India Watch Blog

16th International Watch And Clock Fair – Samaya Bharati 2012

2012-02-04T11:06:00.000-08:00

Before I start, I would like to say two things: firstly this report wont be as detailed as the one we did before for the previous watch fair, simply because this one was very similar. The event was held at the same location, it was set up the same way and the experience was almost the same.

Secondly, I apologize for the pictures as my camera was an old one (the new one is with a friend) and it was extremely difficult taking pictures in the low lighting conditions there. Also, the glass showcases where the watches were kept had finger prints and smudges all over, which only added to our problem.

OK, so lets move on...

Its been two years since the last Watch and Clock Fair, and as with the previous one, there was little advertisement done for this one. Had a friendly reader not commented on the blog and reminded is of it, we might have missed it. Like I mentioned above, the venue for this was the same as the previous one's. It was open to the general public from 2pm - 7pm and although Bio and I wanted to get there a bit early, we got delayed and ended up reaching at 5pm.

Just like the last time, Seiko had its booth outside the main exhibition hall. It was the first thing you saw when you entered. They had a section for clocks too and you could place your order if you wanted one.

At this point, Bio had the camera and we were generally checking some of the watches in the display case, when he was approached by someone who was excited to show off his watch. It turned out that the watch Bio was taking a pic of was the same one that guy had on his wrist and thus, was eager to get a picture taken of it. Once again, apologies for the blurry pic because of the low light:(

They had a good number of watches on display, with some really interesting vintage models. They also had the Ananta line up which was a nice to see in person. Some of them were quite stunning, but cost a pretty penny.

There was a representative there who started talking to us and I asked him if there are any Grand Seiko watches around, unfortunately there weren't but they did have a movement on display under a microscope. I guess that would have to do for now.

They also had a large number of clocks on display. Below is the clock Bio liked and almost picked up (they weren't readily available, and the guy recommended us a store, close to where we stay that should have it)

The fair was spread across two halls - one on the ground floor and the other on the second floor. As with last time, Titan had the largest booth, though it was differently set up from last time. This time they had a place to sit and even a cafeteria, with the shakes and drinks named after different Titan collections. They didn't have anything to really catch our eye, so we moved on.

As expected, there were a lot of fashion brands like Guess, Guess Collection, Salvatore Ferragamo and all. We then came across Ice Watch. We had covered this brand in our post for the previous watch fair and always thought it would do well if launched in India. Here we met Victoria who had previously commented on our blog. She was very nice to talk to and took out some time to update us on how the company was doing. She told us that Ice Watch was looking for new distributors for their watches in India and that they may have found a few already. I was having a real tough time taking photos of their watches, so she took out the whole case for me to photograph. It was nice to see them up close in person (last time they were in a box). With all the different color options and some with Swaroski crystals, I can really see these watches getting popular with the ladies here. They are priced pretty reasonably too, with the basic ones going for a lil over $80 (USD). That's the starting price for most of the designer watches you get in the market here.

Victoria posing with her Ice Watch with Swaroski Crystals.
We wish them all the best and hope they do well here.

Casio was next and it was buzzing with people - not too much of a surprise as the brand is quite popular here. I darted towards the display for G-Shocks and I wasn't disappointed. They had a lot of different kinds there, most of them which I've only seen on watch forums. I honestly couldn't choose which one I would take if I had a choice.

They even had the Baby Gs on display.

Another collection which I hadn't seen before that was on display was the Sky Cockpit. Some of the watches were pretty sweet although more expensive than the G-Shocks.

Somewhere amongst all the booths was the booth for Victorinox. It was pretty small that we almost missed it, and I'm glad we didn't. Not only did I get to have a look at my favourite watch from the brand - the 500 Mecha, I also instantly fell in love with the Airboss Mach 8. That watch was something else and I couldn't stop admiring it. I was a little amazed to hear it was priced at just Rs. 80,000 ( $1600 USD) for a mechanical chrono (Valjoux 7750). Maybe if I get a good discount and if I have some cash to spare, I just might pick it up. Another addition to the wish list!

We next came across the brand from another reader of the blog, Omax Watches. Here too we met a very nice gentleman who told us about the company and showed us the watches. They had lots of different designs on display and we asked him to show us one of their signature watches. It was pretty neat, but what blew away me was the price - just Rs.2000 ($40 USD). Now that's what you call affordable! I have a feeling they're going to do well with what they're offering at those prices. Maybe we could do a review on it someday.

Then there was Timex with a huge collection of watches. They had some watches from a few different brands they owned like Nautica and Helix. They had a green watch from Helix on display with caught my eye.

Aha! We spotted HMT and went straight for it. They had a lot of watches from different collections on display. Some of the automatic ones were pretty neat.

OK, just wanna say the next thing I am about to talk about will probably delight a lot of people and that you read this first on India Watch Blog. They had a Pilot on display which Bio and I immediately spotted. Its been quite a while since I spotted one in a display case and we instantly asked if we could buy it - we couldn't, BUT what he said next was something I couldn't wait to share. He said that HMT has put the Pilot back in production and there was NO shortage of it anymore!

I'm back!

Hopefully when I get the time, I'll make a trip to their showroom with a some cash and buy a few Pilots, and maybe a few automatics :)

Next, we went to the second floor to see if there is anything that may interest us. It was mostly for traders and exporters. They had more fashion watches and lots of clocks on display, but nothing that really took my fancy.

One display that was catching a lot of people's attention was by Giordano. They were showcasing a few water resistant watches and they did it nicely by placing them inside a fish tank. One of them resembled a Breitling Navitimer.

I did spot a PAM style strap and buckle at display in one of the booths but the person there said that they hadn't decided on the price yet and the minimum quantity I had to order was for a 100 straps. We even came across a manufacturer of watch tools who was proudly telling someone that they were the competitors for Bergeon in over 60 countries.

Well I guess that brings me to the end of the report. I really wish we had some big watch fairs where we could see some Higher End Swiss brands or maybe I'll just have to wait till I get a chance to go to the Basel World someday. Hope you guys had fun reading this :)

10000 and counting. Thank you!

2012-01-26T19:39:00.000-08:00

As some of you may have noticed already, India Watch Blog has crossed 10000 views according to our lil counter and its something I or Bio never thought we'd achieve in just 2 years when we started this blog. We would like to express out heartfelt gratitude to all our viewers and followers for visiting this blog and sharing their thoughts.

I again apologize for the slow updates over the past few months, but we hope to change that soon. We have a few posts coming up very soon on some topics we think our viewers will enjoy. Some of them are:

1. Report on this years Watch and Clock Fair India.
2. Another 'Day at the Races' - This time we will be going to the biggest derby of the season. I'm sure there will be a lot of exciting spotting!
3. What watch we can recommend for your budget.

Also, we just might have a give away for all our viewers to celebrate this milestone :)

Looking forward to this new year and hope we can keep you all entertained.

Cheers!
CF and Bio

Digital Love

2012-01-10T23:20:00.000-08:00

OK, so I have to admit, I am not a big fan of digital watches. I have had a couple or so when I was a kid - one was the talking kind and yes, at that time, it was awesome to have one of those. After that, it was all analog (not that I was into watches, but rather I thought digital looked a lil kiddish). Then I got into watches and soon started thinking only about buying mechanical ones.

All pics taken from online

Sweet, isn't it?

A year into this obsession came a phase where I thought of buying a G-shock and felt that everyone has to have one in his/her collection. I almost bought one, but since I made a few purchases, I sort of let go of the idea. Just today, a co-worker (and a reader of the blog) asked me for some help in selecting a 'sporty' watch for her brother who is into cycling. G-shock was the first thing that popped into my mind and I started browsing a few forums to see which one could be a nice buy. I started looking at a few old favourites of mine like the Mudman and Riseman and started getting that old feeling back. Next I checked out some Suunto watches and generally a few other digital watches. The Suunto Core looked appealing and came packed with lots of neat features.

And then it happened...I have to say, for a person who is more inclined to buying mechanical analog watches, this one put a spell over me! I mean I just couldn't take my eyes off it.

Just look how stunning it is!

Its called the Suunto Elementum Ventus and it comes in few color options, but the one with the brown leather strap is the one that I like the most. Its a lil steep for the price - it goes for $1000 on the Suunto website, but its supposed to be a part of the 'premium line' of the company's sport watches. For the time being, I don't have the funds to get one, but this will definitely be an addition to my wish list and maybe the next watch I buy.

Trip report - Agra

2012-01-01T01:30:00.000-08:00

First of, I'd like to wish all our readers and followers a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR! Thanks for taking time out of your busy schedules and visiting out blog. It keeps us motivated!!
I'd also like to apologise for not getting the time to update the blog last month, but things were incredibly busy at work and it was difficult to get the time to do anything really.
This post isn't really watch related. It's more really a trip report, so I apologise for not sticking to the theme of the blog.
Last month I had a chance to visit Agra for the first time. Due to our busy schedule, my wife and I hadn't got a chance yet to visit her hometown of 'Shikohabad', which is about an hour's drive from Agra.
Things didn't really start of well for us. To begin with, our flights from Delhi to Agra were cancelled, since the cash strapped airline Kingfisher decided to cancel it's smaller routes. Moreover since that was the only airline that flew on that sector, it meant that we had the choice of either traveling by road or by rail. Since everyone advised us to choose rail over road, we went ahead and booked our train tickets. The journey was just fine. We had both the Kindle and an iPad 2 to while away our time with and I would seriously recommend both these devices for anyone who gets easily bored while traveling.
Shikohabad is a really small town with not a lot to do other than just sitting on the terrace and soaking up the sun.
Since I'm not the person to really do that I'd asked for a trip to Agra to be arranged since I'd never been there before and moreover I was looking forward to seeing the 'Taj Mahal'
Getting of the highway and into the main city of Agra is really bothersome. It's incredibly crowded and dusty and people are perpetually honking without anyone even bothering to respond to the sound. I'd really advise keeping the car windows up and using the air con, even if you're traveling in the winters.
My dad being a huge history buff, made up a list of monuments that we had to visit while we were there. Since most of you here are savvy enough to do the research, I'll spare you all the history lesson and just state the pros and cons for the following:
(**Do keep in mind that the costs that I'll be listing below are what you can expect to pay as a Indian tourist. Foreigners can be expected to pay as much as 5 times more, so I'd advise you to visit with a local, if you can**)

1) Tomb of 'Itimad-Ud-Daula' aka 'Baby Taj'
'Itmad-Ud-Daula' was the title given to emperor Jahangir's father in law, Mirza Ghiyaz Beg. The tomb was built for him by his daughter 'Nur Jahan'.

Entrance to Itmad-Ud-Daula

'Baby Taj' :)

View from the side

Tip:
-Since it's not as popular as some of the other, bigger monuments, there's hardly any crowd there and it's quite peaceful.
-Cost of guide after bargaining Rs20!! (~$0.40)

2) Taj Mahal
Everyone's heard of the Taj. It was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and took 20,000 workers, 22 years to construct it.
Cars are not allowed close to the Taj and you need to either walk or take an electric rickshaw or a camel carriage up to gate.
It truly is a spectacular sight and I'd recommend it to anyone who gets a chance to visit Agra.

Entrance gate

In the que after getting my ticket. Not crowded since we went on a weekday

The view is breathtaking! :)

A quick wrist shot with the Seiko Orange Monster.

Looking back at the entrance and the 53 fountains. A known fact, there are 16 gardens and 53 fountains to commemorate the date 1653, the year in which the Taj was completed.

During the war with Pakistan in 1971, these hooks were put up by the Indian Army to cover the entire monument with a black cloth so as to not become a target, in the even of an air raid.

A lost cause :p

If you insist on keeping your shoes on (as I am doing in the pic above), you can wear these disposable shoe covers, which can be had for just Rs10 ($0.20)

One of them any optical illusions that the Taj is famous for. The flat pillar when seen from a distance appears like...

The minarets are angled at 5 degrees away from the monument. This is so that in the event of an earthquake, they don't collapse on the monument and damage it.

From what I read online, the design was carved into the marble in order to confuse spiders from building webs.

Tip:
-If you have a lady with you, you can ask her to get the tickets as the women's que is a lot shorter than the one for men (as told by our guide)
-If you can help it, visit on a weekday as the weekends tend to get crowded.
-It's open in the night for viewing for 5 days in a month, during the full moon. However you need to get the tickets a day in advance and they cost about Rs 750 ($15) for Indian Nationals and about Rs 1250 ($25) for tourists. In the day time the same tickets go for Rs 20 ($0.40) and Rs 750 ($15), respectively.
-While buying souvenirs, do BARGAIN HARD. I initially thought the rule of thumb was to ask offer half the asking price, but as it turns out, you can push for 1/3rd of the price!
-If you're an Indian National, but are dressed up too much or carrying a DLSR or look a little out of the ordinary, they're going to assume you're an NRI (Non-resident Indian), whose trying to get out paying the rates fixed for tourists. So be sure to carry some sort of I.D.
-Cost of guide after bargaining Rs100 ($2)

3) Red Fort aka Agra Fort
There are two Red Forts. One in New Delhi and the other one in Agra. It's located about a little over a couple of kilometers from the Taj. You can also view the Taj from many areas within the fort.

Amar Singh Gate

Entrance to Jahangir's Palace, on of the 16 buildings within the Fort.

Riverfront Terrace

Musamman Burj or Shah Jahan's cell, where he was imprisoned (actually, put under house arrest) by his son, for seven years till his death.

View of the Taj from the fort

Tip:
-Do take a guide as there are a bunch of buildings with their own history.
-There is a sound and light show every evening, but I can't really tell you much about it as we decided to skip it.
-Cost of guide after bargaining Rs100 ($2)

4) Fatehpur Sikhri
This is about an hour's drive from Agra. As with the Taj, you need to take a rickshaw up to the entrance but, they let you take your cars up if you hire a guide as they are hand in glove with the parking authorities. It is a money making racket but we decided to just get done with it.
There's loads of history attached to this place, so be sure to listen carefully to your guide!

Good form of exercise, after having all the local food

Time check!

The 'Buland Darwaza', which is one of the highest gateways in the world.

One of the corridors at Fatehpur Sikri

Once you're done with the tour, the guide will encourage you to partake in the ceremony where you place a piece of cloth over the tomb of 'Salim Chishti', inside the mausoleum. You can also tie a piece thread on the windows and make a wish! The thread bit is fine, but be a bit wary about the cloth. The guy selling the cloth was quoting way too much for them which ranged for Rs2100 ($42) Rs3100($62) Rs5100($102). We opted for a 'handkerchief' which cost about Rs550 ($11), since there was no way we were in no mood to spend anything more than that.

Guy selling the 'chadar' or cloth. You can get the piece of thread from him too.

Tomb of Salim Chishti

A look inside

Tip:
-If you can visit with a local, I'd totally advise it. It's easy to get ripped off here, right from the moment you reach the parking lot!
-A little before you reach the place, you might encounter a bunch of people trying to flag down your car, or asking you to stop. Just ignore them. They're just guides trying to deceive you. They'll tell you how the prices near the site are double of what they'll asking for. Just drive straight past them till you reach the parking lot.
-Cost of guide after bargaining Rs275 ($5.50), which includes a 2min rickshaw ride from the parking lot to the site.

If you're planning to stay in Agra, I'd recommend staying any of the hotels in the vicinity of the Taj. There are a bunch of five star hotels located close to the Taj East Gate, a few of which offer the view of the monument from the rooms. If you can get a good deal on the rooms, it'll be worth the money!

Again I apologise, for not sticking with the theme of the blog, but I hope you enjoyed reading it anyway and please do not hesitate to ask any questions about the trip :)

2011-11-17T02:37:00.001-08:00

I've been getting into photography like crazy over the past few months and was generally browsing around for camera stuff when I cam across this:

(Pic taken from cdn.photojojo.net/)

It was amusing enough for me to think of ordering for a moment there. For $35, its pretty neat :)
If you want it, its available here.

Another wallpaper

2011-10-23T04:22:00.000-07:00

Here's another wallpaper, this time for the Omega fans. Hope you like it!
(Click to view the full sized image)

Interesting piece of news

2011-10-18T21:31:00.000-07:00

For those of whom, who're from Mumbai, have probably read about it. The following made headlines in the tabloid(Mumbai Mirror):

Pratapgarh royals’ antique watches go missing

Iconic Fountain watch dealer in royal theft scam

• Domestic help, store hand arrested after treasure worth crores was sold for less than a lakh

(1Crore = $210,000 and 1Lakh = $2,100)

The demand for high-end watches has got one of the city's most famous shops embroiled in a case of theft of royal heirloom.
An employee of Apsara Pen Mart at Flora Fountain and a domestic help at the Breach Candy residence of the prince of Pratapgarh in Rajasthan, Jaisinh Sisodia, have been arrested in connection with the theft of antique watches, jewellery and coins worth a few crores.
The stolen goods, taken out of the Sisodia house over a period of time by the family servant Sachin Kanojia, were sold for way below their value at Apsara Pen Mart. An antique Patek Philippe watch, easily worth over Rs 1 crore($210,000), was sold for Rs 33,000($700); an Omega Constellation was sold for Rs 15,000($312); and a Tag Heur for Rs 10,000($210).
While the cops have been able to recover almost all of the stolen stuff, two wrist watches — the Patek Philippe and the Corum — are yet to be found.
While the loss of the two watches – the Patek Philippe was custom made for Jaisinh's maternal grandmother, the Rajmata of Navanagar (now Jamnagar) 85 years back -- has caused great distress to the prince and his family, the deceit of the domestic help, who was with the family for 15 years, has hurt more.
The Patek Philippe watch, is just one of two such watches ever made. The watch has a hand-crafted platinum bracelet by Cartier. "The only way you can describe this watch is priceless," said a family member who did not wish to quoted.

The guy who stole it would probably be kicking himeself for not knowing the true value of the watch :D Though I do hope the retrieve it!

Yet another watch photograpy attempt

2011-09-17T16:25:00.000-07:00

Of late, I've been meaning to get serious about photography. I recently bought a couple of flashes and a new DSLR and been waiting to get some free time to use them. Since watches are one of my favourite subjects, I thought I'll make a new wallpaper for my laptop. I'm still learning as much as I can in my free time. The result of yet another of my attempts at watch photography is below.

When you think you know it all...

2011-08-26T04:38:00.000-07:00

I'd like to start off by apologising for not posting anything for a while now. Both CF and I, have been terribly busy with a personal project and been hard pressed to find the time to do anything else. This also meant that we were spending less time with our better halves. So when CF asked me to come along to help him buy a watch for his girl friend, I took the opportunity to get my wife a little something as well.
While on the way to the store, we debated about what to get. We had a budget of around 10k($222) each, so we had our work cut out for us. The biggest challenge was to get a watch that's available locally, which meant that we couldn't take our time ordering something online. Plus with the increase in import duty there was no telling what the customs officials might fancy adding to the price.
The first two options that came to mind were 'Seiko' and 'Tissot', so we started deciding which ones fall within our budget. We were feeling confident with our decision but then CF suggested that we get some confirmation. Now, the only way to do this was to call up the others better half and have them suggest a look or design and then end up buying the same watch for them, while asking them to stay mum, so as to not "ruin the surprise". Interestingly, the conversation on both our ends went something like this:
Me (to CF's girl friend): Hey, I wanna buy a nice watch for the wife, and needed some inputs.
Her: Sure! Just get her something with some bling!
Me: Err...I was thinking of a nice entry level Tissot.
Her: Does it have diamonds on it?
Me: You mean crystals?
Her: Yeah, same thing.
Me: No, not in my budget, but it's still a nice Swiss Made watch from a 'real' watch company and...
Her: Yeah, but bling is in, so she won't like it. Just get anything with diamonds.

The conversation between CF and my wife went the same way. No matter how much we tried pointing out the importance of a good watch making brand, it didn't really make much of a difference. In the end we gave up and made our way to a Guess outlet. There, CF picked up the one on the left:

Since my wife already had to Guess watches, I ended up picking up a Swatch Irony:

The cost? The Guess was for around Rs8,000($178) after a 15% discount, while the Swatch cost Rs6550($145)

Usually, CF and I are the 'go-to' guys for any watch related queries and suggestions and being a WIS it's easy to overlook the so called 'fashion watches'. But the guys in the marketing department for the various fashion houses, know what their customers want. Looks like we have a lot of learning to do!

Incoming!! Orient Mako Pepsi!

2011-07-09T05:08:00.000-07:00

A truly stunning gift from my girlfriend, this one came just in time for my birthday (10th July)!! I wanted one for a long time now and as you can probably imagine, I'm very ecstatic! :)
The rubber band that came with it was replaced by the matching Pepsi coloured NATO within a minute after I opened the box. Shout out to Marc from ISLAND WATCH for taking some time off from his vacation and getting this shipped in time :)

Increase in import duty on watches!

2011-07-08T03:24:00.000-07:00

I just came back from the customs office and I was alarmed to hear that the import duty on watches has be increased to 40% from March. It doesn't end here - if like me, you are a private collector and don't have an Import Code (used by companies who import stuff all the time), there is an additional 20% slapped on you as a fine plus 2% for some other crappy fee. So essentially , you could be expected to pay a whopping 62% duty on your watch! If you do have an Import Code, then the total duty is just 20% or so.
Of course, if you are good with your 'persuasion skills', you can get away for less. Whats weird is that I had to pay a duty of only 22% ( when compared to 60%) when I got my Laco via FedEx just a week ago :s

New e-mail address: indiawatchblog@yahoo.com

2011-07-05T23:22:00.000-07:00

We get a lot of e-mails from you guys, and we love answering them, so we thought that it would be better to have a simple & easy to remember e-mail address for the blog, rather than the complicated ones we normally use. So for all future communications kindly send all your questions to our new e-mail address: indiawatchblog@yahoo.com

Laco Pilot 42 Type A Automatic - Ref: 861692 "Bremen"

2011-07-02T16:27:00.000-07:00

Originally termed 'Beobachtungsuhr' or 'B-Uhr' for short, these type of watches were specially crafted for the German Luftwaffe pilots by A. Lange & Söhne, IWC, Wempe and the Pforzheim brands Laco and Stowa. The primary concern for these types of watches was the ease of readability even when the pilots were up in the air. For this very reason, a black dial with white luminous hands and numbers and a specially marked 12 o'clock denoted by a triangle with two small circles on the sides. Thus the Flieger, also commonly know as the Pilot or Aviator watch was born.

Laco Pilot 42 Type A Automatic - Ref: 861692 "Bremen"

Packaging: This watch come with a smart black leather zipper pouch which is pretty tough from the inside to protect it from any external damage. This leather case itself comes inside a nice cardboard box. Both the leather pouch and the cardboard box have 'Laco/1925' written on them on the bottom right corner, which in my mind looks pretty elegant.

The watch comes along with an additional black leather strap and a small manual which tells you how to set the time for all the different kinds of movements used by Laco.

First Impression: This watch is quite stunning in its own simple way. Definitely something that catches your attention. The leather strap with the rivets goes really well with the dial and enhances the overall look of the watch.

Case: 42mm wide and 12mm in height, stainless steel with a beautiful matte finish to it. It has "FL23883" engraved on the left and some more stuff on the back. The quality seems really good and has a nice feel to it. This one comes with a domed and anti-reflective sapphire crystal. and waterproof up to 5 ATM, which is good enough for your daily wear. Just like the original, this one comes with an 'onion crown' which looks great on a Flieger.

Movement: The Bremen runs on the ever dependable Swiss automatic ETA 2824-2. It has 25 jewels, does 28800 bph and has no date complication.

Dial: This model has the Type A dial, which excludes the inner circle as compared to the Type B dial. I prefer this one as its got a nice clean look to it. The hour marking have Arabic numbers and the traditional triangle for the 12.
The hands hands are nice and wide for easy readability, which was a very important factor while constructing these kinds of watches back when they were first produced. The hands also have a beautiful blue outline which gives the watch a very classy look. Both the hands and the hour markings have Superluminova C3 on them which is pretty bright once charged.

Strap: The watch comes with a nice thick brown calf leather strap with a couple of rivets on either side of the case, which look great, just like the original Laco Pilot. As mentioned above, this watch comes with an additional black leather strap, which I think is pretty sweet. The buckle had Laco engraved on it.

Overall Impression: This watch had been on my wish list for quite a while now and I can truly say that it doesn't disappoint at all. It really a stunning timepiece with very nice build quality. Like I mentioned in my earlier post, although the case is 42mm, it has the presence and the look of a 44-45mm case, but somehow doesn't appear over sized. It looks just right!
There are lots of companies that produce Fliegers, but not all of them are a part of its history. I think Laco has done a wonderful job recreating this stunning and classic timepiece, with great build quality and at an affordable price.

Surprise delivery

2011-07-01T15:41:00.000-07:00

Some of you might be aware that a while back, CF and I had taken an online course in watch repair. Unfortunately, we soon ran out of watches to practice on (or destroy?). To add to it, work at our workplace also increased, and the course came to an abrupt stop. We'd always discuss about resuming it, but never got the time or inclination to do it.
A few days ago, I got a surprise delivery from a WIS friend from Delhi. It was a box containing six 'guinea pig' watches for me and CF to practice on. Along with it was a letter which encouraged us to "experiment on" the watches and basically do whatever we felt like with them, and if we wanted more, there were many more from where they came from!
If there was anything that could motivate us into completing the course, it was this!
Here are the six 'guinea pigs':

I have to confess though. While, I'm pumped about being able to work on the watches, I really can't bring myself to fiddle around with the Enicar.

The watch is screaming for a restoration and I hope my watch guy can do a good job with it.

A special shout out to Sumer, who took time out to collect the watches and ship them out to us. Both CF and I truly appreciate it! :)

HQ Rolex wallpaper

2011-06-30T14:55:00.000-07:00

Was playing around with the camera and took this shot. Thought I'll share it here. I think it makes a nice wallpaper. Notice anything unusual ? ;)

Click on the pic for the full resolution (1600x900)

Incoming 1 - Laco Flieger 42 Typ A Automatik

2011-06-30T02:28:00.000-07:00

So this the first of the two watches that I spoke about in my last post. I should be ecstatic, but things didn't go exactly as I had planned. The customs department really put me in a foul mood in the morning. FedEx sent me an invoice for the total duties and taxes I was required to pay. Its honestly quite a pretty penny and over that, I was required to pay octroi. All in all, its about half of what I paid for the watch. To make it worse, the customs totally disregarded the price of the watch mentioned in the invoice (and honestly that what I paid for it). They instead thought they knew more about watches than the company itself and valued the watch at 75% more than the original price!! So not only was I pissed that I am having to pay more as customs duty, I am more appalled at how they chose their own price for it.
However, I really wanted this watch for a long time and the original price + shipping (without the discount I was offered) is quite close to what I eventually paid for it, so i thought I'll take it anyway. Moreover this was supposed to be an early birthday for myself and I couldn't see it go away.

Having cleared that of my mind, I preset to you this truly gorgeous timepiece with a history dating back to WW II - the Laco Flieger 42 Type A Automatik - "Bremen"

Specs: ETA 2824-2, Stainless steel case with "FL23883" engraving Ø: 42 mm, height 12 mm, domed and anti-reflective Sapphire crystal, solid case back with engraving, 5 ATM

I'll let the pics do the talking as I will be doing a review on it soon enough. One thing I have to say, although it has a 42mm diameter, it appears larger than that. Its good for people who want to go for the 45mm, but are in two minds if it will look too big on the wrist. This one looks just right! :)
Apologies for the quality of the pics, I had o rush home and take some quick shots during my lunch break. Some of the pics have been shot on my camera phone. As always, click on the pic to enlarge it.

I forgot to take the blue plastic off the rivets, so took another wrist shot -

An attempt to capture the lume on my camera phone -

That feeling is back!!

2011-06-27T22:28:00.000-07:00

Its been almost two years since my last purchase (Rolex Sub) and this dry spell was really depressing for me. Finally I have not one, but two watches incoming as I type, all thanks to my (and Bio's) birthday thats around the corner :)

Will be taking lots of pics and perhaps a review too. So excited!!

Spotted in the wild - Rolex

2011-06-09T22:16:00.000-07:00

Well, not really :P , but was on the way to work when Bio noticed the guy in front of us on the bike had a jacket on with 'Rolex' written on it. Thought it'll be fun to share it here :)

Omega serial number and year list

2011-06-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

I had been looking for this for sometime now. I was curious to know which year my Seamaster was assembled in (2006). I had e-mailed Omega a couple of years back but they replied saying that they couldn't provide info on it for "security reasons". Click on the link below to access the page:

Game on!

2011-05-26T13:34:00.000-07:00

It was another day at work, nothing eventful really, until I got a call from my brother-in-law. He managed to get four passes for the IPL semi-final match between Mumbai Indian (MI) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Though I am not too much into cricket, I really like watching these 20 overs a side matches and since neither Bio or I have seen an IPL match live in a stadium, we agreed instantly. Also there seats were one the best ones in the stadium and it was pretty close to where the players were sitting, so that was even better. So it was my brother-in-law, my dad, Bio and myself. Both, my brother-in-law and my dad are huge cricket fans, so I guess they were much more excited about it than us.

Since this is a watch related blog rather than a sports website, I'll keep it short and simple. We arrived at the stadium about 45 minutes early and after going through a number of security checks ( I think there were 5 of them), made out way to our seats. The players of both teams were still doing their warm-up exercises at this point and It was fun to spot your favourite players in person.

Thought I'd snap a quick wrist shot at the entrance

Players doing their warm-up exercises

Soon enough the cheerleaders were out entertaining the crowd and we happened to have seats right behind them :)

The stadium was almost full and the atmosphere was electrifying as this is a country of cricket lovers. Also, since the match was being played in Mumbai, there was a LOT of cheering for the home team. A guy in front of us tried to get the attention of any player on the field that was closest to us, but couldn't. There was also a Mexican wave from time to time which got a lil too much in the end and most of the people didn't bother about it by that time. I think we even got to be on TV when the ball was smashed in the area right where we were seated. You have to really watch out for hits like these. A kid sitting close to us narrowly avoided being hit by the ball that came our way. He was lucky that it only grazed his left arm.

My fav batsmen - Sachin Tendulkar on strike :)

Time for another quick wrist shot!

All in all, the experience was better than what I had expected. It turned out to be a great match which went on till the very last over and we (MI) won by 4 wickets :)

Blast from the past

2011-05-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

The other day, my parents were busy doing some spring cleaning while I was coping with a mild hangover from a company party the previous night. I didn't really expect to have a productive day, until my dad found this (apologies for the quality of the pics as they have been taken from my phone's camera)-

I couldn't believe it, my old Swatch! This watch had been given to me by my brother in law about 7 years ago. Bio got one too, but he lost his. It was a huge deal for me even at that time as it was my first Swiss watch. Even though I wasn't into watches at the time, I knew Swiss watches were something to be desired. This one had certainly taken a beating over the years it went missing. The strap was literally in pieces and the crystal full of scratches. I was happy to find that the battery hadn't leaked and as far as I could tell, a simple battery change would put the watch back in action.

One thing that bothered me was that the lugs had these extruding parts (sorry, just cant think of a better word) in between them which meant that I couldn't fix a regular strap on it. I know, I know, I should have waited and ordered an original Swatch strap for it, but I was just to excited and wanted to put a NATO on it, so I decided to get rid of them. Arming myself with a pair of pliers and a Swiss knife, I managed to do a decent job in removing them without any damage to the watch.

Unfortunately the NATO I had lying around was not only a size or two too large, but I realized that there just isn't enough space between the body and the spring bar to put one through it. The strap was just too thick for it :(
So finally I had to make do with a thin leather strap, which looks OK, but hey, at least I can wear it on my wrist again :)

Finally a trip to my watch guy and about Rs.200 ($4-5) later, it sprung back to life - everything working perfectly! To think, just a few days ago, I was wishing I had Swatch in my collection, then this one came back to me :)

Trip to Malaysia

2011-04-16T01:11:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long absence, but things took a while to settle down after I got married. To add to it, there was a lot of additional work that had come in, which kept me longer in the office. Thankfully CF was there to look over the blog, add posts and reply to the comments :)
Anyway, my wife and I had gone on a 8 day trip to Malaysia for out honeymoon, which was generously sponsored by my sister's husband, who had promised my wife (then girlfriend) a honeymoon whenever we decided to tie the knot!

Before I go further, I have to say the people we encountered in Malaysia were quite friendly, which is a big plus while one's on vacation. Even while bargaining (which is something I'm not comfortable with, but my wife, being a true Indian, loves doing!), it was always pleasant and fun. So I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who's thinking of making a trip there.
My watch for the trip was the Omega Seamaster 'Great White'. I had planned on spending a lot of time in the pool or on the beach and possibly diving (in Langkawi), so I needed something made for jumping into the pool and general swimming. The choice was between the Orange Monster and the Seamaster, but I chose the Omega over the Seiko since the OM had accompanied me on my trip to Thailand in Feb, this year (for my bachelor party) and it was only fair that I owed a trip to the Omega.
KL was next after Langkawi and fortunately, we were staying in a hotel (Prince Hotel) which was a 10 min walk from the famous Petronas Twin Towers. It was also very close to 'Bukit Bintang' which is a great place to bar hop since the street is lined with pubs on either side.
The first day in KL, we visited the Suria Kuala Lumpur City Center or KLCC, which is a large mall at the base of the Petronas and houses a lot of luxury brands like Loius Vuitton, Bulgari, Cartier, Rolex, Piaget, etc. Although most of the stuff is high end and expensive, it was a nice place to visit and plus the food court was quite decent. It also gave me a chance to take some photographs of the watch showrooms!: (Apologies for the crappy pics, but I had just an old point and shoot with me at the time and the quality isn't the best)

(Strangely, there wasn't an Omega showroom. I was hoping to check it out)

We had planned on visiting the twin towers the next day and found out that the tickets go on sale everyday at precisely 8:30am.
While in Langkawi, we had got chatting with a friendly British couple who, apart from buying us a free round of drinks, had just been to KL and advised us to get up really early if we ever planned on visiting the Petrona towers. Keeping that in mind I had decided to get to the ticketing window an hour in advance so that I could beat the rush. Little did I know what was in store. I reached the ticketing office at 7:40am, only to find a long beeline to the counter already. Apparently, the best time to reach the counter is between 6:30, which I found out only after I reached the counter, to be told that the passes to the observation deck (86th floor) were already sold out and only the sky bridge passes were available (41st floor). Although I wasn't very pleased, I decided to get the sky bridge passes (10 Ringgit each).

Here are a quick wrist shot while I was up there:

Genting Highlands was the last destination in Malaysia. We were there for 2 nights and were at the Casino floor both nights. The Casinos are quite large and have separate section for non-smokers, which was a huge relief since the smoke in the other areas was really starting to hurt my eyes. We were lucky overall, with a combined winning of 2000 Ringgits or Rs30,800 ($666) which enabled us to shop for my family at the airport dutyfree! I was also able to buy a nice wallet for my dad (Mont Blanc) which I knew he'd really like, but couldn't ever bring himself to spending so much on a wallet. Every time I see him enjoying his new wallet, makes it more than worthwhile :)
Overall the trip was fantastic and we had a great time together! I'm just waiting for the next occasion I get some time off from work (probably close to October) so that I can take another vacation and post another trip report ;)

Watches in movies - do they have any influence on you?

2011-04-08T05:20:00.000-07:00

So the other day I was watching Constantine on TV and noticed a simple looking watch on Keanu Reeves' wrist. Later in the movie, they zoomed in on it and you can clearly see its an Oris, the Modern Classic to be exact.

(images taken from watch-id.com)

I have seen this watch online a few times while browsing different watch sites, but never really looked closely. However, today Bio and I were both actually searched for it and read about the specs and the price (its discontinued now). For a while, a part of me wanted to get one. So clearly, watching the watch in the movie had an affect on both of us (it was the same with the movie Inception too) :D

Later I realized that personally, it really doesn't matter who's wearing the watch. I think it looks nice when paired up with the rest of the character's wardrobe. I guess that has way more influence on me than if I just see a pic of it online.

Inspiration

2011-03-17T03:32:00.000-07:00

About a month ago, I was browsing through Watchlords , and i came across a post which had a link to a video about the Submariner. Its not really a video, but a slide show of a few beautiful pics with some music in the background. A few seconds into the video, and I had a smile on my face :)

A couple of years ago, when my dream was to own a Sub, i couldn't really imagine myself ever getting one in the near future. I never could seem to get any inspiration to just forget about everything and go for it. I used to feel pretty sad really. Then one day Bio suggested that we should put pics of the watch we wanted (Sub for me and a white Explorer II for him) as our desktop wallpaper on our comps at work. I tried to choose a pic that will really make me want the watch more and more every time I would look at it and chose this (the very first pic in the video) :

I would look at it everyday and keep telling myself, "I shall have it soon!", and how nice it would look on my wrist. It worked!! And not too long after that, I bought a Sub!! Although it wasn't new, it was in excellent condition with not a single scratch on it. I was on top of the world!

So when I looked at that video, it reminded me of that time and how I actually managed to get my dream watch. By the way, for those who are wondering about Bio - he changed his preference soon and chose to go for a white dial Seamaster instead. A pic was put up on his comp and soon he too had his grail on his wrist. In fact he got it a couple of days before me and his was brand new :)

For those wanting to buy/sell watches in India

2011-02-15T19:51:00.000-08:00

I like to go over at Ebay India from time to time and see what's on offer. But all that seems to be available are the run of the mill Japanese quartz watches and loads of fakes :( This got me and CF thinking about letting India Watch Blog help people sell/buy watches (genuine ones only!!) by listing them on our sales site.
The site hasn't seen much activity of late since my friends seem to take interest in the ones we plan on selling, and take them off our hands even before we can list them. Also, there haven't been any new purchases, off late, since there were loads of expenses that had come up in the recent past. So we essentially didn't have any new watches to add to our collection that would've made room for the older ones to be sold off.
So anyone looking to buy or sell a watch, drop in a mail at n3m3s1s_rulz@yahoo.com and we'll be glad to list it up on our blog.

My Seiko 5

2011-01-31T22:22:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago, I bought a Seiko 5 while on a trip to Thailand. It was more of an impulse buy and started giving me problems on the very first day. The glass had fogged up and I had to take it back and get it fixed the very next day. As time progressed, I realized it doesn't get too much wrist time and so I decided to sell it.
I put an ad for it online and soon was contacted by a watch dealer. A deal was struck for Rs.3750 ($82). A week later that guy contacts me and says he doesn't want the watch and says he wants his money back. I refund him his money but when I get the watch back, its in a bad condition. There are a lot more scratches than before and some if the paint from the markers on the Bezel was missing. The box too was missing and took quite a lot of phone calls before I got it back. I decided its not worth my time to talk to that guy any more and I thought of just making it my beater watch.
Another few months on and a close friend of mine got interested in it. I however couldn't allow myself to sell him the watch in the condition it was in, so I decided to get it serviced. I was slightly worried that the servicing cost would push the price a lil too high for my friend, but I went ahead with it anyway.
I took it to this place called Singapore Watch Company. Some of you may recognize that name as we had got my dad's Omega serviced from there. I wanted a full service and clean up (including original Seiko gaskets). I asked for the total damage and at the same time trying to think what would be a fair price to sell it to my friend and before I knew it he told me - Rs. 600 ($13)!! Not only was it so cheap, he also gave a year's warranty. The watchmaker did a great job at it. The watch now looks beautiful and will hopefully get the wrist time it deserves.

A WIS up in the air? Maybe you should pay a visit to the lavatory.

2011-01-11T20:48:00.000-08:00

Form the Times Of India:

Costly Swiss watches found in AI plane toilet

Mumbai: Officials found 20 diamond-studded, branded Swiss watches in an Air India aircraft toilet on Monday. Each of the Franck Muller Geneve watches costs between Rs 10 lakh (~$22100) and Rs 15 lakh (~$33200). Six other less expensive watches of the same brand were also found.
The officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), who had received information about goods being hidden in the toilet, searched the AI Airbus which came from Abu Dhabi and landed at the international airport on Monday night. They found a cavity in the wall containing a bag full of watches and chemical packets.
The officials are investigating how the watches were taken inside the aircraft. “The passengers had left the aircraft when we reached,” they said. “We are investigating the involvement of the maintenance staff because the watches could only be removed after the aircraft, which is not locked, was shifted to the hangar.”
The officials said the sender would not smuggle watches into a country if he was not absolutely certain about his accomplice being able to take them out of the airport.

Posers beware! A WIS might be around...

2011-01-05T20:28:00.000-08:00

First off, I'd like to wish everyone here a Very Happy New Year! Thank you for you comments and feedback. Both CF and I look really look forward them and please continue to send them in :) Now, lets get back to the post:
So, after a lot of years of failed planning, a bunch of us finally ended up in Goa for New Years and although it's not the best time to be there with all the traffic, crowds and hiked up prices; it was still a lot more fun then doing nothing in Mumbai. I had heard about the Casinos in Goa, but had never been to one, so a few of us decided to try a couple of them out.
(Note:Since, the Government of India prohibits live gambling on Indian Land, the Casinos are built on ships which are docked just a few feet from the banks of the river Mandovi, which flows through the capital city Panjim.)
So, there I was playing Black Jack with about 7 other players when I catch a nice looking watch, in the corner of my eye. It was a what seemed to be a Tag Heuer Grand Carrera. I asked the guy wearing it from across the table, whether it indeed was one. He confirmed it and then after a few seconds, proudly takes it off his wrist and hands it over to me.
Guy: "Here, have a closer look at it. It cost me Rs 2.8 Lakhs! ($6,085)"
Me: "Umm...where did you pick this up from?"
Guy: "The Tag showroom"
Me: "You should return it and get your money back, cause it's a fake."
The guy, who was slightly drunk, suddenly sobered up. He asks me how can I be so sure. I explain to him that apart from the poor construction of the watch, the dial had the words "chronometer" on it and since the seconds hand was 'ticking' rather than 'sweeping', it was a quartz watch, where as the real one would've been an automatic.
The guy had turned a dark shade of scarlet by that time and his friends around him started snickering at his embarrassment.
Not wanting to cause a further scene, i just handed the watch back over to him and continued with the game :p

It helps to read the literature!

2010-12-08T20:56:00.000-08:00

I came across this article published in 'Mumbai Mirror', (a popular tabloid here in Mumbai) and it saddens me when (educated but arrogant) people can't take some time off to learn some basics, but important, when it comes to buying something expensive :/

"If you have a grievance about your automatic watch failing to keep up,see if you're using it right.Claiming that his self-winding Rolex had gone kaput,octogenarian Dr K R Shetty sought a refund and compensation.
However,the South Mumbai District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum has dismissed his plaint,holding that such watches require regular usage to function well.
For Rs 9.41 lakh,Shetty had bought a Rolex Oyster perpetual daydate watch in September 2007,from a store in Kalaghoda.
The watch used to get automatically charged when worn on a human wrist due to movement of the arm.However,Shetty said the watch was malfunctioning,and returned it to the shop in February 2008.
The shop told Shetty the watch found to be perfectly fine.As the shop refused to refund him,Shetty lodged a complaint before the forum,stating the piece had a manufacturing defect.
The shop argued that the watch lacked power reserve due to poor wrist movement,and said they had even told Shetty to give some manual winds to the watch,which Shetty did not.
Ruling out any defect,Rolex informed Shetty that such watches were to be worn daily,for at least eight hours.
It has to be worn so that it shakes and swings so as to wind the coilspring to provide the energy for it to function well, the company said.
Dismissing Shetty's case,the forum noted last week,In this case,it appears the watch is not worn daily as Shetty claimed to be affluent enough to have more than one timepiece.
Holding that it is for Shetty to prove his claim with independent evidence when tests by the dealer and company prove that the watch was faultless,the forum noted,He has not produced evidence that despite regular use,the watch is malfunctioning. "
Hopefully, he'll pay more attention to the sales staff next time!

Does it make sense to buy it here?

2010-12-01T02:23:00.000-08:00

The other day, an uncle of mine called up and asked me regarding an ad for a Rolex watch in one of the newspapers. He wanted to know the price and some info on the model. When I had a look, it was an ad for a Rolex Day-Date 118238 (with the President bracelet). Absolutely stunning!!
(pic not mine)

I had no idea of the exact price, so I called up an AD in the city. He quoted Rs. 1292000 ($28482) with the President bracelet and Rs. 1220800 ($26952) with the Oyster bracelet. I am always tempted to compare prices here and abroad, so I compared the Indian prices with the ones in the US and Europe, which are as follows:
US prices:
With President bracelet - $26400 ~ Rs. 1198032 (diff=Rs. 93968 or $2082)
With Oyster bracelet - $24950 ~ Rs. 1132330 (diff=Rs. 88470 or $2002)

European prices:
With President bracelet - € 20715 ~ Rs. 1231958 (diff=Rs. 60042)
With Oyster bracelet - € 19580 ~ Rs. 1164562 (diff=Rs. 56238)

I am aware that Europe has some extra taxes to be paid, but I think tourists can claim it back.

So looking at the above prices, its not just a difference of a few Rupees, its pretty significant. I can actually get return flight tickets (and maybe accommodation) to the above mentioned places and buy one there in the same amount. That way I get the watch and a short vacation too :p

I am not criticizing Rolex's pricing policies here. I am sure they have their reasons for it. However, if I had that kind of the cash to buy that watch, I think I'll consider the option of taking my short vacation :)

Its here!!

2010-11-10T11:38:00.000-08:00

Yup, the Pilot is finally here! My dad told me that the salesperson told him that the watch had been in the display case for a long time. He even did a quick service before selling it, although I am not too sure how good it was as the crown seems a bit stiff when trying to wind it. Click on the pics to enlarge.

The watch definitely looks like an earlier model as compared to the one my brother bought. The case seems a lil 'edgy' and old fashioned and its has an extra line of text on the dial which I quite like. The lume seems a lil crusty and the numbers actually have an orange glow to it although very faint. The hands have a green glow like the newer model. Another thing I like is that the second hand on my watch is red.
In the end, I'm glad to finally have a Pilot in my collection. The strap on it is soft, but like i said earlier, I think I'll get a NATO for it.

Incoming....HMT Pilot!!

2010-11-09T20:55:00.000-08:00

A few months ago, I had helped a fellow WUS member obtain a black HMT Pilot and although Bio and I picked up 3 of them (thats all they had at the HMT showroom). At that point, I didn't think of keeping one for myself as I thought I'll come by another one easily, and besides, I could always wear Bio's if I wanted to. Soon the watch grew on me and I started calling and asking watch shops in my area if they had one on them, but none of them did. In fact one salesman even asked me if I could let him know when I do come across one.
Last week my dad called up from my hometown and told me that he came across one at a small watch shop! Needless to say I was ecstatic and I asked him to pick it up immediately. I also asked him to pick up a black Kohinoor, since its too tempting not to pick up just one.
He should be in Mumbai by today evening and I just can't wait to finally own a Pilot! Maybe I'll get a NATO or a Zulu strap for it. Pics will be posted soon!

2010-11-09T20:04:00.000-08:00

It was just another slow day at work. I'm about to doze off in front of my monitor, when I get a call. It's my sister. She informs me that her 5 year wedding anniversary is around the corner and she needed my help to buy her husband a nice watch! Also, since most of the other married guys in their group had recently purchased/been gifted nice Swiss watches, she felt that her hubby, who is a doctor, needed to upgrade his watch too (he had a Giordano at the time). Needless to say, CF and I immediately offered her our help.
Here was what she wanted:
1) Recognised brand (no fashion watches)
2) Must be on a bracelet
3) Should be between Rs 25,000-30,000 ( $555-$666)
4) Should be "Swiss Made"

I wanted to suggest Hamilton, but since it's still not a known brand here, I suggested Rado and Tag (F1 series). After further discussion, we decided to go with Rado since it's been here for quite some time and is well known. Also, the F1 would've been slightly over her upper spending limit.
We agreed to meet at Inorbit Mall (a fairly well known Mall in Malad West) after CF and I were done from work.
After looking at a few Rado's we shortlisted a couple:
Rado original R12637113 (automatic)

Rado Coupole R22622712 (quartz)

Both were priced the same and although I was totally routing for the Original, we decided to go with the Coupole since the Original would've looked a little 'chunky' on her husband's smaller wrists. Also, it would be easier to wear under a shirt cuff.
Final price paid Rs 30,000 ($666), so she was quite pleased with the purchase. As for me. and CF...well, it was just another excuse to visit a watch shop, drool at the displays and try on a few watches :p
She plans on giving it to her husband today. I'm sure he's going to love it!

Finally! A pricelist in Rupees!

2010-10-20T05:28:00.000-07:00

I was lazily browsing around, when I decided to check the Ethos website. For those of you that don't know, Ethos is a large chain of watch stores in India, especially Swiss luxury watches.
They've re-vamped their website and now have a comprehensive price list of all the brands they carry. It's a pleasant surprise for watch lovers in India, who before this, had no potion but to call up the showroom to inquire about prices.
Here's the link to their website: http://www.ethoswatches.com/officialpricelist.aspx
Have fun browsing!

ETA Modifications and Upgrades

2010-10-13T23:25:00.000-07:00

I was browsing through the forums at Watchuseek when I came across this excellent and very informative post by a forum member ulackfocus (Dennis). As the title says, its regarding the modification/upgrades done to various ETA movements used by a lot of brands, even the big names and who really does all the work. I just had to share this.

Always nice to bump into another WIS

2010-10-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

Its always nice to step out at night and unwind over a few drinks with friends after a busy day at work, and thats exactly what we did last week. Bio and I decided to meet up with a few friends and headed to this really nice rooftop lounge called 'Aer'. Its a beautiful place overlooking the southern part of the city.

I was telling Bio that so far, I had spotted 3 Rolex watches already - 2 Subs and a TT GMT Master II. Just then Bio told me that he thought that a friend of a friend was wearing an Omega. The bracelet definitely looked like an Omega, but I couldn't get a good look at the watch. Eventually Bio just asked him if it was a Speedmaster he had on and indeed it was!
Two mins into the conversation, we got to know that the guy was into watches and had a Rolex (didn't say the model), Chopard Mille Miglia, a Longines and a vintage Zenith (again, he didn't specify the models). Its always nice to see a nice watch in the wild and even better to talk to someone who is into them. He promised us he would wear his vintage Zenith the next time we meet. All in all, it was a nice night and we ended up staying there till it was time for the place to close for the night.

A lot of spotting lately

2010-09-20T21:18:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, whenever someone asked in a forum, the watches you've spotted in the wild, I replied with my usual spotting of fashion brands. I remember when I went to Singapore, I was blown away by the number of high end watches people were sporting and wondered if I could ever see that in India. Well, this past month has been pretty good! So far, Bio and I spotted an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore, Rolex Sub 16610, Rolex TT GMT Master II, Rolex Airking, Omega Speedmaster and a few TAG Heuer F1s. Also, my Sub was spotted by another person while I was at liquor store. "That's a decent watch you have there", were his exact words just before he left, which unfortunately didn't give me enough time to have a look at his watch. Another WIS maybe?

Its been a while

2010-09-05T21:14:00.000-07:00

Apologies to all the followers/visitors of this blog as its been a while since we last posted here, but its really been hectic for us with our work and all, but we'll try not to let that get in the way. The title however refers to my situation in the sense thats its been a long time since I bought a new watch for myself :(
When I bought my grail - the Sub, last year, I thought that with some determination, I could get my next grail ( the first watch that I truly fell in love with) - the TAG Heuer Carrera chrono.

I've always dreamed of owning this watch and promised myself that this will be the watch I buy next. Its been a while now and I don't see myself coming close to owning one in the near future. I'm really thinking of buying a couple of affordables to keep me going till then. I constantly find myself browsing the sales pages on different forums and almost pulling the trigger on few of them.

Currently I'm thinking of buying a couple of Vostok Komandirskie.

(image taken from vostok-watches.com)

Maybe I can also get a few NATO straps and swap them every now and then.

Its back!!

2010-08-14T14:28:00.001-07:00

Many years ago, an Italian guy had rented a small cottage that belonged to my grandfather. When the time came for him to go back to Italy, he ran short of cash to pay the rent for the past few months and asked my granddad if he'd accept his gold Omega (Cal. 320) watch instead. My grandfather initially declined telling him not to worry about the rent and to keep his watch, but the Italian requested him to take the watch as he didn't feel right about not paying, and eventually my grandfather had to accept it.
My grandfather then gave the watch to my dad, who wore it for a few year in college. It had then been sent in for servicing to a local watch maker (there was no Omega service centers here back then) who turned out to be not at all competent and messed up the movement. It stopped running and was put into a safe in the bank, forgotten over the years.
Last year, after me and Bio got into watches, my Dad remembered the watch and told us about it. We finally managed to persuade him to go back to our hometown and bring the watch to us so we could have a look at it. It was beautiful and didn't deserve to be lying unused in a safe.
I'm really pleased to say that Bio and I finally managed to get it serviced and cleaned up from a local watchmaker we discovered recently (Singapore Watch Repair). They have done a pretty neat job and brought life back into the vintage beauty. Since the original gold strap was now small for my dad's wrist, we replaced it with a dark brown leather band with a golden buckle.
My dad couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the watch - working again and back on his wrist after so many years. He had totally given up hope on it after that watchmaker ruined it. This is why you have to love mechanical watches!

So excited!!

2010-08-11T03:19:00.000-07:00

My dad has a vintage Omega Cal. 320 which really needed to be repaired as some idiot watchmaker had screwed the movement a long time ago. We had first sent it to the Omega servicing center in the city but they just returned it saying they don't have the parts required to fix it.
Last week, I had come across an ad for a place called "Singapore Watch Company" in my city and they mentioned that they specialize in repairing/servicing old vintage watches. So Bio and I thought we'd give them a shot at fixing it. I just got a call from them saying that the watch is ready to be picked up. We are really hoping they have done a good job at it. We can't wait to surprise our dad!!
Keeping my fingers crossed!

Time to get a lil serious

2010-08-08T03:39:00.000-07:00

Just enrolled for the Time Zone Watch School Level 1 course. This course features an introduction to watch repairing and covers the basics of disassemble and re-assembly of the movement. You can read more about it here. I'll post a review of the course once I've completed it. In the meantime, I've also ordered the book Practical Watch Repairing, which should be on its way to me.

Can't wait to get started!

Got a little dust under the crystal?

2010-08-04T11:48:00.000-07:00

In that case, you need the right tools!
A fellow WIS had a little dust under the crystal of one of his HMT watches, and asked me if I knew anything about how to fix it.
I have opened a HMT watch before to clean the inside of the crystal, so I sort of know the process. Below is a crude step by step process on how I went about doing it.

Note 1: I am in no way an expert regarding this topic and I do this only with my cheaper, beater watches. So anyone trying this, should do so at their own risk
Note 2: I have a press fit tool to snap the case back shut, but I've been successful with just my bare hands in the past. However, while using your hands, be very careful not to put pressure on the crystal, rather than the case.

I apologise, in advance, to any experienced watchmakers/repairers in advance, if I'm doing it incorrectly and would love to have any advice from them, on how to do it right.

Customers!

2010-07-25T02:41:00.000-07:00

The other day, I paid a visit to a watch shop for picking up few watches I had ordered for. This place was bustling with customers and I started browsing the watches on display while waiting to be attended to. They had all the fashion brands on display as usual and of course Titan and Timex. Bio and I always dream of owning a nice watch shop one day where we could service,repair and sell good brands and meet other watch enthusiast. However, the customers here were nothing like that at all.
There was one guy who had a badly worn out strap with one of the keepers missing (which he substituted with a rubber band). I think he had a Fossil watch on and wanted to get the strap replaced. The guy behind the counter told him that it would cost him around Rs.1800 (~$40) to get a new original one, which seemed to be too much for him. He instead chooses to keep the strap as it is with the rubber band as a keeper and walks out. Now, I'm thinking, why couldn't he just replace it with another cheaper strap. You get pretty decent ones for Rs.250-350 ($6-8) and besides, its an old Fossil, its not like he plans to sell it in the future and is worried that the absence of the original strap will drastically lower the sale price.

Then there was this guy, who again had a Fossil with the crown missing. The guy behind the counter tells him that the price to replace it would be around Rs.850 ($18). Again, this is too much for the guy to justify and he asks for a cheaper alternative. "Well, if you want, I can just stick something on it to cover the hole (where the crown was), but you won't be able to change the time or the date. It will cost you just Rs.350 ($7-8)." This guy started thinking and I thought, surely he'll get the crown replaced, but no, he preferred to just let the watch be how it was (with the crown missing) and left. Oh! Did, I mention its monsoon here and rains everyday! Maybe he'll be back soon wondering why his watch has stopped working.

Another lady wanted to have pics of herself on a few watches to probably give away as gifts!

Then the worst kind, a guy asking for fake watches, in his case, fake Rolex Daytonas and Submariners. He also proudly claimed that his dad wears a fake Rolex and gifts them to his friends.

Now if these are the kind of customers I can expect to visit my watch shop, I'm not sure I'm too keen on the idea anymore!

New sales corner

2010-07-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

We now have a new 'Sales Section' here at IWB where we'll be selling mostly HMTs and some of our pre-owned watches. Feel free to take a look. Link is on the right!

Incoming Poljot Strela

2010-07-13T12:23:00.000-07:00

When I came back to work from lunch, I was informed by the security guard that a parcel was waiting for me. My Strela had made it's way from Germany to my office, in Mumbai, in just 5 days! Fantastic time, considering the shipping was free!

Here are some un-boxing pics:

Well packaged :)

It came with a stock black leather strap, but the quality wasn't to my liking, so I swapped it with a brown one from my old Lorus.
This Strela was a re-issue of the watch worn by Alexei Leonov during the first ever space walk on 18th March, 1965. It has the proven Poljot 3133 caliber, which replaced the old 3017 caliber, present on the original watch.
As you can see, this is a limited edition series, with mine being no 93/500 :)
The quality of the dial took me by surprise. I've heard stories of poor quality control on Poljot watches, but I have to say, the dial seems really well built. The case is 38mm across, which is the perfect dress watch size for me.

The literature that came with it mentioned that the accuracy is about -10 to +20 sec a day, but I'll only be able to comment on that once it's spend some time on the wrist.
It's sad that Poljot is no longer manufacturing watches, but there are still plenty of new old stocks out there to keep watch enthusiasts like me happy.
For more info on Poljot, here's a link to their wiki page.

Dissapointing trip in quest for some HMT watches

2010-07-11T10:42:00.000-07:00

A fellow member on a watch forum wondered if I could help him find three HMT watches - a black Kohinoor, a white Sona and a white 'art deco' Janta. The Sona wasn't a problem as I already have a BNIB lying around, so I thought I'll visit a small watch shop from where I've purchased a couple of HMTs before. Its normally the smaller shops that stock HMT watches as the others don't bother stocking anything below the usual Titan, Citizen and other quartz ones.

I got there and the guy instantly recognized me. I asked him for the watches and he started looking for them. He had a few HMTs lying around and I was expecting the Kohinoor to be available easily, but there was none to be found. At least he assured me that he would definitely manage to get me one in a day or two, however he mentioned that the prices have gone up for these manual HMTs by about Rs.80-90 ($2 USD). I'm not sure if he was really being honest or just trying to pull a fast one at me. Regardless, I told him to get one for me and left to check out a few other shops nearby.

I checked out 5 more shops, but none of them had any HMTs. They all told me that the company no longer makes these manual watches and besides, not many people buy them. This was the second time I was told this. Most people really don't care for these mechanical movements anymore and just go for quartz which means bad news for the company and us watch lovers. Its sad knowing that it isn't going to be very long before they completely disappear from the shelves.

So unfortunately, I couldn't find what I was looking for, but I did see a few el cheapo TAG Heuer, Rolex knock offs or some might call them homages (as the names were different).

Pyrolume got spotted

2010-07-09T17:35:00.000-07:00

This is a first - I was stopped at a red light, when I heard a voice say "Excuse me!". I didn't react much until I heard another 'Excuse me!'. I looked at the vehicle besides me and there were two girls in there -
Girls (together) - Wow!! Which watch is that??
Me - Pyrolume
Girls - What??
Me - Pyrolume - P-Y-R-O-L-U-M-E
Girls - WOW!! So Cool!!!
Girls - Where can we get one??
Me - Search for it on Ebay
Girls - Can we find it in Google search??
Me - Sure!
Girls - Thank you so much!
Me - Cheers! :)

From Russia with love! (on the way)

2010-07-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

Well, it's being sent via Germany, but I'm sure you get the drift :p
It's been quite a while since I got a new watch, and even though I promised myself to hold out until I save up for a grail, I couldn't pass up the opportunity. You'll know why when I get it!
(thanks to Russ from Russ/Russian Watches for all the info on it!)
I'm so excited!! (Just hope they aren't any hassles with the customs department)

Hello Google 2

2010-07-08T03:53:00.000-07:00

Woohoo!!! We are finally on the top! Just a few days ago me and Bio were wondering how long it would be before we can see this blog as the first result in Google search for "India watch blog'. Never realized the day would come so soon!! :D

Singapore trip pics

2010-07-06T01:55:00.000-07:00

I was just flicking through some old threads of mine when I came across one about our trip to Singapore from November last year. I also got my grail (the Sub) from there :)
Singapore was awesome and I was blown away by the number of watch shops I saw. Most of them have Pateks, VC and AP. And the women!!......well, I'll have to start a new thread about that

This was taken at the Mumbai Airport. It was a nice surprise to see this there
I love the crowns on them. Its the first time I've seen them on clock.

The first thing I did when I arrived in Singapore was get my Sub. A quick wrist shot:

My Sub alongside Bio's Seamaster GMT
On the way to a RSC to get it authenticated - People crossing the street
Here it is, The BIG ROLEX building
This was a really cool place. It had a glass wall through which you could see the staff working on/checking your Rolex . I wasn't sure if they allowed cameras inside so I sneaked this shot
The Hour Glass - they have lots of them over there and you can find a lot of top brands in there

First time I ever saw a PP in person!
The TAG Heuer Carrera Singapore Special Edition
A Raymond Weil Clock outside a mall
Bio checking the time
It was time to leave. We were at the Singapore airport when I spotted this -
That made my trip complete

Hope you guys like the small WIS tour of Singapore from my camera lense.

Great animated video showing how a watch works

2010-07-05T23:28:00.001-07:00

I was helping a fellow member on WUS by trying to find an animated video showing how a 7750 movement works, when I stumbled upon this. Its video showing how a simple automatic watch works. Its beautifully animated and explained. I founded in one of my subscribed channels on Youtube. For those who are interested, the channel is called HouseOfRam and its got a lot of nice watch related videos.

A sad day for the watch world

2010-06-28T22:05:00.000-07:00

A legend in the world of Horology, Mr. Nicolas G. Hayek passed away last night (28th June 2010). Here is the Press Release from the Swatch Group:

Press Release

Biel/Bienne, 28 June 2010 - With deep sadness and regret we inform you that Mr. Nicolas G. Hayek, Chairman and Delegate of the Board of Directors of The Swatch Group Ltd. unexpectedly passed away today due to heart failure during work at his beloved Swatch Group.

Mr. Nicolas G. Hayek's greatest merit was his enormous contribution to the saving of the Swiss watch industry and the foundation and the commercial development of the Swatch Group. Mr. Nicolas G. Hayek's extraordinary vision enabled him to realize and ensure the sustainability of a strong watchmaking enterprise with high Swiss added value. He is rightly recognized as a leading entrepreneur in this country.

With the right personnel decisions, Mr. Nicolas G. Hayek also ensured that his ideas and beliefs will live on and that continuity is guaranteed in regard of shareholders, Board of Directors and the Group Management Board.

__________________________________________________________

Our prayers are with his family and friends.

Interesting read on Nicolas Hayek, CEO of Swatch

2010-06-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

Found this link on Watchtalkforums. A must read!

Hello Google!!

2010-06-14T23:53:00.000-07:00

Finally!! Our blog now shows up on the very first page when you search for 'India watch blog' in Google. Its getting there folks - slow and steady! I can't wait to see it at the very top :D

OMEGA Aqua Terra Eau de Toilette pour Homme

2010-06-14T22:13:00.000-07:00

source: www.omegawatches.com

I have a habit of going a bit overboard with things every once in a while, but when it comes to fine watches, my (not so fine) salary keeps me under check. However, while flipping through a magazine yesterday, I learnt that Omega had launched a fragrance for men. Being an Omega guy, I was immediately drawn towards it. It's called "Aqua Terra" and according to its website:
"More than a hundred of the most exclusive raw materials were selected and blended. The result is a long-lasting fragrance with energetic, sophisticated, sensuous aspects."
I'm sure it smells great, plus the bottle will be a nice keep. Besides, at Rs 4,100 ($88) it's not going to burn a big hole in my pocket.
Oh, did I mention it's Swiss Made! ;)

Surprise Spotting

2010-06-10T23:10:00.000-07:00

So, Crazyfingers and I visited our hometown of Dehradun after a LONG time and though there are some visible changes that have taken place (new eating joints, showrooms, etc), it's still keeps true to its image of a small town known for its MANY schools and green surroundings :)

Dehradun Railway Station

It was quite a refreshing change to be away from the fast paced and stressful lifestyle of Mumbai. I just loved how relaxed and laid back life still is back there. Eating out is cheap, even in the best of restaurants, and it's still quite rare to spot a Merc or a BMW on the roads :p But on the way back, at the airport we were quite surprised to spot 2 Omegas (Planet Ocean and Constellation) and a Rolex (apart from mine and CF's)! The guy with the Planet Ocean was sitting next to CF on the coach to the plane, but was looking a bit too grumpy to start a conversation with.
I had a connecting flight to Mumbai from Delhi the next day, but the evening we arrived, we visited the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurgaon. It's a 142 acre expanse and has one of the best golf courses in the subcontinent. I was kicking myself for not carrying a camera, but I did manage to capture a couple of pictures of the golf course with my cell phone, which needless to say, do not do the place any justice.

DLF Golf and Country Club

Unfortunately, it was really hot out that day and we didn't stick around for very long, but while there I did spot a Rolex Yatchmaster! So in all, it was quite an exciting trip for two watch geeks like us :)

New V/S Pre-owned advantages

2010-05-23T05:24:00.000-07:00

Advantages of buying a watch brand new –

1) It’s new!! – A new watch always gives you a happy sensation in your head. It makes the watch special and makes you want to take extra care of it and ‘pampered’ it a little.

2) The only way to get a new model – Hey, if you want those newly launched models, there is no way you can get them pre-owned. This way you also have the exclusive opportunity to enjoy the watch on your wrist before its starts becoming too common.

3) The buying experience – It’s always a nice experience when you buy something new from an AD (unless they are snobbish).

4) Good relations with the AD – Buying from an AD helps you build good relations with them and this is a great way of getting good discounts for your future purchases with them.

5) It supports the watch industry – Its simple, buying a watch directly from an AD will help support the watch industry and enable its growth.

6) The watch is unworn – A new watch is clean and unworn which is important for some people.

7) Don’t have to worry about getting it serviced – when you buy a pre-owned watch, there is always a doubt in your head about when the watch was last serviced and whether it requires to be sent it for one. You don't have to worry about all this when you buy a new one.

Lets face it, as stated above, buying a watch brand new will always have the extra special experience and feel to it, but if you can get beyond all that and don’t mind it being worn a lil, you’ll see that pre-owned watches really have its own advantages. Of course I’ll always recommend cleaning the watch properly and maybe changing the strap if it’s a leather one. Anyway, lets get on with the advantages.

Advantages of buying a watch pre-owned-

1) It’s always cheaper – That’s right! This is perhaps the biggest advantage of pre-owned watches over new ones. If there is a watch that you really want but can’t afford to buy a new one, a pre-owned is always the way to go, especially if it’s in mint condition.

2) You don’t lose much when you sell them – Most pre-owned watches from well known brands like Rolex, TAG, Omega, etc usually can be sold for a similar price as what you paid for them or in some instances, you may even make a profit on them. I have done so myself on 2 occasions. This also makes some of them a good investment.

3) Great for people who love to flip a lot – With pre-owned watches, its easy to buy and sell and hence a great way to try out a lot of different watches. Keep them for as long as you like and whenever you get bored or want to try on some different brand/model, just sell it.

4) Very rare to find a vintage or classic in brand new condition – If you want a vintage watch, then pre-owned may be the only way to go. You will have to get real lucky to get well known classic in new old stock.

So there you see, sometimes pre-owned watches can be the way to go when you think of buying your next watch. Besides, most people consider a watch to be used the moment its been bought and strapped on the wrist.

Wristwatch Annual 2010

2010-05-09T07:31:00.000-07:00

I finally got my hands on this year's edition of Wristwatch Annual. It's great for reference purposes (prices are mentioned too!) and beats having to put on the laptop for some lazy browsing. I think it's a must for all watch lovers. I'd definitely recommend it.

Bit of a disappointment :(

2010-05-04T05:34:00.000-07:00

It's known at my workplace that CF and I are watch freaks and once in a while, when a question regarding a watch pops up, they all know who to talk to :D. So a few days back, a colleague of mine came up to me and asked me if I could give him any info about his Dad's Omega. He wasn't sure of the model, so a quick browse through Omega's website revealed that he was talking about a rose gold Aqua Terra.

Out of excitement I asked him more about it. He said that it was gifted to his Dad by a friend. He also mentioned that it came in a green box, which immediately made me suspicious since most (if not all) Omegas come in a red box. For fun, I asked him if he had any idea what it was worth and his guess was around Rs 30,000 ($667). When I told him that the watch, if genuine, was closer to Rs 2,25,000 ($5000) it took in a little while to sink in. He couldn't believe his luck. But before he got too excited, I asked him if it was possible for him to bring the watch to work someday so that I could have a look at it and determine whether it was indeed genuine.
So, yesterday he comes to my desk, looking all excited and asks me if I could have a look at the watch. I immediately sprang to my feet and was probably more excited than he was :p He handed me a cheap green box with "Omega" written on it. Almost instantly I knew what was in store. I opened the box and sure enough it was a fake! Everything was wrong with it. Wrong dial color, quality of case and bracelet, no serial number on the back of the lug, long lettering on the caseback, poor movement visible through the display back, etc
I politely told him that it was not genuine and gave him a few pointers on what to watch out for when buying a watch.
I was so disappointed! I was really looking forward to it. I love handling expensive watches and rarely get a chance to do it often (other than the ones CF and I have)
Oh well, maybe next time :)

Very Interesting read

2010-04-21T23:06:00.000-07:00

Great insight into how the economic downturn has affected the various players in watch industry by James Elsener, owner of Montres Edouard Lauzières. A must read!

The world of watches or watch on the world

I was getting bored...

2010-04-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

... so I made a wallpaper of my Pyrolume Prototype #12 watch. The resolution is 1600x1200.

Click on the image for the full size.

Rolex vs Omega - second hand sweep

2010-04-11T06:31:00.000-07:00

Just a quick video I took of the Rolex Submariner and the Omega Seamaster GMT together. Both have movements that tick at 28800 beats per hour, but is there a difference in the smoothness of the sweep? Yes, No or is the video quality not good enough? Do comment.

Another HMT in the house!

2010-04-09T14:21:00.000-07:00

Yup, there is another HMT in the collection - the Janta. The thing about HMT watches is that they are so cheap that its almost impossible not to pick one up every time you step into a watch shop. My dad was visiting his hometown last week and as always, calls me up when he spots a shop selling HMT watches, in case I am interested. So as always, I asked him to inquire about the black Pilot and as expected, they didn't have it. The salesman then showed my dad the Janta with a red second hand and when I was asked if I want it (and although I never actually had in on my list), being so cheap, I couldn't refuse. So here it is now, enjoy the pics :)

For lack of a better background, I placed the watch on the keyboard of my laptop.

Incoming: Old school Casio

2010-03-30T14:43:00.000-07:00

OK, so it doesn't really scream exciting, but it's one of those watches that you just need to have in your collection. I saw it on the shortlist of 10 Ultimate wristwatches and I instantly knew I had to have it!
I dunno what it is about these retro watches, but lately, I've just been really drawn towards them. Anyway, without further adieu, I present to you the Casio A164WA-1

Un boxing:

The watch:

Interestingly, its made in Thailand, and not Japan, as I had thought.

Obligatory wrist shot

All in all, I'm pretty happy with the purchase and even though this watch may or may not get much wrist time in the future, it's gonna be a keeper! Besides, for around Rs 1500 ($33) shipped, you can't really complain!

No watch tools? A Swiss Army Knife might help.

2010-03-25T13:59:00.000-07:00

DISCLAIMER: Do this at your own risk. If you scratch/destroy your watches, don't blame me!

Lets face it - we love our watches, but not all of us are experts in fixing/servicing them. We ordered the tools online, but how much do we really use them? Most of us really use them for the following purposes:
1. Changing straps
2. Resizing bracelets
3. Opening case backs to take pics of the movement (we wouldn't dare touch the movement).

So out of all the tools out there, we would use the following:
Mallet, case back opener, springbar remover tool, pin punch, screw driver and a link remover.

Now I didnt have any of them untill I finally ordered a 16 pieces tool kit from eBay for $10, but I was still able to do most of the stuff without one. How do you ask? I did it all with a Swiss Army knife (SAK), a free strap changing tool that I got with a watch strap and an ordinary paper clip.

Let me elaborate:

1. Changing straps: Ok, here, I admit I was using a spring bar remover which I received for free with a strap I ordered and then got one in the tool kit. So really its the same. For screw bars, we can use this nail filer -

Screw driver from the took kit

SAK nail filer
See how thin it is? Perfect for changing strap on a Panerai or in my case, a PAM homage.

2.) Resizing bracelets: Not all of us buy watches directly from an AD and therefore at times we have to resize the bracelet ourselves. For that we require these tools:
a) A link pin remover

b) A mallet

c) A pin punch (seen at the other end of the springbar remover tool)

Now how can the Swiss Army knife help here?
a) Use your fingers to grip the watch and you a paper clip to push the pin out(link pin remover)

b) A mallet - see how we can improvise and use the SAK here as a mallet?

c) A paper clip can be used for a pin punch.

3. Opening Casebacks: Here is one of the the case back remover tool from the tool kit (for non screw down casebacks). The SAK too has a thin and sharp knife that can be used to open casebacks.

Who knew a SAK could be so useful for us WISes ;) ?

Lume comparison test

2010-03-14T04:20:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to do this for a while now and since there wasn't much to do yesterday, I decided to conduct a lume comparison test using 3 of the most 'lumed up' watches I have. I was quite surprised how it turned out. Read on to know how it went down:
The Competitors:
1) Pyrolume 43mm Prototype Watch #12

2) Seiko Orange Monster

3) Omega Seamaster GMT

4) Mossy Oak (MO.370.1.50.401)
Though the Mossy Oak has tritium tubes instead of lume on its hands and markers, I decided to add this to compare the efficiency of tritium vs lume paint.

Procedure:
I left the Pyrolume, Seiko and Omega lying on a desk, in a room with the lights on, for about a couple of hours. I left the Mossy Oak lying in the watch box since it doesn't contain any lume paint that requires charging.
The test was conducted over a period of 3 hours. Photos were taken after 60 and 180 minutes.
The photographs were taken using the 'bulb mode' on my camera and keeping the shutter open for 5 seconds.
To compare the result, I checked the luminosity in photoshop. Luminosity of 100 = pure white, where as 0 = black. This isn't necessarily the most accurate method, but it gives a pretty good idea nonetheless :)

Test: (Click on the image to enlarge them)
Here are the watches, just before the lights went out:

With the lights off:

Result:
Pyrolume : 83
Seiko OM : 89
Omega GMT: 81
Mossy Oak: 73

After 1hr:

Result:
Pyrolume : 17
Seiko OM : 17
Omega GMT: 18
Mossy Oak: 64

After 3hrs:

Result:
Pyrolume : 03
Seiko OM : 05
Omega GMT: 15
Mossy Oak: 67

Overall result:
The tritium, as expected stayed pretty much at the same level throughout the test. As for the other 3, I was expecting it to be a close call between the Seiko and the Pyrolume to take the top prize. Though the level of luminosity was similar in both the watches throughout, the Omega Seamaster was the most readable after 3 hours, thus making it the overall winner! :)

A trip to the HMT showroom and some interesting piece of information

2010-03-06T09:20:00.000-08:00

So finally Bio and I took out some time to visit one of the two HMT showrooms in the city. We've been in quest for the ever-popular HMT Pilot and after a lot of searching, managed to locate a dealer who had three of them in stock!

After an hour long journey and some near misses on the highway (seriously, it was crazy out there on the roads today), we managed to locate the showroom. Now this place was really small, smaller than our living room (and no our living room isn't that big). Its the one marked in read (the board was really dusty).

On entering this place we immediately inquired if they still had the Pilot... they did! :)
Now I know this may sound a lil silly, but my heart actually did beat a lil faster when the lady behind the counter was about to show us the watch. I had heard so much about how rare it was to find and all the hype, that I just couldn't wait to see what it was all about. And then it appeared, something so simple like the manufacturer itself, nothing glamorous, but there was something about it that made it so beautiful and special that I felt as if I have discovered something amazing. I looked at Bio and could see that he too felt the same way.

We also picked up a Sona and a Kohinoor

Now we come to the interesting part. When we were having a look at the Pilot, I casually asked if they had a white one in stock because I had heard its very rare to find one and guess what the lady there told us? HMT NEVER manufactured a white Pilot!! So, apparently all the white Pilots are fake!

Another gentleman behind the counter then told us about how the company was not doing so well with their mechanical watches and therefore is concentrating on increasing production of their quartz watches. It wasn't hard to see that he was a lil upset with this state of the company and wish people could appreciate mechanical watches more. He also mentioned that most of the mechanical watches are bought either by watch lovers or foreigners at which point he asked wondered where we were from. I then looked at all the other watches still there in the display case and a part of me wished that I could buy them all.

Rs. 28000 ($610 USD) to service a Rolex Sub (no date)!!!

2010-03-04T21:45:00.000-08:00

When I bought my Rolex Sub (no date) in Singapore, I had the option of getting it serviced there for around $400 SGD (Rs. 13000), which included a crown replacement. I declined as I had to leave the next day and also because I always thought it would be cheaper in India. Off late, there has been a lot of talk on some forums about the increase in servicing cost by Rolex and I thought I should get mine serviced before its too late. So I called up the RSC (Rolex Service Center) here (Mumbai) and asked them for a quote for just the basic service for my Sub - keep in mind its without the date complication. To my horror, they quoted Rs.28000 ($610 USD)!! Foolishly I had hoped that the charges would be a lil low here as labour is cheap in India. Boy! Was I so wrong. I still regret not getting it serviced when I had the chance in Singapore. Its about the same there now.
(RSC Orchard Road, Singapore)
My only options are to save up for it or just get it serviced from an independent watch guy. I mean what bugs me is that its a simple watch without any complications. 28k is a lil too much honetsly. Omega is much cheaper as fa as I know. Now that I think of it, people with Pateks and VCs must be paying like crazy for their watches.

Avoiding temtation

2010-03-03T20:17:00.000-08:00

After I bought my Sub, I thought I could finally relax and not think about buying a new watch for a long time. I was lucky to win a beautiful Tourby Open Heart just a month later and that helped me avoid the 'new watch itch' for another two months, but its back and its bad!

The watch I wanna get next is one of my grail watches and a very special one for me. This is the first watch that I truly fell in love with and promised myself that I will get one someday. Its the beautiful TAG Heuer Carrera Chrono.

With my salary, its gonna be a while before I can get my hands on one and I would be totally OK with the wait, but its not so easy...

There are four watches on my mind that I am really tempted to get as soon as I have the money for them - A Mondaine Official Swiss Railway watch, a Panerai Luminor (PAM111), a Breitling Superocean Heritage and a Dievas Vortex

(pics taken from the net)

Now the Breitling and the PAM are my other grail watches and would still require some serious cash but the other two are cheaper and might make me pull the trigger before I can save enough to get the TAG. So how do I avoid temptation? One method is to put a pic of the Carrera as my desktop wallpaper so I can stay focused on it. This actually worked quite well for me when I was looking to get the Sub, but I really doubt its gonna work this time. I guess I will just have to wait and see. Any suggestions?

A day at the Races

2010-03-01T11:48:00.000-08:00

So, Sunday finally arrived, and Crazyfingers and I set off for the race course to attend the 'Poonawala Breeders Million'. Our parents were also present, and since my Dad was at the wheel, it gave me the opportunity to snap some pics along the way. Being a little past noon by the time we left, we encountered a lot of traffic on the way to the highway.

Thankfully, once we hit the highway, it was smooth sailing. It's very rare to get such clear roads in Mumbai, and for once I actually enjoyed the drive to town.

Once we got there, we went up to the members area and with the help of a friendly usher, found some seats. To be honest, I was expecting a much more lavish arrangement, but from what I saw, the place probably hadn't changed much from the time it was built. I'm sure it's great to watch the races in the winters, when the weather is nice and cool, but it was REALLY hot on Sunday and it did take a while before it cooled down.
I'm sure by now, most of you would be wondering when the part of the watches come in. Truth is, even though CF and I spotted lots of tank styled, an Omega and even a Rolex (and a couple of fake Tags), it was a really difficult to try and snap some pics. Moreover, most people there had worn shirts and had their watches hidden under their sleeves. We also noticed that most of the older guys still preferred to wear smaller sized watches (35-36mm) Was nice to see some vintage watches. I wish we could have had a closer look...I'm sure a few of the people there could even have been wearing Pateks.
Anyway, after a couple of races, we all decided to try our hand at betting. None of us had any idea how to go about it, since it was our first time. Thankfully, an elderly gentleman (on the right, in the pic below) gave us a few pointers.

There were two ways to place a bet. You could either go to any of the 'Sell/Pay' windows and place a bet there, or you could catch hold of the guys in the yellow jacket, as in the pic above, and place the bet with them. This was the more convenient choice, since we didn't need to leave our seats for this :)

Here's what a ticket looks like.

As you can see, it's a bet to place..ie you win some cash if the horse finishes in the top 3 (or 2...depending on the number of horses running). The "2" next to "PLA" indicates the number of the horse you've bet on. You can alternatively bet on a horse to win, which gives you a better payout, but a smaller chance of winning any money. Being amateurs, we bet Rs 500 ($12) on our very first bet. Usually, if it's your first time betting, it's better start off with a small amount. You can bet as little as Rs 10 ($0.22)!
Unfortunately, my horse didn't come anywhere close to winning...so that was a quick 500 bucks down the drain :(

A couple of quick wrist shots, and CF and I were back on track!

For our next bet, we bet just Rs 100 ($2.20) each on three horses.

That's my horse in the front!
The pic below was taken just after my horse (No. 4) had crossed the finish.

Since I had placed a bet on 'place' and not on 'win', I only won around 40 bucks ($0.85), but it was still pretty exciting! It's a real adrenaline rush when your horse is going for the win.

Here's a building overlooking the race course that was in construction. It has no relevance whatsoever, but I liked the pic :)

Overall, it was a great experience. I'm definitely going to go whenever I get a chance next. There's a lot of excitement whenever a race in progress and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn't been to one before!

Some pleasant news for us watch lovers in India

2010-02-26T04:09:00.000-08:00

The Budget 2010 is out and from what I have read, the Finance Minister has proposed to provide an outright 4% exemption from special additional duty to goods imported in a pre-packaged form for retail sale.

Exciting weekend up ahead (Hopefully!)

2010-02-23T19:51:00.000-08:00

I'm not embarrassed to admit it... I'm the kind of person who gets really excited when I spot a good watch on someone's wrist (it's pretty rare to spot even a Seiko, leave alone a Tag/Longines/Omega/Rolex, etc). So when I learned, that an uncle of mine, invited my entire family to the 'Poonawala Breeders' Million' on the coming Sunday, it really piqued my interest! For those of who that don't know much about it (including me), it's basically a prestigious and upscale horse racing event . For me it means a lot of people, wearing nice watches (hopefully).
I've ridden a few horses before (including thoroughbreads) but never been to a derby. I'm not really intrigued by horse racing but my folks really want to check it out. And also, I don't wanna pass up an opportunity to try my hand at betting, and at the same time, be surrounded by people wearing some really nice watches!
So, Crazyfingers and I will be there, armed with a nice camera, and hopefully get to snap some nice pics of the watches we see there (and yeah, a few pics from the race as well :p)
Wish us luck!

Flipping a watch may not be as easy as you think! (by Bio)

2010-02-14T04:57:00.001-08:00

Ok, so there comes a time when you fall out of lust with a particular watch and no matter how hard you try, it just doesn't get much wrist time (also, you could use the cash!) So, even though you may not like it, you have to take a call and sell off the watch.
Well, it just so happened that I recently found myself in the exact same situation! The watch in question was my Guess Collection 45003G. Here's a pic from the web:
I had picked up this watch on impulse, sometime in December '08. I had seen it in a shop window and decided that I had to have it. I knew nothing about watches at the time, and even though this watch is quite a stunner on the wrist, had I known that the value of the watch was going to tank, I would've probably gone for something else.
Anyway, after having no success on ebay, I listed it up for sale at Qickr.com, along with a few of Crazyfinger's watches. So about a couple of months and a few Nigerian scammers later, I got a call from a guy, saying that he was interested in the watch. I acted quickly, and arranged a meeting with him so that he could have a look at the watch. Now, I've sold a few watches before this, but this one proved to be really difficult to sell. You see, more than any one else, my girlfriend had taken a real liking to the watch. She said that it was her favourite watch out of my entire collection and even insisted that she'd rather buy it from me, than having me sell it to a stranger.
Thing is, like me, she's pretty broke herself at the moment (tax cuts really do screw you up at this time of the year) and I know for a fact that she'd never be able to pay me back without sacrificing a great deal herself. Had conditions been more favourable, I'd have given the watch to her for free, without a moment's hesitation. I did feel really guilty about it, but I had no choice and finally sold the watch today evening. I've never been so down after selling a watch before. I know its usually hard the first time and gets much easier with time, but it's going to be a while before I get over selling this one. To top it off, its Valentine's Day today, so not really a good day to have your girlfriend depressed (even if its over a watch!) I guess I'll use some of the cash I got, to buy her something nice :)
Who knew selling a watch could be so difficult.

PyroLume 43mm Steel & Carbon Fiber Prototype Watch#12 quick review

2010-02-11T03:21:00.000-08:00

I did this review last year but thought I'll post it here too. Click on the pics to enlarge.

First Impression
The watch came in nice wooden box which really helps make an early good impression

Also included was a soft polishing cloth

The watch looks quite different from my other watches with its sterile dial and big luminous markers. Quite a lot of people at work asked me about it and wanted to try in on. The textured dial really looks sweet and goes well with the over all industrial look of the watch.

Case
According to the eBay listing, the dial is made from good quality cast steel. Its 43mm but looks bigger than my 44mm PAM homage. It has a canteen crown protecting system at 3'o clock similar to ones found on U-boat watches. It really helps enhance the look of the watch. The steel has a nice brushed finish and looks great.

Dial
As you can see in the pic above, the dial has a nice textured pattern which looks really nice. Honestly this photo doesn't do justice to it. According to the listing, 'Pyro Pilot V12 dial CNC machined from 0.25mm thick 2x2 Twill Weave Carbon Fiber sheet using mid sized 1 .375mmcuts'

The Luminescence
Yes, this is what I bought the watch for. The famous Pyrolume compound. It has a mixture of green and blue lume for the indexes and green lume for the hour and minute hands. The seconds hand is red in colour without any lume on it. The Doc says that 'these compounds are my own mixture of Swiss luminescent compounds in a proprietary mix of solvents, binders and dyes for the day/dark effects'. I can honestly say that I was blown away by how bright the lume was. I did expect something good, but this was much better. Again, the photos don't do it justice. These pics were taken after exposing the lume to light for 10 secs:

Movement
This watch comes with a Japanese Miyota quartz movement. Here I have to say that this is the only part of the watch that I wish could have been better. No its not the quartz that I am complaining about, it keeps real good time and over a period of 24 hours hasn't lost a second. What I didn't like was that when when the crown was pull out to set the time, the hands shifted a bit when I tilted the watch a little. Also the dial moved a bit while pulling out the crown. Once the crown is pushed back, its totally fine and everything is intact i.e. the dial and the hands dont move or wobble with even the roughest of jerks.

Strap
The watch has a nice and an extremely soft 22mm black rubber strap with a steel buckle and feels really comfortable on the wrist

Wrist shot

Final thoughts
This watch is truly an eye catcher and the lume is to die for. The case and the dial is really top quality and you have to give credit to Pyrolume for the amazing lume compound he had developed. It will look great in any collection and fetch you a lot of compliments. Definitely worth more than what you pay for it!

HMT Catalog

2010-02-05T17:02:00.000-08:00

Just took a few quick shots of the automatic watches in the HMT catalog. Click on the pics to enlarge them.