Reply With QuoteWhat a fantastic story. Buy it all! And that Orient, glorious
I was parking up on a side street in a Market Town yesterday which is fairly local to me and one I have been going to all my life.
It was dark outside, about 4.30pm and I noticed across the road, a lit window with a watch display and old Seiko signs outside, it looked like a cool old shop or a house that I have never noticed or even remember seeing before, so I went had a quick look in the window.
There was a lot of watches in the window on display, mainly of the cheap budget type that most places do these days, but they also had all sorts of stuff lying in the window in different places that looked like watches of the 1970’s and 1980”s mainly Seiko and Citizen quartz of the gents gold plated style, but in the back something with a silver retro dial caught my eye.
Just at this moment I was suddenly aware of a lady who stood next to me and who then said “Please do come in the shop if you would like to”.
So I followed her through the door in to a hall way, one side was a electrical shop with Modern TV’s and the other side through a door was like stepping back in time to Clock and Watch shop of the 1970’s, a proper time warp place.
The lady said she would summon the owner and then a minute later in popped the coolest and friendliest chap, I assume her father who said how can i help you.
I said I had spotted a watch in the back of his window that I like to have a closer look at please, he said lets have a look together and you pick up what you like the look of.
The watch that caught my eye, was a Orient Crystal Day Date with a silver dial, Automatic with 27 jewels. The shop keeper said that will be some of my old stock left over, I have been selling watches and clocks here for 45 years, got a few old ones about the place still.
New Old Stock?, I asked, yes you could say that he replied.
He asked me if I knew about watches, I said a bit and I really love the watches from japan from the era.
Any way to cut a long story shot he had all kinds of amazing stuff dotted all around place amoung , his now main stock of cheap chinese watches of today, as that is what sell’s now best to his customers.
I asked if he was selling the Orient, yes he said it was a expensive watch in its day, but it has a tiny mark on the side and on the glass so I will knock some off for that. I bought it at a very cheap price that he was happy with and I was very happy with.
He was a great guy, I had a look at a few other pieces he had, I said that I liked the Seiko Chronographs of the era, he said he did as well, but none of those left.
He told me he kept a loverly Bulova accutron with a blue dial from the 70’s he liked, that was not for sale but he had a few other bits tucked away from the era that he could dig out if i wanted to call in again. I said I would, but mainly because he was a fantastic chap and it was seriously like stepping back in time with him, the experience was amazing.
I know this is not a like Rolex or Patek and don’t get me wrong I really love looking at them too, but this is the type of watch that I used to stare through the windows at when i was a kid.
To find a shop like this that I must have passed hundreds of times over the years and never noticed quite by accident, with its hidden gems was amazing, so as it is Christmas I thought post the story if anyone was interested, as this is the kind of story I like reading on the forum.
The watch it self in my eyes is retro cool, still has the sticker on the back and the time keeping in the 24 hours since I bought it, looks spot on when compared to G-Shock Frogman atomic I set it from.
My kid’s both think it is cool, but my wife has now seen it and claimed it as hers as it is her opinion to small on my wrist, so will join her collection of my watches she likes to wear, so she is very happy too.
Anyway Merry Christmas to all you all, hope you have a great one.
What a fantastic story. Buy it all! And that Orient, glorious
Those indices are barking mad! Pure 70's design, lovely.
Sounds amazing!
That Orient is so super-cool ! This is right up my street as it were. A great find. Congrats !
that's a great story, thanks for sharing.
V cool. You'll not forget this unique experience m :-)
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What a find! If you do go back... please bring a camera! I'd love to see what else he has tucked away. Being a 70's child... that's RIGHT up my street.
Great story👍👍👍
Great little story. It reminded me of Mr Ben for some reason?
Great Christmas story, lovely watch too.
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Gotta love the design of the 70s !
Take some pics of his little treasures when you go back ;-)
Nice one. An undiscovered gem.
Reminded me a bit of Mr Benn too.
Cheers,
Neil.
Now you mention it, there was a lot about this that reminded me of Mr Benn too.
There were a few other funny details I did not post, but I will make the time to visit this place again next year.
There are a few other hidden gems in there and there is defiantly something a bit magic with the place with its time warp charm.
Brilliant... love that Orient...
I too thought this sounded like it was going to be a Mr.Benn Christmas story that ended up as fairy tale....
But it's a great story.... Thanks ... I have a little old jewellers in the small market town near me...
keep hoping and looking in their window that some gem may turn up in there too....
Also messaged my cousin who still has a shop in London in case he still has any of the family branded watches in stock but not heard back yetone came up on eBay other day but got outbid on it....
What a great little story and I think that's the first Orient that I've seen and liked. Please keep us updated.
Then suddenly, a shopkeeper appeared...
Great stuff!
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Very cool story, thanks for sharing it. -and congrats on the nice find !
May I ask what size it is?
(I like the fact your wife steals it from you :))
I notice that no-one advertises the name of the market towns in question!! (It's my little secret and I'm not going to risk you lot turning up and buying all the NOS!!)
I'd like some information on the Seiko's!
Thank you, I just measured it and it has a is 32mm dial. My wife has great taste in watches and she has her own nice collection.Originally Posted by Plume
Last edited by pastrana72; 27th December 2016 at 15:31.
From what I remember they were Seiko Quartz SQ plain and gold plated, did not have a close look as it was the orient that caught my eye, it the shop he had one Seiko kinetic very 1990s with a coloured dial. I really like old Seiko's but there was nothing that caught my eye as super special.
It's not a secret, I just decided not to post the location in the story as I did not see it as important.
I bought a nice watch that interests me, there maybe others in the shop, if you are interested in the location PM me, but I seriously do not understand your dig Dr Wolff, but hey you do not know me. So it's all fine.
I have shared heads up on watches I have seen with the forum many times in the past and very recently too, with permission from the shop keeper's to share this information on a public forum and will continue to do so.
Recently two forum member's picked up to high end watches from a heads up I had posted and a few years ago a local shop decided to stop selling Junghans, I picked up a digital mega 1000 for a fantastic price shared the info on the forum and some members benefited and bought all the stock over the phone in two days, as the owner told me when I popped back in.
Glad most people enjoyed the story and the watch, that was the point,
Cheer's to who ever rated the thread as terrible, you can not please everyone, that is forums for you. :)
Happy New Year.
Last edited by pastrana72; 27th December 2016 at 15:37.
Probably because it wasn't a dig and certainly not intended as such
Ok, I apologise, I misunderstood.
Regards.
:)
Very kind, thanks much for measuring it, really glad to know those are avail in 32mm (does your wife usually like vintage? îm always curious).
Last edited by Plume; 27th December 2016 at 17:37.
No problem, yes my wife does like her vintage watches, I usually buy them and she wears them.
She does like some modern watches like the Sinn 556 but seems to like retro designs.
Cool!
Well if your seller has more of those 32mm Orient I would gladly buy one from you :p
(I've been wanting one of this brand but they're always too big for my tiny wrist).
What a wonderful find, looks great!
Sounds like a cool little shop. And maybe a hoarder of a shop keeper to have stuff that old kicking about!
Nice purchase.
This sounds like one of those Pratchett shops.
It won't be there when you are looking for it.
Shame, as it does sound like there are good things in it.
Dave
This made me smile as I had the exact same thought. What a wonderful thing if it were to happen.
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