The Watches Thread

[Holley]

Not even a Lange 1?

Nah - not for me. I don't mind dials behind the main dial (like most chrono's) but clean & relatively simple usually appeals to me.

I would normally agree, but a Lange 1 or even a G/O Pano I would make an exception for.

[mik]

that CW Loco is £3800 on rubber and £4000 on stainless integrated bracelet

That's hilarious IMO

Not a thing that really appeals to me, and outside of my price range, but the reviews I have (skim) read seem to believe that is good value for what's on offer (ie a unique and "dramatically architected" in-house calibre providing COSC accuracy levels and massive power reserve.

This price point obviously requires strong brand perception though - I believe the Bel Canto elevated CW in this respect (?) - will be interesting to see if this flops or lifts them further towards the more recognised luxury brands

[GG.]

f--k me the new Chr Ward C12 Loco is particularly horrid.

Eww - hadn't seen it. It's cool seeing movement elements, but I don't really understand the attraction of watches that have a really small dial taking up just a part of the available real estate.

That's it - I get that watches are man jewellery but if they're as difficult to read as that you might as well just wear a bracelet. Do not like.

My main objection is that its just a rip off - of a Breguet Tradition with the small dial and a Girard Perregaux with the exposed bridges.

[dinny_g]

[mik]

That. Is. Naff.

[DeskJockey]

Screams bad taste.

[dinny_g]

Screams bad taste.

I’d say most of the watches in it scream that

[Holley]

I know some think it's good to have your mechanical watch always ready with the correct date/time etc. But isn't that just like keeping your car running even when you're not using it? Surely it's better for the life of the watch if it isn't used 24/7. Plus I'd be embarrassed to own one of those!

[GG.]

I know some think it's good to have your mechanical watch always ready with the correct date/time etc. But isn't that just like keeping your car running even when you're not using it? Surely it's better for the life of the watch if it isn't used 24/7. Plus I'd be embarrassed to own one of those!

Not sure about that - lubricant that pool and coagulate generally aren't a good thing - parts of the mechanism that should also be being lubricated then aren't and potentially subject to more corrosion.

I agreed to a degree that you wouldn't necessarily want it being wound the whole time but you could just put the automatic winder on a timer to deal with that (to the extent it doesn't have that as an in built feature).

The above having been said - I don't own a winder and leave the watch i'm not wearing unwound in the safe so not practicing what I preach!

[GG.]

Had a reason to dig out the old 50mm macro lens for my camera this morning - ended up taking some gratuitous shots of the IWC...



Even though its a macro lens its ain't anywhere near as sharp as the new Canon RF stuff.

[Jobbo]

I know some think it's good to have your mechanical watch always ready with the correct date/time etc. But isn't that just like keeping your car running even when you're not using it? Surely it's better for the life of the watch if it isn't used 24/7. Plus I'd be embarrassed to own one of those!

Not sure about that - lubricant that pool and coagulate generally aren't a good thing - parts of the mechanism that should also be being lubricated then aren't and potentially subject to more corrosion.

I agreed to a degree that you wouldn't necessarily want it being wound the whole time but you could just put the automatic winder on a timer to deal with that (to the extent it doesn't have that as an in built feature).

The above having been said - I don't own a winder and leave the watch i'm not wearing unwound in the safe so not practicing what I preach!

It's not just that the winding mechanism is running, it's that the watch is running when it would otherwise be stopped. That is wearing the whole movement which would not be happening if it were simply left undisturbed.

I bought a winder something over 10 years ago with the sole aim that my mechanical watches were set to the correct time all the time. Except they aren't - they are not accurate enough (even COSC certified) to avoid having to adjust the time sometimes - and of course the date needs correcting 5 times a year.

[Mito Man]

Whenever something is running poorly my dad jokes "it's running like a Swiss watch" for that reason

[GG.]

I know some think it's good to have your mechanical watch always ready with the correct date/time etc. But isn't that just like keeping your car running even when you're not using it? Surely it's better for the life of the watch if it isn't used 24/7. Plus I'd be embarrassed to own one of those!

Not sure about that - lubricant that pool and coagulate generally aren't a good thing - parts of the mechanism that should also be being lubricated then aren't and potentially subject to more corrosion.

I agreed to a degree that you wouldn't necessarily want it being wound the whole time but you could just put the automatic winder on a timer to deal with that (to the extent it doesn't have that as an in built feature).

The above having been said - I don't own a winder and leave the watch i'm not wearing unwound in the safe so not practicing what I preach!

It's not just that the winding mechanism is running, it's that the watch is running when it would otherwise be stopped. That is wearing the whole movement which would not be happening if it were simply left undisturbed.

I bought a winder something over 10 years ago with the sole aim that my mechanical watches were set to the correct time all the time. Except they aren't - they are not accurate enough (even COSC certified) to avoid having to adjust the time sometimes - and of course the date needs correcting 5 times a year.

Bit like a car I'd expect it is more of a concern to have damage ensue from long periods of nothing moving and the corrosion that can result from no lubrication than the incremental wear of lubricated cogs turning. If it sits idle for a month or so though, probably fine.

I agree that it would be of most benefit if you had something like a perpetual calendar where you really don't want to be resetting, day, date, month, year, moonphase and time if it runs out of juice after 72 hours... Catch 22 is you probably want your perpetual calendar in a safe not sit on the sideboard in full view!

[mik]

Bit like a car I'd expect it is more of a concern to have damage ensue from long periods of nothing moving and the corrosion that can result from no lubrication than the incremental wear of lubricated cogs turning. If it sits idle for a month or so though, probably fine.

The car analogy seems quite reasonable. I have 3 mechanical watches and cycle between them regularly. Leaving a watch running constantly on a winder when not on my wrist feels like leaving a car with it's engine running.... I don't feel any need to own a winder.

They make sense to me if you have a large watch collection : there are guys on the CW forum who have 100+, so even changing their watch every day means some watches get worn just once or twice a year. I can see the value of winders for this scenario. In the same way that if you have a collection of 100 cars, then it's not wise to just leave them all lying idle.

[Jobbo]

If you have a collection of 100 cars, you don't leave the engines running or employ a team of people to drive them round in circles though.

I was a bit uncertain whether the argument that a watch may be damaged from being left unused for long periods might have some merit, but I leave some of my Seikos for years before picking them up and they always start ticking as soon as you give them a flick to wind the rotor. Much like a lot of watch industry stuff, the winder looks like a sales pitch and not something actually useful. It plays on the same sort of fears as hi-fi accessories.

[mik]

It plays on the same sort of fears as hi-fi accessories.

I hope you're not confessing that you don't own a hifi-winder?

[Mito Man]

Having watched one of those wristwatch YouTube videos a long time ago I don’t think the meshing part of the gears in a watch are lubricated. The point where the gears sat on the crystals have a tiny drop of oil applied which is suspended within the dish shape of the crystal and the shaft of the gear, so I don’t think it’s accurate comparing to a car or something which needs some regular use to stay lubricated.

[GG.]

If you have a collection of 100 cars, you don't leave the engines running or employ a team of people to drive them round in circles though.

I was a bit uncertain whether the argument that a watch may be damaged from being left unused for long periods might have some merit, but I leave some of my Seikos for years before picking them up and they always start ticking as soon as you give them a flick to wind the rotor. Much like a lot of watch industry stuff, the winder looks like a sales pitch and not something actually useful. It plays on the same sort of fears as hi-fi accessories.

I posted a response earlier today but it got caught up in the general site SNAFU.

I have since read a couple of articles with input from watchmakers that lean toward what you are saying - incremental wear probably means its best to let it sit if you're not wearing it - in any event only becomes an issue from no use after years rather than weeks or months...

Good news for the Panerai that's been sat in the safe for two months (which is manual wind anyway )

[jamcg]

[DeskJockey]

No doubt that it requires serious skill to be able to paint like that, just a shame it ends up looking like a £15 child's watch.