Longines is gone!

You snooze you lose.

Well I went a different (third) direction. Bought a Sinn. Will post pics when it comes in.

So I just noticed something. With the sale of my Ball and getting the Sinn I still have eight automatics; but none have any numerals for hour markers! All eight only use different styles of indices with no numerals.

In addition I have two quartz watches.....both have analog faces and both have numerals on the faces.

Guess I generally don't care for numerals on my watches.....but had you asked me that before today I would not have known that to be the case.........odd.

The Sinn arrived today.....quick pic from my phone:
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This is the Sinn 556i. It's 38.5mm and that makes it the smallest automatic I own. It does wear a little larger than its size would suggest and Think it would look great on wrists up to 7.5" (Mine are 6.5").

I love the very clean/simple design. This watch is really versatile. It can be dressed up on a shiny black band and worn to a board meeting or throw on a rustic brown (the band mine came with) for a sporty/outdoorsy feel. They also have a very high quality bracelet that matches the watch perfectly.....might pick one up.

Oh...and here is the display back (stolen from the net):
SI-367-alt9.jpg

Sinn only uses Top Grade Swiss ETA movements (the 2824-2 in this case). Top Grade movements are identical to Chronometer grade movements (minus the COSC certification....and added cost) and are decorated, adjusted to 5 positions and rated to an average daily rate: +/- 4 seconds.

It is water rated to 200m and has a screw down crown.

So this is my current "In the rotation" (some more than others) lineup:

2015_06_25_09_24_06_ProShot.jpg

"She's a beaut Clark"

Neat......but how freakin' big is that thing?

The Sinn on a Bond Nato (technically a Zulu.....I prefer Zulu straps over true Nato's).

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The Sinn has quickly moved into the #2 spot (all time) in my collection. Pics do not do it justice. It has a shiny black face but you never get reflections due to the double layers of anti-reflective coatings. This has the effect of making the face a VERY deep black......the blackest I've ever seen on any watch. combined with the brite white makers and it is very easy to read in virtually any situation. Such a clean simple dial but the watch as a whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. As always.....click on the pictures to see a much cleaner pic.

Let's start with that.

Annnnd.....we are back to where this whole thread started (over a year ago)

And only $275K.......very impressive though.

Just picked up a new watch today.....nothing fancy or expensive, I just liked it. It was a limited edition Seiko automatic that was a Japan only release.

Here is just a pick from the web:

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Well the reserve should be accurate.....right around 40hrs. As far as time keeping it might just need to be regulated. Most of 2824's have been very accurate and usually run around +/- 10-15 seconds / day.

Yeah I had to pay FedEx as well. Small price to pay considering we don't have to pay the VAT.

I'll take it since I recommended it to him

Love it.....classic beauty.

I did just sell a watch to get an electric guitar.....these arrived today (mine is the one on the left, my son's on the right).

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How many total watches do you have? Would love to see the whole collection together.

Love Sinn watches!

Holy crap.....check out this watch. Pretty amazing but cost as much as a Corvette.

http://www.fratellowatches.com/mct/

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Yeah, me too. Neat movement though.

Yeah but just imagine how much larger your collection will be vs buying from US AD's.

I bought a Movado from a street vendor in Hawaii nearly thirty years ago. He started out at $230 and I bought it for $20. It worked and I used it for a while.....that was before I really got into watches and swore off any fakes.

If he just got one why was he changing the battery? Oh and not making a mechanical is the biggest reason I haven't bought a Shinola.

That is sick awesome

Sweet collection! You've got great taste in watches and some nice variety.

I have this one pre-ordered - Magrette (mah-gret-tee) Dual Time Automatic PVD.

shop2345200.pictures.DTblackpvd_XL_1_(resized).jpg

Wanted a two time zone watch and liked the "inner dial" verses having a separate "GMT" hand.

Yeah, I want to check out the Miyota 9015 movement as well. Most think it is superior to the ETA 2824. 42hr reserve, robust and accurate....I've never owned one.

To my knowledge jomoshop is all grey market (no warranty) which is fine as long as you know going in. Two camps - cheap grey market and AD's (Authorized Distributors). One is much cheaper and no warranty the other is more expensive and full warranty.

Third Camp - Used (WatchRecon.com for the win).....no warranty obviously.

I've bought watches all three ways and have yet to have a major disappointment.....beyond getting a watch, putting it on and then realizing it was not for me.

Edit.....here is what Jomashop says:

Product Warranty
Jomashop.com will service every brand name watch sold on our website (see chart for exceptions) for a period of 1 to 5 years after purchase. Watches that have symptoms of abnormally gaining time, losing time, or not keeping proper time will be serviced under our warranty program. Our warranty does not cover "external damage" to the product.

So THEY provide some protection.....none from the manufacturer. I wouldn't count on it being much of a warranty though.

BTW it says "see chart for exceptions" but I see no chart.....good chance many brands come with nothing.

It showed up early!

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I'm really enjoying the Magrette. Great lume and It's running about +5 seconds a day......can't ask for any better than that! So the 9015 movement is running better than expected but I will say this about it.....it's noisier than any Swiss ETA I've owned. When you happen to get the rotor spinning you can hear it. The dual time dial is very easy to read. I'm posting this at 1:50pm....or 7:50am Hawaii time (heading there next week )

It's a classic "bang for your buck" watch. Solid, reliable, fantastic lume (Seiko has some of the best lume in the biz). The bracelet is very nice on these. Cons.....it's a low beat older automatic movement with no hacking and no manual winding. Not the most accurate but they run pretty reliably. I had a Black Monster (Just sold it today actually) and still have a limited edition Blue Monster (with the 6R15 movement) and an original "White Knight"....(that I replaced the crystal with a sapphire one). The White Knight was actually my very first "auto" and I paid $100 for it. Here is my "White Knight":
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BTW if you want to see a ridiculous value on a dive watch check these out (currently out of stock though): http://shop2.tisellkr.cafe24.com/product/Sold-out/33/?cate_no=1&display_group=2#none

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9015 automatic movement (hacking & hand winding)
Ceramic Bezel
Sapphire Crystal (W/ AR coating)
316 Stainless Steel case and bracelet
C1 Luminova
- $195 shipped!

That's at least $500 in specs (typically)

Yeah I'm actually considering their Bauhaus:

9015b-2_(resized).jpg

The most iconic watch in history (IMHO)....and one that never goes out of style. Also the one that started this entire thread

He's on a roll!

Nice pick up.

Fantastic!

It's www.chitownwatch.com

Seiko auto's offer a lot of "bang for your buck". I especially like their divers.

So I did pick up a Tisell Diver (Total Rolex Sub Homage). Went with the "Hulk" edition. Pretty ridiculous value really - Stainless Steel case and band (decent weight). Sapphire crystal, 9015 automatic movement and to top it off a ceramic bezel........$195!

Tisell_Hulk.jpg

Yes....it feels solid. Crazy package for the price but according to the website he's out of 9015 movements until 2017!

The iconic Seiko "Black Monster". Some of the best lumi I've ever seen on any watch. Had one for years.....just sold it actually.

Not only thick but it's Seiko's LumiBright (C3 superluminova) the brightest stuff you can get without going radioactive.

It's cousin says hello:

OVM_(resized).jpg

I still have this "monster":

Blue_Monster.jpg

Seiko Superior Limited Edition SRP455 (Blue Monster) with the 4R36 movement (hacking and manual winding).

Millions!

I like it. Squale has been around for a long time and have a very good reputation.

Did you adjust the clasp? Looks like you have one more notch there.

Newest aquisition (through a trade). Ventus Caspian - Type B
Brass case (I plan on treating it with "brass ager" this weekend) Seiko Automatic, Sapphire Crystal. I'll have to try it on the included leather nato also.

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Why can't you wear them at work?

Get a Tegimented Sinn! You won't dent one of those.

http://www.watchbuys.com/store/pc/sinnwatches.asp

"This watch features "Tegiment" technology. Standard steel used by most watch companies has a hardness of between 200 and 240 HV (Hardness Vickers is a common scale used to measure material hardness). The Tegiment layer has a hardness of 1,200 Vickers which is up to five times harder than standard steel."

Before:
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After (this was about 10 seconds in the solution):
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It looks even better in person....richer. I like that versus letting it patina naturally this is a much more even color. The bonus of course is that if I wish I can bring it back to shiny brass.....and then color it again if I want, and so on.

This one has a brass case. It's "water resistant" to 100m so I just dropped it in some "Brass-Ager" - http://www.amazon.com/Brass-Bronze-Aging-Solution-Darkening/dp/B005TRO276

It literally took seconds to change! Kind of cool to watch. Like I said, if I want I can bring it back to shiny brass anytime.....but I love the new look.

I had a Samsung Gear S2 that I wore for two weeks straight. Neat features but at the end of the day I just didn't "need" any of them. Not to mention it removed the ability to wear a "real" watch. No thanks.

I would hope your net is over 50 million to drop 2.5 on a watch....maybe even 100. 2.5 is 5% of your total net at 50 million and 5% seems high to drop on a watch. I think the most I've ever dropped on any watch was 1% ......once. Most are closer to .1. Now pinball machines are another story

Love that Omega!

GS's might be "sleepers" to the general public but not to watch enthusiasts.....Great Watch!

Another bargain hunter grab: The Dagz "Thunderbolt"
Thunderbolt (resized).jpg
Still sells new on his website for $375 but I picked this one up from eBay in mint condition for $185. Double domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating. Bead blasted stainless steel case and bracelet (also came with three Nato straps), 9015 automatic movement and SuperLuminova markers. Bonus....the bracelet perfectly matches and fits my Sinn 556.

I've looked at those but they are too big for me.

Looks like it could be a Sea King, possibly from the 60's. Anything on the back? Can you open it up and get a pic?

Yeah if you get it open we should be able to give you the year at least.

My guess.....it's from the mid to late 60's, 1964+ but not past 70.

I only see serial numbers starting with a 1-XXX in those years. Inside should tell us the exact year.

Uh, Tokyo?

Nice!

I've got a Seiko Prospex GMT Diver incoming. It's a beast at 47.5mm but thankfully only has a 51mm lug to lug so I should be able to (just) pull it off. Looks like it's going to take a while to get here so here's a pic off the web.

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Especially since I got it BNIB for $170 and being shipped from Seiko!!

Nice! The movement looks great. You may never find the exact model (maybe contact Bulova directly with all the info you have). I still think it's some version of the Sea-King......or Sea something. MO is definitely 1960.

cool!

All Briteling's?

Sweet watch, and great story.

That is one bad ass looking monster of a watch! How big is it?

My Dad wore Skagen's, he liked how thin they are.....and their style.

Biggest difference....quartz vs automatic movement. Quartz movements are dirt cheap (for the most part) but extremely accurate. Just need to change the battery every few years.

Automatics (and manual wind mechanicals) are extremely complicated. No battery....just a crap ton of tiny gears and wheels and balances and a spring. A low end Swiss auto movement will run you hundreds just for the movement itself.

My son is a huge Star Wars freak....I just bought him this watch for Xmas: Nixon Millennium Falcon Ranger Chronograph
A549SW-2385-view1 (resized).jpg

I'm picking up a tread bracelet to wear on my off hand. It's TSA approved so I don't have worry about the airlines confiscating my mini pocket tools anymore (has happened a couple times).

Looks like 200

You're right about the 300....but I disagree with it not being meaningful for rec divers. It's a "static" measurement. If you're at 25 meters and waving your arm around it's going to generate a lot more than 25 meters of pressure.

There is also a difference between a "dive rated" watch and one simply listed as "water resistant" 100M. At least until you get to 300M....everything 300M+ is "dive rated". It would be pushing it to wear a 100m "water resistant" watch while doing laps in a pool.....it might survive repeated workouts....it might not. If it's "dive rated" then you need not worry.

Thinking about selling off a few and getting something.....maybe an RGM (1st choice but most expensive), another Sinn or Ball......or maybe something else will catch my eye.

I have "preordered" this:

Engineer-III-Bronze-Star (resized).jpg
Ball-Engineer-III-Bronze-Star-3 (resized).jpg
Ball-Engineer-III-Bronze-Star-4 (resized).jpg

The BALL Engineer III Bronze Star:

COLLECTION
• Engineer III

MODEL
• Bronze Star
• Automatic Series

MODEL NUMBER:
NM2186C-L1J-BK

MOVEMENT
• Automatic calibre BALL RR1102
• SpringLOCK® patented anti-shock system

FUNCTIONS
• 14 micro gas tubes on hour and minute hands and dial for night reading capability
• Super LumiNova coating on second hand and twelve Arabic indexes
• Shock resistant to 5,000Gs
• Anti-magnetic to 80,000A/m
• Water resistant to 100m/330ft
• Hours, minutes, sweep seconds, day and date

CASE
• Bronze
• Amortiser® patented anti-shock system
• Ø 43mm, height 13.45mm
• Anti-reflective sapphire crystal
• Screwed-in crown

BAND
• Brown calf leather strap with standard buckle

DIAL
• Black

LIMITED EDITION
• 3,000 PCS

It won't be released until March-April which makes it a Birthday present (my 50th). The preorder price represents a tremendous value but ends on Dec 31st.