Tuesday, November 22, 2005

Vintage Omega Seamaster Review





One of the downsides of collecting watches is the price of admission. While it’s true that there are a lot of truly fine poor man's watches out there (and there are folks who can convincingly argue that some examples of these bargain models match their pricier counterparts in all respects), the big names don't come cheap. You like Rolex, Omega, Tag Heuer, etc., bring money and lots of it. A cheap example of one of these will set you back at least six or seven hundred dollars (and that for a quartz model no less), while the good stuff is well up into the thousands of dollars. If, like me, you just don't have that kind of cash to throw around, (my kids and my money go private school), the situation could get really depressing. Fortunately, there is another way go. Take a deep breath, step back and consider the used watch market, or if you like the classier term, vintage market (to make it sound a little less like buying a used car).

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It should be noted that even in the vintage market, some brands hold their value so well that there are few bargains to be had. If you are expecting a Rolex for $200 you will be sorely disappointed. Other brands, however, are very reasonably priced and if you take your time and look around, you can do very well. A few words of caution, however. The fact that a watch is old does not mean that it isn't a fake. The reality is that there are fake vintage watches out there (Seamaster 300 fakes aren't uncommon) and it isn't hard to mistake one for the genuine article. Similarly, there are a lot of so-called frankenwatches (a seemingly acceptable watch that is actually an amalgam of several other watches) floating around. The bottom line is that you should make a point of learning something about the vintage watch you are interested in. With the amount of available data online (Omega, for instance, has an online database of its vintage watches and movements) and the existence of enthusiast forums where one can ask an expert a question, researching a vintage watch isn't terribly hard anymore. Other caveats with a vintage watch, don't assume that the water resistance is functioning and expect the lume to be burnt out. Lastly, make sure that you have access to a competent watchmaker. It is reasonable to expect that a vintage watch will need a cleaning if nothing else. If all of this is too much for you, stick with new watches (not that there aren't plenty of fakes there either though).

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On to the Omega. This particular model is a 1966 Seamaster DeVille. It is powered by a model 611 hand wound movement with a date display. The watch is a traditional sized man's watch, small by today’s standard at 35mm (including the crown) but it still looks quite good. The watchcase is Omega's Unishell design that opens only through the dial side which can make servicing tricky. The crystal is an acrylic one that fortunately was not scratched. The watchband is a Hadley-Roma that I added for about $25. The Omega was very clean when I got it, and when opened, it had a jeweler's date mark on the inside of the case indicating a servicing had been done two years ago. Not surprisingly, the original lume was not functioning.

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The only substantial change that I made to this Omega, aside from adding a strap, was to have the lume re-done by Kent Parks at Everest Watchworks. A non-operative lume on a watch just plain bothers me and Kent is a wizard with this sort of job. Now it looks great, probably better than new considering the advances in lume technology and I am very satisfied with the result. You can't even tell that anything was changed under normal lighting. Only in the dark is the change apparent and even then, in keeping with the watch's character, the lume is just enough to be read. It would look ridiculous if it glowed like a Seiko diver after all.

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Now none of this would really mean much if I had paid through the nose for this Omega. That, thankfully, was not the case. The total bill for the watch, the re-lume, the new band and a thorough look-see by my jeweler came to about $250. All told a good deal.

Monday, November 07, 2005

Mido Commander Review







When it comes to watches, I like classic designs but still want something that doesn't mimic every other watch available. Too many classic/vintage style timepieces seem to be copying the look of a Rolex Submariner or Datejust or that of an Omega Speedmaster or Seamaster in my opinion. What initially drew my eye to the Mido Commander is how different it looks from just about every other watch I've seen, while still looking like a vintage design. The Mido has a style all its own that brings to my mind images of ocean liner travel and art-deco decor. The watch face, its most striking feature, has a sort of brushed starburst pattern that radiates up from the 6 o'clock position and the hour markers and hands have a very unusual retro look about them. I could see this watch fitting in perfecly in that old movie Metropolis. Like it or not, you must admit that this is a design that you are not likely to see everywhere you go.

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Mido is not aggressively marketed in the United States anymore and, I'm sure, most people are not familiar with the brand. The company was founded by George Schaeren in 1918 in Biel, Switzerland. Mido has produced a number of technically interesting designs through the years including being the first to combine an automatic movement with anti-shock protection, water resistance and anti-magnetic protection. Mido also is the only company, to my knowledge, that makes use of cork as a crown water seal, and was the first company to use an unbreakable mainspring. Today, Mido is part of the Swatch Group, but the brand still retains much of its old, unique character. For a history of Mido, see this page at Swiss Watches USA.

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My Mido Commander was NOS (new old stock, from the mid 1990's I think) and I don't believe the exact model is still available new. The current iteration uses Superluminova lume where my model uses tritium laced paint. Aside from that though, I believe the current and older models are the same. The watch is made of a polished stainless steel one-piece case with an integrated stainless steel bracelet and clasp. The crystal is made of Hesalite, a brand name for acrylic. The movement is protected from water damage by Mido's Aquadura cork crown seal (which allegedly will block water even with the crown pulled out in the set position) and is rated at 30 meters water resistance. Internally, the watch is powered by an ETA 2836-2 25 jewel automatic movement that both hacks and handwinds. (The 2836-2 is a variation on ETA's ubiquitous 2824-2 with the addition of a day wheel)

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All told, I really like this watch. The bracelet is one of the most comfortable I have encountered and the big face is easy to read. Furthermore, and this is admittedly a matter of taste, I think the Commander is an extremely elegant design. The Mido has, so far, proved to be very accurate for a mechanical watch averaging -2 seconds per day. My only gripe is the small crown which is tricky to use. This is a minor quibble in an automatic watch however. It’s not like you have to manually wind the thing. It should be noted that the Commander's one-piece case makes servicing tricky (everything comes out through the crystal) but the watch's superior sealing might cut down the frequency of service a bit. Additionally, this Mido collects fingerprints easily. The new version of the Commander currently sells online for between $450 and $600 dollars (see example ). However, my NOS model can be found on ebay nowadays (at least for the moment) for less than $200. Not bad for nice Swiss automatic.

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