My favourites 2021 watches

 

Tough choice, bought quite a few watches this year (definitely need to slow down meaning sell down in 2022). My top picks are...

The milestone watch:


The conditions-conditions-conditions watch (yes, I paid a premium)


The lucky punch watch


The unexpected love watch


How could I have forgotten this one, the friendship watch (thanks @MtV)

 

I bought one watch in 2021, the Glashütte Original SeaQ that was released back in March or April. This watch is stunning and the dial is amazing and changes colour depending on the light like no other watch I have seen. The finish is of course excellent and the size of 39.5mm is perfect. Definitely not my last Glashütte Original.

My only tiny issue is the lack of taper on the bracelet. Had it tapered from 20mm to 18mm or perhaps even 16mm I would prefer that. But otherwise the bracelet is brilliant and the micro-adjust system in the clasp is the best I have seen.

Since getting it I have worn it 9 days of of 10 and I could easily see myself only wearing this for a sport/diver type watch.

 

As usual, I was all over the place this year. I started the year in disciplined selling mode, with a few inexpensive opportunistic purchases. I even re-sold a couple of pieces that disappointed me once I received them. Later in the year, my discipline slipped, and I dove head-first into Japanese vintage watches, where I had previously only waded.

 

Omega Seamaster 145.005 inverted panda dial

There was a thread by @kov on such a Seamaster chrono with an inverted panda dial some time ago which brought this watch on the top position of my wanna buy list.

I am a fan of those Seamaster chronos with cal 321 in general but his one is more special.

Black dial, white subdials and an orange chrono hand - thats just a great combo. Took me some time to find one of these. (personally I can't understand that there is one for sale in the sales corner for quite a while)

Super happy finding this rare bird and thanks to @kov for helping me.

Merry christmas
Duffy

 

I have posted these before, but since you asked.......

I am a disciplined Omega collector, with no drive to buy anything more than what I have. My collection of vintage and modern Omegas complement each other nicely. So why do I still trawl eBay and other sites looking for stuff?

Because every now and then something catches my eye. Mostly I don't buy it. But when the watch has real eye appeal, the price looks right, and my research tells me interesting things about the watch brand or movement, the blood starts to fizz.

This year the style, condition and prices of two 50s vintage chronographs really appealed. They had good chrono movements, the dials were nice and original, and they were in the typical 18k gold cases of that period.

The first is a Chronographe Suisse with a Landeron cal 48 movement in a 37mm case. The second is a Perfex with a Venus cal 188 movement in a 36 mm case: its glossy black and gilt dial is spectacular. So that was it for 2021.

 

So many beauties, this thread could turn out to cause expensive additions to my hunting list.

Aside the examples I’ve already talked about with their owners:

@duffy7 Absolute stunner, the combination with the orange Chrono hand is just perfect. It’s a shame they’re so hard to find, but I’ll definitely keep an eye open for one.

@Dan S That Seiko World Timer is cool as hell. I’ve kinda limited myself to Omega-only mostly as I felt like I don’t need another rabbit hole, but I think I’ll need one of them in 2022. Wonder why they so often have blurred text on the dials. Anyway: Dibs, please.

 

I never noticed blurred text in-person, but sometimes it can be an artifact in photos from defects on the crystal. IMO, you want to look for one of the early examples with the Olympic Torch case-back, and hopefully a case-back that isn't too badly worn. Obviously condition is the most important thing, but the Olympic case-back makes it a more special for me. Many of the good examples are in Japan, although not for bargain prices. I actually just picked up a second one, with the original bracelet. I'm waiting until the holidays are over to have it shipped. This one has an uncommonly good case-back.

Hopefully I'm not inviting bad luck by posting this before having it in hand.

 

We pocket watch people haven’t been sleeping at the switch! I have added 3 to the collection, one of which is a re-work of one I’ve had for a donkey’s age.

Private label for Porte & Markle, Winnipeg. Swiss, by Electa (Gallet), 21jewels, double sunk vitreous enamel dial, 17-ligne, gold filled, circa 1910.





D E Black, private label, movement by Cortebert, probably used by Blacks as a service loaner to railroaders.



Private label for a Liverpool jeweller, Stewart Dawson, sterling case, single sunk vitreous enamel dial, hallmarked 1884-85, key wind, key set, complete with 66 gram sterling chain. (I had to fabricate a cannon pinion, and a domed tension washer for the cannon pinion, for this one.)

 

These 2.

 

This tiny square Seamaster

 

Great piece, I've held that at my local AD and it's absolutely stunning. The size is a tiny bit too small for my liking but then the SeaQ date version is just too big. First world problems I guess. Anyhow, congratulations on the new watch and Happy New Year!!!

 

I made two acquisitions this year. Unfortunately, neither of them Omega yet I'm still smitten with both pieces. As you can see, I was hit hard by the green fad. Happy holidays and happy new year to all OF Members.

 

Hi all! For me it was the first year in the "watch game" and I am really curious where this might end.

After I bought my first mechanical hand-wound watch ~4 years ago (and I still love this one!) I did not even look after potential candidates a lot UNTIL I saw a Constellation Pie Pan with Dog Legs for the first time.


That's where I also started to discover this platform - and thank god - I love to randomly read the threads here. Also got into contact with @MtV and he really helped me a lot whenever I thought might have found something good.

Finally, I ended up with a hidden-crown Constellation Pie Pan ref. 168.004 with a cal. 561 in pink gold from @MtV. This one will be the watch for my wedding next year:



Beyond that I tend to "spread enthusiasm" when I am really interested in something. Therefore my father also got his very first premium watch: A Omega pre-Seamaster ref. 2576 in solid gold that I also bought from @MtV. He is really happy with this one!


Last I started to look around for a watch for my future wife. Thanks to a post from @dsio in the "recommended on ebay"-thread I purchased a Omega Seamaster De Ville that will arrive on the 24th:


For next year I am looking forward to hunt for a nice C-Cased Constellation. I have not yet decided which one I like more: a gold one with linen dial and knurled bezel on a leather strap or a grey-dialed one with optional brick bracelet.

Thank you!

 

Something new and something old new.... these are three which have put a smile on my face this year. I am also finally getting two projects finished for watches bought in in 2020 with parts bought over the last couple of years. It has been an extra slow process with everything going on.
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Great year for you indeed. Congrats !

the year is not finished so maybe I could catch up one 145.017 I’m looking for (or my first vintage speedy ;-)

I’ll have to double think about this but here is my top of mind list (being away I’ll add the pictures later on - yes I did clean up my phone of all those watch pictures )
All the watches came from OF members or have been validated here !

Dress watches:
2 seamaster 2846
A polerouter
2 great Eternas from the 40s
A constellation 168017
A Lemania with glossy black dial

Chronos:
A breitling 2110
A FOIS
A Tissot 45500

Diver:
A seiko 6105 8110 (getting the hands lume fixed)

Military:
Waltham A17

Pictures to come … I know I know…

Wish you all a great Xmas

 

Not much added this year. Did manage to add these 3 to the collection though.

 

2255.80 and 2552.61

 

Whew, glad I don’t have to just pick one, otherwise answer is usually whatever I bought most recently. Here is a trio I purchased this year; a new daily wearer, a new one for the collection, and a good rainy season project.

The new:


The addition to the long-term collection:


The project:

Looking forward to see what 2022 brings!