Reply With QuoteNice to see you back Brekky!
From about 2004 to 2008 I was a fairly active member of these forums, and pretty heavily involved in collecting, drooling over, studying, and generally obsessing about watches. Then I drifted away from having an active interest in in the hobby and stopped visiting here. A few things have happened to me since then (got married, had two kids, moved out of London, changed jobs three times, became senile, etc). Now I've found that I'm getting interested again, so here I am, welcoming myself back. Big shout out to any survivors from the old days!
I'm planning to use this thread to post randomly about what I experience dipping my toe back into the waters of WIS-dom. And hopefully seek answers to some of my burning questions, as someone who knows little about what has happened in watches in the last 1.5 decades. Though I have noticed that new and second hand prices have gone fairly mental.
Nice to see you back Brekky!
Cheers,
Neil.
So one thing that happened since I stopped buying watches (the last one I got was in 2008) is that I wore all of my regular daily users until the straps wore out. When that happened to one of them it'd go into the drawer, never to emerge again except for an occasional winding. Eventually the only watches I had left that I could put on my wrist were 'special occasion' dressy ones, and a couple I didn't really want to wear. So I pretty much stopped wearing a watch on a daily basis. Shocking.
Now that interest has rekindled, and given finances are not as free and easy as they used to be (did I mention two kids...) my first priority is get my old favourites strapped up and back on the wrist.
So far I have got one done, my 756, seen here on a brand new DuoPerve strap:
I've also got a midnight blue ostrich strap on order for this:
Those two are on my short list of watches that I never want to part with.
Last edited by Fullbreakfast; 22nd September 2023 at 14:21.
Thanks Neil! A name I remember well from back in the day. Hope all's well with you.Originally Posted by Neil.C
Last edited by Fullbreakfast; 22nd September 2023 at 16:30.
Two that still need sorting, and I haven't decided what to get for them yet:
Aerowatch chrono:
Seiko SCBS001:
Thinking I might get something colourful for the Seiko.
Welcome back. Some serious watches for someone who had supposedly left the hobby behind! Really like the simple but somehow unique look of the Seiko. I'm not really a colourful straps kind of guy, so my relatively conservative suggestion would be maybe something blue but lighter than the midnight blue on the Dornbluth? Or if you're feeling a bit more adventurous maybe red? Give it the colours of the Japanese flag in an inverted setting (red on the outside, white circle in the middle).
Last edited by 50kopek; 22nd September 2023 at 15:49.
Welcome back, patrician choice of chronograph!... So far I have got one done, my 756, seen here on a brand new DuoPerve strap:
... Those two are on my short list of watches that I never want to part with.
I suspect the chief unpleasant surprise awaiting you will be the absurd prices of many quite mundane watches! A lot has changed in 15 years, and little of it for the better...
Thanks - I like these suggestions, especially the inverted Japanese flag. If I am actually brave enough to wear a red strap! Never had one before, just the usual blacks and browns, but my wife is encouraging me to be more colourful. Possibly because she wants to borrow some of these watches for herself...this is my dire suspicion.
Thanks very much. I do love that 756 (Series 1, made with the Damasko ice-hardened steel before they fell out with Sinn - yes, I am that much of a nerd).
Yes, the prices for anything like a prestige brand, and some that really aren't, have caused me a certain amount of shock. I shan't be acquiring anything of that nature in the foreseeable, unless I enjoy some financial good fortune. I have noticed though that there has been a real proliferation of micro-brands too, and some of those have relatively sane pricing and interesting design. Just started exploring this, but I'm thinking of stuff like Direnzo, Unimatic, Autodromo, etc.
Last edited by Fullbreakfast; 22nd September 2023 at 16:31.
So you haven't been here since 2008 well all I can say changes are going to be eye watering. Have fun with the earth shattering sums it costs for a watch these days you may want to go back to 2008.
I do like the Sinn very nice BTW and welcome back.
Welcome back. For the Aerowatch could I suggest a RIOS1931 Blizzard or Typhoon strap? These IWC style straps will suit perfectly - I have a very similar Tutima and think this is the perfect strap.
Welcome back. And if you find watch prices are significantly greater than 15 years ago, (which you will), just wait till you need a service from any of the main 'players'!
Best Regards - Peter
I'd hate to be with you when you're on your own.
Nice to see you back!.
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
Stick a moss-green sharkskin on that Seiko. Sorted.
Yes a time machine would be handy.
Thanks! I took the Sinn for a walk in the woods on its new strap yesterday.
Thanks, those do look quite smart.
I was actually toying with putting a grey strap on that one, probably a bad idea though.
Thanks very much.
I do have an Omega that needs fixing. But prior experience with them was making me think an independent repairer might be the way to go anyway.
Thanks! It's good to see some other old-timers still around.
Last edited by Fullbreakfast; 25th September 2023 at 15:58.
I ordered a red one already...but if it doesn't work out, that's not a bad shout, thanks.
Oh dear. I thought there was no harm in having a look at some micro-brand web sites. What's the worst that could happen? If I did get tempted I could probably stretch to a Ł300 watch at some point.
Then I found the Farer web site and now I'm obsessed with their watches, want to buy four of them, and they don't cost Ł300.
Bugger.
The second strap has landed:
Jury still out, but I think I like it.
Third strap (OK, bracelet) is here.
Welcome back - one you have the bug it never really goes.
Thanks!
Yes, I think it's a bit like being a recovering alcoholic. You're never really out of danger, one slip and you're in it up to your neck again.
As I wait, fairly impatiently, for The Strap Tailor to finish a new strap for it, I made a couple of attempts to get close-ups of the Dornblüth's movement.
Found a couple of things I'd forgotten I still have whilst rummaging through drawers.
The first vaguely grown up watch I ever owned, a Tissot quartz that I must have bought as a young man in the early 90s:
Feel vaguely nostalgic about that one.
Cheapo **** Maritime flieger:
It must have sat in that box unwound for about 15 years. Still seems to run fine though.
I recall trying to flog it on SC back in the day, but there were no takers. Not surprising really. There's nothing wrong with it but it is pretty generic. The "robot face" at 12 may or may not add to its attractions!
Last edited by Fullbreakfast; 23rd October 2023 at 11:06.
New strap has landed, finally.
Before:
After:
The midnight blue looks almost black except under strong light, but I'm OK with that.
Last edited by Fullbreakfast; 25th October 2023 at 17:30.
The more I look at the current market, the more polarised things seem. With micro brands and Chinese labels like Sugess, mechanical watches have never been more accessible. But mechanical watches from recognised "prestige" brands have never been less accessible.
The greed of the established players is leaving a huge amount of open water for new entrants, I guess. This is not necessarily a bad thing, unless you have to have watch with a big name on it.
Disappointing realisation: the Dornblüth is too big for me. I can't wear it comfortably. It's the lug-to-lug that's the problem, I measure it at about 52mm, and it overhangs my smallish wrist.
This is odd because I wore it almost every day for several years after I got it in the early 2000s, and I don't recall having much of a problem. I was fatter then than I am now, so perhaps my wrist was a bit thicker. Or maybe the fact that in those days I had a hangover most of the time meant I was oblivious to minor discomforts.
So having said on this very thread that I didn't ever want to part with it, I think I am going to send it back to Kalbe for a service and then sell it. I might get a mid-size Dornblüth to replace it (these models didn't exist in 2004 or I might have got one to begin with).
Last edited by Fullbreakfast; 31st October 2023 at 12:43.
I have the 40mm 99.1M, and I have a 6.75 inch wrist and find 40mm Subs and Exp II a good fit
Before I ordered, Dornbluth sent me a case on a strap so I could judge the size, as well as some ceramic and engraved silver dial options.
Post #34 on this thread
https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...h-dial-options
I was inspired to ask by this, post #31
https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...rnbluth-99-1-M
Dave
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks Dave, that's very helpful. I would certainly use that service before getting a smaller one.
The fly in the ointment is that, with prices going the way they have and my watch being quite old, I should think I'll have to find quite a lot of extra money to replace it with a new one.
Simon
I just noted from the other thread that you said the lug-to-lug on the 40mm diameter case is 50mm. Still probably on the big side for me now. Damn.
There are the Quintus series or the old 04.0 but Quintus is pricier and the 04.0 probably hard to find.
I measure my 04.0 to about 47.5mm
Thanks - wasn’t aware of the 0.40 - but with only 50 made in steel, unlikely to find one now I think.
The Quintus I don’t like, based on the dial shown on their web site.
However, there does seem to be something called the Q-2010.1 Klassik that looks like it might fit the bill at 38.5mm. I guess actually a variant of the Quintus.
Last edited by Fullbreakfast; 1st November 2023 at 12:15.
I've gone right down a Seiko Presage rabbit hole now. It really is a world unto itself.
Maybe I'll move on the Dörnbluth and buy a bunch of cheap Seikos instead...though I feel that regret would follow at some point.
Prepare to have deep pockets these days.....welcome back.
Thanks. My pockets are sadly none too deep at present!
Put this bloody thing on a new rubber strap:
It was too heavy on bracelet at 170g. Now it's not - but still too chunky for me these days, it turns out. Just don't feel comfortable wearing it.
Last edited by Fullbreakfast; 21st November 2023 at 17:00.
(Catching up here...)
Do NOT, repeat NOT, sell the Dörnbluth. Even if you think it's too large for you, I am certain you'll regret selling it.
As an aside, don't sell that Seiko SCBS001 either. I reckon you would not get a good price for it in today's market and it's pretty much irreplaceable. Definitely (imho) a keeper.
Btw, I found your incoming thread for it: https://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.p...-many-pictures
You know, I have been having second thoughts about the idea. I would miss it I think. And buying a smaller one to replace it would be expensive and not feasible at present.
Perhaps the answer is a gym regime designed to thicken my wrist up...
I still enjoy wearing it, and plan to keep it. As you say, if I did part with it there'd be small chance of changing my mind later.
Who'd have thought those snaps on Photobucket still existed! I thought they would have flushed them long ago.
Last edited by Fullbreakfast; 27th November 2023 at 15:22.
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