Infective complications of the vintage chronovirus - musings from a watch noob.

I've always been a fan of chronographs but this was more online visual admiration. The only modern one I used to own was a Speedmaster Pro 3570.50 a few years back which I sold for other stuff. Never regretted it and the Speedy will always be remembered as the kickstarter.

I don't have much practical use for a chronograph and my mobile phone timer with its loud bleeping alarm tone achieves great utility in childminding - mainly for disciplinary purposes. Nonetheless, I became enamoured with vintage chronos, the plethora of brands, movements and dial variations. The chronographs from the 1940s to 1970s were made so so well, although it does look like more watch brands are doing contemporary reinterpretations.

My first vintage chronograph was this lovely Zenith cal 156 acquired from fellow forum member and colleague @NT931, who has also been very kind and generous in providing a thorough education on mandatory clinical examinations of vintage timepieces. Hook, line and sinker.



Shortly after that, an unquenchable thirst ensued and I went snooping and landed this Excelsior Park 38mm with EP40. Subsequently, discovering the joys of winding a buttery EP40.



This chronoviraemia escalated quickly and soon had severe systemic complications. I began drooling over the many examples of UG tricompaxes over on OF and the www and decided one of these would be my grail. You know you've gotten in deep when you then proceed to purchase an online version of Sala's for perusal and reference. You can get it for 27 euros on http://www.librouniversal.it/acquista_-_buy_now.html

I came across an three month old instagram sale post for a jumbo SS Tricompax posted in Nov 2020. Sent a DM thinking what the heck, probably gone to a good home but turns out it was still available and after a lovely discussion this beaut ended up on the sunny shores of Singapore. Couldn't ask for a better condition stainless steel, jumbo sized UG tricompax reference 22283! A minor hiccup that ensued was a stuck quick release springbar on one lug end from the previous owner which lead to a desperate plea on OF (https://omegaforums.net/threads/stuck-quick-release-springbar.127384/) followed by an urgent referral to the domestic orthopaedic department. A good post-operative outcome was achieved with a pair of good ol' wirecutters.



But I realised to my 'horror' I did not yet have a three-register chronograph.
This led to discovering a Gallet Multichron 12 EP 40 movement on eBay from which the seller acquired from an estate sale in the land down under. After advice and assurance from fellow OFers, this came to pass. Love the overflowing funky minty toothpaste-like lume on a pristine dial.



2021 has been a fruitful year thus far and I should really take a break. If only there was a vaccine for this chronovirus! I'm satisfied with this collection of chronographs. Famous last words

Just wanted to share my journey down this rabbit hole, still a watch noob early into collecting and by no means a WIS.

 

Darn they are pristine. What a lovely ensemble you have acquired. I like them all but I think that Zenith just catches my eye the most. Love the moonphase on the UG but for my eyes it’s just a little too busy, mind you that’s not a critique just a personal taste thing I would be pleased with any of them, amazing condition.

 

Just amazing collection indeed. I'd love to follow your journey with great interest..

 

Here is a link to an interesting watch spotting on hodinkee One of these Omega De Ville chronos will fit in nicely to your collection Also has 321 movement.


https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/Roger-Smiths-Personal-Watch

 

A very nice collection here ! Thanks for sharing and congrats for having united them.

 

We're playing with fire over more vintage chrono suggestions!

 

That would be a great idea and a potentially very very dangerous one on the wallet with fallout consequences.

 

I have a question. What is the significance of the highlighted 3, 6 and 9 minute marks on what I assume is the minute recorder dial?

 

There's a good recent discussion here!

https://omegaforums.net/threads/tri-compax-strokes-at-3-–-6-–-9.127504/#post-1723534

Heh I did use payphones as a kid but never had the pleasure of a chronograph to time my calls. Not that they lasted more than a minute and mainly consisted of asking my dad to pick me.

 

Most happy to contribute to some parts of your journey @ikanbilisclub , and excellent choices of vintage chronographs!

And @dsio I could not agree more. Once the world gets back on a more even keel travel-wise, it would be great if you could visit us over in our sunny little island

 

I have many chronographs, prolly too many. It is an addiction.

 

Always happy to be a rag and bone man (over here they are called karang guni men) to help if you need offloading .

 

Sorry that wasn't really a discussion, and I really don't buy the pay phone theory. It just seems to simple.

 

Pay phones used to make a beep-beep noise at you when you needed to feed in more coins. Business and domestic phones didn't but just kept clocking up the charges, so that's when you needed to have a timer.

I once worked for a company chairman who had been a fairly senior officer in the Royal Navy, conversations on the phone with him went:
Him -- Question
Me -- Answer
Click

 

Hmm I always thought way back then, you know in olden times, business and domestic calls were by the minute or portion thereof, not 3 minute increments.

 

What you believe means nothing. It's true. Some mook enters the phone booth, drops in his nickel, and he can talk for three minutes. More? Drop another nickel.

Or they would get a Long Distance operator, $3.50 for the first three minutes, $1.45 for every minute thereafter. (Big money in 1937!)

 

To the best of my recollection in the 1960s UK and most of the other countries in Europe were at 3 minute increments for billed installations. Payphones for national long-distance STD (no, not what you're thinking!) calls were about 4 pennies for one minute, which as @ikanbilisclub's recollection is long enough to give "please come and get us" and a location. That would be after a week completely out of communication with our parents while we were roaming around the Welsh mountains with no plan as to where we might go. Except that there should be a pub within a 20 minute walk at each place we camped. Boy Scouts don't have it so free of restriction now

 

I've wondered about that too and read a few debates on other forums re: the subdial markers. Some have suggested the markers help aid in aeronautical and maritime navigation.

However, I hesitate to think watch companies back then would incorporate the markers for navigational purposes for the 'everyday man' and though timing payphone calls seems simple it feels like a more plausible/practical application for the common user.

For me it just adds a nice asymmetry to the subdial .

 

Ah I have fond memories of Snowdonia National Park! Climbing Mt Snowdon with my wife, her freezing her paws off cause she decided to take out gloves off and eat some bread at the summit in February and getting hailed while making our way down.

Also getting lost for 4hrs on what was supposed to be an hours stroll. Thereafter, finding a pub by the main road serving hot burger and fries was best thing ever.

Oh and I fell in love with Welsh folk music even though I don't understand a word of it!