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Gen wristies


sgtguk

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Not a 'wristie' but a 14K 'double back' Waltham '92'...

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Decorated '1892' series movement with gold jewel settings...

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This is a low production pendant set 1892 type movement and the cases were special made for this movement.  Afaik there were not many movements like this made as most were lever set.  Besides having pendant set and only one case screw where most have two, it is 16 size and the majority of 1892 models were 18size.  The guy who c/o the watch last month said it is a strange bird, and he has been working on PWs for 50+ years.  When he c/o it about 10 years ago he said it was the second one he could remember working on.  Yesterday, he said it was still only the second one after thousands of PW jobs.  The other one was in a 14K yellow gold filled case.

Chances are this watch was sold with the movement already cased (probably sometime in the late 1890s) because of the odd ball movement.  Back then, jewelers sold most high grade pocket watches in two pieces...the movement, and the case.  Back before there was so much watch trading and case/movement swaps, you saw many top grade RR Approved movements in cheap chrome plated cases etc. because the owner wanted RR accuracy but did not care much about the case or could not afford a high $$ case.  The case and porcelain (applied over brass) dial are slightly oversize for a 16 size movement as can be seen in the pic with the backs open.  It was made back then for a 'Gentleman' who wanted a 'Big Gold Watch'.

Inside the case back it has 'Assayed 14K' = solid 14K gold.

 

'Pendant set' = winds and sets by the crown.  Many RR etc. pocket watches were 'lever set' and had a small lever under the bezel that had to be pulled out to set the time.  The bezels had to be unscrewed and removed every time the watch was set.  This was the rule with most later RR Approved PWs so the time could not be altered by mistake.

The case, both case backs, bezel, crown, and pendant (bow) are all 14K gold.  The case is in 90% condition and the hinges are like new and tight.  The crystal is glass. 

The 'Gentlemen' owners took very good care of it throughout the years.

Although not a 'Gentleman' of any sort, I've owned it 14 years and also take good care of it.

 

The Model 92 Story - Waltham Watch Company's Model 1892

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Bulova Precisionist diver...

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It's a whopper...about 55mm from the bezel lock to 4:15, 48mm 2 o'clock to 8, and 50mm across the crown to 9 o'clock.

It weighs 141 grams.

 

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The strap is 24mm between the lugs, 22mm at the buckle.

Too big for me but it is all mine, took it in on trade.

It is in about 85% condition, the buckle is the roughest part.

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Steel manual wind DOXA from the 1950s...

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'Rare' German made steel 'Sliplock' bracelet...

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Imho the term 'rare' is much like 'near mint' and 'like new' when applied to watches. 

I call it 'rare' only because it is the only example I have seen in 40+ years.  It is similar to a Bonklip.

 

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You let enough of the clasp cap end of the bracelet out (at the top of the pic) to go over the wrist, then pull it as tight as needed and snap the two pieces of the clasp back together.  

I made up the term 'Sliplock' years ago.  :pimp:

 

Modern Bonklip type bracelet...

Bonklip Bracelet - 304L Stainless Steel Watch Band - Adjustable Size (josephbonnie.com)

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Wittnauer 2000 automatic from the 1970s...

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Bought it in March 1996 for $75 needing a crystal and it laid around until I put a crystal in it last year.  Original flat top acrylic crystals are hard to find because they are about 37mm wide but I finally found one.  Bought another watch just like it (not running) for parts about the same time with original bracelet but never did anything with it.  Have worn this one a few times in the past (today also) and it still runs fine.  The movement was made by Orient and afaik, Orient still makes them under their brand name.  It can not be wound by hand and is quikset date and sloset day of the week by running the hands around.  The push button top right changes the QS date and the lower crown turns the year disc to match the date and year at the top and bottom.  The date at the top is set for today's date (Tues 13 in the second row down from the top) but the year ('94) is off at the bottom because the calendar runs out at the end of 2015...the earliest date is 1972.  The day and date in the window have not been set for today. 

Pic taken 12-13-22. 

 

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Lightly used 42mm Orient similar to the Wittnauer 2000 above, but from the late 1990s/early 2000s...

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The movement is a little bit different from the older Witt 2000, date only in a window, and it still does not wind manually. 

 

Nos 35mm Orient from the early 2000s, double quikset...date sets by crown, day sets by push button.  Lume is a bit rough, (they all were) and it does not wind manually.  It is similar to today's 42mm 'Bambino' model except for size.  My case measurements are not exact, the blue dial watch is a hair over 35mm. 

Specs on the newer Bambino models claim 41mm or 42mm and they might come in smaller sizes but I could not find any on eBay.  There is also a Bambino with small seconds at 6.  The Bambinos can be hand wound, unlike older models like mine.

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We were paying $35 each for the small Orients like the blue dial watch, and the multi-year calendar models were $65 each if we bought 10 of each model at a time in the early 2000s.  Seiko 5 were $35 each without box/papers and $40 with b/p, minimum of 10.  Never had trouble with any Orient watch but a few of the Seiko 5 gave trouble, usually low reserve and/or bad timekeeping.  If I had to wear one it would be an Orient, there is no contest imho.

 

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Stainless late 1950s/early 1960s manual wind Elgin Shockmaster 'Flying Saucer'.

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All USA made...movement, case, dial, hands, crown, crystal, and bracelet.  C/O about 10 years back, not worn very much since then and still within 5 to 7 seconds a day.  

 

Stainless USA made 'Don Juan' clamp-on type bracelet. 

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The watch is held on the bracelet by spring loaded arms that clamp over the spring bars and are held to the bracelet by rivets that slide in slots to allow for different watch sizes.  The bracelets come in small/medium/large sizes and you bend them to adjust for a comfortable fit.  The spring bar clamps come in assorted widths and can be filed down to the exact size needed.   You see these bracelets on watches worn in hot, damp environments...Vietnam era military watches for example.  They are also used where the watch can be quickly removed from the wrist without clasp or buckle hassles...medivac situations etc.

...or just because they are coool.  :good:

Image result for Don Juan Watch Bracelets. Size: 133 x 150. Source: www.pinterest.com

Don Juan Watch Band Cuff | WatchUSeek Watch Forums

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  • 2 months later...

Ratty pic of my Aquinus 200M diver...

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Took the Harley Ronda lady size 15.2mm X 18mm (6 3/4 X 8 ligne) movement out and put a 23.7mm (10.5 ligne) Seiko/Hattori (aka TMI) VH31A in it.  The H & M hand sizes were the same (1.20 and .70), but the SS hand tube had to be squeezed down a bit in a lathe collet.  The main hassle was the larger movement needed different movement spacers and had to be held to the dial by 'dial dots' while putting it all together.  Two of the spacers had to be sized by trial and error to hold it all in place using pressure from the case back when screwed down to clamp it all together...this is what took most of the time involved.  The VH31A is a little bit thicker than the HR and the stem mounts higher so the screw down crown needs some fiddling when screwing it down to keep from messing the threads up.  Luckily, there is some slack in the crown's telescoping stem tube and that helps a lot.  All considered, it came out Ok and ticks 14,400 times an hour instead of 3600. 

Cost of the conversion was about $12 or $15, plus still have the 'semi new' HR movement.

 

Seiko Instruments (SII) VH31 / VH31A watch movement | Caliber Corner

 

Generic rubber strap and clasp.  The watch came with a heavy steel bracelet.

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Someone else put some watches up, I'm looking like a Post Hog!

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Devil Diver!

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Newer model with Miyota movement, ISO certified so it can actually be used for diving...and a bargain in today's market when discounted on eBay etc.  Box type sapphire crystal, SEL, vintage vibe bracelet with stamped clasp and extension similar to the originals.

A modern watch with a trip back in time included at no extra charge.  A brand new 50 year old watch!

 

Disclaimer:

I am not affiliated with Bulova in any way, but they are one of my favorite brands. 

Nor do I portray a doctor on TV.   Ha!   :pimp:

 

ISO 6425 for Dive Watches - ChronoDivers.com

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"Now, this one has moved to a tie with the NTTD..."

 

Can't beat a no date submariner wearing nylons!

 

A creampuff in leather...NOS stainless Eternamatic from the 1970s:

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From the looks of the case back and lizard strap, it has never been worn at all.  No crimp or marks on the strap, so no wristie. 

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I've had it 30 years at least.  Have two more somewhere but they are snap backs, not WR.

 

Very low mileage 21 jewel lever set Railroad Approved Waltham Riverside from 1940 in nickel alloy case by Star Watch Case Co...

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The watch on the right is also RR Approved...for little bitty railroads...

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Fyi...the wood hoop in front of the wood frame dip-net is a primitive horse collar frame and the UMCO box is a small fishing tackle box.  The casting reel is a Langley Streamlite 310 KC.  The snake is rubber.  Ha!  

"The Langley Co. made aluminum aircraft parts during WWII and used that knowledge to make very fine light weight fishing reels from 1948 to 1962 when they were bought by Zebco."  (Fishing Talks com)

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