How did your passion for watches begin?
Discussion
coyft said:
I've often thought about buying a watch, but have very little knowledge of them.
What's the best way to learn to appreciate the craftsmanship and quality?
I feel a little embarassed going into a shop and asking to look and try them on.
Don't be embarassed, have a look & try a few. Buy what you personally like, not what is fashionable.What's the best way to learn to appreciate the craftsmanship and quality?
I feel a little embarassed going into a shop and asking to look and try them on.
There is a lot of watch brand snobbery, try not to take too much notice of it.
i was given some pocket watches when i was little, promptly took them apart and was fasinated, but could not put them back together, Never give a child with screw drivers a decent watch.
but i have been hooked since, i remember an orange seiko chrono on a friend of my dads had me fasinated, i started on casio digital watches, now still love them and wear a G shock watch every day (ToughSolar/Waveceptor), as i am very hard on watches, but not intentially.
i have a passion for analogue watches, i have a automatic citizen divers, which i love but destroy the strap,sadly in a drawer now
a couple of old swiss mechanical manual winds from car boot sale (now working, i got better with screw drivers),
but overall I love watches, reguardless of their cost, or snobbery. if i like it its cool.
want a Traser H3 classic pro blue, because i like blue lights out of stocktill mar 08,
tempted to get an omega speedmaster, just waiting to find a good one,
on list for a daytona, but not a keeper, a millgauss is the goal.
but show me a casio protech and i go starry eyes.
too many watches to buy, not enough funds. but looking is half the fun.
but i have been hooked since, i remember an orange seiko chrono on a friend of my dads had me fasinated, i started on casio digital watches, now still love them and wear a G shock watch every day (ToughSolar/Waveceptor), as i am very hard on watches, but not intentially.
i have a passion for analogue watches, i have a automatic citizen divers, which i love but destroy the strap,sadly in a drawer now
a couple of old swiss mechanical manual winds from car boot sale (now working, i got better with screw drivers),
but overall I love watches, reguardless of their cost, or snobbery. if i like it its cool.
want a Traser H3 classic pro blue, because i like blue lights out of stocktill mar 08,
tempted to get an omega speedmaster, just waiting to find a good one,
on list for a daytona, but not a keeper, a millgauss is the goal.
but show me a casio protech and i go starry eyes.
too many watches to buy, not enough funds. but looking is half the fun.
When I was about 13 years old I was bought a see through Swatch for my birthday. Didn't really have an interest in them before that, so I blame my parents! Then got a Longines Conquest for my 18th (still have it in the cupboard with box and papers) and always liked them ever since...
When my father gave a wartime Breitling Luftwaffe Navigator watch to my elder brother. He had "acquired" it when the navigator baled out of a stricken Dornier and landed on the roof where my Dad was on firewatch. I was only 17 when my brother got it but swore one day to own a really good watch - or three!
lowdrag said:
When my father gave a wartime Breitling Luftwaffe Navigator watch to my elder brother. He had "acquired" it when the navigator baled out of a stricken Dornier and landed on the roof where my Dad was on firewatch.
Now that's a cool story! I think a watch with a story is far more valuable than any diamond smothered bit of 'bling' regardless of brand or original value. Don1 said:
I always, always wanted a TAG in the 90's. No idea why. Had loads of casios etc, lots of different kinds, and I am a very time-orientated person. Guess it was a logical step.
(I also collect Zippos - don't know that that says!)
I have several Zippo's as well, with a very special and quite rare one i beleive as they were handed out in a club on new years eve 1999 / 2000(I also collect Zippos - don't know that that says!
)It has engraved in the front a little cat with Leopard Clubs Y2K on it.
Apparently they only handed them out at this specific club, although i dont know that for sure. Sorry its not for sale.
Bunglist said:
I have several Zippo's as well, with a very special and quite rare one i beleive as they were handed out in a club on new years eve 1999 / 2000
It has engraved in the front a little cat with Leopard Clubs Y2K on it.
Apparently they only handed them out at this specific club, although i dont know that for sure. Sorry its not for sale.
You can't tease me like that!!!It has engraved in the front a little cat with Leopard Clubs Y2K on it.
Apparently they only handed them out at this specific club, although i dont know that for sure. Sorry its not for sale.
It's OK - I've got a few that would comfortably go over the ammount you'd expect to pay for them - including one of 200 made in the world (Camel Ultra Lights), and some very rare Vietnam ones. Alos have 4 Hells Angels ones - they are cool. Which reminds me - I really need to inventory them....
I also make my own - if I want one that I can't have, then I make it.
Currently making a large club collection - different labels, clubs and substances, imortalised in Zippo form.
<edited for crassness>
Edited by Don1 on Tuesday 4th December 15:29
I like a watch to have a bit of history or pedigree behind it, particularly on an aviation/space level. I've always wanted a Speedmaster Pro because of the astronaut connection, particularly as the NASA watches were pretty much showroom stock with very minor modifications. I view this as similar to buying a urQuattro, Integrale or E30 M3. A watch 'homologation special' almost.
Currently own a Fortis Cosmonaut auto for similar reasons. It's just the day/date, and so not exactly the ISS crew issue item (which is either the Cosmonaut chrono and B42 Cosmonaut chrono IIRC), but AFAIK is built pretty much to the same standard and has the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre emblem on the case back.
On a pure aviation front, I also fancy an IWC MkXV or XVi in the future; they are (distantly) descended from the watches issued to all the Spit and Hurri pilots during WW2.
Having said all this, I remember when a black resin plastic Casio alarm/chrono 'water-resistant' to 100M was the be-all-and-end-all when I was 13...
Currently own a Fortis Cosmonaut auto for similar reasons. It's just the day/date, and so not exactly the ISS crew issue item (which is either the Cosmonaut chrono and B42 Cosmonaut chrono IIRC), but AFAIK is built pretty much to the same standard and has the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre emblem on the case back.
On a pure aviation front, I also fancy an IWC MkXV or XVi in the future; they are (distantly) descended from the watches issued to all the Spit and Hurri pilots during WW2.
Having said all this, I remember when a black resin plastic Casio alarm/chrono 'water-resistant' to 100M was the be-all-and-end-all when I was 13...
My father still wears every day the 18k gold Omega manual he was given for his 21st birthday in 1957 - that made me want an Omega from an early age. I bought my first ( a quartz Seamaster) for my 19th birthday and now have too many.
This is known amongst my extended family, and one Christmas several years ago my aunt (mum's eldest sister) quietly presented me with the Omega her uncle had been wearing when he was shot down and killed in his spitfire during the battle of britain....... I rarely wear it as its a bit twee on my wrist but do occasionally.
Most days for work I wear the Ti Seamaster chrono
'cos love it and it weighs so little.
This is known amongst my extended family, and one Christmas several years ago my aunt (mum's eldest sister) quietly presented me with the Omega her uncle had been wearing when he was shot down and killed in his spitfire during the battle of britain....... I rarely wear it as its a bit twee on my wrist but do occasionally.
Most days for work I wear the Ti Seamaster chrono
'cos love it and it weighs so little.I've inherited from my dad, he was always stopping to look at jewellers windows and had a couple of nice watches but nothing fancy. He bought me a Festina for my 18th which i loved and then for my 21st bought me an Omega Speedmaster day/date. I've worn it every day for the last 3.5 years and I hope that I'll keep it forever.
Ill buy him a watch when I can afford it... one day
Ill buy him a watch when I can afford it... one day
My partner bought me a watch for xmas 2 years ago,i then started looking them up on the internet and became interested in all aspects of the hobbie,i have had some truly pieces in the past couple of years and currently have a nice collection which varies from pin pallet Smiths mechanicals through to Iwc and Breitling etc,its bloody addictive and you dont need a garage to keep them in
Sort of started for me when just as I was about to graduate from Uni I lost my then watch (an Avia, quartz stainless steel) and my mum offered to buy me a watch for as a graduation present. Mum didn't have much money but after much searching we found a Tissot Seastar in stainless, it was around £70 which back in 1988 was a stretch for my mum, but it was bought and I still have it and still love it.
It really kicked off though when I got a job in Geneva in 2000 and, as an engineer, became fascinated (my young lady would say obsessed) with the cratfsmanship of the mechanical watches on disply in the shiney windows of Geneva. Eventually bought an IWC Portofino as a dress watch. Then, as I was travelling a lot, I got an Oris XXL Worldtimer for it's really clever two time zone function and recently acquired a Gerrard Perregaux Traveller with alrm function. Also picked up a Tissot PR50 chrongraph along the way and a four watch winder for the IWC, Oris and GP.
Nothing really catching my eye at the moment but that extra space in the winder does look kind of empty!
It really kicked off though when I got a job in Geneva in 2000 and, as an engineer, became fascinated (my young lady would say obsessed) with the cratfsmanship of the mechanical watches on disply in the shiney windows of Geneva. Eventually bought an IWC Portofino as a dress watch. Then, as I was travelling a lot, I got an Oris XXL Worldtimer for it's really clever two time zone function and recently acquired a Gerrard Perregaux Traveller with alrm function. Also picked up a Tissot PR50 chrongraph along the way and a four watch winder for the IWC, Oris and GP.
Nothing really catching my eye at the moment but that extra space in the winder does look kind of empty!
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