I love this annual thread, mainly because it makes me feel a little less of a freak. Something like 70 watches have passed through my hands this year and these are the ones that have either stayed or struck a chord ... I'm also going to start with a cheat ...
this was my Christmas present to myself last year. It took a lot of finding (because it's all original and I'm really anal about these things when they're definitely for me) and I love to show it off:
OK ... on to 2017 proper:
This next one I owned for less than a day. This was a steal, hidden in a mixed bag of watch heads at auction, but a proper little diamond. It's not my "thing" but so easily could have been and one of England's last shouts when it came to quality horology:
(just look at those frigging claw lugs!)
And this one's out of left field too. It's not ticked since I owned it and it's away with Martin, a retired watch maker who did a lot with these little fobs, rose and yellow gold in a jet black enamel (the photo doesn't show how perfect that black enamel really is) ... he promises he'll get around to making parts for it over Christmas:
Then came the barn find of the year ...
I don't need to tell anyone here about that one, surely?
Another that isn't my normal fare, this is an 1886 Liverpool made fusee. They're not uncommon but this spoke to me because it just screams that it was both made and decorated by one hand. The decoration on the movement exactly echoes the dial and it is in excellent, original, condition:
Next is one that was with me for just a day as well ... it's not one I would have kept but, seeing it on the new owner's wrist, I wish I had:
From the same source, I bought and kept a very rare little Rolex that was in terrible condition. Watches like this cry out to me to be saved. The photo shows the hands in a terrible colour that's not representative of how it looks in the flesh:
Here's another little cheat. This one was bought in 2015 but only completed a few weeks ago:
While this is the last purchase of the year. She has a stainless case with rolled gold bezel and lugs all in fantastic condition (not so much as a hairline scratch) and, while it's hard to see through that crazed glass, the dial is near perfect with just the right amount of patination. What really got me though was that this is a 2581-1 from 1948 and, according to the Venerable Maddox, shouldn't have been made for another year.
Then to the last ... another that has been with me for at least a year, this is also ticking away healthily. She spoke to me because of the Rolex signed Aegler movement which is something you wouldn't expect to find in a Rolco. When it was cleaned, though, Phil dropped me a message with this photo asking if I'd noticed that the dial was originally signed Rolex and had been changed. Still trying to find answers to that question ... and will be collecting her tomorrow.
Hope you enjoyed looking at these because I certainly enjoy looking after them.
