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Percentages


Sogeha

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Percentages

Due to a tree running into me, I've had rather a lot of time for ruminating over the last 24 hours and it occurred to me that percentages get bandied about a lot when talking about accuracy. I have been guilty of it and it happens on all the fora. Yet I have never seen anyone define terms before claiming 99% accurate or whatever.

What are the terms? Does 95% mean that it will fool 95% of people? I live in rural Ireland. I could probably achieve that with a Daniel Wellington and a John Bull printing set.

If the case is pretty much spot on but the dial is fantasy for example, what percentage does that class as? How do we mark it?

Then there are Frankens, so percentage genuine, by weight? By value? Here is a lovely if long winded skit on microbrands. It royally takes the Mickey out of the legislature on Swiss made and how some manufacturers get around it.

 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=mBFI8ScdE4E

 

I haven't really come to any firm conclusions, except no it isn't really a franken if you just fitted gen springbars. We seem to have a general if very vague agreement on what we are trying to say and how we grade watches when we use percentages and lastly we get too hung up on these things anyway. Genuine watches vary rather a lot between batches and over the years many have had replacement parts that are a little different to original. Many of the details are so small it is hard to tell without magnification and as one progresses in this wonderful hobby it becomes rather satisfying to recognise these tiny tells, so owning watches of varying accuracy becomes rather enjoyable. I am also aware that I have at least a couple of watches that were very cheap, just over a hundred Dollars, aren't very accurate or even particularly well made. My Seamaster 300 and Ulysses Nardin Maxi marine for example, I am perfectly happy with them. On the other hand I currently have a little over three thousand in a Phong Sub and I would really like to spend at least another two before I'm happy with it. There is no getting away from the fact that the cheapies give me more pleasure per Dollar spent. When I first got seriously interested in replicas, like every noobie i was searching for the elusive 1:1 AAAAAplus, even the manufacturer can't tell it apart rep. Now I am much more content with good enough and that depends on how much I like the watch, when and how I will wear it.

 

Anyone any thoughts or is sleep deprivation and a cocktail of painkillers causing me to ponder my naval too much?

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Thanks Rick. I was minding my own business on my downhill mountain bike when a tree hit me at speed. I broke a molar clean in two and apparently my jaw is bust too. The bike is dead, I knew it bent the forks and front rim, but I've just been told it cracked the frame as well. The good news is the tree is fine.

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Sorry  to hear that mate. I hope you get better soon and it is bearable. When I was out of order and in pain like this in the past I always watched history documentaries. There is something about these commentaries that is so nicely steady and constant that I fall to sleep every now and then. And in the wake stages you up your education. :-)

 

Regarding accuracy of watches everybody has it's own take about this I guess. If you are a noob and get your first Noob watch you are convinced that it is 99% like the gen. The longer you are in the game the more you find out about those little inconsistencies. Regarding the cheapies I guess many feel the same way. I have build some Seiko homage mods that I love to wear. On the other hand I bought a Monte Carlo 7032 M2M the other day and I cannot wear it because the hands are a tad too long. I see it every time I look at the watch. I have to do something about it this weekend.

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You say you have a broken tree somewhere?  I'll be right over with my chainsaw.

 

I'm glad you survived the impact.  I have some horrendous photos of friends being impaled by broken bike parts as they crashed.  Momentum and solid objects are not good bedfellows.

 

Back to the drug-addled discussion of percentages, maybe it's easier to categorize by "distance" instead?  I bet there's a geometric increase in expense to make a franken that's believable as you move up between levels:

  • In the Elevator   $
  • Arms' Length     $$
  • In the Hand       $$$$
  • Under a Loupe   $$$$$$$$

Correspondingly there's a geometric decrease in "willingness to use it while logging" as you progress too.

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Thanks for the concern guys, but I'm okay really. Last night wasn't very funny solpadeine and brupro at over recommended dosage were barely taking the edge off. Today the remains of the tooth came out and my jaw is wired. Actually I feel remarkably well. I was wearing wrist, elbow, knee and spine protection along with an open face helmet. Anyway it is entirely self inflicted and although I have being doing very silly things with bicycles for nearly half a century, this is only my second big event.

 

You know what we gear heads are like, I'm more upset about the bike :-)

 

Soup is going to be a big part of my life for a couple weeks.

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OMG, that's right!  You're down a ride now.  :cry2:  But you know what that means ... it's time to go bike shopping.  :tu:

 

My advice: avoid disk brakes or wear good gloves.  This is the brake that cut my finger off.  :nono:

 

disc.jpg

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Like you, the thing that bothers me most about it isn't that it went Prodigal, it's that now it refuses to play guitar like it's supposed to.  Grrrrrrrrr, all that muscle memory down the drain.

 

Soup, eh?  You know a good single malt could almost be categorized as "grain" ... hence healthy for you.  :tu:

 

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I just want one thing for Christmas....  that job.  :Jumpy:

 

Notice the marks on the pieces he's cut already?  He's probably got a 32" or 36" bar and he's rolling the logs to finish the cuts.  Nice.  I use a 32" bar and I rarely run into something I need to roll anymore.  Of course living where I do, an 18" tree will be about 200 years old.

 

Back to the original post, let's hope one of these doesn't leap up and whack Sogeha!  That would leave a mark...........

 

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If there is one thing us Europeans look towards the USA and envy it's the ridiculously cheap power tools at Harbor Freight and the availability of really nice hard woods. Southern Ireland especially, if it ain't MDF, I pretty much have to cut it myself and wait a couple years.

 

(Had some lovely soup for lunch and dinner. Wonder what's on the menu tomorrow?)

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28 minutes ago, jigelow said:

Just want to call out the great Django Reinhardt reference. :)

 

Hope everyone heals up...at least to 99%.

A tree lined continental road, dappled sunlight, a classic rag top, this on the stereo, someone attractive riding shotgun and preferably on the way to a great restaurant. Life can be good.

I'm an old school Rocker with a love of vintage Rolex, but I have a draw full of Pams and a shelf full of trad jazz, what the hell is that all about?

 

 

 

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Oh please do brother. A much under respected artist who left us late last year. It takes me back to the late seventies and stay with my Uncle Selwin and his then boyfriend in Brighton. He introduced me to trad jazz, a love of long distance cycling, high living and the concept of being able to get away with anything if you live long enough and never give any sign that you give a damn. He lives in Paris and London now, in his mid eighties, he still cycles Paris to Yorkshire at least once a year.

 

My drug induced ramblings may yet turn into a fine thread.

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Boy do I like how this topic is playing out. I spent the last couple years digging into obscure blues and jazz musicians... and developed a taste for Pam at the same time. Hmmmmmm :g:

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Delta? We need to start a proper thread in lifestyle or somewhere.

@nikki6 I've got proper bikes with engines. I don't ride on the road much anymore because I'm good at flinging those down the road too. Once I have more time I want to do stunt stuff.

Sorry about the video Sixx, but trust me she is everything you need in a girl, French, pretty and more balls than any twelve regular guys. She'll never pass CBT until she can keep both wheels on the ground though

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