Smiths PRS29-A appreciation
Hello all,
I just wanted to share some thoughts and images around the PRS29-A that I got on a charming Sunday last month of June. it is by no means a pro review with pro pictures and it is not intended to be. First because my english is crap (I am from Barcelona) and second because I have only been into watches and collecting them for about a year and therefore a proper review would be unsubstantial from my part. That said, I felt I had to come back here to share just how grateful I feel for having this watch at an early stage of my collecting journey. Feel free to click on the photos to zoom them and enjoy them better.
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First image I took of the watch. I remember that when it arrived I was sitting and chatting with my father about it; it had been the talk of the day. When we opened the box and saw the watch he really was impressed. Even though not a watch guy, my father is into lots of military stuff and was really admiring the watch. First though that went through my mind was how I liked the sizing. Prior to that I had been wearing a dress Tissot from the 90's that belonged to my grandfather that is about 33mm, so I was by no means unhappy with the dimensions. I had been thinking about getting the Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical but history, heritage and the "real feel" of the watch just sold me. In terms of collecting, for me it is very important the research process; in fact, it is about everything. My daily job (university) revolves around researching and after weeks and weeks of deliberating, I decided for the Smiths based on a number of reasons that I will not get into because the thread would be damn long. Just two cents: besides going vintage which I decided not to yet because of my lack of experience in the field, I think this watch is top of the top in terms of field watches; I can not think of another watch that combines more efficiently heritage, history, build quality, reliability and awesome aesthetics. I just can not think of anything better. Another big reason was that I preferred to buy from Eddie rather than to buy from Swatch, plain and simple. Being 2020 and that you can still get the real deal without compromising the human aspect of it, it certainly makes me feel better each time I think about it.
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I took this second photo (morning light) after a few days of... being unable to put on another watch. It is mid-October and I still can't take it off for more than 48 hours. It is the watch that fulfils me the most: it is a field watch, a daily wearer, a daily beater, it is tough, it can also be dressed up, it has some explorer vibes in it, it can handle tons of straps and bracelets (even though lately I just wear it with its original nato), it goes under the radar, etc. It integrates itself despite the situation or the environment. When I took this photo was when I knew how photogenic the watch is in itself. I wonder how it will look 25 years from now; it is going to be outstanding.
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I said that I am happy to own this watch early in my collection process because as a newcomer and under the influence of a lot of inputs in terms of watch news/informations, I feel great to own a watch I can put on whenever I feel the I guess typical urge of buying different watches just to get a feeling of them and understand and know what kind of watch I am into. I think this is an attribute that is reserved only to great and timeless watches; the feeling of knowing that this is an all around complete watch and that it will save me tons of money because I no longer feel the need to buy every couple of months a 100/200 bucks watch. Whenever I feel the attraction of a cheap good looking watch, I look at my PRS29-A and everything goes back to its place. I guess we want our collection to be, at least in terms of quality, as good as our last buy. In my case I have not been able to find another watch that fulfils me as this Smith (within my financial range). I am now looking at the 1000 range for next year, and only there I begin to find a few watches that give me the same feeling as the PRS29-A. Right now I am researching the Yema Superman. I have a 16,75cm wrist and I am after a small diver (maximum 39mm), hacking and hand-winding (not a problem if automatic at the same time) included.
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I took this fourth photo on a train and I think it is just a gorgeous picture. When the sun hits the watch, you can see the superluminova getting all fueled up and giving the hands and the hour markers a color tone to die for. I am also wearing a bracelet from a 1940's Longines that I inherited from my grandfather and, even though at 16mm wide, I think it gives the watch some kind of vintage vibe as if it was sporting a bonklip bracelet (which by the way I would love to possess but by now I have not found anything that I like. Any suggestions will be more than welcome).
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And last but not least, I like to use the watch as a desk clock whenever I am working on my computer. I spend lots of hours writing my PhD on my computer and I really enjoy taking off the watch and putting it in that same fashion. I just feel better and it kind of keeps me focused, which I could not describe the reason why. I am getting tired of writing so I think I will leave it here, but I would really like to discuss anything with all of you. I just wanted to give back a bit of what this watch has given to me and therefore to thank Eddie and his manufacturers for doing an amazing job. I am happy to find such joy in a watch already at 29 y/o without spending a fortune or without buying tons of affordable watches.
Tom
