Reply With QuoteI have a couple of Festina Extra 17 Rubies in a drawer for a rainy day, as well as a gold Festina, which is a little too flashy for my day to day life!
I've a old grey dial Seiko manual which is my heart's delight. It cost me virtually nothing from eBay (product description: "vintage Seiko") and I had it serviced etc
A few months later I acquired, for rather more than it was worth, its brushed white dial sibling. I discovered that I had no affection for this version at all, it had neither poetry nor readability. I considering selling it, but knew I would make a loss on it.
Then I had the idea of keeping it for spares. It's now tucked away out of sight and out of mind. One day the chrome plated case of the grey version will be swapped over for the white piece's fresher case, and I've got spare parts should anything happen to the hands or movement. I would be very sorry if anything happened to the grey watch to put it out of action.
I was wondering if many people do the same? I know some collectors have great piles of spares, but I was thinking specifically of this keeping of an entire identical model as back up.
I have a couple of Festina Extra 17 Rubies in a drawer for a rainy day, as well as a gold Festina, which is a little too flashy for my day to day life!
Makes perfect sense and I was actually considering today getting a spare version of the discontinued Seiko that I favour.
I always aquire spares if possible so nothing wrong with a bit of forward planning.
I Like "Monsters" so keep a few "5's" for their movements.
I bought a "spare" skx007 in a creation sale, which I might have borrowed the bezel spring from.
Collecting several examples of one watch model or of very similar watches sounds interesting, not just for spare parts but as an overall approach or philosophy. I'm just starting out, so I'm looking at several different affordable watches, and probably will eventually consolidate those into one or two mid-tier models. I'd love to see some quick photos of your Seikos, if you have time.
The sunburst grey
The brushed white
I had that very thing in mind when I bought a second Speedmaster quartz last year. It wasn't cheap but then a number of parts are virtually unobtainable now due to this particular models rarity. I removed the bracelet for use with my 'good one' and had in mind cannibalising the remainder as and when required. Thing is I knew deep down that I would never really be able to do this. It now lives on in the hands of Caruso who reunited it with its original bracelet recently.
I do keep an eye on eBay for any spares that might appear though - that's not a frequent occurrence sadly.
Thanks for posting the photos. Looks like it'd be a pleasure to keep both.
Originally Posted by Der Amf
Those are both really nice, Der Amf - what is the movement / model code on the back?
The movement is 7000. On the dials the code is 7000 800LR, on the caseback 7000-8000. Both are 1971, one June, one August. The grey dial looks better than the photos, the white looks worse. Two tiny complaints about the design: the crown is *tiny* and half recessed, which is dumb on a manual; it's chrome plated not SS - but these were cheap watches for export only.
That pic in the middle is ace👍
Thanks. I might keep an eye out for one on Ebay. I could live with the crown but less sure about the chrome plate - your photos disguise that well. Still, I think it is really nicely shaped case and it has just the kind of dial that I like.
Good photos - Ginger line, up near Hampstead?
What a striking image.
Nope, no identical model as back up.
I have only a back up spare of a specific sovjet era quartz and half a dozen of 'Kristall' micro adjuster railway movements.
In retrospect I should have gotten/should get myself a GP350 spare.
I bought a Fila sports watch with a 251.262 movement as a spare for one of my other watches.
The 'as new, in the box' Fila was less than the cost of a new movement, because it's seen as a cheap plastic quartz watch.
What a beautiful watch!
I thought, given how nice people are being about it I ought to post a less arty shot, showing it in plain light:
Best £24 I ever spent. Though it needed a new crystal and new rehaut as well as a service. So, really, more like £100.
That railway station shot required me making a right 'nana of myself, trying to look all casual with one arm while waving my phone in front of me. That phone didn't have a selfie camera, so I really was shooting it blind. Lucky shot, really, for the composition, and then a lot of processing of the balance, cropping etc
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