Hi, we all talk about our favourite watch, but do you have also a favourite movement?
From a service perspective ( I service my watches myself) I like the simplicity of the ETA 2824, 2436 models. Simple, reliable (and spare pargts easily to obtain) and when having a top or chrono model also a nice balance and balance spring.
I dislike the Valjoux line, relative expensive, not well finished
If money is not an issue I like the Ptek for theire sublime eye for details, beautifull craftsmen ship.
From a technical point of view Rolex is top, if you imagine the sheer numbers they produce what a great quality system they must have to creat that many with very little flaws and performing very well.
Br
Ron
Lemania 5100 -- love the movement, rotor sound & dial configuration. My collection is heavily biased towards this movement with many miliary pilot chronos housing this particular movement. As a collectors movement it is also a sound investment as it is no longer produced but with many pieces available for spare and repair - ideal.
“Don’t look back, you’re not heading that way.”
:scratch:Originally Posted by Ron P
When you look long into an abyss, the abyss looks long into you.........
From a technical point of view, finish and appeal the best movements for me tend to come from JLC, for decades they have supplied the top manufacturers as well as creating movements for their own line, i can't think of another company that is so highly regarded in this sense. I tend to think that Rolex make some of the best robust movements, but the finish lets them down, and they tend to be quite basic movements in a similar vein to ETA.
As for aesthetics, well take your pick, you have Patek, Audemars, Vacheron, Breguet, FP Journe, etc. There is a high end movement company as well that produces some fantastic pieces for the the high end watch makers such as Harry Winston and so on.
For simplicity and cheap reliability its ETA, Seiko, Citizen and Orient on par. Sadly the mass produced products are slowly but surely turning into consumables rather than durables. Therefore to me none of the new cheap produced offerings can match the 1940's to early 1970's hand wind and automatic movements that both Japan and Switzerland offered. The new high end is not affordable and certainly potentially not as reliable as wearable watches as they are too complicated.
Personally, the Zenith El Primero. Largely unchanged for 40 years, robust, elegant, a 55 hour power reserve, and unique high beat escapement. Aside from that, probably the Omega 8500; twin spring barrels, free sprung variable inertia balance, silicon balance wheel, co-axial escapement, and very good quality finishing, and at a very attractive price when factoring discounts.
Sunrise, arse over the stern of the boat, coffee pot simmering in the galley.
:wink:
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
For me, the high grade Smiths movements made in Cheltenham - the sub seconds 1215 (12 lignes 15 jewels) and the CS 27 used in the Astral and the W10, wonderfully accurate and reliable and a very pleasing tick - love to have one on my bedside table. The 19 jewel movement in the Smiths Everest winds as smooth as butter; when I visited a Patek AD he was keen to show me a handwound model of which the winding action is supposedly very smooth - I couldn't help thinking 'not bad, but not as smooth as my old Smiths'.
Zenith El Primero is on top of my list: elegant, robust, unique high beat, and pedigree. Next maybe Seiko 7S2x: not only does it keep on ticking. you simply can't beat it at that price
:scratch: :lol: [quote=Chris_in_the_UK]:scratch:[/quote:1pgh5s6n]
Loads to choose from :)
But if my life depended on a sturdy mechanical timepiece, the Rolex calibers are my first choice (again) :)
Cheers,
Daddel.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
[quote=Chris_in_the_UK]:scratch:[/quote:3kv7i1x5]
:scratch: :D Is this one of those English to Japanese back to English translations? And Patek's beautiful craftsmen? Whatever floats your boat, Ron :shock:
Criticising someone for their less-than-perfect grammar in this way is pretty rude. Not all of us can write like Ian McEwan - the OP initiated an interesting post with some good observations, and I understood perfectly well what he meant.
[Edited: for grammar! :lol:]
Luckily I'm not obstructed by any knowledge :D
Cheers,
Daddel
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
The cal. 2121 and my favourite watch at the moment is actually the Audemars Piguet 15202 with the cal. 2121.
Best regards,
Kristopher
:D
bowel
sorry, couldn't resist.
chris. :D
I have three favourites
the 8L35
the 5R66A
and the 10am movement... Means the day can properly start
:roll:
Ron P, I meant no offence. There is much good-humoured banter on here, including poking a little fun. That is all i intended and I hope it was taken as such. I don't have a preferred movement, but an interesting thread none the less. Cheers, keep up the good posts.
No single favourite, but these do it for me: Omega 30T2SC, Omega 564 and Patek 215.
I have a little thing for the Valjoux 72 - it may not generally be very well finished, but I love the silky winding action and its slow beat.
got to be the 7750 - chronos are cool. Have three watches with that movement all of them really accurate. And then there is the "wobble".... 8)
The Valjoux 72 C day/date/month chrono. Not the finest machine maybe, but in so many of the greatest chronographs from 1940 - 196x.
br
Even though I have none at the moment, I have a soft spot for the El Primero.
What about the Pellaton movement :bounce:
Marc
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