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myscrnnm

macrumors 68000
Sep 16, 2014
1,941
1,660
Seattle, WA
3BFD1238-02A2-4E31-9DC8-001A6157CD5F.jpeg


38mm Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Geographic 142.8.92 with custom Camille Fournet ostrich strap in lapis lazuli.
 

CooperBox

macrumors 68000
View attachment 1986226

Its been wash day on the collection today. I'm looking at selling the Tudor Black Bay.

I have my eyes on a Girard Perregaux Laureato. Something a little bit different from the Rolex family.
Expensive collection. Enjoy!
I guess my taste in watches has matured with age. Disregarding monetary values, to be honest the only one here I'd covet the most and wear is the Tudor, but only an all steel version. I recently gave my DateJust Oyster 1601 to my son as I rarely wore it and now occasionally wear an IWC or vintage Jaeger LeCoultre which give far more pleasure.
 
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CooperBox

macrumors 68000
A really excellent piece. Enjoy!
I've been a great fan of Seiko watches for years, but have recently discovered the fascinating history of Citizen. For goodness sake, what took me so long......!
I've read up a great deal especially about their Eco Drive movement. It's a fascinating story. So much so that I've purchased more than one. Must find time to post a few photos and give you my view on these somewhat underestimated watches.
 

CooperBox

macrumors 68000
IMG_7756.jpg


Nothing too fancy. Picked this up last year for my daily - Seiko "Arnie", the re-issue.
I admire your choice of Seiko. In fact only 2 years ago I would never have contemplated purchasing a solar powered movement, but much research reading has changed my view, and I've now become far more educated about 'lesser expensive' watch movements in general.
 

GMShadow

macrumors 68020
Jun 8, 2021
2,123
8,671
The original model didn't have a solar layer, that was one tweak Seiko made for the re-issue. It did make it a *little* thicker (and the original was thick enough) but I've got a big wrist, so it doesn't bother me too much for the benefit overall.
 

CooperBox

macrumors 68000
View attachment 1988000

38mm Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Geographic 142.8.92 with custom Camille Fournet ostrich strap in lapis lazuli.
A wonderful watch! Now that just oozes Class (with a capital 'C').
My son has been nuturing the idea of getting himself a Rolex Submariner for some time - says that the main dealer won't even order him one. I'm trying deperately to discourage him, suggesting he gets either a JLC, an IWC Portofino, Breguet type XX Aeronavale or Transatlantique. All of which imho offer far more for the money plus exclusiveness.
 
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Herdfan

macrumors 65816
Apr 11, 2011
1,359
7,912
My son has been nuturing the idea of getting himself a Rolex Submariner for some time -

But they are damn near indestructible. The one in the pic above, that is still the original crystal. And I work in it, play softball in it and basically treat it like a cheap Timex. But it survives.

Also have a TH Tiger Woods Edition still in the box. Friend who managed a jewelry store talked me into buying it. Might be worth something, someday.
 
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Pilot Jones

macrumors 6502a
Oct 2, 2020
891
1,675
But they are damn near indestructible.

So are a lot of other amazing watches from brands in the same price bracket that don't come with the headache of trying to get past Rolex's fake scarcity to acquire a Sub for retail nowadays.

The Rolex Submariner is a well-built watch, but everyone else has has either caught up or well outstripped it. That mythos of the Sub being the only do-everything watch is old news. The Sub (and Rolex itself) has stagnated while everyone else has made phenomenal strides in every way, be it durability, chronological utility or just pure artisanship.
 

zagato27

macrumors 68000
Aug 10, 2003
1,541
3,653
The Hill
Here is my collection.
Seiko Tortoise SRPH17, Citizen 2100, Casio G-Shock G-5600UE-1JF, Bulova Lunar Pilot, Hamilton Khaki Automatic 42mm and Seiko Turtle SRPE93. Maybe not glamorous as other collections but I am enjoying it.
My Lunar Pilot is just coming back from repair(Bulova/Citizen repair facility in CA)...for the second time! Hopefully, they will have repaired it properly this time. The large second hand was "parking" at the 57 minute mark. Worked for a month, then it started parking at the 03 mark. Sooooo, aggravating. Also, the first time I sent it in they told me that the second hand had scratches and marks. Geeez, the watch was purchased new by my wife and had never been seen by any watch repair shop. So how exactly did the second had get "damaged"? We also went back and forth on warranty repair as their site says 3 yrs and the watch is 2yrs old. I'll be really happy if it works correctly as I love the face of this watch. I'm using a variety of nato straps. What strap are you using? Please post a link. Cheers
 

kawalerzysta

macrumors regular
Oct 28, 2013
234
208
Tobyhanna, PA
My Lunar Pilot is just coming back from repair(Bulova/Citizen repair facility in CA)...for the second time! Hopefully, they will have repaired it properly this time. The large second hand was "parking" at the 57 minute mark. Worked for a month, then it started parking at the 03 mark. Sooooo, aggravating. Also, the first time I sent it in they told me that the second hand had scratches and marks. Geeez, the watch was purchased new by my wife and had never been seen by any watch repair shop. So how exactly did the second had get "damaged"? We also went back and forth on warranty repair as their site says 3 yrs and the watch is 2yrs old. I'll be really happy if it works correctly as I love the face of this watch. I'm using a variety of nato straps. What strap are you using? Please post a link. Cheers
Quick question. Did you try to reset your chronometer second hand? It is fairly common for those hands to move to different position. It may happen if you bump into something, battery change etc. When I bought my Lunar Pilot, at the store chronometer hand and split second (small dial on the right) were out of whack. I showed salesperson how to adjust it. Took about minute or less. Pull crown all the way and use pushers that are below and above the crown to adjust each hand. Basically you are advancing each hand. You can hold each button to speed it up, and just stop before correct position and keep pressing each button till you get to desired resting position. I believe button above crown is for chronometer hand and below crown is for split second if my memory serves me correct. You can try to move it now and it should be working :)
 
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zagato27

macrumors 68000
Aug 10, 2003
1,541
3,653
The Hill
Quick question. Did you try to reset your chronometer second hand? It is fairly common for those hands to move to different position. It may happen if you bump into something, battery change etc. When I bought my Lunar Pilot, at the store chronometer hand and split second (small dial on the right) were out of whack. I showed salesperson how to adjust it. Took about minute or less. Pull crown all the way and use pushers that are below and above the crown to adjust each hand. Basically you are advancing each hand. You can hold each button to speed it up, and just stop before correct position and keep pressing each button till you get to desired resting position. I believe button above crown is for chronometer hand and below crown is for split second if my memory serves me correct. You can try to move it now and it should be working :)
Good info. If it happens again I'll give it a go. So what strap have you got on yours? Photo and link would be good. Cheers
 

kawalerzysta

macrumors regular
Oct 28, 2013
234
208
Tobyhanna, PA
Good info. If it happens again I'll give it a go. So what strap have you got on yours? Photo and link would be good. Cheers
It is Hirsch Liberty 20mm strap.
I have it also on my Hamilton. Just FYI strap is pretty thick, but it is also comfortable. It is not cheap like Amazon specials but its worth its cost. Long Island Watch is very good business so you can buy with confidence from the.
 

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zagato27

macrumors 68000
Aug 10, 2003
1,541
3,653
The Hill
It is Hirsch Liberty 20mm strap.
I have it also on my Hamilton. Just FYI strap is pretty thick, but it is also comfortable. It is not cheap like Amazon specials but its worth its cost. Long Island Watch is very good business so you can buy with confidence from the.
Thanks, I'll look into it.
 

myscrnnm

macrumors 68000
Sep 16, 2014
1,941
1,660
Seattle, WA
My latest acquisition, and a watch I've wanted for quite some time. I think looking at MoonSwatch prices on the secondary market motivated me to finally just go and get one. For those unfamiliar with this watch, it's the Omega Speedmaster Skywalker X-33. The original X-33s were actually made in collaboration with NASA, and qualified for use on manned missions, including the Space Shuttle. The Skywalker is the third generation, and was this time developed with input from the ESA, and is currently in use aboard the ISS. The Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch remains the only watch qualified by NASA for EVAs, due to the negative effects of extreme temperature on the LCD and quartz oscillator of the X-33.

The X-33 has several features that make it suited for use on space missions. There are dedicated modes for recording mission elapsed time and phase elapsed time, good for up to 999 days. All the metallic components of the watch's exterior are made from grade 2 and 5 titanium (I can barely feel it on my wrist despite the imposing 45mm case diameter). The alarm is rated at 80 decibels, and uses a special acoustic chamber on the caseback to achieve this feat. The calibre 5619 digi-analog movement is also thermo-compensated to maintain accuracy during extreme temperature fluctuations.

Improvements on the Skywalker over the first two generations include a matte ceramic bezel insert, and a more conventional negative three-line LCD that can display more information than the circular display that was originally inspired by the Omega Multifunction from the late 1980s.

As a bonus, I didn't realize until after I purchased this watch that it has the eroneous "Tested and certified by ESA" engraving on the caseback. Neither NASA nor ESA do certifications for watches, and this was corrected to "Tested and qualified by ESA" on later models. According to ESA archives, only the first one hundred watches produced read "certified" on the back. I have seen Skywalker X-33s being sold as late as 2015 (a year after its initial release) with the "certified" caseback. This combined with the fact that the limited edition Solar Impulse Skywalker X-33 is still in stock and available on Omega's website despite having been released several years ago and is limited to 1,924 numbered pieces, lead me to believe that there are very few Skywalker X-33s in the wild. Although this would be unsurprising since most watch collectors are reluctant to spend $6,000 on a quartz watch.

While the X-33 doesn't have the gravitas of being the "first watch worn on the Moon," it really appeals to me because it's a watch that was actually built from the ground up for a very specific purpose, and with a lot of input from the people who would actually be using them (the calibre 5619 actually has a patent invented by astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy). The instruction manual also uses examples of both an airplane flight and a space mission to illustrate how the MET and PET functions can be used, which I thought was pretty cool, since it simultaneously gives users a practical application for a very niche function, while also educating them on how actual astronauts use this watch in space.
tempImageK8wSgy.jpg
tempImageDkruk0.jpg
tempImageMQ5b9l.jpg
 

circatee

Contributor
Nov 30, 2014
4,503
3,064
Georgia, USA
My latest acquisition, and a watch I've wanted for quite some time. I think looking at MoonSwatch prices on the secondary market motivated me to finally just go and get one. For those unfamiliar with this watch, it's the Omega Speedmaster Skywalker X-33. The original X-33s were actually made in collaboration with NASA, and qualified for use on manned missions, including the Space Shuttle. The Skywalker is the third generation, and was this time developed with input from the ESA, and is currently in use aboard the ISS. The Speedmaster Professional Moonwatch remains the only watch qualified by NASA for EVAs, due to the negative effects of extreme temperature on the LCD and quartz oscillator of the X-33.

The X-33 has several features that make it suited for use on space missions. There are dedicated modes for recording mission elapsed time and phase elapsed time, good for up to 999 days. All the metallic components of the watch's exterior are made from grade 2 and 5 titanium (I can barely feel it on my wrist despite the imposing 45mm case diameter). The alarm is rated at 80 decibels, and uses a special acoustic chamber on the caseback to achieve this feat. The calibre 5619 digi-analog movement is also thermo-compensated to maintain accuracy during extreme temperature fluctuations.

Improvements on the Skywalker over the first two generations include a matte ceramic bezel insert, and a more conventional negative three-line LCD that can display more information than the circular display that was originally inspired by the Omega Multifunction from the late 1980s.

As a bonus, I didn't realize until after I purchased this watch that it has the eroneous "Tested and certified by ESA" engraving on the caseback. Neither NASA nor ESA do certifications for watches, and this was corrected to "Tested and qualified by ESA" on later models. According to ESA archives, only the first one hundred watches produced read "certified" on the back. I have seen Skywalker X-33s being sold as late as 2015 (a year after its initial release) with the "certified" caseback. This combined with the fact that the limited edition Solar Impulse Skywalker X-33 is still in stock and available on Omega's website despite having been released several years ago and is limited to 1,924 numbered pieces, lead me to believe that there are very few Skywalker X-33s in the wild. Although this would be unsurprising since most watch collectors are reluctant to spend $6,000 on a quartz watch.

While the X-33 doesn't have the gravitas of being the "first watch worn on the Moon," it really appeals to me because it's a watch that was actually built from the ground up for a very specific purpose, and with a lot of input from the people who would actually be using them (the calibre 5619 actually has a patent invented by astronaut Jean-Francois Clervoy). The instruction manual also uses examples of both an airplane flight and a space mission to illustrate how the MET and PET functions can be used, which I thought was pretty cool, since it simultaneously gives users a practical application for a very niche function, while also educating them on how actual astronauts use this watch in space.
View attachment 2011808 View attachment 2011807 View attachment 2011809
Now, that is NICE!
And, even nicer since this was one you wanted for a while. Satisfying to finally get it...
 
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myscrnnm

macrumors 68000
Sep 16, 2014
1,941
1,660
Seattle, WA
Now, that is NICE!
And, even nicer since this was one you wanted for a while. Satisfying to finally get it...
Thanks! Definitely very happy to have this in the collection. Now seeing it on my wrist, I'm getting the confidence I could potentially pull off the Speedmaster Apollo 8 "Dark Side of the Moon" at 44mm...
 
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