here ya go @JwRosenthal

Bargain Divers!

Post them here. Those pieces which didn't cost much because, well... they're crap, and those pieces which you just lucked into at a good price.

I'll start...

Seiko SKX175 & Accutron quartz "Devil Diver"
The Seiko was 125 bucks lightly used in its original packaging, the Accutron $100, NOS from a nice man who retired from Bulova.


1944 USN Elgin, Underwater Demolition Team watch. Purchased from a watchmaker when the guy who bought it in refused to pay his bill and left it sitting at his shop for several months. I got it for the cost of the repair.

 

Dibs on the Elgin- one of my white whales.

 

Ok, I’ll play:
Alpha diver- eBay for around $80
BelAir Seapearl traded with @WYO_Watch for a tidy Helbros (who needs to be tapped into this thread)- bracelet is mine- just trying it out

The Tradition diver I lucked into on eBay for $450

The Invincible- $400 on eBay- this watch is friggin awesome in every way

Andre Bouchard- $100 on eBay with a rusty movement, NOS movement on eBay $25.

Last but not least the hammer- Marathon GSAR- a true dive watch and arm anchor. I rarely wear it because it requires a small child to support it while I’m walking. These things are indeed a bargain even new considering what they are...if you’re man enough to wear it...which apparently I am barely.

 

Here are a couple of mine, a Helbros Invicible just like the one James showed above, and an obscure Squale-cased Herma (a French brand).

 

Oh I know you have more than that!

 

A crappy iPhone group shot of what I grabbed from my box- still have a few out at the watchmaker

 

Nice

 

I’ll play along with a not-so-great photo of a “mess” of divers. I’m slowing narrowing down the vintage diver collection to no-date models. More to share later

 

Can't beat a Russian diver for cheapness (ok, the bronze one wasn't that cheap, but still relatively inexpensive)

 

Cheap estate sale skindiver,



These things are so cool even if they’re too small for me at 36mm. This one runs extremely fast despite degaussing, suggesting the mainspring is probably broken

 

Every one I have gotten that was running fast was from the mainspring either hanging up on itself (oil or gunk) or it was slightly kinked up in some way.

Once they have been straitened out (if they can be by someone who knows what they are doing), and after a service they run perfectly.

 

This was a bargain when I bought it...

 

When I picked it up I paid 100 euro for it, so I guess it qualifies for the thread.

 

I don't doubt it, but this is a bargain-bin 1-jewel manual wind movement, and isn't worth having a watchmaker work on. I've considered having a go at it myself but don't think I have the level of curiosity to really go at a mainspring - to say nothing of equipment or anything else.

 

Dugena Skin Diver with 38mm. I just love that dial!

 

I’ll play! Both of these were lockdown finds! The Cronel is coming back from my watchmaker tomorrow having had the movement restored. Being a single jewel only, there’s a lot of metal on metal!!
The Monvis’ timekeeping seems to be impeccable

 

I may have duked it out with you unknowingly on that Monvis, I bid on them when they are still low...then they aren’t.

 

See my post above. My watchmaker restored the movement for less than I paid for the watch! I’m in uk and happy to share details.

 

I’m very impressed with it. I looked at quite a few. Some had shocking relumes, some poor cases and a couple of great ones until the rusted movement and damaged mid-cases!

 

I know that with some of the cheap divers, the off the shelf movements were fairly compatible with hands and dials. I would be curious if you could swap a Felsa or FHF 17 jewel (which can be had for $25 running) into one of these if the movement/ dial configuration is the same. Anyone tried to that?