Show us your watch Collection.

[Moon bunny]

What do folk use to polish gold and Steel straps ?

The two things gold is famous for are:
firstly, it is very soft, and secondly, it doesn’t react with anything you are likely to come across, so for all practical purposes doesn’t tarnish.
Don’t polish gold, solid plated or especially leaf gilded, with anything abrasive, that includes any metal polish, toothpaste, rubbing it with brown paper or any of the other home recipes, and I’ve heard of some beauties. If it starts to look grubby just warm water and mild soap. In the Museum trade we use a very mild but expensive detergent. If you wouldn’t put it on your face don’t put it on gold.

 

[Reynard]

Either my wife or my mum had a Tissot ladies watch . As you say they were small . It was the fashion in those days .

Yes, indeed. I'm after a 1970s one with the brushed steel cushion case as they're slightly larger.

I've got my grandmother's 1930s cocktail watch, and that really *is* ridiculously tiny. Water has got inside the case at some point unfortunately, and both the movement and dial are totally borked. But even if it was working I wouldn't wear it as it's almost impossible to tell the time on it. It's pretty well much a fancy piece of jewellery rather than a practical tool.

I think that's why I've gravitated towards 1970s watches, as that's when ladies' ones seem to start being made in sensible sizes i.e. 23mm cases and bigger. Well, that and the funky dials...

 

[DCBassman]

I don't know if I have posted these before. My Bulova Accutron and Tissot Seastar. The Bulova needs a special 1.3volt battery. The Tissot is running very fast.

They stopped selling the mercury cells for Accutrons (and some Omegas used them also) in the late 90s. My workmate had an Omega and a stash of NOS cells...

 

[Illaveago]

They stopped selling the mercury cells for Accutrons (and some Omegas used them also) in the late 90s. My workmate had an Omega and a stash of NOS cells...

I did see some equivalent ones for sale a while ago . I'll have to have another look .

 

[DCBassman]

I did see some equivalent ones for sale a while ago . I'll have to have another look .

The problem was that there are no true equivalents, because the non-mercury cells naturally operate at a different voltage.There were ways around it, but Omega were not encouraging keeping the watches going. I don't doubt there have been some tweaked cells made for them, though, there were a great many sold and presumably a great many of those still in existence.

 

[Reynard]

Have a look at some of the watch forums maybe? Someone on one of them is bound to know something as there appear to be various with Accutrons in working order. I've learned a good bit from reading and lurking once I managed to break beneath the whole "blingy watch appreciation society" thing... Though I think watchrepairtalk is where you want to be going.

The technology behind the Accutron (and other similar tuning fork movements) is fascinating, though - and very clever. I fell down that particular rabbit hole one evening and spent a while reading around the subject.

 

[Illaveago]

Here are several more from my collection.
A ladies and gents Oris and an unknown make silver cased watch minus crown.
2 other ladies watches found in a box of watches from an auction.

 

[Reynard]

That gents Oris is very smart. The detailing on the dial is just lovely. Very nice find @Illaveago

If you pardon the rather dreadful pun (my coat is already on my lap!) that kind of style is timeless.

 

[Illaveago]

That gents Oris is very smart. The detailing on the dial is just lovely. Very nice find @Illaveago

If you pardon the rather dreadful pun (my coat is already on my lap!) that kind of style is timeless.

I think it was the Oris I was after at the auction . It came with its original box and paper guaranteed slip but no date on it . I think it was a box of watches and things . A Zenith Surf watch , Smith's De Luxe, Smith's Empire , Jaquet Droz automatic date watch , Jowissa automatic , Ingersoll and some bits of jewelry.

 

[Reynard]

I think it was the Oris I was after at the auction . It came with its original box and paper guaranteed slip but no date on it .

Not surprised tbh.

I can just imagine that peeking out of the shirt cuff of an immaculately-dressed gent.

 

[Illaveago]

Not surprised tbh.

I can just imagine that peeking out of the shirt cuff of an immaculately-dressed gent.

That's not me then !

 

[Reynard]

There's an interesting Rado ladies' automatic up for sale on the 'bay @DCLane - roughly in your neck of the woods too, I think. Not my cup of tea, but saw it and thought of you...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334453179282

 

[DCLane]

There's an interesting Rado ladies' automatic up for sale on the 'bay @DCLane - roughly in your neck of the woods too, I think. Not my cup of tea, but saw it and thought of you...

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334453179282

Bit to square/tacky for me, but if it stays a low price I might bid. Thanks.

I tend to do subtle and stylish instead

 

[Reynard]

Bit to square/tacky for me, but if it stays a low price I might bid. Thanks.

I tend to do subtle and stylish instead

I'll give you that, it's definitely wurlitzer-on-the-wrist territory...

 

[Reynard]

Picked this up on the 'bay last week for £4.90 *including* postage...

1977 ladies' Citizen 21 jewel automatic, keeping good time since I unpacked it last night. No one else bid, so got it for a song - silly really, considering you could see from the photos on the listing that the second hand was sweeping round. Hey ho... Seems to be one of the better models, as the crown is signed, and it's in extremely good nick, with hardly a scuff or a scratch on it.

It does have its downsides, though. Setting the day and date isn't straightforward. You pull on the crown, with each pull advancing the date by one. Haven't worked out how to select the day yet, other than by winding the hands. Also, the day is either in Spanish or Italian (so not a UK market watch), but to be fair, that's no biggie.

The biggest downside is that swanky and surprisingly sparkly brushed steel bracelet. It's a devil for getting arm hairs trapped between the links. Ouch. Also the clasp doesn't feel nowhere as secure as either the Gradus or the Seiko. Given I paid so little for this, I'm thinking of getting that onto a nice leather strap to match that bronze dial.

Oh yeah, and the lume still works, although it's rather faint...