Forums Latest Members
  1. f1eng Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    21
    Likes
    109
    Hello everybody, I found trhis site when researching whether my 21st birthday present watch was rare, I hadn't thought it would be but it seems early Speedmaster Professional "racing" models are.
    I love watches.
    This birthday watch was the first quality watch I owned, in 1971.
    I have quite a few now, being an engineer I tend to be much more interested (and impressed) by the movement than the styling, but that leads to very expensive since any realistically priced watch tends to have a standard(ish) movement.
    I was delighted to see Omega adopt the co-axial movement which separates them from the "crowd" fo me.
    cheers,
    Frank
     
    JanV and vbrad26 like this.
  2. neilfrancis Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    581
    Likes
    1,485
    Welcome to OF, Frank.

    Show us the metal!
     
    DaveK and f1eng like this.
  3. Martin_F Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    297
    Likes
    293
    Welcome Frank!
    Judging be your user name, you don't happen to to work for an F1 team?
     
  4. mickygee Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    63
    Likes
    237
    pics?
     
  5. Martin_J_N Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    1,394
    Likes
    2,683
    Welcome to OF Frank, looking forward to seeing the pictures of the watches.

    Are you still working in F1 or has that time passed?

    Hope you enjoy the forum, it can be a bit strange at times and threads do have a habit of heading off topic almost as quickly as an F1 car goes round corners.
     
  6. f1eng Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    21
    Likes
    109
    Did for 35 years, retired now
     
  7. f1eng Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    21
    Likes
    109
    Picture of my 1971 21st present from my parents 60ACFC33-81E5-4543-AB24-A2FBD6EA96ED.jpeg
     
    kip595, chronos, SpeedyPhill and 8 others like this.
  8. f1eng Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    21
    Likes
    109
    Over the years I have bought quite a few watches but that was the first good watch I got
     
  9. mickygee Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    63
    Likes
    237
    :thumbsup:
     
  10. f1eng Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    21
    Likes
    109
    Wearing this just now my favourite current model image.jpg
     
    Edited Oct 23, 2019
    OmeGez, vbrad26 and Martin_J_N like this.
  11. Martin_J_N Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    1,394
    Likes
    2,683
    A very nice watch, very nice indeed. :thumbsup:
     
  12. Martin_F Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    297
    Likes
    293
    Forgive me for prying, but that's super exciting for me...
    Grove or Endstone?
     
  13. Martin_J_N Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    1,394
    Likes
    2,683
    You will have seen huge changes in the sport over that time, what was the biggest from an engineers point of view?

    I have been a massive F1 fan since 1979 and couldn't believe my luck when I got a job working for a Company that had the warehouse next-door to the Williams team in Didcot, great times those early 80's. I still support Williams today I know that they are working hard to turn things around and get back up the grid after a couple of disappointing seasons.
     
    OmeGez likes this.
  14. f1eng Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    21
    Likes
    109
    Both at one time and another
     
    Martin_J_N likes this.
  15. f1eng Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    21
    Likes
    109
    The huge increase in the money being made available. Our season in 1977 cost £220,000 and there were 18 of us in the whole company, now teams spend 3 orders of magnitude more and have 700-1000 employees. Safety is much improved by it but not the racing.
     
    JanV, neilfrancis and Martin_J_N like this.
  16. f1eng Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    21
    Likes
    109
    It cost around £100 then, the equivalent (based on engineers starting salary change over the period) to about £2000 today.
     
  17. WatchCor Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    731
    Likes
    1,414
    Oh wow, what a beauty ::love::.

    Welcome to the forum. You'll fit right in.:thumbsup:
     
  18. Martin_F Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    297
    Likes
    293
    Nice! I grew up watching Damon in the 90s and that left a mark on me.
    I've been supporting Williams ever since. Hope they get it turned around quickly, as mentioned above.
    Big thanks to you (and obviously many others) for making this happen!
    And great watch as well, something to be proud of with all the history behind it!
     
    Martin_J_N and f1eng like this.
  19. DaveK Yoda of Yodelers Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    4,114
    Likes
    11,575
    A gif as your avatar?! The force is strong in you Jedi
     
    Martin_F likes this.
  20. Nathan1967 Oct 23, 2019

    Posts
    1,413
    Likes
    2,836
    Hi Frank

    Welcome to OF - I’m a fellow Oxfordshire resident, South Oxfordshire, so no doubt fairly close by.
    Many of us will going giddy over your 21st Birthday present. A genuinely rare and beautiful piece.

    Best

    Nathan
     
    Martin_J_N and f1eng like this.