What time is it? Watches and horology

pay a couple of pounds extra and ask the seller to send the paperwork for the watch separately.

@well is it, i bought some old pitted car door handles from the usa and they charged me more duty than i payed for the handles and more than the handles were worth.

@coppi - is that so it does not look like a sale?

yes that and also a safe guard against them opening the package and finding paperwork that doesnt tally with the 'nil value gift' declared on the outside customs label.
if it gets opened stateside the sender would get grief and if it was opened in the uk maybe you would get charged the full duty.

Selling my Steinhart.

Boxed with all links. I will even throw in some Nato straps.

Its the older model with the acryllic crystal I believe and I have a tube of polywatch which will come as part of the package.

Bezel insert has some smaller scratches, but I don't believe it detracts from the watch at all. I'm the second owner and watch is still under warranty from Chronomaster, until March 2013.

£250

Hipster photo:

^ is it an Ocean 1 or a 44? The Ocean 1s are only around £280 new given the current exchange rate...

Ocean 1 Vintage Red

£300 new from Chronomaster

Good price and great watch, just a shame I got mine off ebay a couple of months ago!

Watch experts, I've lusted after a Bell and Ross BR03 green ceramic for a while and wondered if someone could recommend something similar:
square face, automatic, green, aviation inspired, nato/velcro strap. Gracias!

ps it might be worth mentioning that I'm after something more affordable as well!

Rolex Submariner LV aka Kermit - If you must go green.

Love that.

Ugh I hate it.

the current rolex design department have a lot to answer for.......... from the stars to the mud !

I'm after a quick bit of advice plz; I have a Submariner that I've had for just over 5 years now (it was new when I was given it). Recently it's begun to play up (keeps stopping, slowing etc), and now it's stopped working all together. I'm hesitant to take it to an official Rolex outlet to have it serviced/repaired (upwards of £500 I've heard...), because I've only really worn it properly for 2 of those 5 years.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to go about repairing it, or should I just HTFU and take it to a Rolex shop?

HTFU me thinks. If anything goes wrong, and it't not a Rolex place, then you can just enjoy your paperweight.

Pisti and Bodie are Rolex wearers and may be able to make a suggestion.

Itisaboutthebike had one serviced last year.

A good service goes along with having a good watch so you may want to get it to Rolex at some point.

I'd suggest that you look at booking it direct into the Rolex service centre in London (don't remember where it is), rather than paying a jeweller to send it there at a hefty markup (like what I did).

I'd find a recommended watch maker who doesn't charge silly money. My guy who's an official Omega service agent is great, and charges me very good prices (about £20 recently when I bent the balance spring recently on my Omega Dynamic).

Cheers guys. I figured that might be the case. Good to know to avoid jewellers.

@dmczone & @Aroogah You're both right, I just wasn't expecting it to come round so soon...

Picked up a Junghans Max Bill recently the white face auto with date window and numerals. Love the way that the typeface in the date window is the same as that on the face of the watch.

Gorgeous movement, silky smooth, I've heard from a couple of watchmakers that it's the same movement used in the IWC Portugese but at a fraction of the cost.

I think this concludes my collection. I'll try to get some pics up later of the fairly recent new additions to the collection. Not many just a couple of vintage Omegas (got to love them) a Geneve from 1969 with very unusual blue batons and signature, which I've put a blue Stingray strap on with original Omega buckle. And a lovely dog-leg lugged date window Constellation, steel with a gold face from 1964.

Cheers guys. I figured that might be the case. Good to know to avoid jewellers.

@dmczone & @Aroogah You're both right, I just wasn't expecting it to come round so soon...

A 'standard' full service was £250 a couple of years ago when I had my sub done. Any repairs might be more - the bracelet on mine had broken through wear, so that was extra.

I took it directly to the service centre which was then in Bexley, but they've since moved to Kings Hill in Kent.

If you take it to an authorised dealer, they will send it to the service centre - they won't do it themselves.

Pisti and Bodie are Rolex wearers and may be able to make a suggestion.

Itisaboutthebike had one serviced last year.

A good service goes along with having a good watch so you may want to get it to Rolex at some point.

Rolex on Old Bond Street is owned by Mappin & Webb (as well as the Patek store and Watches of Switzerland) so if you take it into any of those stores you'll get a similar price. The Rolex store on OBS used to be run by a really good pal of mine (I bought an Explorer 1 from her and dodged a long waiting list) but she's not there anymore.

It's like anything that's precision built - you own an Aston you'd get it serviced by Aston. Same with Mercedes and Ferrari etc.

Sorry, but you're going to have to weigh on a bit of wedge.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ilwR6CzbKM4/Tu4FxsONhUI/AAAAAAAAA_8/PVLsNZPiIoY/s1600/zen+14.jpg

My first mechanical watch (now have 4) given to me by my grandad. It was a prize for winning the golf tournament (read inscription).

Sandoz Disney Reverse by Charlie H Ward, on Flickr

Sandoz Disney by Charlie H Ward, on Flickr

Its an Henri Sandoz 15 Jewel movement, so nothing special, but means quite a lot to me. Runs about 1.5 minutes fast per day, and hasn't been serviced since new, so I think I'll take it to Alsal when I get back to London, and maybe treat it to a new strap.

Very cool!