Is that still related to your other thread? /boom tish, all the best though.Originally Posted by swanbourne
I think you might be right about the sub dial, does it need to be blown up to eat into the 7 & 5 like on the Omega? Would give it more presence. Is it even possible with the new movements?
Love the hands though!
Will the sub dial be plain, or have any turning texture to it?
Really excited for this one.
Last edited by Nastadon; 1st September 2023 at 21:29.
Smiths Astral Diver.
Such a cool watch and the timing seems right with Seiko and Tudor releasing smaller dive watches.
Last edited by Rocket Man; 2nd September 2023 at 10:01.
I have one of these and despite making good money these days, it really isn't a good watch.Smiths Astral Diver.
Such a cool watch and the timing seems right with Seiko and Tudor releasing smaller dive watches.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Interesting, why isn't it a good watch? The case looks similar to the 62MAS.
Although I have read that the original 62MAS wasn't a very good watch either!
Last edited by Rocket Man; 3rd September 2023 at 12:29.
Built to look like that but with your specs it would be Eddie.
The hands never look right to me, far too small and skinny.
Vacheron 222, no doubt!
This would be nice:
but at 38 or 39mm.
Knowing Omega they probably trademarked "pie pan", so it might have to be the Smiths flan platter.
Probably too close to the PRS-54 to fit into the current Timefactors lineup, anyway.
...or one of these:
but 36mm.
The movement is pretty decent/standard SmithS fare but so many period budget divers used this case, the operative word being 'budget'. For me as a pretty avid SmithS collector I have felt for many years that I can't justify the price that these fetch, given the quality of the case. They do have many fans though for sure. It would be interesting to see an aesthetically faithful 'Eddie' version with improvements. Mind you with the recent return of the PRS82 is another diver needed in the line up??
Did the movements for this one come in? Is there an expected date set for it?I've had this on the drawing board for almost a year.
Eddie
The case backs are currently being manufactured to include the NATO Stock Numbers I got for them. Here's an updated render, there's also an oliver strap in the same design.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Oh boy, those look great.
These look absolutely superb!
I've been looking forward to seeing what new developments might be next, and this looks a cracker.
Great news, looking forward to this one. Love both designs but leaning towards the cream with the blued hands. Thanks for the update!The case backs are currently being manufactured to include the NATO Stock Numbers I got for them. Here's an updated render, there's also an oliver strap in the same design.
Eddie
Sent from my SM-G991U1 using Tapatalk
...or one of these:
but 36mm.
Due in September.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Good to see you back posting boss,
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Looks beautiful as well! New version of the old Richmond Spencer?
Due in September.
Eddie
Sent from my SM-G991U1 using Tapatalk
Totally agree the Navitimer would make an interesting hommage.
Another option would be the UN Marine Torpilleur - the old Sewills version made a good stab at Marine Chronometer with a super dial, but at 38mm (same size as UN's own iteration from the 90s, which I owned a long time ago), it was a bit of a tiddler. Today's UN version is a much more contemporary 42mm:
I have the 44mm Marine Torpilleur Military, a bit more presence/heft again at 44mm ... took me a long time to decide with/without power reserve as the dial is a lot more open/uncluttered without it and also without date, but more in UN tradition with I guess with both present. Ideally I'd own both watches. I love the huge subseconds on these designs.
I really do love these, would like to see a well built reissueSmiths Astral Diver.
Such a cool watch and the timing seems right with Seiko and Tudor releasing smaller dive watches.
Sent from my SM-A217F using Tapatalk
Would love to see a good homage to this :
Thinking more about this, while the Torpilleur is certainly a strong candidate, the watch I'd most like to see hommaged is this one - the Heuer Bundeswehr. No date and full 43mm size - it just wouldn't work smaller than that.
Sinn did their own issued version of the Bundeswehr spec back in the day, and have reissued versions of it 'right' a couple of times (as in the Dark Star special edition from a few years ago), though mostly they've got it wrong with too many subdials in the wrong orientation, or coloured hands, or a date that unbalances everything. The simplicity of the original design wins out.
A cheapo version was made using a Chinese handwound movement a few years ago (the watch looks the part but isn't terribly well made or reliable) but I'd love to see this properly done with the two subdial Sellita movement (auto by preference, for convenience, though handwound is of course more original).
A close relative in design concept is the Zenith Chronometro Tipo CP2 (a generally faithful reissue of Zenith's Cairelli 1960s watch for the Italian airforce), which is more svelte and somehow smaller on the wrist than the Heuer/Sinn watches (despite its similar measured 43mm diameter) ... in may ways it's absolutely the perfect watch.
The smaller bezel gives a lovely sense of openness to the dial, and it's very slim thanks to the El Primero movement which adds to the sense of delicacy - Zenith's re-make is far less tool-watch than Heuer or Sinn's take, more dress-watch-with-toolwatch-design-cues, with its thin, polished case as opposed to brushed/blasted on the Heuer or Sinn. Wouldn't look right at all on a bund strap.
A quality homage based on either would work for me ...
Last edited by kk; 17th April 2024 at 12:38.
I agree, it's a great looking skin diver, a well built modern reissue would be fantastic.....
The good people at Sinn heard you, introducing the Sinn 155S Bright Star LE. From the looks of it, they have addressed all the issues you mentioned.Thinking more about this, while the Torpilleur is certainly a strong candidate, the watch I'd most like to see hommaged is this one - the Heuer Bundeswehr. No date and full 43mm size - it just wouldn't work smaller than that.
Sinn did their own issued version of the Bundeswehr spec back in the day, and have reissued versions of it 'right' a couple of times (as in the Dark Star special edition from a few years ago), though mostly they've got it wrong with too many subdials in the wrong orientation, or coloured hands, or a date that unbalances everything. The simplicity of the original design wins out.
A cheapo version was made using a Chinese handwound movement a few years ago (the watch looks the part but isn't terribly well made or reliable) but I'd love to see this properly done with the two subdial Sellita movement (auto by preference, for convenience, though handwound is of course more original).
A close relative in design concept is the Zenith Chronometro Tipo CP2 (a generally faithful reissue of Zenith's Cairelli 1960s watch for the Italian airforce), which is more svelte and somehow smaller on the wrist than the Heuer/Sinn watches (despite its similar measured 43mm diameter) ... in may ways it's absolutely the perfect watch.
The smaller bezel gives a lovely sense of openness to the dial, and it's very slim thanks to the El Primero movement which adds to the sense of delicacy - Zenith's re-make is far less tool-watch than Heuer or Sinn's take, more dress-watch-with-toolwatch-design-cues, with its thin, polished case as opposed to brushed/blasted on the Heuer or Sinn. Wouldn't look right at all on a bund strap.
A quality homage based on either would work for me ...
The good people at Sinn heard you, introducing the Sinn 155S Bright Star LE. From the looks of it, they have addressed all the issues you mentioned.
Just checked it out. Was completely unaware. Thanks for letting me know.
I am looking forward to WWW, I would love to see a larger sub dial and slightly bigger numbers like the Grana Dirty D
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
I would love it if it could be an auto and with wind down crown too for practicality reasons but understand that this is not true to the originals and I have I expect there are design and production constraints.
Sent from my iPhone using TZ-UK mobile app
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
