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Aludic
··@SpeedyBirthYearAs some of you might have noticed from other arrival threads of mine (like this one with the BA 345.0802), I honestly don't mind going the extra mile to obtain a watch which is special to me and forge a bond along the way... So, without further ado, here's another picture heavy journey report, culminating in landing a grail I never thought I'd ever own and a lasting memory.
How this started.
For a change, this time it wasn't a forum member, but another watch-related friend of mine who is to blame for my travels... Let's just call him Max. He contacted me a few months back asking me for my opinion on a Speedmaster. The first few pictures made me realise this was something else. In spite of it carrying a few minor flaws, this teased out a 'if it would be offered to me, I'd be keen' kind of response...
For those who aren't that much into vintage Speedies; we're looking at a fully original, probably fresh to market '59 CK 2915-3. In spite of being a third sub reference, it's very significant as being the first Speedmaster to carry a black bezel. One could argue this is as close to the OG a Speedy can get. With approximations getting to about 4000 pieces produced across all 2915's, these are rare, very rare.
It is yours.
Was what I basically heard a month or so later. Even though there were still a few barriers to cross, there was little doubt I really wanted to add this to my collection. So some sacrifices have been made and late last week, I hopped on a long train journey heading to Austria. Remember that recent selling spree? Now you know why...
By train, this time.
Day one of this trip started fairly early. Accompanied by my - then - oldest Speedmaster (2998-6), I started a longer train journey. Through the Netherlands...
... to Utrecht.
And from there onto the ICE to Memmingen (Germany), from where smaller trains brought me to Bregenz (Austria), bordering the Bodensee / Lake Constance.
I have to say, even though the Deutsche Bahn (German railways) don't have the best of all reputations concerning punctuality, this was a smooth and very punctual 10 hour journey. As soon as I made it to Bregenz in the early afternoon, I went over the see Max at Huber Fine Watches & Jewellery to inspect the timepiece.
Not quite what I expected
As soon as I got the piece in hand, I realised that the excellent pictures I'd been given up front didn't quite show everything. In the metal, the watch turned out to be a) way nicer than I thought it would be and b) far less polished than I feared it would be. Also, it packs a huge amount of vintage charm. Even the ancient Geiger counter I brought agreed with me; it radiates. 😆
A shout out to Paul for lending me the Geiger counter is in order here... It's just a nice extra check to know it still contains Radium.
So, without further ado, of course it is now mine. 😄 Later on I'll go into details on this watch versus its two years younger sibling, for now I'll just leave it at; it looks great! And wait until you see what it looks like when the sun hits it...
The rest of the afternoon and evening was spend with a little swim in the lake (watches at safe distance), a good meal and watching the solar eclipse. But that's not all as the following more brought another great treat.
One of the world's smallest
... nope, not watches. Countries. Max works with Huber in Bregenz (Austria), but this jeweller actually originates from the mini-state Liechtenstein. Which is where we went next.
No sacrifice to be chauffeured around in a nice vintage car. And when I wasn't admiring the sweeping views of the Alps, there was enough to see. 😎
Upon our arrival at one of the Huber branches in the centre of Vaduz (Liechtenstein), Hansjörg greeted us and ushered us into their amazing vintage watch department. Probably the coolest vintage watch store I've ever seen. A small impression, which certainly doesn't do the place justice:
You may wonder why the glass boxes are open... that's because Hansjörg took all the time in the world to let me look around and handle whatever watch I wanted to see. A few of the highlights for me are to follow. For starters this Vacheron pocket watch. You may wonder why this timepiece is so impressive; it's made out of aluminium. Not just the case, also the movement, up to and including the main plate. It weighs next to nothing and bears a cool engraving explaining how this watch was commissioned by the local aluminium industry. So cool. And incredibly nicely finished.
On the complete other end of the spectrum, this truly NOS 145.022-69 also made an impression.
... and while we're back on Speedmasters, Hansjörg, Max and myself did nerd out a little on some other Speedmasters in the shop...
(Photo credit to Max for these four!)
There were many more impressive pieces, ranging from vintage Daytona's and Speedmasters to a beautiful early VC 222, a Patek World Timer (🤯) and much, much more. Anyone with a heart for vintage watches should go and visit this place. And be warned, Hansjörg's hospitality and contagious enthusiasm is a true threat for your wallet. (Yes, you might see some more FS posts pop up here, I'm afraid). I'll surely be back there.
And speaking of going back; that's what I unfortunately had to do next.
After a very nice lunch by the lake...
.... back on the train it goes. Accompanied by a good book or two and with the 2915 on the wrist, the 10 hour train ride back didn't even feel that long.
48 hours later, a 2915-3, some strong new personal connections and a great experience richer (and admittedly a little tired too), I made it back home...
It feels like my vintage Speedmaster collection is now pretty complete, except for a spare 7077 link, which @MtV already kindly offered. But I'm pretty sure there is more to follow... in a long while from now, as enjoying this one is my top watch priority. Once again, a big thank you to Max for making this happen, to Hansjörg for being such a great host and to Paul for lending me the Geiger counter.
Oh, and to the guys behind The Real Time Show (TRTS) podcast, through which the connection with Max was initially made. If you don't know their podcast yet; check it out. It's a little Indie-heavy, but very interesting still!
Hope you liked reading this. Curious what you think of it!
How this started.
For a change, this time it wasn't a forum member, but another watch-related friend of mine who is to blame for my travels... Let's just call him Max. He contacted me a few months back asking me for my opinion on a Speedmaster. The first few pictures made me realise this was something else. In spite of it carrying a few minor flaws, this teased out a 'if it would be offered to me, I'd be keen' kind of response...
For those who aren't that much into vintage Speedies; we're looking at a fully original, probably fresh to market '59 CK 2915-3. In spite of being a third sub reference, it's very significant as being the first Speedmaster to carry a black bezel. One could argue this is as close to the OG a Speedy can get. With approximations getting to about 4000 pieces produced across all 2915's, these are rare, very rare.
It is yours.
Was what I basically heard a month or so later. Even though there were still a few barriers to cross, there was little doubt I really wanted to add this to my collection. So some sacrifices have been made and late last week, I hopped on a long train journey heading to Austria. Remember that recent selling spree? Now you know why...
By train, this time.
Day one of this trip started fairly early. Accompanied by my - then - oldest Speedmaster (2998-6), I started a longer train journey. Through the Netherlands...
... to Utrecht.
I have to say, even though the Deutsche Bahn (German railways) don't have the best of all reputations concerning punctuality, this was a smooth and very punctual 10 hour journey. As soon as I made it to Bregenz in the early afternoon, I went over the see Max at Huber Fine Watches & Jewellery to inspect the timepiece.
Not quite what I expected
As soon as I got the piece in hand, I realised that the excellent pictures I'd been given up front didn't quite show everything. In the metal, the watch turned out to be a) way nicer than I thought it would be and b) far less polished than I feared it would be. Also, it packs a huge amount of vintage charm. Even the ancient Geiger counter I brought agreed with me; it radiates. 😆
A shout out to Paul for lending me the Geiger counter is in order here... It's just a nice extra check to know it still contains Radium.
So, without further ado, of course it is now mine. 😄 Later on I'll go into details on this watch versus its two years younger sibling, for now I'll just leave it at; it looks great! And wait until you see what it looks like when the sun hits it...
The rest of the afternoon and evening was spend with a little swim in the lake (watches at safe distance), a good meal and watching the solar eclipse. But that's not all as the following more brought another great treat.
One of the world's smallest
... nope, not watches. Countries. Max works with Huber in Bregenz (Austria), but this jeweller actually originates from the mini-state Liechtenstein. Which is where we went next.
No sacrifice to be chauffeured around in a nice vintage car. And when I wasn't admiring the sweeping views of the Alps, there was enough to see. 😎
Upon our arrival at one of the Huber branches in the centre of Vaduz (Liechtenstein), Hansjörg greeted us and ushered us into their amazing vintage watch department. Probably the coolest vintage watch store I've ever seen. A small impression, which certainly doesn't do the place justice:
You may wonder why the glass boxes are open... that's because Hansjörg took all the time in the world to let me look around and handle whatever watch I wanted to see. A few of the highlights for me are to follow. For starters this Vacheron pocket watch. You may wonder why this timepiece is so impressive; it's made out of aluminium. Not just the case, also the movement, up to and including the main plate. It weighs next to nothing and bears a cool engraving explaining how this watch was commissioned by the local aluminium industry. So cool. And incredibly nicely finished.
On the complete other end of the spectrum, this truly NOS 145.022-69 also made an impression.
(Photo credit to Max for these four!)
There were many more impressive pieces, ranging from vintage Daytona's and Speedmasters to a beautiful early VC 222, a Patek World Timer (🤯) and much, much more. Anyone with a heart for vintage watches should go and visit this place. And be warned, Hansjörg's hospitality and contagious enthusiasm is a true threat for your wallet. (Yes, you might see some more FS posts pop up here, I'm afraid). I'll surely be back there.
And speaking of going back; that's what I unfortunately had to do next.
After a very nice lunch by the lake...
.... back on the train it goes. Accompanied by a good book or two and with the 2915 on the wrist, the 10 hour train ride back didn't even feel that long.
48 hours later, a 2915-3, some strong new personal connections and a great experience richer (and admittedly a little tired too), I made it back home...
It feels like my vintage Speedmaster collection is now pretty complete, except for a spare 7077 link, which @MtV already kindly offered. But I'm pretty sure there is more to follow... in a long while from now, as enjoying this one is my top watch priority. Once again, a big thank you to Max for making this happen, to Hansjörg for being such a great host and to Paul for lending me the Geiger counter.
Oh, and to the guys behind The Real Time Show (TRTS) podcast, through which the connection with Max was initially made. If you don't know their podcast yet; check it out. It's a little Indie-heavy, but very interesting still!
Hope you liked reading this. Curious what you think of it!
