So I have been thinking... Making a watch for friends (you guys)

Oh I had not seen that one. Another fascinating dial lol. It’s the third I’ve seen. I’ve seen mine, a COMEX, and now that one.

I’ve got no desire to scale up I was pointing out the 35.5/36 on this watch is a very nice universal size.

That is under consideration... One thing I have noticed that once you start taking cues from one brand, adding cues from other brands tends to make a watch feel unbalanced. I really like the Explorer style dial in this early explorer case. Sword will feel a little heavy, thin Dauphine might work but the low amount of lume feels off on those. lumed pencil might work but seems plain. Squellette is too "vintage" IMHO... Maybe a nice facted and lumed Alpha hand set might work if I can find ones that have enough presence to fit on what should be an easy to read tool like watch.

Look at modern Seiko hands, I love so many of their pieces except for what feels like hand mismatches either too heavy or just do not look right. Finding the right balance is hard. "Merc hands" feel right esp with a nice balanced semaphore hand.

Checks sample.... yup it is an 18-16mm screw link bracelet.

I have not forgotten friends...

A brief update.. I have been digging deep in vintage bubble back dials for inspiration, since lets be honest Rolex put out some great dials on those (and some stinkers!)

here is a but of a mixture of both lol

So many things to like on that, and some that just don't work with an SS watch... The CA dial is great esp a nicely detailed one like this one, the RG and blue with blued hands is simply to die for... except what case do you put that in other then RG?

If we did something like the one above in gilt with the WG/SS pencil hands It's definitely a strong option in either a CA or Explorer-inspired dial.



BUT Check out these 2 dials...


Totally interesting... I kinda like that gold weird Roman numbered one...

And this for a color way...



Reverse gilt? imagine that with blued pencil hands and a slightly textured gray dial like the grey dial Omegas.... The cost though...

Any thoughts on a movement?

NH -38 Its a work horse and dependable movement that can be adjusted to be within -5/+10 pretty easily.

Its basically the no date version of the umbiquitios NH-35 from Seiko

24 jewels
center seconds
21,600 bph
automatic
manual wind (hey its a Seiko you have to specify 😉 )
Bi direction winding rotor
41 hour reserve
hacking
diashock



The idea is a watch that you just wear and beat up with classic rugged styling and a size that goes for anything. leave it on bracelet, put it on a croc strap, or a leather passthrough...


Once that says to watch nerds "hey that super interesting" while still looking good to people not infected by the bug. As well as some neat insider stories and features to go along with it 😉 I have a few plans that if I am able to go forward with this that will be hidden nods to OF'ers outside of the ones already figured out.

Makes sense. Just looked up the movement. That'll work. Wear it until you drop. Brag about it still keeping time after 20 years with no service. Save the money for the Rose Gold 😀

Like the vibe you're going for. Like someone who drives a Golf to work during the week and a Porsche on the weekend.

Look at the post counts of the people that are interested in this, and then tell me I am crossing over into the dark side and breaking forum rules...

If the Forum owners feel I am breaking any rules, I will abide...


I do not mean to be elitist or snobbish, nor am I trying to put you in your place... Also remember we allow Panari on this forum, Orient Divers (early makos,) and amazingly Stienhart. I am not trying to make something that reads as something else from a few feet.

Basically, there are classic things out there and features we love... You can take inspiration without being a copy or a fake or an hommage.

2nd Omega is not interested in doing custom pieces except for casebacks, and I know that they release more then a few PO's and Seamasters every year with custom casebacks in numbers of around 50. Heck, I just turned one down that has never been mentioned on the forums, for a fairly well-known group in certain non-watch circles (Mentioned in the world wide announcement of the new 400z watched by 20 million people in the first 10 minutes by Paul Walker's brother.)


I am looking for an every day watch, not really a dress watch, a watch that like the SKX is meant to be worn and only gets better with age, an old friend with stories.... and for Omega that means the Divers...
Well IMHO and many others Omega already hit perfection with the Original Planet Ocean 42mm 2500 in black with white numbers, or to others the 300MC which just amazingly got revised to look even better. There is also already the trilogy set and all 3 of those pieces capture the best of the vintage omega vibes.

As for building a great vintage look inspired everyday wear for everything watch the early Rolex Explorer cases are perfect, great size, great proportions, drilled lugs, and look great on a nice screw linked bracelet. Sure people can scream that's A ROLEX STYLE BRACELET... well I hate to tell you that nothing is new under the sun and even Omega used that bracelet in the 60's and 70's. There is nothing new under the sun... The Original Daytonas where Speedmaster clones, the cyclops was not first used on Rolex, and neither was the classic DJ bezel, even Omega used it first!

Looking to the 50's and esp the Rolex Bubbleback dials for inspiration is also not cloning or an Hommage.. again nothing is new.. but who ever was designing those dials had a great eye for things, the proportions are great, they are legible it ticks all of the boxes esp for what I am trying to make.