Sunday 4 January 2015

My Most-Worn Wristwatches of 2014

And here we are, a few days into 2015 and I've looked back over my wristwatch posts of last year to get an idea of which wristwatches got the most wear. There were one or two surprises. This was a good exercise because I've been thinking about my watch collection with a view to thinning it down a little. There are a few watches that I have out of some sentimental notion, but if they don't get worn, then perhaps they should be moved along to either reduce the number of watches that I have (which DO get worn) or make room for other watches.

I spent a day unearthing some old diaries that I have, which date back to 1994. I was going to keep them, but what for, really? I tore out a few pages here and there which highlighted major instances and events, such as the birth of our kids, and then I systematically shredded the rest of them yesterday. I wound up with quite a few blank pages which I thought could be put to good use for typecasting. I hate wasting paper, after all. 












And there you have it. I think I tended to wear the dressier styles, like the Railmaster and the vintage Seamaster, during the colder months when I knew the watch would not be exposed to water so much. The sportier and more water-resistant watches were indeed subjected to dirt and moisture on a regular basis, with the Sinn chronograph being the watch that I took to Thailand in the middle of the year. 

Other watches in the collection were worn, but this bunch here got the lion's share of time on the wrist. I'm a great deal clearer on what to do with the collection. A couple of watches will be put aside for my kids to wear when they turn sixteen or seventeen. That way, they'll have a decent watch to wear on a daily basis at school or university. I'm sure I'll probably get them each an all-purpose water-resistant watch for days at the beach with friends. Perhaps something by Seiko, since that company has a wide range of very well-made watches that don't cost an arm and a leg.

Long-term, I plan to sit down and write them both a letter outlining which pieces I will leave for each of them after I shuffle off this mortal coil. I think I'll leave them each a dress watch, a dive watch, and a chronograph. I'll tell them that they are free to do with these watches as they wish, although it would be nice if they hold on to one or two of them, for the sake of history and continuity. 
I'll stipulate that the rest of the collection is to be sold off and the proceeds should be halved between them. I'll also mention that if one of them wants a watch that the other one has been given, then they should use the proceeds from the sale to purchase a pre-owned/vintage model just like it. While some watches in my collection may be hard to find (now or in the future), I don't think I have anything that is impossible to track down. But I could be wrong. 

In the meantime, I'll whittle the collection down over the next year or two to a more manageable level consisting of watches that actually get worn. Although, I can already tell that this may be easier said than done when I think of how it took me over fifteen years to get it to this state. 

Still, there are worse things that I could have spent my money on and I'm fairly certain that, if I sold my entire collection tomorrow, I would make a decent profit on my outlay. 

Now, we'll see what 2015 has me wearing on my left wrist. So far, so good. One more pic of today's wristwatch;


Thanks for reading!


8 comments:

  1. It's about time I'll leave a comment here, as I read you almost weekly. I really like the typecasts you make, leaving space on the paper for the watches. Very neat! Typewriters and watches have my interest as well, although I only have a decent collection of the typewriters (see weblog). My watch is a Hamilton Jazzmaster Maestro auto chrono (h32716859) and also a Casio F-91w as the ultimate no nonsense watch. I would love to have a vintage Omega, like yours, but I would first have to get some more knowledge about what to buy and what not. Well, that'll come later, no hurry. Keep on writing in 2015!

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    1. Hi Frank! Thanks for reading! The Jazzmaster Maestro is a nice watch. I almost bought one about six years ago.
      As for vintage Omegas, any model from say, the late 1950s to the mid 1960s would be worth going for. If you get a Seamaster or Constellation from that era with a Calibre 562, 564 (Chronometer-rated) or 565, you will have a watch that will last you for quite a few decades to come.

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    3. Thanks, I'll write that down.

      edit: Just deleted my last post to include a picture of me typing with the Hamilton in front of me, just for fun: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Iq4PBF5jJvQ/UyYPqAYJXjI/AAAAAAAAA6E/xy5GM4H1HcA/s1600/IMG_2774.JPG

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    4. Great watch, Frank! And considering the Valjoux 7750 movement inside it, it was a well-priced watch.
      Also consider looking at the Omega calibre 552 models from the early sixties. They were rock solid.

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  2. One things for sure, you're definitely an Omega fan! I don't know much about watches, never wear any, but I do like to read your watch stories. It's shows true passion!

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  3. I was watching OHMSS on TV over the holidays and revelled in the period backgrounds and locations as much as the plot. And then I spotted peppermint soap as a prop above. No connection, but the 'incidentals' always make me linger. Happy New Year!

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  4. @ Spiderwebz, I've always liked the Omega brand. They used to be the kind of watch, back in the '60s, that were well made, dependable and affordable for a lot of people. They are still well made and dependable, but their prices have certainly increased in recent years. Thanks for the kind words.

    @ Rob, I haven't seen OHMSS in quite a while. Would have been a nice Christmas movie to watch, but since Xmas day is also my son's birthday, he gets first dibs on what we watch. Gotta change that rule. The peppermint soap was one of my birthday presents from my wife. She knew I'd like the packaging. And Happy New Year to you too, sir!

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