Watches

[Timko]

In the past couple of months, I've gotten facinated with watches. I'm currently starting to watch eBay to pick up some vintage stuff, but right now I'm waiting on a Vostok Amphibia, a Russian automatic mechanical that's been in production in some form since the 1950's.



What do you own / want to buy?

[Timko]

Also on my short list is a Strela, a Russian made manual mechanical chronograph. It was the 1st watch in space. It's also a watch you can find without a giant face on it (it measures 38mm across; most watches these days are a minimum of 42mm).

[Itchy]

Back in '09 I Wooted an Invicta for $35... I wear it when I have to dress up and one guy asked me how I could afford a Breitling. I lalwzed.



It's for private pilots... you plot a 200M course and use the outside dial to time it... it does that math and tells you your actual speed (wind will push/slow or pull/speed you up). Pretty cool, looks nice and bang for buck is outstanding, but all and all it's nothing fancy.

I'd also kind of like one of their Akula watches because when I was in the navy I became fascinated with Russian attack submarines.

[Timko]

Russian watches are pretty amazing. They've got solid movements in them but seam to go cheaper than a lot of Swiss watches. I've seen a number of Invicta watches as well. Is yours quartz or mechanical?

I'm really interested in a sporty looking chono. The Tissot prc200 has been in my sights for a while. I'm not a huge fan of the yellow hands though.



That being said, I'm looking at a couple of sweet vintage Hamiltons right now, as well as bidding on a Bulova for a friend. They're more on the dressy side.

[Itchy]

It's a Japanese quarts movement. It's really nothing fancy, just looks nice on your wrist, but nobody would know that just looking at it.

[Itchy]

Is mechanical better? Does a mechanical movement keep time better?

[Jeronimo]

Is mechanical better? Does a mechanical movement keep time better?

More potential for failure at least.

[Itchy]

Thanks Timko, now I'm googling watches. Last thing I need to spend $168.69 on is a new watch.

BUT, I like the idea of watching this thing tick away.
http://www.worldofwatches.com/detail.asp?bo_products_variance_id=119815&rid=googleinvicta#

[turso]

People use mechanical more for the appreciation of the engineering and work that has gone into it than the accuracy. Quartz watches are easily more accurate, but I appreciate the mechanical ones more.

Won't bother listing a favourite dream watch here because all of them are way too expensive for me to dream to achieve in this lifetime.

[Timko]

Mechanical actually keeps time worse than quartz these days.

So watches are in 2 main categories: Mechanical and quartz. The passage of time is either measured by the oscillation of frequency controlled by a quartz crystal or by a complex mechanical system.

[Timko]

Is mechanical better? Does a mechanical movement keep time better?

More potential for failure at least.

Basically. However, mechanical watches do offer a smoother 2nd hand, which is nice.

There are also automatic quartz watches, which use some sort of power reserve not from a a battery (solar, thermal, electric conduction, rotor) to power the solenoid for a quartz oscillation.

[Itchy]

Thanks T 'n T for dropping the knowledge on me. Now I just have to talk myself out of buying a new watch since I just got paid yesterday.

[turso]

I see watches more as a jewellery than time pieces anyhow. I don't need a watch to check the time, I have a cellphone for that.

[Itchy]

I see watches more as a jewellery than time pieces anyhow. I don't need a watch to check the time, I have a cellphone for that.

I have a 6 year old Verizon-LG- VX3400. The outside screen doesn't work anymore and if I open the flip part before somebody calls me the phone turns itself off. I wear a cheapo Timex digital watch most days for telling time and knowing what day it is.

[Timko]

I see watches more as a jewellery than time pieces anyhow. I don't need a watch to check the time, I have a cellphone for that.

As do I. It's the only piece of jewelery I'd actually wear. I don't wear necklaces, and I don't wear rings. I would wear a watch.