Nanuq

I received the sad news that a dear friend of mine died this last Saturday of a massive stroke. He lived in Seattle area, so I'll be flying there for the weekend. It will be so sad to attend his funeral... he was one in a million. But while I'm there, a fortuitous series of events made it possible that I'll be able to handle and evaluate a certain watch, to see if it's what I think it is. If so, I may be bringing it back home with me. If not, it will still be nice to see friends again, although not in the best of circumstances. So I'll be around tomorrow, then gone, to return next Monday or Tuesday. Cheers!

The beauty of the number 17. 17 is the only positive Genocchi number. According to hacker's lore, 17 is described at MIT as 'the least random number.' 17 is the smallest Trotter prime, i.e., a prime of form 10 x (n2) + 7, where n = 1, 2, 3 ... The Pythagoreans were horrified by the number 17. 17 -1 expressed as a decimal contains a repeating sequence of 17-1 digits. 17 is the only known prime which is equal to the sum of digits of its cube (173 = 4913, and 4 + 9 + 1 + 3 = 17). The shortest form of Japanese poetry (known as Haiku) contains exactly 17 syllables. 4n - 17 is prime for n = 8 to 12. 17 is the only prime which is the average of two consecutive Fibonacci numbers. 17 is the only odd prime p such that p + sod(p) and p - sod(p) are square numbers (52 and 32, respectively). In 1798 (17, 9 + 8 = 17), Gauss discovered the construction of a regular 17-gon by ruler and compass. The Mars Odyssey Orbiter began its journey from Launchpad 17(A). It takes 17 muscles to produce a smile. "17" was the original title of the Beatle's song "I Saw Her Standing There." 17 is the smallest odd number which cannot be represented as the sum of a prime and twice a square. "17-jewel" watches are widely admired. Frank Bunker Gibreth, the founder of modern motion study technique, concluded that the fundamental motions of the hands of a worker consists of 17 divisions. Theodorus of Cyrene proved that the square root of 17 was irrational. The Wall Street Journal once had a special 17-week introductory offer for new subscribers within the continental United States. Pluto's orbit around the sun is inclined ~ 17° to the plane of the solar system. (17 x 29251)2 + 1 is a prime of shape a2 + 1. 17 is the smallest non-negative integer that is written in French as a compound word: dix-sept. 17 is the least integer such that the sum of its digits in every base B = 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 is prime. 17 is the smallest prime, p, such that the product of its digits equal (p). In 1951 Ferrier found that (2148 + 1)/17 is prime. The Neuschwanstein Castle took 17 years to build. 17 is the smallest prime that is the sum of two fourth powers, 14 + 24. 17 is the smallest Automorphic prime: a prime p such that p is the kth prime and p ends in k. The world's largest caldera (or volcano crater) is that of Mt. Aso in Kyushu, Japan, which measures 17 miles north to south and 71 miles in circumference. Note that 17 and 71 are reversible primes (emirps). 17 = 23 + 32. More emirps! The 17-year locust has the longest cycle of development of any known insect. 17 is the smallest prime of the form p2 + q3, where p and q are prime. 17 x 65359477124183 = 1111111111111111. In any set of k < 17 consecutive integers there is always one which is relatively prime to all the others. The Parthenon is 17 columns long. 172 can be expressed as the sum of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 distinct squares. There are 17 different ways that a wallpaper design can repeat. 2n - 17 is prime for n = 6, 8, 22, 44, 414, 444, 808 and 848, not to mention the non-palindromic values of n. 17 is the smallest two-digit prime of the form F(i)3 + F(j)4, where F(n) are Fibonacci numbers. 17 is the only prime of the form pq + qp, where p and q are prime. 17 + 21, 17 + 21 + 22, 17 + 21 + 22 + 23, 17 + 21 + 22 + 23 + 24 and 17 + 21 + 22 + 23 + 24 + 25 are primes. Stegosaurus had 17 bony plates on its back. Friday 17th is unlucky in Italy. This is thought to derive from Roman tomb stones which often included the word VIXI (I lived) as part of the narrative (VI=6 + XI=11 giving 17). Using A = 1, B = 2,..., Z = 26, 17 is the smallest non-negative number whose numerical value of its word form is also a prime (109). 17 = 34 - 43. 17 is the middle term of the longest arithmetic progression of primes with a common difference of 6. King Tutankhamen was wrapped in 17 cloths. Moderately active people can estimate their daily calorie requirement by using the following formula: Weight (in lbs.) x 17. Former President Bill Clinton's dog Buddy was killed by a vehicle driven by a 17-year-old girl. "At Seventeen" was a hit song for Janis Ian in 1975. (It reached No. 3 on the Billboard singles chart.) 17 is the smallest prime whose sum of the digits is a cube. Marin Mersenne's vast correspondence (Correspondence du P. Marin Mersenne, religieux Minime by Tannery and Waard) fills a total of 17 volumes. The first four digits of 2(17+17) is 1717. (17^17+1)/(17+1) is prime. There are 4 ways to express 17 as p+2q; p, q primes. 17 is the third prime which is the sum of consecutive primes (2+3+5+7). 17 is the smallest Quartan prime: p = x^4 + y^4. 17 is the smallest prime formed from concatenation of Happy numbers. Behaviorist Konrad Lorenz observed that the wild goose will eventually accept as its parent whatever creature it sees within its first 17 hours of life. (2^17-1)/(2-1) and (2^17+1)/(2+1) are both primes. No odd Fibonacci number is divisible by 17. 17 is the smallest prime sandwiched between two non-squarefree numbers. 17 and Apple. There are 17 sets of chromosomes in the apple. Eve was traditionally 17 years of age when she fed Adam the apple. There were 17 different PowerMacs made by Apple computer. It would take over 17 Earths to equal the mass of Neptune. 17 is the smallest prime for which the decimal expansion of the reciprocal 1/17 contains all 10 digits. Schnizel showed that Goldbach's conjecture is equivalent to saying that every integer greater than 17 is the sum of three distinct primes. There are exactly 17 ways to express 17 as the sum of 1 or more primes. 17 is the only integer which is equal to the number of prime partitions of itself. "Seventeen or Bust" is a distributed attack on the Sierpinski problem. Gauss showed that constructing a 17-sided polygon is tantamount to solving the equation x16 + x15 + ... + x + 1 = 0. In the Aardman film "Chicken Run," the chickens did much of their plotting in Hut 17. 17 steps lead up to Sherlock Holmes' residence at 221B Baker Street. Note also that 17221 and 22117, respectively, have the prime factorizations 17 * 1013 and 17 * 1301. "Stalag 17" is a classic Prisoner Of War film. A cow's saliva increases by 17% while grazing. For any 510,510 consecutive integers 5,760 will have 17 as a lowest prime factor. The reversal of 217 is prime. 17 Lectures on Fermat Numbers: From Number Theory to Geometry was written in honor of the 400th anniversary of the birth of Pierre de Fermat (1601-1665). Note that 17 is a Fermat prime. The smallest Automorphic prime, i.e., a prime p such that p is the kth prime and p ends in k. The longest word of prime length in the Bible is Chushanrishathaim, which has 17 letters. !17 - 1 is prime. Note that !17 represents subfactorial 17. 17 is the largest number less than a thousand such that the sum of its factorial and primorial plus and minus one are primes. I.e., 17!+17#-1 and 17!+17#+1 are primes. The middle verse in the New Testament is Acts 17:17. Vietnam was divided along the 17th parallel of latitude. The okapi (Okapia johnstoni) is the only mammal that can clear its own ears with its tounge, which can grow to 17 inches in length. 17 is a prime formed from the leading 2 decimal digits of sqrt(3). tan(cos(sin(x))) = .017... for any x, when this expression is computed in degree mode. The latin name of the 17-year locust (Cicada Septemdecim) has 17 letters. March 9, 2004, Senator Pat Roberts, Chairman of the Intelligence Committee, asked George Tenet, Director of the CIA, "Can you splinter a shingle 17 ways." The French mathematician, Jean-le-Rond d'Alembert, was born on May 17, 1717. 17 is the speed limit of the Turner Turnpike offramp in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. The smallest prime that is the average of the squares of two primes (3 and 5). 17 is (1*7)th prime. Note that 17 is the first such prime. Any number that is divisible by 17 will have this property: multiply the last digit by 5, then subtract that number from the remaining digits and the resulting number will be divisible by 17. E.g., 158916 is divisible by 17 because all of following results are divisible by 17:(15891 - 30 = 15861); (1586 - 5 = 1581); (158 - 5 = 153); (15 - 15 = 0). The sum of the first 17 composite numbers is prime. There are 17 distinct sets of regular polygons that can be packed around a point (e.g., 4 squares, 2 hexagons and 2 triangles, etc). 17 is the smallest prime equal to the arithmetic mean of two squares. There were 17 episodes of the classic BBC TV series "The Prisoner." 17 is the smallest prime of form x^2 + y^2 + z, where x, y and z are three succesive positive integers (2^2 + 3^2 + 4 = 17). 17 was called by the Pythagoreans, "opposition", "obstruction", and "evil", and "the day the Devil triumphed over God." FBI protects movie/film copyrights under US Title 17 section 501 and 506 sum of the digits of both sections is 5+0+1 + 5+0+6 = 17. Note FBI would equal 17 if A=1, B=2 ... Z=26 then F=6, B=2, I=9, (6+2+9=17). There are 17 words containing P, R, I, M, E in this order: PRIME, PRIMEr, PRIMatE, PaRt-tIME, PRIMEval, PRIMnEss, PRIMrosE, PeRIMEter, PRIMitivE, exPeRIMEnt, PaRlIaMEnt, PilgRIMagE, sPRIngtiME, aPpRoxIMatE, PRedIcaMEnt, PRIMitivEly, suPeRIMposE. 17 = 4 * 4 + 4 / 4 is the smallest primes made by using four 4's and the basic operations, ( , ), +, -, *, and /. St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is believed to have died on March 17. 17 = 2+3+5+7 is the smallest emirp among sums of consecutive primes. Note that the reverse 71 = 19+23+29 is also such a prime. The Melanesian people have a Y chromosome marker, H17, that is not found in Polynesians. The first program to run on a stored-program computer consisted of 17 instructions. It was to find the largest factor if 2^30-1. 1/(sqrt(17) - 4) = sqrt(17) + 4.

Your dial just sold on Ebay... holy SMOKES was that expensive. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...AMEDW%3AIT&rd=1

Some Wal-Mart customers soon will be able to sample a new discount item, Walmart's own brand of wine. Yes, the world's largest retail chain is teaming with E&J Gallo Winery of Modesto, CA, to produce the spirits at the affordable $2-$5 price range. While wine connoisseurs may not be inclined to throw a bottle of Wal-Mart brand wine into their shopping carts, there is a market for cheap wine, said Kathy Micken, professor of marketing at Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI. She said, "The right name is important." So, here we go....... the top 12 suggested names for Wal-Mart Wine: 12. Chateau Traileur Parc 11. White Trashfindel 10. Big Red Gulp 9. Grape Expectations 8. Domaine Walmart "Merde du Pays" 7. NASCARbernet 6. Chef Boyardeaux 5. Peanut Noir 4. Chateau des Moines 3. I Can't Believe It's Not Vinegar! 2. World Championship Riesling And the number 1 name for Wal-Mart Wine... 1. Nasti Spumante The beauty of Wal-Mart wine is that it can be served with white meat (possum) or red meat (squirrel).

I'll start... this past week I've sampled two new ones, a Pinot Noir by Little Penguin, and a Shiraz-grenache blend also by Little Penguin. The Pinot Noir is just........perfect! I am VERY pleased with it. It's a nice light alternative to heavy complex wines like the Yellow Tails I've been sampling. The Shiraz-Grenache though is another story. Did someone mix antifreeze in this one? Sorry... I think I'll pour this blend down the outhouse! Regarding Yellow Tails, they are great, complex, thought provoking wines. But I've had enough of that, I'm looking for simplicity. And the Pinot Noir has it, while being just pleasing enough on the palate to make me want another try.

This is how we ski in Alaska. Arctic Man 2006 video

Photos of a 5508 with Tropic 16 installed. I'm in love!

It's official, this winter we received 680 inches of snow. That works out to 56 feet and 8 inches. Here's what 56 feet of snow looks like... no kidding, this picture is straight from the camera:

Some of you heard of my quest over the last year to find "the" watch for Ms. Nanuq. I've been scouring and looking, and I finally found it... a 67 year old solid gold Rolex with gold bracelet. It's a lovely little rectangular case, the dial has been refinished in porcelain, and the gold numerals reinstalled. It has a chronometer grade movement (with MICROSTELLA balance) and it keeps perfect time, as near as I can tell. A couple days ago was my birthday (thanks again gents!) so it was the perfect time to give it to her. I didn't make a big deal out of it, I just said I'd been looking awhile and finally found it... it was supposed to be here for Easter and it was delayed... etc. I slipped it on her wrist and she LOVED it. That's all I'd hoped for... she is so thrilled with it, it's just a wonderful thing. She simply adores the little beauty. I'm so happy with how this came out!

And then there were four. Sorry guys, not for sale. Yes, they're all Superdomes.

We spent Easter weekend in the snow and watched the sun come up from on top of a mountain. It was a gorgeous sunrise... very uplifting. Here's a long shot... those mountains are nearly 200 miles away. Alpenglow on the way out of town. Yeah that's what the colors are really like... no filters used. Mountains and snow everywhere. Prime avalanche corridors too. 3 glaciers in this shot. Sunrise at the top. Clear and cold but luckily, not a breath of wind. I've never seen it still before in that spot. Here's a long shot of a weather station on a far peak. Looking back down toward the ocean and the folks missing out on the snow. Looking northwest. Lenticular clouds beginning to form, the wind is coming... Glaciers and moraines covered with fresh snow. There are 3 separate glaciers in this photo.

Here's a shot of part of my collection. From left to right a '74 Guild F50 maple jumbo, an extremely rare '74 Guild D70 in Brazillian rosewood, a 1908 Washburn also in Braz with sitka spruce top, and my daughter's eminently tasty little inlaid Sitka spruce dreadnaught. Enjoy!

YES!!! We got snow this morning!!!

I was cruising TZ and saw photos where people had mounted a Tropic 68 on a vintage 1675 GMT, sans cyclops, and it looked GREAT. It sorta had hints of that 5513 Tropic 19 dome effect, but not as dramatic as the mighty Tropic 39 Superdome. Of course that goes without saying. NOTHING can compare to the formidable T39. Anyone with a WM GMT try this yet? I'd think a Tropic 68 would fit right up.

A post yesterday described how many genuine Rolex parts come from China, but receive the "Swiss" designation when they are assembled in Switzerland. Soooooo. Just exactly HOW genuine / fake are the Rolex signed bridges for sale on Ebay, ostensibly from DW or another dealer???

With our move to the new site, aka RWG II, we have forgotten ONE KEY STEP! Did anyone else remember that we're STILL waiting for BarbieGal to come back with her encore? She'll never find us over here. I just read the real estate values link and Ms. Krustybrand suuuuuuuuuuuure looks like Barbiegal...

I have no clue what photography is all about, I don't know what "composure" is, or anything like that. I just take pictures. But once in awhile one comes out nice, and for some reason this one just looks nice to me. Enjoy!

I did a (marginally) scientific test to see just how tough a rep Submariner really is. Here it is, teetering precariously on the edge of my deck: Whoops, it fell two stories onto concrete. This is the radical vertical deceleration simulation: It's still ticking but we lost the 12:00 index: How about a pressure test? My Rover weighs nearly 6,000 lbs. Let's call it 3/4 ton of pressure on the crystal: Hmmmmm. It's ticking a bit quieter under there: No further damage, still doing fine. But it IS getting dirty: Impact absorption test. Let's play "fight scene in the western bar" and set it on a rock and break a chair over it: No sweat. Still ticking. Okay, now for a final calorific absorption test: Since this is a public forum I cannot in good conscience display the final image. Let's just say it's gruesome. 15 minutes of flame and the crystal melted, then cracked, and the dial is toast. Literally. And I will report that it finally quit ticking.

Gents, here are some photos to show you what the "Superdome" insanity is all about. For your droolage, here side by side are the "flat" Tropic 39 (from Helfand's), a vintage genuine "Superdome" Tropic 39 and a rep "Superdome" Tropic 39. That's right, a rep. No, I will NOT tell you where it came from. Suffice to say it's from a member here. He's working on a verrrrrry cool project. Enjoy! Can you tell which Superdome is the real one?

I took my Scout troop swimming tonight and for a diving exercize I took my Omega Apnea off and was throwing it out into deep water so the boys could retrieve it. All was well until about 30 minutes into it, when I checked and the crown was wide open. Somehow one of the boys had banged it and knocked it open. I screwed it back down quickly, but the flooding had started. As soon as I got it home I whipped the back off and got into it with a hair dryer... it dried out and is now running normally!

Flat top Tropic 39 vs. Superdome.

I just won an auction for a vintage (66 years old) solid gold Rolex for my wife!!! It's been completely overhauled, the dial is creamy white with raised yellow gold indices, gold hands, and the movement is a champ with (get this) a MICROSTELLA balance. I can't wait for it to get here! What's the occasion? Nuthin' I just sorta like the gal...

Take a look at ref #8921084777 on Ebay. How many flaws do you see with this "Sea-dweller"??? ARGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I believe this is a rep. What's the detail that makes me think so? It's fairly obvious... RBJ will spot it immediately. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...DME:B:WNA:US:12

Lots of people have been asking me the last couple of days what I think of Luckyyy's "Bond" Sub ... do I think it's a good starting point to recreate a believable rep. IMHO you can do better. A Bond Sub should have a much thinner case than the current Sub-based models and a twinlock crown is a must... up until the era of 5508 and 5510 Subs when Brevet ruled the day. I'm speaking of the earliest ones. My advice is to start with the Silix "Triple Red" Sub and go from there. You get the thin case and small crown, and the changes needed after that are easy to do... though parts will be hard to find. Here are some photos for comparison, to see how close the TRS is to a genuine 6536. You'll need to drill the lugs and get a new bezel/insert and dial. Then you're 90% done. Cheers!