Incoming… what do you have? (Vol. 3)

[Greendubber]

BigFatTopHat said:

Just got my hands on this below, a piece that I have been after for ages. A Smith's A420 from around 1959 but looks box fresh....



Cheers

That's really nice.

[NDA]

BigFatTopHat said:

Just got my hands on this below, a piece that I have been after for ages. A Smith's A420 from around 1959 but looks box fresh....



Cheers

I like that - very elegant.

What is its story? Has it been restored?

[BigFatTopHat]

NDA said:

BigFatTopHat said:

Just got my hands on this below, a piece that I have been after for ages. A Smith's A420 from around 1959 but looks box fresh....



Cheers

I like that - very elegant.

What is its story? Has it been restored?

Just a patient Ebay purchase although the watch is far better in the flesh than the sales pictures indicated. Other than that I don't have much to go on. There's some light scratches on the sides of the case and the back but nothing excessive and no engraving or anything specific like that. I think/hope I got lucky.

Cheers

[Barchettaman]

That Smiths seems quite large-faced for a vintage watch - correct?

[SULAND]

[Barchettaman]

Thinking of adding this to the fleet. Thoughts?





It’s the Hanowa Day-Date homage, their ‘Field Commander’.

Anyone have an idea what the movement might be? Do ETA/Sellita do that style of day wheel? The Internet is not massively helpful.

I reckon I can get it for about €115-€125.

[tertius]

TechnoSablier movement I think.

[Barchettaman]

tertius said:

TechnoSablier movement I think.

Thanks. Looks like it’s an ETA 2834 clone of some variety. Anyway, quite a pretty thing, it may be incoming!

[seefarr]

ZesPak said:

I've been lusting after a bronze watch for a while.
Then Magrette came up with this:



So I couldn't resist and ordered it this weekend.

Curse you ZesPak!

I finally relented and ordered it today after looking at it pretty much every day since your post. Can't wait!

[lostkiwi]

seefarr said:

ZesPak said:

I've been lusting after a bronze watch for a while.
Then Magrette came up with this:



So I couldn't resist and ordered it this weekend.

Curse you ZesPak!

I finally relented and ordered it today after looking at it pretty much every day since your post. Can't wait!

Stop reposting that picture! I'm struggling not to order one already!

[Emonda03]

expect marmite response, DLC Rolex 12660 sea dweller...personally I love it, and I do really think Rolex are missing a trick not doing their own in house limited run on such things. Yes I know its not warranted now by rolex, yes value may be questionable at resale, but Its not an investment, just something I fancied. Love the dark gun metalish strap, and the offset with the ceramic bezel & numbering. I spec'd the red second hand, quite like that , makes it a bit different...anyway I like it overall, much prefer it to my standard silver coloured one...

[seefarr]

lostkiwi said:

Stop reposting that picture!

Sorry, I'll post a different one instead. Maybe that'll help?

[ZesPak]

seefarr said:

Sorry, I'll post a different one instead. Maybe that'll help?

oeh hadn't seen that on a leathet like that, where do I buy such a strap?

[h0b0]

Emonda03 said:

expect marmite response, DLC Rolex 12660 sea dweller...personally I love it, and I do really think Rolex are missing a trick not doing their own in house limited run on such things. Yes I know its not warranted now by rolex, yes value may be questionable at resale, but Its not an investment, just something I fancied. Love the dark gun metalish strap, and the offset with the ceramic bezel & numbering. I spec'd the red second hand, quite like that , makes it a bit different...anyway I like it overall, much prefer it to my standard silver coloured one...

I think we need updates every month to see how durable it is in the real world. If it can prove itself robust then it’s a watch I would consider.

[Emonda03]

usually pick up scratches on the buckle on desk edge etc, but really this has proven more scratch resistant than my steel version ,dramatically so...so really expecting it to be hard wearing, will be very disappointed if not. We shall see, using as a daily , gardening/grass cutting. bashing on desks, all the usual stuff, so far so good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqf5KHxKs3Y

[Blown2CV]

Emonda03 said:

expect marmite response, DLC Rolex 12660 sea dweller...personally I love it, and I do really think Rolex are missing a trick not doing their own in house limited run on such things. Yes I know its not warranted now by rolex, yes value may be questionable at resale, but Its not an investment, just something I fancied. Love the dark gun metalish strap, and the offset with the ceramic bezel & numbering. I spec'd the red second hand, quite like that , makes it a bit different...anyway I like it overall, much prefer it to my standard silver coloured one...

For the most part i like these type of mods, but the biggest issue i have is what happens when you get even a small scratch in the black finish... it will just show through silver won't it?

[CardShark]

Blown2CV said:

For the most part i like these type of mods, but the biggest issue i have is what happens when you get even a small scratch in the black finish... it will just show through silver won't it?

DLC (diamond-like carbon) is many times harder than steel so it should take everyday wear in its stride, however a big knock against something pretty hard itself could expose the bare steel beneath. The coating thickness is measured in microns, all be it extremely tough microns!

I quite like the mod, especially the Daytona in the video.

Edit to add that there are one or two alternatives to DLC, one of those is a treatment called Cerakote, a ceramic film that's sprayed over the substrate. I've a mod'd Seiko with a Cerakote finish, I rarely wear the watch TBH however it's still spotless years after having the work done.

Edited by CardShark on Friday 3rd May 23:53

[dom9]

Always wanted one of mine DLCd but the guy who used to post regularly on here and could do it had problems with his supplier or QC, I think and I've forgotten his name (sorry) and don't know who does it for reasonable cost these days!

[Fallingup]

I think they look great and to be honest would look even better if the coating had an aged look with the metal showing through in places. Impossible to produce though without wearing it for forty years!
Something like this (minus the scratch!) I think it looks gorgeous. Not my pic.

Edited by Fallingup on Saturday 4th May 21:48

Edited by Fallingup on Saturday 4th May 21:53

[Barchettaman]

Are we allowed to post incoming watch straps, too?

Anyway, I’ve got this custom canvas strap coming from a company called Kastantona in Cyprus. I was looking for something grey with orange stitching for my ‘Dawn Grey’ Seiko Prospex, this caught my eye.


The strap:





The watch:

Edited by Barchettaman on Saturday 4th May 22:34