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Thread: Beater heaven

  1. #1
    Master raysablade's Avatar
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    Beater heaven

    Around a year ago I posted a WTB for a tritium tubed watch. I’ve had a couple in the past and always found them the best option for checking the time at night. The problem has been that they are utilitarian and relatively cheap and thus tended to find their way into trades or sales aimed at finding my perfect beater watch.

    In a perverse way the perfect beater has always been the “grail” for me. I worked out very early on that the Rolex Explorer and GMT II were as high end as I wanted to go and by 2005 I had perfect examples of both in my favourite configurations.

    • Pepsi bezel GMT II in the pre 2003: lug holes, SEL, lumibrite form and
    • a 36mm, SEL lumibrite explorer from 2004.


    Despite owning my favourites I’ve still manged to buy and sell nearly 200 watches in the last 10 years. There are two reasons for that.

    • I work in the public sector where Rolex doesn’t fit as everyday wear and a high quality low shout alternative feels more comfortable.
    • I want a beater watch for times when I can easily afford to damage what’s on my wrist.


    I can save the high quality - low shout issue for another day; I think I have cracked that too. The resolution to my beater problem is more interesting in my opinion.

    The conundrum with beater watches is that I am buying them to expose to higher than normal risk of damage and therefore I buy cheap. Because I am buying cheap I can always afford to buy new or very good second-hand. The watch arrives in pristine condition and because it is part of a large collection it doesn’t get worn much at all. Because it stays in great condition and I am not using it is difficult to develop an attachment to it. There is also the same issue that besets most watches in my collection; I want to give them time and move them on if I don’t like them, so if any damage occurs from using them as intended the financial loss make that process harder than it needs to be. It follows that when any doubt creeps in I sell. My psychological justification is that i'm not completely happy with this watch and extracting maximum value from it makes it easier to move on to something better. I can always go back to it if that doesn’t work.

    The interesting point here is that the value itself is unimportant. It’s the same with a £60 G-shock or a £400 Seiko. I am motivated more by fear of remorse and disappointment than the satisfaction of achieving my goal. This brings me to how I accidently avoided pain and broke the buy-try-sell-research cycle.

    My WTB for a “a tritium tube watch with a decent level of WR” elicited a few responses and as I researched the offers I concluded that they were generally; overpriced and very new. One however stood out “If I can find it I have an old Traser you can have FOC. it certainly won't win any beauty competitions but perfectly adequate as a beater. Let me know if you're interested” how could I refuse? The watch arrived not working and in the condition described and I duly sent it off the Traser Service centre for I re-seal and new battery at their very reasonable price of £35.

    A couple of days later I took a call and it became clear that they weren’t happy. The watch was in “disgraceful condition”, it had clearly been “worked on by an amateur”. To compound a long list of faults the wrong and leaking battery was held in place with paper. If I had been the culprit I would have run a mile but as I wasn’t I made up a “boot sale” story and we went through the menu. A; Sapphire crystal, new movement, crown and stem, re-seal and assembly came to £110. Given that this would add little to the value of aesthetically challenged watch it was a poor deal but as it was only £110, and to his amazement, I gave the Traser service guy my credit card details.

    What a bargain that has proved to be. It kills the opposition by being a; strong, reliable and essentially new watch with no value. This removes all the angst that might persuade me to move it on and I’m now down to 5 watches and soon to be down to 4. In the last year it’s been everything I was looking for in the beater end of the collection and kicked out all its highly regarded and thoroughly excellent opponents

    Given the brightness of the lume I suspect that as well as the work I paid for Traser replaced the dial and hands, so all that remains of the old watch is the case and bezel. Something great has emerged from behind the multitude of scratches on the old crystal. Swiss movement, astoundingly beautiful deep blue dial and second hand close enough to the markers; all wrapped up in aesthetic that also says hard as nails. Best of all its was effectively made in the UK by people who clearly care about what they are doing and I suspect enjoyed rebuilding this one as much as I enjoy wearing it.










    Last edited by raysablade; 28th January 2018 at 14:34.

  2. #2
    Master
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    Great story a good looking, rugged peice

  3. #3
    Journeyman
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    Great account there. I had an old Ball diver that was based on the same platform with the tritum tubes (from what I could tell it was the same watch as this but rebranded). I used it as a beater and the toughness and quality was superb. Loved wearing that watch and the lume at night wss super bright. Enjoy it.

  4. #4
    Grand Master JasonM's Avatar
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    Great story.
    I have a trit tubed ‘Uzi’ branded watch head stuck to the side of my bedside table with blu tac, it’s at head height and perfect for just opening a bleary eye and making out it’s constant glow and not having to look at the clock.
    Cheers..
    Jase

  5. #5
    Master Redwolf's Avatar
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    Nice detailed write up, I would have liked some clearer pictures because that watch looks really good.
    Thanks


    Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app

  6. #6
    Master raysablade's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Redwolf View Post
    Nice detailed write up, I would have liked some clearer pictures because that watch looks really good.
    Thanks


    Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
    They are thumbnails, just click them.

  7. #7
    Master Redwolf's Avatar
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    Thanks Ray, I know they’re thumbnails but they are still a bit blurry, maybe it’s my screen. Not to worry.
    Thanks mate.


    Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app

  8. #8
    Master raysablade's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Redwolf View Post
    Thanks Ray, I know they’re thumbnails but they are still a bit blurry, maybe it’s my screen. Not to worry.
    Thanks mate.


    Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
    They should click through to the postimage site. Here they are.








    Last edited by raysablade; 28th January 2018 at 15:03.

  9. #9
    Master Redwolf's Avatar
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    Ahh that’s what it is, my bad I’m viewing on a iPhone 7 +.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

  10. #10
    Master
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    This is a great forum, giving watches away for free and rafles for charities etc

    Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

  11. #11
    Great story, which very much shows the OP's passion for his watch.

  12. #12
    Master Redwolf's Avatar
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    Ray, the new photos you added are much clearer. Now I can see the little beauty. Lovely


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  13. #13
    Master Redwolf's Avatar
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    Also , just had an idea. Why not post a lume shot? That’s the whole point right ?


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  14. #14
    Master Rocket Man's Avatar
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    Nice write up.

    Is your 'high quality, low shout' watch the Sinn 556 anniversary edition?

  15. #15
    I have one of the GWS G10’s, after a couple of decades of two diver Traser’s. Bloody love it, one of my favourite watches ever.

  16. #16
    Master raysablade's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Rocket Man View Post
    Nice write up.

    Is your 'high quality, low shout' watch the Sinn 556 anniversary edition?
    It is.

  17. #17
    Master Rocket Man's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by raysablade View Post
    It is.
    I regret selling it now!

  18. #18
    Craftsman
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    ...now I want something like this. Damn posts - keep making me buy more watches. Missus is gonna kill me!

  19. #19
    Master raysablade's Avatar
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