I am wearing my X-33 a lot and have decided that while I could get a nice ana-digi G Shock that “does more” for somewhat less, I just like the pushers on the Omega a lot. Very solid, and satisfyingly clicky. Such details matter.
Plus I like the “nub” on the case at 9 o’clock, which makes it easier to press in the crown, which is a thing with this model.
I decided from this reverie, that much of watch obsession is trying to find something where all the details are satisfying. A fruitless endeavour, akin to the fictitious Frenhofer in Balzac's The Unknown Masterpiece. The artist so obsessed with perfection he spends 10 years in solitude creating the “perfect” portrait. When he finally finishes it, the painting is a disappointment. His continuous repainting had completely obscured the original brilliance.
It doesn’t end well. Solitude and obsession and the pursuit of ideals often doesn’t.
There is perhaps some parallel here with our search for the one perfect watch. Perhaps it is better to enjoy the imperfect ones, but with their pleasing details…?
Another one, not expensive, which I like. The humble original Seiko Monster.
What I like about this is the crown. Specifically, that the designer made one that echoed the scallops of the bezel. There are watches at 50 times the cost of this that have a generic crown. Somehow, someone at Seiko managed to get this one commissioned, and just for the cheapo Monster. We are indebted. More of this quiet flare Seiko, if possible.
A final one, and another Omega. Yes, the Speedmaster:
Here the pleasing detail is the text. Initially the balance of weight between it and the three sundials is most obvious. But then you notice the lines of the imaginary triangle containing the text meet the pinions of the 3 and 9 o’clock dials. It’s perfect. More impressive given the mix of fonts. It defies the rules and ought to be a terrible mess (and we all know chronos where the dial is exactly that) but isn’t. Details matter.
To circle back to Balzac, there was a limited edition (350 copies) of The Unknown Masterpiece illustrated by Picasso and released in 1931. There are copies in MoMa, Harvard Art Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago, among other places.
Picasso had read the story, of course, and although later he was dismissive of his illustrations, he may have been deeply influenced by the story of the madness of pursuing perfection in art. At the beginning of the tale, Frenhofer is introduced as working in a house believed to be 7 Rue des Grands-Augustinis in Paris. This very house was later leased by Picasso, from where he produced the anti-war masterpiece Guernica…
Picasso at work alone, on perhaps his most well known masterpiece, at the location of The Unknown Masterpiece.
Details matter.
Any other watches you like with pleasing details (details only!) I'd be interested to learn about.
TT