This article is great fun. I don’t like rules though eg I don’t like Roman numerals or I do like time only. Rules go against the romance of falling in love with these mechanical wonders & many other things too. Keep yourself open to anything because you don’t like Roman numerals until you see a watch you adore that just happens to have Roman numerals. This is a dangerous approach because it leaves you open to “having to buy” that new release from whoever because you just love it. But rules don’t work in art, you can’t boil your tastes down to rules, you follow your heart.
Sorry but I also think the HODINKEE line that “watches are about the stories they tell” is overhyped. It underpins those cliched articles about test pilots wearing submariners that fall into the sea when they eject from the flames & are rediscovered by their great grandchild whilst scuba diving off the coast of Cuba... yawn.
Great article. So true about watch straps looking better on-line than in real life. The only exception might be Camille Fournet straps. Nothing special on-line but gets better and better with age.
Very fun read. You're off to a great start. Mistakes happen, but when you find the one... so good.
Regaridng the Seiko Alpinist SARB017. Meh. Weird hour hand. Unattractive fonts, the bottom two lines use the same font seen on a lot of really cheap fakes. The dial is a mash up that just doesn't add up. The watch has lost everything that it had when it was created. Vintage Seiko Champion 850 Alpinist J13079 from the 1960's, now that's an Alpinist. Look that one up.
I am a vintage mechanical watch guy mostly. I bought my two grail watches early on. The story behind the watch is everything. The moon, Antarctic, Cousteau, Bond, etc., all add cachet. Watches that were created for the 1957/58 International Geophysical Year are very cool. I love tool watches, divers and chronographs mostly. I've never liked gold watches but own two. I don't buy reissues either, and focus on very few brands, I have a couple dozen variations of one particular model.
I worked at NASA in the early 80's and bought the white NASA G-Shock last year. I felt like I was 12 again. Watches, even inexpensive ones, can take you places without leaving home.
This article is great fun. I don’t like rules though eg I don’t like Roman numerals or I do like time only. Rules go against the romance of falling in love with these mechanical wonders & many other things too. Keep yourself open to anything because you don’t like Roman numerals until you see a watch you adore that just happens to have Roman numerals. This is a dangerous approach because it leaves you open to “having to buy” that new release from whoever because you just love it. But rules don’t work in art, you can’t boil your tastes down to rules, you follow your heart.
Sorry but I also think the HODINKEE line that “watches are about the stories they tell” is overhyped. It underpins those cliched articles about test pilots wearing submariners that fall into the sea when they eject from the flames & are rediscovered by their great grandchild whilst scuba diving off the coast of Cuba... yawn.
Great article. So true about watch straps looking better on-line than in real life. The only exception might be Camille Fournet straps. Nothing special on-line but gets better and better with age.
I agree about Camille Fournet straps. They are incredible!
Very fun read. You're off to a great start. Mistakes happen, but when you find the one... so good.
Regaridng the Seiko Alpinist SARB017. Meh. Weird hour hand. Unattractive fonts, the bottom two lines use the same font seen on a lot of really cheap fakes. The dial is a mash up that just doesn't add up. The watch has lost everything that it had when it was created. Vintage Seiko Champion 850 Alpinist J13079 from the 1960's, now that's an Alpinist. Look that one up.
I am a vintage mechanical watch guy mostly. I bought my two grail watches early on. The story behind the watch is everything. The moon, Antarctic, Cousteau, Bond, etc., all add cachet. Watches that were created for the 1957/58 International Geophysical Year are very cool. I love tool watches, divers and chronographs mostly. I've never liked gold watches but own two. I don't buy reissues either, and focus on very few brands, I have a couple dozen variations of one particular model.
I worked at NASA in the early 80's and bought the white NASA G-Shock last year. I felt like I was 12 again. Watches, even inexpensive ones, can take you places without leaving home.
+1 on #10 getting a nice watch box and I got mine through Etsy too :)