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subjectsmiley51! The Tale of the Tape: Three new cases from Vostok. (21 replies)

Dave M — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 10:14:28 -0500

I must admit, I have lost count of my Vostok watches. A while back, I decided to focus my Vostok collection on the Amphibia Classic line, for a few reasons. One, they work well with the things that I do for fun. Usually, fun for me involves time on the water. Secondly, they will not break the bank. And thirdly, I appreciate watches having steel cases, because down the road, they can be re-finished.

This last week, I received 2 parcels from Russia. In them were examples of the three new cases offered by Vostok.

New case offerings are exciting news to fans of the Amphibia line. New dials come out much more often. But new cases require big investment in design and hard tooling! I think that the investment will pay off.

These three watches are in the "Amphibia Classic" line. All are heavily constructed, featuring stainless steel cases, thick acrylic crystals, and 20 atmospheres of pressure resistance. All three have the famous Vostok "wobble crown". The 100 and 110 feature a date calendar, and are equipped with the automatic Vostok 2416b movement. The 090 lacks a calendar, and so employs the automatic Vostok 2415b movement. Same thing, no calendar complication.

All three have bi-directional bezels, of plated brass. Again, Vostok has invested in new bezel designs. Having some choice is a welcome change from the "dots and arcs" bezels that have shipped on Vostok watches for the past several years.

Any fan of the Vostok Amphibia will quickly recognize the features of these watches. No surprises here.

I think that the most significant news is the increased size. The designers seem to have embraced the trend of larger watches. But they have not gone over the top; I find all three of these to be in my wheelhouse.
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I had a bit of time to take measurements: The widths are so close, that I suspect that the cases share the same crown/stem assembly.

The view from the side: All three were about 14.5mm in thickness.

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I took some wrist shots. For reference, my wrist is 7" around. I used the same 22mm Modena Tropic Style strap in all the shots.
The 110 case features a crown guard. Weight, "head only" is approximately 62 grams.

The 110 case lugs are situated higher, in relation to the distance off the case back. I find that this results in an awkward strap angle. If my wrists were of a flatter shape, this would not be an issue.

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The 100 case is my favorite for all-around wearability. If you are a fan of the round 420 case Amphibia, you will be in familiar territory. If you ever thought that the 420 case needed a bit more heft, and a wider strap, then this is your case. Weight, "head only" is approximately 62 grams.

The lugs of the 100 case are turned down a bit, making for a more natural strap angle. Perfect for me.
I did not expect the 100 case to become my favorite for wearability. It was a pleasant surprise.

A comparison in size between the 100 case, and the 420 case.

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The 090 case has caused quite a bit of excitement, because of it's obvious shared DNA with the 1190 case of old. Even though the numbers say it is of a similar size to the others, it wears larger because of the tonneau shape. And this one features my favorite of the new bezels. Weight, "head only" is approximately 71 grams.

Again, the fit to my wrist is right on. The designers got it right... for me. Your experience may vary from mine, of course.
Overall, I love this watch! Wearability is great. And the design harkens back to the well-loved models of the past, in a modern size. They will sell a ton of these.

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A note about the bezels:

To the left, we have a 090 bezel on the 100 case. The 090, 100, and 110 cases are wider. The designers took advantage of that added space, and created bezels that fill the area. The 090, 100, and 110 bezels are all cross compatible with the 090, 100, and 110 cases.

To the left, we have a 420 bezel, on a 100 case. The internal dimensions of the bezel are the same, and the bezel works just fine.

To the Right, we see the 090 bezel on the 420 case. The 420 case is a bit narrower, so it requires a bezel having an undercut, to create clearance for the crown. As you see, the 090 bezel does not provide that clearance! This is an incompatible combination.

Conclusion: these three new models are welcome additions to the Classic Amphibia line. They all share the familiar features of the other watches in that line. And they have updated the styles and sizes a bit. I was able to buy these watches for about US$76 each, delivered.

subjectsmiley50! Vintage Citizen 'Family Trees' (13 replies)

Sweephand — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 08:23:10 -0400

Alongside doing revisions to my Movement Table, I thought it would be useful as well to show how particular movements are used in a range of models. I thought this would be best shown in a 'Family Tree' and I've just uploaded my first one, on the 02/Homer movement. It can be accessed via my blog: [sweep-hand.org]

Any comments are most welcome,

Stephen

Sunday Funnies. (38 replies)

Dave M — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 20:05:35 -0400

Handy chart for Ebauche Manufacturer's Marks (8 replies)

Anonymous User — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 18:17:26 -0500

Click HERE for full size (1600 x 6250)

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

"A watch should be worth looking at even when you already know the time" - vintage Omega ad

No respect, I tell ya, no respect! aka the Roskopf / R. Lapanouse story (53 replies)

Anonymous User — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:26:51 -0500

It's no secret that I tend to gravitate towards ultra-inexpensive wristwatches. Nor that, to a certain degree, for me the movement is the watch. Mind you, I do prefer that my movements be housed in a wearable watch. IOW I don't collect bare movements. Not yet, anyway. subjectsmiley04! So, as you might imagine, I've long since combined these two areas of interest, and am a fan of affordable movements. Sure, I enjoy an intricately-finished high end movement as much as anyone. But being a Poor Man, I know that I will never own many. So, while I do enjoy reading and learning about them, my interest is purely academic, and takes a back seat to more modest movements which I can easily afford.

Like many WIS with a PMW bent, my first exposure to the genre was . And while I am still most definitely a fan of Timex, the marque, and of their vintage watches, such is their popularity that I deem them outside the scope of this essay. No, here we will deal with more obscure subject material of Swiss origin. subjectsmiley01!

Now, I was several years down the path of WISdom before I realized that there was an ultra-inexpensive side to Swiss watchmaking, of an order roughly equivalent to my beloved Timex. The watch that really opened my eyes to this fact was this one:

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for subjectsmiley51!

This watch was a gift from Bro. Jeremy Dean, and came to me with the sub-dial and sweep seconds hands dislodged, bouncing around in the dial bay. This is, no doubt, why Jeremy was able to acquire the watch in a thrift shop for the princely sum of $5.99. subjectsmiley02! I have since reset the sub-dial hands, but managed to booger up the sweep seconds hand beyond repair. subjectsmiley07! I have thus far been unable to source a replacement so, while the watch runs A-OK, I seldom wear it.

But the movement is, for me, the real attraction here..

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

It's an Ebauches Bettlach caliber 8420, a 1-jewel pin-pallet design. The bread-and-butter of Ebauches Bettlach were fully-jeweled movements which, while of a modest nature, were much more in the traditional Swiss vein. The pin-pallet movements seem to have been a sideline for them, though no doubt a lucrative one. An amazing movement, in its own way. So much so that I couldn't resist a bit of research, and that led me to the real subject of this missive, the Roskopf movement.

Georges F. Roskopf was, arguably, more responsible than any other watchmaker for making watches affordable to The Common Man. As such, on a forum dedicated to poor man's watches, he should be a Household Name. More so than a Breguet or a LeCoultre, one would think. But no, if you search our forum for "Roskopf", you will get precious few hits. subjectsmiley16! I hope my writing here will go some small way towards remedying this situation. subjectsmiley01!

I am no historian, of course (I just play one on a watch forum subjectsmiley02!), so I'll cheat a bit and nick the bio from Jimmy Wales...

Quote
Wikipedia

Georges F. Roskopf (1813–1889), the inventor of the pin-pallet escapement, was born in Germany and became a naturalized Swiss citizen.

Early life and introduction
In 1829, when Roskopf was 16, he went to La Chaux-de-Fonds and began training in commerce with F. Mairet & Sandoz, who dealt in ironmongery and watch parts. In 1833 he decided to become a watchmaker and went as an apprentice to J. Biber, in La Chaux-de-Fonds, to learn watchmaking.

Career as a watch maker and specialist
Financed by his wife, he then set up in business as an établisseur, that is, a watch producer who bought the ebauche and all other parts of the watch and assembled them. He made cylinder and lever watches for export to North America and Belgium. Although the watches were well made, the business was not profitable and in 1850 Roskopf sold it. In 1851 Roskopf became the joint manager of the La Chaux-de-Fonds branch of B. J. Guttman Frères of Wurzburg. They manufactured English-type watches. In 1855 he set up in business with his son, Fritz Edouard, and Henri Gindraux as "ROSKOPF, GINDRAUX & CO." After two years his son opened his own business in Geneva and Gindraux went to Neuchâtel to become the Director of the Watchmaking School.

Roskopf was an idealist who dreamed of making a good quality, cheap watch for working men. To accomplish this he used an old idea and reworked it, that of having the hands driven directly by the mainspring. In 1860 he began to design such a watch, which could be sold for 20 francs, and would still be of excellent quality, simple and solid. The watch had a large barrel in the center. a "Perron" pin-pallet escapement, and a monometallic balance. After discussions with Moritz J. Grossman he adopted the simple detached pin lever escapement.

Listing of the features for the new caliber:

1 Escapement on a platform normally using a pin lever design but possible with a lever or cylinder escapement;
2. No center wheel but a large barrel;
3. Motion work to hands direct from the barrel arbour;
4. Philippe free spring with no stop work;
5. Button wind but with handset by finger pressure.

Parts refusal and patents
Roskopf met indifference and hostility among the watchmakers of the area who were still working as a home industry and who did not wish to make a watch such as he was offering. It is said, that in 1866 Roskopf ordered two boxes of ebauches from Emile Roulet and asked Gustave Rosselet to make escapements; both refused to take his orders because of the novelty of the work. He finally succeeded in producing a watch in 1867, using ebauches and cases from the Malleray Watch Co., and parts from many other makers, and having them assembled in Damprichard, Doubs, France, by M. Chatelain. The original order to Malleray Watch Co., was 2000 pieces. By the end of 1867 he was in business and by 1870 he had ordered 20,000 ebauches.

Roskopf was granted US patent No. 75,463 10 Mar. 1868, for a changeable escapement for watches (this patent said that the escapement could be adapted for use with a cylinder or lever as well as a pin pallet). Roskopf patented his watch in France with French patent No. 80611 of 25 Mar. 1868 for a watch with a type of platform escapement. He patented his designs in several countries (Belgium, No. 21988, 3 Aug. 1867) but never in Switzerland, because Switzerland did not yet have a patenting system, and because the idea had been used there before his use of it.

Exhibitions and presentations
Through the influence of the House of Breguet in Paris, Roskopf was able to present his watch at the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1868 and won a Bronze Medal. From then on Breguet began to send him orders. Some movements were supplied to Borel & Courvoisier. Other orders poured in. The Roskopf watch was exhibited at the Amsterdam Exhibition in 1869 and won a Silver Medal. In 1870 Georges Roskopf introduced a second design with a setting mechanism; this watch cost 25 francs. In it he reduced the number of parts, simplified the escapement fitting, and introduced an improved winding. The escapement was assembled on its own adjustable platform. The watch was SW and pin-set. In his oversize barrel he arranged to use Adrien Philippe’s (Patek,Philippe) patent free mainspring without stop works for which he paid a royalty on each watch.

Later career and death
In 1873 Roskopf handed over his business to Wille Frères and their associates, Ch. Léon Schmid.

When Roskopf died in 1889 a number of firms claimed to be his true successors. But Wille Frères actually owned the rights on the company. Actually, Wille Frères and Vve Ch. L. Schmid had been using Roskopf trade mark for years before G. F. Roskopf’s death, with his permission.

By this time the idea of the Roskopf-type watch was becoming popular in Switzerland and a number of Swiss companies began making "Roskopf" watches. In order to be really cheap, the watches had to be machine mass manufactured as much as possible. These watches had pin-pallet escapements rather than platform escapements.

Couldn't have said it better meself! subjectsmiley04! But let's have some Roskopf Watch photos! Mind you, most watches that bear the actual Roskopf Patents are pocket watches...

Ironically enough, considering their original market as an inexpensive watch for The Common Man, Roskopf watches command surprisingly high prices today. It's rare to see them go for under US $150 if they're in running condition. And cosmetically fine examples sometime top $1K! subjectsmiley11! While Roskopf might not be a Household Name on the , obviously 'tis a different story with some Hardcore Collectors. subjectsmiley04!

But it's the movements you want to see, I know...

While Roskopf-branded wristwatches are much more rare, they do exist:

Mind you, for every watch which says "Roskopf" on the dial, there's a hundred that say so on the movement alone. And probably thousands which use some aspect of the Roskopf design uncredited. Many manufacturers tweaked the design just enough to remove the legal requirement to license the patent. Indeed, I suspect the Ebauches Bettlach 8420 with which I led off is a case in point. Perhaps the easiest and most sure-fire way to obtain a Roskopf movement in a wristwatch is to seek out one of the Cuervo y Sobrinos "character watches" which are quite common on eFlay. With very few exceptions, you will find a sure 'nough Roskopf movement inside.

And that brings us to R. Lapanouse. Unlike Ebauches Bettlach, R. Lapanouse S.A. (aka Cimier, aka REGO) was very much a specialist in 1-jewel pin-pallet movements. Forget bread-and-butter, it was their meat-and-potatos! IMHO, they can be thought of as "The Swiss Timex" more so than any other company.

Here I'll nick the history from swisstime.ch, though I believe the original source was a press release from Cimier themselves.

Quote
www.swisstime.ch

CIMER – from 1924 to today

In 1925, the first ads from a company Lapanouse SA appeared, featuring Swiss watches under the brand name CIMIER.

The company had been founded the year before by the watchmaker R. Lapanouse in Hölstein, a small and structurally weak town in the canton Baselland. The comfortably manageable family enterprise had been producing the so-called “Roskopf” watches since its relocation to the neighbouring Bubendorf. This type of watch originates from the watchmaker Georg Friedrich Roskopf, who lived 1813 – 1889. He developed very robust and exceptionally reasonably priced clockworks, featuring vertically standing steel pins instead of the usual stone palettes for the time scaling. Further characteristics were the economic pillar construction, a light balance wheel, the relatively thick balance shaft as protection against breakage, and comparatively few jewels.

A whole new range of customers was addressed with the production of these affordable watches, and Lapanouse SA rushed from success to success. There was, however, a sour note in the history of the rapidly upcoming company: The Achilles’ heel of its extraordinarily purposeful strategy came to light in 1934, when production was frozen at the respective status quo by Swiss Federal Law. Historical documents prove that this measure was taken to protect the crisis-ridden watch industry. Accordingly, Lapanouse was restricted to producing exclusively Roskopf clockworks and watches containing these.

Creativity was not impaired, however! The ambitious enterprise now focused on an even broader and more attractive collection for ordinary people, consisting mainly of wristwatches.

In 1951, as the branch was gradually recovering from the aftermath of the Second World War, Lapanouse SA managed to stand out with exceptionally good results. A new range of wrist watches was presented, with gold plated or chromed casings, still featuring the successful pin lever movement from the company’s own production. The CIMIER brand, now also reflected in the new company name LAPANOUSE-CIMIER, set out to capture the world. In English, CIMIER means “Crest” (as in the decoration on a helmet), and this melodious name was to be understood as a symbol for the combination of elegance and stability.

The age of the beginning economic boom demanded more striking and distinctive wrist watches, and CIMIER launched pieces with luminescent numerals, centre second, as well as a novel chronograph. The company’s pioneer role in this field was to pay off: The striking timepieces were sold very successfully worldwide, and even the company’s stationery proudly announced: “Production of 5000 watches daily”. An incredible 1,5 million watches were produced yearly by the 500 employees in Bubendorf.

The key markets at that time were the USA and Europe, as well as South America, Australia, and South Africa.

In 1966, the obstructive 1934 Federal Law paragraph was finally abolished, but Lapanouse saw no reason to leave the reliable pin lever terrain. The range was to be extended, instead of cut back or even given up. The result was a pin lever chronograph with seven stones and two pushers for controlling diverse functions, as well as several additional dials. The simultaneous arrangement of tachy and telemeter scale completed its impressive appearance.

In the seventies, pulsating quartz crystals were introduced to the watch industry. Lapanouse SA applied itself to this new technology and once again adopted a pioneer role in developing its own quartz movement.

In a risky transaction, a large part of the production machines was sold to a competitor at the beginning of the 80s, who was henceforth to be a supplier of the company. This outsourcing measure, however, did not result in the expected reduction of production costs. On the contrary; due to the now costly purchase of movements, Lapanouse-Cimier clearly suffered a competitive disadvantage when it came to competitors from abroad, and particularly when it came to the important new domestic player.

Disaccord within the owner family concerning the future strategy and the choice of a successor to head the enterprise finally lead to the provisional production shut-down in one of the largest Swiss watch manufactures in 1985.

CIMIER today

Since 2003, the long-standing tradition of the brand is being carried toward the future by managing director Martin Bärtsch and his team. The most prominent characteristics of a CIMIER are still high-class workmanship, the remarkable design and an affordable price. The CIMIER atelier in Baar (Central Switzerland) not only designs and develops these exclusive timepieces, but also manufactures them in finest handcraft.

CIMIER Philosophy

Three elegant feathers decorate the CIMIER logo, symbolizing a crest – in French: CIMIER. The brand name is no coincidence – we want you to wear your CIMIER with pride and elegance. CIMIER watches are designed, developed and produced in the company‘s atelier in the heart of Switzerland in Baar, canton of Zug.

Apart from its popular quartz watches, CIMIER offers a wide range of mechanical models. Whatever their mechanism, CIMIER watches convince with their attractive price-performance ratio and their sportive elegant style.

Managing director Martin Bärtsch and his team have been carrying the long-standing tradition of the brand toward the future since 2003.

Today CIMIER distributes its watches in 17 countries. In October 2009 the first flagship store opened its doors at the Limmatquai in Zurich.

Photos? Sure! We've got plenty of photos! subjectsmiley01!

R. Lapanouse products are like Lay's Potato Chips, apparently. "You can't collect just one.." subjectsmiley04!

While the "purest" examples could be considered..

..the models by Cimier and REGO, the R. Lapanouse movements were used by many, many other manufacturers.

It's important to note that, looked at one way, these aren't chronographs at all, at least not in the conventional sense.

Quote
ChronoMATT @ watchlords

Calling this movement a chronograph is generous. Technically, it is, but its limited features has it referred to as a "lap timer" by some.

The chronograph's upper sub dial registers 45 minute increments while the lower totalizes 6 hours. As shown in the above image, one must manually advance the time to 12 o'clock sharp and allow the seconds hand to reach 12, too. Pressing the top chrono pusher will stop the seconds hand.

One the bottom pusher is deployed, the time advanced until the top pusher is pressed. The above shows 45 minutes having passed. The top chrono hand made on full revolution for it measures 45 minutes only. The bottom register stopped at the 45 minute sub dial indicator, one tick mark before the 1 hour spot. To regain the current time, one has to refer to another timepiece and re-adjust using the tradition push-pull crown.

And, yes, even some companies which are thought of as quite "high end" have used R. Lapanouse movements. Oris, for instance...

But let's have some more movement photos!

Fitting, I think, that the last photo was nicked from our own Bro. Octopi. If you search the Phorum for "Lapanouse" you'll hardly get more hits than for "Roskopf", and Octopi is one of the few exceptions. Case in point.

ANYway.. guess I've run on enough. Thank you, Dear Constant Reader subjectsmiley33!, for sticking with me through this long and rambling post. subjectsmiley08!

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky


For (much!) more info see History and Design of the Roskopf Watch by Eugene Buffat

Also worthy of note:

The Miracle of the Pin Lever Movement by Richard Paige

The Roskopf Watch by Ulrich Bretscher

And a real oddball, Roskopf Watch with the Second Hand Turning to the Left by Ulrich Bretscher

PMWF thread American Time 1-jewel chrono by Ricky Lee

PMWF thread Computograph by Ricky Lee

PMWF thread Cimier chronograph by Ricky Lee

PMWF thread One jewel wonder..."R Lapanouse" by Octopi

"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn

Cuervo y Sobrinos - The Wilderness Years (13 replies)

Anonymous User — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 11:17:15 -0400

I first encountered the Cuervo y Sobrinos brand on the Caribbean Watch Shopping Orgy, and was mightily impressed with their wares. This watch, in particular..

..the Robusto Buceador (2806.1BIA, SS, 43mm, 20 ATM), I found simply stunning. Mind you, the color's all wrong in my photo, it's really like so:

Only the price prevented it from being a real contender, and if I'd been able to haggle the salesman down under the magic US $2K point, I might be wearing it instead of the Mido. subjectsmiley04!

Anyway, once I returned home, still curious, I researched the brand a bit. Unlike some "re-born brands" they have a very real and interesting history. Here's a snippet of the press release from their Baselworld 2007 re-introduction:

Quote
Press Release

In 1882, Armando F. Rio y Cuervo opens his jewellery and watch shop, La Casa, on the capital's prestigious Avenida Quinta. Manufacturing its watches at its production centre in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Cuervo y Sobrinos ("Cuervo and Nephews") imbues the savoir-faire of Swiss watchmaking with Latin spirit. Hemingway, Caruso, Gable, Churchill, Einstein... so many famous people of the time purchased Cuervo y Sobrinos watch creations at La Casa. The brand, now making its home in Switzerland, remains faithful to its roots by drawing its inspiration from the original designs, sketches and drawings made by the Cuervo family artisans. Benefiting from the craftsmanship of master Swiss watchmakers and the contemporary spirit of its designers, Cuervo y Sobrinos today reinterprets the elegant models of yesteryear with a personal touch.

Mind you, some are less than impressed with the resurrected company. And Bro. Harry Bishop does make some good points. Their advertising copy is a bit on the flowery side, they do use mainly stock ETA movements, and probably shouldn't be considered a "manufacture" in the same sense as, say, a Blancpain or Jaeger-LeCoultre. But, make no mistake, these modern Cuervo y Sobrinos watches are very, very nice kit indeed! subjectsmiley33!

But the real question, for me, is "What happened to the brand after the communist takeover of Cuba?" What follows is my take on the question. It's largely conjecture, I admit, and I can't back most of it up with hard documentation. I apologize, but the waters are murky at best. Reliable information about Cuervo y Sobrinos from 1959 until 2007 simply doesn't yet exist on the 'net, as far as I can tell. OK, that being said, it appears to have gone down something like this..

The retail business survived, but the Swiss facility at La Chaux-de-Fonds was an early casualty. So Cuervo y Sobrinos branded watches..

..fell by the wayside. The practice of dual-branding, or adding the Cuervo y Sobrinos hallmark alongside established brands..

..appears to have continued, though in diminished numbers. Possibly it was limited to stock-on-hand, as there simply wasn't a large market for luxury watches in communist Cuba. By the late 1960's it appears that some manufacturing capability was restored, and simple and inexpensive watches bearing the Cuervo y Sobrinos brand reappeared. This was almost certainly an assembly operation using commodity parts, with no actual fabrication taking place in Cuba. These were in a class with, say, a Pobeda or Raketa, with the typical movement..

..being a pin-lever handwinder.

Pre-revolution Cuervo y Sobrinos had been quite well known for "novelty watches"..

..and at this point that aspect seems to have been greatly expanded:

Note the dual-branding, again.

That Cauny may be a pre-revolution watch...

From here the trail kind of fades away, leaving many unanswered questions. What is the relationship of the Curvo family to the current Swiss incarnation of the company? Did they sell the rights? Or are they still affiliated? Does the Cuervo y Sobrinos retail operation in Havana still exist?

If anyone can provide further info and enlightenment, I'd love to know!

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

The Cuervo y Sobrinos official web site is HERE.

An alternate (official?) site is HERE.

A retailer site with good photos of the current line is HERE.

"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn

admin/Reto might want to make this a 'Sticky' WWII USA watch repair (TM 9-1575) (6 replies)

BILLANAGNOS(GREEK) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 11:21:53 -0400

[ialreadyhaveawatch.com]

What came in the mail today... (13 replies)

JFK3531 — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 21:15:15 -0400

So my wife walks in with a box that the mailman just handed her, and says "Must be another watch".

"Not exactly", I say.

"Well, watch related, then",

"Strictly speaking, no", I reply.

"Something horological" (didn't even know she knew the term)

"Well, yes, I suppose"

------------------------------------

What I got was a beautiful little Westclox Baby Ben. Exact same model as used to wake me up for high school, and that I later rigged into a dashboard clock when I drove a taxicab. When I was finishing college (and right after) I drove one that looked pretty much like the one here:

I would have to rotate vehicles (sometimes daily, other times weekly), so had a few things I'd take with me from one car to the next. Some cleaning supplies, a book to read while waiting in lines, and my trusty little clock. There was no dashboard clock in these cabs, and I didn't like to wear a watch while driving because I'd get it banged up on stuff, and I also sweated a lot in the summer. The Baby Ben fit perfectly right between two knobs that controlled the heater. With the addition of two heavy duty rubber bands (elastics) the clock looked "almost" liked it belonged there.

I thought I still had that clock around somewhere (and perhaps I do), but I've moved at least 6 times since then (probably a few more than that), and a search thru boxes in the basement has failed to turn my trusty sidekick up. Last week I was trolling the 'bay and saw this one up for sale within 24 hours. I bid on it (even though it had a little travel alarm with it in the lot), and snagged it with my first bid. Woo-Hoo! It's in much better shape than mine was when I was done with it (there's just a bit of the gold colored plating rubbed off of the bezel). It started right up, and so-far seems to be running just a bit slow. No worries, as there is a handy adjustment accessible from the back of the case. It's nice to have this model back, even if it isn't the same one.

The case is a "Case Style 7", metal case, wind up movement, which was manufactured between 1956-1964 (it must have been around the house a long time, as I went to high school long after that). Westclox manufactured clocks in LaSalle-Peru, Illinois (it's amazing how many timepieces were manufactured in Illinois).

Now I just need to see if my wife will put up with me keeping this on the nightstand...

subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! - This one's especially for Bro. Nuvolari (Swiss trip 2011) (50 replies)

Anonymous User — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 19:45:28 -0400

Got a little surprise in me mailbox on Tuesday.

No! Not a watch!

Apparently...

Click HERE for larger photo

..I'm a Wanted Man in Switzerland. subjectsmiley07! subjectsmiley11!

ArrrrrrrrrrrrrGH! subjectsmiley14!

Ah, well. Let's have a (not so Random) Watch Photo or two...

subjectsmiley15!

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

-Ricky

P.s. - You can find all my 'Swiss Trip 2011' posts HERE.

Live long and prosper.

subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! - subjectsmiley63! Flash! Tom Swift Customs enters the Swiss market! (Swiss trip 2011) (11 replies)

Anonymous User — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:51:54 -0400

Labeling this a subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! of the (Swiss trip 2011) might be pushing things a bit, I admit. subjectsmiley07!

However. If ye hold your mouth just right and think about it a certain way, it makes sense. The raison d'être of my Excellent Swiss Adventure was the validation and sign-off of this machine tool, after all. So the logical conclusion of the story is its installation and startup in Memphis, right? subjectsmiley12! Of course it is! subjectsmiley01!

Here's the Swiss Crew who came over for the installation:

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

That's Martin on the left, and Ueli on the right. That is, of course, the machine tool in question in the background.

But, you say, "What's all this hoohaw about Tom Swift Customs entering the Swiss market?" Glad you asked, Dear Constant Reader! subjectsmiley01!

See, after the hospitality that was shown to me by Martin and Ueli personally, and Monnier-Zahner AG in general..

..how could I do any less? subjectsmiley10!

Hard act to follow, though. subjectsmiley07! Here's the best I could do..

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

Sure, you might recognize the watch. I know it's a bit of a stretch to present a WOMP Watch to someone who's not actually a Registered PMWF Member, much less a WOMP. But although he might not realize it yet, Martin is a WIS, rest assured! I mean, we're talking about a man who owns a Moon Watch and an Dynamic, among others. And not only does he love talking about watches, he's very knowledgeable on the subject. If that doesn't qualify him as a WIS, I'll eat me hat!

Heck, he can even do the JJ Homage thing!

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subjectsmiley03!

And, yes, I managed to get a little Swiss content into this one.. subjectsmiley04!

No, not the entire strap! It's a "genuine leather" and Hong Kong made. subjectsmiley01! That's a sure-enough Swiss buckle, though! subjectsmiley02!

But of course I couldn't forget Ueli! Turns out he's an avid angler..

..which meant he fit right in with the ol' Southern boys 'round here. subjectsmiley01! Those Zanders in the photo are a lot like a Walleye - only bigger! - and more than one of the aforementioned ol' Southern boys swear they'll take their rod & reel along, should they ever get the chance to visit Switzerland. Ueli mentioned that our selection of fishing gear is quite a lot more extensive than what he can find at home, so..

..we'll see how those Zander react to Bass and Crappie lures, I reckon. subjectsmiley02!

After a spot of dinner..

..at yon churrascaria, we took a stroll around Beale Street.

You do meet some characters down on Beale..

..and characters of all races, creeds, sizes, shape, and ages. subjectsmiley04!

Time it right, you might even see some exceptional street performers, as in this short video clip.

And, of course, no visit to Beale Street would be complete without a few bars of The Blues!

That's "Miss Nikki from Holly Springs Mississippi" shakin' a tailfeather there and, Son! subjectsmiley33! That ol' gal can sing! subjectsmiley62! You can DL a roughly 3-minute clip of Miss Nikki HERE.

So. While I feel bad subjectsmiley07! that we don't have anything in the league of a Musée Omega or an Musée d'Horlogerie du Locle, much less..

..any natural beauty to approach Switzerland, I think I still managed to give my guests a pretty good taste of The Memphis Experience. subjectsmiley08!

Thanks for readin' y'all!

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn

subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! - A visit to Musée d'Horlogerie du Locle (Swiss trip 2011) (18 replies)

Anonymous User — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 10:30:26 -0400

I mentioned this visit in not one but two earlier posts, HERE and HERE. If you missed them, it's probably worth going back to skim them. The second one, in particular, tells the story of how I came to visit only one of the major area horlogerie museums, and what is generally recognized to be the lesser one, at that.

And the same disclaimer that you first saw in the Musée Omega post applies:

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I must apologize for the less-than-stellar quality of the photos. They're very much QnD.. shooting through the display case glass, there's not much choice in the matter. subjectsmiley16! Even so, I discarded (many) photos I shot, as they were simply way too grotty to fool with. Out-of-focus, blinding reflections from the flash, etc.

Then, too, you'll find that these photos are smaller than the ones I usually post. But with (so many) photos, I'm thinkin' it's gonna take a while to load this post. subjectsmiley04! Nor are there as many choices in hi-res links as I usually provide. To partially compensate for that I've left most of them in their native 7.1 megapixel (3072 x 2304) format, rather then resize them to 3.2 megapixels (2048 x 1536) as I customarily do.

I won't even attempt to comment on every photo, but I will say a word or two where I think it's beneficial.

Except that I discarded more than half the photos here! subjectsmiley11! What can I say? The lighting at the Musée d'Horlogerie du Locle wasn't as good and, also, I learned a bit from this experience, and adjusted my technique at the Omega Museum.

But enough disclaiming! So, with those caveats, let's get On With The Show...

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A not so random photo along the way. I never realized before that Landeron movements were named for a place. subjectsmiley08!

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The museum is housed in a very old country manor house called Château des Monts. It was built between 1780 and 1790 by one Samuel DuBois, who was himself a watchmaker (amongst other things).

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There are some interesting exhibits on the grounds before you enter the museum proper..

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Entry is through the back door only, if you're a caveman... subjectsmiley03!

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The house is very nicely furnished, and I suspect that fans of antique furniture and furnishings, as well as woodworkers would enjoy it as much as any WIS.

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This exhibit, "The Times Of The Watch", is devoted to the technical advancements in watchmaking from the 18th century to today. A fascinating display, I spent nearly an hour on it alone. I only wish my photos did it justice.. subjectsmiley16!

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The museum features some really nice antique advertising.

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It should come as no surprise that there is a lot over overlap between watchmaking and other precision equipment. A machinist capable of making a watch can pretty much fabricate anything. subjectsmiley04!

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Quite a respectable collection...

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I believe it's a law that every Swiss horlogerie museum must have a Stuffed Watchmaker on display.. subjectsmiley02!

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Well, that's all they is and they ain't no mo'! Hope you enjoyed the tour!

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

"A watch should be worth looking at even when you already know the time" - vintage Omega ad

subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! - A visit to Musée Omega (Swiss trip 2011) (29 replies)

Anonymous User — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 10:27:07 -0500

Sure I mentioned the visit to the museum in an earlier post. But that one lone photo didn't even scratch the surface, so I thought I've give a slightly more extensive look. subjectsmiley04!

A few words first, though.

I must apologize for the less-than-stellar quality of the photos. They're very much QnD.. shooting through the display case glass, there's not much choice in the matter. subjectsmiley16! Even so, I discarded perhaps 15% of the 200+ photos I shot, as they were simply way too grotty to fool with. Out-of-focus, blinding reflections from the flash, etc.

Then, too, you'll find that these photos are smaller than the ones I usually post. But with 177 photos, I'm thinkin' it's gonna take a while to load this post. subjectsmiley04! Nor are there as many choices in hi-res links as I usually provide. To partially compensate for that I've left most of them in their native 7.1 megapixel (3072 x 2304) format, rather then resize them to 3.2 megapixels (2048 x 1536) as I customarily do.

I won't even attempt to comment on every photo, but I will say a word or two where I think it's beneficial. But enough disclaiming! So, with those caveats, let's get On With The Show...

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The museum is located right across the street from Omega's corporate headquarters in Biel/Bienne. That's it above, with the museum below.

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They hit you with the "Space Watch" thang soon as ye walk in the door. subjectsmiley02!

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The receptionist was very helpful, and the option of a full-blown Audio Tour in your choice of languages is a nice touch! subjectsmiley65!

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Company founder Louis Brandt below, and his actual workbench above.

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The showcase, above, contains an example of pretty much every movement type that Omega's ever made!

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And, hey, here's something you don't see every day.. a real live Master Watchmaker Behind Glass!

His sole job is to restore and maintain pieces for the museum, and they say that he can fabricate any part for any Omega ever made. (!) I see no reason to doubt it...

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One surprise, for me, was the the number of and relative focus on diver's watches was not as great as I anticipated. Obviously they were represented, just not as heavily as I expected.

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OTOH, some watches were.. Ahem! A little more "out there" than I expected. subjectsmiley04!

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Plenty of mouth-watering vintage chronographs...

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The "Space Watch" theme was quite heavily emphasized.

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Likewise heavily emphasized was Omega's long association with the Olympics.

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Omega's full Contemporary lineup was on display as well.

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There's nothing to give you scale there, but that's a whacking great wall clock bigger'n a dinner plate.

This next shot is especially for Bro. Chris Moy...

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Sure that's the Official Omega Toilet! subjectsmiley02!

And, no, I don't feel a bit guilty about wearing a Seiko to the Omega Museum.. subjectsmiley03!

Well, that's all folks! Hope you enjoyed the photos, and if you're ever in the neighborhood I highly recommend that you visit the museum.

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn

subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! - A visit to a watch factory. (Swiss trip 2011) (30 replies)

Anonymous User — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 21:57:03 -0400

Sure, you got a thumbnail version of this report on 9 June. See HERE. If you missed it, I highly encourage you to go back and do some Remedial Reading, for it sets up the story in a way that I see no point in repeating here. subjectsmiley01!

Here's an out-of-the-van-window shot coming up on the municipality of Lussy Sur Morges..

Those are the foothills of the Jura mountains, and the main southern pass into the storied Vallée de Joux.

Lussy Sur Morges is the home of Hysek Watch Manufacture S.A., and my visit there was for the sole (avowed subjectsmiley04!) purpose of checking out this beast..

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..the Bumotec S-191 Turn-Mill Center in action.

Straightforward Fanuc Series-32 controller..

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..which makes it instantly compatible with my current skill-set. subjectsmiley65!

Let the chips fall..

..where they may. subjectsmiley03!

You can make some pretty nice watch cases..

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..with this machine. subjectsmiley02!

Flip-side..

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If I won a few millions in the Lotto tomorrow? I wouldn't buy no VRMW! watch. No indeed! I'd buy one (or three subjectsmiley02!) of these machines. subjectsmiley33!

It can do more than watch cases, see. It also has no problem..

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..with movement components, and the Discrete Thermal-compensation System allows it to hold 2-micron (!) positional tolerances.

More parts...

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I'm tellin' ye, this machine is a watchmaking powerhouse!

Bit of a different approach here..

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Those plates are surface ground, the internal diameters bored on the Bumotec, and then part profiles are produced on the Wire EDM machine. The same 2-micron positional tolerance applies, though, so while the Bumotec is not primary here, it's still an integral part of the process.

You can find photos of this watch on the web..

..but mine has more character subjectsmiley01! as that's a photo of a poster they had hanging on the wall in the foyer.

Next stop was the Bumotec factory in Sâles, a wee village near Fribourg (Bumotec is the only real industry in the village).

First surprise, for me, was just how heavily Bumotec is into machine tools for the watchmaking industry. I mean, OK, I knew that's their roots, but I tend to view everything from my POV in the Medical Industry. This machine..

..is under construction for the R₀lex bracelet-making shop. It's a CNC rotary-transfer type, and comes in versions with 8 to 12 stations, and up to fortynine discrete axes. Here's the Business End:

Bit of a story. There was a R₀lex tech on site, and he did not seem happy about my snapping a photo of the machine. subjectsmiley07! Indeed, he looked like he really, really wanted to shove the camera up me arse! subjectsmiley11! I'm not sure why, as these are hardly Top Secret and, indeed, Cartier seems to have no problem having them photographed even on their actual production floor. * My host Rainer smoothed it over, and privately told me to forget it, as R₀lex guys.. ah, well, "tend to have a bit of an attitude", to paraphrase his highly profane opinion. subjectsmiley04!

Here's a custom-built S-191..

..with no less than four fully articulated sub-spindles. All capable of full 5-axis contouring! If you read my comment in the 9 June post..

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Calling this thing a "7-axis mill" is actually an injustice. It can also do the work of a 2-axis lathe on both the main and sub-spindle, and that of a 5-axis mill on main and sub-spindle. So, looked at a certain way, it's a 14-axis machine. They bill it a 7-axis because that's the maximum number of axes that can be driven simultaneously.

..and apply the same logic, you could consider this a 29-axis machine though, again, only seven axes can be driven simultaneously.

Bumotec has some interesting equipment on their production-machining floor, too. This whacking great..

..DMG 5-axis could machine your average 8-cylinder engine block complete. subjectsmiley04!

But this was my favorite, for several reasons..

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First, as a Mississippian, how could I not love a machine called a "Dixi"? subjectsmiley10! subjectsmiley02!

Also, this is the same type of machine, a horizontal boring mill, on which I began my career. I ran DeVlieg jigmills, and still have a soft spot a mile wide for the machines. A good Jigmil operator {puffs out chest subjectsmiley01!} on a tight machine can achieve sub-10-micron accuracy and repeatability. Rainer assures me that this machine, in good condition, can split a single micron. subjectsmiley09! Amazing, since this is a VINTAGE machine, and it did so without the benefit of glass scales, linear drives, and software compensation, which is how a modern machine like the Bumotec S-191 achieves sub-10-micron accuracy.

A few more close shots of S-191 workpieces..

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That's a Hysek case, just custom engraved with the Bumotec logo.

This rotor..

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was completely machined on the Bumotec, ye'll note, including the Côtes de Genève damaskeening. BTW, Dr. Murphy, there's a trick to that. And, while I haven't yet tried it, I believe I've got the basics down. subjectsmiley03!

And, hey, let's have an OT! shot of the Head Engineer's motorcycle.

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Being OT!, I won't say too much about it. Suffice to say, though, that bike is more rare than Hen's Teeth or Honest Politicians! subjectsmiley01!

So there ye go. The one thing you should probably take away from all this is that I wasn't kidding when I said that this machine, the Bumotec S-191, is my Ultimate Grail. I'd take this machine tool over any VRMW! watch, any exotic automobile or motorcycle.. shoot, any hot babe up to and including..

..Jessica Alba! subjectsmiley03! It's that special. Think of it as Doc Murphy's "pennies for watches, dollars for watch tools" attitude taken to it's natural and logical extreme. subjectsmiley01!

Thanks for reading, and hope you enjoyed the tour.

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

* P.s. - I highly encourage you to read the full 13-page report of Bro. SJX's visit to Cartier at watchprosite. It is the Visit To A Watch Factory Post from HELL, beside which this pitiful effort bears roughly the same relationship as a 1st-graders drawing pinned to the 'fridge bears to The Mona Lisa. subjectsmiley08!

"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn

subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! - Home again, home again, jiggity-jig (Swiss trip 2011) (40 replies)

Anonymous User — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 21:23:29 -0400

Alternate Subject: Wenger Mania at Shamrock Hollow

Yup, I'm back home & again posting to you from the friendly confines of Shamrock Hollow. In some respects this trip was great, and I wouldn't trade the experience for a spotted puppy. But I got to say that I can't recall any other trip from which I was so happy to return home! subjectsmiley04! The homeward leg was not entirely uneventful and, indeed, you could say that my rotten luck travel-wise stuck to me like glue. First we had unfavorable headwinds from Zurich-Atlanta, and we touched down a bit over a half-hour behind schedule. Since you have to do the whole retrieve bag > go through customs > re-check bag > full security check before your connection, this meant we were humping and antsy about missing the connecting flight. THEN the connecting flight is delayed nearly 90 minutes! subjectsmiley14!

And I wish I could say that was the only snag. But no! subjectsmiley11! The taxi driver in Memphis took me for some sort of sucker, and tried to charge me double the normal fare! subjectsmiley07! Suffice to say that he not only got a rude awakening, but came } { that close to gettin' his thieving ass arrested. subjectsmiley02!

But, you say, "Enough whining, what's all this about Wenger Mania?" Glad you asked! You might recall that I mentioned picking up a new knife. Sure enough and, while not the CHF 1200 monster that I teased you with, it's quite a lovely knife. Here's a stock photo..

And you can find a wee review HERE. I am told that it's very similar to the knife that's currently being issued to the Swiss Army troops. And I can believe it, for it's an eminently practical piece with excellent ergonomics, and seems built like a tank. subjectsmiley65!

Of course, by itself this would not constitute "mania". However, I have paired it with the Wenger Commando Traveller 7474X/T (see HERE and HERE) on the left wrist, and on the right wrist the recently resurrected Wenger S.A.K Design. And in me pocket, the mini-SAK which I picked up on my 2008 Schweiz trip. If that doesn't constitute "mania", I dunno what does! subjectsmiley02!

But a picture's worth 1,000 words, sure. Here ye go!

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I rest my case - Wenger Mania! subjectsmiley03!

Ironically, QnD though it is, that might be the best photo I've taken of the Wenger Commando Traveller thus far. subjectsmiley12! Hard watch to photograph!

Anyway, it's sure good to be home! subjectsmiley33!

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn

subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! - Probably the last one before I fly home (Swiss trip 2011) (28 replies)

Anonymous User — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:55:15 -0400

Tomorrow is the next-to-last full day, and we need to fit nearly a week's work into those two days. So probably no time for the PMWF. subjectsmiley16!

But in the meantime, some more photos of the vehicular sort.

I've been surprised at how many classic American cars are on the road here. For instance..

I've spotted at least a couple dozen. Other notables include a Buick 225, an Olds 98, several Cadillacs and, my fav by far, a stunning '69 Dodge Dart GT. subjectsmiley33! Alas they were all under steam, and passed too quick for me to score a photo.

And boatloads of cool Euro-cars, of course! How many..

..real Minis do you see in the 'States?! subjectsmiley12!

And since we have a few Alfa fans here (Hi Bro. Marc! subjectsmiley03!)...

And cool bikes? I should say so! subjectsmiley65!

I believe I mentioned earlier that there are still plenty of 2-stokes on the road here. Now, while a 50-cc Ring-ding Motard ain't gonna be everyone's cuppa..

..that bike is pure Unobtanium in the USA, and no two ways about it.

Same here, pretty much..

..unless your name is "ncmoto". subjectsmiley04!

But lest I stray too far subjectsmiley81!, let's have a few horologically-themed photos.

I don't know if you can get a true sense of scale here..

..but that's one BIG clock! That's the station in Aarau. The seconds hand sweeps smoother'n any hi-beat auto, too! subjectsmiley65! subjectsmiley02!

And some more subjectsmiley05! window-shopping..

Both those had me taking inventory, trying to decide if I had any bodily organs I might sell to finance their purchase. subjectsmiley03!

So. Hope that'll hold ye until Saturday.

See you then!

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

Live long and prosper.

subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! - Window shopping (Swiss trip 2011) (10 replies)

Anonymous User — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 10:45:05 -0400

Mind you, they're a bit beyond the PMW range...

subjectsmiley02!

The natural scenery is pretty good around these parts, too.

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subjectsmiley04!

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn

subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! - A couple of photos from yesterday (Swiss trip 2011) (27 replies)

Anonymous User — Sun, 12 Jun 2011 23:50:22 -0400

Riding the ..

..again. This was the most impressive trip so far. The service on the Glacier Express in superlative! subjectsmiley65!

And the destination, as well.

Oh, and I got a new Swiss Army Knife..

Do you think I'll need bigger pockets? subjectsmiley12!

subjectsmiley03!

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn

subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! - Better late than never (Swiss trip 2011) (17 replies)

Anonymous User — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 10:35:57 -0400

Today is my last day at Monnier-Zahner AG, and I've been meaning to show you some photos all week. What can I say? Busy, busy, busy! But I've got a half-hour to kill this morning, so here ye go.

MZ was founded in 1964, but has it's roots in a much older company which catered almost exclusively to the watchmaking industry. This automatic lathe was built in 1902:

On the left is my traveling companion Mr. Chandranayan Baxi, and on the right is our host, Herr Roland Wälti.

Here are a couple of modern MZ CNC machines "in progress"...

And here are some typical workpieces for their machines. Seiko 6309 included for scale. subjectsmiley04!

Here's the clock in their cafeteria:

Note that the strap is rigged The Ricky Way (aka the Right Way subjectsmiley03!) with buckle-at-6.

These "Paul Bunyan Swatches" are a dime a dozen in Switzerland. I've noticed.. oh, maybe a couple of dozen of the things in my travels.

And I thought y'all like to see Herr Wälti's beater watch. Sorry for the crappy photos. subjectsmiley07! These are very much Q&D, taken in a restaurant. Rest assured the watch looks a lot better in person. subjectsmiley02!

Just your average everyday Triple-date Moonphase Power Reserve Automatic. subjectsmiley04!

And it's not really a beater, in fact it's the centerpiece of his collection.

Some centerpiece! It was an honor to run me grubby PMW fingers over it. subjectsmiley06!

Well, time to put the nose back to the ol' grindstone. Have a Grrrrrrrrrrrrr8! day me brothers!

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn

subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! - It comes in handy to know people. subjectsmiley04! (Swiss trip 2011) (14 replies)

Anonymous User — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:02:45 -0400

One of my goals on this trip was to visit a sure 'nough watch manufacture. Not the museum, not the "sanitized tour" for tourists, but to get down on the shop floor where the metal is cut. Turns out this is not so easy. However, I am not easily deterred. And, yes, I Know People. subjectsmiley04!

So I call up my friend Rainer, a machine tool salesman who specializes in high-precision 5+ axis milling machines for the Medical industry. However, there is a lot of over-lap between Medical and Watchmaking, as it turns out. So I tell Rainer that I am interested in one of their new 7-axis swiveling-head machines, but I really need to "see one in action". And, OBTW, if the machine were producing very precise and challenging components.. say, oh, watch parts subjectsmiley02! that would be a plus.

Well, long story short, this tactic succeeded beyond my wildest dreams. I got to spent 90 minutes of high quality time touring Hysek S.A. No, I'd never heard of them either. subjectsmiley10! Here's one their products:

Other products include such modest complications as perpetual calendar, tourbillon, and minute repeater. subjectsmiley01!

Anyway, please check 'em out and tell me what you think, guys. Whatever your opinion of the watches (and my feelings are mixed), I can tell you that touring the manufacture was a joy indeed.

Hysek watches on Google is HERE, and their Official Web Site is HERE.

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn

subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! - This might be a PMWF first! (Swiss trip 2011) (16 replies)

Anonymous User — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:57:36 -0400

No! subjectsmiley07!

Really! subjectsmiley09!

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

A firearms post that is neither subjectsmiley73! nor subjectsmiley81! subjectsmiley02!

Or, think of it as a teaser from my visit to the Omega Museum in Biel/Bienne. subjectsmiley04! That's a starter's pistol used in the 1932 Olympics, so I fancy it does qualify as non-subjectsmiley73! subjectsmiley03!

But mainly just wanted to say hey, let y'all know that things are going OK and.. well, that I miss the . subjectsmiley08!

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn

subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! - Today was kind of a bust, or "What a dufus I am!" (Swiss trip 2011) (29 replies)

Anonymous User — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 16:36:59 -0400

Mind you, the first part wasn't my fault. I woke up this morning feeling like death warmed over. At first I though "OK, you over-did the Feldschlösschen last night, Ricky! subjectsmiley07!" Thing is, I really didn't. subjectsmiley12! Then the nausea started, and what my grandma would have colloquially called "The out-house trots". subjectsmiley11! Uh-oh! Methinks something I ate at that Italian joint last night didn't agree with me. subjectsmiley13! So I took the appropriate meds, and went back to bed. subjectsmiley01!

Next time I got up, 11ish, I felt better. Still bad, mind, but not like earlier. After coffee and a shower I felt almost human again. And a bit peckish. O' course I missed breakfast by better than an hour, and the hotel doesn't serve lunch, but the nice concierge took pity on me and provided a fruit cup, some cheese and a roll. Which, considering the still delicate state of me tummy, was more than sufficient. They're nice folks here at the Best Western Continental, Aarbergstrasse 29, Biel/Bienne. I recommend them highly! subjectsmiley65!

So, I've broken my fast, and it's still a few minutes short of noon. I therefore decide to go back and try the Musée international d'horlogerie again. Ahhh.. I guess here's where I start copping to my dufus-hood. subjectsmiley08! See, yesterday I drove around La Chaux-de-Fonds looking for the museum for well over an hour.. and never did find it. subjectsmiley10! Got a good overview of the city, and hit some interesting highlights along the way, but I'd really had my heart set on that museum! Anyway, I gave it up as a lost cause, and went to the Musée d'Horlogerie du Locle instead. It's just down the road, and you saw a photo of it yesterday:

Ironically, the route to the Le Locle museum is as torturous and winding a one as you can imagine. Yet I drove straight to it! subjectsmiley12! The nice gentleman there, after I showed him my directions to the Musée international d'horlogerie, explained that, due to construction, the obvious route to the museum is blocked. He advised me to simply park at the city center, walk uphill and slightly to the left, and ask passers-by for further directions, if needed. Doh! IOW, he called me out for a dufus.subjectsmiley02!

So that was the plan today. But no! We have barely begun to plumb the depths of my dufus-dom! When I went out to start the Ibiza it was Bzzzzzt! I'd left the lights on the previous evening, and the battery was totally flat. subjectsmiley16! The rental agency is closed on Sunday, so no help there. The freindly concierge, try as he might, can locate no one with jumper cables. But it's a manual trans, right? The concierge declares that we'll simply push-start it. (See? Nice folks! That's going way above and beyond!) So he enlists the help of a stalwart youngster (a dishwasher, I think) and we set out to Get 'R Dun. Double Bzzzzzt! Ain't happening. Apparently these new fangled cars require some juice, at least enough to power the computers, else they can't be push-started. subjectsmiley14!

Oh well, such is life. What are you gonna do? Me, I went back to the room, farted around here for a bit, then took another nap. subjectsmiley02! When I got up again it was going on 4, and I felt completely recovered. And a bit stir-crazy. subjectsmiley11! So screw the car, I decided to hoof it around the city a bit.

And it was nice. At least the day wasn't a TOTAL loss. After I got tired of walking, I decided to take the bus down to the lake. Waiting at the bus stop..

..I hear the tinkling sound of running water. Hmmmm. Sure enough..

..there's a wee stream down there. Right in the middle of the city, yet the water looks clear enough to drink. And not a scrap of litter! An amazing country, Switzerland, and a beautiful city, Biel/Bienne. subjectsmiley62! We in America could learn a lot from them!

At the lake.. these are just for you, Bro. John N.!

And the Swiss have amazingly eclectic taste in vehicles.

That rig looks capable of circumnavigating the globe! It might not set any speed records, but I wager it'd go the distance! subjectsmiley65!

And check this out:

"Rockabilly Boogie" indeed! subjectsmiley09! I know that interest in early Rock and Rockabilly is intense in Germany, but didn't realize it's quite popular in Switzerland, too. Several folks have done a double-take when I tell them I'm from Memphis, and go on at great detail about the music and culture. One bloke in particular.. well, I have no doubt he knows more about Memphis Music than I do me ownself. subjectsmiley07! Humbling, when you really think about it. subjectsmiley08! I mean, sure, I know a little bit about their history and culture, but mostly only as it relates to horlogerie, and in nothing like the detail they do.

So. After the lake, I move a bit further south, into the fringes of the Seeland area. Totally rural in character, and it amazes me that such a thing exists so close to a major city, and at how quickly the transformation is accomplished. Again, an amazing country.

And here's some photos just for you, Bro. Anjan! I'm thinkin' that a man who stuck faithfully to this avatar for so long..

..will appreciate them. subjectsmiley01!

For if there's one thing I associate with Switzerland nearly as much as watches, it's cows. subjectsmiley04!

'night guys! It's going on midnight here, and I got to put on my Company Face tomorrow morning. Seems a shame but, after all, they didn't send me over here for recreation. subjectsmiley04!

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn

subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! - Neuchatel, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Le Locle, Jura mountains (Swiss trip 2011) (45 replies)

Anonymous User — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 13:38:36 -0400

Sure, I picked up the rent-a-car today.

What? You want a photo?

OK!

Hey, it's no Ferrari, but I'm happy with it. subjectsmiley04!

And I got to say, it's obvious that Swiss drivers treat the posted speed limits as mere suggestions. And mild suggestions, at that. Holy Tazio Nuvolari they drive fast! subjectsmiley11! And apparently, if you've got anything like a clear road, it's customary to punch it when you enter a tunnel. subjectsmiley12! I may not catch on all that quick, but I do catch on.

Highlights of the day:

OK, OK, you saw that yesterday, and it's right here in Biel/Bienne. Better focus this morning though, huh? subjectsmiley01!

Neuchatel was kind of a bust, as it was raining. I may go back and try again tomorrow. So here's our first real stops, in La Chaux-de-Fonds:

Cartier was handing out 1/3rd carat key-chains today, so that was kinda cool. But it gets better!

Patek had complementary umbrellas for all visitors today, since it was threatening to rain in La Chaux-de-Fonds, too.

But wait! Jaquet Droz must have aspirations and a mammoth advertising budget, as they were giving out free chronographs to the first 50 people to walk through the door today. As you can see..

..I haven't even taken mine out of the shrink-wrap yet. subjectsmiley01!

But here's the REAL star of the show:

Anyone recognize the joint?

Here's a clue:

Now THAT is a pendulum clock fit for a Caveman! subjectsmiley33!

Shot 200+ photos, and still didn't get all I wanted. Again, I believe a return trip is warranted. Soon. Like tomorrow. subjectsmiley02! Stay tuned...

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

P.s. to Reto - I eschewed the motorway, and took the scenic route home. I did make it into some pretty remote areas. It's all you said, and more. Honestly? I marvel that you left Switzerland. subjectsmiley01!

Live long and prosper.

subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! - This one's just for you Bro. BillyGreek! (Swiss trip 2011) (11 replies)

Anonymous User — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 19:22:22 -0400

Only because you mentioned them recently.

Looky what I stumbled across whilst hiking around Biel/Bienne today:

Sorry for the atrocious photo. subjectsmiley07! I blame it on the store's sub-standard lighting. subjectsmiley02!

Here's a semi-decent shot of one of my favorites...

The store was closed so, alas, I couldn't fondle them. But, from what I could see through the window, I was pretty darned impressed! subjectsmiley65! I may just go back for a closer look.. if I can find my way back to the store. subjectsmiley03!

And I'll leave you with an artsy Anjan-style out-of-focus-on-purpose shot:

No! Really! I was going for the out-of-focus look. subjectsmiley83!

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn

subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! - Hi Ho, Hi Ho, to Biel/Bienne we go! (Swiss trip 2011) (17 replies)

Anonymous User — Sat, 04 Jun 2011 06:52:08 -0400

Took another wee jaunt on the this morning. Fribourg to Biel/Bienne, with a change of trains in Bern. The SBB continues to impress.. they've been as great so far as Delta/KLM was rotten! And sure, Bro' Harold, I took train photos for ye!

This was the highlight of the trip:

No fancy shmancy VRMW! building for ! No indeed! They make do with modest PM industrial digs. subjectsmiley01! That helps explain why their prices are so modest, methinks. subjectsmiley02! They're located just outside Bern. Sorry for the fuzzy photo, but it's a minor miracle that I got the shot at all, being on a speeding train and all...

So.. haven't rented a car yet. But the SBB is so darned convenient, I'm starting to wonder whether I should bother at all. subjectsmiley12! From Biel/Bienne I could easily do a clockwise loop on the SBB that would be Neuchatel, Le Locle, and La Chaux-de-Fonds. Or I could do it counter-clockwise (La Chaux-de-Fonds first).

What do y'all think? subjectsmiley71! me out here! Should I go with a car, or stick with the SBB? And which way should I do that loop?

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn

subjectsmiley52! subjectsmiley80! - No python bites or botly infestations, so.. (Swiss trip 2011) (28 replies)

Anonymous User — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 17:53:14 -0400

..it could have been worse. But I got to say, the flying sure wasn't much fun. subjectsmiley66!

Aside from that first delay at Memphis Intl. my flight out of Amsterdam was also delayed by ~ 20 minutes, then got put into a holding pattern at the other end. And if that wasn't enough the pilot aborted the first landing attempt at Zurich because there was a plane till taxiing on our runway. subjectsmiley11!

All this conspired to put me nearly an hour behind my revised schedule, and a full 10 hours late by my original itinerary. It was starting to look like I might not make the 21:00 deadline for checkin at my hotel. subjectsmiley07!

But the came to the rescue! Not only is the airport railway station very convenient to arrivals, ticketing was lightning fast, the train on-time to the minute, and I made to the Hotel du Faucon with 10 minutes to spare. subjectsmiley65! I'd been up for 36 hours at that point (can't sleep on a plane subjectsmiley16!), so I didn't even unpack. Just brushed my teeth and hit the rack, and it was out like a light I was.

I slept for a full 11 hours, and was still a bit groggy and out of sorts when I awoke. A spot of coffee helped, and I read a Fribourg guide while I had me joe. Hmmmmm. Quite an interesting city, Fribourg. Very old (established in 1157), and the Old Town is beautifully preserved. It's primarily French-speaking, which kind of threw me. The other areas of Switzerland I have visited were German-speaking, in the main. So long story short, I decided to take advantage of the free time, and stay another day here.

One of the first to greet me was..

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..the official city mascot, Miss ville de Fribourg. Quite a saucy wench! She'd be 'R Rated' back home. subjectsmiley01!

I covered a good deal of the city by shank's mare, so I'm pretty tired and a bit footsore. Also took lots and lots of photos, but haven't had time to DL or process them yet. Look for a photo-tour of Fribourg sometime in the future. subjectsmiley04!

And, yes, of course I hit the Watch Shops! subjectsmiley01! Every one I saw, which was a bunch. subjectsmiley11! One featured what must surely have been the entire line, including quite a number of models I was totally unaware of. The star of the show, for me, was this one:

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

A simply STUNNING watch, the photos don't do it justice. Not exactly a PMW, though, as you can see - 1600 CHF works out to about US $1900 at the current exchange rate. That went a long ways towards my being able to resist it's wiles.. subjectsmiley04!

Nothing like hiking around all day to give ye a thirst..

Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..so I stopped at a likely pub and drank a toast to Switzerland in general, Fribourg in particular.. and The as well!

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

Live long and prosper.

Collection update, part 7 (10 replies)

Paul J Costa — Mon, 30 May 2011 10:01:47 -0400

Last of the series for this week, will post more next week; project watches and watches waiting for repairs....
Bulova 7mm thin dress watch, was given to me by my watch maker, it is very elegant on the wrist and is powered by an example of the renown Peseux 7040 ultra thin manual winder (that's why it's so thin) I only use this watch when dressing up. the next one is a vintage Felsa 465 powered Glycine Doctors watch, please note the unusual location of the Seconds tract and the very short Seconds hand.

Another Mickey Mouse watch that was givne to me by my Brother as he had outgrown it, being the packrat kind of watch junky that I am I gladly took it in. The next one is a Southwestern theme dialed "Circa", actually very pretty in person, not really my kind of watch but good enough for the collection.

And finally the last 3 watches of this series; Movado Homage picked up by my Brother on a trip to New York, He realized that it wasn't really his style of watch very quickly, so I offered to take it off of his hands for free, note that it is not a knockoff as it is not labeled anywhere as a Movado. next is another gifted watch from my watchmaker; Geneva blacked out, faceted crystal quartz special. Nos, never even bothered to put a battery in this virgin watch and probably never will, maybe some day someone will think it worth installing a battery. And the very last watch is an unusual creation that shows moving hands when powered, pretty chessy flimsy case to go with it.

I have more watches to come next week when I will post pictures of ongoing project watches that I hope will come to fruition some day and I will also post pictures of my repair watches that were not included in this series.

I hope y'all have enjoyed this as much as I did.

Collection update, part 6 (6 replies)

Paul J Costa — Mon, 30 May 2011 02:29:25 -0400

Another few newer watches...
Casio Edifice, nothing much to say about it, it's pretty and efficient as a modern kitchen appliance. The next one was the result of staying up too late while logged on to Ebay, surprisingly keeps vary good time and all functions work as they should, however it was necessary to open up the watch to bend the minute hand slightlly as it interfered with the hour hand. Definately worth the Twelve total dollars, including shipping and handling, but I'm not in a hurry to buy another one.

Next 2 are my relief dial Bermuda watch, a Harley/ Ronda 373 powered Nivada fashion watch. Having been born in Bermuda, I thought it would be fitting to have such a watch so as to never forget my roots. The other one is an AS 1950 manual wind powered Diamond chipped dial Bulova which seems to want to pass for a Museum watch.

Next are my 1978 Timex Automatic and my one and only Vulcain. The Timex is powered by a Cal. M33 and the Vulcain is powered by an FE 140-2. The Vulcain has a very loose canon pinion and will probably wait a little while longer for a fix.

Next is a "Jgeha"?, don't know who thought up this name, but there it is; a rare 17 jewel EB 8800 pin pallet, needs the canon pinion tightened. The nest one is an FE 140-2 powered Waltham diver, may be in need of servicing as it keeps atrocious time.

Here's a couple of watches that won't impress anyone, but they are part of my collection so here they go; "Ace Quick Oil Change" fashion watch, was given to me by my watch maker, it was a result of a cancelled order for custom watches for a local business concern, the watchmaker losed out and I gained as he was more than happy to have me take it out of his sight. The next watch is a Geneve Indiglo with a dial that lights up at the press of a button.

That's it for installment 6....

Collection update, part 5 (7 replies)

Paul J Costa — Mon, 30 May 2011 02:28:11 -0400

Continuing on....
Poljot dress watch, purchased new and seldomly worn, Base metal case powered by a Cal. 2416.2h.
No name dress watch, built by me by way of TZ watch school level 1, powered by a skeleton Eta 2801 handwind movement, came originally as a 2 hand movement, in the course of putting it together I purchased and installed a different canon pinion and other part to make it a 3 hand and installed a hacking device, it is military ready if the need should arise.

Next is a luminous dial 2 tone Pulsar given to me by another Brother and another Certina DS-5 quartz beside it.

Next is my recently deceased Eterna-matic Sevenday and my Butex Chronographie Suisse. The Eterna-matic is powered by a Cal. 1543 and suffers from a busted mainspring. The Butex was given to me as an Nos parts watch, I had the brand new, never operated movement completely overhauled and is now as good as new.

Funky Baylor day date automatic, powered by an Eta Automatic, will be needing a service soon as it does not start up as vivacious as it used to. The next is the first of my contemporary watches; Chinese Seagull powered Timex Power Reserve. Bought new at the local JC Penneys for the grand total of US$105.00.

Next is my Orient Blue Mako, a very popular watch around here, it has survived 2 Bermuda beach hoildays and has deserved the diver designation. The next is my Citizen Dolphin, surprisingly not a popular watch as it is very sharp looking in person and the back has a beautiful "Proof like" finished design of an airborne dolphin.

Stay tuned...

Collection update, part 4 (6 replies)

Paul J Costa — Sun, 29 May 2011 19:51:55 -0400

More again.
2 more pin level watches; the Sheffeild Worldtimer had a mainspring and hands replaced by me, the Custom time's movement was completely dissasembled and re-assembled successfully by me as a learning tool, currently working somewhat. Both watches are powered by EB 8800 pin lever movements.

2 Burens made by Hamilton and powered by German Durowe 174-3 manual winding movements. The Silver tone one needs canon pinion tightening.

These are 2 of my favorite watches as I like a little bit of bling; Mido Multifort Superautomatic with genuine Diamond dial chips and powered by a high grade and decorated Cal. 917P movement and the Glycine Date-Just powered by an Eta Automatic. both watches have been overhauled within the last 3 years, The Glycine has a broken gear replaced.

Next are 2 divers that are worlds apart from each other; first is the Vantage, made my Hamilton, which is a decent enough watch styled in the diver fashion and the second one is a professional grade Aquastar diver rated at 20 ATM (when new) and was one of the many watch brand and models that the legendary Jacques Cousteau team used at one time. The Vantage movement is unknown asit has never been open before and the Aquastar is powered by a high grade AS 1701 movement.

And last in this installment is my FE 3612 powered, made in France, Clinton day-date automatic watch and my Seiko 7006a powered Westclox autowinder.

That's all for this installment.

Collection update, part 3 (9 replies)

Paul J Costa — Mon, 30 May 2011 08:57:57 -0400

A few more again.
Bulova 30 jewel, acquired at a local antiques store, is currently in need of canon pinion tightening and a 25 jewel German Kienzle automatic which is working fine and keeping time, also purchased at the same local antiques store. The Bulova is powered by a Bulova 10coac movement and the Kienzle is powered by a high grade German PUW 1361 automatic movement.

Next are 2 Pin lever powered watches. The first one is a Manson that had it's winding stem replaced by me and an interesting Westclox that appears to be keeping good time. The Manson is powered by an EB 8800 and the Westrclox is powered by a Westclox pin level movement.

The following 3 "Amigos" are; Walker Ferrotex powered by an AS 984 manual winder, Favre Leuba Datic powered by a FL 112 movement and a Andre Bouchard powered by an unidentified Japanese movement (either Orient or Seiko, not sure which).

2 Funky watches; AS 2066 powered Caravelle and Eta powered Wittnauer.

And finally my only 2 surviving wrist alarm watches; AS 1568 powered Westclox alarm and Seiko Bell-Matic 17 jewel Alarm watch.

Thanks for viewing.