Watches to Wear

Watch Principle #2: The Watch Box Rule, or a Home for Every Model

2015-08-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

The second principle builds on the first: the moment you decide to purchase another watch beyond your first, you'll need a place to put your spare watch(es) when you're not wearing them. (For the only-watch crowd, I imagine the TV cliche of placing your watch on a nightstand holds mostly true to reality.) As the thirteen Watch Primer post discusses, the respective wrist times of the watches you own shrinks in direct proportion to the total number of watches; if you have more than two, then your watches will spend the vast majority of their lives being stored, rather than on your wrist. While it's possible to store your watches in the boxes or packaging they came in, this practice quickly becomes bulky, sprawling, and eventually impracticable - unless you've an abundance of shelf space and don't mind rummaging through several boxes each morning to pick out your watch for the day. For most others, a watch box makes sense as a designated repository for all the watches that aren't adorning your wrist.

The idea behind acquiring a watch box is a familiar one: putting everything in its place, and, in turn, maintaining a place for every thing. For the watch enthusiast looking to expand his or her collection sensibly, it also presents an opportunity to impose what I've come to recognize as a vital rule in my own path to WISdom: the Watch Box Rule.

The rule is a simple one: You can't have more watches than you have spaces in your watch box. If you do, you have two options: sell off timepieces until you're back in the black, or acquire a bigger watch box. Yet there is actually more to the rule than may be perceived at first glance. The pare-down option forces you to take stock of your current collection and to assay every timepiece within it against the others. The wheat will quickly separate from the chaff. The buy-a-new-box option, on the other hand, imposes an additional up-front cost to expanding your collection, and also serves as a physical embodiment and quantification of your watch collection: it will grow bigger as your collection does, gaining more slots and becoming more and more unwieldy and challenging to store as your watches grow in number. And, by forcing yourself to store all of your watches in one place, it serves as an immediate representation of exactly how extensive your watch collection has become.

Even if the prospect of legions of watches assembled in rows and waiting for you to don them sets your heart aflutter, seeing said legions in the metal forces you to consider exactly how much of an investment - of time, effort, space, and attention - the amassing of your collection has cost you. The largest watch box I've owned had ten slots, and there was a time (OK, many times) when I owned more watches than it could accommodate. Staring at those ten slots and their occupants, as well as the watches left homeless by overzealous acquisitions, realizing how infrequently I actually wore some of those watches, made me realize that, for my purposes, my collection had grown over-encumbered. That made me sit down and assess each and every watch, considering how attached I was to it, how often I wore it, and what features it brought to my watch box that weren't duplicated by its neighbors. Doing so allowed me to pare things down enough to accommodate my current 5-watch watch box.

I won't lie; there have been times - many of them, in fact - where I've been tempted to purchase a sixth watch. It isn't hard to find six-slot watch boxes on Amazon or elsewhere. But so far I've managed to keep to the Watch Box Rule. And keeping to it has forced me to constantly reassess my watch collecting goals, with an focus on longer and longer terms. It's made me realize that, of the five occupants of my watch box today, only one has a tenured position: the Rolex Oyster Perpetual 116000. Simply put, it's as close to my Platonic ideal of an everyday watch as I'm likely to get. The Speedy Pro is virtually assured of a lifelong spot - tenure-tracked, if we continue the analogy - but the right new chronograph release in the distant future could remove it from its position. (A smaller diameter, blue dial, and perhaps a column wheel movement would be the requisite factors there.) The rest of my box's slots are, in truth, still up for eventual grabs.

Deciding on the size of your watch box and sticking to the Watch Box Rule can help you determine your goals and priorities for your watch collection, and keep you from making those spur-of-the-moment purchases that could keep you from attaining those goals.

Watch Review: Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36mm 116000 Blue Arabic Dial

2015-07-07T12:50:00.001-07:00

Several years ago, I added the first Rolex to my collection in the form of the then-newly discontinued 36mm Explorer I 114270 after what I thought was an exhaustive search of Rolex's contemporary offerings. I'd intended the acquisition to be the sole representative of the laudable crown in my watch box, and it likely would have been, had I not been tempted to view its successor, the 39mm Explorer I 214270, at my local authorized dealer. It wasn't that the 214270 impressed me (with its stunted hands, how could it?); it was that I laid eyes on the 116000 with its blue, Explorer-style 9-6-3 dial and updated oysterclasp bracelet, and immediately fell in love.

The result was I sold the Explorer I I'd fully intended to keep (at a slight profit, thanks to its discontinuance and having acquired it used), and bided my time and money until I could afford to purchase the 116000 new. The time came a little sooner than I'd expected due to the introduction of the 39mm Oyster Perpetual models at Baselworld 2015 and rumored (and likely probable) discontinuance of the Arabic dial 36mm models, but I was able to negotiate enough of a deal to walk away with the Rolex I'd lusted after for nearly four years.

It had taken four years in part because I'd tried so desperately to talk myself out of the purchase. I knew that I'd be unlikely to sell a nameless Oyster Perpetual for more than I bought it for, especially not if I bought it new, and I was loathe to sink the thousands I'd recovered and couple of hundred I'd gained from the Explorer back into another watch, much less another Rolex. But the pull of the 116000 was so strong that I nearly purchased a gently used example from one of the preowned watch vendors at Nakano Broadway during my last trip to Japan. In the end, it may have been for the best, as the retail experience at my local authorized dealer was top notch, and there is an ineffably exquisite quality to purchasing and subsequently wearing a watch that can claim you as its sole owner. (Far less ineffable were the previous owner's wrist hairs that emerged from between the bracelet links of my secondhand Explorer I, when I gave it a thorough ultrasonic cleaning.) I was afraid that, after spending over $5k on a watch - more than I've ever spent on a consumer product - I'd become bored of it in a month or two, as I have with many previous watch acquisitions (and which my long history as a watch flipper can attest to).

Going into the fourth month since picking up the 116000, I can happily report that wasn't the case. Many WIS understand the difference between a watch that immediately speaks to you and one that does not; the latter may become an acquired favorite, after a time, but the former will always appeal to you on some primordial level, making you smile each time you glance at it, no matter how many times you already have. Several times while wearing it, I have been times I've been tempted to winnow my five-watch rule down to an only-watch rule, with the 116000 as the sole survivor. Only my love for the Speedy Pro - in my book the poster child for acquired favorites; it wasn't love the first time it graced my wrist (it struck me as too large, as it continues to do when paired with a bracelet), but the longer I've had it, the more and more I've grown to appreciate its immaculately designed dial, bulbous crystal, and myriad other design decisions that make it the Platonic ideal of a chronograph. Well, that and my obsession with having a backup for nearly everything. But if I were compelled to live an only-watch lifestyle, I have to admit that, for all of the Speedy's benefits, both technical and in heritage, I'd probably end up siding with the 116000. It just suits me best.

Because it's not one of the more-vaunted sports models, you may be able to negotiate a slight discount on an Oyster Perpetual, even at an Authorized Dealer, as I did. Granted, all I achieved was getting it tax free (nearly 5% off what would have been the total price), but that amounts to several hundred dollars in savings on a purchase like this. Seeing as I had been willing to pay full price if necessary, I counted it as a welcome surplus of exchange.

Watch Review: Nomos Glashutte Tangente Gangreserve

2015-06-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

In writing last month's Kent Wang Bauhaus v3 watch review, I realized that I never reviewed one of the most paradigmatic Bauhaus-influenced designs out there - and one of the only ones I'm aware of that is available with an in-house movement. I'm speaking generally of Nomos Glashutte's entire Tangente line, but this review will draw on my experience of the Gangreserve (Power Reserve) model that I acquired several years ago.

In addition to offering one of the best value propositions out there as far as true manufactures go, Nomos Glashutte also represents a bastion of sensibly sized watches for those with diminutive wrists and/or old-fashioned sensibilities. At 35mm in diameter, the Tangente is the ideal size for a dress watch, and its 18mm lug width means that there are plenty of after-market options beyond the admittedly excellent shell cordovan strap that it comes with. Its austere indices and numbering are, in my opinion, a quintessential expression of the Bauhaus aesthetic, and its blued hands - true blued hands, achieved through chemical processes that occur during heat treatment - match that aesthetic perfectly.

In retrospect, the power reserve indicator that I specifically purchased the Gangreserve for may actually be the weakest link in that particular Tangente's chain. While useful in keeping the watch wound, it does break up the otherwise seamlessly sleek aesthetic that the basic Tangente model achieves so effortlessly. In addition, it increases the cost of servicing substantially over the basic Alpha movement. If I were to redo my purchase, I would likely go with the basic Tangente model - albeit with the same exhibition case back that I enjoyed in the Gangreserve version.

Whether or not the Tangente is for you likely falls to how you answer the following three questions:

First, are you OK with - or perhaps even prefer - a manual wind movement? There can a certain pleasure associated with the daily ritual of winding a watch by hand, and if that tableau appeals to you, then the Tangente may be right up your alley.

(And if not, the new Tangente Automatik with the automatic DUW 3001 movement may be the perfect alternative. Just look at how the DUW 3001 fills up the 35mm case back!)

Second, do you like the way that dress or vintage sized watches look on your wrist? Nomos's Tangente intentionally bucks the modern trend toward bigger and more substantial wristwatches, which can either be a welcome respite or an unwanted anachronism, depending on what range of watch sizes you find look best on your wrist.

Finally, perhaps the most important question is this: how much does the Bauhaus aesthetic appeal to you? Is it attractive enough for you to see yourself wearing a watch in that style as your daily wearer, or in lieu of more traditional dress watch styles? If you're a Bauhaus aficionado, then a Nomos Tangente may very well be your ideal watch. If you'd prefer more classic, modern, or outlandish designs, then the Tangente probably won't be a viable option as a daily wearer or dress watch stand-in; whether it should still have a place in your watch box depends on the size of your collection and the financial resources you're willing to devote to it. For me, while I'm a fan of the aesthetic, I'm more partial to more classic designs, such as the Patek Philippe Calatrava for dress watches, or the Rolex Oyster Perpetual when it comes to all-rounder watches that straddle the sporty/dress continuum.

Watch Review: Kent Wang Bauhaus v3

2015-05-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

There is something about the Bauhaus aesthetic that is uniquely suited to watch design. The minimalist, form-is-function philosophy can be especially appealing to those in pursuit - though some might say in vain - of a single watch for every occasion. For those who want such a watch to not only be as universal as possible, but also affordable and powered by a dependable automatic movement, it's hard to think of a better candidate than Kent Wang's Bauhaus Watch V3.

This third iteration of Kent Wang's minimalist watch gets a lot of things right. At 40mm in diameter (down from the beefier 42mm original), it's poised right at the sweet spot between today's larger watches and the more restrained proportions you'd find in vintage or dedicated dress models. It features a polished steel case with a scratch resistant sapphire crystal, display case back, and a versatile leather strap that surprised me by managing to fit my 6" wrist on its innermost adjustment hole. (Most regular-length straps on the market today, or offered standard on men's watches, tend to go only so far as a 6.25" wrist or so.) As the v3's strap length was, to my understanding, lengthened to accommodate larger wrists up to 8", its ability to accommodate a 2" range in wrist sizes is extremely impressive. In addition, the Bauhaus's lug width of 20mm means that it is compatible with a wide range of after-market strap options, from NATOs in nylon to unlined straps in shell cordovan.

Of course, it's the dial where this watch earns its Bauhaus moniker. A simple matte surface with printed (or, in the case of the black version, applied metal) indices form a clean, uncluttered, and utter utilitarian template for telling time. Eminently readable (especially when contrasted with the white model's blued hands), its only potential flaw - the sameness of the indices could cause one to misread the time if viewed at an off angle - is negated by the date window at 3 o'clock. The date window's presence is the only real design concession that falls short of the Bauhaus ideal, but it serves enough of a function in utility and improved readability that I think its inclusion adds more to the watch than it detracts.

At under $400 retail (or around $300 if you can catch it during a Massdrop group buy), the Bauhaus V3 offers a tremendous amount of value for its price. Its Japanese Miyota 9015 movement (upgraded from the Chinese Seagull the original and v2 used) is a solid competitor to the once-ubiquitous ETA 2824-2, and is the workhorse movement that many watch brands turned to after ETA shuttered its supply lines to third parties. It matches the 2824-2 in virtually every metric except for its winding rotor mechanism, which is uni-directional rather than bi-directional. While hardly a deal breaker in itself, that fact does mean that it will wind itself a a slightly reduced rate versus a comparable movement with a bi-directional rotor. It had no difficulty sustaining itself while I used it as my workday wearer, despite my mostly sedentary responsibilities, and if you plan to wear it every day, as I did, it should have no trouble keeping itself wound from day to day.

If you're looking for an extremely versatile yet affordable automatic - perhaps as your introduction to automatic watches in general - Kent Wang's Bauhaus v3 watch is an excellent choice.

Watch Review: Marathon TSAR Medium Diver's Quartz 36mm

2014-12-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

I've always been a fan of quartz movements when it comes to diver's watches, or really any watch with a screw-down crown. The more the screw-down mechanism is utilized, the more likely it is to fail, and depending on the watch and precise nature of the failure, might require replacement of the entire watch case. This makes low-maintenance quartz movements the functional ideal for watches that employ screw-down crowns for their needed water resistance, as they are accurate enough to minimize the number of times you'd have to access the crown to the end of non-31-day months and the occasional, every-other-year battery change.

Actually finding a full-fledged diver's watch (meaning 300m water resistance) with a quartz movement these days, however, can be a difficult task, further compounded if you're looking for a watch that would look reasonable on a smaller (say sub-7") wrist. 42mm is the threshold for reasonableness for my 6" wrist, and sub-42mm options are very, very hard to come by.

Marathon's original TSAR (short for for "Tactical Search And Rescue"), a solid tool watch noted for its contracts for and use by government agencies, barely fit the bill at around 42mm, though its 13.5mm thickness keeps it at the very cusp of feasibility. I briefly owned one that I acquired on sale from Top Spec U.S., one of Marathon's authorized dealers, but in the end it was just a little too big and chunky for my needs.

Having once owned a Rolex Explorer I 114270 and an Omega Seamaster Pro 2253.80, I've long held 36mm as perhaps the perfect size for someone with a wrist as diminutive as mine. The Seamaster in particular was a strong contender for a lifelong diver's watch, but the demands its mechanical movement placed on its screw-down crown was simply too much for my admittedly near-OCD comfort levels. I considered its equally discontinued quartz-movement-powered doppelganger, the 2263,80, but couldn't bring myself to spend well over $1000 on a run-of-the-mill Swiss quartz.

Marathon surprised many watch commentators with the introduction of a "medium" version of its hallowed TSAR, especially in this day and age where the trend of bigger and bulkier watch sizes is showing no signs of slowing down. Their choice of a 36mm diameter seems audacious in a market where 38mm is already considered small, but not all that surprising, since the difference between 36mm and 42mm is the same 6mm that separates the TSAR (42mm) and its larger brother, the JSAR (48mm). It seems clear that Marathon intends to offer a version of its Search-and-Rescue diver's watch for consumers spanning the entire spectrum of wrist sizes.

Besides being smaller and slightly less thick (12.5" versus the original 13.5"), the TSAR Medium brings the same feature set as the original: a high-torque ETA F06 Quartz with date display and end-of-life indicator (ticking at multiple-second intervals, rather than per-second), 300m water resistance, tritium tube illumination on its hour indices and hour and minute hands, and a chunky and highly visible diver's bezel with a solid ratcheting motion. It trades the original's 20mm lug width (and it's virtually endless stream of after-market compatible strap and bracelet options) for the slightly less varied but still highly versatile 18mm, which looks better proportioned to its smaller diameter.

Like all Marathon's diver's watches, the TSAR Medium comes on a rubber strap, though a redesigned one that features half-punched strap holes, allowing the user to punch through only the one they use in order to give the strap a more streamlined appearance. I'm pleased to say that, while the rubber strap on the original TSAR was too long to accommodate a 6" wrist, even at the innermost strap hole, the strap on the Medium just makes the grade at the innermost position. So 6"-wristers out there needed shell out for the matching bracelet just to find a comfortable fit.

But while the bracelet is hardly necessary, it's highly recommended. It completes the TSAR look in a way that a rubber strap never could, and offers a nice nod to the TSAR's government-contracted roots with an engraved U.S. Seal on the clasp. The dual-screw system does make resizing the bracelet a bit more challenging - but not impossible - so if you're wary of damaging the bracelet in the attempt, it's probably best to seek out a qualified watch professional to do the adjustment. For those fearless enough to try it on their own, I've managed the deed with two flat-head screwdrivers of the same size, with scotch tape securing the watch to the work surface to prevent it from wriggling out of position.

At just under $500 (and just over $650 with bracelet), the TSAR Medium is admittedly pricey for a quartz watch. But if you like your watches reasonably sized and agree that the ease and accuracy of quartz is best suited to diver's watches, you'd be hard pressed to find a better in-production option than Marathon's TSAR Medium.

Case: Brushed Steel
Movement: High-Torque ETA F06 Quartz
Dial: Black
Lume: Tritium Tube
Crystal: Sapphire
Strap: Rubber (steel bracelet available)
Water Resistance: 300m
Dimensions: 36 x 43.5mm
Thickness: 12.5mm
Lug Width: 18mm
Price: $495 (+ $180 for bracelet)

Watch Review: Seiko Railroad Pocket Watch SVBR001

2014-12-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Image courtesy of Seiya Japan, a well-respected exporter of JDM watches.

I've had a fascination with pocket watches from the moment I first laid eyes on one. While anachronisms have always appealed to me in general, there is something intrinsically cultured and appealing about pulling a watch from your pocket to check the time. While the wristwatch largely replaced the pocket watch that used to occupy a place of prominence in every gentleman's getup (and has, in turn, been functionally supplanted by the timekeeping function inherent to cellphones), it remains the only traditionally acceptable timepiece to wear with all but the most formal attire. It is for this reason that I reserve room in my watch collection for a pair of pocket watches, one mechanical, one quartz, to fill in during occasions where sartorial dictates would inveigh against wrist-borne timepieces.

The Seiko Railroad Pocket Watch (SVBR001) was one of the few purchases I'd planned well in advance of my last trip to Japan. It's a perfect example of a contemporary watch designed firmly in the aesthetic of vintage timepieces, affording you the convenience of a modern quartz movement with the heft and finish of a mostly bygone era at an entirely reasonable price in today's watch market. At 47mm in diameter, it feels substantial in the hand, and the clear dial markings and well-proportioned hands distinguish it from the more hastily thrown-together designs one often finds in listings of current production pocket watches. The only modern upgrade I wish it offered is a sapphire crystal; the curved glass that it employs must be consciously babied, since its lupine-style case does not provide the added protection of a hunter-style cover.

Although it comes with an elegant braided lanyard, the SVBR001 is best paired with a genuine watch chain, especially as its aesthetics pair well with the vast majority of vintage offerings. I use it with a 925 silver single Albert chain from the UK that I acquired on eBay several years ago, but it would be served just as well by a modern double Albert like this one by Ky & Co. Both watch and chain spend most of their time in a glass pocket watch display case, which I've reviewed previously, that neatly converts any pocket watch into a handsome desk clock.

All in all, unless you're a railroad professional enamored by the classic conductor's aesthetic, the SVBR001 is not an everyday watch. It is an easily attainable and maintainable callback to a time long gone, that still finds relevance today on the rare social occasions that hearken back to the more refined nuances of yesteryear.

Watch Review: Seiko SARB035

2014-11-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

The Seiko SARB series is well-known among watch aficionados as one of the greatest value propositions among entry-level mechanical wristwatches. It offers a handsome range of watches with a classic, subtly Japanese-influenced aesthetic, and automatic, in-house (thanks to Seiko's vertical integration) movements roughly at the $500 price point. Only the SARB series' limited availability as a JDM - Japanese Domestic Model - limits its global position as one of the most attractive entry points into mechanical watch collecting.

The SARB035 is a cream-dialed offering that tips the scales at a little over $300, depending on currency conversion rate at the time of purchase. Its 38mm diameter positions it well between the dress watch and everyday watch categories, as it looks just as at home when paired with a t-shirt and jeans as it does sliding under the cuff of a dress shirt. The front crystal is sapphire, while the display back is Seiko's proprietary hardlex, meaning that the crystals are unlikely to suffer scratches from daily wear, unless you tend to be rough on your watches while they're off your wrist.

While the SARB035 comes with the dependable, solid-end-link bracelet that defines the SARB line, its 20mm lug width means that you have the widest possible options when it comes to aftermarket straps. (Contrasted with the extremely hard to find 19mm width you'd have to deal with on most modern Grand Seikos, the SARB035 only looks like an even better choice.) I opted for a shiny aftermarket cordovan strap that I got at the same Yodobashi Camera where I picked up the SARB035.

The the slightly iridescent cream dial and intricate fraction-of-a-second painted indices really play up a strongly appealing vintage vibe, as does Seiko's font, hands, and applied indices selection. The watch looks on par with automatics in the several thousand dollar range, and offers similar performance with its 6R15C movement, which offers an impressive 50-hour power reserve and usually performs far more accurately than its rating of +25/-15 secs/day.

Image courtesy WatchUSeek Forums.

The only thing that might give some buyers pause about the SARB035 or the SARB series in general is the lackluster fine adjustment for the included bracelet. With only two fine adjustment positions in the clasp and one-size links, I've found myself in the unfortunate position of being in between adjustment sizes for both the SARB035 and SARB045's bracelets. Too tight is never an option, and I can't abide bracelets that shift up and down the wrist like a bangle, which is why I opted for the aftermarket strap. A minor annoyance for those who intend to wear this watch with a fine leather strap to complement its vintage vibe, but a potential deal breaker for those who intend to use the bracelet and find themselves stuck between adjustment sizes.

With only that small caveat, the SARB035 is a solid value proposition and great entry point into mechanical watches for those who can gain access to this Japan-only beauty.

Watch Review: Affordable Mechanicals: sub-$300 Range: Hamilton Field Khaki Hand Wind H69419363 Officer Handwinding

2014-11-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

With the entry point of Swiss-made mechanical watches approaching - and often well exceeding - the $1000, many newcomers to realm of the watch enthusiasts must limit themselves to Asian-made or vintage Swiss models if their budget only goes as high as a few hundred dollars. For those individuals, the entry-level brands of the Swatch Group, such as Tissot and Hamilton, offer some of the best value propositions on the market today.

The watch on review today is perhaps the finest and least expensive example in Hamilton's present collection: the Field Khaki Hand Wind (currently listed as the Officer Handwinding on Hamilton's website), reference number H69419363. Its simple three-hand design reflects a functionalist and spartan outlook that meshes well with its military aesthetic. At 38mm in diameter, it is well positioned as an understated timepiece that could be easily dressed up with a leather strap or matching bracelet (more on the latter below). Its 20mm lug width ensures that it is compatible with a wide range of aftermarket straps, and the drilled lug holes are an increasingly rarefied feature that makes strap changes a breeze and further cements the watch's function-first aesthetic. The watch comes in a black dial and an olive drab dial, the latter of which can appear black or grey depending on the light and surroundings.

Notable at this price point is the watch's domed sapphire crystal, whose charming lack of anti-reflective coating makes it evoke the vintage charm of actual military watches that used plastic or plexiglass crystals, while offering the modern scratch resistance of sapphire. Its movement is an ETA 2804-2, which is the most recent manual-wind version of ETA's workhorse 28XX lines of movements. For those looking to understand the anachronistic appeal of a mechanical watch in a world where every cellphone can tell you the time, the combination of sweeping seconds hand and daily ritual of winding the watch to maintain its 38-hour power reserve offers the full experience at perhaps the lowest price attainable for a Swiss mechanical watch.

As pictured above, I opted to dress up the watch with its matching bracelet (reference number H605.694.101, available direct from Hamilton for $114 plus shipping at the time of writing). I found that the solid-end-link bracelet really completes the watch by matching seamlessly with its satin metal finish, and as versatile as the watch is with a wide range of straps, uniting the watch with its bracelet makes it feel suddenly whole.

The Hamilton Field Khaki Hand Wind H69419363 (aka Officer Handwinding) is available on Amazon for less than $300.

Specifications:

Diameter: 38mm

Lug Width: 20mm

Dial Color: Olive Drab

Crystal: Sapphire

Movement: ETA 2804-2 (manual wind, approximately 38-hour power reserve)

Bracelet: H605.694.101 ($114 + shipping direct from Hamilton)

Recommendation: If you're a fan of minimalism, military aesthetics, handwound movements, and perhaps the best bang-for-buck current production Swiss timepiece on the market today, do yourself a favor and pick up the H69419363.

Watches to Wear Returns in November!

2014-10-03T19:11:00.003-07:00

WtW will return with fortnightly blog posts every other Monday, starting November 3rd.

There's a whole lot on the way, so stay tuned!

Accessory Review: Pocket Watch Glass Display Dome with Walnut Base & Silver hook (It's On Amazon)

2013-10-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

After choosing the Marathon TSAR as the latest occupant of my watch box, I went searching for a storage solution for the pocket watches that I've been handed down and the one modern example - an Orient CDD00001W, one of the only modern pocket watches I know of that features a sapphire crystal - I keep on hand for occasions where a wrist-bound watch simply won't do. Most boxes designed to store pocket watches have capacities far too large for my needs - usually in the 10 to 12 pocket watch range - so I went with a couple of single-watch glass cases from Amazon.

At just under $30, they're a reasonable storage and display option. I keep the aforementioned Orient in one, and my great-grandfather's vintage Omega pocket watch in another. It's a solid choice that keeps the watch well protected and nicely displayed, though getting the watch on the hook can be a little fidgety. I highly recommend it to anyone who has a pocket watch or two and wants a good place to keep them safe.

Watch Review: Marathon TSAR on U.S. Great Seal Bracelet

2013-10-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

Spend enough time on any of the usual watch forums - especially where dive watches are discussed - and sooner or later you'll come across the Marathon Search-and-Rescue series of watches. Marathon is a Canadian company that supplies Swiss-made watches to the U.S. and Canadian governments, and which has garnered a reputation for solid, purpose-built tool watches for those who value function first, form second. As previous mainstay tool watches like the Rolex Submariner and the Omega Seamaster venture farther into fashion - some might say "bling" - territory, the backlash against that trend has led some dive watch enthusiasts to seek out the classic tool watch functionality and aesthetic from other sources.

Marathon's SAR series comes in several flavors. The TSAR is a quartz-powered watch with a sensible 41mm diameter. The GSAR is its automatic-powered - by an ETA 2824, specifically - doppelganger. The JSAR is an oversized version at 47mm. And the CSAR tops out the line as the automatic Valjoux 7750-powered chronograph.

Given the playing field, my choice among Marathon's offerings was an easy one. The TSAR combines the ruggedness of an ideal dive watch with the better (though not impervious) shock resistance and low maintenance of a quartz movement. Despite its chunkiness, its 41mm diameter is very restrained in a world of 45mm+ monstrosities. The TSAR is only available on a rubber strap that - like most "regular" length straps on the market today - proved too long for its innermost hole to accommodate a 6" wrist. Even had the strap fit, though, I still would have opted to replace it with the very solid matching bracelet that Marathon offers emblazoned with either the U.S. great seal, a U.S. Marines seal, or the Canadian maple leaf. Given that the TSAR version I picked up features the "U.S. Government" notation usually found on government contract Marathons, I figured the U.S. great seal bracelet would provide a nice counterbalance and round out the tool watch aesthetic of the TSAR.

The TSAR maintains all of the tool watch features that other formerly function-over-form watch models have shed in the pursuit of fashion: drilled lug holes, a knurled crown, and a diver's bezel that is legible and functional from the full zero to 60 minutes. The minute hand is just long enough to line up with the minute indices, and the tritium illumination is bright but not obnoxiously so under darkened conditions.

For me, the Achilles' heel of a quartz movement is how the sudden need for a battery replacement can leave you with a dead watch at the most inconvenient times. The movement employed by the TSAR is one of several I've come across that fends off this contingency by including an end-of-life indicator that, in theory, should cause the movement to advance in 4-second increments when the battery needs changing. With that mechanism, maintenance of the watch becomes a far easier and predictable proposition than another dime-a-dozen quartz or even a mechanical movement.

Shopping around for the greatest deal available at the time, I snagged the TSAR and its bracelet for $707 all together. You might be able to find it for less depending on market conditions at the time, or if you are willing to go used and come across a solid example. How ever you get your hands on it, I highly recommend it.

Watch Radar: Marathon TSAR (Tritium Search and Rescue) Diver

2013-09-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Following my abortively brief ownership of a Bathys 100F Auto, I decided that the watch that will eventually fill the "dive watch" role in my watch box should ideally have a quartz movement. Aside from being more accurate across the board and slightly more shock resistant, a quartz movement would also require less unscrewing of the inevitable screw-down crown. I'd hoped to acquire one of Bathys's next batch of 100F Quartzes, but a quick exchange with John Patterson revealed that the current ETA is well into 2014, if not later. A year-or-two-away ETA has been the standard line from Bathys as to the quartz 100F for several years now (I think I've been asking since 2010), I finally decided to set aside my longstanding goal of adding a "Hawaii" brand to my watch box, in favor of the tool watch of choice for North American governmental agencies: Marathon's TSAR. Sensibly sized (at roughly 41-42mm wide) and as solid as 316L steel gets, the watch itself and its bracelet are currently en route in separate packages.

Watch Review: The Affordable (Under $30) Casio MTP-1239D-2A

2013-09-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Shortly after acquiring the Casio MTP-1183A-2A, I discovered its day-date variant, the MTP-1239D-2A. I initially dismissed it as I presumed it would be largely the same as the 1183A, but a picture of its bracelet revealed a push-button clasp as opposed to the friction clasp on the 1183A. The idea that I might be able to swap out the 1183A's friction clasp for a push button made me decide to take the plunge and pick up the 1239D.

When it arrived, the first thing I noticed was the blue of the dial. While the 1183A's dial is a muted, almost violet shade, the 1239D's is closer to the vibrant blue I've seen in Seiko's SARB series and approaches the "electric" blue of the reference 2253.80 Omega Seamaster I used to own. Looking at the image above, you might also notice that the positioning of the 12 o'clock indices is slightly more spaced on the 1239D's dial than the 1183A's. I think it provides stronger proportionality to the entire layout.

The bracelet also yielded interesting differences upon closer inspection. While virtually identical at first glance to the 1183A bracelet, its links are incompatible. Moreover, the bracelet's finishing is more of a matte, frosted finish than the brushed finish on the 1183A. Most surprising however was that the curve of the push-button clasp was less curved than the 1183A's clasp, making the fit much more angular and less appealing on my 6" wrist. That, coupled with what seems to my eye to be a better, more aesthetically pleasing finish on the 1183A's bracelet, led me to end up choosing the exact opposite combination I intended to when I first acquired the 1239D: The 1239D's head combined with the 1183A's bracelet.

Because of my watch box rule, the 1183A has been displaced by the 1239D, albeit in a hybridized form. The assembled package of 1183A bracelet and 1239D watch head costs about $45, which still clocks in at less than the vast majority of watches out there. And either the date-only 1183A or the day-date 1239D would make a fine single purchase, with the considerations raised above, at $20 and $25, respectively.

Watch Accessory Review: Wolf Designs 4583029 5 Piece Watch Storage Box

2013-09-16T07:00:00.000-07:00

Watch boxes occupy an interesting spot in the realm of watch accessories. At some point (usually after collecting more than 2-3 watches), they become something of a necessity for those looking to keep their collection in some semblance of order. But many such boxes tend to either occupy stratospheric price points (when the box costs more than most of the watches it houses, something is amiss), or pair reasonable pricing with dubious construction or materials (in particular, an anonymous model I picked up from eBay for about $40 had lining and watch pillows that started to disintegrate the moment I touched them). The sweet spot that couples reasonable price with reasonable quality can be elusive.

After paring down my watch collection from well over the ten slots allocated in my previous watch box (a now-discontinued Fossil model), and confirming that Fossil's current watch box offerings 1) cost over $100 each (straying into costing-more-than-the-watches territory where Fossil is concerned) and 2) featuring no less than eight slots, I decided to venture onto Amazon and see if I could find another brand that would hit the reasonable-price, reasonable-quality sweet spot.

I'd heard of Wolf Designs before, but their "retail" price point positions them squarely outside reasonable price territory. Fortunately, most retailers that carry them offer the boxes at substantial discounts, Amazon included, making them a stronger value proposition and worth looking into. With a slim collection in mind, I chose their 5-watch offering, available on Amazon for roughly $50. (Not cheap, but not quite exorbitant, either.)

The quality of materials is more than adequate, on par if not slightly better than those used in the now-discontinued Fossil box. The slots feature a slight incline that allows the watches to rest naturally at an attractive angle when nestled within. The display window is glass rather than plastic, giving it a more solid feel. I prefer watch boxes with transparent lids as they allow solar-powered watches (such as the Citizen Eco-Drive line and many higher-end Casios) to take on light even while the box is closed.

The locking mechanism is simple and functional, but ultimately of limited protective value; any determined thief need only shatter the glass lid to gain access to the watches within, or simply take the entire box. I tend to leave mine unlocked by default.

All in all, this is about as nice a watch box as can be had at around the $50 price point - which is hardly a steal, but an acceptable value given the watch box market. For those looking to maintain a smaller (by WIS standards) collection, the Wolf Designs 4583029 5 Piece Watch Storage Box is probably the box to get.

Top 5: Best Affordable Watches Under $50 for 2013

2013-09-09T07:00:00.001-07:00

The Best Watches for Less Than $50

In a world with a built-in clock in every cellphone and computer, the wristwatch is, as far as pure timekeeping purposes go, obsolete. But extinction is not the only result of obsolescence. There are situations where a wristwatch serves better as a timekeeper than a phone, just as there are situations (albeit ratified) where a pocket watch is preferred over wristwatch. Wristwatches represent one of the few accessories a man can comfortably wear in nearly any context. Here's five watches that epitomize the finest attributes of the 21st century wristwatch - and won't overtax your wallet while doing it. As an additional challenge from last year's Top 5 list, the price limit for this list is $50!

5. Invicta 8932

One of the most visible Rolex Submariner homages out there (so much so that its most recent interations have been tweaked just enough to keep them firmly away from replica territory), the Invicta 8932 has a cult following of its own, and a solid reputation as a bang-for-your-buck watch. While its bracelet lacks the diver's extension that would make it a quintessential diver's watch, the 8932 offers the same water resistance (200 meters) as more expensive professional divers, and a sleek, tool watch design that demonstrates how a watch meant for the deep ocean has just as easily found its way into boardrooms and night clubs.

The 8932 is less than $50 on Amazon.com.

4. Casio A168W-1

Casio's regular line of digital watches have served reliably since the early days of the quartz revolution, and the A168W-1 strikes a fine balance of reliability, geek-chic style, and utterly affordability. Its metal bracelet makes it a more comfortable match with your suit, and its sub-$20 price makes it the best bang-for-your-buck watch on this list.

Find the A168W-1 for under $20 at Amazon.com.

3. Timex Weekender T2N651KW

Timex is the source of the slogan "takes a licking and keeps on ticking" for a reason. Known for sturdy, dependable yet inexpensive analog watches, Timex's origins are derived from the same source as wristwatches themselves: World War II, and the need for mass produceable and reliable timepieces. Timex weathered the post-war drop in military orders and the subsequent quartz crisis in the 1970s that nearly tore the Swiss watch industry asunder, all the while continuing to build upon its reputation for dependability and economy.

The Weekender series of watches represents one of Timex's most recent offerings that blends reliability with classic styling and affordability. The plain, military-style dial also recalls the readability and familiarity of classroom wall clocks, and the Indiglo backlighting gives it excellent visability in the dark. The Weekender is designed to complement the ubiquitious NATO-style nylon straps that often give vintage watches with worn out bracelets a new lease on life, but it looks just as good on a leather strap or steel bracelet--and, so outfitted, competes with all but the blingiest of dress watches with subtlety and panache.

The Weekender as pictured above (T2N651KW) is available for less than $30 with NATO-style strap or under $40 with metal bracelet (T2N656KW). Click here for the full Weekender selection on Amazon.com.

2. G-Shock DW5600E-1V

The quitessential G-Shock, the 5600 series can take all the punishment an active lifestyle can dish out and still perform with precision and reliability. Its no-frills yet tough-as-nails design makes it perhaps the ultimate sports watch, wherever your sport of choice may take you. Its only weakness is its rubber strap, which--if my experience is any indication--will probably be the first thing on this watch to fail after many years of hard service, and the primary attribute that will make many sartorialists frown at seeing one peak out from beneath the cuff of your suit. But if you're as tough as the watch you wear, you can probably brush those haughty looks aside.

The DW5600E-1V is just over $40 at Amazon.com.

1. Casio MTP-1183A-2A

My top pick under $50 for this year should come as no surprise to those familiar with the current state of my watch box. I bought the Casio MTP-1183A-2A on a whim to see how a $20 watch would compare to a Grand Seiko high-accuracy quartz priced nearly 100 times that. The answer: quite well. Classical styling, solid finishes, in the wild it can easily be mistaken for a watch costing hundreds of dollars. There's no mistaking which is the pricier option when compared side-by-side with a GS, but feature for feature, the MTP-1183A-2A provides just as much value as the thousand-dollar watch at a fraction of the cost.

The MTP-1183A-2A pictured above can be had for just under $55 on Amazon.com.

Watch Radar: Timex Weekender Timex Unisex T2P1439J Weekender Green Blue Stripe Slip Thru Nylon Strap Watch

2013-09-02T07:00:00.000-07:00

It seems that Timex has introduced several new color variations since I first reviewed their Weekender series of watches. My pick of the new offerings for the summer is the T2P1439J, which has a bright Green Blue Stripe strap and a blue second hand. If a blue second hand model had been available among the initial model offerings, it would have been my first pick.

Watch Primer: Shopping for Shorter Straps

2013-08-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

One continual challenge I've faced as a watch enthusiast is finding straps that accommodate my wrist's 6" circumference. The most common "short" strap length, usually 75mm by 105mm, inevitably proves to be at least one hole short of the right fit. I've punched an extra hole (with mixed results), and shopped around for extra-short length straps, only to find that they're something of a rarefied breed these days, with major watch strap suppliers like Hirsch having discontinued "short" lengths altogether for their products.

The two sources I've found for extra-short straps are both German. My favorite is Nomos, who in addition to being perhaps the best deal on the watch market for those looking for in-house movements also utilize Horween Shell Cordovan in the vast majority of their straps. Shell Cordovan is made from a particularly pliant and durable section of horse hides, and those who frequent men's sartorial sites and forums will find that many pay a premium to have their shoes crafted from this special class of leather. Nomos's cordovan straps are unlined, making them suitable for dress watches and all but the beefiest sport watches. I pair their dark brown strap with my Speedmaster Pro, using the excellent 18mm RDH deployant from mywatchmaker.net. A small tip as to strap widths: click on the link for the Zuerich model for 20mm lug width straps, and the Tangente model for 18mm lug widths. Both taper down by 2mm at the buckle end (or 18mm and 16mm widths, respectively).

Another source for extra-short straps is Stowa. Two of their 20mm straps are offered in "short" lengths that measure 100mm/70mm, which should be just right for around a 6" wrist.

The difficulty with sourcing shorter-length straps is one of the reasons I generally prefer bracelets, which are often designed adjustable enough to accommodate even wrists under 6". Another option for those hellbent on leather straps would be to have one made to order.

The final solution I've found is the NATO-style straps that Timex has famously paired with its Weekender series of watches. They are noticeably shorter than genuine NATO straps, and fit my wrist perfectly. I strongly recommend it to anyone with a smaller wrist who likes the NATO strap style but dislikes how long most of them are. My picks are the Blue-with-Gray-Stripe and high visibility Red.

Watch Review: Bathys 100 Fathoms Automatic SIlver PVD

2013-08-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

I've had an alternating love-hate relationship with Bathys Hawaii for a while now, beginning with when I first laid eyes on their Aquaculture model back in 2009 (sadly, more than a year too late to have purchased one during its original run). The notion that I would be able to obtain a mechanical watch from a small company headquartered in the islands where I grew up was high on my priority, and only a combination of supply issues and the comparatively exorbitant brick-and-mortar pricing that Bathys had resorted to at the time prevented me from delving in. (The base 100 Fathoms, like the one reviewed here, was retailing in stores for nearly $1000.)

I managed to get my hands on a preowned Benthic with mother-of-pearl dial in 2011, but the 44mm diameter was simply too much for my 6" wrist. It's possible that the long-awaited Bathys bracelet would have salvaged it, but I seized the opportunity to flip the watch when it arose, just before Bathys announced its shift from brick-and-mortar stores back to online retail, along with a $300 price drop for most of their watches. $695 was a stronger value proposition for the 100 Fathoms auto, but at that point I wanted to try out the quartz version with its big date. Unfortunately, despite indications from Bathys's founder that the 100F quartzes would be eventually restocked, they have yet to surface in the more than two years since I originally make my inquiry. (Learning a few months later that the specific Rhonda movement used in the quartzes required manual advancing beyond the non-existent 32 through 39 displays also weakened my enthusiasm.) When the Bathys bracelet finally came out, I knew I would eventually have to try out a 100F with one attached, but the pricing made it so that the total package would have run close to $900.

A couple of things have changed since then that made me finally decide to take the plunge. First, the manufacturer of the bracelet has decided to discontinue it and sell off his remaining stock at liquidation prices. This means that the window for acquiring the bracelet will eventually close. Second, Bathys has decided to up their game by dropping the price of the 100F auto to $595. Together with the discounted bracelets, that means that you can pick up the total package for just under $650 - less than the 100F auto alone would have cost you six months ago. That was enough to coax me into taking the plunge.

I went with the ruthenium dial, Silver PVD version because I figured it would go best with bracelet, which I picked up in both silver and black PVD forms. Installing the bracelet was a bit more challenging that I anticipated, with some small tweaking required on the end pieces to make the pins line up properly, but once installed the bracelet feels very solid and matches the 100F well.

The 41mm diameter coupled with the large dial is about as big as a watch can be on my wrist without looking ridiculous, and the watch head is about as thick as I'd venture to wear. Surprisingly, I found myself wondering if I'd made a mistake picking the ruthenium dial over the black, as visibility can be adversely affected depending on the lighting angle. But what disturbed me the most - and led me to finally decide to return the watch - was that there was milling residue on the chapter ring around the 8 o'clock mark, and a piece of lint a little below the 3 o'clock mark. These could only really be seen up close, but could be seen with an unassisted eye. This to my mind is inexcusable in a watch costing several hundred dollars, and necessitated the return.

I considered opting for an exchange with a black-dialed version, but ultimately decided to wait until the vaunted 100F quartz is restocked - hopefully in black PVD - to making my next, and perhaps final, Bathys purchase. Here's hoping that when I do, the next example is free of the quality control issues I've encountered so far.

Watch Review - Ultra-Affordable Analog: How a $20 Casio MTP-1183A Took On a $2000 Grand Seiko SBGX065 - and Won

2013-08-12T07:00:00.001-07:00

(It's the one on the right.)

It's been a few weeks since the Casio MTP-1183A arrived at my doorstep, and I've had sufficient occasion to put it through its proper paces. From the onset, my goal in acquiring it was unfair: it was to vie against a quartz Grand Seiko, the previous occupant of the "blue dial" slot in my watch box, a watch selling for literally 100 times its price. Understandably, this was a contest it would not - and could not - win on raw specifications alone. It gains or loses up to 15 seconds a month; the Grand Seiko, 10 seconds a year.

The dial is nicely legible, and the blue sunburst tone, while not as deep or reflective as the one on the Grand Seiko, is still impressive given the watch's bare-bones price. Even more impressive is how well the second hand lines up with the indices - a sticking point that other quartz offerings listed at more than 20 times its price have failed to get right. (In my watch history, the offender was a $500 Hamilton Ventura, though several comparably priced $20-$30 Timex Weekenders also suffered from a similar letdown.) The simple hands can be a bit harder to read in certain conditions than the larger and more painstakingly finished ones on the GS, but even the GS hands suffer in low-light situations given their lack of lume, which is more of an aesthetic choice than a deficit of design.

At 38mm in diameter, it is marginally bigger than the GS at 37mm, though the smaller dial size makes the MTP-1183A seems comparatively smaller on the wrist (and somewhat better proportioned on mine). Lug guards protect the shallow crown and contribute to a slightly more sporty profile, though the MTP-1183A classic enough to fill in as a dress watch if paired with a quality 20mm leather strap. This, in fact, is where the Casio trumps the GS: its 20mm lug width allows for far more strap options than the GS's painfully hard-to-find 19mm. If you're a strap fanatic, the Casio offers far more flexibility.

The folded metal bracelet is serviceable, but nothing to write home about, and easily trumped in comfort and finish by virtually any solid end link bracelet on the market. I've replaced it with a 20mm Oyster bracelet from Tungchoy Watch.

I bought the Casio on a lark to see how it would compare to the top-of-the-line quartz GS. It ended up doing so well as a value proposition that it has deposed the GS from its place as the quartz backup in my watch box.

Watch Radar: Crazy Affordable/Value Find: Casio MTP1183E-7ACF

2013-07-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

Cruising Amazon's watch selection, I came across what looks like a strong contender to the Timex Weekender series as an ultra-affordable watch: This Casio MTP1183E-7ACF clocks in around $20, but from all indications would look right at home with a suit:

The leather strap will probably prove stiff and plasticky, but the fit and finish of the case, dial, and hands seem to put the Weekenders to shame. I have a spare brown leather strap, a couple of NATOs, and the mesh-like bracelet from my Weekender escapades to try on it when it arrives. At this price, I couldn't help but try it out. If it's as good in the flesh as it seems on the screen, I may have found my new top recommendation for an ultra-affordable.

Watch Primer #14: The Sliding Scale of Mechanical Complications, As Exemplified by Date Functions

2013-07-01T14:16:00.001-07:00

Today's Watch Primer entry looks at how complicated the watch on your wrist should be, and the pros and cons of having all those functions at your beck and call.

To start off, what is a complication? My view on the subject goes back to the most primal function of a wristwatch: telling time. Truth be told, a watch needs only an hour hand (or its functional equivalent) to serve its purpose as a watch - and, in fact, some models adhere to that somewhat myopic minimalist ideal. But the vast majority of watches out there will, at the very least, feature hands for hours and minutes. In my view, any contrivance designed to provide information beyond those two factors - hours and minutes - is a complication. Thus, in my view, many of the barest watches come with at least one complication: namely, a second hand, whether central or subsidiary.

The next most common complication is the date window, which I'd hazard to guess more watches today have than have not. The perfunctory inclusion of this complication is something of a pet peeve of mine, because it requires tedious resetting if the watch were ever to wind down, or, as occurred between yesterday and today, when a month with thirty days concludes and the date window must be advanced manually from "31" to "1." Nevertheless, my time working at court - where the date as well as the time is an important consideration - has impressed upon me that a date function can be a useful reminder for a harried mind. The date window can be accompanied by a day-of-the-week indicator, whose marginal utility is I think outweighed by the added hassle of resetting it along with the date when the watch is wound down.

Additional date-related complications takes you into more rarefied company, starting with the annual calendar, which is designed so that the watch's date displays will only have to be adjusted manually once a year (excepting wind downs). Often at this point a watch may gain indicators for the month in addition to date and day-of-the-week. The perpetual calendar accounts for the vagaries of the calendar for roughly a century at a time, meaning that, if kept running, the watch will need a servicing long before it requires a date adjustment. In the most complex perpetuals, a year display may be added on top of everything else.

Somewhere in the play in the joints left between these incrementally more complex date functions is the moon phase complication, which is by its very nature included mostly for show and aesthetics. I must profess a profound ignorance as to lunar cycles or the utility of tracking them; whenever I see such a complication, I only see a complication in non-watch-related parlance. The prospect of trying to resync a moon phase to lunar cycles is enough to keep it off of my wrist.

So what do I mean by sliding scale of complications? The general principle is this: The more complicated the watch, the less utility you gain from each additional function; at the same time, the cost - in time and money - spent on maintaining those functions increases. Taking a look at any watchmaker's table of servicing costs will demonstrate that the cost of maintenance scales exponentially as the watch in question grows ever more complicated. At the same time, by the very nature of those complications, setting and utilizing them becomes an increasingly onerous task as the list of added functions grows longer and longer. At some point - both in the amount of time you spend attending to it, and the amount of money you spend on keeping it in good working order - I would argue that you begin to cease owning the watch, and the watch starts to own you.

There is a certain purity in being able to pick up a watch, reset the time, give the crown a few turns, strap it to your wrist, and be done with it. That purity easily translates to ease of use and legibility of an uncluttered dial, and even can make the cost of servicing a far more palatable necessity. There is no one-size-fits-all answer for how complicated your ideal watch should be. That is largely a function of your needs, means, and values. But a guiding principle can be derived from economics' cost-benefit analysis: You can determine the complexity of your ideal watch where the marginal cost, in both money and effort, of the complication at at least counterbalanced by the marginal benefit the complication provides. For me personally, this sweet spot occurs where functionality shifts from telling time to marking the date.

Watch Radar: Pebble Smart Watch

2013-06-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

A friend who participated in the original KickStarter campaign recently received his Pebble watch in the mail. His initial impressions are over the moon. He's especially pleased with the ability to read emails directly on the watch's e-paper screen. I'm looking forward to asking for his long-term impressions after a few weeks of use.

I held back on participating in the KickStarter campaign in part because I'm usually reluctant to be an early adopter. My consumer philosophy is to let others work out the initial kinks of product design and wait until a refined version appears on the market. This tendency compounds when certain technical aspects of a product give me pause. In the Pebble's case, the things that raised my eyebrow were its seven-day battery life, (presumably) non-sapphire crystal, 22mm band size, and dependancy on iOS / Android compatibility. The last factor could easily shift from liability to asset, depending on whether the Pebble's connectivity and native app development keeps pace with smartphone operating systems and functionality. But at a stage where only the earliest backers are just now getting their hands on the product, it's still too early to say how deep the support will run.

Also, in the end, even if the Pebble is as successful and useful as it could be, giving it a place in my watch box would only result in it competing for wrist time with the mechanicals and quartzes that currently vie against each other. For now, I'm happy to let others serve as the intrepid pioneers for what may very well be the next phase of evolution for the humble wristwatch. The decades-old technology in the automatic on my wrist suits me just fine.

Watch Primer: Watch Spotting

2013-06-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Image courtesy PhotoBucket user always247

As you journey deeper and deeper into the quagmire that is watch collecting and WISdom, the knowledge that you inevitably pick up along the way (not unlike mud on tires or barnacles on the hull) will lead to you spotting familiar watch models on others' wrists when you're out in public. In a recent outing with a couple high school friends, I spotted an Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean on one of them. A few seconds of scrutiny allowed me to determine that it was a 42mm Caliber 2500 model (from the hands, orange numbers on black dial, what appeared to be a painted bezel, and an engraved caseback - which I believe has been replaced by sapphire in the current Caliber 8500s). I would have asked about it, but we were in mixed company and didn't want to necessarily call attention to what, if purchased new when 2500 POs were still stocked, was a $4000+ watch. (Ironically, others in our party would later comment on the watch, but focused on its bright orange neoprene strap.)

It's one thing to take note of and remark on watches among friends, but what is the protocol when you spot a familiar watch on a not-so-familiar wrist? As with most social situations, it's primarily a matter of context. Crossing paths on the street? Maybe not. Waiting in a line? Maybe.

Personally, unless I can infer from the context or the specs of the watch in question that the person its attached to is another WIS, I tend to take note but not bring it up. Especially with garden variety Rolexes (Submariners and Datejusts), it's about an even chance that the person wearing it just acquired it because it's a Rolex, and may be largely uninterested - or even put off - by someone who wants to talk about the technical minutiae that WISes tend to obsess over. I have noticed, however, that a person who engages in other somewhat anachronistic personal items - e.g., fountain pens - are more likely to be interested in the details.

What has your experience been in spotting familiar models on the wrists of passersby? Have you ever approached a stranger to ask them about their watch? Let me know in the comments below.

Watch Brand Review: Hamilton

2013-06-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Today's reviewed watch brand occupies an interesting position in the watch world.

Identity

Hamilton began as one of the paragons of the American watchmaking industry, along with others like Elgin and Waltham. Modern American watchmakers like RGM look to Hamilton as a spiritual predecessor, even using refurbished Hamilton movements in some of their offerings. Like its peers, however, the American Hamilton fell to the wayside in the mid-20th century, though its name and branding live on as an entry-level brand in the large and powerful Swatch Group. The economy of scale that Swatch brings to bear coupled with Hamilton's market position means that it represents one of the most inexpensive ways to acquire dependable models powered by solid Swiss movements - particularly after Swatch choose to dwindle the supply of ETA movements to third-parties. As a result, Hamilton is a logical choice for many looking to inaugurate themselves into the world of Swiss-made mechanical watches.

Design

The trade-off for the attractive price points and value ratio lies in the design of many of Hamilton's offerings, which seem at times hopelessly diluted or derivative. Subtleties are also often determined by the dictates of the underlying movement - the exact opposite of what true manufacturers strive for (albeit with the luxury of price points several orders of magnitude greater than Hamilton's) - so that they appear aesthetically odd or out of place. There are exceptions; iconic designs like the classic Ventura, which have endured the test of time (even though its original electronic movement has not), and others that draw on Hamilton's history, like the Intra-Matic (though it too sheds its lauded micro-rotor movement for a more run-of-the-mill ETA 2892-2). But even those examples contain compromises: the Ventura's dial has a plasticy appearance when viewed close-up, and its pedestrian quartz movement's second hand doesn't line up with its hour marks, while the Intra-Matic's bracelet appears to be one of Hamilton's stock designs, employing friction pins where competing brands might have offered a screw-in system.

Functionality

By and large Hamilton makes up for the lumps it takes for its half-hearted designs in the functionality of its offerings. As can be expected of watches powered by time-tested workhorse movements, they do what they're supposed to. The ETA 2892-2 in my Intra-Matic may be one of the most accurate mechanicals ever to grace my watch box, which has included in-house offerings from Nomos and Rolex. Moreover, there is a certain degree of comfort in the knowledge that, should anything go wrong, the ubiquity of ETA's movements means that any watchmaker worth his salt knows how to handle them, and that replacement parts are readily sourceable. That's the hidden added cost of being an in-house snob: the exclusivity of the movement on your wrist means that you have very few options when it needs servicing or repair. Those limited options mean swallowing a bitterly expensive pill when the time comes. While this may be a non-issue to those who have the disposable income to expend on five figure - or more - timepieces, those who would have to save to afford them have to factor service costs into the overall calculus of acquisition. In this way, and for what it's worth, Hamilton occupies the "affordable" quadrant of Swiss mechanical watches.

Conclusion

While Hamilton does offer one of the best value propositions in the realm of Swiss watches, I would offer a word of caution to those who would, as a result of their relative affordability, seek to build a sprawling collection of Hamiltons or similarly priced watches. One or two can cover bases in a collection that might cost considerably more if a collector were to turn to the offerings of more prestigious brands; but once a collection comprises half a dozen or more watches in the sub-$1000 range, the total amount of money expended could have allowed for the acquisition of a single superlative watch which would likely eclipse those Hamiltons in virtually every respect. Thus, while Hamilton is a great value introduction to Swiss mechanicals, its offerings alone, I would caution, should not a collection make.

My Pick

This is probably a no-brainer: it's the Intra-Matic 38mm. It's on my wrist as I type this review, and unless another value proposition from Hamilton knocks it from its perch (I'm looking at you, Viewmatic Skeleton), it'll continue to hold the "automatic" slot of my watch box for the foreseeable future.

Watch Review: Hamilton Intra-Matic 38mm H38455151

2013-06-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

I had thought that I'd managed to kick the watch buying habit after paring down my collection, and especially after a brief Halloween-and-November-themed excursion with the new Seiko Orange Monster SRP309 that ended with a eBay flip. But a review of the 2012 Hamilton Intra-Matic by James Stacey on A Blog to Watch (formerly A Blog to Read) put the vintage-styled automatic on my radar. I've bemoaned the trend toward larger case diameters in a previous Watch Primer post, so coming across a freshly released model under the 40mm threshold was a welcome surprise. The classic styling and silver sunburst dial were immediately attractive, as was the notion of adding an automatic back to my watch box that wouldn't break the bank, and which I would be comfortable wearing daily to work at the courthouse.

With a street price a little over $500, the Intra-Matic is also one of the least expensive options that I know of that is powered by an ETA 2892-2, a slightly thinner and more upscale movement than the ubiquitous ETA 2824. I've owned two watches in the past powered by this movement or its subsidiary seconds variant - the Omega Seamaster 2253.80, wielding a modified 2892 in its Caliber 1200, and the Xetum Tyndall, employing an ETA 2895, which is the 2892's subsidiary seconds counterpart. Both came in well above the $1000 mark, so the opportunity to pick up a 2892-powered model with bracelet for less than $600 was too good to pass up.

I found the 38mm case well proportioned for a 6" wrist, the sweet spot for which seems to reside somewhere between 34mm and 38mm. The dial is preeminently legible, such that it is readable even under low light conditions despite having no applied lume. I opted for the bracelet version because I suspected the standard-length strap would prove too long for my wrist, and had planned to use a spare black Nomos shell cordovan strap instead. The watch looks very good combined with the black shell cordovan, but I eventually opted to return it to its stock bracelet, in part so the OCD part of me wouldn't be tempted to swap out the strap for its brown shell cordovan counterpart every time I wore a brown belt and shoes. While the bracelet tends to make the gorgeous dial blend more into the rest of the watch, the contrast of a black strap really draws attention to it.

Timekeeping on my Intra-Matic has been superb, with less than a minute gained in the several months I've been wearing the watch as a weekday wearer. The only functional quirk is, regrettably design-based: the juxtaposition of a hours-and-minutes-only dial with a date display. Even after several watches successfully weaned me from my fixation with minute markers - the Hamilton Ventura - and second hands - the Citizen Stiletto - the date display would, under normal circumstances, have been a deal breaker. But the lack of a screw-down crown coupled with my professional responsibilities having made knowing the date at a glance a very welcome convenience, pushed me to take a chance on the Intra-Matic. I'm very glad that I did. While I still prefer dateless models in general, the Intra-Matic is a watch that I'd be happy to wear day in and day out for the indefinite future.