Jump to content

Watches


Dusty Chalk

Recommended Posts

Beautiful Zenith Antonio, you are obviously a man of taste, sophistication and class.  

 

One question though, why are you here?  :P

Because I have a tough time finding people to get along and you're just them ;D

 

OTOH the watch was the wife's choice. I wonder what's she doing with me.

Edited by Torpedo
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Got this in the other day - a 1960's Omega Seamaster 300 from NOS parts except for vintage Omega 565 movement (from Watchco), which included an 1171 bracelet and a shark mesh bracelet.  I was lazy and put it on the first NATO I could get to.

It's only gained 1.4 seconds in the first 24 hours on my wrist, and the lume glows like a torch after being in the sunlight and then going inside or into the shade.

SM300 IMG_8887.jpg

SM300 IMG_8880 (1).jpg

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good job.  I typically wont touch the watch head/case myself, but I've brushed many bracelets in the past.  That's a wild story about what the watch and ring have been through, and I'm not just talking about the VW motor (bad watchmakers are all over the place).  

I always make sure my watchmaker is comfortable restoring the finish to factory, or only cleaning it up without touching the deep stuff to avoid softening the edges. I tell him it's okay if he thinks someone else could do a better job, but so far he's never let me down.  It's possible that if you wanted to totally remove the marks on the bracelet that it could be burnished or laser welded and then re-brushed, but those marks are part of the history of the watch and probably not visible without a 2x loupe or higher.

I installed the 1171 bracelet on the Seamaster 300 today.  I might like it better on the NATO, but that strap was either too loose or too tight with the hole spacing.  So far it has only gained 2.0 seconds in 48 hours while on the wrist, so it's a keeper.

IMG_8894.jpg

IMG_8895.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah, I have no interest in removing those scratches.  There are smaller ones of the north side of the watch, too, but you wouldn't notice them if you didn't know about them.  

That Seamaster looks great!  That appears to be the same bracelet as my '69 Speedy.  If so, it's super comfortable, but rattles.  If it's the same bracelet as my Speedy, it should have about the same adjustment on the clasp as Rolex up until the mid 2000s.

Yes, it's also the same bracelet that came with my 1976 Speedmaster.  Some earlier 68-69 Speedy bracelets have sharper more rectangular edges on the links, and some have this 1171 with the more rounded edges on the links.  

I was able to adjust the clasp to the second from smallest setting, and not have to remove any links for my 7.25" wrist.  I think it could adjust between a 7.12" to 8.25" wrist without ever touching the links, with the smallest setting fitting my son and the largest setting fitting my brother (or you).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's how it is with mine.  I wish my 1999 300M had the same clasp!  I know that Nate wishes his early 2000s had the same clasp as that, too.  It's hard to get a good fit without the micro adjust.

I also added a Strapcode micro-adjustable clasp to the shark mesh on my Seamaster Pro ceramic chronograph today.  I'll get some photos soon, but I'll be able to expand the bracelet when my wrist swells up in the heat of summer.  It's not tight right now, so it may become too loose for this coming winter.  But I can remove another row of links from the 6 o'clock side, at which point I may have to leave it slightly expanded all the time during the summers.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hah, I didn't even know such a clasp existed!  You're a wonder when it comes to watch stuff, my friend.

Here you go!  Strapcode 20mm expanding bracelet clasp in 316L

I used a $60 eBay shark mesh for the decent chain mail portion, and replaced the clasp which was decent (all polished stainless, looked high quality). The links look about as nice as the ones on my two Omega shark mesh.  The $25-30 shark mesh on eBay are much poorer in quality, with mismatched link sizes so the rows can look slightly diagonal and it doesn't bend right.  So total bracelet cost was about $130.

Edited by HeadphoneAddict
add details
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.