Reply With QuoteComprehensive! The Sinn ezm3 is a stand-out for me
I knew I hadn’t done a SOTC for a while, but when I looked I realised it wasn’t since early 2018, so I had 3 years of watches to update in the SOTC.
(If you want to catch up, that SOTC is here - https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...e-most-in-2017)
Many have been added since then and a few (but far less) have departed.
First off, here are the watches that were here in 2018, but have since left.
The Poseidon diver really wasn’t to my taste and went very quickly.
The original owner of the ‘destruction test’ Amphibia got in touch and purchased it back. I wore it for a few days on a trip to St Petersburg (which seemed appropriate), but I hate the cheap feels of Amphibias and, while that one had a ‘story’, I wasn’t going to wear it.
I didn’t ever really click with the Bulova Moonwatch either, perhaps feeling it was just too big on reflection and that went too.
I’ll present the new arrivals in the order they arrived.
2018
Grupo Gamma C-01R
I couldn’t even remember this watch until I searched on SC.
I sold it in 10 Days as I didn’t like the fake aged lume on it.
Schaffen S65 'Matterhorn'
Another Kickstarter project watch, but the IWC Ingenieur style of the watch exactly fitted my requirements for a dressier sports watch to wear with a suit and the Sellita movement promised (I thought) good performance.
When it arrived I was very pleased with the look and finish of the watch, it ran well and it was a watch I wore a lot whether with a suit (rarely) or jeans.
However one day about a year later I noticed it had stopped dead while I was wearing it - Worse, the crown was clearly jammed.
In 2020, thinking Schaffen had gone out of business - I took the back off and a screw fell out! Remarkably the watch immediately started running at this point! Sadly, while it runs now it gains 3 minutes a day, so it clearly still needs some attention.
Helson Sharkmaster 600
I really like the look of the Omega Ploprof, especially the vintage ones, but not enough to spend £1,000s on a real one, so when I saw that Helson were producing another batch of their ‘affordable’ homage with an ETA 2824 movement, I placed an order.
As some may remember, this version suffered from appalling WR due to some issues with the seals. I had mine tested professionally and it passed a 100M WR test, so I’ve never had the replacement parts Helson sent fitted (They did accept watches back for the changes, but as mine was waterproof, it seemed an expensive exercise - They sent a nice watch roll as compensation for the issue as well as the replacement parts).
I really like the watch - Some will say it’s a blatant copy, but it’s a copy of the early model no longer made, so I don’t have any qualms about wearing it. That said, it’s not a watch you can easily wear every day.
2019
Precista PRS45 Aerotimer
I really liked Eddie’s PRS45 design through its development and decided I would have one.
When they were released I wasn’t in a position to buy one, but when I spotted this one on SC with a serial number that matched that of my Voyager I snapped it up.
A great homage to a totally unobtainable watch and a great ‘grab-and-go’ watch, although as with so many of my quartz watches that means I don’t often wear it, preferring to give my mechanical watches ‘a run’.
Laco Aachen Flieger Typ B
I’d quite fancied a Flieger for a long time, but it was spotting a photo of someone elses on the forum that triggered my purchase of my first Laco Aachen.
Even before I bought this I had in mind that it would look good on a leather NATO (in fact the strap was here before the watch!) - With my ageing eyesight, I actually find the big clear dial brilliant and I loved the look of the Aachen.
Some are a bit sniffy about this model, decrying its modern automatic movement, but I’m not purist about the Flieger (oddly few ‘purists’ who dislike this watch are prepared to wear a proper sized Flieger!) and I like the fact that it comes from a brand that made the original watches.
As you’ll see, I really liked this watch.
Sinn EZM-3
One day, I was walking down my local high street when I noticed that a small independent jewellers there had a selection of interesting looking watches in the window.
On closer examination I realised they were used and one was a Sinn EZM-3 at a fair price.
I went in and had a look at the watch and a chat with the proprietor and found out he was selling it for someone.
It was a very nice looking example of the watch, showing virtually no sign of wear, so I made an offer and he said he’d have to check with the owner.
A few days later he called me back with a counter offer and I went in and bought it.
An email to Sinn revealed the watch dated from 2006 and the watch has proven to be reliable and been worn fairly frequently, completing my Sinn trinity.
The next couple of watches were cheap bargains.
First I bought a couple of Titanium Loruses for £25 each. Initially I bought a black one which was sold some time later in aid of the SC fundraiser, as I’d meant to order the blue one watch I still have, but have never, ever worn.
I then bought a Skagen Hagen Smartwatch, which has the look a conventional Skagen watch (a look I like), but combines that with some basic smartwatch functionality - I wore it for a few days to try it out, but a smartwatch is contrary to my liking for mechanical watches and so it has languished in the box until now.
Sternglas Topograph
I rounded out 2019 by buying a Sternglas Topograph.
I’d admired the styling of these watches and have enjoyed owning it, although I wouldn’t say, after an initial flush of enthusiasm, it’s had a lot of wrist time.
And so to 2020, what can be said that hasn’t already been said about 2020?
Well, it caused me to buy far too many watches, mostly cheaper ones, but still watches in many cases I would probably not have bought after allowing more time to pass - It, for me, has been a year of impulse buys, some of which I feel better about than others.
Before Lockdown 1 began I purchased a Citizen Promaster Aqualand AL0000-04E from SC.
I planned to take this with me on a trip to Cyprus to dive on the Zenobia wreck, but Covid chaos put paid to that plan and, after deciding this is really too nice an example to dive in, I’ve had it on sale on SC for a few months with no takers.
I guess I should try it on eBay sometime as I suspect it’ll never be worn now.
Delvina Super Compressor
Next I succumbed to this Delvina Super Compressor on SC.
The back is very polished to the point that the engraving is almost, but not quite, impossible to see.
I like the Compressor style watches and this is a rarity being a true Super Compressor.
I bought the strap specifically for it and I think it looks great, but I’m not sure whether this is a keeper yet.
Longines Ultronic (Blue dial)
I had a beautiful silver dialed Ultronic some years ago - It was the nicest Hummer I’ve seen online or in person, but I was persuaded to sell it.
It remains the only watch I regret selling as it was, for me, the perfect suit watch, sliding easily under a shirt sleeve, being pretty subtle, always correct time being battery powered and a lovely example.
When I saw this blue dialed example I bought it. It’s not as nice an example as the one I had before, but it’s pretty good and I enjoy wearing it when I do, or even just looking at it in the box!
The only downside, which I knew when I bought it, is that the calendar wheel doesn’t work properly - They’re plastic and this is a common issue - Apparently you can get metal replacements, but I’ve not tried to get it replaced as yet, partly as the previous owner said he’d spent money trying to get it fixed in the past, without success.
Heimdallr 6105-8110 - ‘Willard’
One of the many recent Chinese Seiko clones, this was one of the first I saw and I bought it, but more to see what the quality was like as I’d never really been that enthusiastic about the case style, but it turned out to be very nicely made for a £130 watch, with a sapphire crystal, ceramic bezel and keeping good time.
However, this was sold in November 2020 as I never warmed to the case shape.
Pagani Design ‘Daytona’
This was an odd purchase for me and, much like the Heimdallr before it, falls into the category of Covid-fever purchase.
I don’t really like the styling of the Rolex Daytona, but this colour was the least unappealing and the idea of a Mechaquartz Seiko chronograph for around £50 was too tempting for me to resist in the midst of lockdown eBay trawling.
I didn’t like the bracelet (not unexpectedly), so put it on a cheap leather ‘alligator’ strap and prefer it. To be honest, I don’t dislike the watch, for a quartz watch costing £50 or so, it’s pretty decent, but I don’t really have much need for such a watch.
I guess I feel a bit uncomfortable with the Rolex lookalike aspect of it, too.
I don’t really like Rolex designs (on the whole) or the brand image, so the idea of someone thinking I bought a watch because it looks like a Rolex isn’t one that I feel happy about.
Steeldive 1968 'Marine Master'
This one was more of a conscious decision.
Being another NH35 powered Chinese ‘Seiko-lookalike’ it wasn’t expensive, but what appealed was the general look and the monobloc design, where the movement (as on my Helson) goes in the front.
I do like the MM300 look, but I don’t think it’s worth the money Seiko charge for such a watch - For £150 or so, though, I feel it’s good value and, like my Heimdallr and other Steeldive, it’s been scuba tested by me and performed its role perfectly.
It’s the least accurate NH35 powered watch I have, though, delivering a disappointing +10s/d!
Laco Flieger Typ B Blau
I really liked my Aachen, but I was repeatedly tempted by the looks of the blue dial version.
Not traditional in any sense, I still wanted one and found a good deal from the same French seller I’d bought the other Aachen from.
It came on a rather incongruous light grey NATO, so I quickly swapped it onto this nice carbon style blue strap that I’d originally bought for my Sinn Arktis, but not used with that for very long as I prefer it on the bracelet.
Definitely not one for the Flieger purist, but as an attractive, practical watch, I love it.
Since it’s arrived I haven’t worn the original Aachen at all, so I should probably think of moving that one along.
Steeldive 'Tuna' Green
Having been pleased with the Steeldive MM300 clone and Aliexpress service, I decided I’d try a ‘Tuna’ clone having been intrigued, but never totally convinced, by the look of them in the past.
I bought this one in green, just for a change (it was definitely the colour of the year in 2020, there were green watches everywhere!) and have to say it is the nicest of the Chinese ‘Seiko Clones’ that I’ve had.
The crown and bezel movement are more precise than either the MM300 or the 6105 Heimdallr, but I’m sure that’s just the luck of the draw, rather than any design difference and, to be fair, none was bad for a watch of the prices they sell for.
This came on a rather nice bracelet too, but although it always felt very secure in that form, when I swapped it to a NATO to dive in, one of the spring bars wouldn’t stay in place. I suspect the holes for the spring bar on the lug was the problem and I ended up buying some extra fat spring bars to fit the rubber ladder strap it now wears.
Helm Vanuatu
One thing I’ve done in 2020 is to follow a number of YouTube watch review channels and all of them universally praised Helm’s as ‘the best watch under $300’ (or something similar).
I managed to snag a Vanuatu (two in fact, but I released one after ordering at their request as I’d only ordered both as I was unsure as to which colour date wheel to go for) in one of their irregular releases at my first attempt and added a silver bezel to try both looks (the bezels are designed to easily swap over).
If you have a Steeldive and wonder why you’d pay two or three times as much for a watch with the same movement, you need to take a look at a Helm.
Yes, the movement is the same, but the overall fit and finish is really not far off that of my Sinns, rather than the Steeldives. Yes, it’s a law of diminishing returns, but the Helm feels better value at £250 than a Steeldive does at half the price.
If I’d paid £500 for the Vanuatu, I would still consider it good value - It’s a great watch.
Komanderski 030935 (24 Hour Blue) & Komanderski 650539 GMT
I’ve had a couple of Amphibias in the past and, frankly, hated them for their cheap construction, but I spotted the 030935 on a forum somewhere and thought it looked great.
For £81 from Komanderskie.com, it seemed worth a punt and, frankly, I think it’s the best value watch I’ve bought this year.
It features the same wobbly crown and unique diver case design as the Amphibias, but the overall finish is light years ahead of those I’ve had before. The dial is a delight, worthy of a £300 watch at least, I’d say, and with a bit of regulating, I got it running to +4s/d on my timegrapher.
Even the bracelet feels a decent quality.
I was so impressed, in fact, that a few weeks later I bought another Komanderski from the same seller, a 650539 GMT model with a small second dial. It was just £45 and while the bracelet was junk, the rest of the watch is great for the money (or, indeed, many times it!).
Even more remarkably, when I put it on my timegrapher to see what I needed to do to it, it recorded a consistent 0s/d error!
From being one who generally disregarded Russian watches, while grudgingly admitting to their ingenious engineering, I’m now a fan of these Komanderskies, at least.
Signum Cuda Abalone & Signum Cuda Black Pearl
Those pesky YouTube reviewers, notably Jody at Just One More Watch, were the cause of me buying not one, but two, more NH35 microbrand divers in October.
I had planned to try and buy another Helm (a Khuraburi), but when I saw the Signum Cuda reviewed I decided to buy one instead (or, at least, first).
In the end, though, I couldn’t decide between a Dark Pearl dial and the Abalone shell dial, so I ended up with both!
I have to say, I think the Helm is a little better for the same money, but the Cudas are pretty good and, if you like the look, the dials are certainly unusual. Initially, I thought I’d prefer the Dark Pearl, but after wearing both for a few days, the Abalone is my favourite.
I love the way small amounts of light catch tiny pieces of the dial in low light, almost giving the impression of lume that moves around the dial, it’s unique in my experience and I really like the effect.
The build quality doesn’t feel quite up there with the Vanuatu, but it certainly feels good enough for the price and no-one can accuse it of being a shameless rip-off of anyone else’s design.
Which is not something you can say for the two watches I bought in the Aliexpress 11/11 sale.
Cadisen 'Cadisoak’
I’d looked at this NH35 powered AP Royal Oak ‘clomage’ for some time. I’d never buy the real thing, even if I had the money, but something kept drawing me back to this cheap lookalike and when I found one of the 42mm versions for a mere £47 in the sale, it seemed too good to pass up on (yes, lockdown 2 was just as bad for my spending as lockdown 1…).
It arrived pretty quickly (from the Czech Republic!) and, while no-one is ever going to think its an AP, it’s not a bad watch.
The NH35 movement means (as I’ve come to expect) very acceptable accuracy for a sub-£50 mechanical watch and, aside from a lot of sharp edges on the otherwise quite comfortable bracelet, it seems quite well finished.
I think some people get a bit over positive about the waffle dial - It’s probably the cheapest looking thing on the watch, but it’s not awful for the money and generally, I’ve found my Cadisoak to be quite a comfortable and practical wear! So maybe I would consider a Royal Oak if I won the Euromilions after all!
Pagani Design 007
The other watch I bought in the 11/11 Aliexpress sale was a Pagani Design 007 - a ‘clomage’ of the recent ‘No Time To Die’ Omega Seamaster.
All the reviews featured the model in the film, with fake aged lume, which I really don’t like, but otherwise the reviews were positive and I found that they made it in other colourways, including a ‘more honest’ looking black dial, white lumed version with a bezel with the first 15 minutes marked in orange.
I preferred the look of this one (I couldn’t immediately see the colourway in the Omega range, either, although I probably just missed it), so I ordered it from Spain, to avoid any VAT surprises.
Something strange happened as it was reported delivered (but not) and then dispatched again, from China, but it did finally appear.
I thought I’d like this more than the Cadisoak, but initial thoughts are it’s a bit disappointing.
The bezel feels flimsy, the date window looks a little too small and it looks a bit overly shiny, even though I bought it on a silicon strap, rather than a bracelet.
It keeps decent time, though, with it’s NH35 movement and the deployant clasp is a really nice design which puts mostly strap against your skin, rather than the metal of the clasp - If I can find some of these cheap I will probably buy a few.
Otherwise, all the watches I had in the 2018 SOTC (https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...e-most-in-2017) are still here.
Having sworn off Kickstarter projects earlier in the year, I’ve been tempted back by the review of a couple recently, although I’m unlikely to see those (if at all - one is still awaiting full funding) before the middle of 2021.
At the moment I’m thinking there are a good number of watches that I really never use and don’t really love, so I’m looking to slim my collection down - We’ll see how well I do at that!
M
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Comprehensive! The Sinn ezm3 is a stand-out for me
I’m a fan of the super compressor and longines. Thanks for a different take in your collecting and write up
Same as Rusty, the Sinn is the pick of the bunch for me, but a couple of brands I'd not heard of before there - thanks for sharing.
Nice little collection, with some more unusual pieces.
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