Thats lovely Mel.
Thats lovely Mel.
My new daily - delighted
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Incoming today as I was too impatient to wait for a black dial Damasko and this is almost the same in negative . The quality is right up there, and the full-lume dial is a pleasant surprise
After the demise of my poundshop Casio MRW-200H, I have missed a lightweight, affordable grab-and-go watch that's super-legible, has day-date display, and a timing bezel. It would be easy enough to drop-hold of another Casio, but I do like a bit of variety, and I've lost faith somewhat, so the hunt has been On.
The combination of features I want is surprisingly rare: quartz, analogue display, black dial, white hands and indexes, lightweight case, sane size, day-date display, bezel or chrono, and inexpensive.
On paper this gets very, very close:
Well, apart from the PVD steel bezel: my fault, I didn't read the specs carefully enough...
And the large size: 45mm
And the high price: this'll owe me >£400 by the time import fees are covered... Could be worse, list was >£500.
And the weight: only the outer skeletal case is GRP, the main case is SS, the back is SS, and the bezel of course - so it's actually quite hefty...
On the plus side it is amazingly easy to read - it's Traser's mil-spec version of its P66 range (supplied in large numbers to the US Army, supposedly) - so it's designed for practicality, and I like the bulls***-free dial devoid of branding and general hyperbole.
In wear (if less in pictures) the dial design gives an aesthetically pleasing impression of a 'cartwheel' arrangement, as the various indexes taper towards the centre. It's a clever bit of design, as it really enhances the read-at-a-glance nature of the design.
Also on the plus side - Tritium tubes. I love tritium tubes. And the bidirectional bezel makes it usefully more convenient than the usual diver's style. 200m WR and sapphire crystal are not to be sniffed at, too. It came on a very nice quality, soft-but-tough NATO, but I'm not a NATO fan, so onto FKM rubber it has gone.
It's also very well made, and the cantilevered case design appeals strongly to my inner 8-year-old. I'm WAY too old for any Walt-y fantasies, but I do like functional tool watches very much.
It's a shame that I'll batter the hell out of the bezel in years to come, but despite wobbling when I realised, I've decided a beater should end-up beaten - and it will!
Purchased from 'Jewels Stock' (AKA 'IStock Ltd') in Latvia via Chrono24 - they took a pretty lowball offer which allowed me to factor in the VAT &c due on import, and they got the watch to me - miraculously - in under 48 hours: something most UK based online retailers are incapable of doing, so I would definitely use them again!
We'll see if it 'sticks', but so far I'm very pleased with this. So much for reducing the collection...
Last edited by earlofsodbury; 21st February 2024 at 00:15.
^^^
I like the style a lot, congrats! What's the lug-to-lug length?
This just arrived and onto an old black NATO. Loving it.
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Ta. 'Tis a not-insubstantial 54mm. Case back is flat so the lugs are held clear of my wrist (17.5cm dia). It wears a lot like a Sinn U1 / UX. I'm honestly surprised to find it comfortable to the point I forget it's there.
...Oh yeah, and the seconds hand hits every marker, right the way round the dial!
Last edited by earlofsodbury; 21st February 2024 at 17:16.
Incoming:
Should land with me some time on Friday.
The patina looks good on this one, suitably dull and barnacle free !
I’ll likely restore it though and then let it patina again naturally so that it becomes ‘my patina’.
Arrived ahead of time. It does wear well despite its chunky dimensions.
Andy.
Just arrived, already have a s300 which is a great watch, this colour scheme is awesome, really pleased with it
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Another day, another Traser, and this one is unabashedly full GI-Joe, rejoicing in the title "Traser P99 Q Tactical Green". For someone who spends as much time sat on his lazy arse bashing-away at a computer as I do this is of course utterly bl**dy ridiculous, but then so are all the other watches out there! Does anyone actually make a watch specifically designed for the lifestyle needs of clapped-out old men's sedentary lives? I guess you could make equally convincing arguments for "All of them." and "No."...
Anyway, for blind old git reasons, I like watches that are easy to read, and - er... This one isn't especially unless there's a decent amount of light or - paradoxically - none. Black hands on dark-dialled watches need to get back in the sea, but they're a surprisingly common phenomenon. I guess if you're young it's no biggy and it plays to the 'stealthy-Walty' angle that these watches invariably pursue...
Also present and correct is a bi-directional bezel - this time carbon fibre (despite ad saying "steel" - confused? I was....), which has a lovely crisp, positive 60-increment click, great for timing supper... Mmmmm... Supper...! Also here is my much-coveted day/date complication - I like it, you don't, the world turns on and on... And of course Traser's entire raison d'être - their Tritium glow-stick indices and hands - Traser is the house-brand of MB-Microtec who make these tubes, beloved of everyone from MWC to Ball, and they of course have the advantage of an even all-night glow.
It's a big watch - 46mm across its smallest diameter, 53mm lug-tip to lug-tip, and slightly egregious 14mm thick considering the humble quartz movement lurking within. Thankfully Traser resisted the 24mm lug-width 'meme' beloved of upsized Tuff Guy watches, so along with smooth flat case-back and lightness bestowed by the carbon shell, wearabilty is simple, comfortable and stable.
It comes on a really good quality rubber strap, which feels bomb-proof (it can also be ordered on an equally good quality green or black NATO), but I've popped it onto a nylon 2-piece which makes it even lighter and more comfortable:
I purchased it from 'just4watches' who were absolutely great: fast comms, got the watch to me <24 hours, and at a very keen price. Don't be dismayed by the bargain-basement name or website - they're top-notch to deal with, and know the stuff they're selling: put the big name jewellers to shame.
Must. Sell. Something...
When I heard that Steeldive were doing a H2O Kalmar 25000m homage I, of course, had to have one!
Before it even arrived I knew it was going to have to be modified, not least of all because the dial is wrong (belonging to the 16,000 model, 10 miles hence the 10 on the dial).
So I had Paul McDonald of Tempus put a new dial in - fun fact; this is an ETA2824-2 dial, but fits NH35 movement if you cut the feet....
Last edited by Paul J; 25th February 2024 at 10:13.
I saw this posted in the Friday thread and did wonder, as I have the "original" Steeldive 1982 homage to the H2O Kalmar. You are right the Steeldive has the 10miles design for the dial and the insert from the 25000m, a bit of a mishmash. That does looks very nice with the modded dial.
It was a bit of a learning curve as these Kalmar homages have 36.5mm dials and the tolerances are actually very tight - this is how it ended up with an ETA dial, there are just so few 36.5mm dials choose from.
I'm quite happy with it, though I probably will change the hands to better match up with the flieger dial - and that's been a mission too as the minute hand needs to be 16mm and they're pretty scarce too!
Happy to have a 42 mm Planet Ocean 2500 back in the collection
Had my eye on one of these for a while, finally pulled the trigger.
Was looking for one of these (in the UK) for a couple of years, only one for offer had quite a few scratches, so jumped on this when I saw it:
My Dad’s had this for around 15years and he decided to give it to me yesterday.
Thanks Dad, chuffed with it!
Cheers
Neil
Last edited by jneds; 24th February 2024 at 22:39.
This must be my fourth BB58, bought yesterday. I was missing a non-date watch. It was a toss up between this, the BB54 and the new Longines Legend Diver. I found the crown on the BB54 a little too small for my liking and the bezel insert just a little too sterile. The LLD has a lovely domed crystal and BOR bracelet, but the BB58 feels more substantial in a good way.
^^^ That is a very specific market. My rates are available on application!
I have this on the way to me. Really forward to receiving it. Never handled an Uncle Seiko bracelet before so not sure how that is going to feel but I prefer the look of it over the Tudor bracelet.
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Just took this in trade from Tony - and my crap photo does it no justice!
Stunning dial and finish.
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Thanks Earl. I never imagined I’d own a moonphase watch, but there you go. It’ll be a great holiday watch.
I was originally looking for a 377 variant, but I am a sucker for green so when this appeared for sale it was an easy decision!
My first IWC and the quality is superb.
Well, having decided that at 35 watches my collection is complete, meet No. 36:
it is, obviously, the Omega Speedmaster Mark II. The Rio Olympics edition. Having seen pictures of the Mark II I was always doubtful I could wear a watch of that bulk/size. However, I have found that it is much less intimidating in real life. I was initially drawn to the look of the watch with its gold, silver and bronze chapter rings on the subdials, which really lift the black dial. Although this is one of Omega's Olympic editions I feel this one is really subtle, which appeals to me. I know that PCLs are a bit Marmite, however, as a (16622) Yachtmaster owner, I'm used to them, and indeed positively like them.
The lume is quite cool too, I think:
The watch is, of course, not new, but new to me and is in almost perfect condition, and I managed to pick it up at a what I consider to be a pretty good price given the condition.
A