Reply With QuoteGreat post, I enjoyed that. Some great iconic watches in there.
Having been on here a while I thought I should have a go at one of these. So with my wife away with the kids, tonight seems like the perfect opportunity to tap something out without having to explain to the woman I love why I am writing a short illustrated essay about the watches I own for a group of men I have never met...
So. Image one. The ‘pre watches’ watches.
The Tissot I bought in a sale in my graduation week in Hull. This was a frighteningly long time ago. I thought it would help convey gravitas when I went looking for a proper job. It may have done, but I never got a proper job. It needs servicing but, to my surprise, has an ETA 2824 inside.
The Swatch was bought 20 years later in Geneva airport on a business trip. This is the kind of gap between watches that is viewed as sensible by most people.
The BFK was bought for me by my wife for an Anniversary. It was a complete surprise apart from me having given her the exact model number and details of the stockist. This was a few years ago but you see intimations of what was to come…
Image two. The ‘where it all started’
In the summer last year, my brother showed me his new toy – a $450 vintage King Seiko. I began to think about a ‘nice’ automatic watch and my search took me to the SARB. This was the first of three watches I’ve bought on eBay and the experience was extremely pleasant with the seller and I trading PMs about strap removal tools until it turned up.
Unfortunately/fortunately my search also took me to TZ. Within a month the Steinhart was on its way…
There then followed a couple of months of forum lurking and amateur watch repair – I bought and regulated an old Seiko 5 for my father in law – before the doors of SC swung open and the lovely modded SKX007 from Man of Kent became my first forum purchase.
Image three. Strange stuff.
After that, things moved fairly swiftly. I acquired an Accutron Spaceview (my most expensive S/H watch to date), imported a Shanghai East Red (for about £30) and bought a Seagull 1963 – via eBay but from Poljot24. The latter remains a favourite and gets wheeled out for weddings and meetings.
I also bought – and then sold – a new Smiths Everest. First flip.
Image four. More more more!
Next (I think) was the PRS29A from Quatarwol, which I absolutely love – if they all had to go but one, this is the one I’d keep. Then the PRS10, which I bought in a fundraiser thing while drunk and which I have singularly failed to bond with. Then came the Vostok Amphibia mod – my second eBay watch and, again, a very happy experience with a fellow WIS whom I corresponded with for a bit.
Around this time I acquired – and then sold – an Ocean One GMT. I was doing lots of work abroad at the time and I thought it would be useful AKA I had a good excuse to buy another watch. Unfortunately, I found that this watch was just the wrong side of the ‘bling’ line for me so, having found it via a WTB, I disposed of it in the same way and for the same price.
Image five. So far…
So, I bought a Bulova Moonwatch and sent it back because it was too big. Then I bought one S/H during the Sales Corner Great Moonwatch Unloading of April ’17 and wore it quite a bit. But not for a while now…
Then came the watch I should have probably bought after the SARB (before uninstalling Tapatalk) - a modded Turtle with sapphire crystal.
I love this watch and wear it pretty much every day. And, for a while, I thought I was done. Until Velorum posted a Sturmanskie which, what with the space connection, seemed like a great idea. And which my kids love.
So that’s it. So far. Although I’m off to see a MM300 tomorrow…
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Last edited by jamesianbriggs; 28th May 2017 at 21:04.
Great post, I enjoyed that. Some great iconic watches in there.
Thanks for sharing. I get the impression this is just the start for you. Enjoy the journey!
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Things seem to be moving at quite a pace, there are a number of watches in your collection that I either have my eye on currently or have done so in the past. An enjoyable read, thanks for posting. What made you flip the Everest?
Nice collection. I think I have the same Tissot - purchased for similar reasons too!
Thank you. Things have moved at a pace but I feel a definite contraction coming soon.Originally Posted by fierbois16
I really like the Everest (particularly the bracelet) but it was just too big. As many people have commented, if it was a shade smaller and - in particular - shorter lug to lug it would be perfect.
It was also, TBH, the fact that someone posted a WTB and I figured 'they want one, I'm not wearing it so why not get most of my money back?'
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Nice write up, thanks!
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Great selection there!
I know what you mean about the PRS29a - there is something quite special about it.
Lovely stuff a real mixed bag.
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Thanks for posting. Spaceview is just so iconic. Mine is far too small for my porky wrist but I still love listening to it!
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Nice post... enjoyed reading it
A nice varied selection there... enjoy
Ha, it's funny seeing how other people's addiction gets started. It takes me back to those heady early days when an Alpinist was the best thing since sliced bread, until the Halios arrived, then the Hamilton got shoe-horned in, then… flip, flip, flip, etc., etc.,
Lovely collection of sensible and attractive watches. I'm surprised at the lack of love for the PRS10. I took mine on holiday last year and barely took it off, and I'll probably take it again this year. The only problem I find with it is the tiny, tiny crown that frustrates me no end at date change time. Apart from that, I love it.
And I must get a Smiths PRS29 in the collection. Whenever I see one, I want one.
Thanks. I have a bit of an ambivalent attitude to mine. I love the idea of it, the engineering and the history but actually wearing it is a bit underwhelming.
Does get people talking, though. As does the Seagull.
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Nice evolution to the collection and some good prose too 😀 Extending the budget to a MM300 is another step up and opens the doors to an awful lot of additional options. Be interesting to see where the collection is in 12mths...
Great post and thanks for the informative walk through.
EnJoY
Michael
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Thanks. Addiction is close to it although a detox is on the way.Ha, it's funny seeing how other people's addiction gets started. It takes me back to those heady early days when an Alpinist was the best thing since sliced bread, until the Halios arrived, then the Hamilton got shoe-horned in, then… flip, flip, flip, etc., etc.,
Lovely collection of sensible and attractive watches. I'm surprised at the lack of love for the PRS10. I took mine on holiday last year and barely took it off, and I'll probably take it again this year. The only problem I find with it is the tiny, tiny crown that frustrates me no end at date change time. Apart from that, I love it.
And I must get a Smiths PRS29 in the collection. Whenever I see one, I want one.
The PRS10 is a strange one. Having bought it for rather too much after a few drinks (thankfully money went to the fundraiser) I then broke the crystal and had to replace it. Just not my lucky watch - plus it arrived shortly after the PRS29 which is a very tough military reissue act to follow.
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Cheers. I actually decided against the MM300. Beautiful as it was, I wasn't quite convinced I should spend that much on something I wasn't 100% in love with.Nice evolution to the collection and some good prose tooExtending the budget to a MM300 is another step up and opens the doors to an awful lot of additional options. Be interesting to see where the collection is in 12mths...
Just a matter of time, though, I'm sure...
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Lovely collection and I particularly like the SARB.
Could you please advise exactly which number this one is ?
Thanks. It's a SARB 035 on a cheap(ish) Amazon brown croc deployant. It's a brilliant watch although the bracelet isn't all that - hence the strap change.
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nice selection
Thanks for the information. Looks like a very smart watch especially for the money.Thanks. It's a SARB 035 on a cheap(ish) Amazon brown croc deployant. It's a brilliant watch although the bracelet isn't all that - hence the strap change.
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