Reply With QuoteI agree.Originally Posted by sweets
I think what is currently proposed is a much more integrated design, which lends itself better to the different case and bezel finishes.
I agree.
Me too.
I like where this has gone, I think it would be mistake to go back to the original drawing.
I to would love this to be the perfect travel watch I’ve been searching for. I like my watches to have a purpose even though no date ‘looks better,’ a well executed date is a very useful complication.
The thing about the date is that Eddie has already confirmed that ETA will manufacture with a date wheel for 4.30 placement only, and will only do black print on a white disc (see post #473).
The former is okay with me (although as for most quartzes, I prefer no date to stop me having to reset it all the time). But having a white date window on this dial would look awful, wouldn't it?
D
Maybe there's room for both models? Not that many affordabe center minute chronos around....
Which 'original drawing' do you mean?
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
He means the X-33.
"The whole purpose of mechanical watches is to be impertinent." ~ Lionel a Marca, CEO of Breguet
Me too. No running seconds. No lefty.I think it should get back to this.
"The whole purpose of mechanical watches is to be impertinent." ~ Lionel a Marca, CEO of Breguet
But that IS a lefty............
See entry #550.
"The whole purpose of mechanical watches is to be impertinent." ~ Lionel a Marca, CEO of Breguet
Not sure if I’m missing something, but I’m struggling to understand why this version can’t be a destro with running seconds at 12 O’ clock if the latest render has just that. Surely the case type makes no difference?
Does anybody else want it to be mechanical?
Last edited by fm.tz; 25th August 2021 at 22:39.
I would love it to be mechanical, but central minutes is not possible without the use of proprietary movements (from Sinn, Tutima and Damasko, none of which are sold to 3rd parties) or vey specific module movements from Dubois Depraz and La Joux-Perret, both of which are criminally expensive, difficult to maintain, and require the crown to be on a different plane to the pushers.
Personally, as an A-13A owner and fan, I think this quartz movement beats the functionality of any mechanical movement I have known, with the ability to pre-set chrono hands to precise countdown locations, and hour hand hacking for timezone change, neither of which are possible in any mechanical version seen to date.
Paolo (A-13A founder and owner) tried to launch a mechanical version, it was as expensive as the Sinn alternative, and more so than the Damasko. He didn't achieve the kickstarter funding target to set it going.
On the contrary - this is a tool watch with a military flavour and exceptional legibility, and the common, consistent feature of most super legible military issue or military themed tool watches (the Sinn EZM1 apart) is excellent legibility for the date window. That mostly means black numerals on a white date window:
Thank you for a clear explanation.
Last edited by fm.tz; 1st July 2021 at 17:08.
We could discuss this all day long John (without toys being thrown, which is rare for this forum these days) but the simple fact is that most military watches through history and most military chronographs bar ones using the 5100 and a few Seikos did not have date on the dial. None that I can thnk of ever used it at 4.30. Aircraft clocks have never had date on them.
The date needs re-setting every other month, and that is annoying, especially on this movement as you need to set it forward 24 hours in steps, not one day in a single step. In March it is 48 or 72 clicks.
Without it, you only need one click adjustment for summer time forward and back once a year.
^^^^^
This.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Dave, I’d be delighted to discuss practically anything watch-related with you all day long and it would be an education. And in this case you’re right in that 1940s to 1980s British Army soldiers and Royal Navy Divers had no date watches. And, whilst one of my secondary roles was as a Diving Officer and I had a handful of issued no date quartz CWC divers on my personal loan record, I didn’t use one for more than a day or two.
That’s because my main role was as a warship navigator, for which I had the CWC Navigator, which had a date. That was an essential feature for a role which required me to refer to tide tables and almanacs several times a day. Get the date wrong and you get the numbers wrong. And that could hazard the ship- so having the date was essential.
I don’t navigate warships anymore but do navigate yachts- so the date still matters. The quickset hour hand makes resetting the date a task of a few seconds. And when I’m travelling I also need to know the date.
And whilst some in the German armed forces, and the odd SAAF pilot had centre minute chronos, most armed forces including Britain’s, didn’t.
If I were back navigating a frigate today I’d really want this watch. It’s close to my ideal watch. But I’d want it with a date.
,
I wore the 17C on operations until an unfortunate incident necessitated a new watch. Appreciated quick hour setting when crossing timezones. For my role, date was a must.
12hr bezel and date, if you ask me. Running seconds is a big plus. From purely operational PoV that would be a perfect mission watch.
I must be the only person who doesn’t find changing the date a huge chore. It gives me a reason to interact with them and give them a quick clean.
Whilst I obviously understand the appeal of no date dials (I’ve had more than my fair share), a date is a must for a load of activities that a practical tool watch like this would be ideal for.
It would appear from Eddie’ post (#108) on the PRS40 thread that ETA are stipulating a minimum order of 1000 pieces for the movement (ETA 251.264 BD) intended for the Mission Timer and the central minutes version chronograph version of the PRS40. Therefore, it looks like the Mission Timer might not be going ahead after all sadly.
If there’s one TF watch that could sell a thousand pieces… this could be it. Just be sure to label it a limited edition….
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Unless I'm missing something that post was July last year, lots could have changed.
I missed the date on Eddie’s post. Hopefully it is going ahead.
As far as I understood* it was going ahead. The model can most definitely sell 1000 units in three versions.
* Because I am trying to decide between this and the PRS-40 chrono
Last edited by abraxas; 29th August 2021 at 11:56.
Even though I've paid the deposit, my supplier is struggling to get a delivery date out of ETA and therefore manufacture cannot proceed.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
There are going to be a lot of delays with everything. We just have to be patient. It feels in process.
If the Mission Timer is one watch using the ETA 251.264 BD movement and a PRS-40 version is another, what is the third?
PRS40 is Seiko mecha-quartz as far as I know.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
The bicompax and tricompax versions are yes, but there’s another render with the ETA 251.264 BD with a central minutes counter.
Ah, but will that feature in the production version?
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
I don’t know. I was wondering if the third watch with the ETA 251.264 BD is a Timefactors 25th Anniversary Desk Clock Chronograph set in a pocket watch case in the bullhead configuration to be fixed on a desk stand or dashboard timer plate.
I was referring to the three models of the mission timer to make up for the 1000 movement minimum order.
1. Steel case with black bezel
2. Steel case with with steel bezel
3. PVD case
Eddie has not confirmed the requirement for 1000 movements, a statement that was made comfortably before the newer renders were completed.
I though that was no longer the case, hence the design work proceeding.
I am not sure Eddie has ever made anything in such numbers, if that is the minimum order required, I think this project is dead. Which would be a great shame
The 1000 minimum quantity was when I asked my Hong Kong manufacturer to source them. I've now asked my Swiss contact to order them for me and he has a good trading relationship with ETA, which is why they allowed him to order 300.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
So, would the description of this project as "proceeding, but stalled on movement delivery date" be accurate?
That’s good news.
That's exactly where we are.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
The movements have arrived.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Nowt to say, wouldn't change a thing, I even like the oversize numbers. Probably A....or maybe B, for me. They look fantastic Eddie, worth the long wait.
Looks like a real professional tool, another winner imho.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Great news!
Looking forward to seeing this one when it's available, looks like another winner
Fascinating
Sent from my ANE-LX1 using Tapatalk
Possible for the pushers to be blasted to match the case finishing as well?
If this carries on as it is, I will get A and C, and most of the cheaper end of my collection is instantly rendered redundant.
Great design
+1
Love the numbers and they look fantastic.
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
Amazing. Best bit of watch related news in years IMHO.
Any price guide on this or the Monopusher chrono, Eddie? Need to work out whether I can afford either or both!
Posting Permissions
