What time is it? Watches and horology

And what's people's feelings on Bulova automatron? I quiet enjoy the fact that it's a tuning fork. But it's hard to find a nice looking bulova.

How do you boys know it's the real deal when getting it off eBay? I see some lovely 2nd stuff that's rather cheap compared to the 'high street' Internet retail store?

Feedback.

Or do your research and ask the seller some questions.

No they don't.
The best it ever gets is an ETA copy movement.

maybe, but ........from wiki, based on the valjoux

Some watch brands that use base movements manufactured by Valjoux include Omega, Longines, Breitling, Cyma Watches, Oris, Appella, TAG Heuer, Hamilton Watch, IWC, Porsche Design, Gallet, Mido, Sinn and Panerai.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valjoux

which are also in a lot of high qwality?? replica's

AFAIK movement isn't everything, just a good starting point. You can have two identical movements, but one might vary +/- 4s a day and the other 60s a day. The difference is down to the expert tuning performed during the final build.

So buy a moody watch with 'good' components and it can still be a pile of crap. Get a moody Valjoux chrono, and your stopwatch might stop-the-watch. This stands to reason (in my head), ask some gimp at halfrauds to put NJS components on a halfrauds bike still won't make you a keirin bike.

I'd have to go for a black face on a Mark IV.

I just don't like the lighter faces on watches. Other than on a Portuguese.

Feedback.

Or do your research and ask the seller some questions.

Dis n 'dat ^

Wtf is this moody thing you guys are talking about???

You're not from round here are you?

www.moodykettle.com

I'm not from here, i got nothing from there and I'm new to this.

Where can I get a decent box/roll for the transportation of watches? I've had a gander on the interwebz but there's nothing but utter shite in "pleather" available.

Where's Murts? He should be able to fabricate a watch roll for 8 watches, shouldn't he?

B&D, this was on Selectism earlier this week:

http://shop.wornandwound.com/products/watchroll-gc-brl

Edit: Only 4 watches though.

Something more like this:

http://www.mrporter.com/product/332805

Or this:

http://www.mrporter.com/product/188282

you'll be lucky to find one that will hold 8, you'll be better off buying 2 reasonably priced x4's

oh, wait

:)

And what's people's feelings on Bulova automatron? I quiet enjoy the fact that it's a tuning fork. But it's hard to find a nice looking bulova.

You mean the Accutron?

I love tuning fork movements. Partly because it is a complete technological blind alley. No sooner had Bulova perfected it than quartz movements came and blew it in to the weeds. But as a result there is something romantic about them, that quartz will never have, and despite the fact that it's electronic there is a human-made quality about the way the fork has to be tuned precisely for accurate timekeeping. They also make a lovely sound when you hold them up to your ear.

The thing to beware of with them is that the older ones may require a type of battery that is no longer available. Do a bit of research to find out what to avoid, or whether you can substitute another kind of battery in there.

The best tuning fork movements are the ESA 9162 / ESA 9184 ones that Omega put in the F300 line - these were based on the final generation of movements which had fine adjustment of the forks and were impervious to changes of position, angle, g force, etc. The real clincher is that they also take modern batteries, so there's no reason why you can't wear one as a daily. As well as Omegas they went in Longines and a few others.

If you're worried about a fake one don't be. Who would fake an obsolete movement that only a few people want? Who could? Not even Omega have all the parts for these anymore. Happily I have a guy who knows them like the back of his hand and can do all the servicing on them.

The real weak point of the movement is date wheels. They were plastic, and the teeth wear and break. It's rare to find one with day and date still working.
I have an exceptionally rare 1972 Constellation with a metal date wheel, so they do exist.
Amazingly, having never seen another in years there are two identical models on the Bay right now. This, which looks lovely:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Omega-F300-hz-Constellation-/290843491870?pt=UK_Jewelery_Watches_Watches_MensWatches_GL&hash=item43b79f7e1e
and this, which looks battered and is sold as "not working" but might just need a service and a battery.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/A-SUPERB-GENTS-VINTAGE-OMEGA-CONSTELLATION-ELECTRONIC-F300HZ-CHRONOMETER-/321055634512?pt=UK_Jewelery_Watches_Watches_MensWatches_GL&hash=item4ac0683450

See http://www.electric-watches.co.uk/make/omega/f300/f300.php for more info

oh, wait

:)

Make me one Murts... Please...

with my leather and 8 watches, it'll be the size of a football once rolled

Matters not. Draw up some plans!

Believe it or not, there are different levels of moody

I know the ones your on about. They are the Japanese steel ones. The people say that they are made from all the same components. But at the end of the day they are worth no more that £50 and that's mainly because they come in a nice wooden box.

Still fake and worthless at the end of the day.

this is a whole can of worms, the website shown earlier, uses a lot of these movements, on "moody watches"

http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/130798208363?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&cbt=y

so you can expect to pay a hellofalot more for a "good" copy.

not that I have, or have ever owned a moody watch.

Don't they knock out copies of that movement in China?

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f72/chinese-copy-eta-valjoux-7750-chrono-7812.html

http://www.tractionink.com/watch_wiki/index.php?title=Clone_Movements

They make fake eggs in China. Swiss watch movements must be a piece of piss.

this is a whole can of worms, the website shown earlier, uses a lot of these movements, on "moody watches"

http://compare.ebay.co.uk/like/130798208363?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&cbt=y

so you can expect to pay a hellofalot more for a "good" copy.

That is the exact mechanism in my Sinn.

Id buy a few replicas if any of them were waterproof enough to wash your hands without filling up the movement!