There has been too much politicking in my life recently so what do I do to unwind? Stare at watches:


From Left to Right
105.102. A nice but aged watch, with repainted H/M hands, and relumed chrono. Original pushers. Case is nice, as you can see it is an HF.

145.022 Grey Racing. This one appears to have all original dial and handset, and not badly faded like some. Note the stepped, T marked dial. The bezel is late, but fits with the year - and interestingly the extract shows it is a Racing Dial delivered somewhere other than Switzerland. (Received wisdom was that they were all delivered to Switzerland).

145.022 A gentle Chocolate dial. All original to my knowledge, note the drop serif DN90 bezel, correct for year. A classic.

2998 with Grey faded BASE1000 bezel and lollipop. Dial is correct for early 2998, with short indices, and it has the round "O" not the flat "O" in Omega. The Alpha hands are almost certainly later replacements, though not modern, as they have a curved cross section and rounded end slots.

105.012 This one has service pushers, as seen by the thin necks. (Compare with top left). The hands have also been repainted and re lumed. Another nice HF case.

2998 This one is a little more interesting - its got a few issues. The Alphas are newer service hands, note they are flat, with thin sharp slots. The dial has scratches and while original and correct, is verging on poor. However in today's crazy world it has a strong value.

My feeling is that if you want a speedmaster, then it does not have to be perfect, or fit anyone else's idea of what is good. It has to be attractive, and that has to include a value. The important thing is that the owner likes it. Also, when thinking about the recent $4000,000, 2915-1, how would you enjoy wearing that? Notwithstanding the HUGE amount of money at risk on the wrist, what about all the niggles about what is correct or not on the watch? For the money, there was a lot of discussion, and I would feel uncomfortable. There was zero provenance.

I do not mind a few doubts or incorrect parts if I know.

For example the lower right 2998 is attractive for $4,000 right?

And the Racing is lovely, but would you want it for $120,000? No I would not.

It is all very well finding criticisms in watches, we all can. For me it is about how attractive something is, bearing in mind the cost.

Anyone else have a meditation set? Of Anything?

Good weekend all

 

I tend to stare at my 145.022-76 with a ghost bezel. Luckily mine has a nice perfect dial and hands with a hint of green and a dial that is slightly warming. The wabi sabi of the warm grey bezel plays well with the dial.

While not as impressive as yours from a collectors standpoint it’s the last piece in my collection I’d ever give up. I wish pictures would do it justice. It’s an honest well worn piece.

 

It must be the mechanical genes in my makeup.

I would rather stare at a watch movement ticking away, even the most pedestrian movement is interesting to watch and the "heartbeat" can be almost mesmerising if gazed upon for too long. I'm very careful though, not to let my heartbeat match the movement!

I'm almost due to sit down to dinner (baked lamb shanks and gravy with pumpkin/potato mash and steamed green beans) so any movement pics shall have to wait.

 

A watch that brings joy to you might not bring joy to someone else and vice versa, it's important to pick what you enjoy and not what market enjoys.

 

i think everbody has .... one example of mine


https://www.instagram.com/p/BiGmRqlnDNb/

 

Stare at watches to unwind. Yes!

Great post, love it.

 

What's not relaxing about staring at a watch?

Perhaps listening to a pendulum clock?

 

I haven’t got enough Speedmasters to call a set to meditate on (although soon to be adding one) but I do enjoy my Dynamics which are very modestly priced and good to collect in my opinion.

 

Beautiful watches and great perspective. I also tend to look at my humble watch collection every once in a while and just look at the details of the watches... I find it really calming.

Also great point that a watch doesn't have to be perfect but YOU have to like it! I can sometimes get a bit hung up on imperfections but as you say... if you like it and if it represents value for the price paid, it IS a great watch!

 

Your Dynamics are great for meditation.You enjoy collecting them so you must enjoy looking at them.Speedmasters are not the be all and end all of watch collecting.

 

Nothing relaxes me more than staring & checking out details in my collection of old Soviet-Russian StarCity & NASA photos showing watch-related things most people haven't seen yet... photos that aren't even on NASA photo pages
.

 

Before totally destroying my ACL 2 years ago, swimming was my meditation / zen maker anger-outlet for the 8 or so years before. Nothing like jumping in a pool and focusing on breathing (when you have got the swimming bit dialed that is) for about 1.5~2km...and then it stays with you for the next few days...at which point you do it again. Seeing as I am about as fully recovered as I will be I will be starting this again soon...just been lazy...

 

Which watch do you wear when you swim?

 

Suunto Ambit 2 Sapphire ... Casio G-Shock ... any of my modern Seikos ... had some Swatches I used (and cracked on the edge of the pool doing backstroke) and have since sold...

 

This part resonates the most with me, I know my Speedy is far from perfect, I even wear it with a modern bezel and keep the DON bezel away because it’s my daily wearer and I don’t want to dent the more valuable bezel, the hands are service hands, the lume is long gone from the dial, the dial has a few minor imperfections, has the wrong screw on one of the movement parts. Would I like my Speedy to be perfect? No, if it was I would be to scared to wear it as a daily wearer and would not enjoy it the way I enjoy this Speedy so amazingly so. It’s far from perfect, but it’s perfect for me.

 

Indeed, I spend time with my watches, login to OF, or dabble in my other hobbies to unwind. Another level of enjoyment is when I turn off my collector mind, and just stare at a watch, not for what's wrong with it, but for what I love about it. This thread from 'Fruit is a good example, I don't care what problems those watches have, prefer to not even have that enter my mind, they are all beauties.

 

Just got a JLC Atmos Millenaire. Could watch that all day, look at the pendulum going back and forth and ponder what will happen until the hand reaches the year 3000 (and if it ever will...).
Florian

 

Wow, beautifully put! I agree 100%!

 

Jisses that blew me away, stunning

 

Awesome post. I noticed the "r" on the dial is different between the 2998's, with the one on the left having the longer tail on the "r". Kind of interesting. Would love to have both in my collection.