/fa/ - Fashion

>>13902292
Fair enough. Good on you for doing the regulation on normal balances...I'm just at the beginning of understanding that stuff. A few more months and I think I'll start buying tools...

>>13880470
You mean the Rolex 3135, used in the Sub amongst others (Datejust, et al)? But what is the actual difference here? I mean, between the GP 50 years prior and the modern Rolex? In terms of performance, it's the same (at least where it matters)....what has changed then?

>I think there really just isn't a market for watches pushed to the limits of mechanical precision.

While I can agree with your assessment, I hate the idea of it. If people are not concerned with a mechanical precision movement working in a precise way, then what the hell is all of this about? Is it solely about functional jewelry? (and is my idealism clouding my realism to not notice that that's precisely what it's all about?) If this is the case, then who the hell cares about 'COSC' certification, or 'Master Chronometer', or 'Superlative Chronometer', etc.? Why shouldn't a mechanical watch have +/- 30 seconds like my poor Rotary (which one day I'll strip down and service myself....just you wait and see. I'll get that damn thing within 10 seconds...I know I will).

I don't get it. All the decorations, all the talk of handcraftsmanship and all that from the makers...it's all bullshit if the thing that matters most about a watch (it's ability to tell time accurately) is not actually important, or perhaps not considered important anymore now that a general acceptable daily standard has been achieved. That it's okay to be 2 seconds off because no one cares.

Why is it okay to be 2 seconds off and not 5? 10? 20? Being 2 seconds off is fine if you're catching trains in Germany, because the trains are for the most part on time to the second. But in London, fuck that shit. They're always late, with a second train coming in close behind (and the buses come in 3s...fucking 266). So 2 seconds means nothing, and you might as well be off by 30 (and that was definitely sufficient when I lived there).

>>13875084
Sorry, you're quite right. Now for the question that is really at the heart of it all. Do any of you actually find it attractive in a piece to have all the decorations on the movement that are not connected at all with the running of the watch? There's a part of me that can't help but see it as unnecessary extravagance (though that's somewhat laughable considering what it is that the ornamentation is carved on). But to me it's like a well decorated handgun....Fine to put in a museum, but I'd never want to use one as a real weapon.

With watches it's very strange....on the one hand, there's an obvious attraction to them due to their aesthetic value...if not, we'd all be using cheap quartzs and not thinking of anything else. But the decorations on a movement really seem odd to me...I don't know why I can't square the circle on that one.

>>13875092
lol Sorry, I misunderstood your comment. OH SHIT!! This is the Russian version of the Accutron, right? How the hell are ya man? Jesus...is my writing style really that recognizable?

>>13866811
Or?

>>13846761
Oh, yes, I was. I've solved that.

I came to the realization that money spent on a product is essentially 'dead' money. If you invest, you can make it work for you to an extent, but by spending it on the shit I used to spend it on, I was simply throwing it away in the most direct yet not noticeable way.

My waning interest has (in other words) extended to everything that isn't life-sustaining. For the first time in my life I have no emotional interest in gaining possessions. It's a very strange and scary situation, but I'm getting used to it. There are many reasons for this change, but ultimately it's simple, and devastating for the areas where I'd normally spend money.

So, I figured it out, and I'm okay with that. That being said, I still appreciate the beauty of watches and other fine things...it's just that now I have the distance to the objects as if I were looking through a glass case in a museum that was free for all to enjoy. In other words, the pieces are owned by all, and enjoyed by all, and thus it's unnecessary to feel the need to personally own it or covet it. I'm not sure if I'm making sense....the Rum of course.

How are you?

>>13710890
Oh, sorry, I probably didn't explain it right.

I've had these grails for years....but it's only today that it all kinda stopped mattering to me. And that bothers me, in a very serious way. I've seen this happen with other aspects of my life in terms of what I used to find interesting until one day the subject simply wasn't interesting anymore, or at least I couldn't find an instantaneous way to re-kindle the passion.

An example today was looking at the Omega Museum Collection chronograph, which I'd lusted after for years after seeing one in person. They're now quite affordable, pre-owned, but for some reason I....just don't care. It's horrible. Even my ideal grail (Omega 376.0822) is attainable...and thus...not really interesting to me. I'm scared shitless that I'd buy something like this and lose interest after a week. That's horrible to say, but it's the feeling I've had all day now....and with a little alcohol it's only more acute.

In short...I'm not sure if I'm crossing the rubicon or not. It's happened, as I've said, with other 'things' in life...and now I think it's happening with watches too. Have any of you experienced that before?....and should I be worried about my mental state?

Completely different question for y'all, since I feel like talking.

We post our grails here from time to time, those watches that one day we'll own. Maybe we'll win the lottery and get it sooner...maybe we'll never get it but dream of it. Maybe we'll get the next best thing...and have twinges of regret everytime we think about what could have been. Maybe it's a watch we once owned and sold years ago and can't find again....

So, question for you. Post your grail, post why it's your grail, and most importantly, post how you think you'll achieve/find it.

I'll start: 376.0822 Omega Speedmaster. Made for two years, and in very low numbers. Uses one of the most reliable and robust automatic chronograph movements ever made.

For me, it's the final watch. I don't need another one after this, because this does it all. I've already started saving for it...but it'll be about a decade given current prices (right now they are going for 15-20,000 depending on condition). Considering that I never plan to spend that much money on any other watch, it'll satisfy me (I love Langes, but I'd never buy one). As long as nothing disastrous happens to me financially of course...

Now, YOU!

>>13672007
Okay, I see what you're saying.

Here's the thing about this model. The movement came in a few different styled cases. My grail is the rarest version, the one that uses a modified Speedmaster case. The 4.5 you listed is more common, and definitely less in demand, but it's a steal when you consider what the movement is capable of and how long they last.

Canadanon could tell you more, as he owns one. I would never be happy with the other iterations though...it's not solely about the movement, it's about the whole package. Personal choice, but the movement is definitely worth it.

>>13664478
Thanks Anon; what scared me was that I was supposed to download something in order to get it to work, and I don't like doing so when I don't understand the program and stuff. Anyway, if the regulars come here once in a while, then that's okay...I'll see you guys.

When I first got my Seamaster, I was brutally concerned with accuracy because I was thinking, 'if it's within COSC then I should be able to get it to 0.0'. The goal of seeing a mechanical watch that would, through predictable use, stay stable was to me astonishing. After a while, I got it to that standard, so much so that I could predict when the first antecedent bell of Big Ben would strike (it's usually around 18-17 seconds before the hour, depending on climate). But where it really came in handy was when taking public transport, because I could really rely on it to tell me if I was in danger of missing the train at the nearest station and if I should walk the extra 4 minutes to the next one. The point is, it had practical value and use.

But then my life changed, and the accuracy that was required before simply didn't matter. If a client shows up a few minutes after the hour, or a few before, it doesn't really matter. Similarly, driving a car meant that times for public trans was irrelevant. The function tied to hyper-accuracy was gone.

It's always an interesting thing to talk about, accuracy in mechanical watches. I'm still curious about the Zenith project, which if/when mass produced should create the most accurate mechanical ever, and either put the lever escapement out of business historically forever or at least cause it to be a minority statistically. And I do wonder...if that happens, will the new watches still 'feel' organic, or will the hyper accuracy of the watch make it seem less human?

>>13560320
Re: discord. Cool, thanks! I had no idea of the existence of this, nor how to use it. I'll think about it, but in truth I haven't been on /wt/ in a long while, probably because I got all the answers I ever really needed and felt I had nothing left to contribute. Maybe if I return one day, I'll do the discord thing. I'll keep it in mind seriously.

I'm glad your Seamaster is being enjoyed by the next generation. I used to feel the same way you did about wearing a watch...but I think what happened is that while I'm at home I tend to not only do normal 'work' but I also try to do maintenance/upkeep on the house itself, which means that wearing watches just gets in the way. You don't want to hammer with them, or climb roofs with them, or anything else like that. So, it's been a bit of a lifestyle change, but I'm sure if I'm back 'at the office' then the watch will be back on again.

Funny though...I could never sleep with a watch on. It's too uncomfortable, and can scratch up my face or the faces of others in the bedde.

Though if I had pic related, I'd probably weld the bracelet together so it would never come off my wrist....