The Watch Appreciation Thread - Part two (Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Jaeger LeCoultre,

[dopey]

Chronographs are pretty useful. Frankly, so the rotating bezel on a dive watch and that isn't even a complication. I think I use the latter more. but that is because I don't often find myself needing to time sub-minute intervals. But if i did, the chronograph would be better. But for, say, needing to time 12 minutes, or two and half hours, or the like, I prefer the big bezel to subdials.

 

[firenze_rob]

@Keith TI was going to go with a period correct lizard number in burgundy. The taper on the originals was pretty extreme 22mm at the case down to 16mm at the buckle.

 

[Belligero]



Ugh. You've awakened a dormant longing in me. And it's not for your poke bowl.*

Navitimer. Class. I'm wondering: is a current Sinm 903 a legit option? @Belligero is a Sinn fan and independents advocate...maybe he knows.

*(wtf is a "poke bowl" anyway?)

Sinn's 903 is definitely legit. They bought the rights to the Navitimer design fair and square from Breitling when they almost went bust in the '70s, so they're the only other watchmaker that can use it without being lame bitin'-ass mofos. Plus their crown-controlled internal bezel is a lot more water-resistant than Breitling's, which rotates on a full-case-diameter gasket that inevitably starts leaking.

Other than that, Sinn's a good company that has a very customer-friendly service policy, and one which I have no hesitation recommending for someone who wants a good no-bullshit watch — other than some of their unfortunate pandering-to-mall-ninjas stuff.

Though the U1 and the 856S UTC are long gone, I still wear the 356 UTC from time to time and think it's a very well-made watch:

Approved!


P.S. A poke bowl is something awesome.

 

[firenze_rob]

@BelligeroI have a U2 that I haven't worn in some time. All this Sinn talk makes me want to dust it off again. The finishing and price are hard to beat.

To your point, and i'm not Kurt B from TZ, but I believe Sinn bought the completed stock and the rights to the 806 and 809 design. O&W purchased the remaining parts and the rights to produce the 809/806 dial w/o the Navitimer name.

 

[dcg]



Sinn's 903 is definitely legit. They bought the rights to the Navitimer design fair and square from Breitling when they almost went bust in the '70s, so they're the only other watchmaker that can use it without being lame bitin'-ass mofos. Plus their crown-controlled internal bezel is a lot more water-resistant than Breitling's, which rotates on a full-case-diameter gasket that inevitably starts leaking.

Other than that, Sinn's a good company that has a very customer-friendly service policy, and one which I have no hesitation recommending for someone who wants a good no-bullshit watch — other than some of their unfortunate pandering-to-mall-ninjas stuff.

Though the U1 and the 856S UTC are long gone, I still wear the 356 UTC from time to time and think it's a very well-made watch:

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Approved!


P.S. A poke bowl is something awesome.

Interested in any thoughts you've got on that 856S UTC. Have been eyeing them on and off for a while now. Looks like you were starting to get some wear on the coating - do you feel that they "age gracefully" as the coating wears, or is it a bad look? If you were buying again, would you go with or without?

Also, thanks for sharing regarding Sinn buying the rights to the Navitimer - had never heard that!

 

[Dino944]

My kop should be here by the end of October. I will, naturally, share pics with you all. Nothing too big or momentous, but another little one watch contender to go along with my Sub.

Looking forward to seeing what will be keeping the Sub company in the future!

 

[Michigan Planner]



Sinn's 903 is definitely legit. They bought the rights to the Navitimer design fair and square from Breitling when they almost went bust in the '70s, so they're the only other watchmaker that can use it without being lame bitin'-ass mofos. Plus their crown-controlled internal bezel is a lot more water-resistant than Breitling's, which rotates on a full-case-diameter gasket that inevitably starts leaking.

Other than that, Sinn's a good company that has a very customer-friendly service policy, and one which I have no hesitation recommending for someone who wants a good no-bullshit watch — other than some of their unfortunate pandering-to-mall-ninjas stuff.

Though the U1 and the 856S UTC are long gone, I still wear the 356 UTC from time to time and think it's a very well-made watch:

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Very interesting about the Sinn and Brietling Navitimer connection. I had never known about that.

I love the 356 UTC in the picture. I don't think I've ever seen a 356 with the UTC complication. I have the 856 UTC and one of my favorite aspects of it is the splash of greenish-yellow color on the second hour hand and the "UTC" text. It looks even better on your 356 with the full outline of the hand.

As for having parted with your U1... I think of all the watches in my box, the U1 (or possibly the quartz Seiko Tuna) would be the last I would want to flip.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]



LeJour triple register chronos have been catching my eye recently as a reasonably priced vintage options. They usually have nice proportions/hands and reliable movements. Anyone here own one?

I don't own one, but I like them. Attractive, nicely sized for vintage (usually around 37-39 mm), and don't look like a "poor man's" version of another brand. The 1960's chronograph market is very hot, and I imagine that their prices might rise in the future as they are discovered by collectors who have been priced out of other models.

 

[Belligero]



Interested in any thoughts you've got on that 856S UTC. Have been eyeing them on and off for a while now. Looks like you were starting to get some wear on the coating - do you feel that they "age gracefully" as the coating wears, or is it a bad look? If you were buying again, would you go with or without?

Also, thanks for sharing regarding Sinn buying the rights to the Navitimer - had never heard that!

Well, I only had the 856 for a short time; I bought it directly from Sinn's factory in Frankfurt back in 2009, but it was originally for one of my brothers.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the blacked-out watch thing. Not only is it essentially useless, but it also makes a watch unrefinishable unless you strip the case down to bare parts and recoat the whole thing. Sinn's hardened steel makes it a better choice than most for a base since it's extremely scratch-resistant, but I much prefer the uncoated steel finish. (I advised my brother not to get the "S" version, but he wanted it at the time. As I predicted, he changed his mind, so the watch ended up back in my possession when he decided to sell it and get something else — a Rolex 16710. )

I just can't see any benefit to PVDing a wristwatch; it's guaranteed to wear off eventually unless the watch stays in a safe, it looks a bit cheap and nasty even when new, and it costs extra. I just see it as suffering for armchair-Rambo fashion. (Not that my brother fits that description; he just thought it looked cool and different, at least at first.)

Other that that, the 856 is a pretty decent watch. Not too bulky, extremely legible, and the SUG-manufactured case is of very high quality. That brother of mine is fairly rough on watches and the case didn't show any marks or dents on the steel base, and it was the just the stupid BBQ finish that showed signs of wear.

I took it on a ski trip once and thought it was pretty much ideal as a rugged and functional field watch. Personally, my two favourites from them are the 556i and the 356, but the 856 is typically no-bullshit German Sinn and I'm sure anyone who likes its somewhat stark look would be quite happy with it. Again, any independent company that supplies parts to local watchmakers deserves consideration. Really good guys to deal with, too.

Oh, and in case anyone doubts the effectiveness of Sinn's steel hardening, here's a photo of the 856's untreated clasp compared to the hardened version I opted for with my U1, which was worn as my offshore work watch for some often very-hands-on field tasks. I was amazed at how well their hardening process works; there was barely a mark on it after two years in the field, whereas my brother's (the lower one, obviously) looked like someone took an angle grinder to it despite living what should have been a rather coddled life as the off-duty watch for a water polo player:

I told you he didn't baby it.

 

[dcg]



Well, I only had the 856 for a short time; I bought it directly from Sinn's factory in Frankfurt back in 2009, but it was originally for one of my brothers.

Personally, I'm not a fan of the blacked-out watch thing. Not only is it essentially useless, but it also makes a watch unrefinishable unless you strip the case down to bare parts and recoat the whole thing. Sinn's hardened steel makes it a better choice than most for a base since it's extremely scratch-resistant, but I much prefer the uncoated steel finish. (I advised my brother not to get the "S" version, but he wanted it at the time. As I predicted, he changed his mind, so the watch ended up back in my possession when he decided to sell it and get something else — a Rolex 16710. )

I just can't see any benefit to PVDing a wristwatch; it's guaranteed to wear off eventually unless the watch stays in a safe, it looks a bit cheap and nasty even when new, and it costs extra. I just see it as suffering for armchair-Rambo fashion. (Not that my brother fits that description; he just thought it looked cool and different, at least at first.)

Other that that, the 856 is a pretty decent watch. Not too bulky, extremely legible, and the SUG-manufactured case is of very high quality. That brother of mine is fairly rough on watches and the case didn't show any marks or dents on the steel base, and it was the just the stupid BBQ finish that showed signs of wear.

I took it on a ski trip once and thought it was pretty much ideal as a rugged and functional field watch. Personally, my two favourites from them are the 556i and the 356, but the 856 is typically no-bullshit German Sinn and I'm sure anyone who likes its somewhat stark look would be quite happy with it. Again, any independent company that supplies parts to local watchmakers deserves consideration. Really good guys to deal with, too.

Oh, and in case anyone doubts the effectiveness of Sinn's steel hardening, here's a photo of the 856's untreated clasp compared to the hardened version I opted for with my U1, which was worn as my offshore work watch for some often very-hands-on field tasks. I was amazed at how well their hardening process works; there was barely a mark on it after two years in the field, whereas my brother's (the lower one, obviously) looked like someone took an angle grinder to it despite living what should have been a rather coddled life as the off-duty watch for a water polo player:

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

I told you he didn't baby it.

Exactly the info I was looking for. Has a suspicion I'd regret the PVD in the long run, and you've confirmed it. Thanks!

Very cool to see the effect of their hardening. Sounds like it'd make for a great daily beater.

 

[Belligero]



Very interesting about the Sinn and Brietling Navitimer connection. I had never known about that.

I love the 356 UTC in the picture. I don't think I've ever seen a 356 with the UTC complication. I have the 856 UTC and one of my favorite aspects of it is the splash of greenish-yellow color on the second hour hand and the "UTC" text. It looks even better on your 356 with the full outline of the hand.

As for having parted with your U1... I think of all the watches in my box, the U1 (or possibly the quartz Seiko Tuna) would be the last I would want to flip.

My pleasure; glad you found if to be of use.

Thanks; that 356 was the first decent watch I ever bought, and it's been with me on four continents so far. Agreed that a splash of colour adds a lot to the appeal, and I find that the offset-hour-hand complication makes it a bit more special than your usual 7750, as well as being useful to see what time it is back home in Canada. I'm not a fan of the extraneous day window on the standard version, either, so the cleaner look of this model is appreciated. And I think they've aced the mechanical pilot's chronograph with the 356 and the 103; the surprisingly-charming dial has the kind of thorough and subtle attention to detail that very few companies who aren't called Nomos seem to be able to muster these days.

Although I respect the U1's originality and quality, it wasn't really my style and I found that I didn't wear it much when I wasn't offshore. Still a watch I'd recommend without reservation, though; it's rare to see a fresh design that doesn't suck in the cliché-ridden diver's watch genre.

 

[pmeis]

Wore my Nomos Ludwig to my Bro-in-law's wedding a couple of weekends ago and had a slight epiphany. I've worn that watch about 10 times this year, with most of those being for wedding's and while I like the watch a lot, it's size and the way it wears was keeping me from properly enjoying it. I did buy it as a dress watch, but I thought I would get more wear out of it than I did. I realized that I only want pieces that I would basically wear everyday. So I decided that both the Damasko and Ludwig would go and I found a swinging deal on another Nomos to take the Ludwig's place while being a better everyday wear.


I briefly had the "Urban Grey" version of this last year at the same time as I got the Ludwig and kept the Ludwig since it "served a purpose". For whatever reason though, the white version of the Metro Datum looks much better on the wrist to me and I kind of wish I had done this sooner. And while it wouldn't be most people's choice for a dress watch, it'll handle those infrequent duties well enough.

With the GO 70s being serviced, I'm currently left with just these two very different takes on manual watches on hand.

 

[Ambulance Chaser]



Yes, Omega shamelessly releases special editions. It really does denigrate the otherwise sterling reputation of the original Speedy. With that said, there are a few special editions that I find aesthetically pleasing.

The new Omega Speedmaster CK2998 is pretty sweet. It's really a throwback watch. You don't see that many manual-wind, panda chronographs under 40 mm anymore.

 

[pmeis]

The new Omega Speedmaster CK2998 is pretty sweet. It's really a throwback watch. You don't see that many manual-wind, panda chronographs under 40 mm anymore.

Agreed. They really nailed it. Coincidentally, just had a dealer email me five seconds ago to tell me thy got one in unaccounted for. Not that there aren't ones available on the secondary market now for slightly less than retail.

 

[rnguy001]

it's amazing. The Poke. The watch is awesome too. Congrats again!

Poké is a hawaiian dish that is like chirashi but the fish is marinated. It's a latest lunch craze in NYC.

@Keith T Val. 7736