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I'm So Weak, But Have So Many Longines To Show For It!

  1. ulackfocus Dec 5, 2012

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    I was supposed to be on a buying moratorium. Yeah, like that's gonna happen. I made an exception for a very nice caliber 350 Admiral today.

    [​IMG]

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    The condition was just too good to pass up for the price, and it's been over a year since I sold the 35x I used to own leaving a vacancy that bothered me. Nature, and vintage collectors, abhor a vacuum. :p Love these dials with multiple crossing lines!
     
    baunataler, seadog and alam like this.
  2. LouS Mrs Nataf's Other Son Staff Member Dec 5, 2012

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    As long as you stay weak, my weakness seems less abnormal. Strength through weakness, the enablers' credo.

    Very, very nice, unusual and a little mysterious. Like some Freemason-Rosicrucian-Fifth Element thing. I dig it.

    That observation might just be a keeper.
     
  3. ulackfocus Dec 5, 2012

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    Solidarity for weak watch addicts. Would that be Weakadarity?

    ooo, that one stunk. :oops:

    And although I like your credo, you already have a much better quote about watch money saved. ;)

    Longines had a few interesting dials, including an even less seen spiderweb pattern.

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    Isn't there something a little narcissistic about quoting yourself in your own signature? ::confused2:: :p
     
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  4. Gavin It's the quiet ones you have to 'watch' out for. Dec 5, 2012

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    Nice and in great condition.:thumbsup: I wish all my watches are in such condition.

    Just one question, what is that big wheel near the outer perimeter of the movement.
     
  5. alam Dec 5, 2012

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    Nice! :thumbsup: anything to show on its back?
     
  6. ulackfocus Dec 5, 2012

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    If you mean the one on the left side of the picture that just peeks out, that's the balance wheel.

    Same Admiral 1200 caseback logo as all the other 60's front loaders.

    [​IMG]
     
  7. alam Dec 5, 2012

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    me likey! :thumbsup:
     
  8. Gavin It's the quiet ones you have to 'watch' out for. Dec 5, 2012

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    Actually I meant this one. Or is that not a wheel?::confused2::
    [​IMG]

    Thanks.
     
  9. LouS Mrs Nataf's Other Son Staff Member Dec 5, 2012

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    It's the track the rotor runs in. Increases rotor stability and probably scads of other technical advantages that Dennis will tell us about.
     
  10. Gavin It's the quiet ones you have to 'watch' out for. Dec 5, 2012

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    Thanks LouS. Thanks for clearing that up.
     
  11. ulackfocus Dec 5, 2012

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    Lou nailed it. That's to keep the rotor in better balance. Longines was very good at learning from other manufacturer's mistakes, and when other brands were able to get around Eterna's patent on the ball bearing hub they jumped on the bandwagon too - except they knew about the eventual wear that would cause the rotor of a normal 360˚ system to scrape the inner caseback. That's why they developed this system. Works well, and is pretty efficient.... just not as good in the real world as it was on paper since it really didn't help bearing wear. Longines stopped making these 34x and 35x Grand Prize series automatics in the late 60's, replacing the whole series with high beat 43x Ultra-Chron autos that had no track. The U-C series had a little top-hat looking piece in the hub's pivot that did just as well for rotor stabilization as the large outside track.

    I'd really love to see some of these systems revisited, but with ceramic bearings. The increase in efficiency and extended length between service intervals would make some of them nearly ideal self winding units.
     
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  12. dsio Ash @ ΩF Staff Member Dec 5, 2012

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    I still want a return to bumpers but that's probably just me
     
  13. ulackfocus Dec 5, 2012

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    Longines never made a bumper. They went straight to full rotor automatics in 1945.

    But I will agree with you that bumpers have more character, maybe even call it panache, then full rotor self winding systems.