The One That Will Never Leave

[hayday]

The Mako. Even if it dies, I’m keeping the corpse.




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[Henry Krinkle]

Mrs. K gave me this for my 50th,so it stays.

P9140100 by Hank Blanc, on Flickr

[Mediocre]

3 are sentimental, but you counted those out...they are usually my default answer. You actually made me think. How dare you!

Nivrel Deep Ocean GMT.

It is s chunk of a watch, larger than most anything I would consider today. It was acquired originally to give me a nice looking, quality GMT. Back then I traveled internationally 2-3 times per year for work, and I had weekly calls with teams in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. The combination of GMT hand and rotating bezel proved incredibly useful for years. It also served me well traveling, never feeling out of place for work, leisure, or even taking a swim.

The Nivrel is not worn as often at the moment, because I would prefer to get it serviced locally before much wear. Need to find a local watchmaker I trust

[Samanator]

I think I have two cases. Forever is a long time , and if Rolex builds this with a ceramic bezel I'll trade up, but the Explorer II 42mm polar white is as close as I come to a keeper as long as it is the 42mm and the extra large hands and indexes.


The second is more of a watch that is not something to sell, since I spent far more than it's worth fixing it. It's my Dads that sat in a tool box for nearly forty years until I took it to restore it to. That took years to find the parts needed which at first I could find nothing. I fixed it for him and when I presented it to him he does not want it back. To quote him"I always hated that watch". It is far too small for me yet it stays in the box since I did all the work myself. It's here since it has no place else to be. It's most redeeming quality is it has a Spidel Twist-o-Flex bracelet. I have the original box, manual and all repair bills until it broke the unbreakable mainspring (Zodiac's ad claim back then). Other things were damaged sitting in a drawer of his tool box for so long. I would not see this as heirloom, but more like abandoned. It proved once I finally got all the parts I could take a watch apart, and put it back together. Since it had several things broken I actually fixed it, and it keeps decent time when I was done.

[happyscrappyheropup]

My trusty Orient.
Attachment 127698
Bought it new in 1977. $75. Most reliable mechanical watch I've ever owned.

That's amazing. How many trips for service over the years?

[popoki nui]

That's amazing. How many trips for service over the years?

Just one! Originally, it ran at +15 sec/day or so, and ran like that until it started running slower and slower in the late 2000s. It had it's one-and-only (so far) service in 2011. The watchmaker open it up for me, and it was spotless inside. It needed only disassembly/cleaning remove the old oil, reassembly with new oil, adjustment, and new gaskets +pressure test.
I never abused it, but didn't baby it, either. Scuba, surfing, mountain biking, chlorine, saltwater, sun, sweat....never leaked and ran like a champ for 34 years, and still going strong 13 years after it's service. Pretty good for $75!

Edit to add: except for the gaskets,oil, and strap, everything original. Crystal, crown, dial...all original.

[Kronos]

Just one! Originally, it ran at +15 sec/day or so, and ran like that until it started running slower and slower in the late 2000s. It had it's one-and-only (so far) service in 2011. The watchmaker open it up for me, and it was spotless inside. It needed only disassembly/cleaning remove the old oil, reassembly with new oil, adjustment, and new gaskets +pressure test.
I never abused it, but didn't baby it, either. Scuba, surfing, mountain biking, chlorine, saltwater, sun, sweat....never leaked and ran like a champ for 34 years, and still going strong 13 years after it's service. Pretty good for $75!

Edit to add: except for the gaskets,oil, and strap, everything original. Crystal, crown, dial...all original.

It looks great.


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[crownpuller]

It would be this one for me:

1998 SMP 300...



... my first 'proper' watch. It cost, what was to me at the time, a small fortune; £1,060.

[Samanator]

It would be this one for me:

1998 SMP 300...



... my first 'proper' watch. It cost, what was to me at the time, a small fortune; £1,060.

I had one of these that I bought about the same time. It was the second Omega I owned and the first Seamaster. My wife still has the ladies version with the quartz movement that I bought her before we got engaged.

[happyscrappyheropup]

It would be this one for me:

1998 SMP 300...



... my first 'proper' watch. It cost, what was to me at the time, a small fortune; £1,060.

I bought a modded Seiko Orange Monster (wish I still had it), then a Glycine Combat Sub, then the Omega 2531.80.