New watch

boogieman

I'm found my dad's old Seiko automatic the other day. It's a day/ date model from the late 60s/early 70s. It doesn't run at the moment though. Obviously it has sentimental value so I wouldn't sell it, but anyone know if it's worth the cost of getting it repaired?

ThorpyFX

Awesome watch, congrats. I have the green version.

underdog

Iamnobody;394623" said:

Since owning a mobile phone (for 16 years) I have always felt that wearing a time piece is completely unnecessary.

Seems the old wrist watch is still as popular as ever though?

Have to agree, the only time I needed a watch was when surfing on a day I had to be in work or somewhere at a certain time. As a result I've a couple of animal and a Nixon in kitchen cupboard I never ware.

RaymondLin

Iamnobody said:

Since owning a mobile phone (for 16 years) I have always felt that wearing a time piece is completely unnecessary.

Seems the old wrist watch is still as popular as ever though?

People don't really wear watches to tell time these days.

 

Watches are now either

 

1 - Sports accessory, heart rate monitoring, GPS for cycling

2 - Fashion accessory, people wear different style watches depending on the rest of the outfit.

3 - Showing off, the jewellery aspect of a watch.  It's men's version of diamond rings.  Think Rolex, Omega, IWC, Breitling etc.

 

A lot of watch enthuisast who are into Rolex and the whole Swiss watches brand will argue until the cow come home that Point 3 is also about the history of the brand (I think that's crap, because Seiko also has a LONG history, and they were the first inventor of the Quartz...don't see them wear a Seiko do you?  They also talk about the workmanship, again, that may be true but you can't see it or touch it.  At least with a car, you can hear the engine, feel the G-force when accesslerating etc.  It is more down to the the marketing of the swiss brands, how they portrait wearing their watches, just look at the ads.  How the men in it dressed really slick, how they are playing Golf or next to a expensive car.  They are selling a life style and it is much less about the time aspect, more about the image.  In truth, people buy these watches for the image.  I actually have nothing against that, it is their money, what I find baffling is they don't see it, they will argue to death that they bought it for the workmanship and history...and someone even pointed that Charity was a reason to buy a Rolex...yes...just because Rolex donates money to charity (here is a thought, if you care about so much about charity, then why not donate the £5k or so directly to them instead?)

Sometimes I wish people could just admit their vanity when it is so abundently clear, they are proud to wear it and show it off, not sure why they can't admit it.

 

/rant 

Me?  I have a swiss watch, to be precise, German brand, swiss movement.  It is a terrible piece of time keeping.  Compare to my Seiko Kinectic, which does not lose more than 5 seconds in 6 months of usage (it could be more but I have to change to day light saving every 6 months so I don't know for sure).  The Seinhart at the moment gets about 20 seconds fast per day (which is actually WITHIN spec).  It comes and goes, I've had it a year now, and 4 months ago it was keeping great time, about 3 seconds fast per day.  I got it because it looks cool and my Seiko was a bit battered.  I have no problem admitting I bought it as a fashion accessory and I do look at it to check time as it is easier to check the wrist for time than using the phone as you need to get it out of the pocket, wake the screen up and then put it back.

Fretwired

holnrew said:

Not as impressive as most people's WAS, but my first automatic. About £40, plenty good enough for day to day.

http://i.imgur.com/Pfi2C4q.jpg

I really like that that .. would suit me for everyday use have a wow .. :-)

Col_Decker

I bought a new watch a few weeks back too, it was a £20 digital from Argos. I will not sully this thread with its image.

Bogwhoppit

I always use my watch over my phone to check the time. I have Bulova Auto and find I can lift the watch to my eyes quicker than I can find the phone, hit the display button, open the case - squint at the small clock and then by the time I'm in position, the display goes off.

 

 

thermionic

I don't like people using their phones to tell the time. Such a faff where a glance at the wrist is subtle and classier. Soon I will be getting annoyed at people glancing at their wrists to see who's texted them. Can't win.

randomhandclaps

Fretwired said:

holnrew said:

Not as impressive as most people's WAS, but my first automatic. About £40, plenty good enough for day to day.

http://i.imgur.com/Pfi2C4q.jpg

I really like that that .. would suit me for everyday use have a wow .. :-)

Holn's wrist would suit you for everyday use?  I think you guys should take this to PM.

Neil

RaymondLin said:

Iamnobody said:

Since owning a mobile phone (for 16 years) I have always felt that wearing a time piece is completely unnecessary.

Seems the old wrist watch is still as popular as ever though?

People don't really wear watches to tell time these days.

 

Watches are now either

 

1 - Sports accessory, heart rate monitoring, GPS for cycling

2 - Fashion accessory, people wear different style watches depending on the rest of the outfit.

3 - Showing off, the jewellery aspect of a watch.  It's men's version of diamond rings.  Think Rolex, Omega, IWC, Breitling etc.

 

A lot of watch enthuisast who are into Rolex and the whole Swiss watches brand will argue until the cow come home that Point 3 is also about the history of the brand (I think that's crap, because Seiko also has a LONG history, and they were the first inventor of the Quartz...don't see them wear a Seiko do you?  They also talk about the workmanship, again, that may be true but you can't see it or touch it.  At least with a car, you can hear the engine, feel the G-force when accesslerating etc.  It is more down to the the marketing of the swiss brands, how they portrait wearing their watches, just look at the ads.  How the men in it dressed really slick, how they are playing Golf or next to a expensive car.  They are selling a life style and it is much less about the time aspect, more about the image.  In truth, people buy these watches for the image.  I actually have nothing against that, it is their money, what I find baffling is they don't see it, they will argue to death that they bought it for the workmanship and history...and someone even pointed that Charity was a reason to buy a Rolex...yes...just because Rolex donates money to charity (here is a thought, if you care about so much about charity, then why not donate the £5k or so directly to them instead?)

Sometimes I wish people could just admit their vanity when it is so abundently clear, they are proud to wear it and show it off, not sure why they can't admit it.

 

/rant 

Me?  I have a swiss watch, to be precise, German brand, swiss movement.  It is a terrible piece of time keeping.  Compare to my Seiko Kinectic, which does not lose more than 5 seconds in 6 months of usage (it could be more but I have to change to day light saving every 6 months so I don't know for sure).  The Seinhart at the moment gets about 20 seconds fast per day (which is actually WITHIN spec).  It comes and goes, I've had it a year now, and 4 months ago it was keeping great time, about 3 seconds fast per day.  I got it because it looks cool and my Seiko was a bit battered.  I have no problem admitting I bought it as a fashion accessory and I do look at it to check time as it is easier to check the wrist for time than using the phone as you need to get it out of the pocket, wake the screen up and then put it back.

Lot of tripe there but never mind.

People don't really wear watches to tell the time these days? 

There are at least a couple of watch threads on this very (guitar) forum. Plus you yourself stated it is easier to read the time from a watch than mess about with a phone. 

Also according to you if people don't wear a watch as a 1. heart monitor or 2. fashion accessory it is worn to show off? 

Ever thought that some people may appreciate the engineering aspect of a mechanical watch?

Personally I prefer vintage watches (rather like guitars) but have a few modern ones.

BTW a kinetic is just a quartz watch that has a rotor to charge the battery. A white elephant really as you may as well just have a straight quartz IMO. 

Also not every watch fancier just worships Rolex or similar. My particular interest is mechanical chronographs and unlike your assertions it is possible to appreciate both Rolex and Seiko. :P

 I have a few vintage Seiko's too.....(including their 6138/9's)

BTW OP as a mechanical watch you have done very well with a Seiko 5. 

not_the_dj

thermionic said:

I don't like people using their phones to tell the time. Such a faff where a glance at the wrist is subtle and classier. Soon I will be getting annoyed at people glancing at their wrists to see who's texted them. Can't win.

Have a LOL  )

JAYJO

Wheres  the Paddle of rebuke when you need it!!

imalone

Neil said:

Lot of tripe there but never mind.

People don't really wear watches these days? 

There are at least a couple of watch threads on this very (guitar) forum. 

Also according to you if people don't wear a watch as a 1. heart monitor or 2. fashion accessory it is worn to show off? 

Ever thought that some people may appreciate the engineering aspect of a mechanical watch?

Personally I prefer vintage watches (rather like guitars) but have a few modern ones.

BTW a kinetic is just a quartz watch that has a rotor to charge the battery. A white elephant really as you may as well just have a straight quartz IMO. 

I've had a kinetic for a decade now and still going strong. Keeps better time and keeps going longer off the wrist than a mechanical auto, no need to open up to change batteries (actually a high capacity capacitor in a kinetic), to me it's the best of both worlds. Previous one had to go into the shop due to some idiot walking into me, otherwise it would now be heading towards 14 years. I still find a watch more convenient than a phone for telling the time, easier to check it in meetings or in the street.

chillidoggy

Oi, Neil, you seen my new Rolex Yachtmaster 2, bro? No? I dun post a selfie of it for you, man. I love wearing it cos it piss off them uptight wankers at the Benefits when I'm picking up me Giro, see there faces, it's well funny! And you should see the looks I get from all the classy chav-birds. Mate, it's well cool! They can't help gawking at me bling when I'm having a pint or ten of Wife-Beater in the Mechanical Elephant. Fuck them battery watches, you is getting more gash with them Rolex, innit.

http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/chillidoggy/imagejpg1_zps2d51e040.jpg

rocktron

I bought this Casio Edifice EF-558SG-1AVEF bad boy, via eBay from Shenzhen, Mainland China, for £80. It was delivered a couple of days ago by Royal Mail, and there were no additional, hidden charges.

It is huge at 45mm (diameter of bezel - without crown).

I prefer watches over 40mm in diameter, with thin bezels, and this one has the glass almost edge-to-edge.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151429098058?_trksid=p2059210.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n219/rocktron1948/CasioEdificeEF-558SG-1AVPicture1_zps0e55defc.jpg 

 

I also have its black and silver brother, the EF-558D-1AVEF, which has been my “go to” watch for about a year now.

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n219/rocktron1948/CasioEdificeEF-558SG-1A-Copy_zps313578fc.jpg

RaymondLin

But a straight Quartz I need battery changing, the kinetic I had for 10 years without needing to change or service.

Like I said, people can spend their money how they like but I think they are lying to themselves by saying things like "appreciate the engineering" as a reason to throw down £5k on a watch. 

For that kind of money you are not buying a time piece that can tell time better than a £10 Casio, so what are you buying it for? A piece of engineering that can't beat a £10 Casio? I have a £80 seiko automatic too which a glass back as wells o if I want to admire it, I can. The novelty soon wears off though. Which comes down to brand, and showing off. That's what it comes down to. Which is fine but I've never seen anyone admitting to it.

Those who just buy a watch to tell time, they sure don't buy one that can be off by 20seconds a day.  If you put time as a reason, buy a Quartz.

RaymondLin

But a straight Quartz I need battery changing, the kinetic I had for 10 years without needing to change or service.

Like I said, people can spend their money how they like but I think they are lying to themselves by saying things like "appreciate the engineering" as a reason to throw down £5k on a watch. 

For that kind of money you are not buying a time piece that can tell time better than a £10 Casio, so what are you buying it for? A piece of engineering that can't beat a £10 Casio? I have a £80 seiko automatic too which a glass back as wells o if I want to admire it, I can. The novelty soon wears off though. Which comes down to brand, and showing off. That's what it comes down to. Which is fine but I've never seen anyone admitting to it.

Another point about these engineering, like you see some divers with a valve which allows it to go like 500m underwater etc.  Pointless, absolutely pointless.  Except in dinner parties for something to talk about.  You will never ever be able to test it even if you are a die hard scuba diver.  Why?

The world record for scuba dive is like 318m.  You would be dead before testing and finding out if these valves would work or if the watch can in fact go that deep.  

So what is the point of these engineering?  just to show that they can do it, and that the owner have something to talk about.  That is the truth of it.  They can test it in a lab in pressure chambers, but you will never be able to test it in the real world. 

Those who just buy a watch to tell time and value accuracy, they sure don't buy one that can be off by 20seconds a day.  If you put time as a reason, buy a Quartz.  That is the entire point of watches, that was the point of existence, they tell time.  The point was to find a way to tell time accurately.  But when Quartz watches was invented, and how Casio made them cheap (not Seiko's first ones, they were expensive), the swiss had to change their tactics as they were losing customers and money.  As before Quartz, mechanical watches was the only way to tell time so they pretty much had a monopoly of the entire market.  So they had to change their marketing strategy, they had to aim for the luxury side of the market, sell the watch not as a function but as an accessory.

If you buy a watch other than a reason to tell time then you have fallen for their marketing sales pitch.  

That's just my personal opinion of course. 

Handsome_Chris

@RaymondLin, you're inverted snobbery make me chuckle. Not laugh, mind you. Just Chuckle.

How do you think @Chillidoggy knows when the time to fill his sails with wind so to cross the start line in his sailing race, or 'regatta' as I believe the french call it.  Yachtmaster II indeed, I bet Chilli isn't even a Day Skipper (RYA reference).

How am I supposed to see what time it is in DC so elegantly without looking at my Omega Seamaster GMT? Well I could take the four or five hours off.

I have searched high and low for a quartz version of my fave watch with GTLS tubes, but there isn't any out there.  Also I dislike divers bezels (Write your own punchline): I'll never use 'em.  The 24hr/GMT bezel I use every day.

I was looking at my Omega the other day and thinking "You're lovely, you are."

RaymondLin

I am not saying these automatic watches don't keep time, but they are not as accurate as an Quartz.  That is a fact that you cannot deny.

That was my point, if the point is if you value time keeping above everything else then what reason would you use to get an automatic?

That it looks good.  Which is fine !!! But as soon as you do that, you are no longer putting time keeping as the reason a watch was invented in the first place.

Handsome_Chris

I knew that I should have got one of these:

http://www.vostok-europe.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Orange-Lunokhod1.png