Reply With QuoteVery nice :-)
As some people might remember, recently I posted a thread about how I wanted a tool diver. Something special and that would last me for a long time. Well, as it's my birthday soon and I couldn't wait any longer, I bought something to tide myself over.
A PELI case? That's a surprise! Thanks Eddie :)
My beautiful PRS-18Q is here!
Classic Guarantee card with Eddie's excellent penmanship.Ordered an Olive Green NATO too.
Apparently though we've accelerated in time! Date on the card is 8 days too fast???
Initial thoughts:
The watch is rugged, solidly built and has an excellent presence on my fairly large wrist at 40mm (Looks bigger than my 42mm Steinhart). My first thought when looking at the Precista was to the case - how well done it is! Fits the tool watch bill perfectly. The "P" on the crown is a neat extra and the crown itself is a pleasure to operate. The caseback is deeply engraved, a well done job. Kemmner certainly knows what he's doing.
Bezel action is exceptional, almost no play. Easy to grip, very solid clicks and suits the case very well. The insert looks a little 'rubbery' (the best way I can describe it as it certainly doesn't look plastic-y or cheap) when caught in the right light but the printing is precise, so no complaints there.
The decision to switch from green to cream lume was a great idea as the watch now looks more true to the aged original design and I like that very much. The hands, being white, have excellent legibility against the black dial. The spear shaped second hand is very nice. I've noticed the hands are still a bit greener than the dial plots but that's only a minor niggle. The dial printing is very close to flawless, too. I like the little 'Great Britain' at the bottom.
Eddie's NATOs could well be 'the best NATO straps in the world'. Extremely comfortable, the watch sits still and the hardware has a great finish. The buckle isn't as solid feeling as Crown & Buckle's offerings but they certainly aren't as comfy.
Movement: The renowned Swiss Ronda Quartz. Ticks away nicely with little judder. Alignment isn't perfect but what do you expect? I've never seen a TAG at £3000 do it! Accuracy I can't measure as I've only had it a few hours but I expect it's good.
All in all: I'm very blown away by what I can buy for £200. Definitely better made than my Steinhart, which would be considerably more new (most of which being movement costs).
Last edited by xenon; 7th March 2014 at 19:18.
Very nice :-)
Couldn't agree more, I love mine. I know exactly what you mean about the bezel insert and I would describe it as having a slightly cushioned appearance. There can't be a better value diver around. Mine says hello:
Is that NATO from Cheapest Nato straps.com? What's it like compared to Eddie's?Originally Posted by TaketheCannoli
You might have been better off asking me that question without being insulting but I'm feeling generous so I'll let it pass. That nato, and several other that I have, is from Monkeyswag. They're not as good as Eddie's but then they're half the price. They're as good as any I've had from anywhere else and the service they provide is excellent.
Last edited by TaketheCannoli; 7th March 2014 at 22:04.
That wasn't meant to be insulting, sorry if it seems to be that way; I searched for that pattern and that's the website I found. I asked because I like the pattern.
LOL, apology accepted. I'm sure if you read it back you'll see where I was coming from.
Anyway, I'm a huge nato fan and have bought them from loads of places and Monkeyswag offer a great range at £4.95 each with very quick delivery.
If I want a nato in a colour that Eddie sells I buy it from him, if he doesn't do it them I use Monkeyswag. For me, Eddie's natos are second only to Maratac but they're a pain to get hold of. Have a look at a nato thread I've got running:
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...a-nato-problem
Really nice, and worth every penny IMO.
Congrsats and enjoy.
Give us an update as to how you are getting on with your watch, this is one that's on my current shopping list. Its interesting you mention it appears bigger than your Steinhart which gives me a bit of concern as this may be a bit too big for me.
It's to do with the lug shaping of the Precista. The Steinhart's lugs are pretty flat and the watch head is boosted up a bit by the case back. The Precista has a gradual sloping which curves to the shape of the wrist a bit more and gives it a more comfortable prescence. ( the NATO helps in this too.) If its pure size you are concerned about, the Steinhart is the bigger watch, which is immediately obvious. I'm not quite sure how to exactly describe it but it would become clear if you tried both on. I wouldn't hesitate to get one if I was in your position.
I hope I've helped. :)
Thanks for the kind words. It really takes value for money to a high point and puts the big players to shame a little bit.
Agreed and how many of Eddie's watches could you say that about? Pretty much all of them for me.
Great write up! Now this lume is confusing me... I asked Eddie and he said there is no difference in the lume he has been using on the 18. But the watches you guys have is certainly looking more like cream than my green. And I totally agree it looks great. As you say giving a feeling of the original design.
PRS-18Q. The absolute perfect grab and go tool!
I reckon you'd have to have a wrist smaller than 5.5" for the PRS18 to really appear 'too big'. It's really not a big watch. I have a 6.5" wrist and the prs18 suits it perfectly. The bezel is quite tall which I think lends it to having more presence than it's size suggests. I also have an old seiko mid size diver which I think is 38mm, and by comparison it actually looks a bit like a child size watch (in fact my 7 year old wears it now) But if the prs 18 really is too big, I think the mid size seikos are more or less the only option... if they still make them that is...
The thing with lume is it's not an on or off thing. As long as the lume has any charge on it, it will be emitting light. This, depending on the ambient light conditions, will mean that the lume may look greenish, or if the ambient light is strong, as it would be under studio lighting, or flash photography, then it will look creamy (as the colour of the ambient light overpowers the appearance of the lume). Also, bear in mind that different cameras will accentuate different tones, and different monitors will display the same colours differently.
But basically, charged lume, depending on the lighting conditions, will look more greenish than lume with no charge on it.
Luminescent pigment (strontium aluminate in this case) comes out of the furnace creamy coloured. That's it. No other colour. To make it look brown, or orange or yellow you have to add colour. That is counter productive as adding colour reduces the strength of the lume.
Thanks for the explanation and I accept that the technical concept is correct., However, this is the fourth 18Q I've owned over the years and I can confirm that the other three have definitely had a green lume colour. I can also confirm that this one, without question, is different to the other three and is definitely creamy. And that's in every light condition. Don't ask me why but I know what I'm wearing, and I've worn it constantly for the last 28 days.
It's cream and I love it.
I'm sure it is cream rather than green too. It's a lovely colour, no doubt!
I have the same watch with the same creamy coloured lume, I'm not refuting how it looks. I'd assumed you were comparing what's on your wrist with pics online somewhere... You know what they say about assumption though :D
It's odd that your older watches have a different undertone to the lume. Assuming the dial printers are using so called 'swiss' superluminova from rc tritec, they do pride themselves on their consistency. Perhaps the background print was made greenish rather than white to give the green undertone? Be an odd thing to do though...
Interesting piece on LumiNova.
http://home.watchprosite.com/show-fo.../ti-798098/t-/
That was a thoroughly considered article, thanks! Confirms several suspicions too.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
I own a 18A (year 2011)and it is one of my favourite watches, my watch face has a gorgeous creamy/green cast to it which gives it a more vintage look.I find if you dress it with a green NATO it really brings out the creamy/green face.
If Eddie offered this with the date at 3... As it stands I am SERIOUSLY tempted to pick one of these up. Gorgeous. I LOVE TimeFactors' NATOs but find all of the nylon, canvas, and leather straps that I've tried from Eddie are too short. The NATOs wind up with BARELY enough of a "tongue" to wind through the keepers. Pity as I do love them. Cheaper than Maratac and nicer material/better colour choices IMNHO.
This thread has cost me money!
After procrastinating for far too long I finally took the plunge. My PRS-18Q arrived this morning and I have to say I'm blown away. There can't be many watches that offer so much bang for the buck. Truly impressive.
Picked up mine from a forum member and I have to agree, love the watch and will now probably pick up an automatic.
I had the 18A a few years ago and loved it, the case design is great. My only issue was the bezel was too easy to turn and so I ultimately sold it. Am I the only person who found that?
I did'nt find it too easy on mine. I did manage to break the bezel spring early on though, probably due to my constantly playing with it.
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