A watch is a watch is a watch.............

[Ray S]

Watches have always fascinated me;almost as much as knives. My first one was a 12 dollar Timex I bought at the PX in 1965;only because I needed a watch to stand duty. It lasted about a year and then I popped the crystal when I banged it against a missile rack while loading weapons on an aircraft. I broke it while attempting to force it back into place and for awhile used it with a piece of clear tape over the hole. Left it in the ordnance shack one weekend and someone stole it!
A few years later while working at a car dealership I bought a fake Rolex watch from one of the guys who worked there. They were just starting to become popular at the time.That one lasted about two months before it started turning my skin green.
The guy I got it from also collected watches and knives and put me on the road to watch collecting.We would buy and sell or swap them with each other and I must say I had some pretty nice ones.
My first really nice watch was an Omega Seamaster automatic watch with a diving alarm that vibrated on your wrist to let you know it was time to come up. Went swimming with it one day and got out only to find the watch half full of water! Apparently the seals had degenerated.I now had a heavy piece of stainless steel junk on my wrist!.
My first chronograph was an Omega Speedmaster manual wind with the moon landing back on it.Paid $50 for it and another $50 for an original band. Swapped it off for some knives I wanted.Same thing with a 14k gold Bulova Accutron Astronaut.
My first Breitling was an 1809 Chrono-Matic(left hand model) that I gave my friend a 1966 chevy in trade.Still have that one and I know the Chevy is long gone. He still tries to buy it back form me occasionally.
I still like chronographs and my best one is a Brietling Navitimer 806 that I bought(of all places)at a yard sale for $5! It was made in 1967 and had never been serviced. Two years ago before my friend Tom retired he re-built it for me. Cost $500 but it was well worth it.Watch is worth $2-3,000 as is.
My latest chronograph is an Invicta 12532 that I sent back to have the guard around the crown replaced. That is going to take several months(!).If anyone owns an Invicta pray you never have to send it in for service. Too bad as I have several and they are really nice watches albeit a bit large. The 12532 weighs about a pound and is 48mm in diameter.
Some of the watches I have are just fun.One is by Dead Time and has different weapons around the dial(gun;knife;hangmans noose);one has a nude couple that are making love(they move as the watch works).some of the best ones are made by Fossil(great watches for the money).One has flames that flicker at the push of a button.Only problem is it has 3 batteries and they go dead quickly.
I have a few vintage watches that are nice but I rarely wear them;they are a bit small for my tastes.
Anyway that is my story and I'm sticking to it.I'll post a couple of pictures of some of the stranger ones.

[Ray S]

A few more

[Ray S]

Last batch for now

[Aloha]

Great thread.  Loving the Zodiac, ok loving all of them. 

[Ray S]

Great thread.  Loving the Zodiac, ok loving all of them.

A funny story about the Zodiac: I bought it at an antique shop for a dollar. It was missing the 24 hour hand. Sent it to a friend in Massachusetts who was a watchmaker(retired now)and he fixed it for $15.Keeps good time but the self winder periodically sticks and it runs out. Could probably be fixed but I really don't want to spend any more money on it.

[Smashie]

A very interesting choice of watches and stories  behind them, the 806 is a lovely watch 

[pfrsantos]

NO, NO, NO, NO!!!!

Show content

The dates are different, the time is different...

[Ray S]

A very interesting choice of watches and stories  behind them, the 806 is a lovely watch 

Strangely enough I almost didn't get it. My wife and I were heading to a furniture store in search of a table for the living room and we went past this huge yard sale that looked like it might have tools or knives or other guy stuff. I was looking for a place to turn around and she said "Why don't we just hit it on the way home?".I agreed.
On the way home with our new table we were talking and I drove past the sale again. This time she said,"Turn around" and I did.
At the sale there a lot of tools(nothing that I needed)and no knives but there was a box of watches.Nothing caught my eye and I was about ready to leave when I spotted a watch attached to an old leather biker style leather band sitting in an old Timex box.
Picked it up and saw it was a Breitling!  Telling myself it couldn't be real and even if it wasn't it was still worth more than a few dollars. Went up to the cashier and asked the price. She looked at it and said,"Five dollars".
I think my wallet was smoking from the friction generated as I yanked it out of my pocket! Paid her and started walking to the car and started winding it to see if it worked. The sweep hand started moving! In the car I wound it fully and reset the chrono and the time.
Drove home and then to a friend of mine who worked on watches. I could open the case but I didn't have the special tool(a press)to close it. He checked it out and pronounced it not only real but of 1967 vintage and had never been serviced.
Normally when a watchmaker does repair work he will inscribe his mark and the date it was done on the inside of the case.This had none of that.
I check on e-Bay periodically to see what an 806 is currently selling for and they just keep going up.$2500 to $3000 is about the average for a good one.I doubt I'll ever sell it as my youngest son(he's 41)has designs on it when I'm gone.
Here are a few more from the vault.
First and second is a replica A.Lange &Sohne I bought awhile back.A real one is about $28,000!
Second is a Bel Air chronograph that I bought because I liked the mother-of-pearl face.
Third is not really a watch but a bottom timer for scuba divers.You set it for the amount of air you have and it vibrates against your wrist when it gets low.

[Ray S]

A few more:
A nice old 30 jewel Bulova manual wind watch.Keeps perfect time.
A Fossil chronograph with an unusual red dial.Paid $2 for it at a yard sale.
Another Fossil square face.Nice watch but the bracelet needs another link to fit me properly.Paid $6 for that one.
The last Fossil is a very special one to me. It was a limited edition one created for Ed,"Big Daddy" Roth;a noted California car builder and artist to commemorate his Rat Fink creation. It was given to me by his widow Ilene;along with a huge trophy at a car show for my painted tribute to him on my car.

[Ray S]

Last ones for now:
A nice old Hamilton curvex style that belonged to my wife's dad.
A Harley-Davidson left hand model watch.The box is a plastic miniature Harley gas tank.
A Freestyle chronograph style with day and date as separate registers.
An Invicta chronograph.

[Fast Bill]

That's a great collection and you've obviously been in the right place at the right time (pardon the pun) 

[Singh]

great pics! Thanks for sharing. 

[dks]

Sorry I missed this thread in August   

some very nice watches here - a good selection.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I love that Rat Fink watch!  I love Big Daddy Roth's work, and in fact, I was searching for something similar a few years ago!

Each year for the site's anniversary I have wanted to come up with a logo to commemorate it, but it's never actually gone anywhere until this year. 

For our 7th Anniversary I wanted to do a Seven Year Itch concept, with a Rat Fink type character using the MTO plier as a back scratcher, but unfortunately artists are a breed unto themselves and nothing ever came of it.  TBH, it was probably my favorite anniversary concept and I'm really bummed we never made it happen.

And now we return you to your regularly scheduled watch thread, already in progress.... 

Def