Thread: Starting to take an interest in mechanical watches. Anyone info?

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I used to, but now I prefer the low maintenance of the automatic watches. I used to have a small collection of Hamilton 992 Railroad watches. Carried one as my primary timepiece for a number of years. Great watches those, along with the 950s and the Illinois Bunn Special, Ball, and others. Can be a big hole to throw money in if it becomes an AD.

You too? LOL Been down that road. Nothing prettier than the inside of those old watches. American craftsmanship at its finest. Sold all of mine before the bottom fell out. SOme pretty good buys out there now, but I'm over it. My old pard that I used to trade with that also fixed old watches gave it up. He doesn't even work on 'em any more. Asked me if I was interested in buying all his tools and parts when I saw him Tuesday. Told him thanks but no thanks.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Sinn makes a nice watch however they have really raised their prices. At 1 grand there aren't very many models to choose from. If you want their technology you need to spend around 2 grand and up. Look at Limes and Archimede and Seiko and Hamilton.

Been wearing a SINN FLIEGER for 15 years now. Needs a good cleaning and adjusting. VALJOUX 7750's are pricey to get worked on so I reset it every other day. They were sold here in the states under the BELL & ROSS banner at one time.

My understanding is that the Chinese have started making very reliable mechanical watches for a LOT less $$ than the big names everyone associates with watches. Some of the Russian mechanicals are good solid machines but they are rather spartan.

I like the weight of a REAL watch as opposed to case for a battery powered mini-clock. The battery powered jobbies have a tendency to keep a LOT better time though........:\

Not that many years ago you could buy the basic Sinn for around $300. That same watch is around $1000 now. The problem is the outfit selling them here. I've known people who traveled to Germany and went to their factory store and bought a couple of watches and returned that evening. Even with the airfare they came out ahead. Of course that was before airfare prices skyrocketed. I've had probably 6 Sinns over the years and sold them all. I have an Ezm 10 now which is a keeper.

You're right, I can probably sell my well worn old Flieger for more than I paid for it and let somebody else pay to tune it up.

Check out Doxa. I love mine and they've got some great mechanical automatics that you can find on both watchuseek and eBay for sub 2k.

Originally Posted by JBPilot

Check out Doxa. I love mine and they've got some great mechanical automatics that you can find on both watchuseek and eBay for sub 2k.

I ended up with an old orange face DOXA SUB 300 ( pre US DIVERS ) like Dirk Pitt wore in all of Clive Cussler's books. Somebody made me an offer I couldn't refuse and it went to a new home. I've had Omega's, Rolex's, and a Brietling among others. Cheap battery powered quartz watches keep better time, BUT, they have no soul.

Phrank, that 7750 movement is a tank. I too get a kick out of it when that inertial winder keeps spinning and you can feel it shaking on your wrist. I love mine, but it needs a bath I think. Last quote for cleaning and adjusting I got was $300. Told the guy for that kind of $$ I'd just reset the time when it needed it.

I only have three mechanical watches. Funnily enough, they were all given to me by my uncle :L two of them are old Russian watches (the brand is Poljot), one is a chronograph, the other is just a watch. I should say that my uncle collects old watches and clocks!
The watch I've been wearing mostly for the last six years is a Sinn 103 series pilot watch that my uncle gave me for my 18th birthday. It has the steel bracelet, its a beautiful piece. And one of my most prized possessions.
If you go the route of buying any mechanical watch from any big brand, you have to factor in that the watch will need to be serviced every few years. I sent mine in to Sinn two years ago, the watch had started to lose a substantial amount of time. They cleaned it up, replaced the glass, face and hands and I got it back in absolutely perfect condition. The problem was it cost 300 euros + registered postage there.
But its great to have a timepiece you can be proud of.

Originally Posted by Wullie

You too? LOL Been down that road. Nothing prettier than the inside of those old watches. American craftsmanship at its finest. Sold all of mine before the bottom fell out. SOme pretty good buys out there now, but I'm over it. My old pard that I used to trade with that also fixed old watches gave it up. He doesn't even work on 'em any more. Asked me if I was interested in buying all his tools and parts when I saw him Tuesday. Told him thanks but no thanks.



Been wearing a SINN FLIEGER for 15 years now. Needs a good cleaning and adjusting. VALJOUX 7750's are pricey to get worked on so I reset it every other day. They were sold here in the states under the BELL & ROSS banner at one time.

My understanding is that the Chinese have started making very reliable mechanical watches for a LOT less $$ than the big names everyone associates with watches. Some of the Russian mechanicals are good solid machines but they are rather spartan.

I like the weight of a REAL watch as opposed to case for a battery powered mini-clock. The battery powered jobbies have a tendency to keep a LOT better time though........:\

I have a vintage Tag Heuer Automatic Chronograph, from the 80's or 91 at the latest...has the Valjoux 7750 movement since it has the tachymeter, (Calibre 16 movement if not) when I'm not wearing it, it stays in a watch winder, but love the thing. I do notice, about once every two weeks, it will lose a couple of minutes, but for an analog movement and an old beast, not to surprising.

Still get a chuckle out of it, sometimes I'll move my hand in a certain way, and I'll feel the winding feature in the watch carry on for a second or two...waterproof to 200 meters, although I can't imagine why anyone would go "diving" using a watch like this, it's old enough that it was the pre-cursor to the AquaDiver series...great old beast, and for me, it has to be automatic/mechanical movement.