I do have a couple of posh-ish watches that I wear occasionally. Although most of the time I tend to default to my cheap plastic digital thing. As a piece of jewellery it fails on almost every count, but it’s 100% accurate all the time being radio controlled, and never needs a battery as it is solar powered.
Anyway, just in case any of you were planning on going to lurk around the vicinity of Harrods in your Lamborghini or something, it might be wise to read this…
uk.yahoo.com/news/leave-expensive-watches-home-ll-150000506.html
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I have an Omega Planet Ocean that I rarely wear now after clearly being targeted in London.
Two blokes spotted it and started to follow me when I was on foot walking back to the Tube from a client.
I hailed a taxi and jumped in and you could see that they were clearly annoyed and turned around and went back the way they came.
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I suppose I used to wear my “good” ones more when I wore ties/suits. But, that’s really only when someone dies, graduates or gets married nowadays.
The digital thing, despite its abject ugliness, is actually way more useful in truth. I use it on my bike to time and try to beat my own times over sectors and in the swimming pool for similar purposes. I don’t mind, and nor seemingly does it, if it gets a knock or covered in mud. In fact I was wearing it when I bust my arm in four places but the watch was fine.
When travelling, it sets itself to local time and I also use it as an alarm.
Of course I could use my phone for some of those purposes but increasingly, I like to switch that off when I can.
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How do these thieves spot these expensive watches? To me unless you are close enough to read the name one watch looks pretty much like another, for a couple of hundred pounds or less you can certainly buy something that looks very similar to a £10,000 watch. Since a formal watch is normally covered in part by your shirt sleeves or jacket how do they tell the difference as you walk down the street?
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I thought out norfuk way they just relied on cock crow and church bells
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>> I thought out norfuk way they just relied on cock crow and church bells
This bloke uses another method.
youtu.be/ub0Nl4HPFGA
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>> How do these thieves spot these expensive watches?
I suppose if you can afford that type of bling you like to flaunt it?
I see the met can afford mobile advertising hoardings but not the manpower to prevent crime.
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I see the met can afford mobile advertising hoardings but not the manpower to prevent
>> crime.
>>
They were paid for a by an online watch shop.
Unless you mean some other ones that weren't in the yahoo article.
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>> I see the met can afford mobile advertising hoardings but not the manpower to prevent
>> crime.
Women are safer with electronic hoardings than met coppers
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>> How do these thieves spot these expensive watches?
Alot of those with the expensive aren't subtle, a little bit of following potential victims around will give them the info they need.
Since a formal watch is normally covered in part by your shirt sleeves
>> or jacket how do they tell the difference as you walk down the street?
>>
If you're a watch geek, fairly easy. I know a couple they'll talk all day about them, 'good' fakes, 'bad' fakes, which mechanisms etc etc. They can tell alot from a quick look.
Bit of luck as well.
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I bought a Rolex from a lookee lookee man on a beach somewhere many years ago, for something around a fiver.
It was a replica of one their watches and kept very good time (in my drawer) till it stopped.
The edges were a bit sharp which was a bit of a giveaway. The cuts on your wrists showed them up. :-)
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"I know a couple they'll talk all day about them, 'good' fakes, 'bad' fakes, which mechanisms etc etc."
Sound like a bundle of fun
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>> "I know a couple they'll talk all day about them, 'good' fakes, 'bad' fakes, which
>> mechanisms etc etc."
>>
>>
>> Sound like a bundle of fun
>>
The trick is not to wind them up too far otherwise they last quite a while.
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...thanks for the tip; I shall now be more careful on my daily trip to Harrods....
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I think the only thing I’ve ever bought in Harrods is jelly beans from the sweet counter. They are very good if you are passing that way.
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...I'd probably have to pawn my watch to afford them, though....
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Well, yes, and therein lies the problem doesn’t it? Stuffed if some git has nicked your watch beforehand eh? Not only will you not know what time it is, no jelly beans either.
Could ruin the entire day for some that. It would mine.
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Currently wearing my Omega Seamaster from 2009 - been out for lunch with the in-laws, it replaced my everyday (for the day) my 2008 $100.00 Seiko Kinetic. In theory this watch should go for a lifetime without replacing the battery, in reality I did a pre-emptive battery replacement five years ago for a more sophisticated ion unit.The watch is very accurate. The watch has travelled the world and many, many thousands of miles by motorcycle (including one trip where I had a major off). I also own a number of "premium" watches which I rarely wear but are appreciating assests so to speak. As Humph suggests they are jewellry. The Omega in particular is of sentimental value and is treated as such. It tells the time accuratly and and the date (needs adjusting on 30/28 day months) Wouldn't dream of riding wearing it or venturing to a city !
Last edited by: R.P. on Sun 30 Oct 22 at 18:13
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The Rolex King Air is very subtle....The residue of my father's estate passed to me a few weeks ago. Not a massive sum, but enough to treat myself to a nice little pre-owned ticker.
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If you want a classy piece of horological jewellery on your wrist, you go for something like this
www.vintage-wristwatches.co.uk/watches-catalogue/vintage-watches/rolex-wristwatches/1930s-9ct-gold-tonneau-vintage-rolex-watch-4498/
Classical, classy, stunningly good looking, not that expensive, and scroats wont know WTF it is.
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I have never in my life understood this thing about watches. I sit here in my hovel wearing my plastic Casio watch with fingers and dial, Amazon £15. It tells the time reliably and nothing else. Been for a pub lunch in Frodsham with friends today and not one person in the place commented on it.
The two gay ladies next door but one offered to buy me a Rolex. I think they mis-heard me when I said ' I wanna watch '
Ted
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Heh heh Ted, that made me chuckle!
I used to understand the watch thing, but as the years advance, it has become less to me.
I used to imagine that other people’s opinions of me, or indeed my opinions of myself mattered somehow, but it has been a while since I was so delusional. ;-)
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>>I used to imagine that other people’s opinions of me, or indeed my opinions of myself mattered somehow, but it has been a while since I was so delusional. ;-)
The whole status symbol thing is like that. A chap will sneer at say BMW drivers, then he finds he can have one as his company car and fondly imagines that people are giving him admiring glances when he drives by!
As a wise friend says, those who matter don't mind, and those who mind don't matter.
Not sure where he stands on Crocs though.
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That is the finale really. Nothing matters anymore when a man gets there.
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For the majority of my service, and continue unless going out out (that was doubled up on purpose) I have had a succession of those cheap black Casio digital £9.99 watches.
They tell the time, date and are backlit. Served me well for a lot of years and the straps snapped long before the batteries ran out.
The other issue was in a tumble if they got damaged it was of absolutely no consequence.
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>> The other issue was in a tumble if they got damaged it was of absolutely
>> no consequence.
My in laws to be bought me a Rotary for my 21st. It was my only watch and it got lost after being involved in a fracas in Port Street, Manchester some years later. With insurance money and a bit more I bought an Omega of some sort. Nothing fancy, name didn't mean much to me. It's now in my bedside drawer, sans strap. Must have a look at it. SWM was a jeweller and her ex-boss has just valued a gold bangle of hers at £15K so the Omega might buy me a Veyron.....I dream !
Ted
>>
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I stopped wearing a watch when I retired. Never been into jewellery for men really, and I'm not that bothered what the time is these days that I need to wear one. My phone has a clock stopwatch and timer and there are some clocks around the house.
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>>
>> Not sure where he stands on Crocs though.
>>
...I thought one stood in Crocs...
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Not a massive sum, but enough to treat myself to a
>> nice little pre-owned ticker.
Glad to hear your heart transplant was a success.
Makes my pending hip replacement very trivial
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Just dug out the Omega. It's a gold case, gold face and gold fingers , has a date window. The face says Omega with automatic under it. At the bottom it says Geneva. The back unscrews and is inscribed ' waterproof '.
Any ideas, be over 50 yrs old now.
Ted
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About 15 yeas ago I splashed out £80 on a Mondaine...face is like the Swiss railway clocks, so it always reminds me of my holidays wild camping in that part of the world.
I only ever wear it whilst flying...take it off on arrival at destination and don’t wear it again until I fly home.
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I have a German-made Iron Annie watch. Tis named after a WW2 Junkers aircraft. Every 'time' I look at it, it reminds me of '45 and '66.
:)
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And ‘22.
Don’t forget the lionesses.
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>> About 15 yeas ago I splashed out £80 on a Mondaine...face is like the Swiss
>> railway clocks, so it always reminds me of my holidays wild camping in that part
>> of the world.
>>
>> I only ever wear it whilst flying...take it off on arrival at destination and don’t
>> wear it again until I fly home.
>>
I had on of those. Any around £70 after discount it was the most expensive watch I ever had. It was very accurate in that it expired two years and a week after it’s warranty expired. Swiss precision I guess.
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I suppose I’m a bit of a believer in the “buy once, buy good” thing. I don’t have a lot of “stuff” but I try to seek out good versions of whatever it is I’m looking to buy, and just keep them.
I have coats, shoes, boots, watches etc whose ages can be measured in decades rather than years, but that I still wear regularly, and are still in good condition. None of them were especially cheap at the time of purchase but those amounts divided by their usage make them all good value. In my mind anyway! ;-)
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That was “her” choice!
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Mon 31 Oct 22 at 10:10
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>>
>> I have coats, shoes, boots, watches etc whose ages can be measured in decades rather
>> than years, but that I still wear regularly, and are still in good condition.
>>
That explains the flares, tank top and Cuban heeled boots, then.
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>> That explains the flares, tank top and Cuban heeled boots, then.
Those are the sort of things that would have been worn by a man with a Capri. I had much the same attitude to those “styles” as I currently do to Crocs. ;-)
Carefully selected classic items tend not to date.
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>> Just dug out the Omega…
>> Any ideas, be over 50 yrs old now.
>> Ted
Well, if it has no sentimental value to you, it will certainly have a monetary one. Just Google vintage Omega watches and you may be pleasantly surprised.
Certainly it’d raise enough to fund quite a lot of premium jelly beans.
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SWMBO bought me a Bulova Accutron (early '70s)when she got her first full-time job, before we had kids. I believe it was one of the first electric watches and was claimed to be extremely accurate, although the jeweller who flogged it couldn't regulate it!
In a drawer somewhere.
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@RP - your post reminded me that I also have a Seiko automatic diver thing that was lurking in “the drawer of things that might one day be useful”. Haven’t looked at it for a long while but I’ve put it on today.
Bought it at Hong Kong airport a few (possibly quite a few) years ago. Can’t remember why. Must just have liked it I guess. Of course it had stopped, being a mechanical/automatic movement, but let’s see if it keeps time today. Not posh at all of course, but I remember liking wearing it at one point.
Heavy thing though, well, certainly by comparison to my currently favoured plastic one.
Last edited by: Runfer D'Hills on Mon 31 Oct 22 at 11:32
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I have a Seiko automatic chronograph I was given as a Christmas present in the 70s. It has an inner bezel marked "Base Pulsations" for measuring heart rate apparently.
watchesbysjx.com/2020/08/history-pulsations-pulsometer-chronograph-watch.html
Current day to day thing is a Breitling Chronomat.
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My Apple Watch tells the time and does a million other things.
I hate analogue watches.
Suppose they are useful for the oldies that pre date the digital age….
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My day to day watch is my battered and scraped 25 years old Tag Heuer Professional Divers Watch. Keeps excellent time.
I like and collect watches and have an Omega Constellation for evening wear , a Longines and 3 Seiko chronographs plus a Mappin and Webb for when I fancy a change.
Usually I buy second hand at Antique Fairs etc.
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Being of very slight build my wrists are too skinny to wear a classic gents watch of the type described here.
Had various versions of the universal Casio F91 model and before that a digital Timex bought by may parents for my 19th birthday. I do like those with both a digital and analogue display and had a Lorus with that facility for a few years. For years I never took my watch off except to swim or bathe.
However, by the mid noughties I found a watch band increasingly irritating. I also had a clock on my desktop screen and on the office wall. My phone told the time and even the trains showed the time on the in carriage display.
Not worn on now for the best part of twenty years.
Missed it last week while getting the car serviced as I'd forgotten my phone and nowhere in the dealer's showroom or customer waiting area was there a visible clock.
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>>
>> Missed it last week while getting the car serviced as I'd forgotten my phone and
>> nowhere in the dealer's showroom or customer waiting area was there a visible clock.
>>
...they no doubt charged you eight hours labour, then....
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>Being of very slight build my wrists are too skinny to wear a classic gents watch of the type described here.
My wrists wouldn't be any good on a bricklayer but most of the mid-range stuff (Breitling, Omega, Rolex etc.) is available in a range of case sizes.
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>> My Apple Watch tells the time and does a million other things.
Assuming it stays charged during the day,
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Few young people wear watches to tell the time. Smart watches and gadgets prevail - fitness, steps, texting, phoning.
Expensive watches are jewellery and should be judged as such. If I want to tell the time I look at a smartphone, or the clock on the wall or in the car. I do have a watch - rarely used - a £80 Seiko.
I have never understood jewellery - mostly it is impossible to tell a £10k Rolex from a good $25 fake from more that a couple of yards.
Whilst as a society we should aspire to the right to walk anytime, anywhere without fear of assault or robbery, we know this is not the case i reality. No one would one walk the streets with a thick wad of £20s sticking put of a pocket, why do it with an expensive glittery bauble.
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Tangentially, trivially and to most I suppose, uninterestingly, I noticed Chris Harris wearing a plastic watch like mine on Top Gear last night.
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On a tangent, I've one of these 'seilf emit' analogue clocks that work backwards.
Clockwise depends on what side of the face you are.
Grandsons can read it in an instant, although it baffles SWMBO. It takes me a moment. I wonder if they're so used to digital technology, it doesn't phase them?
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A colleague once had a watch that displayed the time in binary code. Clever of course, but quite annoying.
As was the watch. ;-)
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It might faze them though.
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>>Tangentially, trivially and to most I suppose, uninterestingly, I noticed Chris Harris wearing a plastic watch like
>> mine on Top Gear last night.
...two "driving gods", both wearing the same watch, and never seen together in the same room....
...hmmm...
Last edited by: tyrednemotional on Mon 31 Oct 22 at 18:31
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Ah but, he’s short and bald, and I am neither of those.
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...that's easy to say. This ain't television...
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…more Chris Harris trivia alert. I was briefly next to him on the M5 a few weeks ago in slow moving traffic. I was in my slightly tired estate car in lane 2 and he was in a yellow Porsche in lane 3. As soon as the traffic cleared he was very much gone.
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Presumably the benefit of having 6 cylinders?
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Re the younger generation and watches I was in a pub last year when the twenty-something barmaid asked me the time. I pointed to the clock on the wall behind her and said it was right. She asked me to read it for her as she couldn’t read an analogue dial. I have since read that an increasing number of young people can’t read them.
However no doubt they can navigate their mobiles far better than I can. Times, indeed, do change.
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You do indeed have to be taught to read the time on an analogue clock. Perhaps they don’t any more at primary school. When you think about it The way we state the time “ten to eight”., “half past five” is not entirely intuitive compared with its digital expression.
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My 7 Year old granddaughter can read an analogue watch. She demanded to be taught how to do it. I can't imagine anyone being so incurious as to reach their 20s without finding out.
But then I can't understand why anyone wouldn't invest the five minutes it takes to learn when to put an apostrophe in its.
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>> My 7 Year old granddaughter can read an analogue watch.
I learned to tell the time pre school as Mum was forgetful about it being 1:30 and time for Watch with Mother.
The 24 hour clock came later when we got central heating and the timer, which revolved once in a day with markings from midnight to 23:00.
The first digital 24 hour clocks I met were in the terminal at Leeds Bradford Airport opened around 1967 and Leeds City Station which was of similar vintage. They were the sort where a fresh flap dropped at every change of minute etc.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Tue 1 Nov 22 at 09:45
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Matched at the other end of the age range by those who can’t be bothered to learn the basics of using a mobile phone. A lot of people are incredibly incurious of the world about them.
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>I have never understood jewellery..
As my psycho' mate would say "It's all about the mating ritual. Body art and jewellery (including clothes) have been used for millenia to display your suitability as a mate."
In your day Terry, it might have been a sabre-tooth necklace. In Humph's day it was probably crushed velvet bell bottoms and cheesecloth shirts. For yesterday's youth it was the latest iPhone and a hoodie. Glub knows what it is today.
As we get older our tastes and priorities change so our body adornment changes to send the signals we expect our potential mates to recognise and admire. We still play the game even if it's just flirting.
Tailored jacket? - tick.
Clean shirt? - tick.
Suitable shoes? - tick.
"Oh my Glub! Dirty fingernails and a Casio* at a golfclub dinner!" - "NEXT!"
* It takes all sorts. Some folks might actually have a thing for dirty fingernails and a casio.
"Honey, can you put the gearbox back in the truck? I wanna take a bath."
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Yip, charge it every night. Same as my phone.
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We live in a digital age. My grand-daughter aged 9 has better IT skills than my wife.
A traditional watch face is really just evolution in action - the hour hand is the shadow on the sundial, minutes were a later refinement as clockwork mechanisms improved.
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I understand the jewellery thing, I'm not a jewellery person at all and don't wear any. I, however, have had a lifetime love of watches, especially with black faces. I love my Seamaster - it has a sentimental value as my wife bought it for me on my 50th birthday and I wear it because I want to - I wear my Seiko by default, but watches float my boat.
As regards analogue clocks etc our Clubman came back from a service the other day and has obviously had a software update and now displays a large analogue clock face in its central screen, it is a thing of beauty to be fair.
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The Smart Car has a rev counter and analogue clock mounted in a pod on the dashboard.
The time for the latter is set using the media system (which displays a digital time).
First ignition on after the clock change, and the little analogue clock autonatically wizzes round until it stops at the new, correct time.
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The (digital) clock in my wife's car will be an hour ahead for the next 6 months. we long since forgot how to adjust it and neither of us can be bothered to look it up given it will fix itself in due time.
TBH I'd keep BST all year round. I hate the dark at tea times.
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I do try to maintain a respectable level of personal hygiene despite not being a golfer, but I do wear a Casio G Shock quite a lot now. It doesn’t really matter to me if I’d resultantly be unacceptable at the golf club. They can do them and I’ll do me, as some say.
;-)
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"and neither of us can be bothered to look it up given it will fix itself in due time."
"what was that you were saying earlier, something about not being able to imagine how someone could be so incurious" :-)
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>>"what was that you were saying earlier, something about not being able to imagine how someone could be so incurious" :-)
It's a problem I have solved in the past. I think I've had whatever fun was to be had!
I might yet succumb, probably when she has me waiting somewhere to collect her off a train or a WI expedition.
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I can’t alter the clock on our oven for the life of me. I’ve tried and tried, followed instructions etc but it just won’t cooperate, instead it just sulks and then turns the damn thing on or off randomly for days afterwards.
If it was a horse I’d have it shot.
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...aye, I also find it best to feign lack of ability where domestic appliances are concerned...
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The thing I've noticed with ovens is they usually restart from 00:00 after a power cut. You could try turning it off, and on again at midnight.
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Brilliant Manatee!
I’ll do that tonight!
Ha! Just brilliant!
Virtual pint on its way…
;-)
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This was a topic of conversation only on Sunday. What a great idea, unless Mrs RP has updated the clock since I last looked. I have temporary charge of it today as she's woring and I have to re-heat the Lasagne.
Just as I'm typing this my television's screen has gone into screen-saver, yes an analouge clock.
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>> I have temporary charge of it
>> today as she's woring and I have to re-heat the Lasagne.
>>
...I do hope that's working and not whoring....
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He’s in Wales y’know.
Some odd things happen there, probably best not to delve into it too much. They have their own ways…seaweed eaters and so on…
;-)
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...aye, well, times must be hard if it's re-heated Lasagne, so I did wonder.....
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Re-heated?
Luxury!
We have to wrap ours in tinfoil and strap it to the dog’s back to defrost it enough to eat.
;-)
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>> The (digital) clock in my wife's car will be an hour ahead for the next
>> 6 months. we long since forgot how to adjust it and neither of us can
>> be bothered to look it up given it will fix itself in due time.
Same with my bedside clock. Never look at the car clock. Suspect it's never right due to battery changes and disconnections.
Ted
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We've just got a new microwave. SWMBO was itching to play with it and said she'd set the clock. She noticed my raised eyebrows and indignantly insisted she could do it. Five minutes later it's "Tom, can you set the clock for me?"
So I RTFM'd, pressed the timer/clock button twice (as per instructions) and set the clock. I can do a very good smug face, but unfortunately it doesn't earn me any favours.
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The only important time is beer o’clock
:-)
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Time, like the wind goes hurrying by.
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>> Time, like the wind goes hurrying by.
>
Time flies like an arrow
Fruit flies like a banana
Ted
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…and Tits like coconuts I believe…
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Cake o'clock comes second on a good walk accompanied by a nice T or coffee :)
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HaHa, don't you luv 'em, Tom. I found a new, better padlock for the garage. Just a secondary lock, the main one is a Kryptonite Van Lock. Garage about 40ft from back door. She needed stuff from freezer....raining......next thing, storming upstairs to where I was " You've put the wrong key on the keyring " Face like Lucifer's bum ! Me, " No I haven't, try putting it in the other way round". 5 minutes later, return match, " Still won't work."
Ever the genitalman, I went down, she followed, and I opened it first go with the same key. I can do smug as well !
2 days later, same thing happened...don't they learn ? Helped her again...smug rating well up. It was even freshly oiled so no reluctance to me slipping it in !
Ted
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Well that was a nice way for her to show her gratitude.. :-)
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Watch out - zippy
