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  1. Poday Jul 14, 2013

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    Here's the short version:

    I've spent about eight months "lightly" searching for a 176.0014 TV Dial Speedmaster. About a month ago I got serious about it, and quickly found a lot of clunkers (thanks to everyone here for helping me spot and avoid them). Just a few weeks later, Central Scrutinizer pointed me in the direction of a nice looking example over at TimeZone. After a few false starts (the seller lost the watch for about a week and a half), I was finally able to purchase it!

    It arrived last week, and was even better than the photos. The case is a bit polished, but the dial is a gem and all functions work flawlessly. The only problem was that the watch was on a link style bracelet (un-numbered, made in Mexico, but original from what I can tell), and I really wanted the bar style bracelet. I assumed that I would spend the next year searching for one, but I was able to find one on the Otto Frei website (special order, 4-6 weeks). Somehow, the bracelet arrived four days after I ordered it, so no complaints here!

    Okay, one minor complaint, the bar bracelet uses little screws (not included), whereas the included bracelet used pins. Luckily I live about two miles from Otto Frei, so I took a trip down there and bought the necessary screws (for nearly $20... :thumbsdown:). That place is amazing, by the way. If any of you have an opportunity to get down there at some point, do so. How they keep track of all these tiny, specific pieces in that giant warehouse is beyond me.

    Anyway, thank you everyone here, especially Central Scrutinizer for his outstanding assistance!

    Now to figure out what's next on the list...
     
    photo3.JPG photo 1.JPG photo 2.JPG
  2. SpikiSpikester @ ΩF Staff Member Jul 14, 2013

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    Congrats. Those TV dials are really cool ;)
     
  3. CanberraOmega Rabbitohs and Whisky Supporter Jul 14, 2013

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    Really like the shimmer in the dial
     
  4. dsio Ash @ ΩF Staff Member Jul 14, 2013

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    Nice, its almost a little Nautilus-esque
     
  5. alam Jul 14, 2013

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    Chunky-looking and cool indeed!
     
  6. cookieandmilk Jul 14, 2013

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    Whats the dimensions - I really like the look of this but have skinny wrists. Could you give me a ball park figure on what sort of price I would have to pay.
     
  7. OttawaMan Jul 14, 2013

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    That's what I was thinking "Looks a lot like a Patek..." but couldn't remember the model. Very cool looking watch.
     
  8. Central Scrutinizer hangs out in Joe's garage Jul 14, 2013

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    Glad it all worked out for you and it looks AWESOME!
     
  9. Poday Jul 14, 2013

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    It's not a large watch by any means, but it is pretty thick and heavy. It's 40mm excluding the crown, about 44mm from end to end, and 16mm thick. No chance of forgetting when it's on your wrist based on how heavy it is. Despite its thickness, it doesn't appear "large" overall. I'm 6' 3" at 165 lbs, and (at least in my opinion) it fits me just fine.

    As far as cost goes, over the past month or so, I've seen six or seven on eBay ranging from $1450-$2200. Unfortunately, none of them were worth buying. That being said, they seem pretty common, so with a little patience you should be able to find a nice example in no time at all.
     
  10. webvan Jul 27, 2013

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    Sorry, had missed your reply. Well done on the Speedy TV, it looks a lot like mine, sunburst, bar bracelet.

    Did you get the standard bar bracelet 3019/202? I got one for my Megaquartz 2.4MHz a couple of years ago and it does the job but it's a bit thinner and lighter than the original chunky one. Where were the screws needed ?
     
  11. Poday Jul 28, 2013

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    The bracelet I bought is a 3033/212, which was listed on Ofrei as the replacement model for the original.

    The bracelet that the watch came on used pins, and had holes on either side where it attached to the watch. The 3033/212 only has a hole on one side, so I quickly realized that the pins wouldn't work (how would you ever remove it in the future). You can kind of see what I mean in my last pic, where you can see the screw on the bracelet end that connects to the "12" side of the watch, and no hole at all on the "6" side.

    I don't think I explained that very well...
     
  12. webvan Jul 29, 2013

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    Thanks or the details, you were quite clear!

    It's interesting that the case can accommodate either a screw or a pin to hold the bracelet!
     
  13. Poday Jul 30, 2013

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    The case just has a hollow "tube" that the pin or screw passes through. The bracelet is threaded on the "entry" side, so the screw/pin engages the bracelet on that side. I've included an awful drawing to help explain.
     
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  14. _jonte Jul 30, 2013

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    What a lovely version of the Speedmaster, congrats!