When did the high precision and high torque movements come out ? I think it's amazing that they are accurate to something like +/- 10 seconds a year. I've heard a few folks say theirs have been off only one or two seconds a year. Insane !
Watch Out or Watch on? Pt 2.
- Thread starter didimauw
- Start date
I read about the “quartz revolution” and the 1960 Boluva Accutron (not a full quartz watch, but had a tuning fork) just killed the railroad watches dead. Hamilton made a few 992 B watches for ten years and quit. The old timers kept their watches until they retired, but it was over, in 1960, for the railroad chronometer.
What Was the World's First Quartz Watch? - Grail Watch
On Christmas Day, 1969, the Seiko Astron was launched; this was world's first quartz wristwatch. Or at least that's how the story goes. But the truth is much, much more complicated, as I have been researching and writing about for months. Only a few examples of that Cal. 35 SQ Astron were...
grail-watch.com
In the late seventies I wanted a Sieko quartz but they were about $200.
Then about $150.
I can remember opening the sale flier in the Shady Nook cafe and there was a 70% off sale for Montgomery Ward LeGant watches.
My Timex Marlin automatic has slept in a drawer since. It still works but it wouldn’t work long, it’s not jeweled.
As for the self winding automatic good 17 jewel and better watches they really haven’t changed much since the fifties, just got cheaper and better and more accurate.
The Rolex Submariner was first made in 1953.
Historical Perspective - The Very First Rolex Submariner, The Reference 6204
Today, we continue our Historical Perspective series, thanks to our “columnist extraordinaire” Paul Altieri (Founder and CEO of Bob’s Watches). In the first part, we explored a missing link in the history of diving watches, as we looked at the pre-Submariner watches, known under the reference...
monochrome-watches.com
I own an Orient Ray II. It’s not a Rolex. But it will last for centuries if used occasionally. The movement was made in house by Orient in Japan, is accurate to seconds a week, serviceable, parts are available, it’s a high quality dive watch.
For $150.
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The problem with automatics like this, if they need serviced, it will run over $200.I read about the “quartz revolution” and the 1960 Boluva Accutron (not a full quartz watch, but had a tuning fork) just killed the railroad watches dead. Hamilton made a few 992 B watches for ten years and quit. The old timers kept their watches until they retired, but it was over, in 1960, for the railroad chronometer.
What Was the World's First Quartz Watch? - Grail Watch
On Christmas Day, 1969, the Seiko Astron was launched; this was world's first quartz wristwatch. Or at least that's how the story goes. But the truth is much, much more complicated, as I have been researching and writing about for months. Only a few examples of that Cal. 35 SQ Astron were...
In the late seventies I wanted a Sieko quartz but they were about $200.
Then about $150.
I can remember opening the sale flier in the Shady Nook cafe and there was a 70% off sale for Montgomery Ward LeGant watches.
My Timex Marlin automatic has slept in a drawer since. It still works but it wouldn’t work long, it’s not jeweled.
As for the self winding automatic good 17 jewel and better watches they really haven’t changed much since the fifties, just got cheaper and better and more accurate.
The Rolex Submariner was first made in 1953.
Historical Perspective - The Very First Rolex Submariner, The Reference 6204
Today, we continue our Historical Perspective series, thanks to our “columnist extraordinaire” Paul Altieri (Founder and CEO of Bob’s Watches). In the first part, we explored a missing link in the history of diving watches, as we looked at the pre-Submariner watches, known under the reference...
I own an Orient Ray II. It’s not a Rolex. But it will last for centuries if used occasionally. The movement was made in house by Orient in Japan, is accurate to seconds a week, serviceable, parts are available, it’s a high quality dive watch.
For $150.
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My son-in-law's Seiko SKX, the inexpensive workhorse of the Seiko line (replaced by the new Sports 5 Series) started running erratically. My local service/dealer, Maryland Watch Works, said they could service it for about $250. OR, they could replace the movement with the better NH35 Movement for $180. The NH35 is a hacking movement and good upgrade, it will last his lifetime and he can likely gift the watch to my grandson.
My Captain Willard (6R35 movement) started running very fast, gaining over a minute per day. Seiko had replaced this movement for me under warranty last year and up until now, been running great, gaining only a few seconds per day. Maryland Watch Works said they thought it was likely magnetized, and yep, it was. I hadn't even thought of that. He did it for free, again, I'm lucky to have such a great resource in my small town.
The Grail Watch article is an interesting history of the quartz watch, but there is a conspicuous absence of the accuracy of the early models and improvement of accuracy over time. I remember buying a Casio digital in maybe 1977 and it being accurate, but at the time I was just impressed by this wiz bang $30 watch and how cutting edge I was. 
For you guys with multiple watches, do you keep them going all the time?
For mine that don't have a day / date on them, I just keep the crown pulled out to save battery life.
For mine that don't have a day / date on them, I just keep the crown pulled out to save battery life.
That's what's keeping me from buying a high end mechanical watch. They charge $500-600 for a service on Rolex, Omega etc., but I guess if you can afford the watch you can afford the service. That's why I'm sticking with my Omega quartz Seamaster. I bought it before Omega decided they're just as good as Rolex and jacked up their prices. The problem is now my new phone keeps screwing up the watch. The magnets in the new phones are much stronger, I'm assuming to make the wireless charging go much faster. If I get the watch too close to the phone it throws the watch off 5-10 minutes. Not sure what to do at this point. Interestingly, my Marathon quartz hasn't been affected. I had a full service on the Omega a year ago and it was running perfectly until I got the new phone, so I'm assuming it has to be the phone. If I put the Omega in the safe for a month it's fine. Any suggestions, other than buying a Sinn with massive anti-magnetic protection ?
In the middle seventies I watched the local watchmaker overhaul my father’s 1958 Hamilton Thin O Matic.
I was sort of disappointed to see a Swiss movement inside.
The old man put all the parts in his ultrasonic cleaner, and said something I’ve never forgotten.
——
There ain’t very many ways to make that little machine keep time.
That balance wheel can beat 5 or 6 or 8 beats a second. That watch needs 15 jewels and has 17. The rotor can wind it or you can. And as long as it’s within a minute or two of the correct time it’s an accurate watch.
——-
In the fifty years since nothing of any consequence has been improved about how a watch actually works.
But this 24 jewel hacking and winding NH35A movement in an Invicta case costs a hundred bucks new. In effect they’ve replaced the Timex Marlin as a disposable watch.
It’s fully serviceable but unless it’s a keepsake it’s not economical to service it.
A hundred dollar watch is not a fine watch. But it will last as long as a fine watch if you’ll keep overhauling it.
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I don't understand where Swatch is pointing with these lines. Now there is a Blancpain Fifty Fanthoms by Swatch. Could it be that the honored models are financially dead?
It's a bit frustrating to spend thousands of dollars on a manual chrono only to have the same manufacturer replicate the model with a quartz movement and plastic case. But worse is paying $300 for that plastic chrono. There's the deal, each Omega by Swatch has an astronomical profitability, and sells units in numbers impossible for the original, enough to risk the brand value of the original model.
When my mother paid $100 in 1958 to replace my father’s Hamilton he lost the movement in a snow bank, that one hundred dollars would be at least worth a thousand dollars today.
This $140 Orient Bambino is a dead ringer for my father’s watch except the new one is electroplated gold and his was gold filled.
Swatch has formidable competition.
Watch collecting is an evil addiction .... just added this Seiko SSK009 to mine ...... 
No, in fact Swatch has almost no competition. It has dominant positions from watches from a few dollars like Flik Flak to thousands at Breguet. It has a distribution network of thousands of points of sale around the world. This move to bring the Swatch brand to iconic models seems more like a financial move to increase the profitability of the brand portfolio than a competitive move. Swatch is not far from that $140 Bambino with several current Hamilton models and could well, if it wanted to, compete in the entry-level segment of mechanical watches and do it well. But there are people lining up to buy, for the same $140, plastic watches that are manufactured for very few dollars.
My last watchmaker (he retired to his farm, not the graveyard) advised me to keep all quartz watches running.
The reason was the batteries can leak if let sit for a long time.
As to the mechanicals he advised to have them cleaned, oiled and serviced when they stopped keeping accurate time.
His experience was a Swiss automatic usually needed a service every five years of constant daily use.
Since the Japanese automatics beat 25% slower he claimed the service interval (if economical) was many times longer. Usually the case and crystal of a Seiko will get beat to death before it needs service.
I know I own Seiko Five watches thirty years old, that keep great time. But they are drawer queens.
I’ll admit that if an affordable watch says SWISS MADE then Swatch has that monopolized.
Here’s what I mean by completion.
I own a couple of nice mid range Tissot watches with a 2824 movements, just wonderful watches, so very pretty.
My $140 Bamino makes those look bad.
My $340 Orient makes a Tissot look like an old Westclox Scotty.
The Japanese affordable mid range watches have better finishing
It could be your phone for sure! Leki makes an I-phone phone magnetize analyzer, it will tell you if your watch has been magnetized. De-mags are pretty cheap, about $20, I just ordered one.
I think Rolex service on a simple Sub is now closer to $1,000.
Great choice Mike! Love that linen face. I keep trying to convince me that I need a GMT (I don't...) and that would be my choice!
I worked as a diver for 9 years, plus all of my personal recreation dives. I stopped logging after a couple k, and stopped ballparking a little after 4k.
Despite having a computer on every dive, often two, I always used the bezel on the watch! I mean, it's just cool!
I love it, and would never have anything visible replaced or repaired.
I have a 1969 Omega Speedmaster in for service and made sure they know not to replace or restore a single thing on the exterior. Not the dial, the hands, and no polishing the case or back cover. Good lord, it would be like erasing the pages of a 55 year old book!
Since I rarely get to wear the thing now, I have it hanging on the wall above the kitchen sink. It's my kitchen clock, and a constant reminder of a past life on, and under, the sea.
The ,69 Speedmaster, currently in to Omega for service, will be my "home" watch when I'm home and not doing work stuff.
When I was a working diver, I wore my Citizen Promaster with a safety strap for thousands of dives. I loved the strap in those conditions because it remained well rinsed day in and day out. Otherwise, I found it to get rather manky with sweat. I like to use it when I am doing rope work in the rainy season because I can strap it on over the top of my rain jacket!Thanks, Mike. I hope no one thinks me a watch-snob. Nothing could be further from the truth. These two watches were purchased 10 years apart for a reason.
I enjoy wearing my Japanese dive watches to bang around in day to day. I’m wearing one now. One of the kids made the beaded bracelet.
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I used give the Rolex much wrist time. But prices have skyrocketed. — I’ll be wearing that one on Thanksgiving or Christmas.
On edit. -The Rolex was my gift to myself when I retired. I’m certainly glad I own it. But boy it hurt to buy it even then!
