Nice choices . All reliable IMO . The Gotham's are nice as one is also on my wish list .
Watch you looking at ..... just showing off the bling
- Thread starter thunder58
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guitarfarm
Country Gent
Haven't looked at this thing in years. It belonged to my grandfather. Now it lives in my underwear drawer with other assorted treasures from my youth.
Absolutely beautiful
Highroller
Country Gent
Checking in here after my early post ... nice watches everybody! Some of those vintage Gruens are just gorgeous!
And the pocket watches ... great memories there. I have an old "duck hunting" one my grandfather gave me when I was a kid. No idea exactly where it is now, but I know I still have it someplace. Nothing valuable I'm sure, but it's from him. I'd never part with it. Looks very much like this ...
Maybe now that I'm hitting retirement age I can ditch the stupid cell phone and go back to a watch. But then again, maybe I won't need either! Have to see how it goes.
Anyway, great thread - really enjoyed it!
And the pocket watches ... great memories there. I have an old "duck hunting" one my grandfather gave me when I was a kid. No idea exactly where it is now, but I know I still have it someplace. Nothing valuable I'm sure, but it's from him. I'd never part with it. Looks very much like this ...
Maybe now that I'm hitting retirement age I can ditch the stupid cell phone and go back to a watch. But then again, maybe I won't need either! Have to see how it goes.
Anyway, great thread - really enjoyed it!
afire
Friend of Fred
That's a very cool and unusual bow on that watch.
Hamiltons were definitely the best watches made in America. I'm a one-brand guy, but some of their Art Deco models of the 1920s and 1930s make me weak in the knees.
T Bone
Country Gent
In the 70s and 80s I occasionally wore pocket watches with 3 piece suits. I did mostly the Single Albert method shown here. Occasionally I did the Fob.
Of course many people forget that in bluejeans, that little pocket on the right is actually a watch pocket (heard many refer to it as a "change" pocket, I often jokingly call it a Pick Pocket, as I keep guitar pics in them). I have an old Doxa pocket watch on a short fob that I carry there occasionally if I'm "playing cowboy" (dressed Western, often with a correct six shooter in tow as well).
guitarfarm
Country Gent
I did not know that Doxa made pocket watches. Whenever I think of Doxa I automatically think of their splendid dive watches.
seems we come from the same mold my friend
Those are well built watches, and will keep accurate time. Those can "gum up" from sitting too long, so please wind them every couple of months. If you wind them about 10 - 15 turns and it doesn't start ticking with a little shake, you may want to considering having it cleaned. I have the identical watch, and got it when an uncle passed.
Thanks to songs like "Sharp Dressed Man", it was cool to wear a pocket watch, and I wore it all the time during that era.
Very true . I just threw away a Pulsar watch I bought from Service Merchandise back in the early 80s . Loved this watch . Look it to Seiko / Pulsar not too far from me in Mahwah , N.J. a few years back . Shop told me parts were all frozen and unavailable . Opened it up last week and sure enough ....the battery leaked all over to . Broke my heart
":
One of the watches I posted was what Gruen marketed as the Techni-Quadron:
Now that's one sexy watch.
Most definitely . Not as nice as afire's Gruen but an affordable one can be found here . I'm thinking about this one myself
https://www.peugeotwatches.com/products/mens-40-x-24-mm-gold-large-remote-sweep-leather-strap-watch
T Bone
Country Gent
Not now, but a century ago they made quite a number of pocket watches (Doxa dates back to 1884). I have several of their modern Dive watch reissues, Doxa is my 2nd favorite brand after Breitling.
At one point many vintage Doxa pocket watches could be had reasonably priced on eBay. I've not looked in quite awhile.
ishtar
Country Gent
Those Hamilton's are mahines. Keep good care of her and she'll keep ticking for centuries longer than all of us.
Where do you take your watches to get serviced? Local? Online?
Great question ..... watching with interest
I wish I had a good recommendation. I simply wind them up every few months and occasionally wear them. The Hamilton had last been serviced at some small watch specialist in Waltham MA like over 20 years ago and I’m no longer in that state. But that’s a great question to see who currently does good work that I’d like to know as well. If no one post here, there’s got to be a great watch specific forum out there with a trusting recommendation.
Any help for Merc gang . How about you @afire
afire
Friend of Fred
The thing about watchmakers is that many of them limit the type of work they do. There are a lot who only work on high-end modern watches and find vintage watches not profitable enough, or too much of a headache. Or ones who will charge the same excessive fee to service a modest vintage watch of limited value as they would a $10,000 Rolex, which is not practical for most vintage collectors or casual owners.
I would say start at the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute "find a professional" page here:
https://awci.memberclicks.net/find-a-professional
You put in your location and it will list AWCI certified watchmakers near you.
For a straightforward clean/oil/adjust of an otherwise undamaged watch, and maybe a fresh mainspring, you shouldn't have to pay more than about $150.
FWIW, I don't really have a steady watchmaker. My local guy retired several years ago and I've been using different people since then, with varying results.
I would say start at the American Watchmakers-Clockmakers Institute "find a professional" page here:
https://awci.memberclicks.net/find-a-professional
You put in your location and it will list AWCI certified watchmakers near you.
For a straightforward clean/oil/adjust of an otherwise undamaged watch, and maybe a fresh mainspring, you shouldn't have to pay more than about $150.
FWIW, I don't really have a steady watchmaker. My local guy retired several years ago and I've been using different people since then, with varying results.
