Ok, yes I know it’s not collectible. In fact, it was downright fugly. This 351 bumper had been redialed. It had hideous green lume. We have seen examples. The redial was old though because it was radioactive as hell. I had a plan for this watch, picked it up cheaply and sent it off for a $69.00 relume job. I picked aged lume. It’s not worth anything but I just couldn’t let a good movement die and it’s fun as heck to beat around wearing. Plus the feel of a bumper on your wrist is sublime. Anyway I’m sure purists here will take shots at it but I like wearing the damn thing as an everyday work watch and I actually like the looks. Believe it or not, it gets more compliments at work than my Sub.

 

I share your enthusiasm for salvaged watches. I too have a bumper that I salvaged. It came to me with a bad dial, a distressed gold filled case (looked like it had been vandalized on purpose), but a decent movement. I went through my stash and found a steel case and a better dial. I serviced the movement and put a new crystal, replaced the hour hand, crown (not Omega), gasket, and mainspring, and I fabricated a “dogs leg” case clamp for it. It is an excellent runner, and I enjoy wearing it.

View attachment 864072

 

Hi.
Please upload photo's rather than links.
All the same its a nice looking watch, wear it with pride.
Joe.

 

Sometimes you just have to save something just because... nice looking watch.

 

I uploaded one photo of the watch, but I found a better one. I went back to my post and added the second (better) photo, and deleted the original one. So, in effect, I didn’t upload a link. The link showed when it popped up in the edited post, and I don’t know if the link can be deleted.

 

Great looking salvages. I hate seeing good watches go to the parts bin.

 

I did the same with my first road bike. It was trashed but I just couldn’t throw it away. So I had it repainted, changed the components and now it sits proudly in my office and goes on lunch rides.

 

Nice ride - and award collection! And a great restoration that will realize full completeness with a Campagnolo groupset .

 

Lol. I have always ridden Shimano. Don’t know why but just always have.... but if you think that’s a nice ride, check out my racing bike. Trek Speed Concept 9.9 custom with DI2

 

Bravo. It’s easy for hard nosed collectors to snap back ‘redial, no collector value’ but you went about it logically and viewed objectively the result is attractive. It’s a nice thing, yes it makes me and many like me grind our teeth at first sight, but you make a convincing case for it to exist and to have as an inexpensive daily wearer.

 

I would expect to see a Flightmaster on your wrist in that shot

 

Well said and you summed up my goal.

 

That’s perfect

 

But your Bianchi... Mmmmm!

 

Bianchi green... alone or on something else it looks funny but put it on a bike and you instantly know it’s a Bianchi. Watches, bikes and fountain pens.... I need cheaper hobbies

 

My best award... my Ironman World Championship racing bib from a couple weeks ago. Blood, sweat and tears went into that.

 

How is it that a hint of a watch not being absolutely pristine/original is more important to the person that doesn’t own it (but wouldn’t mind if the price was right, do you get my meaning ?), than it is to the owner. Sometimes the “repurposed” watch (or bicycle, or what have you) is the one with the most interesting story? Several watches in my collection that most others wouldn’t give a second look at, are (to me) my most interesting artifacts. Nothing wrong with rescuing an item from the scrap heap.

 

That is one sweet ride. I’m not involved in the world of triathlon or Ironman yet I see a lot of participants out on the road. And this rig blows many of their bikes away.

Is it ok, however, if I say I’d prefer that Celeste green Bianchi hanging in my storage locker along with my steel frame Colnago and my De Rosa?

 

Hard-nosed collectors really need to get over themselves sometimes. On a 1911 pistol forum, the subforum for military pistols, some jackhole said, "this is the forum for collectors!" My response? The hell it is! Nowhere in the name or description does the forum does the word "collector" appear.

It really makes me mad when someone has a watch she really likes and some collector poops all over her enthusiasm. Congratulations, jerk!

Everyone should be welcome in this tent, from people like me who do wear Omega because of styling and quality and care zip about collectability (except when you people price things out of my market) to those who have plenty of money and plenty of expensive old Speedmasters.

Tom

 

Absolutely!