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Dusty Chalk

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Speaking of Explorer II's, I have owned this Bell & Ross BRV126 for almost 2 years now and I find that not only do I like it as much as I did when I saw it on Mike's wrist but I also reach for this more than I have for my Explorer II ever since. I think I've worn my Explorer less than 10 times in the past 2 years. Truth be told, selling the Explorer to add to my car downpayment fund has crossed my mind.

 

Sorry for the shitty shot but here it is:

 

 

 

Sell me your Explorer II.... I have been meaning to pickup one.  Just don't care to buy new and the originality of these is always suspect at best when it comes to used Rolex online.

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I've recently seen a HUBLOT Classic Fusion 515.NX.2210.LR... which is made of Titanium and the one I'm referring to has a white dial.

I was going to trade in my OMEGA De Ville for a IWC Portuguese manual when I had the spare money, but after seeing that HUBLOT which is also the manual version, it will now be one of those.

I usually prefer black dials on watches, but I find that HUBLOT in the white dial looks much better than the black dial version.

I've also read good things about the build quality of HUBLOT watches which is the most important.

Like the IWC Portuguese though, that HUBLOT Clussic Fusion isn't cheap so I'm going to have to start saving.

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They might be less expensive than you think!  I'm going to have to get used to how much smaller it is than my other watches, but I certainly like it a lot.

More than the price, which isn't precisely low but still in the "affordable" side of things, it's their availability in good working condition what I think would make it hard to find and own.

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The Luminova is super bright.  It's nice.

 

I love very bright lume on my watches, like that on my Planet Ocean and Seiko SKX173.  So, when I was unhappy with my fading 1993 Explorer II 16570 I went out and bought the new 216570 with bright chromalight last year.

 

But I couldn't bring myself to part with my old one, so I kept it to use as a high-end beater watch.  Maybe with my next service in 3-4 years I'll consider a new service dial and hands, as I'd rather enjoy using it at night than worry about hurting the value by changing the original dial/hands. 

 

I've also considered selling it for a more recent black dialed superluminova 16570, since my new one is a polar white too.

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You can always get the lume repainted.  Shouldn't hurt value much.  Even the tritium on this early 70s Datejust is bright enough to be useful in very dark conditions: the old tritium is at least as bright as the lume on my brand new Swatch Sistem51!   :laugh:  I like the Sistem51 an awful lot, though.

 

My watchmaker already offered that service for $100 to me, to do dial and hands.  He'd already done the dial and hands on the 1983 Sub I that bought from him, and the price I paid reflected the reduced value (for not 100% original).  The re-lume hour markers glow MUCH more brightly than the re-done hands though (he subcontracts out the dial and he did the hands).

 

I suppose if I don't plan to sell the watch then a re-lume isn't a bad way to go, and if I ever send it to RSC for something then I can get the genuine Rolex re-dial at that time.

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I think you have it right, man. I might get my Speedmaster lume repainted. Omega wants $1000 for it, though. Might be worth it to keep the vintage value, though (January 1969 being a bit more vintage than 1983!).

Actually, didn't you get your GMT 1675 re-lumed? What year is that?

My 1976 Speedmaster Moonwatch tritium lume is almost visible at night, but interestingly the tritium can be hit with a blacklight or flashlight and get brighter for a few hours if needed.

My 1962 Seadmaster DeVille doesn't glow at all unless I hit it with a flashlight or blacklight, and then it only lasts a few minutes, white my Explorer II 16570 is impervious to even blacklight - it's possible to see the old Exp II lume but not read the time (52 year old eyes and all).

Edited by HeadphoneAddict
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Not that I care about the value of the GMT:  I would be a homeless person wearing a Rolex before I sell it.  It's also exactly the right dial for a 1675, just has bright lume.  I know of people who sent their 1675 and 1675/0 watches in and they came back with the modern gold-ringed-marker dial, so I'm glad that didn't happen.

I don't care much about things, I could leave my house from a fire carrying just three or four items, but some things coming from people you love cannot be sold. I wouldn't sell a few of my watches either.

 

Thanks for the link to the dark gray dial Datejust. I like the linen dial, silver dial or ceramic white ones, with the classical ribbed bezel and SS bracelet too. I can wear leather, but Jubilee fits the watch better IMO.

I think my liking of the Datejusts comes from the first watch I owned at 5 or 6, which was a mechanical Seiko which my father gave me for my birthday. It was like a cadet size Datejust but without the date window and the magnifying glass. White dial with arabic numbers and phosphor accents, thin silver hands, Jubilee bracelet, oyster-like case and the ribbed bezel. Being a hand winded mechanism one of the gears broke and it couldn't be fixed. I used it for six or seven years. Unfortunately I lost it in one of the way too many moves we made.

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I think I forgot to post that I added a PVD Victorinox Dive Master 500 automatic wind watch to my previous SS Quartz version that I bought a couple of years ago. My son wanted the quartz in PVD, so that was his birthday present (yeah, three Dive Master 500 in the house, why?).

 

I took mine off the steel bracelet and put it on a black NATO with red stitching.  Love it.  It's been running only +1.0 to +1.3 seconds a day, depending on position, after a 2 month break-in.

 

I also found a nice photo of my Explorer II, which I hadn't posted with me wearing it.

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Edited by HeadphoneAddict
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Omega Seamaster Professional 300m Chronograph - Ref. 2298.80 - 41.5mm Titanium - Blue Wave Dial & Blue Bezel

 

I got this one at a Huge discount, because the bezel looked a little too chewed up for me when I zoomed into the photos, and when I called them on the phone they agreed with me. The discount is enough to buy a brand new titanium bezel from Ofrei.com AND get it installed. Otherwise I would have passed on it.

 

This is one of the Chuck Maddox Homage watches that I've been looking for, and it's less than 4 years old.  It gives me one more option for a graduation present for Benjamin next year - I can get it serviced in one year and ready to go for hime.

 

http://www.fratellowatches.com/the-chuck-maddox-homage-watch-omega-seamaster-pro-chrono-diver-titanium/

 

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f409/chuck-maddox-homage-watch-omega-seamaster-pro-chrono-diver-titanium-422971.html

 

http://chronomaddox.com/tzc889revisited.html

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That's a good looking Seamster, though I don't love Titanium watches (harder to touch up the finish at home).  Ofrei is where I got the bezel insert for my Speedy (which is finally finished and should ship early next week).

Actually bought one of these in stainless last summer from Jared jewelry for 10% off retail. Then I decided I needed to have the latest and greatest and bought the new version with ceramic bezel and 3330 movement. And then returned the first one for a full refund. I really wanted to keep both watches though, and I knew this would be a classic and they're tractor tough. Benjamin really wanted me to keep it for him.

Over the past year I've been doing more reading about these and it seemed like the titanium version was the way to go. I have no problems taking my titanium citizen perpetual calendar in for an occasional cleaning up, and it's never been over polished. I believe the same will be true with this one.

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Jacob - thanks for posting a link to your retailer, looks like a very reputable place.

I know nothing about watches but I wouldn't mind getting something a bit dressy with a very simple face. No gold, only silver or black. This looks pretty damn amazing to me - http://www.piecesoftime.net/salesww_pages/2086seamaster.html

Anything else people might suggest?

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That's definitely a classic choice. 

 

I think there's a watch that would work at every price point from $50-$millions so that'd be the first step.  The linen face rolex Jacob got is a choice I can get behind.  Or a linen faced classic tudor.  

 

I've been obsessing over old Breitling Top Times, and he has a nice one, but it's on hold: http://www.piecesoftime.net/salesww_pages/2050breitlingtoptime.html

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Jacob - thanks for posting a link to your retailer, looks like a very reputable place.

I know nothing about watches but I wouldn't mind getting something a bit dressy with a very simple face. No gold, only silver or black. This looks pretty damn amazing to me - http://www.piecesoftime.net/salesww_pages/2086seamaster.html

Anything else people might suggest?

I almost have that same watch - but from 1962 and it's gold capped and says DeVille just below Seamaster. It's got the same Omega 565 movement which is very accurate and the autowind seems pretty efficient. I'm very happy with mine, and wore it to my step dad's funeral last summer, and a couple of special occasions since.

Mine was $1150, so that price for your choice may be fine, but I was told I overpaid $150 (even though fully serviced with genuine Omega leather strap). One expert said I should have bought a constellation Pie Pan for what I paid. Mine came from a reputable eBay seller, who dropped the price from $1450 after I called his phone and spoke.

Pieces of time is a good place to buy from - I got my year 2K GMT II Coke Bezel from there, for almost $1,000 below market value, and it keeps good time, glows bright at night, and looks fantastic.

Edited by HeadphoneAddict
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