Watches

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Geektastic

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Topic # 242208 16-Oct-2018 11:43

Any fellow watch obsessives here?

They have fascinated me since I was a child and, back when Rolex was rather cheaper than it is now (mid 90's) I had 3 in succession that cost $4500 each rather than the $15,000+ that they cost today. Foolishly I sold or traded them rather than hanging onto them. I have mt father's gold Omega Constellation from around 1968, in fine working order and mint appearance after a complete overhaul at Omega in Switzerland when I inherited it, probably the first proper service it ever had knowing my father! I also have a Breitling HAQ (High Accuracy Quartz) which has a thermocompansated quarts (COSC certified) accurate to about 15 seconds per year with no outside timekeeping assistance (such as radio or GPS).

My current favourite though is my Grand Seiko Springdrive 'Snowflake'. A genuine masterpiece of watchmaking skill. It also has a slightly Geeky movement in the Spring Drive - perhaps best described as an automatic mechanical watch with a self-powered electromagnetic escapement. This makes the watch extremely accurate for a mechanical watch - mine is around 0.2 seconds per day fast. It also makes it silent, since it has no ticking mechanical escapement, and makes the second hand sweep smoothly because, again, no mechanical escapement.

Any other watch nerds here?

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Hmm, what to write...
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Reply # 2108756 16-Oct-2018 11:48

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Always wanted a Rolex...so on my 40th Birthday I got one.. sure it was over $10,000 but I bet my one piece of jewelry is still less expensive than all my wife's stuff

I'd love to collect them etc but one is all I can afford/justify

Matthew

trig42

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Reply # 2108759 16-Oct-2018 11:53

I have a Breitling Super Avenger II. It is my daily watch.

I love watches, and if I had more cash, I'd have a lot more.

It actually needs a service - does anyone know who/where to get servicing done on them in Auckland?

Yoban

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Reply # 2108767 16-Oct-2018 12:10

I take my IWC to http://ponsonbytime.co.nz/. Been very happy with the service.

Handsomedan

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Reply # 2108770 16-Oct-2018 12:14

I have a Rolex Submariner collecting dust in a drawer - unfortunately to have it properly serviced would cost more than I am prepared to pay and I live in a Smart Watch now anyway...have done for a number of years, since the Pebble days.

I still have a love for a good watch and can't help but do a double-take when I see a nice timepiece on a person's wrist.

If I were a wealthy man, I'd have a different watch for every day of the month. And then some.

Handsome Dan Has Spoken.

Wheelbarrow01

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Reply # 2108813 16-Oct-2018 12:43

trig42:

I have a Breitling Super Avenger II. It is my daily watch.

I love watches, and if I had more cash, I'd have a lot more.

It actually needs a service - does anyone know who/where to get servicing done on them in Auckland?

I get my Tag Heuers serviced at Nairns here in Christchurch, but they also have a branch in Auckland.

I have an Aquaracer and a limited edition Monaco. Like others, I wish I had more cash to waste on/invest in a few more of them...

Geektastic

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Reply # 2108823 16-Oct-2018 12:53

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Handsomedan:

I have a Rolex Submariner collecting dust in a drawer - unfortunately to have it properly serviced would cost more than I am prepared to pay and I live in a Smart Watch now anyway...have done for a number of years, since the Pebble days.

I still have a love for a good watch and can't help but do a double-take when I see a nice timepiece on a person's wrist.

If I were a wealthy man, I'd have a different watch for every day of the month. And then some.

You are wealthy..you can sell the Sub! (To me, obviously..)

Given that Rolex make over 1m watches a year you would have thought that they would be a lot more available than they are. I asked a dealer in Auckland how long it would take me to get a Rolex Deepsea and he said he had no idea when they would next get one or who was on 'the list' before me - apparently they have a list of buyers in seniority of expenditure who get first dibs on anything.

Geektastic

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Reply # 2108824 16-Oct-2018 12:54

Yoban:

I take my IWC to http://ponsonbytime.co.nz/. Been very happy with the service.

I had an Aquatimer for a while; nice watch. I would like a Big Pilot or one of those ceramic case Top Gun models.

Geektastic

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Reply # 2108826 16-Oct-2018 12:56

My Omega had to go back to Switzerland. It was too old to be done locally and amongst other things needed work such as dial refinishing, which cannot be done properly elsewhere. It was a very expensive service at just over $3,000 but the watch is mint again and, since it has huge sentimental value, I deemed it worthwhile.

Fred99

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Reply # 2108831 16-Oct-2018 12:59

I stopped wearing a watch about 20 years ago. I never wear any jewellery.

After 20 years, you can still see where I used to wear one, there's a remaining slight indentation in the skin and a visible band where hairs on the skin don't grow very well.

MikeB4

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Reply # 2108839 16-Oct-2018 13:13

I am/was. My father was a watchmaker before his eyes failed and he went to the other extrreme and became a Motor Engineer. I loved watches and still have an Omega and a Seiko but I now use a Smart watch, a Samsung Sport to be precise and I love it. I still use my Seiko or Omega for "dress up" occasions or if I have forgotten to charge my Samsung.

Mike
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afe66

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Reply # 2108850 16-Oct-2018 13:24

I've got a Raymond Weil chronograph which was a reward for post graduate exams. I particularly like the crystal back so I can see the internal movements.

It's not one of the high profile swiss watch makers but I just like the design which is important as it's my daily watch.

Senecio

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Reply # 2108879 16-Oct-2018 14:40

Another watch person here. I only have the one good watch, an Omega Seamaster AT that I bought a few years ago for my 40th. Finances are the only thing limiting me from adding to it.

ilovemusic

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Reply # 2108957 16-Oct-2018 16:21

love wristwatches but my budget at it's peak only reached to lower level tags, a limited edition omega.

now i'm firmly in the budget end - timex, g-shock, seiko stargate.

Handsomedan

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Reply # 2108967 16-Oct-2018 16:34

ilovemusic:

love wristwatches but my budget at it's peak only reached to lower level tags, a limited edition omega.

now i'm firmly in the budget end - timex, g-shock, seiko stargate.

Funnily enough - the crowd on the Watches subreddit love their Timex watches...and the Seiko 5 series. For rabid horologists, they also seem to love the simplicity of a good cheap watch that's made well.

Handsome Dan Has Spoken.

elpenguino

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Reply # 2108970 16-Oct-2018 16:36

I've developed an interest in them after clearing out someone's collection and having a chance to see a lot of unusual ones up close, such as ring watches, soviet era , seiko, a very very early quartz watch complete with discrete transistors and resistors for the oscillator, not to mention many non-famous brand swiss mechanical units. In the collection was a whole bunch of cheapies like casio calculators, mickey mouse and quite a few fake rolexes.

Imagine my surprise when one of the fakes turned out to be a real one from 1972 ! It's quite a good one to wear every day cos it's stainless and lacks bling so it is quite unassuming.

Somehow I ended up reading this watch makers blog which is fascinating http://watchguy.co.uk/

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