Topic: Watch Nerds?

[srbakker]

I admit it, I'm a watch nerd.  There's something about all the tiny, highly precise gears in a mechanical watch that I imagine appeals to gear heads beyond just myself.  It's like a tiny, super precise transmission on your wrist...

I have a fair collection of pieces ranging from very affordable to somewhat less affordable (nothing truly expensive here), and I actually have started a small microbrand for myself after I couldn't find something I had been looking for.

I thought I'd throw a few pictures out there for interests' sake.  If you've got a few cool ones yourself, post them up!

Hamilton Jazzmaster Viewmatic - my first "real" watch, here on a python strap on my old Yammie turntable (hipster cred!)


HEXA Special Edition dive watch, sitting on my autoclave at work.  Automatic, water resistant to 500m.


Sinn EZM3, highly German in that it's insanely over engineered.  This is a hardened steel case, filled with argon...  Only the Germans.


Helson Blackbeard dive watch - my kids gave me this for my birthday two years ago, and it's one of my absolute favorites.  How could it not be?



My Steinhart Apollon - full titanium case and bracelet with a bronze bezel and a surprising amount of heft for titanium.


And these are my own design, the first model from my own little company, www.riverwatchco.com - my Tiber diver.  I wanted a 50s-60s style super compressor style dive watch and couldn't find one I liked and could afford, so I made my own.

[RAFster122s]

Neat.

I like your collection.  A friend has a unique collection of watches some being quite large...forgot the brands.

David

[Bailgang]

When an older brother of mine was in Japan during the Viet Nam war he bought our dad a Seiko Automatic wrist watch and my dad wore it for years before he gave it to me. I had it for quite a while as well until I left it in my pants pocket and it went through the washing machine.

On another note my dad had an old pocket watch that was given to him by my grandfather on my dad's 21 birthday, it was a family tradition to give that watch to a son that hadn't lit a cigarette by the age of 21. My dad of course had the intention of giving it to one my brothers or myself but all of us started the smoking habit before 21 so he never gave it to us. My dad passed many years ago and I have no clue what happened to that pocket watch but in order to keep the tradition alive when both my boys turned 21 and neither smokes I instead got on ebay and picked up a Seiko Automatic for both of them with clear instructions that their watch was theirs to do as they please so long as they take care of it and don't lose it so they can pass it on to their kids when and if they turn 21 and haven't lit a cigarette.

[srbakker]

Nice, Bailgang.  I should try something like that with my kids (except that they have already mentally divided up my collection, I think).

[Retro Rocket]

I have a Seiko automatic divers watch i've worn almost every day since I got it in the early 1980's, it loses a little time at the moment so its due for a service, but its a great watch, I bought one for my sons 21st birthday... ...

[Steve F]

I'm not a collector, but I still have one of these that my fiance' bought me as a wedding present back in 1972.  The alligator skin band has long since bit the dust.

[srbakker]

Bulova Accutron Spaceview!  Nice!  I've looked for one in nice shape, but they're getting pricier.  There's now a reissue too, but it lacks the charm of the original.

[Bailgang]

I have a Seiko automatic divers watch i've worn almost every day since I got it in the early 1980's, it loses a little time at the moment so its due for a service, but its a great watch, I bought one for my sons 21st birthday... ...

My dad wore his for decades before giving it to me so it was in need of service pretty bad by the time I got it so I took it to a local jeweler to have it cleaned up and working like new. Nothing fancy about it but when the jeweler laid eyes on it a big smile came across his face and he said he wished he had 100 of them so it must've been a good watch, it turned out he was a Viet Nam vet and knew exactly where my brother probably bought the watch from. Unfortunately shortly after having it serviced is when it went through the washing machine and got tore up pretty bad.