Reply With QuoteAgreed but who'd do that when there are 20mm Natos so readily available?
I'd like to see it on a Bund.
I want one, the question with all the choices Eddie is - if you were to make a Smiths watch for the forces what size would they want? I'd say that the case of 38-39mm works for me and as long as you have quality NATO straps to fit the lugs then there's no problem what size they are.Originally Posted by swanbourne
No screw down crown
Screw back
100 metres W/R
Anti-magnetic cage
Fixed bars
ETA2801
Eddie
The one thing I hate is gaps of an 18mm NATO on 20 mm lugs of the Seiko Gen 1.
Agreed but who'd do that when there are 20mm Natos so readily available?
I'd like to see it on a Bund.
Sounds good to me. Sapphire would be my preference. I'd certainly pay the extra, but I like acrylic too, so I'll still be elbowing my way to the front of the queue whatever the final choice...
I would snap up the original sized 35mm immediately!
If it were not an option, I would settle for the 38mm, but I would not act unless the price was right.
I would not buy the 40mm, I might think about it if it went for under 50 GBP. Such a large size is appropriate for diving watches and chronos, but not a basic W10.
I think you're on drugs or stumbled into the wrong forum.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
I don't suppose there's any chance of convincing you to go for drilled lugs and shoulderless bars instead of fixed bars, is there Eddie? I do understand the desire among many for the fixed bars, it's just that I find the strap choice so limiting.
Dave E
Skating away on the thin ice of a new day
Seconded. Drilled lugs and shoulderless bars is a great compromise IMHO. I love NATOs on this style of watch but having the flexibility to fit other straps is a big plus.
..oh, and acrylic please, mainly on price grounds.
Only just caught up with this - 38/20 please and I'd buy one. Drilled lugs and domed acrylic and I'll be first in the queue 8)
Neil
I'm in complete agreement here: drilled lugs/shoulderless bars would respect completely the look of the original but vastly increase flexibility and appeal. What's to object to?
No, it's going to be fixed bars. Don't forget, if Smiths were still making it today, it would be quartz for sure.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Fixed bars are fine and in keeping with the style of this watch (which the domed sapphire isn't, by the way, and I'll concede that point even though I'm keen on the idea).
Cheers
Stern
Can I ask if you have finalised what size you are going for on this one please Eddie?
Will it have a hacking movement?
Personally I would prefer something sub 40mm. Fixed bars certainly.
Many Thanks
I'm sure I've posted this before but it will be 36mm with 18mm lugs and 39mm with 20mm lugs. Hacking movement is a given.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Great news.
Any decision on the sapphire v acrylic issue?
Domed acrylic on the 39mm - pretty please - you'll definately sell at least one ! :lol:
Neil
Many thanks Eddie
Sean
i bought a mido commander. 37mm. it wears differently from all the others i have, so i'd prefer that "36mm and 18mm" couple
36mm diameter and 18mm lugs, Perfect! Now I need a presentable Bonklip or does anyone out there make a decent homage?
I had almost given up hope of a smaller diameter watch being produced since the demise of the Broadarrow PRS6 and have been watching the Lady Speedbird disscusion with hopeful interest that a 34/36mm diameter watch suitable for a male to wear would be the outcome.
I've nothing against the current fashion for larger watches, but they are not for me even though my wrists are not exactly small at 7.75". Indeed the largest watch that I wear with comfort is my Seiko 7T27 which was possibly the very last wrist watch (No 15/15) issued by British Airways. If thats got you thinking I'll post some photos and perhaps to some a surprisingly funny brief history of how this final issue of fifteen wrist watches by the airline came about later.
Somebody made an interesting suggestion yesterday, quite obvious really but not previously mentioned in this thread.
"Have you thought about making the 36mm with acrylic and 39mm with sapphire? This would keep the purists happy and keep the price down".
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
.
I would personally prefer the 39mm with acrylic.
john
THIN is the new BLACK
Probably the best idea!
I'm not as think as you drunk I am.
And I would prefer the 36mm with sapphire!
Ah, you can't please everyone...
Seems like a great compromise. Keep the original sized version as original as possible but if you are changing the size then why not make other improvements too. I am just working out whether I can afford both.........
I may have missed it in the thread but have you decided on a movement yet? I expect it would be too expensive to get someone to make some new versions of the original movements?
BB
I like the idea of acrylic. Wouldn't have said that before my ZEX but now I'm a convert.
Rick
Probably the best idea!
It is indeed an interesting point of view but if it is adopted, I suspect that quite a few of us will be faced with a hard choice. :?
Eddie, please don't :lol:
I'd go for the 36mm with acrylic, sounds great to me. Has there been a movement picked yet?
:roll: Page 6 of this very thread :wink:
Thanks, missed that somehow.
An argument for the 36mm to have a sapphire crystal: with acrylic it would not be sufficiently different from the PRS-53 and PRS-6.
So 36mm sapphire, please 8)
Ah, but the PRS-53 and 6 are both sold out and gone, I believe.
I know you've said definitely fixed bars Eddie, but is there any scope to go fixed and acrylic for the 36mm (and therefore close to original spec) and shoulderless with sapphire for the 39mm (for an updated spec)?
In general, though, I think the acrylic for the 36mm and sapphire for the larger is a good idea.
Dave E
Skating away on the thin ice of a new day
39mm, 20mm Lugs, Fixed Bars and Acrylic, Perfect! :wink:
Plus 1, although I'm easy about the bars :bounce:
In the first post Eddie wrote:
"The lug tip to lug tip measurement on the original 35mm watch is 46mm ".
Is the 'lug to lug' decided for the 2 news case sizes ?
[quote="Dave E"] ....Ah, but the PRS-53 and 6 are both sold out and gone, I believe.
The PRS53 is still for sale according to the website
Ah, my bad. I don't think Eddie has that many left, though. It was a Zeno made piece and he has already said he's not getting any more from Zeno. Mind you, he did mention the possibility of a Fricker/Kemner built one, so who knows?
Dave E
Skating away on the thin ice of a new day
[quote=Dave E]Ah, my bad. I don't think Eddie has that many left, though. It was a Zeno made piece and he has already said he's not getting any more from Zeno. Mind you, he did mention the possibility of a Fricker/Kemner built one, so who knows?[/quote:27o8gytn]
I was going to buy myself a Poljot but I would hate to miss out on a PRS53 and either option would mean I have no money for the Smiths W10 or the potential PRS30.
Of course, I can only speak for myself, but I'm very excited about the prospect of 36mm with acrylic and fixed bars, on an 18mm strap. (It makes sense for the 39mm watch to have sapphire and have drilled lugs for shoulderless bars.)
Personally, I can't see the need for anything without a diver's bezel to be much over 36mm. Or for divers to be much over 40mm, come to that.
And, yes, I am a fully paid up member of the awkward squad.
The 36mm and fixed bars would be my choice i'm not overly pushed about the crystal,
Now that I have 25 posts, I can post here that I'm definately looking forward to this watch. I'd definately go for a 36mm with fixed bars. Not fussy about sapphire or acrylic, but imo the acrylic would suit it better.
I keep thinking about this. Because the 36mm is closer to the original, I'm happy to go with fixed bars and acrylic but because the 39mm is a totally different watch, I'm considering regular springbars and acrylic. Thoughts?
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Agreed and agreed :D
I take it the sapphire crystal idea has been abandoned then? :?
Stern
Agreed and agreed :D
I take it the sapphire crystal idea has been abandoned then? :?
My mistake, sapphire on the 39mm.
Eddie
Stern
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Looking forward to the 39mm.. think it may be a good 'un
That sounds like a plan. Here's a vote for drilled lugs for the springbar version and perhaps the supplied springbars could be shoulderless.
Agreed and agreed :D
I take it the sapphire crystal idea has been abandoned then? :?
My mistake, sapphire on the 39mm.
Eddie
Stern
Looking forward to this one :)
Cheers,
Mabuse
I understand Eddie's thoughts about closeness to the original and keeping the 36mm acrylic. But Eddie has done wonders updating classics--and I think a sapphire crystal would be a fantastic update. There are PRS-6s and PRS-53s still around--smaller pilot watches with acrylic. And look at it this way: for someone wanting to buy a pilot watch at about 39mm with a sapphire crystal, there are scores of options out there. For someone wanting to keep to a more original size but have the updated look and functionality of sapphire--arguable though this may be--there ain't nothing. Seems to me that Eddie's original and thoroughly logical instinct would tend to reproduce the market offerings as they already exist, while giving the smaller number sapphire would create a real alternative.
My tuppence.
I beg to differ :) I was all for the sapphire idea, but for the 36mm version I think the acrylic is more suitable. Updating a classic design is all well and good, but maybe not in this case (at least not with a sapphire crystal; I understand that there will be other updates). Besides, what's wrong with acrylic? It's not reflective, it's not a dust- and fingerprint-magnet, it won't ever shatter, any scratches it may pick up can easily be polished out and if it needs to be replaced, well, that's a job that can be done while you wait and costs next to nothing.
It seems pretty functional to me :)
None of them is a Smiths :wink:
Cheers
Stern
:D
None of them is a Smiths :wink:
Well there's that, and there are two main designs: the IWC Mk XI sort of design, and the style exemplified by various Aristos, Stowas, Steinharts and Archimedes. Flieger, but a specific kind of flieger (B-Uhr? Not sure.) If you don't like those Germanic, and fairly similar, sorts of designs, you're out of luck.
...but what do I know; I don't even like watches!
Eddie,
Agreed and agreed :D
I take it the sapphire crystal idea has been abandoned then? :?
My mistake, sapphire on the 39mm.
Eddie
Stern
Definitely if you ask me. The 36mm then appeals to the more purist among us, the 39mm is an updated version (and a bit more wearable for some of us).
Dave E
Skating away on the thin ice of a new day
Very good idea Eddie!
Hell, I've to get both then :lol:
I'm not as think as you drunk I am.
EddieWatchhead “Smiths Miltary” assembled with ETA 2801-2,
Stainless-steel case, diameter 39 mm, design and finish like sample of original “Smiths Military”
lug-spacing 20 mm
height as small as possible
screwed solid case-back with engraving
diameter 7 mm crown like sample
shoulderless spring-bars with holes drilled through
anti-magnetic to 80.000 A/m with movement cover
waterresistant 10 ATM
Double-domed sapphire glass inside A/R in the same profile as original.
Soft iron dial like your picture, triangle + indices in SL C3, numbers printed, SMITHS logo + L in circle and GREAT BRITAIN under 6 h.
Hands in polished steel luminous C3 filled. Centre second hand in white.
(without strap and buckle)
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
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