r-werks watchblog.

2007-01-11T03:30:00.000-08:00

Dormant.... Zzz.... Be right back..

2006-11-09T18:54:00.000-08:00

This blog is not dead.

Updates coming up:)

2006-08-04T03:15:00.000-07:00

Space. Astronauts. A wristwatch.

It was decided by NASA that Omega was to be the official watch for its space missions. This decision came about only after a series of rigorous tests of a variety of watches. One watch stood out. The Omega Speedmaster Professional; aka the moon watch.

Sized at 42mm, stainless steel case, shatter proof acrylic crystal, manual winding movement. The moon watch has had a long and proud history of space exploration and also being a watch that has been popular with the public since its lauch.

I decided to put this special watch up today, though I have not the time to take more satisfactory pictures. I will put up more pictures soon. Now lets zoom in to this special watch.

Featured here is the Omega Speedmaster 'Apollo 8 Mission' Chronograph.

Only 40 pieces of this example is being made and sold. A few them are currently on display at space museums in the US. This watch was made to commemorate the Apollo 8 space mission on December 21, 1968.

The Apollo 8 mission objective

To execute command and service module performance between Earth and the moon, and in the lunar-orbit environment

Evaluation of crew performance in a lunar-orbit mission

Communication and tracking at lunar distances

Photography of proposed Apollo landing areas and other specific places of interest to the science community

The Crew:

Frank Borman, Mission Commander
James A. Lovell Jr, Command Module Pilot
William A. Anders, Lunar Module Pilot

The Apollo 8 mission took 7 days and made 10 orbits round the moon in a loop fashion which represents a '8'. This contributed to the design of the missions patch as well. The mission was a very successful one, with all objectives met and the crew performance was examplary.

This is a beautiful watch with a excellent manual winding movement, timeless design and bears a piece of history of mankind's quest into space.

2006-07-31T09:36:00.000-07:00

They call him the bullhead. His girlfriend too.

At a massive 44mm and made of solid stainless steel I wouldn't be surprised if it has a name like that. This watch has its crown and pushers at the 12 o'clock; the pushers almost seem to look like horns on a bull's head. Thus the nick. One of my favourite retro watches.

Seiko 'bullhead', circa 1970s
Official reference: 6138-0040
Automatic movement with chronograph, day, date function

The bullhead is actually a drivers' watch. Now what in the world is a drivers' watch...

Wear it on the palm side of the wrist, the thick top case enables the driver to see the time as the driver glances at the watch without lifting his hand off the steering wheel. Neat.

I like this piece for its jet black dial, yellow chronograph hand and its unique design. An affordable, reliable and retro watch. Not for the faint hearted.

2006-07-30T11:39:00.000-07:00

Going vegetarian.

Mid 2005. Ahmedabad. 3 days.

Lunchtime. A restaurant named Agashiye. Gujarati cuisine.

Indoor. Air-con. Stained glass windows, clean white linens, impeccable service.

Read the menu and found no meat featured. Help. I do not like greens.

Might as well. I decided that I'll try it. Gujarati cuisine consists typically of rice and Indian bread, eaten with split beans, chutneys and acchar. Bread and rice flows freely. Skeptical at first but found the food to be very palatable and the tangerine juice certainly is a refereshing option on a dry, hot day.

Overall a very enjoyable experience, afterall eating is not just about the food. The company of friends, service rendered by the staff and an adventurous palate are all contributing factors to a wonderful meal. An exotic dining experience in the heart of the city in Ahmedabad.

In case you were wondering what is featured in the last picture... Those are mints.

2006-07-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

I am the happiest person on earth.

Well not exactly. But the danes are.

I was just skimming through msn.com and something caught my eye. "Happy meter- Which country is the happiest?" I wanted to know 3 things. Whos first, whos last and where does Singapore stand.

Health. Wealth. Education. 178 countries.

Measurement of health; Life expectancy

Measurement of Wealth; GDP per capita

Measurment of Education; the access to secondary education

Results are based on an analysis of over 100 studies. Lets check out the results.

1. Denmark (happiest!)

178. Burundi (unhappiest)
Burundi is located at the Great Lakes region in Africa. Population, 8 million. Coffee is the largest export commodity for this country. Country torn by civil unrest.

Singapore ranks 53rd and Malaysia is at a cool 17th!

Well I think it is difficult to quantify happiness though. But for me, I am happy where I am in sunny Singapore...

2006-07-27T10:12:00.000-07:00

Attack!

In a galaxy far away...

Stands a Russian Special Forces soldier taking position behind the stainless steel Fortis 'Space Art' Limited Edition watch... (that little guy is one of the Russian Spetnaz Special Forces trooper from my tiny Kubrick collection)

Fortis was founded in 1912 in Grenchen, Switzerland. Fortis is famous for being the watch chosen by the Uri Gagarin Russian science research facility as the official watch for all Russian space missions. This decision was made after a series of rigorous tests were conducted on Fortis watches.

Russian cosmonauts (astronauts) wear Swiss watches.

At a mean 42mm, this is a relatively large watch and its heavy too. Acquired this in unused condition and with boxes and papers intact. The box is gargantuan.

Frank Burmann. An European artist who designed the dial of this watch. He used the combination of stars, the moon and a rocket to symbolise Fortis' role in space exploration.

The case. Stainless steel. Sapphire crystal. Double glare proofing. Exhibition caseback. Steel bracelet and 2 straps included.

The movement. Automatic. Chronograph with date feature. Based on the workhorse ETA 7750 movement. Extremely reliable and robust.

Now as I take the pictures of this watch I found it so diffcult to stop! This is a very photogenic watch as much as it looks and feel good. I am limiting myself to posting only a few pictures here though.

433. Thats how many of these watches are made. 433 represents how many earthlings have ventured into space...

Now back to earth!
Interested in this watch? Email me at fervour24@hotmail.com

2006-07-27T08:22:00.000-07:00

The Horse, The Sea & The Earthquake.

Feburary, 2006.
Sounion, 65 km from Athens, Greece.

Taking a bus ride of slightly more than hour, I arrived at the ruins of the temple of Poseidon.

Poseidon or Neptune was believed to be the God of the sea, horses and earthquakes. It was believed, in Myceanean culture, that his importance is greater than that of Zeus.

Now this temple was constructed in 450-440 BC, and was Doric in architecture.

The Persians attacks. As the temple was halfway into its construction, the Persians attacked. It was then left unfinished. However it was still a sight to behold as the Temple of Poseidon was situated at the highest point of Cape Sounion.

The Sounion Cape was fortified in 413 Bc to protect the export of cereal and corn out of Athens. Now you know the value of your cornflakes.

Over at the Sounion cape, I felt overwhelmed by the vastness of the sea as I cast my view across the breathtaking Agean islands.

In Athens? Sounion is only an hour away:)

2006-07-26T21:15:00.000-07:00

Ministry of Bling.

The Scalfaro Cap Ferrat Chronograph.

Scalfaro means 'Rising Lighthouse'. It was started in 2003 by 2 German brothers, Alexander Kuhnle and Dominik Kuhnle. Scalfaro watches are distinguished by the bold design of the watch case. This watch featured is the Cap Ferrat Chronograph with diamond bezel.

Cap Ferrat. This series is named after Cape Ferrat, situated at the Alpes-Maritimes department, Southeast of France. Estates situated in this area are amongst the most expensive in the world! Known as Saint-Jean Cap Ferrat, this beautiful coastal area is considered one of the crown jewels of the French Riviera.

This is a big watch at 44mm. Stainless steel case, sapphire crystal(9.0 Mohs hardness), exhibition caseback.

Scalfa screws. Now these are special screws made by Scalfaro. Beautiful 5 petal type screws made exclusively by Scalfaro.

Automatic movement, chronograph function, date display.

Bling. The diamonds. Original factory set diamonds. 46 in all.

Now this watch comes in a big blued wooden presentation case. Very plush and luxurious feel to the box. Not to mention the watch.

Not a common watch but its quality and design is on par with many of those reputable names. Enquire about this watch at fervour24@hotmail.com

2006-07-26T12:05:00.001-07:00

I am going to CHROME you. Stop. Watch.

Switzerland. 1970s.

Acquired this stopwatch a few months ago. Could hardly believe that it a NOS(new old stock) piece!

1970s. Heuer-Leonidas, a collaboration of 2 firms, was the manufacturer of precision time pieces and stopwatches back then. Since 1985, Heuer has merged with the TAG(Techniques Advant Garde) Group and was rebranded Tag Heuer.

High impact plastic was chromed for the shiny appearance of this stopwatch. This made it lightweight yet strong. Acrylic crystal was used popularly due to their low cost, light weight and shatter-resistant properties.

Usage. This stopwatch needs to be winded before it can be activated or used(now how retro is that!)

Centre pushpiece: Wind & Start timing
Left Pushpiece: Stop
Right Pushpiece: Reset

This stopwatch is able to measure timings of up to 60 mins, with 1/5th seconds accuracy. The coloured counter reflects the elasped minutes and the white dial shows the elapsed seconds.

This piece comes with the original instruction booklet in 4 languages, price tag and box. Hopefully I can get more of these stuff... The whole package just oozes nostalgia.

To buy this piece in the 70s will set you back 54 Swiss Francs, as stated on the price tag. Now how much is it in today's terms?

2006-07-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

Mango The Bird.

2004 January. A new pet. A uncaged bird. Yellow in colour. Sings like Celine Dion.

It just decided to fly by every morning by 0830 am. It would peck at one of the windows. Standing at the ledge. Peck. Peck. Peck.

Then it'll start to sing. Well I don't have the lyrics though:) Mango would sing or shout/talk (frankly I am not too sure wat its trying to communicate)

Then a pillow will start flying. Hit the window so that Mango will stop doing that. But Mango has done its job. Waking people out of their cosy beds. It is loud, its peckings irritable. But Mango sings well. It sounds beautiful. Many months ago it decided that the pillow throwing was enough.

No more morning calls. I heard a chirp this afternoon. Sounds familiar, I thought. So I decided to look outside. Mango. Its always nice to hear from a long lost friend.

Mango Factfile

Mango is a Black Naped Oriole (Oriolus Chinensis)

Commonly found in Singapore, distinguished by the black eye stripe which extends to the nape.

Eats fruits, berries, figs, insects, nestlings. Char kway teow? Don't think so. Needs to sing.

Find Mango & gang at... coastal woodlands, mangroves, parks & gardens in Singapore.

Enough of bird talk.

2006-07-25T23:23:00.000-07:00

Show me the ...

Citizen automatic chronograph, 1980

38mm, stainless steel case.

Funky neon hands. Chronograph with day-date display.

Movement. Citizen caliber 8110A.

I like the way these hands contrast with the black dial of this watch, pretty cool watch and very affordable:)

This watch is available. Enquire at fervour24@hotmail.com

Oh, and before I forget. The first picture features Gangsta from my small Kubrick Special Force collection...

2006-07-25T22:06:00.000-07:00

Wake up.

The IWC Ingenieur chronograph with alarm.

Was wondering which watch I should put up today. A few pieces came to mind. A super retro gold-filled Seiko watch was the next closest option...Anyway I decided to go ahead with the IWC megaquartz chronograph with alarm.

This is a small watch according to today's standards. At 34mm it would be considered tiny. Tiny in size but packed with functions. Chronograph, date and alarm. Practical.

The Ingenieur means 'engineer' in German.

Powered by IWC's caliber 633 which is in fact Jaeger Lecoultre's caliber 633.

Produced from 1991-1996.Anti-magnetic to 4,800 A/MLook closely at the pushers and crown. Extremely well made.

The dial. Red hand=alarm hand. Set the alarm with the crown at 10 o'clock.The moveable lugs ensures a snug fit to any wrist.. unless its a broken one:)

Email me at fervour24@hotmail.com for any enquires regarding this watch.

2006-07-24T22:59:00.000-07:00

Took this picture when I was in Vancouver, Whistler mountain. Mighty impressive sight... actually I was trying to capture the helicopter as it made its landing. A very picturesque place, Whistler is ski haven in winter and mountain bikers' paradise in summer. A place of unforgettable beauty.

2006-07-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

The First Seiko Wristwatch, 1924

19mm case size, stainless steel, wire lugs, white dial (probably porcelain), manual winding. Great historical value. This watch is now 82 years old and in working condition!

Dial. Arabic numerals art deco style. Sub-seconds counter.

Case. 19mm. Snap on caseback.

This is a very rare watch, and I am lucky to get this in good working condition:)

2006-07-24T11:54:00.000-07:00

Aluminium. Rubber. Sports.

Well I guess Bvlgari has got nothing very much to do with sports, but this watch very sports oriented. Personally I like only 3 models from Bvlgari. The Divers' 2000m, GMT and lastly the aluminum sport.

This is a simple watch. The dial is simple and straight forward; time and date display. I guess there is no need for a triple calendar moonphase display when you are playing tennis right.

The aluminium and rubber case combo works well for outdoor activities. Aluminium is lightweight and corrosion resistant. Rubber is waterproof and easy to maintain.

Watch case. 38mm.

Dial. Matt silver with black indexes and red tipped seconds hand.

Strap. Rubber with aluminium

Time to go into the retro stuff next....

2006-07-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

They have landed.

The pictures of the Omega 007 Seamaster I mean.

Adjust. Click. Adjust camera, shift watch, adjust lighting. After countless clicks it is done.

This watch came in mint condition with everything intact. 10,007 pieces produced worldwide.

42mm case size. Automatic movement. Helium escape valve.

Dial. Decorated with neat rows of 007 motiff, date aperture. You can see from the picture the beauty of the embossed 007 on the dial. The attention to detail is evident.

Hands. Normal Seamaster skeleton hands with dot illumination. Glows like a torch.

Caseback: Depicts a camera iris with 007 motiff in the opening of the iris.

Overall I do think that this watch is great for keeps. Great classic design, good worksmanship & price. This watch is available now. fervour24@hotmail.com for enquires.

2006-07-23T12:04:00.000-07:00

Omega Seamaster
James Bond limited edition

As a James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) fan, I had little hesitation to acquire this piece which was offered to me in near mint condition. This is the Omega Seamaster divers' watch produced in late 2002 to commemorate 40 years of James Bond movies and as a tie in with the Bond movie 'Die another day'.

The Omega Seamaster appeared in 4 of Bond's movies namely;

'Goldeneye' (1995)
'Tomorrow never dies' (1997)
'The world is not enough' (1999)
'Die another day' (2002)

This picture is Omega's promotional picture for the 007 Seamaster. Unique features of this watch as compared to the non-limited edition Seamaster are differences on the dial, caseback and box.

More details and actual pictures of this watch coming up...

2006-07-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

Mille Miglia Chronograph by Chopard (limited edition)

1000 pcs limited edition

Automatic movement powered by ETA 2894

37 Jewels, 28,800 Vibrations Per Hour (VPH), 45 hours of power reserve

Stainless steel case, 40mm

Produced in a limited edition in 1999, this watch is named Mille Miglia in honour of Italian vintage car rally which is held annually in Brescia, Italy.

As I look at the dial of this watch, I am immediately captivated by the silver dial with perlage decoration. Next thing that caught my attention is the blued steel hands. Blue steel is produced when steel is heated to varying high temperatures to acheive different shades of blue.

Turn the watch around and you will see the limited edition number and the movement. The exhibition back is another plus point in this watch, allowing the wearer to view the nicely decorated movement when desired. Though not the most complex of chronograph movements, it has a nicely decorated rotor.

The strap that comes original to this watch is a rubber strap which has the threadings similar to a racing tyre which is well suited for this watch. I find this a very attractive all occasion watch which has many nice details suitable for both men & women.

2006-07-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

Finally.

Watchblog. Retro stuff. Old things. Retro watches. Comtemporary watches.

Well here I am, finally down to start blogging. This well be my first blog which will be dedicated to mostly writeup on retro and contemporary watches. I am particularly interested in vintage Seiko watches made from the 60s to 70s, so you'll probably see these retro watches more often here:)

2002. Old tag heuer watch. $180.

This started everything. The endless journey of watch collecting.