^^^
Simple elegance.

quote:

Originally posted by brminpin:
If you have a watch with 22mm lugs, go to my karma for a chance at an imitation Isofrane watch strap.

Watch strap karma

Cheers.

New strap thanks to the Karma by brminpin

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
You have seen this one before, but it is what I am wearing today. I should wear it more often. This one is Seiko's high accuracy quartz movement. The standard for these is +/-10 seconds a year, but I have monitored mine over extended periods and it does far better than that, at +/-5 seconds a year. That is extraordinary. A "normal" quartz will do 20 seconds a month. A very good mechanical watch will be 4 or 5 seconds a day.

Thermocompensated?

RMD

quote:

Originally posted by rduckwor:
Thermocompensated?

I admit I am not much of a watch person. But don't all crystal oscillators have to have some sort of TC to achieve higher accuracy? From what little I've gleaned, since entering the low end of the HAQ spectrum (Seiko Dolce), is that what sets off the higher end HAQ's, like jhe888's Grand Seiko, are special crystals and additional tweaks, such as higher frequency crystals and other compensation methods.
 
Somewhat off the topic of watches, per se, but relating to crystal oscillators for keeping time, I have a little project here using a computer motherboard's built in crystal, fed by a signal from a GPS receiver (atomic clock), and groomed by the network time protocol, which results in an OS that keeps time within +/- 5 microseconds of UTC, typically. I graph it, and a typical day looks like this:
 

 
Note the 20usec line is really the x axis. I had to add 20usec to the reported offset, because the graphing program does not understand negative numbers, and the offset can be + or - UTC.
 
That is a normal graph, for this time of year when the temps are normal, and rise/drop slowly over the 24 hours of a day. The crystal is OK with gradual changes in temperature, and NTP keeps it groomed pretty close to UTC. When we get to summer, and the AC starts running, the graph shows much larger spikes, up to 15usec +/-. In fact, in AC season, you can see on the graph exactly when the AC cycles on and off. Higher end crystals are available (at a much higher price) to make even more accurate GPS clocks.
 
Anyway, the point of all that is that crystals are highly sensitive to temperature changes. In a watch, perhaps even whether it is on or off one's wrist. So I would expect TC to be a requirement for any sort of HAQ. Perhaps you watch experts (and I mean that, no sarcasm) can enlighten me some more about how HAQ in watches is brought about?
 

quote:

Originally posted by rduckwor:


Thermocompensated?

RMD

Yes. They have to be to get that accurate, I believe. Seiko doesn't describe the method of thermocompensation for this watch, though. It is not a double crystal method. That watch has the 9F movement. The Seikos with 8F movements are said to not be thermocompensated, but Seiko tells users that they have to wear the watch for 12 hours a day to meet the +/-20 seconds a year specification, meaning that the thermocompensation is that your body heat stabilizes the operating temperature of the watch. My 9F seems to be that accurate whether I wear it or not, based on casual observation. It would be interesting to do a long term test comparing accuracy between wearing and not wearing the watch. That is problematic, though, because it is so accurate that the display doesn't allow you to detect error except over long periods of time. It takes months to see a difference of two or three seconds, and since there is only a second hand, that is the smallest increment you can observe.

Here is an interesting article about the subject, if you are interested. This describes the various methods of thermocompensation, and, at the end, talks about which methods are used by various timepieces.

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f...-movements-2087.html

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
You have seen this one before, but it is what I am wearing today. I should wear it more often. This one is Seiko's high accuracy quartz movement. The standard for these is +/-10 seconds a year, but I have monitored mine over extended periods and it does far better than that, at +/-5 seconds a year. That is extraordinary. A "normal" quartz will do 20 seconds a month. A very good mechanical watch will be 4 or 5 seconds a day.

jhe, as a fellow Seiko fan (though one without a GS, unfortunately), what do you think about Grand Seiko becoming an autonomous, boutique brand? How about the new face logo that omits the traditional, separate Seiko name?

Seiko might do better in the West by making Grand Seiko a "separate" brand. Westerners tend to want our high-end goods not to be sullied by association with more plebian items. Look at how poorly the luxury Volkswagen sold, for example, even though it was a very nice car. A problem for Grand Seiko might be that it still has "Seiko" in the name, so the link is still pretty front and center.

I have read that the Japanese are accepting of one brand covering the gamut from low-end to high. I believe it does not bother Grand Seiko buyers in Japan that Seiko also sells $40 watches.

I don't know how Creedor plays into that, though. Creedor is Seiko's fully hand-made, "art" line of watches. Precious metals, repeaters, and super-complications are what they make. More like the top-of-the-line Pateks. But Creedor watches don't say "Seiko."

I don't really care if Seiko separates Grand Seiko from the rest of the line. But it might help their sales in the U.S. and Europe. I do think that Grand Seiko makes watches that are better in some ways than high-end Swiss watches like Rolex, Omega, etc., and at a better price. Seiko tends to stay away from gold and jewels, though. So if you want bling - it is Rolex.

Interesting. I didn't realize the JDM has a culturally different take on branding, but that does address some of my confusion as to why Seiko would remove their name from the face...while leaving it still present in 'Grand Seiko.' My mindset was clearly in the Western perspective.

I have certainly heard and read the acclaim afforded the Grand Seiko line, so congratuations on yours...it's a beautiful watch.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:
The Seikos with 8F movements are said to not be thermocompensated, but Seiko tells users that they have to wear the watch for 12 hours a day to meet the +/-20 seconds a year specification, meaning that the thermocompensation is that your body heat stabilizes the operating temperature of the watch.

Thanks jhe888. The referenced forum article was quite interesting. So, there are HAQ movements out there that are technically not thermocompensated in the movement, but require user cooperation (wearing it) to achieve the HA. As they make winders for mechanical watches, I wonder if someone makes a TC storage device for this type of watch.
 

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:

quote:

Originally posted by rduckwor:


Thermocompensated?

RMD

Yes.

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f...-movements-2087.html

Thanks. WUS is like drinking from a fire hose. There is great stuff there, but it is so large, it's difficult to find most of the time.

RMD

I want a vintage Grans Seiko Automatic.

Maratacs have been featured a couple of times in this thread. Thought I'd throw out a deal for this guy:

Maratac Mid Original Pilot Automatic Watch

https://countycomm.com/collect...original-pilot-watch

On sale for Earth Day, apparently. Normally $449 on sale for $219.

I have a coupon code from a previous order (because CountyComm has tons of cool stuff) that I used for 10% off. Doesn't appear it is a one time use only - so try CC9015.

Less than $200 OTD with code, plus free shipping.
Plus they have leather straps on sale as well.

Rob

quote:

Originally posted by ScreamingCockatoo:
I want a vintage Grans Seiko Automatic.

Not a vintage Grand, but...
https://sigforum.com/eve/forums...0601935/m/9980061324

Swapped out my first Rolex for this beauty. I just love the bezel.

I was dead set on a Submariner, but I'm looking to buy a house in SoCal, where everything is a bajillion dollars... so I am making do with a new Seiko limited edition "Blue Lagoon" on a Strapcode end mill bracelet for the time being



My last two watches were a Panerai 312 and an IWC Big Pilot. I started with Seiko years and years ago.

The "turtle" case and the 4 o'clock crown are very comfortable. Seiko's bracelets are a little cheap feeling, and that is pretty across the board for Seiko. The Strapcode was 75 bucks, and it's made in China, but has screws instead of pins and feels solid. It is much nicer than the price and country of origin would suggest, and certainly superior to what Seiko provides with the watch.

Winding the movement feels a little cheap, but otherwise it's very nicely made and I really like it. For 500 bucks (plus 75 for the bracelet), I'm a happy camper.

I'll pick up the Rolex after my house purchase. I want to have plenty of spare care for incidental stuff for my new house, including a larger gun safe, so that all goes ahead of the Sub on the priority list.

quote:

Originally posted by coloradohunter44:
Swapped out my first Rolex for this beauty. I just love the bezel.

Good pickup! When I went to buy my GMT Master, I thought I was going to leave the store with a BLNR. I wound up with the LN model because when I saw the two in person, the LN spoke to me louder.

Great watch!

OK, think I've got it! Using Postimage.org, here's my new Seiko 5 SRP241:

quote:

Originally posted by SVTNate:

I love the color on that one, and have been tempted, but I need a sport watch like I need a hole in the head.

quote:

Originally posted by SVTNate: Seiko's bracelets are a little cheap feeling, and that is pretty across the board for Seiko. The Strapcode was 75 bucks, and it's made in China, but has screws instead of pins and feels solid. It is much nicer than the price and country of origin would suggest, and certainly superior to what Seiko provides with the watch.

That's interesting to hear about. I'll have to look into their offerings, because I don't really care for the bracelet on my Seiko 5.

quote:

Originally posted by newtoSig765:
OK, think I've got it! Using Postimage.org, here's my new Seiko 5 SRP241:

Very cool.