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January 28, 2013

Comments

Angelo

http://beltime.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19&Itemid=112

Belair watches. Some of them are fully Swiss made----and some are Swiss components, assembled in the U.S.A. Sapphire crystals. Moderate price points to value price points (listed prices are retail---they can be purchased for less). I ordered one today from an E-Bay seller. I'm now finding myself in a mood for smaller diameter watches----including dress casuals, not all large sport styles. Manly? Well, not like my big Tauchmeisters. But today, I'm wearing a small Omega Automatic that belonged to my wife's father. The diameter of this Omega is about 1 1/4" inches. It's very uncluttered---no date display and just one subdial that counts seconds. But I think back to when this watch was made---probably the late 1950s or maybe into the mid-60s---when smaller cased watches were worn by businessmen, pilots, doctors, pro sports coaches and others who are far manlier than some of the "Extreme Sports" boys sporting 56MM watches today. Hmmmm....maybe the trend will become these smaller dress watches---being manly enough to wear a watch that ISN'T manly!

owl

Just spot this from Tecsun's customer forum -

Tecsun's about to launch a new digital recoreder/media player ICR100:

http://bbs.tecsun.com.cn/up_fls/201312823505720698.jpg

Also, Tecsun's Shanghai Service Centre. See photos in the post below:

http://bbs.tecsun.com.cn/0002.asp?open=496413

OWL

Michael Brent

The name "Disciple of Chronos" reminds me of that scene in Animal House where Kevin Bacon is given the swats during the "Oath of Obedience"
"Thank you sir, may I have another"

Angelo

http://www.ebay.com/itm/190789377823?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

This looks like it might sell for a low price----and would make a good beater. I like the looks and ESQ (Movado off-shoot) makes a decent watch.

Angelo

http://www.beltime.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=19&Itemid=112

Tried to post this earlier----but it didn't publish. I just bought a Belair watch (on E-Bay). Made in USA or in Switzerland, Swiss components either way. Moderate to value priced (prices they publish on their site are full retail----they sell for less). Sapphire crystals. I will report on my Belair when I receive it. The actually have a fairly long history----there are vintage Belairs for sale on E-Bay, though I bought a new one.

Ulysses

They were taken over by Seiko in 1988 but returned to French ownership via a buyout in 2005, so independent once again.

Angelo

Hmmmm....maybe Belair prices aren't all "moderate" after all. I think one of them sells for over 15K.

jonnybardo

Which brings up an important point, Angelo. Most watch companies have ranges. Seiko, for instance, has $100 watches but also has $5000+ watches. Invicta has $70 watches and $1500 watches. Citizen has a similar range. Even Casio and Timex, your "department store brands," have semi-luxury watches. It is only the "true luxury" brands that don't sell less expensive watches - Rolex, Cartier, Patek Phillipe, etc. And this, I think, isn't solely a matter of quality but of name.

I read a quote somewhere: "Rolex - the best $300 watch you'll ever spend $8000 on".

Angelo

Jonny: Fair points----though I do think some of those Rolex watches in the higher thousands include solid gold----at today's prices, worth more than that $300.00! You also have the resale aspect----old Rolex watches fetch a healthy return, even in poor condition. Speaking of well made watches: I might have mentioned elsewhere here----I've been wearing an old Omega Automatic the last couple days (including today). This watch belonged to my wife's father, who died in the late 1990s. I remember playing with this watch around 2002-2003----she and I were going through belongings and came across it. It probably had been sitting for many years in an old wooden cigar box. Took it out---wound it, shook it and it started running. Put it away again. Flash forward to this past weekend----took it out again after another 10 years of sitting----wound it, shook it and it started running. I set the watch and began wearing it---and it seems to be keeping perfect time. The watch looks to be fromt the 1960s----maybe the late 50s. My guess is mid 60s but I'm not sure. I don't imagine it's ever received maintenance of any sort----and hasn't been used consistently for probably 20 years----and frankly, I think he was just a collector and probably didn't wear it often either. Amazing to me that the band (which looks original) is still not dried out (looks like decent leather) and the crystal is nice enough too. But the movement----to work this well after such erratic use and neglect----is testimony that a well made watch----runs like a well made watch!

jonnybardo

Omegas are nice watches. One of my students had an Omega (I teach at a small private high school, and some of the students come from very wealthy students). Anyhow, we have a ritual where at the end of the year when we hand out graduation caps to seniors the teachers do a caricature of different students, complete with wearing their clothes and accessories that we borrow from their rooms (with the help of dorm parens). Anyhow, I did a caricature of this student and wore his Omega. It was the first and only time I've actually held a luxury watch. It certainly was a beautiful time piece and I could tell that it was finely crafted, but the thing is that beyond some relatively minor differences it didn't feel that much nicer than, say, my Seiko Velatura which probably costs 10-15% of its retail price.

Angelo

I don't think the Omega I have is "luxury" except in name. It's a pretty basic looking watch, smaller diameter----only one subdial (that counts seconds). I might be wrong and I guess I should have it valued----but I would think on a good day, it might fetch a couple hundred tops on E-Bay. Some are in the thousands----but I've seen ones similar to the one I have not sell when listed at "BUY IT NOW" for $300.00 But I really don't know what I have exactly.

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