Lord Elgin articulated – 1947 vintage

My second Auction purchase is this 1947 vintage Lord Elgin model. A 3 position adjusted 21 jewel Cal. 670 manual wind movement which is fully signed and working beautifully, keeping excellent time. Not bad for a watch that’s 70 years old.

Lord Elgin 1947/50 21 jewel articulated Gants watch — Lord Elgin 1947/50 21 jewel articulated Gents watch

This model has articulated lugs, a feature I’ve always admired (in fact I have a few modern watches with this) and these are particularly nice. The dial here is Cognac coloured with black Roman numerals and a subsidiary Seconds dial, with gold hands. The Swiss Made script I expected at the foot of the dial is hidden and actually covered over by a coloured slick of paint, so I assume this dial has been refinished at some point in it’s life – the paint used maybe to protect the Swiss text. Whatever, it was very well done and as the dial is really good I’m certainly not about to fiddle around with it. It is what it is . . . .

Neat articulated lugs, snap fit back in A1 condition.

The case is in great condition, 14K Gold Filled and no marks or rubbing at all. The back is similar and is a very definite snap fit. The high domed glass is perfect and overall the watch looks great. The strap is an after market leather one which is absolutely fine and obviously new. I like the upper and lower case decoration, it’s nicely figured and well done and lifts the watch somewhat from the more usual square faced models I’ve seen.

The watch dimensions are 22 mm wide and with the hinged lug design it means the lug to lug is nearly 46 mm, so when on the wrist this watch looks perfect for today. On the wrist it looks bigger than you would think.

On the wrist looks bigger than it is owing to the extended hinged lug arrangement.

I’ve always liked Lord Elgin and in fact Elgin watches in general as they were very well priced in their day, affordable and great value for money. And in saying this, it is gratifying to see that you can pick up a model today such as this for under £40 at auction, which when you consider the style and the fact that this watch works well, is accurate, doesn’t need a battery, looks good and has already lasted 70 years or so – it really can’t be bad!

One of the reasons perhaps why I buy vintage watches. The other is that I like the look of them. They often have a style and elegance that seems to be missing from the majority of models offered these days AND of course I wear them. They are not solely confined to a display cabinet or box, because I wear them all in rotation and they all must function. I mean that’s what they were made for in the first place and never intended as inanimate objects, but real-time recorders of time.
I have in my collection a few models that I suppose are true vintage in that they are pre’ 1900 and I always make a point of wearing them often, despite the fact that shock suppression wasn’t the best if there at all.
Let’s face it, it didn’t stop people wearing them then, so why should it now? I usually find in these really old models a certain mechanical quality that’s often so good, that a well looked after watch that’s been around maybe 100/150+ years or so hardly diminishes at all – and I like that!

Vintage Longines (1949/50)

Flared lugs, 14k Gold filled and manual wind. This Longines cuts quite a dash today with it’s black dial and gold numerals. It has a subsidiary Seconds dial and elegant hour and minute hands and fully signed case, dial and movement. Note this model has what are termed “fancy” lugs.

10K Gold Filled Longines Dress Gents - 1949/50 vintage. — 10K Gold Filled Longines Dress Gents – 1949/50 vintage.

The movement is a Longines 17-jewel Cal. 10L, a decent workhorse of it’s day and has been around since 1949/50 and is in pretty good condition.

No bad case marks or crystal scratches to be seen and it keeps very good time with a decent Power Reserve.

Neat brushed gold finish with fancy lugs - classic. — Neat brushed gold finish with fancy lugs – classic.

The nicely brushed gold finish to the back shows the quality and the fancy lugs lifts it a little bit above the usual. In short an elegant and subtly understated watch, which when worn today looks great, especially if you happen to be at a formal dress function. An absolute must, sophisticated and smart.

Longines black dial, gold filled case - elegant and neat — Longines black dial, gold filled case – elegant and neat

The strap in this case is an after market affair, is good enough and compliments the watch generally and is a good fit.

Not much more to say other than this was an Auction find and for what it is would appear to be a bit of a bargain find and certainly worth the paltry bid I offered to secure it – OR IT SHOULD BE . . .

Understated elegance even for today's tastes. — Understated elegance even for today’s tastes.

Note the case, dial and movement are each signed Longines. The watch overall is a nice size at 25mm x 28mm, but looks slightly larger on the wrist as it sits so well. Note the fancy lugs are fixed and the strap fixing is standard, so very easy to change.

The Positives –

This model’s case is what is called Gold Filled – as opposed to the more often seen Gold Plated.

Longines 10K Gold Filled L&K USA made case

Gold Filled is much superior to Gold plating, essentially as it is to a Standard. Which says for example that a 14K GF must contain 5% of Gold by weight, unlike plating which may only have somewhere around 0.05%. 14K = 14/20 Gold Filled ratio. Also as it is actually the application of one, two or even three layers of Gold, it is viewed as a true alternative to solid Gold.
The layer or layers are then pressure moulded to the base metal of the watch, such as brass. This particular process means that Gold Filled cases can last a lifetime and don’t easily rub off like Gold Plating often does.

So always worth it to check what Gold system has been applied on any vintage watch and with 10K or 14K Gold Filled (GF), you won’t go far wrong.

As to the which actual Longines Model this is, I have to confess I’m unsure, as there were so many over than period. It looks similar to a “Buchanan” but has Roman numerals and Dot markers and a black face. The Buchanan model had the dot markers but regular numbers and a white face and the lugs were not fancy as this one. The watch date is pretty close as the serial number can be reasonable accurate as a guide.

But is there another reason why the model is not that easy to find?

The Negatives –

On closer examination (initially by a Watch Forum colleague after checking my close up photographs) this dial does not appear to be totally original. It is what’s loosely called a “re-dial”, where perhaps because the original dial was in such poor condition as a result of damp or damage etc. it was at some point in it’s life – repainted.
The heavy black paint (unusual for a start with Longines) covers over the offending imperfection/s, the markers and numerals may be cleaned up or replaced, the hands re-painted or replaced and any printing re-applied.

The problem with any re-dial however is how well it is managed. And in this particular case – it’s really not that good.

As my colleague informed me – check out the chronometer cross (the main crossed lines of the dial) – these are NOT straight. The horizontal line does not go through the centre of the IX (9) or the III (3) at the other side. One is slightly low, the other slightly high. These would be absolutely straight on the original dial (this is careless work).
Also looking closely, the subsidiary Seconds dial perimeter is misaligned even within it’s dial depression – it’s low on the right, so this again was carelessly printed. Also the hands have had some repainting too and though common on old watches, is not very good here.

So all in all and I agree this is a re-dial and not the best, which is a shame as the rest of the watch, case and movement are perfectly right and in decent condition. So a tale of caution when you are bidding on an Auction but not present at the Auction – REMOTE BUYER – BEWARE! It is ALWAYS a risk buying from poor photographs.

Note – The Auction House condition report noted the painted hands and suggestion of a re-dial at some stage of it’s life. So as always with remote purchases, there is an element of risk in not having a detailed and close up examination. As always – buyer beware!
And am I happy with my purchase? Well I have to say yes – it wasn’t expensive and I like it and OK it’s not perfect, but it works perfectly . . . . and it looks good on the wrist and the movement is exactly as it should be.

Now you see it, now you don’t!

The title says it all really. One of the troubles with the digital age is that the images of these new watches on screen and on-line are in fact enhanced artistic license images and NOT often the reality.

And this phenomenon isn’t just a Gents prerogative either – it also affects those modern women and ladies who have embraced the larger masculine style of watch today. You buy the super watch you saw on-line and when you get it, you can’t make out the time. It has no contrast or the light is shining at it in the wrong direction and so on.

So it’s nice to spot a watch for the Ladies – and the men as it happens, the only difference basically is the color set up from Calvin Klein, that appears to me to maybe overcome the clarity issue. I say maybe as I too have only seen them on-line, but at least the retailer I spotted shows a video. So maybe a more accurate representation and possibly worth a look.

The Calvin Klein Future Alarm model as it’s called for ladies has a nice color way and isn’t very large by todays standards, but actually a nice size for anyone with sensible wrists. It measures 38 mm diameter and is only 9 mm depth, so neat on the wrist, ladies or gent. The Ladies version has a white rubber strap and rather stylish colored LCD with blue numerals, which appear to have really decent contrast. The watch has two pushers on the right side a Date feature and an Alarm. It also has a nice smooth case set up with a decent 30m Water Resistance.

It comes with the Calvin Klein 2 yr Warranty and costs around £160, which is reasonably affordable today. The colour combination I think works for ladies and IF the contrast and legibility is as I would hope, then this is a pretty good buy.

The Gents model is only different in the colour and is slightly thicker at 10 mm, so it is said, but the same otherwise.
The Gents version also has the usual macho dark dial job, though in this case I might prefer the Ladies one – as I have a feeling the color set up just might be better clarity wise, though would I dare wear it?

Come to think of it – I probably would! Unisex is Unisex – right?

Oops! My son has just cried out, “You can’t be serious Dad, you can’t!” “You got to be kidding me – Yikes!”

You see that’s the trouble with this new generation – they have no sense of humour! 😉

Christofle dress watch

One thing I like about Design Houses is when they turn their hand to watches. Mostly dress watches it has to be said, but these are often great looking pieces, produced not by watch trade people, but by designers of different products and what is their take on a watch to express their particular Company or philosophy.

This is a neat and rather stylish model from Christofle of Paris and a particularly handsome piece it is too – well to my mind it is, as I bought it just the other day at auction. And at a VERY reasonable two digit price. Now considering this model cost in 1999 approximately £1300 and it’s in perfect condition (box, papers etc) – I’m well pleased.

It is a decent specified model too with a 21 jewel Swiss ETA 2892-2 automatic movement, Sapphire Crystal and (possible) 18ct gold bezel on a rather elegant stainless steel case, plus articulated “fancy” lugs connecting to the Swiss original green colored Lizard leather strap with signed Christofle stainless buckle.

Readability for me is a basic buying principle and I do like the jet black polished color of the hour and minute hands, which gives excellent contrast against the textured inner dial.

The outer track is on a broad gold colored band with black Roman numerals. The Date aperture is @3 with contrasting black date numbers against white. The sweep second hand is in gold.

Dial lettering features the Christofle logo and Paris and below shows Automatic with Swiss Made at the foot of the dial.

Note the fluted stainless steel case shaping - plus articulated lugs. — Note the fluted stainless steel case shaping – plus articulated lugs.

The stainless steel case is highly polished with a triple molding feature which pairs up with the strap lug ends. The crown is @3 and part recessed. The Date is a quick set type and of standard ETA 2892-2 configuration. The watch also manages a decent Water resistance of 30 m (100 ft) with it’s neat 4 screw stainless steel back

It sits very well on the wrist and at just 37 mm diameter and quite thin at 8.5 mm, it looks neat and the dial color combination with the green Lizard strap lends itself very well to the dress occasion.

As watches go it is a good mid range model, though for me I would balk at paying the new price, which reflects the design house premium. But for the price I paid and as this watch is in perfect, as new, condition, it is a really good buy. One of the reasons why Designer watches in general can be excellent pre-owned purchases, is that the new designer inflated price disappears in the second hand market. And unlike previous times, today many of the designer outlets produce some very, very good watches indeed and well worth a look at Auction price.

GPS Golf Bushnell

Decided to upgrade and renew my old Garmin GPS Golf watch as I felt like a change. Not that there was anything wrong with my old Garmin, but just because I fancied a change and perhaps take advantage of any improvements in technology gained over the last few years. I didn’t get another Garmin as the replacement models seemed a little expensive for my needs. I mean I don’t need a swing improvement meter (to check my back swing against my downswing) and all that stuff as I’m playing golf, not standing about wasting time checking my wrist all the time. A bit like the Professional Golfers these days who spend far, far too much time discussing with their caddies the wind characteristics, or which club to hit (what ever happened to “feel”?), deciding what spin to impart, blah, blah and blah! Then as a result playing a rather mediocre shot as a result more often than not.

Basically all I like is the distance I have left to the hole, the distance to the odd hazard between me and the green, so I can lay-up or fly over that bunker or stream and so on. It’s also a fact that amateur golfers are more often short on approach shots to the green, usually as they tend to over-estimate the distance they hit each club.
The GPS watch solves that as you can measure each shot’s distance and find out just how far you actually do hit each club. Not surprisingly many golfers who used to boast 270 yards off the tee with the driver, end up with a serious reality check, as the GPS measures their drive at around the 200 yard mark!

Oh yes!

I used to play of a very low handicap myself and my drive here in the UK was around the 260 yards mark, which was pretty good considering the equipment at that time (1960 – 1986), was actually about UK Pro standard. Today being a very senior golfer with today’s new equipment I can sometimes manage a drive over 220 yards, but mostly around the 200 yards and my new GPS Bushnell Neo Ion watch confirms it as such.

The Bushnell on the wrist, chunky but very comfortable.

The watch is not the smallest around though it’s quite an acceptable size at just a shade under 45 mm diameter with a clear good contrast rectangular digital display. Quite chunky though at 15.5 mm thick it does however sit very well on the wrist owing to the very flexible silicon strap and buckle set up, which incidentally is VERY comfortable. I got the Charcoal color version with the Orange under/charcoal strap. The watch is also very light at a fraction under 50 gms, so you hardly know it’s there. It is VERY easy to use even though it has 5 push buttons to play with. Lower left is the Menu button which gives you scroll options such as Pedometer, Odometer, Stopwatch,Timer, Alarm,Battery and Settings. The right hand 3 buttons are upper right – move up, lower – move down and the center button is the Select function button.

Flat back with recessed charge terminals allows easy connector fit for charging.

To start a golf round push the upper left and select Play Golf on the display – it will then seek a signal (about 3 minutes or so depending on location) and it finds the courses near you. Select the one you are on – it will then load the course data and you are good to go.

The Bushnell also has a tricky feature that I find rather useful called Tee time. You select the day and the time (within 7 days) of your next game. 7 Minutes prior to your Tee Off time, it switches itself to Golf Mode, seeks the signal, sets your course and basically as you step on to the tee, it displays the correct course and the 1st hole yardage is there ready for you. If it’s a shotgun start competition, the GPS function will track your position on the course, indicate the hole you are on with the data you need. It works very well and is a really nice feature and far more useful than some swing analysis function that I simply don’t need.

Very flexible silicon strap with orange underside. This is the Charcoal color version. — Very flexible silicon strap with contrasting orange underside. This is the Charcoal color version.

The hazard indication of each hole I suppose could be better served with the symbol idea of the Tom Tom watches, as the Bushnell simply describes the hazards as abbreviations, which whilst you’ll soon get to know them, took me a few guesses to get right the first few times I tried it. The yardages to and over the hazards is however as accurate as any and very useful, especially as now with your GPS watch you will now how far you hit the ball any of your clubs! (assuming you DO hit the ball of course!). Oh yes I forgot to mention you can, with a simple push of a button, measure your shot distance.

Main menu gives scroll options - the right upper and lower buttons control the scroll. — Main menu gives scroll options – the right upper and lower buttons control the scroll.

The watch manages around 3 rounds of golf and if not playing golf/using the GPS function it will act as a watch for around a year which is rather better than most others.. It is easily charged with it’s supplied charge cable (USB ended) and connects to the watch with a clip on back plate, which fits over the back and connects to the terminals on the watch back.

This fitting is not as fiddly as either the Garmin or the Tom Tom and simple to use. It only takes a few hours and the watch is charged ready to go.
I have to say I’m pretty pleased with it so far, certainly in use and practicality. Also the price is more affordable in comparison to most of the opposition I’ve seen. It’s also nicely unobtrusive and understated on the wrist and though hardly noticeable it does the job very well.

So is it a good buy?

Yes – for me it has been – I like it, it works well, I can easily see it and it’s simple and easy to use.

And has my golf improved? Well that’s more tricky to answer, though I’m now certain my drives are 200 yards not 260 yards and the fact I know how far I hit my new irons is a bit of a revelation – so I’m optimistic that the golf will improve – in fact I’m sure it will and surely that’s got to be good!

Auction vintage Gruen

Managed to get to a watch auction the other day and purchased this nice 1929 vintage Ladies Gruen model in 14ct white filled Gold.

Ladies 1929 vintage Gruen 14ct White Gold Filled - Auction find. — Ladies 1929 vintage Gruen 14ct White Gold Filled – Auction find.

True Art Deco example with excellent condition enamel and engraved case by Wadsworth (14ct with reinforced extra Gold). A signed 15 jewel movement with 4 adjustments with Gruen Guild Switzerland markings. The dial is in good condition and the movement keeps very good time indeed.

15 Jewels 4 adjustments (Serial No. obscured for this image) — 15 Jewels 4 adjustments
(Serial No. obscured for this image)

No signs of corrosion within the movement. The original ribbon strap and slide/clip clasp was too short for my Wife, so I replaced the strap with a high quality German leather 11 mm wide taper spring open/end strap which is ideal. I have of course kept the original fittings as I hope to obtain a ribbon replacement soon. However the practicality of the new replacement strap will probably suit my Wife’s needs better at this time.

I always get a real kick out of finding very old watches that are still in amazing condition, with movements working just as efficiently as they did when first manufactured. It is a true testament to the wonders of the clockwork watch movement, which will probably outlast any of the quartz or digital efforts around today.

This Gruen watch does keep amazing time and note the adjuster is still in it’s central position which is quite unusual I have to say after all this time.

I like the fact this watch was looked after properly and bears the signatures marks of quite a few Servicings – always a bonus when considering watches of this age. So there’s no reason to doubt that it will keep going long after we’ve gone ( morbid I know), but what can you get these days for such a small outlay that can give you such service?

Not a lot – I can tell you – not a lot.

Pro Trek Triple & neater

The new range of updated Casio Pro Trek Triple Sensor v3 are around now in a whole pile of colors, which is nice, but for me the best bit of news is that these models are just that little bit smaller than the older ones, or certainly neater.

Casio Pro Trek PRG-300-1A2 series ABC models in eye catching colros. — Casio Pro Trek PRG-300-1A2 series ABC models in eye catching colors.

Personally I don’t get carried away by the optional colors, as like cars, certain colors suit, others don’t. In the case of the models here I find that some colors, certainly in close up just make the watch look “plasticky” whilst others look great. A personal choice I know, but care should be taken of the overall look and the different display characteristics, positive/negative and so on regarding clarity.

PRG-300-1A2 in black//blue with great display (best one imo).

Neat case at 47mm width with smoother control/sensors — Neat case at 47 mm width with smoother control/sensors.

As with so many of these Casio multi-function models however the strap is resin (note that the entire case appears to be resin now as opposed to a resin shroud). And the strap has these (blue here) plastic extenders, that annoy me intensely. The overall case at 56 mm lug to lug, the watch is still quite wide for average wrists and imo these don’t help that situation at all.

Not much in the way of changes to the technical specification (how easy it is to say that now . . . ), but that’s a fact- so just cosmetic alterations, little case changes and so on, but nevertheless resulting in a smoother, slightly neater watch overall – and for me that’s a good thing.

They say change is a good thing – NOT a sentiment I take lightly here in the UK (or what’s left of it) since today we awoke to realize we’d chucked out the EU concept. Got fed up with unelected and in power Brussels EU bureaucrats saying what we could or could not do as a Country (and getting worse), who have a different agenda to our National one . . . .

I mean when the outgoing President of a protectionist nation has the temerity to TELL us what we should do, followed by a whole gaggle of other egocentric and self interested nonentities (often paid by the EU) – it sort of gets your back up – the result was never in doubt – What can I say?

So we’re going it alone –

Wow!

(Sorry about that, but Hey – sometimes you’ve just got to say . . . . .)

Worth waiting for . . .

At last a watch (two actually) that’s worth waiting for – and that’s unusual in my experience, as today it seems there’s too many “same” models around. And as I’ve always had a soft spot for Junghans watches from Germany, I don’t mind waiting a few months for the new Meister Driver Handaufzug (manual wind) which is also one of the most elegant models I’ve seen in a long time.

Junghans Meister Driver Hand winding — Junghans Meister Driver hand winding – from Germany.

This is a stainless steel cased model with dimensions of just 37.7 mm diameter (such a sensible size) and a height of just 7.3 mm, so a very sleek and elegant model indeed.

The crystal is made from slightly domed plexiglass with a SICRALAN coating, a screwed back with a mineral crystal exhibition window to the rear. The dial is a rather beautiful polished lacquer with a sunburst effect finish and the dial markings and hands are in environmentally friendly Super Luminova material, to give excellent night vision.

The movement is the J815.1 hand-winding version, based on the Calibre ETA 7001 from Peseux, which should have a Power Reserve of around 44 hours.

A sub-dial @6 shows running Seconds and to complete the tonal match of dial, the strap is calfskin with stainless steel buckle and the overall watch has a water Resistance of 3 bar.

In all a most elegant watch and I love the fact that the dial contrast is really good and night reading has not been forgotten (so often dress models omit this feature).

——————————————————————–

The second “worth waiting for” model I feature is also a Meister Driver – the Chronoscope. This features the Automatic Calibre J880.3 with chronograph complication and is also cased in stainless steel, though with slightly larger dimensions at 40.8 mm Diameter and 12.6 mm height. Chronograph functions are operated by two pushers either side of the main crown. However by today’s standards a neat and elegant watch size.

This model features a sand coloured two tone lacquer dial, 2 x centre-line horizontal chrono’ sub-dials and a centre seconds sweep hand. Once again numerals and hands feature Super-luminova coatings for optimum clarity at night and dial contrast is excellent. A brown leather strap and buckle and 30 m Water Resistance complete the ensemble.

Here in the UK both models are still on pre-order basis with availability sometime in September 2016 and are for me a breath of fresh air in this market at the moment, which seem to comprise so many models that are perhaps short on looks. The Junghans Meister series certainly buck the trend and the latest ones featured here, very much so and as I say worth waiting for.

Price-wise the hand-winding model is to be around £1000 mark and the Automatic a little more expensive at around £1700. For such classic and elegant models this seems not too big a price I have to say and I’m sure will generate a lot of interest.

Which one? For me I think the Meister Driver Handaufzug I think is my preference, simply because it is so elegantly simple. I’m not really a chronograph person and the smaller diameter and height gives it a sleekness on the wrist that I’m sure will suit me and my style.

Monster!

The other day I was visiting a friend and happened to be wearing my Seiko Monster, as I often do as I like it, so I wear it. He noticed it and said that it rather paled into insignificance against his latest purchase. I was intrigued and also somewhat blown away too, as he slipped back his sleeve and I got my first sight of his amazing Vostok-Europe Lunokhod 2. Wow!

6205205 Vostok-Europe Lunokhod II LE with Tritium

Well I had to agree with his claim as it out “monstered” my monster by a fair margin! Very large and very impressive, especially as he’d gone for the bright yellow version plus the yellow silicon strap. He bought it he tells me, just because he loved the look of it and I can understand that, as I’ve done it myself on many occasions.

Now whether he’ll keep it is another story, but I have to admit it is an impressive piece of kit. Comes with 2 straps, one leather and one silicon ( I have seen it advertised with 3) and a fancy snap closure carrying case, so lots of goodies, but what’s the watch really like and is it any good?

Striking model in yellow with leather strap alternative (supplied)

Initial observations for me are firstly is the size at 49 mm diameter and approx 17 mm thickness, because not everyone will be able to wear it and look good and also I note the Day indicator (a segmented sub-dial @12), is small and could cause problems reading it (but that’s maybe just me). Perhaps of more concern is the Seconds indicator, a sub-dial segment @6, as it features a 60 secs fly-back hand, so I have to wonder about longevity.
However dial visibility seems pretty good despite the configuration, and the use of embedded Tritium Light Tubes on the main hands and Tube markers is commendable, and whilst I’m not totally convinced by the vertical positioning of the markers (upright “candle holders” I’ve heard them called), though it’s suggested there’s more light spread across the dial.

6205205 Tritium Light Source - view in darkness. — 6205205 Tritium Light Source – view in darkness.

The rest of the specification is pretty decent – solid 316L Stainless Steel case, 3.5 mm thick Hardened K1 mineral crystal, the Swiss made bespoke Soprod TM36.03VE quartz-movement, that 31 day Chronograph, Dual time zone, Countdown Timer from 12 hrs and from 31 day, Retrograde Perpetual Calendar, Quick set Date, 300M Water Resistance, automatic Helium Release Valve and a 3 year Guarantee.

Very impressive though and my friend was right and he’s delighted, as he should be with his new purchase. Do I want one? Well I would normally say not for me as it’s really too big and I’ve never been a fan of fly-back anythings. And the price by the way is somewhere around 750 Euros I understand, so quite expensive and I would have to compare that against some of the Casio offerings, so . . . .

However it is a refreshing change to the Casios of this world and Vostok-Europe have a few other models that might interest me.

Take the Vostok-Europe model 6204212 Lunokhod II Grand Chronograph.

Vostok-Europe Lunokhod II Grand Chronograph

for example. Now this is a more conventional Quartz model but with all the standard Lunokhod features – such as the 30ATM Water Resistance, solid SS case (black PVD) plus an Anti-Reflective coated K1 crystal and a 1/20th Second Chronograph function. The pushers however on this model are more familiar to me as they are on the right side of the case, not the left. A decent size Date window @4 and a centre sweep Seconds hand (which I find more useful than fly-back).

Grand Chronograph with Tritium Light Source illumination.

This is also a very impressive affair and maybe more to my taste (well that’s what I thought when I started this Post, but now maybe not so sure!) – but there again it’s still big – but is it a purchase stopper? Well – for any one the quite extensive range I might be tempted . . . . . and this one priced at around 665 Euros is getting closer.

But whatever you might think price and feature wise, these are pretty good efforts from Vostok-Europe and will definitely be on any future check list. And if you’re often in wet situations (I think of 6 months in Scotland!) then the 300M Water Resistance must be an attractive feature if nothing else.

I really quite like them, but for now I’ll strap on my Seiko “not such a monster after all” – in fact it’s quite elegant when I think about it – it really is . . . .

Seiko "Orange Monster" — Seiko “Orange Monster”

One for the Ladies

Every so often I come across a watch that makes me sit up and notice. And this is especially true of late as this time my interest is piqued by a Ladies watch – a subject so often neglected on watch web sites. Indeed I featured a Ladies watch not long ago, which I confess I was quite tempted to wear myself – but this one is smaller, very much a ladies size and affordable.
Nevertheless it caught my interest for two reasons. First it is a rather elegant and colorful model and it features a mechanical movement, not quartz. It also comes from Japan Seiko and
whilst many tend to lump Seiko in with the rest of the quartz revolution Brands, this is rather unfair as they manufacture a wide range of excellent mechanical watches.

This is the Seiko Lukia (Ladies) Automatic (with Swarovski elements) model – SSVM018.

A smart lugged Gold plated two tone case of 34.3 mm diameter and just 11 mm depth surrounds a dial set up that is both colorful and elegant. I particularly like the different colors for the fancy numerals used and the excellent contrast, which ensures good visibility. A Date window @3 is clear and highlighted cleverly by the gold colored surround and white background. The Swarovsky colored crystal highlights are additional and between the 5 minute markers.

Note the dot markers are coated in Lumi Bright and the elegant shaped hands are in-filled with the same luminous material, which is highly effective at night. This in itself is unusual for what is after all a Ladies dress watch, but very welcome in my opinion. There is also a center seconds hand – another feature often missed on Ladies models.

The crystal is Sapphire, so no need to worry about scratches and there is also a mineral see though glass on the back to view the movement. The movement is the Seiko 4R35, 24 jewel Automatic with both hand winding and a hack function. Power Reserve is 41 hours.

Elegant, colorful and affordable - the Seiko Lukia — Elegant, colorful and affordable – the Seiko Lukia SSVM018

The watch also has a decent 10 ATM or 100 m Water Resistance.

The matching two tone deployment bracelet has a maximum wrist capacity of 170 mm, so careful note of that fact is important (my Wife would manage that – just) and the watch retails for approximately $340, so as I said, it is affordable and for what you get I think it pretty decent value.

So another Ladies watch to feature here – this could be a regular occurrence if they keep producing models like this – and that’s refreshing in that Ladies are not being forgotten about after all.

We could see more . . . . .