I’ve been mulling over the type of watch that would pass the casual observer by and only receive notice from the hobbyist/horologically informed.
I don't mean the more obvious brands (PP, Rolex etc), but the more unusual.
I’ve got my Seiko Tuna SBBN015 on and it occurred to me that this very much fits the bill. To most its a boring Seiko but to the informed it has an impeccable dive watch pedigree. It was designed for a specific purpose (sat diving) and has a custom quartz movement that was made for it.
I’m even wearing it on an Isofrane strap which is surely worth extra watch nerd points!
I've always thought that Sinn watches are an "in the know" brand. I've seen a grand total of 1 in the wild and immediately thought to myself that the guy had bought a watch on its merits not just as a display of wealth or fashion.
Just an assumption l know, but bet l was right!
Grand Seiko. Last year in the pub one of my friends spotted my SBGH001 (RRP £5,500), I asked what he thought it was worth, £200. I asked my two other friends there what they thought. £200, and then the last one said he knew I liked watches and it must be something special, so £300. Of course no one saw the watch, they just saw 'Seiko' at the top of the dial. I was at a friend's work the next day and asked him, he also reckoned £200.
My Omega Marine Chronometer was also the kind of watch you wouldn't be mugged for.
Last edited by Foxy100; 19th June 2020 at 18:14.
"A man of little significance"
Any Rolex Explorer would fit the bill. Very much under the radar.
I’d just think ‘those are the only sports models you can buy out of a window at the moment’ not ‘WIS’ at all I’m afraid!Originally Posted by Mick P
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Thousands would disagree with that remark.
Citizen 0100. Looks like it cost £100 in H Samuel but it's white gold and the most accurate watch in the world.
And it's $16,800.
Roger Smith has at least two of them and there is a lot to be said for Roger Smith being the one of the many gods of WIS. I'm with you here Mick. Probably not the most WIS watch ever but it is up there nonetheless.
No Rolex - by dint of being a Rolex - can ever be described as "under the radar" - even the very rare stuff.
OP hasn't helped, mind, by piling-in with the World's second-best known watch brand...
Surely in-the-know means "not known to everyone" - implying a little-known brand outside of enthusiast circles?
Sinn and Credor are great examples, perhaps Moser and Chronoswiss deserve a place? Maybe Ming?
To the uninitiated a Damasko DA47 doesn't look particularly special, but to me it was a perfectly engineered piece of virtually unmarkable brilliance
Surely a Timefactors model. If you saw anyone wearing one, you’d definitely know they were a WIS as they have to go out of their way to have found, researched and purchased one. Most other brands you can just walk into a shop and buy.
Anything that isn’t known to the general public really and list is long; Sinn, Damasko, Timefactors, Borealis, MKII, Benurus, Boschett etc. If I saw someone wearing any of those I’d know they know their watches and don’t just buy Rolex because they can. I have a few mates like that. They don’t know the first thing about watches but are Rolex, Omega and Breitling-ed up.
Oddly I’d actually say a Speedmaster Professional
Simply because the Seamaster’s appear on people’s wrists at a factor of 10/1 . If I see a Speedie on people’s wrists it’s often the reduced racing versions.
You just know a banged out old Speedie is not being worn by accident
You were right, they the height of good taste and show the wearer to be a man (or woman) of class and of course the wearer is incredibly handsome!
To the original question, I would say a vintage Tudor Submariner, or in fact most vintage watches would fit the bill especially if a little out of the ordinary.
Last edited by Sinnlover; 19th June 2020 at 20:59.
Last year a girl at work asked to see my watch as she was thinking about getting a nice watch. I took off my MK2 2018 Explorer 1 and handed it to her. She looked at it for about 30 seconds before saying "Yeah it's nice but I think I'd want a Rolex. I think I'd rather have a designer watch. No offence".
The Explorer 1 is firmly under the radar but the brand name isn't. However there are even further under the radar watches and the ultimate imo is the Credor posted previously.
You've not been past a Rolex AD for some time then!
I agree that it's the ultimate "under the radar" 'good' watch.
What the ****?
Second hand, but ....
http://ninanet.net/watches/others04/Mediums/mbeba.html
Best wishes,
Bob
Any interesting choice would indicate to me someone with an interest.
I’ve only ever once had a watch discussion with someone at a social event. He was wearing an Ed White. He started it commenting on my Explorer.
WIS doesn’t have to mean this is much more than expensive than the general public think.
It’s more about appreciating what the watch is - whatever the price point.
Hence, there are examples for all budgets. From Smiths to Tuna to Damasko to GO to Credor. But just as non WIS have different tastes - so do we.
In short. There are many WIS watches.
...IMHO.
z
Grand Seiko VFA
Obviously something Timefactors
or pretty well any vintage that isn't obvious:
Last edited by M4tt; 19th June 2020 at 22:33.
True insider? Rather than *just* the idiot, bit, you mean?
There's probably no such thing. I recall wearing a Habring2 Foudroyante at a watch dinner and one of the members here asking me which quartz watch I was wearing. I don't think that reflected badly on him - he's incredibly informed, just not a fan of obscure Austrian jumping second watches. Which seems fair enough. We don't all have to know everything. Or be able to recognise every model of every brand.
Wear a #watchnerd pin. That'll get you noticed by the right (or wrong) people. Probably.
The Vacheron in sc, utterly understated. wish i had 2k under the sofa.
ktmog6uk
marchingontogether!
If it’ has been chosen with care, and isn’t just an obvious attempt at showing wealth, then it probably fits the bill
Almost anything German, from Sinn, Damasko and Stowa to GO, Moser and ALS
Classic Seiko divers and the MM300
Grand Seiko
Vintage Heuer and Breitling, come to think of it, a lot of vintage
D
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That's the winner, right there. Mat has arrived with the perfect anachronism, an in-house mechanical foudroyante movement that appears to run like a quartz.
Perfectly ecapsulating the intelligence, skill, craft and utter foolishness inherent to watches, in a single complication.
D
Zenith for me. Huge horological pedigree, some all-time classic designs, but very little brand-recognition outside WIS-dom.
Bought new by me in 2005 for £1995 from WoS.
Total thickness inc. crystal front and rear 8mm, YES 8mm.
Fitted with one the most highly rated auto movements
ever made the Zenith 680.
FullSizeRender copy by Dave in Wales, on
IMG_0052 copy by Dave in Wales, on Flickr
Last edited by Dave in Wales; 20th June 2020 at 07:23.
I think for financially accessible items then military issue watches are terribly nerdy in a wonderful way. My GS never gets noticed but I think that it’s not under the radar as there seems to be massively growing brand recognition.
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I have a great deal to learn about watches, when someone makes a statement like this I get interested (I particularly enjoy trying to learn about movements and their technicalities)
Please note I'm not doubting what you state here, I'm trying to learn. Can you assist with some reading or viewing that educates me as to why this movement is so highly rated? I did some searching of my own and the best I found is this: https://reference.grail-watch.com/movement/zenith-680/ It's a bit light on detail but looks like a fairly interesting site others may find useful so thought I'd share.
The Oysterquartz even though it’s a Rolex - only a WIS chooses a Genta flavoured Rolex that ticks over a more instantly recognisable model. A 1016 might also imply more than a passing interest, among many others.
Certain 60s Seikos, Seiko branded GS (most likely picked up before they started advertising heavily and building boutiques) and even better, vintage GS - these watches were clearly sought out, and not just bought in the high street or for the brand. For the same reason, Habring2.
Jeager or Zenith
No one notices my IWC MkXII on a mesh but me, and I like it that way.
I can't agree with the Rolex simply because it's the most well known watch brand globally but you've nailed everything else.
Only a WIS would be aware of Habring2 so that get's my vote.
I’d notice it. Would love to see a picture or two of it. I’m hoping to acquire a MkXV in the next week.
Can’t argue with that, but I doubt anyone buying one for the brand would choose a discontinued quartz with an unusual bracelet - they wouldn’t have heard of it, wouldn’t know about or be interested in the movement, would think that a Rolex that ticked once a second was fake, and would choose one their mates would recognise. It would at least make me suspect the owner might know their onions!
I enjoy my Sinn. No one outside of those with a fair degree of knowledge have hear of the brand or their history. 20 years ago I may have put Tudor in the bracket too - save the obvious resemblance some of the models had to their Rolex cousin.
Damasko are definitely a manufacturer I would put in the same bracket as Sinn.
Two of my favourite Sinn. Also love my 556a.
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Fair point and I got what you meant. I'd add the 36mm Explorer as another Rolex that is more likely to be owned by a WIS than a non WIS (although I'm sure there are loads of non WIS who bought them brand new who are still wearing them).
Come to think of it, F300 electronics surely qualify, the owner would at have to be interested enough to read about the history of long lost movements. For some reason you don’t hear much about them currently. A couple I’ve owned in the past:
https://www.dornblueth.com/images/wa...0102-gr-ST.png
Dornbluth Quintus 2010 Auf & Ab- unique Maltese cross spring movement for linear torque, only 38.5mm
Last edited by procrustes; 20th June 2020 at 14:00.
Thanks for your kind words - did you ever get a #watchnerd pin, by the way? I can't seem to find you on the #teamwatchnerd list...
I think people are missing the point. Being into watches is about being into watches. Of any kind. You can be a Swatch enthusiast, Breguet pocket watch collector or even a Daniel Wellington curator*, it's a broad church. There's an increasingly low barrier to entry and social media proves how marketable a teeny bit of knowledge is (just look at the highest, non-branded accounts on IG. There won't be a "WIS" among them, I can promise you). As anyone who has been to a Time4APint GTG will know, there's something to be learnt from almost every watch collector / enthusiast / attendee.
Marking oneself out as a member of the cognoscenti, one of the #watcherati or as a HODINKEEnista doesn't make you special.
Wear what you like.
*probably
I'd love to be able to take a picture of it! But there's none on my computer and it's locked-down at my work-home, while I'm at home-home, if you get what I mean. Good luck with the MkXV--an equally handsome watch.
I'd say so too, but "under the radar"?
Anybody who knows watches would spot one easily, know l would, but they're not as easily identified as a rolex as those with the cyclops - which a surprising amount of people can spot from the other end of a crowded bar.
For a start the Explorer does not have a cyclops and they are well under the radar. Two years ago I was in San Marco in Venice gawping at several Rolex up for sale in one of the jewellers on the square. There was 4 Americans flashing their Datejusts and comparing each others watches or their wrists as well as talking about the watches in the shop window. I was also taking part in the conversation for about 5 minutes and not one of them noticed my Explorer11 1655 and that has a cyclops on Plexiglass. It is a 4 series and very restrained in appearance compared to the modern models.
Not all Rolex scream Rolex but the WIS factor is still there.
Even if somebody wore the ubiquitous datejust, it might be a boiler gauge dial datejust, then I would think he’s a WIS. So for me model can matter as much as brand.
Accutron?
A 40-50 year old watch with abandoned technology is pretty niche
I always like Nomos watches, and I think they are under the radar.
VCMs, modded Seikos, Steinhart, micros..
Vintage japanese chronographs or vintage watches in great condition.
JDM watches in general.
Limited Gshocks or top tier Gshock models.
Last edited by sinner77; 20th June 2020 at 19:01.
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