Cool watches

I’ve been having a trawl round looking at various watches and noting the incredible range of styles and ideas that proliferate the market today. It’s interesting to note the number of Fashion and Designer Companies that are into producing and/or marketing their unique “take”on watches and indeed how we read time. They are also being taken much more seriously I think as the apparent quality seems to be improving, though as I’ve found “quality” is to me a much maligned word today! But for those who wish a more modern style to the simple old watch on the wrist, these models are certainly “something different” and shows perhaps the personality of the wearer in a bold light.

Anyway I hope to spotlight a few of the cool, odd, big or small and often downright interesting watches I’ve recently spotted and will feature them here and who knows I might even manage to buy the odd one (but not too odd I hope).

First off is the DIESEL DZ7250 in colored stainless steel with leather strap and one BIG watch it is too (far too big for me). . . .

Definitely not for the faint of heart. Four separate watches in one apparently (including a chronograph, digital and two analog clocks) allows you to navigate multiple time zones without losing a second or so the adverts say and it IS big at 66mm x 57mm and 13mm depth. A 27mm leather strap is also fitted and it has a Water resistance of 3ATM – so no diving I’m afraid, which is a pity – but there we are.
This an example of a Fashion house timepiece and pretty impressive it looks too, though for my smallish wrist, alas not a contender for me. Diesel watches are certainly noticeable and without doubt Diesel design timepieces will get you noticed. They also feature a huge array of functions, very modern materials and interesting colour schemes.

Italian design and pretty decent workmanship means Diesel have quite a following – not least owing to the range – and as shown here – yet another but quite different model –

Now this model for me is much more practical, being a nice 45mm x 38mm and with the very clear digital readout, and whilst it reminds me strongly of the very much more expensive Seiko Active Matrix EPD, this doesn’t feature ink technology, it is however still remarkably legible. The Diesel design house touch is very noticeable here and it certainly looks good on the wrist.
It also for me is better looking and better value than the Ventura V Tec Kappa, the Junghams Mega 1000, or the Citizen Aibato M and a huge improvement on the older Casio W96’s you used to see everywhere (though of course these were a budget watch). However this one at around £89.00 I would have to say is pretty good value if you’re in the market for a digital readout watch.

My last spotlight watch is another digital concept, but not Diesel and in fact a much older and better known watch producer LIP – they had and still have some wonderfully innovative design concepts in time reading, as you can see with the following model – the wonderful iconic mechanical “jump hour” Mach 2000. From a design concept of the 1970’s, a case & bracelet design by Roger Tallon, the jump hour display of Prince Francois de Baschmakoff, put together into an new concept by designer Prisca Briquet.

Snap_2012.09.08 14.56.38_006 — LIP iconic design Mach 2000

Here three separate discs for hours, minutes, and seconds rotate exposed on the dial and line up in the vertical viewing loop located at the foot of the dial. Powered by a Swiss Quartz movement, surprisingly this watch is NOT big at all but has a very neat 35mm square case, although the wide stainless bracelet arrangement camouflages this very well. To keep the sleek look the crown is neatly recessed into the case/bracelet at the 12 o clock position.

Known as the Mythic Metal Jump watch (in brown) it can be found for around $289.00 today with a bit of searching around.

So three designer watches and I can easily see me wearing two of them! – that’s not bad for a small wrist guy. Don’t know about you, but I found this post quite intriguing (and I wrote it!) – and it looks as if I’ll be trawling around some more and might even devote a special page to “Designer Cool Watches” or similar, but it could easily start to cost me money!!! LOL

Omega style

Recently picked up this nice Omega Cal 1444 Quartz 6 jewel Swiss movement watch. This is a Constellation chronograph with day and date sub-dials in a white dial with gilt zone counters model dated around 1987 in stainless steel with a solid gold bezel and sapphire crystal. It also has lume filled main hands and a center seconds sweep.

From the Omega International Collection which started off life in 1984, the basic premise is still around today, though the T bar is actually quite rare. At only 35mm although a Gents watch, today it is very much a unisex item and can be worn equally by the ladies. In fact my wife borrows it already!

Omega04C — Croc strapped T bar Constellation

Solid press fit back with silicon washer and 30m Water Resistance completes a neat model and is a good addition to my Omega case.

Omega02C — Classic 1987 with solid Gold bezel

Omega05C — Neat Omega Constellation 6 jewel Quartz

So what does a watch like this cost?

This one was in auction and cost under £200 which was a very, very good buy.
It is in about as good a condition as any pre-owned watch I’ve seen with virtually no scratches, a perfect sapphire crystal. Even the Omega gold sticker is still applied to the back, which is pristine with no tell tale “opening” marks that you see so often on older watches. The dial is perfect and the strap though not original is a very high quality French Crocodile leather and more importantly is a perfect match to the T bar lugs and IMO as good as the original.

The quartz movement once I opened it up was a pristine – 6 jewel, Cal 1444 M903 Swiss marked DC398.1069 which is a high quality Omega original which takes a Renata or Maxell 371 or SR920sw 1.55v silver oxide battery.

So very pleased with my purchase – but now I’ve just to pry it away from my wife!

Affordable Cartier

When most folk mention Cartier, they think that this is a product that many really cannot afford and perhaps out of reach price-wise.
But today and certainly in the world of “pre-owned” watches, this certainly is not the case. Take the watch shown below as an example –

Cartier05 — “Must-de-Cartier” Quartz, Vermeil (gold on silver) dress watch.

A lovely little watch in pretty much pristine condition and hardly worn at all.

This is the round cased Vermeil version (Vermeil = gold on silver) and in this case we’re talking 20 microns of 18k gold on a solid Silver (925) case. This one as said is pre-owned and in very very good condition and whilst you can see these pre-owned models around, the prices asked vary anywhere from around £750 up to around £1200 depending on condition. However there are also watch auctions and at these you can often pick up a real bargain – simply look carefully at the condition and use your common sense.

Cartier03 — Cartier Strap and signed deployment clasp

This little gem for example cost me less than £350 and is complete with the original Cartier authentic Caiman strap with a fitted signed Cartier deployment clasp – so this is a bonus.
So as said, this is the round cased Vermeil (gold on silver) cased “Must-de-Cartier” Swiss Quartz dress watch.
It has a midi sized 32mm case diameter including the Cartier blue sapphire cabochon crown and very slim at 5mm depth. White patterned dial with the classic Cartier blue steel hour and minute hands giving excellent contrast, gilt Arabic numerals on the even numbers and markers on the odds, bordered by a minute track. The glass is a sapphire crystal and the case has central “T” lugs supporting the strap screws and strap.

Cartier06side — At 5mm depth – a very slim neat watch

Case back details give watch data such as model reference number, watch series number, the gold micron figure, a 925 Sterling Silver mark, Vermeil and Swiss made.

Quite small I suppose these days, but it is an excellent unisex size and for me with a smallish 170mm wrist, it is perfect as a dress watch. Equally my wife on occasion can wear it too and it looks great on her as well.

Cartier01 — Affordable classic Cartier design.

Now OK I know it’s not the most expensive Cartier (goodness these can really set you back) – but it IS a genuine Cartier, it is a decent 20 microns of 18ct Gold plate and it IS a solid Silver case (stamped 925), it’s Swiss made and allows you at VERY reasonable cost to “join the club” – a Cartier owner!

Now that can’t be bad – can it?

It’s quite possible that once you have the taste for the classic (here it is the Cartier of course) you just might start looking for more bargain pre-owned ones – maybe that “tank” version that epitomize the Cartier style more than any other and perhaps that bit more recognizable too.

And at these prices IF you can get them – it’s also lot’s of fun!

Neat Laco from Germany

Known as the Laco “Squad” watch, this is the smaller dimensioned quartz version than the larger and more common version. At 40mm diameter as opposed to 46mm and just over 9mm depth compared to 13mm, makes for a much neater watch and one that I definitely prefer. The heavy “articulated” lugs are quite striking and the top one shrouds and protects the large crown very well, which as you see is positioned at the 12 o’clock datum position.

Laco01 — Laco “Squad” quartz in stainless – Model 86 2014

The Swiss movement is the quality Quartz ETA F06.111, the case is a well made and very solid brushed stainless steel with a slightly oversize anti-clockwise unidirectional bezel. A really excellent AR coated crystal makes the dial clarity something special as the matt black is in high contrast to the highly luminous hour markers and Super-Luminova C3 hands. There is also a minute track around perimeter coupled with a very clear centre second hand with luminous dot showing it’s position clearly. Simple date window @6 completes the layout.

Laco04 — Articulated lugs and crown protection

Water resistance is pretty good at 200 metres, assisted by the heavily knurled Screw Down crown and a luminous dot at the datum point on the bezel is another typical divers touch.


The supplied strap however is a typical diver’s rubber ribbed divers affairs that’s fine for that purpose if worn on top of a dive neoprene suit or suchlike, but I prefer more comfort these days and I changed it and teamed it up with a neater Silicon deployment strap that properly holds these articulated lugs in the correct position for the wrist. It really makes for a very neat watch in wearing. The lugs incidentally coupled with the new deployment allow the watch to sit on a bedside table upright, so easily read (if you are a watch off sleeper) – personally I rarely take it off.

LacoWrist — 40mm suits even a small wrist

All in all an excellent choice for a “daily beater” – it looks good, perfect size, Quartz no fuss Swiss movement, very easy to read and very comfortable to wear –

Says it all really. . . . . but I would highlight one quite superb feature. The luminous quality of this watch is without doubt the best I have even come across.

The Super-LumiNova C3 is quite exceptional!

So good in fact that it’s actually better than the and of the older LumiNova C1 coated or Tritium light source watches I have.

Update March 2025 –

This Post was dated 2012, so 13 years ago almost to the day and as I was checking the luminance of my old Tritium light source models (I have 3) and I checked the Laco here as well.

I have three Tritium models. Two are Traser – one at (16 years old) with no light at all, the other at (13 years old) was very faint.
The other watch, a Uzi Defender (also 13 years old) is the only one which is still pretty good (incidentally it was also the cheapest!)

However as I said in this Post – the Laco luminance was and is superior to these 3 Tritium models even when I bought them new. Tritium is reliable for 10 to 12 years in practice, but after that they fade away.
I have many other luminous models and it’s fair to say that generally they’re very decent for night use. Many could be C1 Super-LumiNova, but often don’t specify) but regardless – perhaps it’s the thickness of the C3 coating, I don’t know, but nothing yet matches this Laco.

ELKA vintage

Spotted this the other day and liked the wonderful Art Deco style and thought it might fit well in my “uncommon” watches collection. A distinctive dial and great condition equals this ELKA 1930’s vintage watch from Amsterdam.

This Art Deco gents watch c.1930s has a chrome plated bezel with stainless steel back and is in pristine condition. Lovely two tone khaki green/ copper dial with striking blue steel lumed hands. The overall condition is quite excellent with only slight and even mellowing of the face – the two tone color dial is quite striking in the right light.

Inside is a 16J manual wind movement which in superb order. I haven’t examined it too carefully, but it looks as if it could be an AS Schild movement. ELKA stands for Eduard Louis Kiek Amsterdam, a Dutch jeweler house from Amsterdam and they were often known to use generic Schild movements in many of their in-house watches. The case is chrome plated with a clean stainless steel back, fixed lugs and it measures 36 mm long and 30 mm width excluding crown. A bonus here is that this watch is a good size for it’s day, as many models from that era were much smaller, so a great watch to wear today. There is an off green soft leather 21/22mm strap attached to the fixed lug arrangement which suits it nicely.

Elka02 — Copper two tone dial ELKA vintage watch

Elka04 — Pristine movement - excellent time keeper

Very pleased with this new item as it’s that bit different – is nice quality in very good condition and it wears well on the wrist. Not in the same price league or quality perhaps as the previous purchase, but I like it because it IS that bit unusual and is in such good condition – great for my collection and one that will be worn on quite a few occasions, I have no doubt.

Jaeger LeCoultre vintage

A great era for watches of distinction for me is the 1945 to 1955 period when some of the most wonderful dress watches appeared. Moving away from the rectangular ’30’s and ’40’s styles towards the round case watches that are probably still the most common today. Here is a beauty – a solid 18ct Rose Gold Jaeger leCoultre from around 1949-1952 era in perfect condition.

Jaeger18ct02 — Jaeger LeCoultre 18ct Rose Gold vintage dress watch

This watch has an oyster colored dial with applied gold markers, with an inner ring showing Arabic numbers at 3, 9 and 12, with gold dagger hands, sub second dial and an acrylic glass. The case is hallmarked on the lugs as 18ct gold and the watch is 34mm diameter (35mm with crown), so a most sensible size in amongst the oversize stuff that seems to be around these days and very wearable.

The back is unmarked and pristine and the watch is fitted to an alligator leather strap and is in about as perfect condition as any pre-owned vintage watch I’ve seen and a worthy addition to my vintage collection. I have two vintage collections actually – the first comprises items I may pick up at local auctions or fairs, hopefully at low prices and mostly are simple vintage pieces and where the maker does not influence me greatly, but for whatever reason they take my fancy, though obviously I look for reasonably good examples. The second collection however is for more collectable pieces and of higher quality basically, and here Jaeger LeCoultre certainly fits this category.

Additional images –

P1040509web — Clean back – no inscriptions

P1040510web — Classic Jaeger LeCoultre dress vintage

The problem with my second vintage collection is of course – the cost! Invariably it means that I have to sell some of the lesser ones to afford to stock my more upmarket display, but that’s life I suppose and part of the fun of collecting. You get what you can afford at the time and at other times you build up the modest collection as a bank – to be used later when the “must have” item comes along – and it keeps the watches moving on and gives others the chance to enjoy them for a while.
I’ll post as and when – I have the time!

Xemex XE 5000

A new addition to my Modern Collection is this neatly designed Swiss made Xemex XE 5000, which I have been looking at for some time as it meets the most important criteria I require for an everyday watch.

Beautifully simple design, large clear hands with lume infill, day and date with great dial contrast and excellent readability – and with the bonus of articulated lugs can fit my smallish 170mm wrist perfectly.

Designed by Ruedi Kulling, this watch simply shouts “design” and whilst initially looking minimalist, is in fact very practical and to my mind pretty good looking too. At 40mm diameter and 12mm depth it is not a large watch by any means, though the beautifully polished and satin fished case plus the heavy lugs with the large bracelet screws, makes it look much larger that it actually is.
With the solid stainless steel (316l) crystal screw down back with crystal exhibition window inset it is rated as 50m water resistance, assisted by the side screw down and recessed crown – a neat feature allowing the watch to have a very clean profile indeed.

On the wrist too is manages to fit even a small wrist with the movable lugs contributing to the over all “fit” of this watch very well and coupled with the high quality rubber butterfly bracelet, which is adjustable. I say adjustable as like many straps of this design it requires cutting to shorten if wrists are small. Not an issue in itself but if selling the watch on at any time, this is a pity for large wrists as a new strap will have to be acquired.

Xemex02wrist — Perfect fit – automatic Day Date Xemex 5100.03 model

Xemex05back — ETA 2836-2 with modified rotor

Note the well proven ETA 2836-2 Swiss movement which has a Xemex modified drilled rotor. Interestingly the watch is signed by the designer “inside” the exhibition glass back.

The movement appears to keep OK time (perhaps a little fast on first usage I have to say) and generally in keeping with this movement though whether the drilled rotor improves accuracy is rather debatable – and the spring reserve is as expected at about 42 hours.

As to the dial – it is an excellent contrasting arrangement with luminous hands and markers and the typical Xemex trademark red sweep second hand. The day and date are @3 and highlighted in white and is clear to read. Over the dial is a curved sapphire crystal glass.

This particular design XE5000 was a winner at the “Golden Balance Wheel” awards in 2006 and is still currently available at a reasonable price inclusive of a 2 year Guarantee.

My final verdict on this watch is that it’s a fairly well priced “mid range” model, a little different from the mainstream, well made within this price bracket and actually quite similar in quality to the Traser model I own. It is excellent to read, clarity being a strong point of the dial design, the rotor movement is relatively quiet and it’s comfortable to wear.

It’s also not been off my wrist for about the last fortnight, so I must like it. . . .as a daily beater at any rate.

Benrus vintage

Been to the auctions again after a long spell out of action and picked up a vintage Benrus sculptured case model in 14c Rolled Gold plate.
Always difficult to date these though by the styling alone could be mid 1940 to 1950 period.

BenrusFront01 — Benrus 17j curved back - circa 1945-50

Benrus started off in 1921 in New York and the name was conjured up by one of the founders Benjamin Lazrus using the BEN and the RUS from his name. The other family members were Oscar and Ralph and were Romanian immigrants who set up in New York to offer the new “wristwatch” for everyone and not just the well off. I understand the trade mark was registered in Switzerland in 1923 and they imported movements and cased them in the USA.

This particular example is a manual wound model with applied gold colored Arabic numerals and a recessed seconds sub-dial @6. The logo on the dial says “endurable” – other models were “citation” named after a racehorse I believe and the ladies watch called the “embraceable” (It was a one piece bracelet watch which slipped on the wrist). The “Endurable” title may also refer to the shock protection feature that some of the Benrus models had but I would really be guessing here. These days Benrus collectors tend to go for their more elaborate styles such as the “Dial-o-Rama”, but this is a nice example showing some early case shaping and fancy lugs which offered an added attraction.

BenRusFront02 — Benrus 17j curved back mans watch fitted to a Radley 10ct bracelet

BenrusBack03 — Showing the stainless steel curved back

The case is a signed USA Benrus manufacture and the movement is a Benrus signed model BA 4 as shown, which looks to me very like a Swiss ETA variety – it also keeps nigh on perfect time for a watch of this period, which is always a bonus.

BenrusAB4web — Swiss made BA 4 Benrus (possible ETA) movement 17j original.

So maybe not the most exciting of watches, but a nice example of the period and the style of the Benrus name. And their watch range must have been pretty popular as they were for a period the 3rd largest producer of watches in the USA and a very real threat to Hamilton at the time. I will be fitting a strap to it when I get hold of a 16mm brown leather one from my supplier in the near future. I’ll post an image of at the end of the post when I get it.

Still not an awful lot known about the Company which is quite typical for watch suppliers and manufacturers at this time, but to see these watches appearing every so often in auctions and so on makes me smile. I mean what sort of items will you see made today that will still be around some 60+ years from now?

Not many I’ll bet!

NOTE – For the known history of the Benrus Watch Co. I can do no better than to point you to “The Watch Guy” web site, where he has an
excellent history of Benrus – CLICK – HERE

BenrusStrap — Fitted Di-Modell leather strap 16mm

Longines 1982 homage

This is a rather elegant dress Longines Quartz Watch and stamped “Longines 150” on the back of the case. This model produced in 1982 the year of the 150^th centenary of the Company which originated in 1832 and in homage to their earlier range of mechanical watches of the 1940’s and 1950’s. It features the L976-2 13 jewel quartz movement, one of the 970 caliber series, which were of true in-house manufacture.

Long82Front — Longines Quartz 150 years Centenary Watch

It is one of the thinnest at only 1.95mm depth and I understand the philosophy follows on from their earlier 1979 “gold feather” 1.98mm quartz movement which Longines initially manufactured in partnership with Ebauche ETA/ETA.
It is as I have already noticed an exceptionally accurate and high quality Quartz and quite rare I understand to find one that’s frankly as good as this today early 30 years later.

Long82 Move2 — L976.2 Longines movement (1.95mm depth)

It appears to have a Lavet-type motor and is powered by a 1.55v battery. Not tested it but looks as if it may be 9ct gold plated on stainless steel case body and is fitted with a high quality Hirsch genuine Lizard strap with the gold plated Longines Logo engraved buckle.

The dial is gold colored with subtle vertical strips in the centre section with black painted Roman numerals and a square inset second sub-dial @6. Hour, minute and second hands are black steel. Main dial has an outer minute track and the seconds sub-dial has seconds track with numerals at 10 second numerals.

Long82Side — 1.95mm movement & slim case

One of the nicest early Longines Quartz watches I’ve had to date, which I picked up recently at an auction for a very reasonable price indeed. It will sit nicely in my Longines collection which is growing with the odd model every month or so. With a few celebrations coming up soon and dinners out a few times this one will definitely be a front runner as my dress watch on these occasions. I love it

Long82Wrist — Perfect dress watch – Longines

Any downsides to this watch? Well none as it happens apart from quite a bit of dust and rubbish inside the dial, which I have yet to clean, the watch is in pretty much perfect condition, plating excellent, no bad marks or scratches, just general wear over the last 30 years. The watch obviously has been worn quite a bit as the back is wonderfully smooth stainless steel and fortunately the previous owner obviously had great respect for his little Longines and looked after it very well indeed.

As indeed will I. . . .

Raymond Weil retro Quartz

Picked this up at an auction recently simply as I rather liked the retro styling. I hadn’t seen this one in the current range and for me it evokes an earlier age with the sculpted lugs and the neat checkered dial pattern.

RaymondWeil02 — Gold plated retro Raymond Weil in quartz

Gold plated quartz with white dial with checked off white design to the inner, hourly applied Roman numerals, small round date aperture @6, bordered by a minute track. Round case fitted to an authentic black leather Raymond Weil strap with signed pin buckle. The retro lug design looks really neat and sets of the watch quite nicely. The hour and minute hands are black steel and the seconds hand in gold with painted black pointer end for clarity.

RaymondWeil04side — Slim at 6mm and Raymond Weil leather strap

The dial is marked with the Raymond Weil name and Geneve – there is a Swiss mark at the foot of the dial and the back plate is marked Raymond Weil, RW, a case number and water resistant.

The case diameter is 31mm (37mm lug to lug) and at only just over 6mm this is a very neat dress watch indeed. Suits my small wrist just about perfectly and this watch would be very wearable for a lady these days.

With older, old stock and pre-owned watch models it is often very difficult to find out the exact model. Details can be very hard to find, such as date of manufacture, retail price when current and even the question of provenance – is the watch genuine? Auction houses or dealers in general usually try quite hard to ensure that items they sell are genuine and to that end they often remove the back to check the movement, usually a dead giveaway – but for quartz watches this is often not quite so easy. The quartz movement may or may not be signed and could be of Chinese or Japanese origin. However it’s fact that a Swiss watch could well have these as perfectly legitimate quartz movement suppliers, so it’s always a “buyer beware”.

This model is a true Raymond Weil and the watch size in keeping with the retro period it suggests. The strap is certainly made for Gents wear with holes set for about 170mm minimum wrist size without extras added. Generally the older the watch, the smaller it will be and this one at 31mm is similar in size to many other Gents watches I have of the same and earlier period.

One thing I do know as a collector who wears all my watches at some time or another is that this one looks pretty good on the wrist – and that’s what it was meant to do.