Watch Out or Watch on? Pt 2.
- Thread starter didimauw
- Start date
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The Night Watch. Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Good Planet GMT, bought in 2016. Has great persistent lume and highly reflective rhodium plate on the indices and hands, ideal for the dark hours.
Mine is the current titanium model with date and depth rating to 500m (1,640 ft).
The earlier models had Rolex crowns, mine is simply stamped with the Tudor logo.
Fantastic tool watches whichever the model, I'm just not impressed with the powder blue version.
Jay.
I can't speak for the United States, but in Europe a watch manufacturer must necessarily supply the market with spare parts for the next 25 years when selling watches. Be it Rolex, Patek Phillipe or Tissot.Why I love watches:
Rolex stats
Production output 1.05 million pieces (2021)[1] Revenue $13 billion (2021)[2] Owner Hans Wilsdorf Foundation Number of employees 30,000
Subsidiary Tudor stats
Headquarters Geneva
,
SwitzerlandProduction output c. 200,000 (2015)[1] Number of employees 194 (2016)
My watchmaker friend John Martin just hated Rolex.
Not because they were bad watches, because they wouldn’t sell him parts. Martin would have a customer with a Rolex that needed a service, and the innards of a Rolex are all doing exactly the same thing as any other automatic watch. Martin knew how to service any watch, even high end minute repeaters.
(When Lake of the Ozarks country legend Lee Mace died in a tragic airplane accident when an experimental aircraft he was riding in struck a boat dock, it was John Martin who rescued Mace’s $30,000 minute repeater. He was a master watchmaker.)
Until the Black Bay, all modern Tudor watches used a modified ETA 2824 movement, the same as my Tissots. Until recent times Martin could buy parts for an ETA movement.
Today not only is a Black Bay made by the same manufacturer as Rolex it has an in house Tudor caliber.
When Martin was old enough for full Social Security and Medicare he retired to his farm. His watch shop is now a barber shop.
If you spend $9,000 or $4,000 on a Rolex product when it needs service you’ll have to have a Rolex technician service it. There’s nothing inside a Rolex or Tudor magical but each has more than a hundred parts and each tiny little part will have a part number.
The exact, same thing occurs between an Orient and Orient Star.
My $120 Bambio Orient and $340 Orient Star Classic were both made by Epson, part of the Seiko group.
If you own an Orient product then to keep it original it must be serviced by Orient.
But if you just want a good watch, the Seiko NH35 series can be inserted by anybody in a simple Orient on their back deck. If it has complications, then it needs sent to Orient.
And if you buy a two dollar grade watchmaker’s loupe, the differences between an Orient and Orient Star are real, apparent, and obvious.
Spend mo’ money, get mo’ better!.
Rolex? I no longer care about their products. I have a 5 Digit Submariner. It gets little wrist time these days.
Don’t get me wrong, it is a beautiful watch. But it’s become so cliche that there are very few occasions that I’ll want to wear it. Even then, I feel like some pretentious jackass.
I’ve been enjoying my Tudor watches. They wear like my old Sub but don’t scream for attention. I wear watches for myself.
An IWC Mark XVIII is a watch I’ve been recently eyeing. Restrained, under the radar and timeless. Another I could wear everyday.
The Tudor Ranger that I recently purchased has become my current everyday watch. I have been wearing it to the exclusion of all others.
A simple strap change and this versatile watch goes with every situation.
Don’t get me wrong, it is a beautiful watch. But it’s become so cliche that there are very few occasions that I’ll want to wear it. Even then, I feel like some pretentious jackass.
I’ve been enjoying my Tudor watches. They wear like my old Sub but don’t scream for attention. I wear watches for myself.
An IWC Mark XVIII is a watch I’ve been recently eyeing. Restrained, under the radar and timeless. Another I could wear everyday.
The Tudor Ranger that I recently purchased has become my current everyday watch. I have been wearing it to the exclusion of all others.
A simple strap change and this versatile watch goes with every situation.
Amazing how a different band can change the personality of a watch
My wife bought me a Seiko that I wore for many, many years however when I retired which was back in 2002 I took it off put it away in my bureau and haven't worn a watch since............................
The Casio Protrek purchased less than a month ago had the hour hand freeze up, so back to Costco it went (love their return policy). Gave me an excuse to get something I’ve wanted for awhile
Still deciding between the Mark XVIII pictured…
..or the recently released Mark XX.
The Mark 18 (above) was in production from 2016 until being replaced by the Mark 20 in 2022.
Price aside, which do you prefer?
IWC Mark XX
..or the recently released Mark XX.
The Mark 18 (above) was in production from 2016 until being replaced by the Mark 20 in 2022.
Price aside, which do you prefer?
IWC Mark XX
I do as well. The changes are numerous, although to someone unfamiliar-both appear similar.
The newer Mark XX has been shortened (lug to lug) from 51mm to 49mm, making it “less” of a Pilot’s watch. It also has polished hands and bezel making it blingy for a tool watch. The date wheel is white rather than the “dial matching” black of the Mark XVIII.
However, the new Mark XX has a 120 hour power reserve in an in house (debatable) movement; a significant upgrade to the 42 hour power reserve of the Mark XVIII.
Personally, on my 7.5” (19cm) wrist (pictured), I prefer the dimensions of the older version, which is also thicker at 11mm vs 10.2mm.
40mm x 11mm is a sweet spot in watches for me and the Pilot-style, longer lug width, I like quite a bit.
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@Grangerous
40mm x 11mm is a sweet spot in watches for me and the Pilot-style, longer lug width, I like quite a bit.
Totally agree with that sentiment ,
40mm is perfect size for me with 41
Depending on the Watch and 39 - below is too feminine or dressy for me.
I’ve always been a Submariner guy and 40mm has become second nature for me.
40mm x 11mm is a sweet spot in watches for me and the Pilot-style, longer lug width, I like quite a bit.
Totally agree with that sentiment ,
40mm is perfect size for me with 41
Depending on the Watch and 39 - below is too feminine or dressy for me.
I’ve always been a Submariner guy and 40mm has become second nature for me.
Impulse purchase this weekend.
Decided to take a 110 mile motorcycle run to pick up my “new to me” gently worn IWC Mark XVIII.
Forgive the sunscreen, pollen and my fingerprints. I wore it home via motorcycle.
One of the coolest features of this watch is the double-domed crystal and the use of anti-reflective coating - which in harsh light gives the dial a fluorescent blue.
Indirect lighting returns the dial to a rich black.
No regrets with opting for the Mark XVIII over the latest version, the Mark XX.
*******************
On edit. One extremely pleasing benefit is that IWC’s Warranty extends to the Watch for 8 Years! I registered the watch online and it’s previous owner had purchased it 10 months ago… my Warranty is good until August of 2031 !!!
Let’s hope I’m still here.
Forgive the sunscreen, pollen and my fingerprints. I wore it home via motorcycle.
One of the coolest features of this watch is the double-domed crystal and the use of anti-reflective coating - which in harsh light gives the dial a fluorescent blue.
Indirect lighting returns the dial to a rich black.
No regrets with opting for the Mark XVIII over the latest version, the Mark XX.
*******************
On edit. One extremely pleasing benefit is that IWC’s Warranty extends to the Watch for 8 Years! I registered the watch online and it’s previous owner had purchased it 10 months ago… my Warranty is good until August of 2031 !!!
Let’s hope I’m still here.
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Junkers JU 52 is the aircraft depicted on the case back.
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Beautiful Watch !Decided to take a 110 mile motorcycle run to pick up my “new to me” gently worn IWC Mark XVIII.
View attachment 315156
Forgive the sunscreen, pollen and my fingerprints. I wore it home via motorcycle.
View attachment 315157
One of the coolest features of this watch is the double-domed crystal and the use of anti-reflective coating - which in harsh light gives the dial a fluorescent blue.
View attachment 315158
Indirect lighting returns the dial to a rich black.
View attachment 315160
No regrets with opting for the Mark XVIII over the latest version, the Mark XX.
*******************
On edit. One extremely pleasing benefit is that IWC’s Warranty extends to the Watch for 8 Years! I registered the watch online and it’s previous owner had purchased it 10 months ago… my Warranty is good until August of 2031 !!!
Let’s hope I’m still here.