n_maher Posted February 18, 2015 Report Share Posted February 18, 2015 Very, very nice, Jacob. Some day I will own an Omega, someday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadphoneAddict Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 That's great, Ari! I hope they allow pictures, because I'd be interested in seeing them. This came in today: I'd love to know what you allowed him to replace in the restoration, or how much polishing you allowed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadphoneAddict Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 I resized my GMT Master and Explorer II. Both watches fit fine, but the face and clasp weren't quite centered, with 13 links. Adding a 14th to both watches and moving the clasp adjustment to the middle fixed that. Strangely, it was easy to find a correct vintage 15.5mm link for the GMT for reasonable prices, but hard to find one for the Explorer II that was at a price I was willing to pay. I love the fit, now. Two Jubilee links are being shipped with the Speedy, so I'll do the same to the Datejust. You must have huge wrists! I like my bracelets to be shorter on the 6 o'clock side, so that the watch clasp fits the underside of my wrist better. So, I have 7 links on the 12 o'clock side and only 4 on the 6 o'clock side in my new Explorer II (11 total). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadphoneAddict Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 He replaced the bezel insert, the pushers, and the crystal. I have the original pushers and bezel insert. Polishing wise, I told him to use his discretion. Wounds were not totally removed (there were very few), but it looks great. It doesn't look like a new watch, but that was the point. I'm glad to hear the hands and dial were salvageable, since many that old have crumbling tritium dust that can get into the movement eventually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikongod Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Tritium is a gas. It is only found in those little glass vials. You guys are talking about various luminous paints, which have NO tritium. Radium - perhaps. Various phosphors, absolutely. Other stuff - most likely. Radioactive paints were pretty awesome. Cheap, bright, and reliable. That got banned because the paints were hazardous to the people who had to paint the faces. The radiation is contained by the watch case & crystal so no danger to the wearer. Then we had Non-radioactive luminous-paints which range from awful to "still not as good as radioactive paint." Then someone figured out how to make tritium lights which gets you the awesomeness of radiation, with no exposure factor to the watchmakers. *My timeline may be slightly off for the invention of tritium lights - they were not used in watches until after the prohibition of radioactive paint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voltron Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 (edited) http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tritium_illumination Oh well, not helpful on time line. Edited February 19, 2015 by Voltron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikongod Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 I think tritium lights were available LONG before they started showing up in watches. The wikipedia article for luminous paint mentions that Tritium lights were used in some rotary telephones. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminous_paint Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikongod Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 I did not know that the term was used that way. I have heard people say "lume" though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadphoneAddict Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 (edited) I think of calling radioactive luminous as Tritium is like calling all photocopies a Xerox copy (or Hook and Loop vs Velcro). The radioactive paint used on the Omega Moonwatch has been called Tritium for years. It's also been described as a phospho-luminescent material that was activated by Tritium that was impregnated inside it. It came in two strengths, with the more radioactive dials like mine showing "T SWISS MADE T" on the dials at 6 o'clock. Less radioactive were watches with the markings saying "SWISS < 25 T" like my Rolex Submariner or Explorer II. With either, the decay and release of beta particles is too weak to penetrate the case and get into your body. Because of the phospho-luminescent material (even though the radiative element has been through 2-3 half-lives) my weak 1976 Moonwatch lume will still light up with a flashlight or sunlight for an hour or two in the dark. But without hitting it with a light you can't read the time in the dark at all. This is unlike the "Tritium" luminous on my 1983 Submariner and 1993 Rolex Explorer II which do NOT respond to any white or UV light at all. The Explorer II luminous is slightly visible at night, but not bright enough for me to read the time. Edited February 19, 2015 by HeadphoneAddict Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadphoneAddict Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 My Speedy has T Swiss Made T. Can you experiment and see what the markers & hands do when in the dark, and then what it does when you hit it with a flashlight or blacklight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nikongod Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 I stand happily corrected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadphoneAddict Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 Turns out that Bill who made this post about the Chuck Maddox Homage Watch http://omega.watchprosite.com/show-forumpost/fi-677/pi-3850551/ti-614576/s-0/ which started me on my quest for one, bought his Titanium Seamaster Pro Chrono (like mine) from none other than Rick at Pieces of Time. And Rick was friends with Chuck Maddox. Small World. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadphoneAddict Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 Speaking of Rick, looks like the Speedy is going to have to go back to Connecticut as, after a few uses, the hour indicator hand has decided to not reset along with the other stopwatch hands. Argh. I wonder if it's that one spec of visible dust that disappeared, and is now inside the movement... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadphoneAddict Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 The speck of dust disappeared because my local CMEW certified watchmaker (who knows what he is doing) opened it during our appointment the other day, and blew out the speck. Opening the watch and removing the speck is unlikely to have caused this, as I have successfully activated and reset the stopwatch feature several times since, and all he did was remove the guts and clean the inside of the crystal. When I said the speck was gone, I meant that it had been removed during the appointment I mentioned. Oh sorry, I thought it just disappeared on its own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Torpedo Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 Sorry for the troubles with the Speedy, it's a nice watch. FWIW I also had understood that the speck had moved away on its own, but given I'm not very smart and that English isn't my mother language, it's almost a miracle I understand half of what you write. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MexicanDragon Posted February 21, 2015 Report Share Posted February 21, 2015 It sounded like it happened on it's own, Torpedo... no worries. **BRENT** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadphoneAddict Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 Rick yelled at me, when I asked for a reimbursement for return shipping, given the known issue, and asked him to make sure that there was no dust under the crystal, and that the back of the watch was fully secured before he shipped it (it was loose, when my new watchmaker examined it), so I will no longer being doing business with him. Just FYI. I'm very disappointed. That seems out of character for him, but I've only spoken with him 4 or 5 times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadphoneAddict Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) I just received an apology. That's nice. Edit: Sorry for crapping the thread with this, but I've never had this kind of experience with a craftsman before. Even Mikhail never yelled at me for pointing out issues, of which there were more than a few. Yeah, but Mikhail was a pussy and crazy guy - or an idiot savant - or just idiot... PS: Maybe the weather is screwing with Rick's moods. I bought some links from him on Thursday, and he seemed fine though. Edited February 23, 2015 by HeadphoneAddict Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Enigma Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 Just picked up a transitional Explorer II from 2008 with the new 3186 movement and engraved rehaut. Nearly the best of both worlds. Love the new bracelets and wish this had one, but don't like the larger size or hands. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Enigma Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 I'll get some when I pick it up Wednesday, but here is a teaser. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Enigma Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 I'm a dainty 6.5" wrist so 40mm is often pushing it. It also has the original packaging, manuals, etc. As far as I'm concerned, the EII is a bit of a dark horse... It's a fantastic watch, but is often overshadowed by the GMT and SubC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadphoneAddict Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 (edited) Just picked up a transitional Explorer II from 2008 with the new 3186 movement and engraved rehaut. Nearly the best of both worlds. Love the new bracelets and wish this had one, but don't like the larger size or hands. EEEEEEEEEeeeeeee!!!!! Been looking for one of those for a while. Arghhhh!!!! Good find though. I have one from 1993 and the new model I got in 2014. I'd really prefer a newer "old" one like yours, plus the newest model, I love both. Edited February 24, 2015 by HeadphoneAddict Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grand Enigma Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 I was trying to hold out for a complete set of a V serial EII, but caved with the above M serial. Good enough and enough of a premium as it is anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeadphoneAddict Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 Jacob, I bought a mesh that looks similar to the JB Champion last year, but I didn't think the speedy looked good with it - it looks much better on my Omega Great White GMT. See attached Pic. I mention this because it's almost infinitely adjustable and you might want to give it a try. I also have a larger chain mesh bracelet (generic) that looks pretty good on my orange planet ocean, but it often feels tight in the summer. I should just buy the Omega mesh while I still can. Also, here is a something very strange that I noticed in my photos of my two Explorer II watches - (1) both were on road trips with my daughter, where the 24 hour hand was set for home time (Mountain std) but the 12 hour hand was set for Central Standard for the location that we were driving at the time. (2) I took them at almost the exact time of day, simply by coincidence. I wasn't driving in one of the photos, and had help steering with the other. I also just noticed I had my minute hand off by about 23 seconds in the 16570 photo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvdunhill Posted February 24, 2015 Report Share Posted February 24, 2015 Heh never though about comparing EXIF data to watch times. I really enjoy the ease of having one high accuracy Quartz movement in the stable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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