The Official Watch Thread.

[KungFooBob]

I've got the plastic one, it's always scratched to fuck.

Just shows how rufty tufty I is.

The plastic (hesalite) is easier to polish the scratches out... but the sapphire is harder to scratch.

Oh, and the sapphire one has a sapphire glass back panel so you can watch the movement like some kind of saddo.

Yeah, I’ve got the hesalite manual wind one as well. They stopped doing them a few years ago - I think I got one of the last ones.

The current 2021 manual model comes in two versions. The Hesalite or the Sapphire. The current movement is the 3861, is yours a 1861?

[wheelnut]

The current 2021 manual model comes in two versions. The Hesalite or the Sapphire. The current movement is the 3861, is yours a 1861?

It’s the hesalite 3861, bought in 2022.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I've worn my 1861 with the plastic "crystal" more than any other watch for the last ~20 years. It does have small scratches on the face yes, but it's not like you can see them unless you look for them.

I used to worry about Brassoing them away, now I don't bother.

Incidentally they've more than quadrupled in price in the time I've had one. Can't see any reason for that other than "because we can", even considering inflation.

[Count Steer]

Incidentally they've more than quadrupled in price in the time I've had one. Can't see any reason for that other than "because we can", even considering inflation.

There's a theory that, on average, the real cost of things doubles every ten years so quadrupled in 20 would fit.

Not convinced that the ten year thing is true for lots of things tbh. Might be right for houses over certain periods, in certain places but there's lots of things that improved productivity curbs price increases (and wages don't seem to match it!). Maybe it's just things where demand goes up but supply doesn't?

[Mr. Dazzle]

The design hasn't changed in >50 years either, so if anything they should be getting easier and cheaper to make

[v8-powered]

Never seen Omegas discounted except on some very sus sites.

You can get some big discounts on Omega - friend of mine son used to work in one of their concessions and they would offer 25 to 40% off under their friends and family scheme, so would expect them to offer a good retail discount if pushed.

Also worth remembering that resale on an Omega compared to some of the other brands is not as good, so factor that in. I'm not knocking Omega as I've had 3, but down to 1 now as that has sentimental value. The Speedy is the one I wore the least but that's due to preferring the minimal face of a Sub or Seamaster.

[Cousin Jack]

Incidentally they've more than quadrupled in price in the time I've had one. Can't see any reason for that other than "because we can", even considering inflation.

There's a theory that, on average, the real cost of things doubles every ten years so quadrupled in 20 would fit.

Not convinced that the ten year thing is true for lots of things tbh. Might be right for houses over certain periods, in certain places but there's lots of things that improved productivity curbs price increases (and wages don't seem to match it!). Maybe it's just things where demand goes up but supply doesn't?

Once upon a time price was mostly based on cost plus. Not any more, a lot of stuff costs pennies to make but costs £££.

[wheelnut]

Incidentally they've more than quadrupled in price in the time I've had one. Can't see any reason for that other than "because we can", even considering inflation.

There's a theory that, on average, the real cost of things doubles every ten years so quadrupled in 20 would fit.

Not convinced that the ten year thing is true for lots of things tbh. Might be right for houses over certain periods, in certain places but there's lots of things that improved productivity curbs price increases (and wages don't seem to match it!). Maybe it's just things where demand goes up but supply doesn't?

Once upon a time price was mostly based on cost plus. Not any more, a lot of stuff costs pennies to make but costs £££.

With a lot of the watch brands, I would guess that the biggest cost isn’t in manufacturing but in advertising and sponsorship.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Incidentally I've just bought a Nothing phone. My old Samsung one broke* so I needed something new.

I was gonna buy something second hand, but Mrs D pointed me at new British brand Nothing. As the name implies, they don't have a big brand or sponsorship, their phone has comparatively fewer features too.

Makes you realise how much Samsung, Apple etc. increase the cost to pay for "The Brand".

*probably related to the floor rudely flying towards it at high speed

[KungFooBob]

They even fed the wife champagne.

[KungFooBob]

I bought it at the Omega Boutique in Meadowhell.

It was quite a nice experience, coffee, biscuits, champagne, etc... the manager and the sales assistant were very chatty and friendly.

I had a look at both the standard and the sapphire version. I'd pretty much already decided on the sapphire glass, but she explained the Mohs hardness scale and that the to be officially scratch resistant a material needed to be 400 mohs and that the hesalite was 600, then said the sapphire glass was 2000 mohs, so I was sold!

It was adjusted to fit (two links removed) and I had a lesson on how to wind it (never had a wind up watch before).

At Meadowhall there's Omega, Tag and Breitling shops, all run by Watches of Switzerland (along with two branches of Goldsmiths, the same company).

The manager said they could honour the online price (Goldsmiths website with the Honey10 code to get 10% off), but they then couldn't do the 0% finance, never mind I'll pay in full, then she said they'd have to order it and it could be delivered to home or the shop.

I think I must have looked a little crestfallen because she then told the sales assistant to just give me the one I was looking at and they'd order another in for the store

The box is fucking massive, I've looked up all the Master Chronometer test results for my specific watch online and read the book with the spacefaring history of the Speedmaster.

Just need to save up for the wife's Navitimer now, though they're a good bit cheaper

[v8-powered]

Just need to save up for the wife's Navitimer now, though they're a good bit cheaper

Happy wife, happy life

Happy new watch day.

[wheelnut]

I bought it at the Omega Boutique in Meadowhell.

It was quite a nice experience, coffee, biscuits, champagne, etc... the manager and the sales assistant were very chatty and friendly.

I had a look at both the standard and the sapphire version. I'd pretty much already decided on the sapphire glass, but she explained the Mohs hardness scale and that the to be officially scratch resistant a material needed to be 400 mohs and that the hesalite was 600, then said the sapphire glass was 2000 mohs, so I was

It was adjusted to fit (two links removed) and I had a lesson on how to wind it (never had a wind up watch before).

At Meadowhall there's Omega, Tag and Breitling shops, all run by Watches of Switzerland (along with two branches of Goldsmiths, the same company).

The manager said they could honour the online price (Goldsmiths website with the Honey10 code to get 10% off), but they then couldn't do the 0% finance, never mind I'll pay in full, then she said they'd have to order it and it could be delivered to home or the shop.

I think I must have looked a little crestfallen because she then told the sales assistant to just give me the one I was looking at and they'd order another in for the store

The box is fucking massive, I've looked up all the Master Chronometer test results for my specific watch online and read the book with the spacefaring history of the Speedmaster.

Just need to save up for the wife's Navitimer now, though they're a good bit cheaper

Yeah the purchasing is a nice experience at the ADs. My hankering for the speedy is because I was born on the day man landed on the moon so the one I wanted was as close to the original as possible. Hence the hesalite model.

Yep the box is something to behold. The one for my seamaster is a lovely inlaid wood one. Keep it safe.

Enjoy it in good health!

[KungFooBob]

The Hesalite is still flight approved by NASA, I don't think the Sapphire is, because crystal can shatter and shards float into places they shouldn't where as the Hesalite just cracks.

That you can go on the Omega website and get the results of your own watches' specific METAS testing using your serial number/access codes is kinda cool.

The girl was telling me about the Snoopy Moonwatches, she reckoned they get maybe three a year, but they don't get to 'sell' them as they're all pre-sold, people just turn up to collect them.

Apparently the rear covers for the snoopy ones are actually quite difficult to manufacture, so they don't make many.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Yep the box is something to behold. The one for my seamaster is a lovely inlaid wood one. Keep it safe.

I've just got a little red box like this. The big chunky wooden boxes, or the 'flight casey' ones they put Speedmasters in sometimes, deffo feel like something padded on to justify the enormous price rises over the last 10 years.

Still...feels kinda pointless arguing against such things, when the watch itself is a rather pointless purchase

[Count Steer]

They put them in big boxes so you can't really keep them day-to-day in the box (but you store the box in case you ever want to sell the watch) and simply have to buy* a Bennett Winch watch roll/box.

https://www.bennettwinch.com/collections/the-watch-roll

* or put it prominently at the top of your birthday wish list.

[David]

Has anyone bought an Evel Knievel TTT watch?

From the blurb..."Made from the clutch levers of Evel's last bike..."
Do Harleys have more than one?

[Rockburner]

Has anyone bought an Evel Knievel TTT watch?

From the blurb..."Made from the clutch levers of Evel's last bike..."
Do Harleys have more than one?

I believe Evel used to have at least a couple of bikes at each event.... (For reliability reasons....)

[David]

Has anyone bought an Evel Knievel TTT watch?

From the blurb..."Made from the clutch levers of Evel's last bike..."
Do Harleys have more than one?

I believe Evel used to have at least a couple of bikes at each event.... (For reliability reasons....)

They are insisting that the alloy comes from one bike...in fairness, earlier in the blurb it says "control levers"

Pedantic? Me? surely not.....

[MrLongbeard]

Has anyone bought an Evel Knievel TTT watch?

From the blurb..."Made from the clutch levers of Evel's last bike..."
Do Harleys have more than one?

Mine has 2