Wruw :)

[jalind]

Orient Constellation GMT
DJ02003W; cal. 40P51; 2013 +/-1









John

[clown]

[jalind]

Mudman image
(Image removed from quote.)

 
Ready for anything!

John

[Smashie]

Speedie today

[jalind]

Bernhardt Instruments Limited Edition (500) Globemaster GMT
ETA 2836-2; day complication modified to drive central 24-hr GMT hand
Purchased in 2009

The ETA 2836-2 is part of the ETA 2804 family, a 2824-2 with both date and day. One of the simpler mods to this movement is replacing the day wheel and its 24-hour drive mechanism with a couple of parts to drive a fourth central 24-hour hand. The result is a movement that works just like the more expensive ETA 2893-2 in how the time, date and 24-hour hand are set. Why this isn't done more often has puzzled me some, but a 2893-2 powered GMT can command a higher price. Bernardt Watch Company is a micro brand in North Carolina that has a number of collections. They were whipsawed some when ETA started cutting off movement watch companies outside of the Swatch Group. The small micro brands were hit first and hardest. His various collections have a mix of Miyota 8215 and 9015, and he now has other collections again with ETA 2824-2 and 2836-2 GMT mod again, including a limited edition Globemaster GMT II (labeled as such on dial and back). A GMT that isn't an homage with solid construction, sapphire crystal and attention to finishing detail made these quite popular when they appeared. There were a variety of bezel colors on a black dial, plus the blue sunburst dial with blue and orange bezel which was among the most popular.





The lume is impressive!



Note that the dial states "Swiss Movement". The movement is Swiss Made, but the watch itself isn't assembled there.



John

[jalind]

Speedie today

(Image removed from quote.)

One of the most iconic chronographs, made famous by Ed White during the Gemini 4 mission!

John

[Smashie]

Speedie today

(Image removed from quote.)

One of the most iconic chronographs, made famous by Ed White during the Gemini 4 mission!

John

Thanks John, alas I don't have the money to buy the 2915-1, 2 or 3!

[twiliter]

Speedie today

(Image removed from quote.)

Grail watch? 

[twiliter]

Another nice one John! 

[jalind]

Bulova Accutron Gemini Chronograph
63C106; Valjoux (ETA) 7750; Mfr. 2012

Even though Bulova had begun using the Sellita SW200-1 in 2009 instead of the ETA 2824-2 in their other Swiss Made Accutrons, as ETA cut off the supply of them, they were able to continue acquiring the Valjoux 7750, Unitas 6498-1 and ETA 2893-2 from ETA for the models that used them.

I lit this photo specifically to highlight the guilloche dial pattern and show how Bulova achieved it with thin raised ridges. The dial was either molded or stamped to produce the effect and I suspect the latter as dials on other than solar powered watches are typically metal.



Lighting affects the dial's appearance with its pattern and the highly polished faceted markers with convex surface hands. This is how it appears under lower levels of light from a single source. Which facets light up depends on lighting angle. As the watch or light source moves, the glint from them shifts but there's always a reflection.




Has a subtle touch with the iconic tuning fork etched into the end link on the butterfly closure.



Under highly diffused light, everything is illuminated, albeit with the less dramatic flatness such lighting creates.



John

[jalind]

Tissot T-Sport Seastar 1000 Automatic

T19.1.583.31; ETA 2824-2; ~2006
Includes free scuba dude on bottom edge of rotor, but no helium valve. 
IMHO much better looking than the current Tissot Seastar 1000.
These also came in blue sunburst and black dials. Bezel ring background matched dial color.

[jalind]

Seiko E-6B Slide Rule
SSA001; Cal. 4R37A; Oct 2011

Seiko's aviation homage to the E-6B flight computer circular slide rule, aka "Whiz Wheel" and "Prayer Wheel" created in the late 1930's by Naval aviator Philip Dalton. This one is set up for making conversions between distances, different measures for fuel and oil, and other calculations of interest to pilots. If one is really going to use it, they need good eyes or absent that, excellent glasses. An actual, full size E-6B, preferably made of metal with etched markings (yes, they're still made and used) is more practical. One would think the Whiz Wheel would have been replaced long ago by electronic flight computers and there are plenty of those on the market. However, the E-6B is still used in many aviation schools as it gives students a very hands-on feel for exactly what they're calculating and the relationships between the various measures and values going into those calculations. Most of it can be operated with one hand and it doesn't require any power. All one needs is enough light to read it.









John

[jalind]

Grovana Coral Reef II
1571.2135
ETA 2824-2 / Sellita SW200-1; could be either one
(Grovana has been dual sourcing movements; the two are interchangeable)
300m depth rating, a true air diver







ETA 2824-2 vs Sellita SW200-1:
There is no significant difference between the two. Sellita is a long-time Swiss movement maker established in the very early 1950's. They produced ebauches and parts for ETA for many years. It's how they were able to produce a drop-in ETA 2824-2 clone so quickly. What drove this is ETA, which is part of the Swatch Group, drawing down on movement supply, the 2824-2 and its variants (2836-2 and 2834-2) to companies outside the Swatch Group with the intent to cease providing them altogether. The entire world - quite literally - that wanted a high beat, high quality, high reliability and very robust Swiss Made workhorse movement had been beating a path to ETA's door for them for over two decades (post quartz crisis). The Swiss courts slowed them down in terms of how quickly they could shut off supplying them to others, but the writing was on the wall. Many of the smaller watch companies, including micro brands in North America, were hardest hit by this as ETA started cutting them off. It's why I've got some Swiss Made Bulova Accutron from 2008 with ETA 2824-2 inside and from 2009 and later with the Sellita SW200-1 inside. Tag Heuer and Ball have both been using Sellita movements. Sellita has a larger line of ETA clones, including clones of the 2892A2 and 7750 chronograph movements, and their variants (e.g. 2893-2 GMT). There was considerable misunderstanding and outrageous rumors when the Sellita movements first appeared, including claims they were Chinese. The ETA snobs still sneer at them. Those of us who know who Sellita is don't care if it's an ETA or a Sellita. Indeed, Sellita's machinery and tooling for many parts is newer than ETA's.

John

[jalind]

Bulova Gemini GMT
63B162; ETA 2893-2; 2012







John

[McStitchy]

Great watches and pics guys 

And I'm loving your watch series John 
Keep them coming 

[McStitchy]

Wearing this guy more frequently lately...



It's holding up fine over 10 1/2 years now.

[jalind]

Wearing this guy more frequently lately...

(Image removed from quote.)

It's holding up fine over 10 1/2 years now.

  I've got an Eco that's about 15 years old now. Still going strong! Seems the rechargeable batteries in them last a long time.

John

[jalind]

Android Hercules Tungsten Sapphire
AD726ABU
Cal. SII NH35A

That's right, tungsten, at the other end of the density spectrum from titanium, very strong, exceptionally hard, and extremely scratch proof. At a mere 44mm diameter, it's not one of the monstrously large Androids. With a density nearly identical to gold, the solid tungsten case and bracelet is a bit heavy. ;-) Unlike most Android, this one has a sapphire crystal. Picked this up along with a number of other Androids when Wing Liang was liquidating his Android labeled watches and parts as part of the settlement he reached with Google regarding their infringement on his trademarks. He used that settlement to reboot his company with Aragon trademarks. Defending his trademark rights that he had held since 1991 to the bitter end could have won the battle(s) but would have eventually lost the war.










John

[twiliter]

Heavy metal. 

[McStitchy]

Wearing this guy more frequently lately...

(Image removed from quote.)

It's holding up fine over 10 1/2 years now.

  I've got an Eco that's about 15 years old now. Still going strong! Seems the rechargeable batteries in them last a long time.

John

That's good news, thanks 

[CeHo]

Nice pics here 

[jalind]

Glycine Airman SST 12
GL0073; Glycine Cal. GL293 (ETA 2893-2)







John

[McStitchy]

Glycine Airman SST 12
GL0073; Glycine Cal. GL293 (ETA 2893-2)

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

John

John, that's one I really like 

What's the button for?
Does it set the outer 24hr scale?

 

[jalind]

Glycine Airman SST 12
GL0073; Glycine Cal. GL293 (ETA 2893-2)

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

John

John, that's one I really like 

What's the button for?
Does it set the outer 24hr scale?

 

You guessed it, and it has an excellent seal around it, plus it doesn't turn very easily by design. Has a slot on the end and Glycine provides a small keyring tool. If you have a strong thumbnail you can turn it using that . . . or your SAK  .

The original SST was released in 1967 with production continuing to 1978 using three different A.Schild 24-hour movements as A.Schild evolved them. They were three-hand movements with a 24-hour hand and didn't have a fourth hand as this one does. It was created to celebrate the ongoing development of three supersonic transport aircraft: Concorde, Tupolev TU-144 and Boeing 2707. It preceded the first test flight of any of them by several years. The Boeing project was canceled due to increasing cost. The Tupolev suffered several crashes which permanently grounded the passenger fleet after only 55 scheduled flights relegating it to use as a cargo aircraft. This left the Concorde as the only successful passenger SST.

Glycine's SST was a departure from its original round Airman with a tonneau shaped case and the rotating bezel moved inside the watch under the crystal. The separate crown is used to rotate it. Readily available at the Army PX and USAF BX (short for Post and Base Exchange, the Army Air Force Exchange System, AAFES), it rapidly became a favorite among pilots along with the O&W (Ollech & Wajs) Early Bird, a similar 24-hour watch, during the Vietnam War, and in the years that followed until discontinued in 1978. The internal rotating bezel on the iconic version was orange set against a black dial, garnering the "pumpkin" nickname.

Note:
Prior to the quartz crisis, A.Schild was the major alternative to ETA and their movements were excellent. When collapsed into ETA, their calibers did not survive the purge to reduce the number of different movement calibers . . . other than the AS5008 which wasn't roped in with the rest for some reason. If you ever find a vintage 1970's to early 1980's Rado, it's very likely you'll find an A.Schild movement under the dial. 

John

[McStitchy]

Glycine Airman SST 12
GL0073; Glycine Cal. GL293 (ETA 2893-2)

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

(Image removed from quote.)

John

John, that's one I really like 

What's the button for?
Does it set the outer 24hr scale?

 

You guessed it, and it has an excellent seal around it, plus it doesn't turn very easily by design. Has a slot on the end and Glycine provides a small keyring tool. If you have a strong thumbnail you can turn it using that . . . or your SAK  .

The original SST was released in 1967 with production continuing to 1978 using three different A.Schild 24-hour movements as A.Schild evolved them. They were three-hand movements with a 24-hour hand and didn't have a fourth hand as this one does. It was created to celebrate the ongoing development of three supersonic transport aircraft: Concorde, Tupolev TU-144 and Boeing 2707. It preceded the first test flight of any of them by several years. The Boeing project was canceled due to increasing cost. The Tupolev suffered several crashes which permanently grounded the passenger fleet after only 55 scheduled flights relegating it to use as a cargo aircraft. This left the Concorde as the only successful passenger SST.

Glycine's SST was a departure from its original round Airman with a tonneau shaped case and the rotating bezel moved inside the watch under the crystal. The separate crown is used to rotate it. Readily available at the Army PX and USAF BX (short for Post and Base Exchange, the Army Air Force Exchange System, AAFES), it rapidly became a favorite among pilots along with the O&W (Ollech & Wajs) Early Bird, a similar 24-hour watch, during the Vietnam War, and in the years that followed until discontinued in 1978. The internal rotating bezel on the iconic version was orange set against a black dial, garnering the "pumpkin" nickname.

Note:
Prior to the quartz crisis, A.Schild was the major alternative to ETA and their movements were excellent. When collapsed into ETA, their calibers did not survive the purge to reduce the number of different movement calibers . . . other than the AS5008 which wasn't roped in with the rest for some reason. If you ever find a vintage 1970's to early 1980's Rado, it's very likely you'll find an A.Schild movement under the dial. 

John

Thank you very much 

[jalind]

Grovana Coral Reef Chronograph
1571.6137
Valjoux (ETA) 7750

True 300m air diver with real working screw downs on the pushers to seal them from water ingress, not the knurled decoration found on many. Small bright lume dot at the 12 is on the chronograph central seconds hand. Grovana was established in 1924 and markets the Revue Thommen brand, along with Transglobe, Swiss Alpine Military, Phillippe de Cheron, and Election. They also make "private label" watches for other watch brands which nearly always involves non-disclosure agreements with the brand owner regarding the manufacturing source.





John

[Greg Jones]

Very nice watches here   

[jalind]

Seiko Special Edition (unnumbered) Prospex PADI "Turtle" (PADI: Professional Association of Dive Instructors)
SRPA21J1; cal. 4R36; Jul 2017

This is a true dive watch with the marking on the dial and the markings and logo on the case back. The blue and red motif on dial and bezel are the PADI colors. This special edition of the "Turtle", the moniker derived from its tonneau case shape, is one of several Prospex models made in special PADI editions. The case shape and dial style is an homage to Seiko's own 6309 dive watches made from 1976 though 1988.

Worn & Wound article about Seiko's iconic 6309 dive watches
http://wornandwound.com/affordable-vintage-seiko-6309/



Back has the raised stylized tsunami in the middle which is found on Seiko's dive rated watches.







John

[jalind]

Aragon Divemaster Automatic
A064BLU; SII NH36A; 2016;
(45mm diameter with short lugs)

Aragon was Android unitl Wing Liang, its owner, settled his lawsuit for trademark infringement with Google (undisclosed sum). Wing had established his Android watch brand years before Google created their Android operating system. Not a problem within trademark law as they have two completely different markets with products or services well differentiated. That changed when Google started making smart watches. Wing filed a lawsuit, which forced Google to the bargaining table regarding their trademark ownership and usage. He wisely settled with them, sold his remaining Android branded watches and relaunched his watch brand as Aragaon two years ago. This is one of the initial offerings under the new brand.







John

[McStitchy]

Great divers John.
I'm digging the Seiko a lot