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The smaller version of the classic U1 is the U50... much more forgiving on the wrist!

Gen Speedmaster on a rep bracelet

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"I personally said forget it, and turned my interests toward used/vintage pieces." Me too...over 20 years ago. Last new rolex I bought from an AD was in May 1998, Bought a few new/like new presentation AKs at bargain prices from the owners since then but that's it for modern rolex. "Here are a couple that are guaranteed to go to stupid prices within a few years. The interest is starting to stir and they're cheap now." Bulova Devil Diver. Zodiac Sea Wolf. I sold way too many of my 'valuable' watches too soon but that's life. I did save a lot of 1960s through 1970s watches though and probably still have 8 or 10 assorted Bulova '666' divers that I put away because when I bought them they were going for $40 to $100 and no one wanted them. Have a few Caravelle '333' and '666' too...the Cv '666' are automatics and the '333' are hand crankers. All are mechanical except one '666' Accutron in very good condition that I got for $0 but it needs a movement. Still have 12 or 14 Bulova 333ft half devil dress Oceanographers (no rotating bezel), all tutone except two. They all have solid 10K gold bezels (even the SS models) and are slow set with reliable 11BLACD movements and they 'look like a rolex'. They are going for $300 or so now. They will not make me rich but they will buy a Big Mac or two. I have owned a LOT of Bulova watches, more than anything else...there are 365 entries in the 'B' section of my inventory, almost all Bulovas with a few Benrus, Breitling, and one Blancpain (one was enough!) etc. Many Bulovas are gone but quite a few remain. 'blanc pain' = white bread in English. Ha! Kept about a half dozen Zodiac Sea Wolf watches, both date and no date models including one with the disco dial...orange/black with white acrylic insert. Got them real cheap and some were free. They have A. Schild movements and parts are easy to get but the snap on case backs are a royal pain to get off and on. This one is $3595 on eBay! OBO. Mine was free. Before the wu-flu hit, a group of watch traders met every weekend for 30+ years and I would guess a few thousand watches passed over the trading table in that time and I snagged my share, some I'll never forget...bought a real nice gold cap rolex 1550 oys perp date in 1996 for $150...THO no bracelet. I still have the OPD...sold it in 2002 and the guy traded it in on something else. THO = time head only. The guy I bought it from walked up to the trading table and asked if anyone knew anything about rolex watches. I said: "I can tell if it is running or not." He handed it to me and asked if I wanted to buy it. I said: "I'll give you $100 for it." I was kidding. He said: "$200," I said "$150." He said: "Hand it over." Bought a like new manual wind 18KYG Patek 'Golden Ellipse' on the original woven mesh bracelet for scrap in the summer of 1998 and no one wanted to buy it so I traded it even for a nib rolex 16233 with a factory diamond dial a few months later. There were deals like this every week. Not now though. We stopped showing up not long after Christmas 2019...thanks to the wu-flu. Still see a few traders now and then. I bought an Illinois 21 jewel Abe Lincoln 16 size RR grade lever set pocket watch (made 1918) with a pristine dial/hands for $10 a while back in an undesirable oversize 'swing out' case from one of them. A PW mechanic friend c/o/MS the mvt and put it in a nos Star Watch Case Co. nickel case...no charge. It is running on my work bench now and loses 4 or 5 sec/day...the RR mech PW standard is +/- 15 sec per day. Not too shabby for $10. BTW...that Roamer chrono is super nice! I have a Seth Thomas 'Stingray' dive watch made by Roamer in my 'collection' somewhere, the case shape is the same as the chrono. I got it in 1993, sold it in 1999, and got it back in 2009. It still has the original signed bracelet, crystal etc. Some ST Stingray pictures... Seth Thomas Stingray Case Restoration – TM Watch (tmwatchco.com)

Dang what a beauty. Remember a few years ago someone was going to tear apart his Stingray and make a DW Daytona, and we had conniption fits?

I think Omega and Tudor represent value for money compared to the market. I just got a 1971 Roamer Stinger with valjoux 72 for US$1100! There are still bargains to be had. Problem is the prices today will likely seem cheap in the future. Either get on it or you'll be crying in your cornflakes that you were too scared to jump.

Tell ya what... send me $35,000 and I'll send you a spectacular plexi Daytona. Absolutely indistinguishable from the naked eye, with the caveat you don't get to open it. It will be gen, or it will be a great Franken. But it will look, act and feel like a gen in every way. I'll invest the difference from what it cost me (if there's any left over) and you enjoy the watch. After 5 years if it doesn't scratch the itch any more, send it back, I'll resell it for 20% more than I paid for it, and refund your money. I'll make out like a bandit and you'll have no way of knowing if it's real or not. It's a gamble, and it's NOT a gamble at the same time. (an illustration about intangibles and our unreasonable hearts)

SMP Diver 300

Touched up the bezel with some orange paint.

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AOPA chrono, not quite a Breitling Navitimer, but more than a Datora. I’ve never seen another AOPA version like it.

Doxa SUB 300 "no T" Sharkhunter with US Divers logo.

Well hello there my lovely, I don't believe we've been properly introduced.

Truer words were never spoken. I give you........The Miguel

Wearing my Vostok Amphibian, the Soviet's version of the Doxa

A few random thoughts - If I got a nickel every time someone complained about the rising prices of LUXURY watches, I would be able to purchase a new Air King - if I could find 1 in stock at an AD. The LUXURY watch market is 1 of the best demonstrations of simple supply & demand I can think of. As more people dump their fashionable Dick Tracy cartoon gizmos (ie Apple 'watch') in favor of a timeless gentleman's timepiece, whether high-end or entry-level, DEMAND increases. At the same time, most of the LUXURY watch brands cannot SUPPLY more than they do because - 1. producing more would cause them to either change their established production systems or reduce quality; & 2. producing more would dilute their exclusivity, making them more accessible to more people & less 'valuable' - both in dollars & as aspirational benchmarks to those who appreciate meritocracy. If I got a nickel every time someone predicted Rolex's eventual collapse due to their ever-increasing MSRP, I would be able to purchase a new Daytona - if I thought I would live long enough to make it to the top of the waiting list. As has been said many times, this time next year, today's 'outrageous' vintage Rolex asking price will seem like a bargain. Since I got into watch collecting (mid-80s), there are three things that appear to be constants - death, taxes & escalating Rolex prices (especially vintage). Rolex gentleman's watches are & will always be stylish (as opposed to fashionable). As demand (for a limited supply) increases, so do prices. Aside from their precious metal content, I do think that many Pateks & similar haute horology pieces (that do not contain complex complications (eg, tourbillon)) are unrealistically priced. To pay $35k (MSRP) for a stainless steel Patek 5711 when a $350-$500 ETA-powered rep looks, feels & functions nearly the same, is nuts. Obviously, if you want your watch made of precious metals & do not wish to risk a simple scratch revealing your beer budget, the gen makes more sense. Likewise, if you appreciate the more technological aspects of the LUXURY watchmakers' art & have the financial wherewithal to fund that appreciation, select gens are generally good investments. Finally, contrary to the media's storyline, the reason so many mid-level watch brands appear to be jumping into the deep (high-end) end of the watch market pool is because so many more people are able to afford the price of admission. Capitalism DOES create wealth out of nothing. Capitalism is NOT a fixed pie with a limited set of slices, so that when you take a bite it comes out of my mouth. The fact is that if a homeless guy creates a good or service that a million people would rather have than the $300 in their pocket, that homeless guy will become a 1-percenter as a result. & companies like Rolex figured this out 100 years ago. That is why, during the 1970s, Rolex posted billboards all over China (eg, Tiananmen Square) in an effort to prime-the-pump for what they gambled would be their next market if/when China relaxed their decades long prohibition of personal property and ownership, especially of LUXURY goods. I recall, at the time, Rolex took alot of heat over the billboards with many in the media calling them foolish since 'everyone knew that few Chinese were permitted to purchase a Rolex'. But, as usual, Rolex predicted the future correctly & they were the first brand most Chinese thought of purchasing once China became a capitalist (albeit still authoritarian) nation. So, to paraphrase Twain, predictions of Rolex collapse are premature. Perhaps, not today. But if you set your sights on 1 of Patek's lower-end models, or a model in less demand & save for awhile with the goal of owning that Patek, you probably will.

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Is the date quickset? If it is maybe the day of the week is not QS and the watch must be stopped and restarted on the correct day. I have a few vintage day and date watches made this way, not any of them being Universal Geneve though. Something else...does it have more than one language on the day disc? You may need to see the day changing to tell but I have no idea how to adjust it to the desired language if it has two. Note: It is not a good idea to run the hands around and around to set the day or date because it can result in wear to the 'canon pinion' which is basically a slip clutch so time can be set without damage to the watch works. If you could find out what caliber (calibre) the movement is, you should be able to find information about it on the internet. To find the caliber number you will need to find a similar watch on the internet and see if the movement specs are listed. A similar watch may not need to be solid gold, it can be 'gold cap/gold top' or stainless steel. 'Gold cap/gold top' = a layer of gold is pressed and soldered onto the case top. Do not let just anyone open the watch up to see what caliber it has if you can not find the info on the internet because 18K gold is soft and prone to damage. In my experience, many so called 'watchmakers' cause as much damage to watches as the owners/careless owners. Btw...I had a similar nos 'gold top' Universal Geneve in 1996 but it was quickly sold without looking in it and I can not remember if it was quick set or not. I have the serial number but not the caliber, probably number 72. Collectors Note: Matching Polerouter dials with movement calibers | The Polerouter Reference Website (universalgenevepolerouter.com)

It is shy due to its missing screw (any help appreciated as my dealer never sent me a replacement)

And the latest version #3 of 3

Likewise!! Surviving lockdown here.....with stylish watches and clingfilm / glad wrap. I'm sure the family appreciate my efforts, although they never mention it.

Nice! Much better chance of seeing boobies on Bondi Beach than Portage Lake.

That’s it, I can die a happy man. Hooooooooly smokes this is going to be a nice piece.

Consider in the late 50s what Rolex had for competition, very few screw down crowns or substantial waterproofing or over engineered crystals and retainers. They were a little better than the competition and priced a little higher. My 6536/1 was issued to my late woodcutting partner as his dive timer in brown water adventures on peninsulas where they weren’t supposed to be. At the time it was the toughest watch they could get to supply the divers so it was the choice. Now compared to a G-Shock or contemporary diver it looks like a flimsy toy. Times change.

On a Forstner flat link.

Well it's the first piece on here in many moons where I've been excited to wake up the next morning so I could learn more about it. Dang it's purty. Looks like you got it right to the point where I topped out my first Big Crown build, then was faced with a big financial step up to the next plateau if I wanted to keep going. What you've accomplished is amazing. If it was me and I was going to keep developing, I'd do this: 1) reduce the case diameter so bezel slightly overhangs the case both sides 2) do a real 8mm crown 3) better hands with LONG hours hand (good luck) 4) superdome crystal to replace the tophat and that's it. You're down to the fine details now.

Its a mix of parts, phong/Vietnam 6538 case,insert and Vietnam 6200 dial , Vietnam 7206 bracelet. Movement is actually a tudor 390 ,it did have my decal tudor dial originally but I fancied a change Sent from my SM-F711B using Tapatalk

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https://ultracrepidarian.phfactor.net/2019/08/03/you-should-buy-an-owc-dive-watch/

Since I am working at home all day, I decided to decouple the current beater from my wrist (Pingo) & give the Sub a little wrist time --

2531.80 Bond SMP vintage build Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk