Thread: What types of watches do you like?

Nice one Phrank, youre a watchmaker now

I prefer Railroad Grade Pocket Watches.

I am currently carrying my Hamilton 992.
21 j
size 16
goldfilled Keystone Case
Mfg. 1921

Next up: My Hamilton 972

I was looking for my IDEAL of what a Railroad watch should look like. This is the one I got. No fancy gold or machine turning, just a heavy duty, nickel, working man's watch!
This is the sort of watch that the engineer would wear in the locomotive.
17j
Size 16
Nickel case
Mfg. 1916
Adjusted 5 positions (dial up, dial down, stem up, stem right, stem left.)

Photos courtesy of: Chronified International - Buffalo, NY.

When folks learn to repair watches they either go to school or learn on the job. Either way they destroy countless watches before they can do the simplest of things with a working watch. Also most guys only deal with certain mvmts in watches and won't touch anything else.

It's the master guys who can disassemble and repair anything and can use a jewelers lathe to make their own parts. Guys like that are like hens teeth.

If you have the tools it's makes things much much easier.

My pride and joy, because of provenance, is this automatic Breitling. Sorry the photo isn't higher rez, but we're limited on this forum as to resolution. At least I seem to be.

This watch was purchased by my father in the late 50s. He wore it briefly, mostly for dress occasions. I had to send it to a Breitling jeweler about 15 years ago for a new crystal and for complete cleaning and adjustment. I remember the jeweler being very excited to see a classic dress conservative automatic Breitling in for service, and told me I had a very fine timepiece.

What I have always liked about this timepiece is that it's conservative. It's not a garish large oversized watch and it has no complications other than the date window. It's a simple, yet elegant conservative timepiece. I don't wear it every day, but I do wear it. Easter Sunday, weddings, funerals, formal venues. When I'm dressed in Derby Wear for the Kentucky Derby. Venues like that. This will be passed down the line when I'm toes-up. It's what I would consider a family heirloom.



Print on watch face if you can't quite read it;

"Breitling Geneva - 21 Jewel" with the then classic "B" Breitling logo. No wings.

That's when the Breitling Bros still owned the outfit. They later sold it to Herr Schneider and he took it to an aviation theme with "instruments for professionals". He in turn sold it and some investment outfit owns it now.

I'd enjoy wearing a Breitling dress watch. All tool watches all the time gets dull.

Of course I'd also enjoy wearing a Navitimer or a 1960s reverse panda Top Time.

Not fancy, but dressy enough for work.
A wittnauer quartz diver that also seems to get close to 5 years out of a battery, and is pool proof.

My Illinois 60 Hour Bunn Special

Another Railroad Pocket Watch.

Model 14 Type 1
21j
16s
Mfg. date: 1926
Gold filled Wadsworth Case
Adjusted to 6 positions, temperature and isochronism.
(Adjusted for isochronism means that the watch will run at a constant rate as the spring unwinds.)

Originally Posted by noelekal

I'd enjoy wearing a Breitling dress watch. All tool watches all the time gets dull.

Of course I'd also enjoy wearing a Navitimer or a 1960s reverse panda Top Time.

I agree. A vintage or classic dress watch is always a winner for an (pardon the expression) Old Money fashion statement.

I was on a large corporation's Board of Directors in my 40s, and your dress in the Boardroom was paramount. You would not want to show up (back then) with a Rolex metal band watch. It was a sign to the other board members that you were not well groomed for that position. A conservative fine timepiece with a leather band was what you'd wear with your bespoke suit and your Allen Edmonds shoes. That vintage Breitling would have been spot on for a good timepiece to wear at a Board meeting.

However, I'm sure times have changed. Many Board members of Tech companies today probably show up for meetings in khakis and polo shirts. Mechanical wrist watches have been replaced by the Apple Watch.