A big thanks to the OF founders and the mods for creating this community of watch nerds. Through OF I’ve been able to learn a tonne, and meet some really great people along the way.

After his saving my Gruen with a new crystal, and getting my ‘73 spaceview up and running, it was a real treat to finally meet @Canuck on his trip to Vancouver a few days back. After @Canuck anguished over finding a parking space in downtown Vancouver , my wife and I were able to enjoy a fun dinner with Mr and Mrs Canuck on a spacious outdoor patio. You know what it’s like when you are travelling. Even though you’ve already put in a gabillion kms, people still want you to come to meet them. So I was just thrilled that he’d take time in his schedule to side trip my way for a get together. Then he very kindly picked up the tab for dinner AND they also got my wife a lovely gift of a scarf. The Canucks are a class act . And just so I didn’t sulk that I didn’t get something , the Canucks also got me a gift of a great pair of socks! Note that these are a perfect match for a spaceview.



A few weeks earlier, we had discussed Canuck possibly having a spare crown wheel for my circa 1900 Omega pocket watch. He did, but it was already attached to a sweet pocket watch that came from his father’s collection. We both agreed that the watch was too important to use as a parts donor, and moved on. Another aspect as to why his circa 1902 watch is so cool is that it’s engraved with the retailer’s name and city. Calgary NWT. Wait, what? North West Territories? How cool is that??!!! Calgary was still part of the NWT at the time, as Alberta didn’t even become a province until 1905. So, historically, this is quite an interesting piece. I’ll tell more of this story in a future post after more research and when the watch comes back from service. Yep, Canuck kindly entrusted this watch to me . What a treat . Some photos are below. I wish that blued steel hands weren’t so camera shy, they are stunning.



So again, hats off to all who make this place great.

 

I came for the dragons and was not disappointed! This is a great story and I love how it makes this gigantic community smaller And personal. Thank you for sharing I look forward to the rest of the history part too.

 

Great story, and great that you could make a connection. Makes the world just a little bit smaller.

 

The dinner at Joey’s on Burrard in Vancouver was perfect. I am wary of patios as being the best environment for a sit down dinner, but I needn’t have feared. Traffic noise tolerable, weather, company, and food were great. Front row, the Canucks. Back row, @DaveK and his missus. I wore my Spaceview which is a twin for his, hoping to get a group shot. Sadly, his battery had died, so he wasn’t wearing it. (I also wore my Omega date at six Seamaster, and my Hamilton 950B pocket watch.) @DaveK was quite pleased to see I was wearing the Hamilton on one of his lanyards. Good times.

 

Great story!

 

Beautiful evening in Vancouver, thanks for an uplifting post for somebody in Stage 4 lockdown in Victoria (no, not Victoria BC, Victoria Australia).

Never got to Joey's when we were over there, so it'll have to go on the bucket list.

Coincidentally, I just received my lanyard today Dave, and as Doug will tell you, it's a piece of art and now adorns one of my pocket watches.

 

The Hamilton 950B pocket watch that I wore on our Vancouver trip was one I hadn’t serviced for about 7 or 8 years. At its peak, it was very accurate, but I selected it in a hurry without rating it before we left. We were away for 5 days, and in that time, it gained 4 minutes! So Monday (Labor Day), I stripped it and cleaned it, setting it to the second. 24-hours later, it is absolutely dead on. Oh! And it is on it’s @DaveK lanyard.

 

That’s a handsome watch I just finished reading Longitude a few weeks ago

 

The 950B (above) is three seconds fast in 72 hours. Pretty good for a 60+ year old watch. But of course, it IS a Hamilton!

 

Great. Now I’ve got to add a 950B to my wish list. (And a pm to @DaveK for a lanyard when it happens.). You guys and gals really are the best kind of bad influence.

 

Not as bad as the eBay bargains thread, but I try to be a bad influence when I can

 

The Canadian content gets me every time. Great story! Wishing you both many more years of health and prosperity from Calgary (now part of Alberta).

 

Another Calgarian! Small world!

 

Four seconds fast in 8 days.

 

Amazing accuracy Canuck. My Hamilton 940 runs between 5-8 seconds fast over a week. It's amazing what some of these old rail road pocket watches are capable of.

 

Update: @Canuck found something fun in his parts drawer, the stem for that Omega .



It arrived in the mail today, and is great to have. One imagines that my local hardware store doesn’t carry obscure parts like this , so I am super pleased

Okay, break over, back to work

 

Eight seconds fast in 12.5 days. Worn 12-hours, face up 12 hours. Not bad for obsolete technology. And it is 60 years old. Hamilton 950B, 23-jewels.