WATCHES

[passport]

In addition to tribology, I am very intersted in wrist watches.
Knowing time is a slippery notion but probably predates human concerns with oil. My preferences are for Swiss watches and only the mechanical types. I have a Rolex and a 36 year old Tissot. They are very reliable and with periodic service will outlast me. I have several Japanese (not seiko) watches which keep time as well as the Swiss ones.

I am not at all a fan of quartz or other electric watches.

Everybody has a watch, everybody must have an opinion.

 

[G-MAN]

You might be interested in my Rolex web site:

http://www.oysterquartz.net

 

[passport]

tks, the black one in the picture on the left looks just like mine but the one I wear has a blue face. Mine is 28 years old and keeps good time.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: passport

Everybody has a watch, everybody must have an opinion.

Some of the latest that I find interesting:

All but gone is the standard Moebius oil. Sinn uses a new oil (Sinn 66-228) that retains low viscosity at even -45°C/-49°F in several watches. Argon gas filling and a moisture-absorbing dry capsule ensure a low moisture environment for the movement and allow extended service intervals of 4 to 6 years. DIAPAL, diamond palette in the escapement have put away with oil lubricants and reduced wear on the escapement greatly. DIAPAL is proprietary technology.

 

[passport]

Wow! Moribundman you have taken tribology to the next level.

 

[tom slick]

I'm just curious, is your disinterest in quartz and electric watches from a purely collector standpoint?

anybody ever looked at a RGM watch up close? they are the only watches made in the USA. I've only seen them on the web and on TV.

 

[MarkC]

I like diver's watches. I have an old Seiko automatic which has never been serviced and stills keeps good time after what? 15, 20 years? I also have two solar-powered divers, one Seiko and one Citizen ECo-Drive.
I'm not buying any more watches, having sold my TAG-Heuer, and everything else except these three.

 

[G-MAN]

Originally Posted By: tom slick
anybody ever looked at a RGM watch up close? they are the only watches made in the USA. I've only seen them on the web and on TV.


RGM watches are made in the US, however I'm pretty sure that all RGM movements are based on Swiss or old Hamilton ebauches. RGM is not a manufacture as that term is understood in the watchmaking world.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: tom slick
I'm just curious, is your disinterest in quartz and electric watches from a purely collector standpoint?


I find the mechanics of a watch and the craftsmanship fascinating. The inner workings are a thing of beauty, displaying creativity, craftsmanship, complexity and precision. Not to mention the movement's little heart beats and you can feel and hear it.

 

[sprintman]

I had a Breitling chrono in the late 60's and two Submariners and an Explorer I since. Australia is a good place to buy used quality watches by U.S citizens but the rapidly rising Pacific Peso has cancelled some of that advantage. Here are two quality sites for watch purchases.

http://www.watchtime.com.au/index.htm

http://www.watchgallery.com.au/

 

[passport]

I guess I'm just interested in mechanical things. A rotor winding a mainspring making an escapement divide minutes is something I can understand. A pill sized battery making only three hands move bores me.

 

[TheLoneRanger]

I too like watches; mechanical, quartz, solar, I like them all. Currently have 3, a Heuer mech that's quit, a TAG-Heuer quartz, and a Rolex Submariner look-alike that I bought at a Mall Kiosk for $65; ten years old now and keeps perfect time.

 

[tom slick]

Originally Posted By: G-MAN
Originally Posted By: tom slick
anybody ever looked at a RGM watch up close? they are the only watches made in the USA. I've only seen them on the web and on TV.


RGM watches are made in the US, however I'm pretty sure that all RGM movements are based on Swiss or old Hamilton ebauches. RGM is not a manufacture as that term is understood in the watchmaking world.


how many watch makers manufacture make their own movements? I do understand that RGM are sort of a watch assembler, but even then they are the only one in the US. their work looks amazing from the little I've seen.

I've heard the upkeep is expensive on expensive watches. I.E. a Rolex will cost you $1000's during its lifetime and that Tag Heuer costs $100 to get the battery changed. is any of this true?

I think watches are neat but I am not a collector, my boring quartz seiko and citizen eco-drive keep time, that's all I really care about.

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: tom slick
[how many watch makers manufacture make their own movements? I do understand that RGM are sort of a watch assembler, but even then they are the only one in the US. their work looks amazing from the little I've seen.


There are a few left, but I'm not going to list them, because I'm not 100% up to date on the information. Keep in mind that there is a big difference in the quality of a movement that is finished, assembled and used by various watch manufacturers. For example, a 7750 ETA/Valjoux movement in a Breitling will have a superior finish and upgraded parts compared to the same model movement in a Sinn watch. Same motor, different level of refinement!

Quote:
I've heard the upkeep is expensive on expensive watches. I.E. a Rolex will cost you $1000's during its lifetime and that Tag Heuer costs $100 to get the battery changed. is any of this true?

Expensive is relative. I prefer keeping my watches for a long time. My Breitling (17 years old) costs me about $150 every 4 years. That's the cost to have the watch serviced. My Sinn (10 years old) needs a service every 5 years and that costs about the same. Is that expensive? Well, I bet that I can find something in other people's lives that I consider a total waste of money.

Quote:
my boring quartz seiko and citizen eco-drive keep time, that's all I really care about.

Then why bother asking questions?

By the way, I'm not a watch collector. I use all my watches and I think very little of people who "collect" watches, cars etc. What a waste! As for boring, I don't want anything that bores me on my arm 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and so on.

 

[Shannow]

Originally Posted By: passport
Everybody has a watch, everybody must have an opinion.

I don't have a watch. They don't last.

I just keep track of time in my head, resetting it with reference to chronomters that tend to be all around the place. Usually accurate to about 5 minutes three hours after seeing the time.

 

[sprintman]

Watches I admire want include Lange & Sohne, Chronoswiss, JLC, Blancpain, Frank Muller, IWC, Audemars Piguet, Dubey & Schaldenbrand, Patek Philippe, Manometro by Giuliano Mazzuoli etc. An old Rolex Daytona (pre 2000) with Zenith El Primero movement would do me to be honest but few around.

 

[1sttruck]

I'm not as hard watches as I use to be. When I was younger I gave up on anything but cheap watches after breaking a couple, and seeing a more expensive one that the ex bought me half filled with water at the end of a rafting trip. I bought a Timex for $20 and wore it for 20 years, until the back got corroded and started scratching me. It was good to about 1 minute over three months.

 

[Auto-Union]

I have a Heuer that gives me so much grief...but it's nice w/a ruby red face. Settled on a Seiko, like grandpa wore in the '70s. fwiw, overstock.com has some nice deals.

 

[Tornado Red]

My current watch is a Seiko Quartz Kinetic. I've had to replace the capacitor twice in the last 12+ years... not too bad. It's more accurate than the self-winding Seiko I had before.

 

[passport]

I just bought a new Orient Star watch. It retails for ~$550 but I got it for less than half that on ebay. There are several very reliable dealers in Japan. This watch is rare in the US. They market this in asia and Russia mostly. Orient mechanical watches are some of the best made around. They are one of only a few that make their own movements. A superb watch, swiss quality at a fraction of the cost.