Reply With QuoteThat looks delightful
Inspired by Dave's thread, thought to share my status.
After thinking about it for a long, long time (in my case this means more than 6 months), I've finally decided to order my most expensive watch yet. I own watches with a higher MSRP, but I'm not their first owner... so I never spent 5k EUR on a watch. Until a couple of weeks ago.
To give you a bit of a background - lately I've become obsessed with the following criteria: 38,5 mm (it does seem to be the magical number for a a few of us), hand-wound (to have that nostalgic kind of interaction with your watch), cream/ off-white dial (because... I don't why, it just seems to me as the perfect dial for such a watch). Last but not least - no date. I've plenty of watches who have this useful complication, but in this case, I just wanted something perfectly symmetrical.
There are very few watches which meet all these criteria and obviously even fewer which I'd actually like to own. It would be rather hard for me to mention even one mentionable example. So I searched the www high and low, even opened a couple of threads here, to no avail.
But then, there it was - this almost completely unknown German brand (so no, it's not Dornblueth), with deceivingly simple models, equiped with some NOS AS mechanisms, and selling for (for me) eye-watering prices... So I though about it, and then rejected the idea, but then visited their web-site again, than admonished myself for even considering it, then read some reviews, than read some more reviews, then dived deep into google images, then thought again that it's unreasonable because if I ever come to sell it, it's going to depreciate faster than a box of oranges forgotten in the sun (I suppose this process is somewhat familiar to some of you - the depreciation part, not being forgotten in the sun). Then I ordered it and paid for it, and for some reason it feels like it's the best horological decision I've ever made, despite never holding the watch in my hand. Mental, completely mental.
Long story short, I'll be waiting now for the next 3 months or so for this (pics shamelessly stolen from the producer and some reviews):
Here's a pic of the mechanism:
Thanks for your patience in reading this.
Cheers,
Christian
Last edited by Wooster; 7th June 2017 at 13:05.
That looks delightful
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Looks fantastic Christian. I've not heard of these, but the simple elegant style and proportions do really work. As you say, it'll be a long wait, but worth it I'm sure. Make sure you post up some photos and thoughts once it has arrived.
Christian, the watch really looks fantastic in the pics. I'm anxious to see some wrist pics but well, I have to wait until summer for that.
May you wear it in good health and if you ever get in Bucharest and you have a bit of free time, we surely should grab a pint.
Nice! 3-hander, check; railway track, check: red twelve, check: my sort of watch - well chosen!
Beautiful and elegant. I'd definitely like to see some more photos when it arrives.
It looks very classy, very elegant
I like the red 12 - though that would steer me to the black strap rather than the particular shade of brown in the pics
No date and handwound make it perfect for special occasions
3 months will fly by :)
Last edited by JonRA; 14th March 2017 at 19:15.
The case finishing seems perfect. It's hand brushed?
I've seen these before, well online. Really lovely :)
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That looks like a great choice. Some really nice touches- I love the blued hands, flat bezel and red 12 and no cutoff numerals!
Love to see one in the flesh. 3 months will drag whilst waiting though. What are you gonna wear till then?
Thats very lovely. Good find, good choice.
A new brand to me, just had a look through their website.
http://hentschel-hamburg.de/ (in German so will need to be translated)
There isn't a single model there that I wouldn't happily wear, in fact I think they're amongst the best proportioned watches I'm aware of. Beautiful, the lot of them.
Good on you OP for taking the plunge!
Lovely looking watch and really nice to hear someone on here being super excited about a considered purchase. It seems a lot of posts I read are more of the impulse buy variety.
What's an AS movement?
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Delightful, well worth the wait.
What a delightful and elegant design. Perfectly sized.
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I'm quite happy that it draws so much appreciation. Of course I bought for myself and I am the one who should like it, etc, but it's still good to know that the local community gives it a thumbs up.
Will certainly do!Originally Posted by pstruck
Amen to that!
So they say! :D
As of now, I mostly wear a Mark XV pilot and an Aerospace E75362.
Anton Schild, 'Wehrmachtswerk'. If I remember correctly, it is a somewhat larger mechanism, allowing the seconds hand to sit well even in larger, 38.5 mm case.
Cheers,
Christian
I completely understand this purchase! From the moment I started gazing at watches, the centre of my desires has been the Hentschel H1. One day I'll have the wherewithal for it, and then it and me will be be able to grow old together.
In their most expensive and largest watches is available an in-house movement:
Really nice one!
That is rather lovely! I can see the appeal in both the watch and the specs you've been searching for. Looking forward to seeing the real thing.
That looks beautiful, wear it in good health!
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One more day... it was shipped from Germany, it should reach me tomorrow.
Can't wait to finally put it on the wrist. Think the right word is giddy :D
I've also ordered a mesh for it, for the hot months to come.
Will up-load some pics once it's here.
Can't wait to see how this looks in some "normal" pics, because these watches look just sensational from the images on this thread :)
Great design... elegant watch.
Congrats.
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Lovely! Very simple yet striking dial.
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blued hands - classy and not something you see that much.
-Tom
The wait is almost over ;) looking forward to the real life pics, Christian!
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That is a lovely looking watch, simple and elegant. I'm extremely jealous. Enjoy it.
Lovely watches. So classic and elegant, I'm sure someone on here has one, remember seeing it on a Friday thread. It looked even better on the wrist.
My old BPFF has a AS 1361 movement, but it's nowhere as pretty yours.
Beautiful watch by the way - excellent choice.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
A very nice watch! Enjoy. Can't wait for some pictures. I've been eyeing the particular model and H2 and find both of them fantastic.
It's here! And it's all that I hoped for and even more. It's the perfect 'watch' for me. The essence of what a watch should be. I'll return with a thorough review (the first ever for me, but it's sure worth it), until then, here are a few low lousy pics, which do the watch no justice at all:
Cheers,
Christian
Really a lovely watch, congrats! But I'm sorry, it does not look great on that bracelet, put it back on a nice croc/leather!!!
Leather please - looks ming like that
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Ok, ok (although, if seen live, it does have a certain rougher charm when worn on the bracelet):
And here's one more pic, with the lovely mechanism (btw, I had the choice to inscribe the case back it with whatever I felt like... and this is the best I could come up with):
Cheers,
Christian
Sooooo much better on the leather....IMHO 😀
I've followed the thread for a while.....lovely thing that, very lovely indeed.
Definitely better on a leather strap than bracelet.
Does this one have the display back too?
I also think it is much better on the leather strap. Maybe it's because it's a mesh or the straight end links. If you want to dress it down you should try another strap or try a perlon for summer?
Love it! Well worth the wait.
That is stunning, classically beautiful. Definitely not on the mesh though for me it needs to be on a nice dark brown almost but not quite black leather strap dark enough so as not to clash with the red 12 but light enough to compliment the cream dial. Wear it in good health sir that is a beauty
What a stunning watch
Wow what a cracker I can only imagine how you are feeling tonight, glancing at it every few seconds if it was me, wear it in good health
If you like it on the mesh bracelet why not keep it like that? It's your watch and so it's your choice. Judging by your new watch you've very good taste.
I think the back looks nicer than the front. Beautiful movement!
Magical. I am bewitched. Is it a H2 Hafenmeister? Looks like great value with the long guarantee and free first service at 5 years.
I'll be in and out of Hamburg quite regularly from September so I should really pay this outfit a visit.
Interestingly, all their watches for sale on Chrono24, apart from a couple in Germany, are all in Australia!
Apologies for the rather late reply. This week-end there was the local collectors' GTG (i.e. 30 mins of discussing about watches and 2 days of trying out the products of various distilleries)... It was my particular pleasure to brag about the Hentschel and theirs to deprecate it :D
Well, it does look great on the strap, but summer did came over here already and it's much too warm, even for the gorgeous rubber lined strap. So... here it is, on yet another mesh, it wears and looks great :D
Indeed, the Hafenmeister. It was a pleasure to communicate with them, very friendly and customer-oriented, so I think they'd welcome your visit.
They don't have that many AD's; there's indeed this guy from Brisbane if I remember correctly, he's the one with the Chrono24 ads.
I'll write a complete review for this watch in the next couple of weeks. It will be my first, hope I'll do it right :)
Cheers,
Christian
Lovely detail and classy simplicity. I think the mesh washes the face out somewhat and leaves it looking a little sterile whereas the leather provides much greater contrast and looks great. The movement is a thing of beauty and I'm slowly thinking manual wind is going to be my end game, but not just yet.
I was working in Hamburg a few months ago and stayed in a colleagues flat that is just down the road from the Henkschel shop. It's visible from his front window, so I went in for a browse. They are beautiful watches and lovely on the wrist. Wear in good health and enjoy it!
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