Watch Out or Watch on? Pt 2.

[timelord]

Some nice watches in this thread. I collect watches - nothing really fancy, mainly Russian and Chinese watches, but I do have a few others too. Rather than post pictures of all of them I'll just post a few pictures from a thread I started in a watch forum for watches and pipes....


Bronze Chinese '1963' - the original '1963' (more correctly 'Project 304') was a watch created for the Peoples Liberation Army Airforce and uses a chronograph movement made the by Chinese company Sea Gull (hence all of this type are often incorrectly referred to as Sea Gull 1963; whilst Sea Gull do make examples of this watch most are made by other Chinese manufacturers and the Sea Gull ones are surprisingly expensive for a Chinese brand). The Sea Gull movement was based on a Swiss Venus 175 movement for which the Chinese bought the IPR and machinery from the Swiss. The Soviets similarly bought the rights to the Venus 173 movement to create the Poljot 3133 movement which was used in watches for their airforce and cosmonauts.


This is a modern '1963' made by the Sea Gull company and is a reissue of the original airforce watch.


Ball Trainmaster Worldtimer Chronograph


Ball Trainmaster 135 Anniversary


BSH Phoenix (BSH is the Brotherhood of the Submariner Homage - a group of like minded people who met up on a watch forum but now with their own forum); they've commissioned several complete watches (as well as dials for individual projects). This is a San Martin BB58 (a homage of the Tudor Black Bay) with custom dial, crown, watchback and strap clasp


a pair of Russian watches
(l) Vostok Amphibia 'Scuba Dude' with a bezel mod
(r) Vostok Amfibia Red Sea


(l) another Vostok Amphibia
(r) Melbourne Watch Co 'Fitzroy' from Australia


more to follow later!

 

[cosmicfolklore]

One of the nice thing about collecting watches is that there are so many ways to collect at various price points; wooden watches, vintage mechanicals, styles like pilot, divers, or handmades going for over $5,000 a piece. Whatever aspect intrigues you, could be $30 a piece, or the price of a mortgage.
This is what drew me to Timex Marlins. They were cheap at the time, and easy to work on. Now, I kinda like the Eco-Drives. I probably won't ever be able to collect Swiss handmade ones though, but I would love one.

 

[timelord]

...and some more


(l) Ball Roadmaster Raffles (properly Singapore Centennial Edition)
(c) Vostok Amphibia with Radioroom dial (red/pink sectors indicate when radio silence to listen out for distress signals is to be maintained - based on clocks that were present in ships radio rooms)
(r) Vostok 'Partner' - a bit of Russian bling


(l) another Vostok Amphibia with a bezel from a Spanish watch forum project watch
(r) Vostok Komandirskie hand winding watch (all the others I've pictured so far are automatic/self-winding)


(l) Vostok Amphibia (they do a lot of different models!)
(c) Tissot Chemin des Tourelles (has an 80h power reserve and a silicon main spring)
(r) Withings Steel HR fitness tracker - the sub-dial is a step counter which I have configured for 1000 steps per division)


(l) Vostok Amphibia
(r) Vostok Amfibia Reef - the fourth (arrow headed) hand is a 24h hand


(l) Vostok Amfibia Reef
(r) Vostok Amfibia Red Sea


(l) Vostok Amphibia with a Soviet submarine on the dial
(r) Laco Friedrichshafen Erbstück - a heritage (aged) edition of a Luftwaffe B-Uhr (navigators watch) made by a company which supplied the originals to the Luftwaffe (interestingly Laco was owned for a while by Timex because they had developed early electronic - not quartz - watches which Timex branded)


and another Vostok Amphibia (I've got this model in Black, Blue, Brown and Green dial variants)


(l) Vostok Amphibia special edition - nice smiley face!
(r) Melbourne Fitzroy


Poljot International - when the Soviet Union collapsed some of the watch makers set up new companies overseas. Poljot International makes watches in Germany but was founded by Russian emigrés; has a Russian Strela movement



Sturmanskie Yuri Gagarin limited edition in titanium. Based on the watch Gagarin wore in space this is a modern version 42mm version - the original was only 34 or 36mm and very small by modern standards (Sturmanskie have released original sized versions in the last few years too)

 

[tobefrank]

...and some more

View attachment 95656
(l) Ball Roadmaster Raffles (properly Singapore Centennial Edition)
(c) Vostok Amphibia with Radioroom dial (red/pink sectors indicate when radio silence to listen out for distress signals is to be maintained - based on clocks that were present in ships radio rooms)
(r) Vostok 'Partner' - a bit of Russian bling

View attachment 95659
(l) another Vostok Amphibia with a bezel from a Spanish watch forum project watch
(r) Vostok Komandirskie hand winding watch (all the others I've pictured so far are automatic/self-winding)

View attachment 95661
(l) Vostok Amphibia (they do a lot of different models!)
(c) Tissot Chemin des Tourelles (has an 80h power reserve and a silicon main spring)
(r) Withings Steel HR fitness tracker - the sub-dial is a step counter which I have configured for 1000 steps per division)

View attachment 95662
(l) Vostok Amphibia
(r) Vostok Amfibia Reef - the fourth (arrow headed) hand is a 24h hand

View attachment 95663
(l) Vostok Amfibia Reef
(r) Vostok Amfibia Red Sea

View attachment 95664
(l) Vostok Amphibia with a Soviet submarine on the dial
(r) Laco Friedrichshafen Erbstück - a heritage (aged) edition of a Luftwaffe B-Uhr (navigators watch) made by a company which supplied the originals to the Luftwaffe (interestingly Laco was owned for a while by Timex because they had developed early electronic - not quartz - watches which Timex branded)

View attachment 95665
and another Vostok Amphibia (I've got this model in Black, Blue, Brown and Green dial variants)

View attachment 95666
(l) Vostok Amphibia special edition - nice smiley face!
(r) Melbourne Fitzroy

View attachment 95668
Poljot International - when the Soviet Union collapsed some of the watch makers set up new companies overseas. Poljot International makes watches in Germany but was founded by Russian emigrés; has a Russian Strela movement

View attachment 95669
View attachment 95671
Sturmanskie Yuri Gagarin limited edition in titanium. Based on the watch Gagarin wore in space this is a modern version 42mm version - the original was only 34 or 36mm and very small by modern standards (Sturmanskie have released original sized versions in the last few years too)

That’s a beautiful collection. Did you buy most of the Russian watches new or where they ‘estate’ buys?

 

[timelord]

That’s a beautiful collection. Did you buy most of the Russian watches new or where they ‘estate’ buys?

Thankyou!

All but two of my Russian watches I bought new; and even the two I bought used are still available new. The Vostok factory had financial problems a few years ago but is still in existence and making watches the same way it has done since it was founded.

I'll probably 'dip my toe the water' at some point and look for some Soviet era ones on the used market but there are a lot of counterfeits and 'franken' watches out there. The watch forum has an active Russian section with some very knowledgeable collectors and it's quite amazing how much counterfeiting goes on for relatively cheap watches!

Although the Poljot Moscow Nights watch was bought new the movement inside is a refurbished Soviet era one and a couple of others are 'New Old Stock' bought from a reputable dealer in Germany who fully services them before putting them up for sale.

 

[tobefrank]

Thankyou!

All but two of my Russian watches I bought new; and even the two I bought used are still available new. The Vostok factory had financial problems a few years ago but is still in existence and making watches the same way it has done since it was founded.

I'll probably 'dip my toe the water' at some point and look for some Soviet era ones on the used market but there are a lot of counterfeits and 'franken' watches out there. The watch forum has an active Russian section with some very knowledgeable collectors and it's quite amazing how much counterfeiting goes on for relatively cheap watches!

Although the Poljot Moscow Nights watch was bought new the movement inside is a refurbished Soviet era one and a couple of others are 'New Old Stock' bought from a reputable dealer in Germany who fully services them before putting them up for sale.

Thanks. I have had a few times I seriously looked at buying a Russian handwind watch from eBay, but I heard about counterfeits and ‘franken’ watches and lost all interest.

 

[gubbyduffer]

Loving the Russian watches. I have quite a few Amphibias and Raketas, amongst my collection, although wearing a 40yo Seiko 5 today.

 

[olkofri]

I don't collect them. I only have two: a "beater" Timex and a nice Tissot. Currently the latter is without battery so I'm wearing the former.

Been wearing a wristwatch since I was in third grade. Screw phones: wristwatches don't spy on me, their batteries last way longer, and they're submersible.

 

[mawnansmiff]

"....rubber deployment strap"

Just for clarity, the word is deployant, not deployment, that has an entirely different meaning.

Alas one sees deployment straps mentioned so many times on watch fora that it's not surprising so many people make the error.

Regards,

Jay.

 

[timelord]

I should have posted this yesterday since it was Peterson System Day (I did at least smoke this System 307 yesterday and I shall repeat the experience again today with the same tobacco)

Watch is a 'sterile dial' (i.e. no makers branding) Phylida Railmaster (obvious owes a lot to an Omega Railmaster) powered by a Seiko NH38 movement (so a Sino-Japanese homage to a vastly more expensive Swiss original). The Omega Railmaster is on my 'one of these days I'll buy this list'

 

[tobefrank]

The Omega Railmaster is on my 'one of these days I'll buy this list'

This is on my list. I just need to find the right occasion to justify it.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

I should have posted this yesterday since it was Peterson System Day (I did at least smoke this System 307 yesterday and I shall repeat the experience again today with the same tobacco)
View attachment 95870
Watch is a 'sterile dial' (i.e. no makers branding) Phylida Railmaster (obvious owes a lot to an Omega Railmaster) powered by a Seiko NH38 movement (so a Sino-Japanese homage to a vastly more expensive Swiss original). The Omega Railmaster is on my 'one of these days I'll buy this list'

Hey, all on top of some Key Largo as well. Right on!

 

[Spinkle]

Does is say, "Made in UK" most of mine made outside the US are stamped "Swiss made."
If you are curious about the year of that watch, this is a neat Timex feature... Timex date decoder. Find the date and value of a vintage Timex watch - https://serial-number-decoder.co.uk/timex/timex.htm

I'd be interested to know if it is a Marlin. I've never seen one like that. It would have definitely drawn my attention.

One of the nice thing about collecting watches is that there are so many ways to collect at various price points; wooden watches, vintage mechanicals, styles like pilot, divers, or handmades going for over $5,000 a piece. Whatever aspect intrigues you, could be $30 a piece, or the price of a mortgage.
This is what drew me to Timex Marlins. They were cheap at the time, and easy to work on. Now, I kinda like the Eco-Drives. I probably won't ever be able to collect Swiss handmade ones though, but I would love one.

It only has numbers on the face at the bottom. Its model # is 26950. Made in 1972. I bought it several years ago when I was a bit more interested in watches and I had done some research but looks like I forgot to bookmark the stuff - that was how I was able to confirm it was made in UK. I'm not sure its technically a "Marlin". I liked the unique look of the hands in particular and the day/date function. it came with a Spiedel band but I bought it specifically to match the hands up with newer band - I think it pops nicely now with the NATO band I put on and its a little piece of history I can wear around.

Your point about the collection of watches is exactly how I approached most of my collecting - I figured I didn't want to spend $1000s on watches and there are lots of "historical" vintage watches out there that could be affordable to anyone. My Tudor is the anomaly to be frank; had it not been for that one being the first true "in house" Tudor I likely would not have spent that much on a watch. I have a few others that are sorta cool and in this vein I'll throw them up in the next little bit.

 

[DAR]

Here are 4 of the watches in my daily wear watch box. There are 16 more in the watch box and 10 in my safe. I do like watches.

 

[romaso]

I wear a self-winding Invicta diver's watch daily, but I also have a Casio Waveceptor which I wear sometimes.
It's pretty amazing because the dial face is a solar cell which powers the watch, and every night it calibrates itself with the atomic clock (if you're within range of the signal, it doesn't work in Hawaii).
I can never remember what all the buttons do, but I think I can shoot down incoming ICBMs with it.

 

[timelord]

Here are 4 of the watches in my daily wear watch box. There are 16 more in the watch box and 10 in my safe. I do like watches. View attachment 95889View attachment 95890View attachment 95891View attachment 95892

Lovely collection. I've always liked those Kontiki's but never managed to get one. Always nice to see a Ball in someone else's collection too.

 

[didimauw]

I wear a self-winding Invicta diver's watch daily, but I also have a Casio Waveceptor which I wear sometimes.
It's pretty amazing because the dial face is a solar cell which powers the watch, and every night it calibrates itself with the atomic clock (if you're within range of the signal, it doesn't work in Hawaii).
I can never remember what all the buttons do, but I think I can shoot down incoming ICBMs with it.
View attachment 95894

Two of my g shocks are solar and atomic. I can't live without it these days. I get irritated by clocks and watches that are off.....

 

[DAR]

Lovely collection. I've always liked those Kontiki's but never managed to get one. Always nice to see a Ball in someone else's collection too.

I'm a big fan of Ball watches. I currently have 4 but I've had several throughout the years. I also have the same Kontiki with a black dial. Solidly made watches.

 

[danish]

I prefer watches and pipes from the sixties or before. Unfortunately my father didn't teach me how to repair and reassemble his vast collection of disassembled older watches. He did however also leave behind some nicer watches in workable condition. This is only a small fraction of what he left. I always wear a wrist watch. Glancing at your phone to check the time, in front of other people, is looking even worse to me, than discreetly looking at your wrist, when the situation permits.

 

[gubbyduffer]

Raketa Big Zero today.