Watches.......the other type!
- Thread starter BritKLR
- Start date
ThundahBeagle
Well-known member
Agreed. If I had $30k to spend on a watch, I'd have a 10 year old truck that ran tip top, and a new car for Lady Beagle.
ramblinChet
Well-known member
One of my hobbies happens to be collecting mechanical watches. I guess once of my biggest disappointments related to full time travel is I rarely am able to enjoy even just a fraction of my collection and carrying around even a modest collection in a truck with a pop-up camper is beyond foolish. And although my home is in a wonderful neighborhood, I don't even have any of my collections stored there. But every time I stop home for a few weeks I make arrangement to pull a few pieces from my harem and take them out on a date for a few days.
On that note, here are a few that I have enjoyed recently...
DOXA SUB 1500T Professional - one of my childhood heroes, Jacques Cousteau wore a DOXA. Note the date being hung, I took this photo to send to DOXA and they immediately mailed me a box to return it for repair. An iconic dive watch with Navy no-decompression dive limits included on the bezel.
Rolex GMT-Master II - designed for pilots at Pan Am Airlines back in the mid-50s. This was my first nice watch purchased in the early 90s. This is a great watch for moving frequently between time zones.
Sinn U50 SDR-T - a dive watch made of German submarine steel. Very much a tool watch.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Chronograph - JLC, the watchmakers watchmaker. There's so much to say about this beauty but when you see her in person, you become speechless. A watch that balances elegance with sportiness.
So beautiful she deserves two pictures. I especially love how at certain angles the perimeter of the indices, hands, and signature, reflect light and come alive.
If anyone is interested I will be happy to post additional pictures of the other watches I wear over the next several weeks. Once I return them to where they are stored I likely will not see them for the next year.
Every man should have at least one fine mechanical watch.
On that note, here are a few that I have enjoyed recently...
DOXA SUB 1500T Professional - one of my childhood heroes, Jacques Cousteau wore a DOXA. Note the date being hung, I took this photo to send to DOXA and they immediately mailed me a box to return it for repair. An iconic dive watch with Navy no-decompression dive limits included on the bezel.
Rolex GMT-Master II - designed for pilots at Pan Am Airlines back in the mid-50s. This was my first nice watch purchased in the early 90s. This is a great watch for moving frequently between time zones.
Sinn U50 SDR-T - a dive watch made of German submarine steel. Very much a tool watch.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Chronograph - JLC, the watchmakers watchmaker. There's so much to say about this beauty but when you see her in person, you become speechless. A watch that balances elegance with sportiness.
So beautiful she deserves two pictures. I especially love how at certain angles the perimeter of the indices, hands, and signature, reflect light and come alive.
If anyone is interested I will be happy to post additional pictures of the other watches I wear over the next several weeks. Once I return them to where they are stored I likely will not see them for the next year.
Every man should have at least one fine mechanical watch.
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ramblinChet
Well-known member
Over the past few weeks I have pulled a few others out of storage and taken them out for the first time in over a year to enjoy the sunlight. Here are a few more that I enjoy...
Over the past decade Tudor has become increasingly popular here in these United States. This model is a Black Bay GMT in steel and gold and is often referred to as "Root Beer" due to it's coloring. Most younger folks may not realize but the "Root Beer" actually originated with the Rolex GMT Master II back in the early '90s since they had an offering with the same colors. I remember this very well since at the time I was considering purchasing it but as you might have guessed, another even more beautiful Rolex won that contest. I will dust it off and bring it out soon.
During my professional career I spent time working at NASA Langley Research Center so astronautics and everything associated still holds a special place in my heart. My OMEGA Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional always puts a big smile on my face when I wear her since this was the first and only watch to ever operate on the lunar surface. The Speedmaster Moonwatch survived rigorous testing at NASA and was on the wrist of Buzz Aldrin in 1969 when he became the first man to set foot on another celestial body. Other astronauts on Apollo Missions 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 also wore this model OMEGA while exploring the moon.
This is the display caseback (sapphire crystal) of the Speedmaster and although this micro-mechanical components appear small, you should see them in person. It is my opinion that a mechanical watch represents an astonishing level of micro-mechanical engineering combined with the highest level of craftsmanship in addition to a splash of art and creativity.
Ah, yet another OMEGA from my collection - I withdraw them somewhat randomly so as I was returning my Moonwatch this Seamaster Diver 300M caught my eye. I can clearly recall several years ago when I was considering purchasing this piece and for the better part of a few years I was on the fence with regards to the bracelet, hands, what color dial. One day I stopped into on of the Authorized Dealers I have a relationship with and while looking at other watches this exact piece caught my eye - for a moment al of my previous questions disappeared and I knew I would be taking her home.
On thing you must understand with regards to watches is the fact that they may appear one way in a picture, but look entirely different in person, or especially on your wrist. Note the Helium escape valve at the 10 o'clock position which is useful for decompression dives.
Over the past decade Tudor has become increasingly popular here in these United States. This model is a Black Bay GMT in steel and gold and is often referred to as "Root Beer" due to it's coloring. Most younger folks may not realize but the "Root Beer" actually originated with the Rolex GMT Master II back in the early '90s since they had an offering with the same colors. I remember this very well since at the time I was considering purchasing it but as you might have guessed, another even more beautiful Rolex won that contest. I will dust it off and bring it out soon.
During my professional career I spent time working at NASA Langley Research Center so astronautics and everything associated still holds a special place in my heart. My OMEGA Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional always puts a big smile on my face when I wear her since this was the first and only watch to ever operate on the lunar surface. The Speedmaster Moonwatch survived rigorous testing at NASA and was on the wrist of Buzz Aldrin in 1969 when he became the first man to set foot on another celestial body. Other astronauts on Apollo Missions 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17 also wore this model OMEGA while exploring the moon.
This is the display caseback (sapphire crystal) of the Speedmaster and although this micro-mechanical components appear small, you should see them in person. It is my opinion that a mechanical watch represents an astonishing level of micro-mechanical engineering combined with the highest level of craftsmanship in addition to a splash of art and creativity.
Ah, yet another OMEGA from my collection - I withdraw them somewhat randomly so as I was returning my Moonwatch this Seamaster Diver 300M caught my eye. I can clearly recall several years ago when I was considering purchasing this piece and for the better part of a few years I was on the fence with regards to the bracelet, hands, what color dial. One day I stopped into on of the Authorized Dealers I have a relationship with and while looking at other watches this exact piece caught my eye - for a moment al of my previous questions disappeared and I knew I would be taking her home.
On thing you must understand with regards to watches is the fact that they may appear one way in a picture, but look entirely different in person, or especially on your wrist. Note the Helium escape valve at the 10 o'clock position which is useful for decompression dives.
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ramblinChet
Well-known member
The Longines Ultra-Chron is a vintage-inspired watch, rereleased in 2022, immediately convincing me to add it to my collection. Its key features include a high-beat 5 Hz movement, a 1967 original release (my birth year), a cushion-shaped case similar to my DOXA, and no date. The Longines symbol, a winged hourglass, registered in 1889, is the oldest unchanged trademark still in use.
Another interesting feature, shown in the last photo, is the unidirectional rotating bezel with a sapphire insert. Most inserts are aluminum or ceramic, whereas this sapphire one is crystal clear, with markings laser-etched and painted. Under certain lighting, you can see the shadows of the markings on the back face of the bezel.
Founded in 1904 in Hölstein, Switzerland, Oris is one of the few independent Swiss watchmakers producing only mechanical watches. The Aquis’s design balances sportiness and elegance, but its in-house Calibre 400 movement, designed for reliability, accuracy, and modern challenges like magnetism, truly caught my attention. Oris spent five years developing it, marking a significant leap from their earlier Sellita-based movements. Additionally, a girlfriend (redhead) who saw parts of my collection noted I didn’t own a watch with a green dial, making the Aquis’s green option particularly appealing.
Most of my collection features mechanical movements, but a few quartz watches hold a special place. The Hamilton PSR is a faithful revival of the Pulsar P2, the world’s first digital watch, which debuted in 1972 and reshaped timekeeping. The Pulsar P2’s appearance in Live and Let Die (1973) immortalized it as a cinematic and cultural icon, embodying 1970s futurism and spy-tech allure. I recall watching that movie with my parents at a drive-in theater near the lake during summer. Whenever I wear the PSR, I smile, recalling boyhood dreams of living an adventurous life like Agent 007.
Another interesting feature, shown in the last photo, is the unidirectional rotating bezel with a sapphire insert. Most inserts are aluminum or ceramic, whereas this sapphire one is crystal clear, with markings laser-etched and painted. Under certain lighting, you can see the shadows of the markings on the back face of the bezel.
Founded in 1904 in Hölstein, Switzerland, Oris is one of the few independent Swiss watchmakers producing only mechanical watches. The Aquis’s design balances sportiness and elegance, but its in-house Calibre 400 movement, designed for reliability, accuracy, and modern challenges like magnetism, truly caught my attention. Oris spent five years developing it, marking a significant leap from their earlier Sellita-based movements. Additionally, a girlfriend (redhead) who saw parts of my collection noted I didn’t own a watch with a green dial, making the Aquis’s green option particularly appealing.
Most of my collection features mechanical movements, but a few quartz watches hold a special place. The Hamilton PSR is a faithful revival of the Pulsar P2, the world’s first digital watch, which debuted in 1972 and reshaped timekeeping. The Pulsar P2’s appearance in Live and Let Die (1973) immortalized it as a cinematic and cultural icon, embodying 1970s futurism and spy-tech allure. I recall watching that movie with my parents at a drive-in theater near the lake during summer. Whenever I wear the PSR, I smile, recalling boyhood dreams of living an adventurous life like Agent 007.
