What time is it? Watches and horology

In fact this fits your brief perfectly:

https://www.blackbough.co.uk/product/omega-seamaster-de-ville-ref-14745-1-circa-1963-wzosdv/

Maybe one year out but it can be very hard to identify when exactly a vintage watch was made / sold.

Now that I got myself the Sinn I was lusting after, enlighten me about Tissot Visodate heritage watches.

Weird/cringe gimmick or an affordable way to obtain a clean looking dress watch?

They’re not really dress watch sized. The automatic ones are 42mm, that’s huge for a non-sports watch. Also, Tissots in that price range have a very cheap vibe to me.

I think there are better options for the money, eg Baltic, Merci, Seiko, or even a vintage piece (see Black Bough above).

Tissots in that price range have a very cheap vibe to me.

Thanks. There's tons of them on the second hand markets so clearly I am not alone in thinking of them as beginner's dress watch.

So Seiko Presage might be my best bet for a dress watch at a fair second hand price? I don't have a particular budget, but I generally enjoy knowing that I've bought something at a good value, try to hit the sweet spot just before the price/ incremental gains curve starts getting steep.

EDIT: Thanks for links. Will keep an eye out for those. Will be more mindful of size from now on – great advice for a noob :-)

I added some links to my post ^^

All of those are in the 38mm range, which is a common modern dress watch size. Vintage is more typically 34-36mm. You don’t get too many modern mechanical watches going for that size now (unfortunately).

In terms of modern second hand stuff, I think the main thing to look out for is condition. Has it been taken care of. A Junghans Max Bill hand wound could be worth looking out for.

With vintage, buy the seller. It can be a minefield, especially on eBay - you need to really know what you’re looking at, what looks correct and what the red flags are. I’d buy from someone reputable like Black Bough for a first vintage watch.

Presage are always going to be solid but the sizes of the different models vary massively. A lot of them are 40mm+. That “zen garden” one is 38, which is fairly unusual for Seiko. There’s a black dial version as well I think.

someone reputable like Black Bough

Looks like a 1970s Longines 5 star ticks a lot of my boxes. Sleek enough to count as a dress watch (or is it?), but still utilitarian enough to also work with a three day stubble and a pair of jeans.

That watch is really nice. I’m on a moratorium at the moment, otherwise I might have considered it. Love the dial.

The movement is also basically an ETA 2824 which are very reliable and still widely used, so parts and servicing will be easy to arrange and cheap.

Re: is it a dress watch - kinda not really, but in modern terms it pretty much is. A dress watch in the strict traditional sense would be more “elegant”, thinner case with thinner lugs, maybe made of gold or even platinum, not have a date, not have lume, possibly not have a seconds hand, not be automatic and probably not have a screw-down caseback or crown. In its day that Longines would likely have been considered a sports watch or general-purpose everyday “good” watch. The Rolex Oyster template, basically.

Nowadays most watches sub-40mm that aren’t field watches or out-and-out sports/tool watches get lumped into “dress watch”.

A dress watch in the strict traditional sense ... thinner case with thinner lugs

OK, so the Max Bill Junghaus you recommended above would actually bring me closer to having a fully rounded watch collection. Although I appreciate that as a Bauhaus artist, Max Bill probably didn't care much about such categories.

Gnomon edition 50 atmos looks lovely for the money

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Hey, there’s no rules! I think it’s about discovering what you like and what you enjoy wearing. If a watch is too small/fragile/formal for your personal preferences you’ll just end up not wearing it. I like smaller watches (by modern standards) but a really trad 34mm snap-back gold dress watch just isn’t my bag.

I have a 37mm Grand Seiko that is in many ways an archetypal dress watch - time only, hand wound, no lume - but I’ve been told by a few people it’s “too big” or “too thick” for them. And it is bigger than a vintage watch would be, but that suits me fine. It’s way more robust than a vintage watch and it wears great.

And you can dress it down on a suede strap or whatever if that’s your bag. Or wear a 42mm Tissot. No rules.

I accidently popped the crystal off the Omega. Can I pop it back in place myself? If so how?
Cheers.

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Tug-boat bubble watch getting a trip out this evening

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Oh shit, I went and had a look

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Needs a crystal press a probably best to fit a new gasket while you are at it.

Nicest UBoat I've seen. Reminds me if a Ressence.

it's too big.... it’s “too big” or “too thick”

No its not

Did you get a promotion? New slightly bigger cubicle?

Thanks. Looked it up. Not for me atm. Will consult a watchmaker.
I feel a bit gutted since I've only owned the watch for day.

How did you know?

Blessing in disguise I say. Imagine if the crystal popped out somewhere on the street and you didn't realise. At least now you can get it reset with a fresh gasket.

No its not

No, it’s definitely not. But some people want it to be a 100% vintage repro, and it is bigger than that.

Thanks, I like it’s simplicity, no second hand, no date window, no extra dials.

I fell in love yesterday can anyone ID this model? Its definitely not current and i thought it might be a Roadster but all the Roadsters I've seen have the horrible big pointy crowns but this one looks beautiful.

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@Retro_Bastard that’s a Cartier Tortue Monopoussoir in white gold