Off topic watch chat for the horologists out there

[964RS]

Just sharing.....

The red letter Submariner was the first Rolex Submariner to be released with a date function at the 3 o'clock position and utilising a 'cyclops' to magnify the date. There were 7 different versions and production went on until about 1975 when the red lettering was dropped and all white lettered dials continued from then on.

The first 3 versions are classed as 'metres first' as the 200m comes before the 660ft and are the most desireable and collectible - a couple of these versions also turn a stunning brown colour and get called 'tropicals'.

From the end of 1970 the wording changes to 660ft=200m on all watches...

The date window Rolex Submariner with cyclops is probably the iconic watch that people recognise Rolex by around the world. A bit like 911's they have evolved over the years but not changed a huge deal!

[richkaz]

Just sharing.....


The date window Rolex Submariner with cyclops is probably the iconic watch that people recognise Rolex by around the world. A bit like 911's they have evolved over the years but not changed a huge deal!

Just a quickie Jason ;

Do you mean that people really pay a premium for that date magnifying glass ? I always assumed it was a nice and thoughtful Rolex touch for the visually impaired ?
Wasn't Cyclops an ugly looking bugger from Doctor Who ? Is that why it's called a Cyclops ?
For me, the most attractive Submariner is the cheapo no date version - a simple, clearly focused, and elegant classic design statement.
I would pay to have Mr. Cyclops removed and the watch re - dialed.
If you were swimming in shark infested waters, it's true that your next of kin will know the precise time AND date of your demise when your remains float to the surface.
It's just like fitting a huge 'wing' to an LP400. It's an aesthetic no, no. A critical design malfunction.
That's the great thing about old watches -everyone's taste is different. Just as well, or we would all be wearing the same old Timex.

[Tosh]

Cyclops as it has one magnifier - one little beady eye peering at you. And it's a Sub... a shark attack shouldn't stop the watch. Indeed, the motion of the ocean should mean that the relatives can pick a nice, fully working and accurate Rolex off your wrist when it finally does float to the surface.

[964RS]

Just sharing.....
The date window Rolex Submariner with cyclops is probably the iconic watch that people recognise Rolex by around the world. A bit like 911's they have evolved over the years but not changed a huge deal!

Just a quickie Jason ;

Do you mean that people really pay a premium for that date magnifying glass ?

Errrr no. Where did I say people pay a premium for a cyclops sub? I deliberately never even mentioned prices - just some informative info thought people may like rather than my normal exuberance.

One with red writing though, yes.

A critical design malfunction.

On the basis it's entire design was to magnify the date window to make it more easily readable from a distance then I would suggest it was design perfect.

However I prefer the non-cyclops versions also. But then I prefer domed and superdomed crystals not flat ones.

[964RS]

Here you are then. To satisfy the design critics. Today's pick up.

A really rare Rolex 5512 Submariner with pumpkin orange plots.....



You will see that the 5512 has 2 more lines of text than normally seen on a 5513 Submariner - this is because they were all rigorously certified as chronometers by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres or COSC) and then subject to additional testing by Rolex to take this to a higher level and as such they designated them Superlative Chronometers and trademarked the phrase. The COSC specs for the movement out of the watch case to be officially certified a chronometer were minus 4 to plus 6 seconds a day. Rolex tested their movements housed in the case and adjusted its movements to even stricter demands of minus 1 seconds to plus 5 a day and added power reserve, water tightness and self winding to it's list of criteria. A bit of marketing fluff maybe but an example of going further in it's engineering to do so...

[DustyM]

^^ very nice

[richkaz]

^^ very nice

+1





Yum Yum. Clean, simple and classical. Goes to show that sometimes ' less is definitely more ' ------

[neilbardsley]

Come on Thomas post some more pictures of that very nice Omega you put on fb with a bit of history! I've never seen a lollipop hand before?

[Bootsy]

Not mine unfortunately - was in for a service with my watchmaker. Very original (bar bezel insert) and worn - but just lovely and of course most importantly original handset with the lollipop

[964RS]

If you want to know what an untouched 45 year old Omega Speedmaster looks like then Hodinkee did a review on one here on Friday:-

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/bring ... ry-22-2016

or you could just go straight to the source of course....

http://sweepinghand.co.uk/vintage-watch ... barn-find/

[Tosh]

Amazing. Though not the same without the "wrist shot" (ahem)

What else did you get out of the loft?

[964RS]

Amazing. Though not the same without the "wrist shot" (ahem)

What else did you get out of the loft?

Sadly only this. Most of the contents had gone over the previous couple of years - I was late to the party but grateful to find this one at least.

Good point. I better do a wrist shot tomorrow before it flys across the Atalntic....

[ditchvisitor]

Am selling my as new Dec 2015 SD4000 if anyone is interested at all, still has all the stickers on apart from the clasp one.

[JAN]

Talking of Speedmasters, heres my new arrival, a 145.022.69 with a 220 dial, taken today on a sunday drive in my '68 Elan, sorry for deviation from Porsche content!

[964RS]

Glad it all worked out JAN

January was a pretty amazing month for me with all sorts of rarities coming in - Rolex and Omega milsubs, double red seadwellers, red subs, 5512s, 5513s, gilt dials, and more...but serious watch collecting sometimes takes a huge amount of persistance and patience.....

The last watch of the month took me 7 months and 15 days to buy!

But it was worth the wait. Tropical brown red sub from 69 from son of the original owner....