Jump to content

Watch of Today


mk3

Recommended Posts

2 minutes ago, AndyHull said:

RIMG0006.thumb.JPG.a6b641f39a802fc63590d581acf23f4a.JPG

One of my Timex "Big Q" British Rail watches got a fresh battery and some wrist time today.

This has a relatively early Timex quartz movement, and therefore it is a little more battery hungry than its modern counterparts.

I've been shopping for one of these, not easy to find one that's not a mess.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, FLwatchguy73 said:

I've been shopping for one of these, not easy to find one that's not a mess.

I've got this very similar one, not 'B.R.' marked but essentially the same watch...

Probably mid to late 1980's. They are surprisingly accurate still, this one is running at about +3 secs a month (+0.1secs/day):startle: . The oscillator is not as stable as the ones in the vintage Seiko quartz watches  and 'hunts' between 0.06 and 0.13 secs/day, whereas the Seiko's lock solidly onto a rate, not altering at all......

 

 

Timex M cell quartz.jpg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, FLwatchguy73 said:

I've been shopping for one of these, not easy to find one that's not a mess.

This one was pretty scruffy when it arrived.

Fortunately the mechanisms are robust (and if necessary serviceable), so if you can find one where the battery hasn't leaked, you have a pretty good chance of getting them working.

I did give the mechanism of this one a quick clean and lubricate, but the majority of work on it was cosmetic, The crystal is original, but it has been very carefully polished to remove a life time's worth of scratches. The case has a slightly corroded edge on the rear, caused by some ham fisted case back opening attempt at some stage in the past but you would only spot that if you went looking for it.

The strap is new, and a good new, quality, real leather strap makes a big difference too. The pristine, very readable, clean layout of the dial also helps of course.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My 1960s Gallet Multichron. One word- elegant. (Well I do) It sports a Valjoux 7733. I wear this one with a tux or formal ball type attire. I think the vintage Gemex bead bracelet makes this very festive. Way too blingy for casual use. 

Just took a little effort to resurrect this one from the dead. 20190827_124137.thumb.jpg.1f7c4f51e3f2aca7559c2f00be8bd281.jpg

20200430_102455.jpg

20200430_102837.jpg

20200430_102852.thumb.jpg.15e4f4cab40b8325482e270b23839a45.jpg

 

Edited by Hopgoblin
Photo delete
  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A BG 866 based "Omnia De Lux" with some kind of 25 thrown in for good measure (not jewels of course, it only has one of those). I would guess that it is from the mid 1970s.

RIMG0014.thumb.JPG.db5af0f7e8d9740e5dbe00c097143d2d.JPG

This was picked up as part of a job lot, and has been lying in the junk pile for a while. Like the previous BG 866 it was probably due to be parted out, however it has an irresistible blue dial that magically turns purple in certain light, so I caved in and gave it the full treatment.

RIMG0013.thumb.JPG.5622f137e535e3dd683da98682c49585.JPG

It joins the 404 club running somewhere around +/-20 sec per day.

image.png.6d84766801e99148af502fa94ad99aa7.png

http://www.mikrolisk.de/show.php?site=280#sucheMarker

Edited by AndyHull
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today I'm wearing my Sicura Satellite. It's back on my wrist after having been torn down.. Again! Trying to pin down the gremlins that kept making it stall. I think I have it sorted now, it's been running for 3 straight days and hasn't missed a beat. I fell in love with that gigantic second hand and shiny blue dial. I wish the case was stainless steel and not chrome plated base metal. It could definitely use a good polish.

 

 

20200501_121619.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1966 14k Omega Seamaster Ref KL6746. It's my understanding that these particular C cases were made for the US market and imported by the Norman Morris Corp. The solid gold case resembles the other C style cases that made up the Constilattion line that was designed by the famed designer Gerald Genta. I have it on a period Perlon strap. Summertime!

20200501_113339.jpg

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, Przemek said:

Poljot 55g jSodbdefX4z71qkxyMM9Tsics0z_a-kJNPnJ3tGn8Ifc05Fk3algQ1DO47ECP2EiGuiKqAm2hUwQHPwT5bOUiNSnoVe5mDGzaJYIGiWW9NaN-cPNuojjnQtgsywIRQ8R8RdYrsD0z9hg47knpGH8JHu6IASc_4hRjrqzhchWHR5L0yJd6qBn4j4rCwgRdSUHdhLNaHwaGo1ZOndZ1mepA1AjFVHBWjs0DbRwBW09pr8f8mHf07QlKoAbr0u_2msjZ2bsnF5BdFZLaW7C8mEKv7geUNvPLYTVT8tBiE_iqoBOnNkXyORpEY5UAd85IgcMvXD_5EJMbdzytsYoDczwCyyJ6-ZmszSuEmbPX6ScdteGfyiUKJPmhSFiWqdOny-zAfPRCZhJX2BhKJByrInvFYzJPSnZ6w3wH3MpoxL-TwITvzgeq9RO8GPQ23mVItmCqCo9Cz4AdltUninJ5SeumqfPaVx5ZL-zIIxMIV1xiW5VtzVNCmmeOOhUwyjpyUPflv5cWqHGNukY4PBlUWXEa60zSQYfww_7fM7oC26SY2c4f72LZo9RfL9RMOszKqRqsFn0smEc8f2s4k7XcpHNkx6Qej5h7kfKFdTA-5JsAeXFC2jpXqgpiAxL3JlQhm4fpoBzUHl1Qj6bl-xSqOVPGmfVT4Zj94Y13ycUd4RBWS_M9HPAClaFSIDeHoKnLQ=w1062-h903-no

Love the rough grain suede strap, compliments the watch perfectly.

I will add a bit of my own Soviet flair today. Komandirskie manual wind in a Amphibia case. The patina on the dial is almost as attractive as a blue dial would be to my eye.

20200502_074440.thumb.jpg.5416262b4494f145488f1db17f8ed800.jpg

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sporting my newly acquired Timex Q with their version of a mystery dial. Had a scratched crystal but It cleaned up nicely. The replacement bracelet looks like a large heaping pile of steaming rhinoceros poo and the clasp was mangled and wouldn't close. I was able to tweak the clasp into submission though. Seller sold it as not working because they couldn't figure out how to get the battery cover off, lol. My gain, :D

Placed a fresh cell in it and off it went. I do like how the hands seem to be floating in space. The sales catalog suggests this was available in 1975 at a retail price of $55. That's $263.87 adjusted for inflation. Not exactly a cheap watch, but very affordable. Love the midnight blue dial and the "floating" hands.

20200503_130011.thumb.jpg.dc31da6a713679db3ae6ff152408d8d3.jpg

tumblr_11f191ca388d220e0a884f16f45240ee_5840e474_2048.thumb.jpg.d6218d076c911d0adbe5062918de2089.jpg

20200503_131307.thumb.png.fd5ef81ac53ebe6cbda8a615093f2ae5.png

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

A circa 2005 Swatch Irony rises from the junk pile today. Yet another one of the "part of a job lot, but not the one I was interested in" watches.

RIMG0150.thumb.JPG.58abd5c11ba2d9b6c11765b8e66aa3f2.JPG

The second hand had fallen off and the crystal looked terrible. It had some green emulsion paint on it, and about 1/4" of broken strap still attached at each side. Since I have no Swatch straps I had to hack one out of another junk pile strap. So in summary, junk, strapped to more junk.

There is a little polishing compound on the glass when I took the picture, which I hadn't noticed, so it looks slightly smokey. In reality, apart from that ding at around the seven o'clock position and a couple of other very minor craters, it looks fine. So much so that I actually sprang for an after market black resin strap for it. I also have a swatch buckle in the junk pile, so it should look fairly authentic once I'm done with it.  So that will be a junk buckle on an ersatz strap, attached to a junk pile watch. Just perfect for wearing while doing the garden I would say. Speaking of which, we recently sowed some seeds from a packet that has been lying around since 2004, so round about the time this Swatch was made. They seem to have germinated just fine.

If you are wondering how I re-fitted the second hand on a non-servicable watch, well with care, you can remove the bezel  by prising it up carefully with a case knife, taking great care not to mar it, or the watch. The bezel and the crystal then come out as separate pieces. Refitting it requires a crystal press, and way more pressure than feels comfortable or safe.

Needless to say, the crystal is also non standard, so good luck finding a replacement for that.

Edited by AndyHull
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just finished fixing the day/date synchronisation problem on this 6923-8000 (June 1982) so fitted a new crystal and as it looked so nice I thought that it deserved some wrist time.....

Seiko 6923-8000.jpg

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Today I figured was a Timex 'H' Cell powered LED watch day.

OK It isn't Roger Moore's Hamilton Pulsar P2 2900 from "Live and Let Die", but its as close as you are going to get on my self imposed budget.

RIMG0276.thumb.JPG.72cb9405a970a146a1f1753f1333d068.JPG

This arrived as a non runner, as most prospective members of the 404 club tend to do.

I fixed it up a few weeks back, but it was still a little flakey, which I assumed was down to my ancient stock of 'H' cells, so today I treated it to two brand new batteries and off it went.

RIMG0282.thumb.JPG.b8aa391cca0f46c0c8d5b44899fa4ee6.JPG

I'll need to put it on a slightly better strap, but for the time being it is borrowing a band from another watch on the healing bench. More in that if I get it going.

RIMG0280.thumb.JPG.beb42a7a9f4c7fb9a90b77c9d16d69e0.JPG

RIMG0281.thumb.JPG.7788c9a7ad45b6ae738eb06bbe4c087a.JPG

I've just noticed, in those pictures its on the wrong date :wacko: (which I have now corrected). 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

On 5/3/2020 at 4:50 PM, yankeedog said:

Eltra..another seiko powered bargain basement  beater ,cobbled together by the once prestigious  Elgin when the company  was on life support. It runs better  than it looks. 

20200503_164452.jpg

They kept the familiar stylized E in the name

catphoto.jpg.094c51d6da2a15358876d5a710fd4aef.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Something in the same theme as yesterday but still totaly different, a stainless steel 70's Certina Argonaut with a roaring orange sweep second.
Under the hood still the 25-661, fully serviced with oilchange, filter and sparkpluggs.
Today_2020_05_07.thumb.jpg.462b26490d25d8d820f24d1a1e663d26.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.




  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Showing state of hairspring on receipt, backplate & 'dished' wheel. 
    • I would harden and temper (to a light blue). It's so easy to do and only takes a couple of minutes. A search on ebay UK for "spring steel strip cs" finds plenty available in small quantites and thicknesses from 0.1mm up.  But the question is ( @nickelsilver) which "CS" number is best for watch parts ?  Also, from one of the ads : "CARBON SPRING STEEL. SIZE IS METRIC 15.00mm X 0.10mm X 304 MM  CS100 FINISH BRIGHT . HARDENED AND TEMPERD TO 480-530VPN" I've no idea about 480-530VPN. Does that mean it needs annealing before working?       Have you seen this video, he shows how to determine where the indents go ?  
    • Here is the insert ring for rectangular or elliptical movements: Note that the length is the side with the stem cut out on the spreadsheet (in the picture below this is 15.15: Here is the fake pdf file, again you need to convert to .zip after download to access the FreeCAD and 3mf files. Rectangular insert disc.pdf    
    • as you took the mainspring out what did it look like? It's amazing how much amplitude you can get if the mainspring actually has the proper shape. last week I was doing a 12 size Hamilton and was very much surprised with the beautiful back curvature the mainspring had. Then the watch had a really nice amplitude the group would be so proud it was 350 until I dropped the lift angle down to 38 that drop the amplitude quite a bit below 300. then with the beautiful back curve it still had really nice amplitude the next day. I really wish all my mainspring's look like this as the watch had beautiful amplitude the next day. So many of the aftermarket pocketwatch Springs I see now do not have anything resembling a back curve may be a slight curve and that's about all. They still work but they just don't work as nice as a properly made spring. then Omega as all sorts of nifty technical documentation unfortunately every single corner is watermarked with where it came from who downloaded it etc. very paranoid company. On the other hand I will snip out images like from the document on recycling a mainspring barrel. for instance here's the section on what your mainspring should look like. water damaged a lot of times means rust was there rust on this watch?
×
×
  • Create New...