http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/list.php?82Wed, 19 Jun 2013 05:33:01 -0400 Phorum 5.2.11 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,409013,409013#msg-409013 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,409013,409013#msg-409013
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A rare sight! subjectsmiley11! 4 Caribbean 2000's at one meet! DROOL!


Tables were covered with watches! :D




Was glad to see one of these inperson. SWEET watch! TU! TU! DROOL


and these... DROOL!


]]> cmoy Watch Meeting ReportsSat, 07 Apr 2012 10:23:29 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,358330,358330#msg-358330 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,358330,358330#msg-358330



We commuted to downtown Chicago, checked in to the hotel. Let's take a stroll and find Marc V for some watch shopping.

The Chicago River:



We visited Tourneau. But we were treated to a viewing of some very special watches at Swiss Fine Time. Here is a tourbillon by F.P. Journe,



That evening, Marc, Tim and I met Johnny, Anjan, Paul Geo, and Paul's son Phil at the ball park.



Marc, Johnny, Anjan, and Tim hanging at the ball game.



Saturday, we decided to check out Millennium Park. If you remember, this was Flat Reto's starting point on his big journey.

There is a big shiny sculpture.



That shiny bean is good for making self-portraits. R to L: Johnny, Phil, Dave, Paul, Anjan, Tim.




Anjan, Johnny, Tim, Dave



Weird optical effects under that bean.




Off to the GTG. L to R: Anjan, Tim, Paul Geo, Phil "Geo", Allan Zirlin, Hector



Allan Zirlin, Hector, Paul December, JeremD, Chris L, Ray, Marc MCV.








Sunday, the subjectsmiley58! Tim floats above the clouds at Willis (formerly Sears) Tower.



That's it for my tour of Chicago!
]]> Anonymous User Watch Meeting ReportsWed, 28 Sep 2011 07:38:26 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315712,315712#msg-315712 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315712,315712#msg-315712NYC WIS Meet 2005 06 21]]> cmoy Watch Meeting ReportsMon, 02 May 2011 14:15:21 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315711,315711#msg-315711 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315711,315711#msg-315711NYC WIS Meet 2006 10 21]]> cmoy Watch Meeting ReportsMon, 02 May 2011 14:13:25 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315710,315710#msg-315710 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315710,315710#msg-315710NYC WIS Meet 2007 02 03]]> cmoy Watch Meeting ReportsMon, 02 May 2011 14:11:22 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315709,315709#msg-315709 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315709,315709#msg-315709WIS Meet 2005 06 21]]> cmoy Watch Meeting ReportsMon, 02 May 2011 14:07:50 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315708,315708#msg-315708 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315708,315708#msg-315708WIS Meet 2007 04 06]]> cmoy Watch Meeting ReportsMon, 02 May 2011 14:06:40 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315667,315667#msg-315667 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315667,315667#msg-315667
1) PMWFerene NO04 New Orleans 2004 - 100 pictures
2) PMWFerence NY06 New York City 2006 - 179 pictures
3) PMWFerence CH08 Chicago 2008 - 78 pictures]]> Reto Watch Meeting ReportsMon, 02 May 2011 12:12:06 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315665,315665#msg-315665 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315665,315665#msg-315665PMWFerence CH08 Chicago July 2008]]> Reto Watch Meeting ReportsMon, 02 May 2011 11:58:46 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315663,315663#msg-315663 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315663,315663#msg-315663PMWFerence NYC 2006]]> Reto Watch Meeting ReportsMon, 02 May 2011 11:46:38 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315636,315636#msg-315636 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315636,315636#msg-315636WIS Meet March 2011]]> cmoy Watch Meeting ReportsMon, 02 May 2011 11:15:27 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315635,315635#msg-315635 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,315635,315635#msg-315635WIS Meet May 2010]]> cmoy Watch Meeting ReportsMon, 02 May 2011 11:14:36 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,308259,308259#msg-308259 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,308259,308259#msg-308259And to prove that Memphis cuisine is more than barbecue, we met at..



..ye olde Italian Rebel. Pretty decent pizza (for Memphis.. you Chicagoans would likely rank it no higher than "edible" subjectsmiley03!) but excellent sandwiches and pasta. subjectsmiley65!


Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

Bro. George Barber brought along several watches that I've really been itchin' to see "in the flesh", one being..


Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..The Perpetual GMT. I was very impressed with this one! The fit & finish is top-notch. To my eyes, on a par with some RMW I've seen. And that includes the decorated movement, which is very handsome indeed. Perpetual is one of the best values currently out there, IMHO!

Nor did..



..the Binnacle Anchor disappoint! You know how sometimes you'll read much discussion and see many photos of a watch online then, when you finally see on in person you're underwhelmed? Not the case here! The orange-on-white Binnacle is definitely on me WIShlist. subjectsmiley04!

Bro. George had a third watch that I've been really keen on seeing, the Orient 60th Anniversary L.E. but, alas, if you think the Binnacle photo is bad, you should see the Orient photos. subjectsmiley11! Suffice to say that the Orient is a beautiful, well-finished timepiece.. which, for some reason, didn't grab me to the degree I expected. subjectsmiley12! I mean, don't get me wrong! I like it a lot! But I'm not tempted to say "Damn the CC balance! and order one forthwith, as I am with the Perpetual and the Bernhardt.

And, of course, I'm a sucker for..


Click HERE for larger photo

..a . I'm in subjectsmiley33! with this tritium-tube model! Never realized it had the red logo on the crown, another nice touch.

Another tritium-tube model which I really liked..


Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..was the Ball Automatic. Gorgeous watch! You can see a better photo of it HERE.

And, of course, it's always a treat when Bro. Chris King opens up the Number One Watch Box. subjectsmiley05! subjectsmiley06! subjectsmiley33!


Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

Alas, my photos of most of Chris's watches didn't turn out, but here's one that I can't resist sharing..


Click HERE for larger photo

I love this one more every time I see it!

Here are the watches I brought along...



..I believe in travelling light. subjectsmiley01! Also had the Seiko 6309-7040 on the left wrist, and the Craftsman 80th Anniversary on the right wrist.

And the other star of the show..


Click HERE for larger photo or HERE for supersized photo

..the muffalettas! subjectsmiley05! subjectsmiley33!

Great food, great watches, and great company! It sure was a pleasure meeting up with y'all again, me brothers.. but next time let's do it at greg honeycutt's place! subjectsmiley03!

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky

Edit: corrected spelling, added Seiko and Craftsman links (Hey! subjectsmiley14! I was in a hurry when I first posted it, and couldn't be bothered to look 'em up subjectsmiley04!).

---

"A man, like a watch, is to be valued for his manner of going." - William Penn]]> Anonymous User Watch Meeting ReportsSun, 10 Apr 2011 17:48:26 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,299534,299534#msg-299534 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,299534,299534#msg-299534


Larry had arrived before me, and was talking to Paul on the phone. We were seated and waited for the rest of the posse to storm the place.









I must of caught P12 unexpectedly. Here's a retouch with a smile. :D



Who remembered to bring watches this time?













There was food too...





More mingling...





Uhh, gosh. Let me check for some spare change under the seat of my car... subjectsmiley11!



Made it to my home just after sunset, and this thing was up in the sky. If you've been reading the photo forum at all last week, you might know by now that I recently purchased a vintage 500mm mirror lens and a new tripod. They work. ;)



I submitted that last photo to be the "weather pic of the day" on WKOW-TV tonight. We'll see if it is used in the coming days now.

Other relevant stats: left home at 8:40am, arrived back home at 7:45pm, used $54 worth of gas, and didn't lose a single watch!]]> Chris L Watch Meeting ReportsTue, 15 Mar 2011 20:50:53 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,245122,245122#msg-245122 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,245122,245122#msg-245122In attendance were Chris King (aka itschris), George Barber (aka gfbii51), Johnny Torrez (aka JohnnyT), and meself.











Alas, we never could get a photo of JT! subjectsmiley16!

Now, I hesitate to even post the watch photos, since they turned out so crappy. subjectsmiley13! But, hey, Don't blame me! The light in the joint just ain't conducive for horological photography! subjectsmiley02! But some of the watches are so special that, bad photo or no, they deserve to be seen.



That's Bro. George's Father's Type 1 Benrus service watch. Not one like it, ye ken, but the very watch! A rare jewel, beyond compare. It was an honor to hold it. subjectsmiley08!



A JakeB Snowflake Seiko. Luscious! subjectsmiley06!



The fit & finish of this Vostok blew me away.



'tis always a pleasure to GTG and talk watches with Bro. Chris. Our wrist sizes are basically identical - within a millimeter, anyway - which means we can actually try 'em on for size! subjectsmiley02! I know, I know. It's seldom you'll hear me wax enthusiastic about a . But this thing feels goooood on the wrist! subjectsmiley04!



Honestly, though, this Baume & Mercier chrono impresses me more than the Datejust. OK, OK, maybe that is partly because of my late-found fascination with and respect of the Valjoux 7750. But, trust me, this watch is the Bee's Knees!

And, sure, we did a wee bit o' wheelin' & dealin. George convinced Chris to swap him a Seiko auto for a Zodiac quartz chrono and, shrewd fellow that he is, Chris talked him into throwin' in a deployant to boot. Hey, I would have thought auto vs. quartz chrono a fair trade - and I ain't sayin' ye got took Bro. George. subjectsmiley07! I'm just sayin', you go swappin' watches with The King, ye better take care. subjectsmiley03!

And looky here Bro. Meinhardt! Bro. George had a 10-pack..



..of Big Lots Five-Dollar Specials he was willing to let go subjectsmiley65!, so I bought 'em. Our W.O.M.P. Watch reserve just increased significantly. subjectsmiley61! Look for eMail in a bit... subjectsmiley04!

So. All in all, a finer time I could not imagine. Good Folks, Good Grub, and Great Watches! subjectsmiley33! 'twas a pleasure meeting ye Bro. George, and a pleasure to see you again, Bro. Chris. Let's do it again soon!

subjectsmiley15!

-Ricky



P.s. - OK, OK, I'll fess up. JohnnyT didn't fly into Memphis just for our picayune little GTG. subjectsmiley10! But, while he wasn't physically present, he did phone in, and we all had a nice chat. 'twas a pleasure talkin' with ye JT, and I hope we can soon GTG for real! Maybe I can convince Chris to stow me in his checked luggage next month. subjectsmiley03!]]> Anonymous User Watch Meeting ReportsSun, 03 Oct 2010 01:24:37 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,242422,242422#msg-242422 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,242422,242422#msg-242422
Left my home near Madison, WI at the WIS'in hour of 10:10am, thoroughly underestimated the effect of road construction near the end of my planned route, and arrived at Giordano's approximately 20 minutes late at 1:20pm. It only took 1 hour to drive through the last 30 miles. ARGH! At least I wasn't Anjan and actually went to the correct location. :D

The locals had all taken seats when I arrived...

Whoops! remember to use that fill-flash against a window. :D


(See it's Marc and Ray there, just have to crank-up the brightness to see them.)




"Paul, as a friend and confidant, I feel it's my duty to tell you to never wear horizontal stripes with a beige blazer again."


Anjan arrives! :)


Watches start littering the table.


Sunday finest on the wrists too.








The server had to just put the food on the next table because there were too many watches sitting out. :D We packed everything up safe and started eating later.

It was once again a great time, I enjoy talking with everybody (evidenced by me forgetting to take more pictures once again), chatting about watches, the forum, online and offline friends, local real estate, and the price of tea in China. ;) Anjan gets the long-distance visitor award for this meeting. Paul and Marc were awarded their WOTM commemorative watches, with all the dignity and ceremony they certainly deserved. Got too look at everybody's newest watches in person, and the party ran until the beginning of the dinner-time rush. Thanks Paul for organizing once again. CLAP!]]> Chris L Watch Meeting ReportsTue, 21 Sep 2010 14:43:59 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,240277,240277#msg-240277 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,240277,240277#msg-240277

What's a trip to San Francisco without a trip to "The Source", Otto Frei. Here, Brad "jinxed" cuts an impressive pose, after making the score on some cool stuff.


JohnnyT converses (en Español) with a local watchmaker.




Playing a game of super-spy WIS. Take a shot of a guy's watch on the freeway, in case it looks cool. It didn't.


Off to Carmel, to the meet. Brad and Dave P converse; Johnny's attention is elsewhere.



Johnny and Chris


Dave P does the "Jittery" pose. Brad and Patrick are not similarly inspired.


Rafael and Jacek discuss non poor-man watches. :D


Johnny and Ken Savage


Rafael winds his 8-day watch. It seems to take 7 days. :D :D


Off to the "Nuvolari" family cottage. Beautiful!


Playing a game of super-spy WIS. Take a shot of a guy's watch on the deck, in case it looks cool. It did! TU! :D :D


That last shot was of Joon's wrist. BIG kudos for the great organizing of the event. Thank you! It was great to meet you West Coast guys. I felt like I had known you guys for years, but just never met you. That's different now!

Finally, I cannot thank JohnnyT enough! He generously provided transportation, lodging, and most of all, friendship. I will look back on this trip with fond memories of late nights sitting around the kitchen table, WIS'n with friends. That kitchen table has seen a lot of modding the past couple years! Clearly, Johnny exemplifies THE BEST of what we have to offer here.


Dave]]> Anonymous User Watch Meeting ReportsWed, 15 Sep 2010 08:58:27 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,225131,225131#msg-225131 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,225131,225131#msg-225131We had some new guys to the mix, and the man of the hour and star attraction, watchmaker Noah Fuller, creator of the Tsunami dive watch.
As the guys rolled in one by one, we slowly took over the section of the restaurant. Looked like a watch convention. lol.
Great time had by all, met new people, interesting conversations, lots of laughs. Good times. ;)
Approx. count of watches were about 150 watches laid in 10 watch box cases spanning the tables we shared.
Time flew by as all the wheeling a dealing went on. A good selection of watches on display, many found new homes that night. hehe.
Happy WIS-ers by the end of the night.
Enjoy the pics.
-Dave.

here's the man of the nite, who took the road trip thru thunderstorms to make it here. Noah is hard core. ;)

we finally meet after preordering my Tsunami months ago.



this megalodon is a beast





my boxes


Steve's boxes


Here is Steves newest hand crafted watch box he made himself, he's got skills as cabinetmaker :)


puck's box


guys checking out the goods

happy camper



Noahs toys


the watch buffet set up on display ;)

whatcha got there Noah? top secret stuff, lol ;)







historical tuna and tsunami

tsunami's UDT & Classic meet :)



gotta love the snow flake


love Jeje's blue revolver, dial is killer

fantastic pocket watch, hand painted ceramic dial



Pucks killer Sinn hydro, very cool.




6306 ;)

Jason's box





Jerome's boxes, some killer watches here ;)




Jeje and I




watch buffet table again


my Tsunami standing guard

Group shot, minus puck-ethan and Satoko


Glad you all came along and made this event so great. ;)
Wish you all the best, until we can meet up again.

Cheers, Dave.]]> sharkfin Watch Meeting ReportsTue, 20 Jul 2010 13:14:45 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,163478,163478#msg-163478 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,163478,163478#msg-163478
I just returned a little while ago from a small fun & subjectsmiley09! get together with JohnnyT, Sfnewguy, Anjizkit -and two very nice friends of Anjan's, a married couple, who's names I have regrettfully already forgotten (Sadly, I have to meet you about 3 times before it sticks!) But they were also very subjectsmiley09! and enthusiastic WISs-in-process with the gentleman knowing way too much about crystal material to have any chance of not becoming a full-blown WIS. Did I mention he also wore an Omega? For a little bit we were concerned about it ending up "left behind" in Johnny's car -which can happen, right DaveP? subjectsmiley02!

There is a BART station fairly close by (okay a short drive actually) and I decided it would be better to kick back on the train with my iPod and read a few chapters of a book and let our version of a subway/elevated train get me to Berkeley. From the station it would be a short walk to the bar at which we were to meet. Wore the Hammy LED, but couldn't hold the camera, press the 'display' button and still take a picture... but I WAS able to hold the camera and have the LED go out before I could take a super blurry picture. Don't adjust your monitor, the blur is a crappy picture.


The late morning fog had not yet burned off on the eastern side of the hills...



...but it was sunny at Kip's in Berkeley, probably because of the good company.subjectsmiley04!



Anjan's Omega-wearing friend investigating so of what JohnnyT was brandishing, what we here at the forum call a 'sure thing' in the watch-eyecandy dept:subjectsmiley01!



Anjan's stunning Seamaster on a mesh braclet, or what is somethimes called "The-Seamaster-formerly-referred-to-as-Joon's"subjectsmiley02!





Watches, watches, everywhere. There was hardly any room for the food we ordered. It was all cool, though, because the proprieter seemed to understand and took an interest in some of our horological cluter. And he wore a Rado, to boot.subjectsmiley15!


And a quick glance over my shoulder reveals the sun shinning outside on the corner of National Guard Wins & Durant.


And back at the usual suspects...


Said vintage-Omega in the hands of Omega-friendly JohnnyT:


Was Mr. Hayek just here or something?


Chrono's and cameras: don't mess with Anjan. He's from Texas you know...subjectsmiley11!



This is the watch that led me to seek out a Valjoux-powered chrono. (Thanks a lot Anjan!subjectsmiley14!)


One last lurk at another drool-inducing beauty before I had to hit the trail...


I changed into a different watch and, after a short walk through Berkeley, went underground...


Hmm... that's another crappy picture. Let's check it out in better light at the transfer station where I changed trains, shall we?


Slightly above the watch, off in the distance, is a building alleged to be "the campanile tower", if JohnnyT is to be believed... And a lotta rail!


My train will cut through a tunnel underneath these hills in the distance, but you can see how the fog is starting to accumulate again... but thankfully we don't have to shovel much of it.subjectsmiley04!



Hopefully these picutre will help make it seem like you were there for a little while today, no matter where you really were! (Maybe next time you will be!)


Thanks for looking!subjectsmiley15!]]> Nuvolari Watch Meeting ReportsMon, 28 Dec 2009 14:44:43 -0500 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,111214,111214#msg-111214 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,111214,111214#msg-111214Since my move to TX from LA, its been a bit hard to follow the cali WISes. I did make my way to SB for the watch meet and i must say it was well worth it. Great people, Good food and lots of watches. Really glad to see so many new active WISes from that region and their collections. Regarding watches, thankfully i am broke, so sorry Rodrigo, looks like i will have to break the tradition of buying a watch after the meet.. :D. An another feeling I got that i was lagging behind since I saw so many beautiful pieces.. :( anyways it was great.

Sorry i didnt get much chance between the traveling and work to post these before... but better late than never.. lol
and now for the pictures... :D DROOL!

























































]]> anjizkit Watch Meeting ReportsTue, 21 Jul 2009 13:01:04 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,98935,98935#msg-98935 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,98935,98935#msg-98935
Bob]]> Robmks Watch Meeting ReportsThu, 18 Jun 2009 12:42:35 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,32421,32421#msg-32421 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,32421,32421#msg-32421
JeffTAL(Jeff), D4th(Dustin), Jittery Jim(James), Noah

MCV(Marc) & anjizkit(Anjan)

Jasmine & JeffTAL(Jeff)

billa1967(Bill)

Group shot - Note "Jittery Jim Pose"
Friday Pizza

Everyone showing their watches
Left: Kate, Old School(Zack) RayH(Ray), Larry, Dustin
Right: Bill's arm, Marc, John, Noah, James, Jeff

James & Noah

Ray, Larry, Dustin, Jeff

...and Bill!
Saturday Tour

Bill, Marc, ChrisL(Chris)

Chris with Ray "pointing out the watch he wants to his wife"

Chris, John, gustavosal(Gus), Bill, James, Dustin, Marc, Anjan

Anjan, Zack, Bill, Noah
Saturday Greek!

Left: Hector Ortiz(Hector)'s Head, Gus, Marc, Ray, Noah
Right: Dustin, Thomas, rek001(Rima), John, James

Chris, Jeff, Anjan, Justin, Thomas, Rima, James

John, Rima, Thomas, Dustin, Jeff, Chris, Noah

Chris, Zack, Kate

Anjan!]]> Paul December Watch Meeting ReportsSun, 27 Jul 2008 20:06:49 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,32418,32418#msg-32418 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,32418,32418#msg-32418was mostly focused on the boat tour and the nice pizza dinner. I did have my camera so was easy for me to take pics. You might see P12 pop up in majority of my pics but never the less here are all the pics
started off with P12 climbing the boat rails

a group snap

some nice buildings




Mr. Admin on duty

Sears tower

Dinner on day 1:



DAY 2:
We went about walking on a watch shop tour. It was fun got to see a lot of VRM! and some darn good security too also thomas took fancy at singing and we lost our way following him to Macy's
P12 and his

walk towards the watch shops


John Hancock tower

watch shop #1 (with a white pit bull who kept eyeing me )

a statue.. er.. a watch on a statue

dustin thinks the time is messed up

and Chris L like him too

DINNER: from the pit bull shop till dinner i didnt have my camera, nor my watches, P12 took them home for 'safe keeping' but you get the point I was reunited with my D40 at dinner and here we are back
Chris L's box

The mystery watch


The table

P12 with the mystery watch!

Gus! wat a great guy!

Bill and hector! superb dudes

aawwwwww yeahhhhhh!

P12 again

Thomas wants a plate

Jittery Jim's box





Chris L's box


P12 again

Thomas' napkin

jeff's TAL box


Kate decides to give us some prizes

TAL totally confused everyone!

all of us in confused stare

the prizes

and we start getting prizes


hector won

p12 won (him again )

his inspection!

Chris L won

Thomas won

Gus Won a very lovely reference book

Dustin won 20lbs of por... er... magazines

James likes wat he is giving away..

3's a company!

Smile please...

ooooops... the other way around!

p12 won more prizes (him again )

Chris L won an invicta wallet

Jef TAL!

Hector and Noha

Hector and TAL doing their inspection

MVC packing things up

P12... moving ard the table.. with a glass.. and his watches

Wat! no hand cuffs

JJ with a lot of money

and all set to buy a new watch!

all, the admins and the organizers. It was simply superb!]]> anjizkit Watch Meeting ReportsSun, 27 Jul 2008 18:06:02 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,32159,32159#msg-32159 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,32159,32159#msg-32159Ed: forumer Ed Brandwein.
Micha: forumer Micha.
Jeff: forumer TakesALickin'.
Kevin: forumer Strela.
The best material below belongs to our participants, the worst is entirely my own.


Some of Adam's past & present watches.


: How did you find out about Russian watches?
Ed: About fifteen or so years ago, I encountered a vendor at the old QP?s flea market in Queens Plaza, New York, USA. He had recently arrived from Uzbekistan with a box of Vostoks. I knew nothing about Russian watches at the time but they looked interesting and, if I recall correctly, he wanted $20 for one. I bought two of them (I still remember the seller saying in a thick accent ?Is very good watch, wind once a day, very good, very accurate.?). Since then, I have always been interested in them. The Internet and ebay have made getting them much easier obviously.
Micha: My dad showed me an online store which sold Russian watches. The Poljots were way too expensive for me (being a poor student at the moment), but the Vostoks got my attention. A couple of days later I scored a Vostok Komandirskie on eBay ? it was all downhill afterwards
Jeff: When I first started collecting watches, I used to spend quite a bit of time just browsing the watch auctions on Ebay. I looked at literally thousands of watches there and it was a great way to learn about all the different brands available. Naturally, I encountered auctions for Russian watches. The prices were very competitive, so I was intrigued. Eventually, I bought a Poljot alarm watch. That was my first Russian - many, many followed.
Kevin: I had picked up a cheap vintage Sekonda watch in London in the mid 1990's, that was the first I ever knew of them. However, it was not until I became interested in the Soviet space program, and the horological pieces connected to it, did I really become interested. Before that I only had owned Swiss, American, or Japanese made watches.
: What's your favorite Russian watch?
Ed: The Vostok Amphibia.


Ed?s Vostok Amphibia Submarine Cal. 2416b 31 jewels.

Micha: Tough question ? I guess this Poljot Buran chronograph as it was the first ?expensive watch? I bought ? I paid around 130 Euros back then


Micha?s Poljot Buran chronograph made in ?02-?03 with Poljot cal. 3133.

Compare Ed's no-date Poljot Buran chronograph.

Jeff: Of all the Russian watches I've owned and sold, the one I'd like to have back is the Poljot homage to the Omega Dynamic. I had a display back on the one I had and it was a really neat watch. It was keeping time at a rate of about minus one second every five days. That's unheard of accuracy for any mechanical watch - Russian, Swiss, Japanese, whatever. Unfortunately, it had terrible lume and I think that was what led me to sell it. Interestingly, the guy that bought it offered to sell it back to me a year later, but I was broke at the time.


Jeff?s Poljot Dynamic chrono, ca. 2004, Poljot cal. 3133 based on the Valjoux cal. 7734, dial is an homage to the Omega Dynamic.

Kevin: My personal favorite is a black dialed Strela 3017 chronograph.


Kevin?s Sekonda chronograph, note the 45 min. counter.

: What do you like about Russian watches?
Ed: Aside from offering great value for the money, Russian watches are generally very rugged. Additionally, there is often an interesting historical story behind most Russian brands and models. (The Russian watch industry actually got its start in the U.S.. The first of Russia?s watch factories (The First State Watch Factory) was actually the re-assembled American factory of Deuber Hampden (an old pocket watch manufacturer located in Canton Ohio that had gone bankrupt in the mid twenties. The Russians bought the whole factory with the permission of the US Government.)
Micha: They?ve got character, I think that says about everything. They?re simple, unrefined and their quality control is poor, yet their designs are very original and they?re very rugged. When you get one that works (;-)) it will run forever.
Jeff: I really enjoyed the Cold War connection at first. The ability to own vintage watches from the Soviet era had great appeal for me when I first got into Russians. As time has passed and the US has become obsessed with terrorism as the principal threat to our national security, my fascination with Cold War relics has waned.
Kevin: I loved the history, but I must admit, the price point was very appealing to me when I was building my collection of them. They offered a decent product at an iota of what similar Swiss watches were selling for.
: Do you prefer any brands and why?
Ed: My favorites are Vostoks. Affordable, solidly built and often either actual military models or derived from military watches.


Ed?s NOS Komandirskie from the early ninties, 2414a 17 jewel stemwinder.

Micha: I?ve owned Zaria, Orion, Raketa, Slava, Poljot, Vostok and Vostok Europe. I prefer Vostok and Poljot. Vostoks are great, cheap and collectible ? esp. the military inspired ones. Poljots are IMHO the best Russian watches in term of quality, with great heritage.
Jeff: Although I think I've owned more Vostoks, I prefer the Poljot chronographs - I just like complicated watches a little more.


Jeff?s Poljot Jetfighter chrono, Poljot cal. 3133 based on the Valjoux cal. 7734. dial is an homage to the Breitling Chrono Avenger.

Kevin: I like the the First Moscow Watch Factory and Poljots because of their rich history and high quality (especially the earlier FMWF stuff,) and I love the Vostoks for their rustic charm, durability, and extremely attractive prices.
: What do you consider a good starting point?
Ed: You can?t go wrong with a Vostok Komandirskie. They are very inexpensive, reasonably accurate for a mechanical watch and quite rugged.


Ed?s NOS Komandirskie, late eighties vintage, 2414a 17 jewel stemwinder.

Micha: Depending on your budget either a Vostok Komandirskie/Amphibia or a Poljot or a Vostok Europe.
Jeff: I think most collectors would be happiest with a Vostok Amphibian. The cases are stainless and consequently more durable than the Kommandirskies. And the automatic movements are more convenient for most people. There have been some reports of problems with the auto winding mechanisms malfunctioning, but if you get a good one they're very good value for the money.
Kevin: Before the prices went through the roof, I would tell people to get a nice, brand new, Poljot 3133 chronograph, and a Vostok Amphibia, for a solid collection starter. Now I would tell people to look at used watches first, before making a larger commitment dollar wise.
: What are the do's and don't's when collecting Russians?
Ed: Beware of ebay sellers who claim to have a ?rare? model. Many of them are either poorly re-dialed versions of another model (Shturmanskie Gagarins in particular are commonly faked) or are so-called Franken watches (one watch assembled from the parts of several others). Always check an e-bay seller?s feedback rating and, if you have doubts, throw a question out to either the Poor Man?s Watch Forum or the Russian Watch Forum at Watchuseek.com.
Micha: Do: do some research on the watch you like as well as the seller before you buy. Don't: Stay away from non-working watches on ebay or Vostoks with crowns that are obviously too small (see later).
Jeff: One of the first things I'd do if I were starting out collecting Russians is to buy Juri Levenberg's "Russian Wristwatches". It's a geat source of information about movements and dial variants. One of the things that I chafed at initially was people Frankening Vostoks. I have to confess that I did it myself eventually - it's just so damned easy and the ease of swapping parts makes it tempting when trying to resurrect a dead watch. But I would never have sold a Frankened Vostok without fully disclosing what I had done. I don't think other sellers are quite so circumspect.
Kevin: Don't always believe what a seller is telling you about the watch. It's a minefield out there. Check the forums and ask around. A lot of watches are cobbled together from disparate parts, frankenwatches, or out-right fakes. Do some research first, and be a savvy buyer.
: What's a good source of info on Russians?
Ed: Yuri Levenberg?s book ?Russian Wristwatches? is a good start. That and the watch forums.
Micha: There are some good books on Russian watches by Juri Levenberg and Michael Ceyp. Some are available in English, but most are only available in German. Unfortunately most are no longer available new, but they do pop up on ebay every now and then. Quick info is available in Fora. IMHO there are two places to look for info. Our very own PMWF has some very experienced members. The second place to look is the Watchuseek Russian watches forum.
Jeff: The aforementioned book, and also the Russian forum on WUS.


Jeff's Vostok "3AKA3" Kommandirskie, late 1980s, Vostok hand wind cal. 2414, military issue to the Soviet Russian Red Army.

Kevin: In all honesty, the watch forums are a better source than most of the literature out there. Watchuseek's Russian watch forum is the online bible IMO, and the PMWF which has a large coalition of Russian and Soviet watch collectors, are very good resources, and are good jumping off points to gain some knowledge. One must get a feel for the forums first and make sure the information they are getting is correct though. People often times weigh in on a subject they are not 100% proficient in. And that can cause more problems in the long run. Ask questions. Then ask some more.
: What are some of your favorite vendors of Russian watches?
Ed: I?ve had good luck with an ebay seller named Zenitar. Russia2all.com has also been a reliable vendor in my experience.
Micha: Unfortunately my favorite no longer exists. www.russiansouvenirs.com and www.poljot24.de are both reliable. The ebay seller Zenitar is good too.
Jeff: I always had good experiences with Frank Spar at RussianSouvenirs.com.
Kevin: I like russiansouvenirs.com , but I have bought from most of the larger sellers out there.
: Any bad experiences with Russian watch vendors?
Ed: Personally, no. That being said, there is a wide range of opinions about Mr. Levenberg himself. He sells Russian watches on ebay under the name Sonnenflasche. While his book is very good (and I have bought watches from him without incident mind you) I have heard some horror stories about his responsiveness. For whatever reason, Ukrainian sellers on ebay have a reputation for making a lot of Franken watches.
Micha: Personally, no. Juri Levenberg (sonnenflasche on ebay) has a bad reputation. My deals with him were ok, but I speak fluent German and live in Germany. Buyers from abroad should use simple English in communication, as his English is rural.
Jeff: I'm currently waiting on a Molnija pocket watch to arrive from Ukraine. It's been about six weeks since I exercised the "BIN" on Ebay and I've begun the process of disputing the transaction with PayPal. The seller, "Drozdalex", claims the watch was rejected at US Customs and returned to him and that he reshipped it. It may show up yet - such are the problems with ordering watches from former Soviet states.
Kevin: Oddly enough, I have had good luck, even with the sellers people some time have issues with. Knock on wood.
: Tell us about fake Russians, ever seen any? How can we spot them?
Ed: The first thing you need to know when trying to spot a fake is what the real thing looks like. Levenberg?s book is very helpful in this regard as it has lots of pictures of the real watches. That being said, however, certain details can be a giveaway that a watch is a fake. Russian watches are generally made of chrome plated brass (the Amphibia above is an exception along with the newer Poljot chronographs-those are stainless steel). A chrome plated case is going to show signs of age beyond a certain point. If you see a well worn case with a perfect dial inside it, stay away, it?s probably a Franken. Another point to check is the movement. Russian movements are generally pretty rough looking. Their model number should be plainly visible on the movement (2416b, 3133, 3602-there are a number of movement numbers). Try to learn about the movement of the watch you are interested in. There are some Chinese fakes of Russian watches out there. Their movement design is very easy to spot once you?ve done some research. Also, a Vostok should always have a two-piece back (a thin notched ring surrounding a large circular back plate). If you see a one-piece back on a Vostok, odds are it is a fake.
Micha: Unlike common believe, there are a lot of Vostok fakes out there. They especially pop up on German eBay every now and then. The can most easily be spotted by looking at the crown, which is usually much smaller than usual. The dial print is usually more ?cheesy? too. Another problem with Vostoks is that most parts are interchangeable among Vostoks, this means there are many Frankenwatches out there. The parts are original, but the combination was never produced like that. Here it only helps doing some home work. I?ve never seen any fakes of other Russian brands.
Jeff: If you're referring to Chinese fakes, I know they exist. Why they exist mystifies me! But I've never seen any in person.
Kevin: They are everywhere, with dials, hands down, being the most highly faked property. If the dial looks new and the watch is supposedly 60 years old, use common sense, and proceed with extreme caution. Also, if the dial has lume and the hands don't, or visa verse, something is wrong.
: What do you see as the most consistent problems with Russian watches?
Ed: The most serious problem with Russian watches is getting them serviced outside of Russia. There are few, if any, US based service centers for Russian watches. That?s usually not an issue with Vostoks, which are generally quite reliable, but the fancier Poljot chronographs will, sooner or later, need servicing. In addition, if high quality lume matters to you, be wary of Russian watches. Vostok lume is notoriously bad and even Poljot is hit or miss. Lastly, Russian watchbands stink. Their leather is uniformly awful. It is not a big deal to me as a new watchband is not expensive but don?t be surprised by what you see.
Micha: Their sloppy quality control. Russian watches could be much better. Substantial they?re great watches, but most problems occur directly out of the box. This scares away many people. When you get a working one, it will probably go on forever.
Jeff: Cosmetic flaws and poor attention to detail are the most consistent problems I see. I used to joke that I could spot a cosmetic flaw on a Poljot within five minutes of opening the shipping box. The last few I've gotten have been better. The watch pictured below arrived with dust under the crystal. When I removed the movement from the case to clean it, I was unable to re-insert the crown and stem assembly, and the watch was ruined.


Jeff's Poljot Aviator, Poljot cal. 2614, dial is an homage to the Fortis Aviator.

Kevin: On big problem is having to ship defective watch back to Russia for repair. Having never been available to most of the West for years and years, parts, training, and any kind of support infrastructure is practically non existent in places where they have recently become popular.
: Where do you imagine the future will take the Russian watch industry?
Ed: The Russian watch industry went through a huge upheaval when the Soviet Union fell. ZIM (makers of the Pobeda watch) went out of business, Poljot is a fraction of its former size, Raketa may or may not be in business anymore (reports of their demise vary) and Slava is on life support as well. Only Vostok is considered truly healthy these days. The good news is that the worst of this instability seems to have passed now. Poljot, while still a shadow of it?s former self, seems to be getting back on its feet. Vostok is still the main supplier to the Russian Army and remains popular domestically and there is some indication that Raketa is back in production as well. Slava, however, doesn?t look good.
Micha: I?m afraid we?ll see many inhouse movements disappear in the future ? they?ll be replaced by Swiss movements. It has already started at Volmax. Apart from that prices will rise even more than they already have, which is a pitty, because it already stopped me from getting more (new) Russians.
Jeff: There have been dire predictions of imminent demise, reports that a lot of the equipment used to produce the movements has aged. I haven't followed it too much lately. The changes in the Swiss movement industry may make for positive changes and increased demand in the Russian movement industry. That could bring a much needed infusion of cash to replace worn out machines.
Kevin: Hard to say. I would think that any company that produces mechanical watches at a fair price would have a viable market. However, most likely, when the Chinese get into the game on a bigger level, perhaps the need or want for Russian mechanical watches may subside. That is, unless they can massage their product line to satisfy current tastes, concentrate on their rich history of watch making and clever engineering, or re-engineering, (like what they did with basic Valjoux chronograph movement turning it into a family of complicated chronographs ranging from a simple two register timer to a three register chronos with moon phases). Also, work needs to be done on their service networks, and they need to get quality control to a point where you don't buy a Swiss watch for the reason of quality alone. It is definitely a watershed period for them.
: Why doesn't Slava get any respect?
Ed: Slava just couldn?t change with the times. They had no military contracts to help sustain them and their civilian designs are generally regarded as dull. It?s a shame in many respects since the Slava double mainspring movement is really a pretty good design. Absent a big change of direction, I don?t think Slava is going to be around for very long.
Micha: I guess mainly because of their designs. Slava movements are very interesting and reliable, but their designs usually are, well... uninspired or ugly, there doesn?t seem to be anything in between The split second Slava stopwatch is very collectable IMO.
Jeff: They are pretty inexpensive watches. They've produced some interesting movements though - I had one with a double barrel mainspring. But I think the absence of any military connection probably keeps most collectors from developing much interest.
Kevin: Says who? But, in reality, they were never the respected older brother, like Poljot, not the fun loving free spirit like Vostok. They were more of a quirky aunt who would often times dress funny. Slava had some gems along the way though.
: Finally, what Russian watch belongs in every collection?
Ed: Everyone should have a Vostok. It doesn?t matter which model (Amphibia, Komandirskie, Generalski, etc) they are all good field watches that can be had for a pittance by today?s standards.
Micha: A Vostok Komandirskie or Amphibia with handwound movement. Preferably a radio room.


Micha?s Soviet era Vostok Albatros ?radio room?, Vostok cal. 2409.

Jeff: I think the classic Strela - the re-issue of the famous 19 jewel Sekonda design - is one every collector should have, particularly the black dialed version. But I have to confess, I haven't owned the black dial yet.
Kevin: Which ever one sings to you! I like Sturmanksies, Strelas, & OKEAH's... but to each his own.

Thanks for reading,
Adam in NYC ]]> Adam in NYC Watch Meeting ReportsMon, 03 Dec 2007 09:46:32 -0500 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,32153,32153#msg-32153 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,32153,32153#msg-32153We drove down, got into the beautiful lazy town of SLO, a perfect location for the Time Strom we were gonna create..
WIS meets have always been more about watches... but this time we tried to make it more about the people and their watches...
So here are the individuals with their beautiful collection boxes,
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Our very own Joon... with his perfectly composed collection and a on his wrist and.. of course... showing off his a ..


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The Muscle from San Diego ... very own Rodrigo with a on his wrist

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Vintage time master Jose(SCWF) with his enigmatic collection of amazing watches

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Russel from Santa Barbara... With his most amazing collection of Vintage divers...

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Very Own Thomas ... with Tank like watch cases .. with a dazzling array of watches...

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Ken Savage with one of the most decorated collection anyone has ever seen..

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Rafael with a collection of the most outstanding large watches...

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Erick (and Holly) with his small but every interesting collection of watches...

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Travis a new WIS in the making

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Anjan... with his COW...

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And here is the collection itself...
Jose's watches





Ken Savage







Thomas






Russell




Rodrigo's stuff

Erick's beauties




Rafael's masterpieces


With Rodrigo's sea dweller



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The events....
Russell received a package of 5 special Seiko's with date wheels in 5 different languages,

Thomas did help out a bit.. with his..






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And we had the prize distribution even.. everyone got a cd.. and caps /pens/books/straps and loads of cool stuff...
Also Mysteriously Erik and his Girlfriend got matching caps in the draw..





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A few assorted pics of all our members





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for helping this a great WIS meet... all]]> Anjan Shenoy Watch Meeting ReportsSun, 14 Oct 2007 15:23:01 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,32152,32152#msg-32152 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,32152,32152#msg-32152
Entering L.A. area




The Place

Lunch first

I wonder what's inside these cases ??

Oh watches!

Thomas and Russell

Russell's

Anjan trying to sweet talk Michael(my Uncle)in buying one of his watches

Love the T-shirt Joon!

Rafael's collection


Ken's

Russell's really nice restored vintage it

I told Russell i get the first dib if he decided to sell this

Who's??

I had a great time guys ]]> Rodrigo Watch Meeting ReportsSun, 14 Oct 2007 14:54:59 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,32148,32148#msg-32148 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,32148,32148#msg-32148's
Anjan's while driving to WIS Meet


The attendees, from left Jose(SCWF),Anjan, Warren Harding and me



Anjan convinced me on the :)


Checking out Jose's nice vintage collection, my wife may be thinking where these nut heads came from




Jose's beautiful VINATGE!







I like this (Jose's) thought it would be small but just perfect size

Warren's grandfather's awesome

Warren's ultimate tool watchs this thing is huge!

Warren's

After a tip from Jose, Anjan pulled on a watch. Ordering it through his i Phone What is it Anjan????

Thanks you amigos for a great WIS meet
BTW Anjan, my kids love the Indian candies Thanks bro ]]> Rodrigo Watch Meeting ReportsSun, 19 Aug 2007 13:01:51 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,31562,31562#msg-31562 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,31562,31562#msg-31562
I brought this box of G-Shocks



Really liked this Dugena that Kevin brought along.



Nick from another forum was wearing this Swatch Irony Body & Soul on bracelet.



My other watches, also traded for the Dugena.



Steven brought along these 2 Sinns.



Raymond was wearing his full-sized SMP.



Chris Moy brought these along.



Kevin aka kmnyc.


Hope you enjoyed the pics,
Adam in NYC ]]> Adam in NYC Watch Meeting ReportsSat, 30 Sep 2006 06:28:40 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,31489,31489#msg-31489 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,31489,31489#msg-31489On Day 4 I decided to explore the various neighbourhoods in Downtown Manhattan. On my list were Chinatown, SoHo, TriBeCa Greenwich village and Chelsea. It went a little different than planned though . I took started by taking the 1 train to Canal street.

In spite of what the signs look like, this is still New York City, on the corner of Canal Street and Baxter Street to be precisely .

Yummy, soft-shelled crabs anyone? . One of the many food markets on Canal Street. I wanted to see more of Chinatown, so I went into Mulberry Street. However, I went north instead of south.

This action brought me into Little Italy. In the past decades however, the Italian-American population moved to other neighbourhoods in NYC. As immigrants from China and other East Asian countries moved to the area, Little Italy becomes an extention of Chinatown. Today, Mulberry Street, between Canal Street and Broome Street is the last remaining Italian street in Little Italy.

Mott street used to be part of Little Italy, but the advertising signs indicate that this has changed.

This is the Bowery, at the corner of Broome Street. The Bowery historically forms the borderline between Chinatown and Little Italy on the western side and the Lower East Side on the east and used to share a gritty reputation with the latter neighbourhood. In past decade however, both the street and the Lower East Side underwent a process of gentrification which turned them from Skid Row into Millionaire's Row.

I turned west though and ended up in SoHo. Here is the corner of Broadway and East Houston Street. I then turned south to go back to Canal Street as I still wanted to see more of Chinatown.

This is still Broadway, but now I've ended up below Canal Street in the area known as TriBeCa (Triangle Below Canal Street). Note that in the past few photos I managed to capture a couple if NYC's famous skyscrapers. Here we see the Woolworth Building, and on previous photos, the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building can be spotted in the distance. These are great examples of what urban planner Kevin Lynch calls "Landmarks", one of the five key elements that people use to make "mental maps" of the city or area they live in or visit. After brief step into TriBeca I went back to Canal Street and turned East.

Busted in the Dude's style! Speaking of landmarks, the building in the back helped me to retrace my steps on Geoogle Maps and help me to detemine this is Mott Street again .

At some moment I noticed signs pointing to the foothpath of the Manhattan Bridge and I decided to use that bridge to cross the East River and walk to Brooklyn, and use the Brooklyn Bridge to get back to Manhattan. Here is Berry Street, one of the easternmost streets of Chinatown.

One reason for using the Manhattan for crossing the East River is that is a great vantage point for photographing the Brooklyn bridge, the oldest East River crossing and one of the most famous bridges in the world. In the background, a part of downtown Brooklyn can be seen.

Crossing the Franklin D. Roosevelt elevated highway (commonly referred to as FDR).

And here my shot at capturing the Brooklyn Bridge and Lower Manhattan.










A couple of pics of walking the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan. After that I walked through Chambers Street to the Hudson river.

Hudson River Park. I didn't expect to find this type of traffic light here. Then again this city was once known as Nieuw Amsterdam .


The Joisey City skyline .

Here is where Canal Street meets the Hudson River. Once I passed the Holland Tunnel I walked into Greenwich Village where I shot the next 4 pics.




Greenwich Village feels much more European than the rest of NYC. Many streets in this part of town reminded me of London (the Earls Court neighbourhood in Kensington) and old Amsterdam .

That night I attended a gig at the Village Vanguard and went to this place for a late night supper. This pic alone was worth the detour to Chelsea (10 Avenue and 22nd Street) .
Thanks for reading,
Bas]]> Bas Watch Meeting ReportsThu, 24 Aug 2006 15:22:58 -0400 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,31405,31405#msg-31405 http://www.pmwf.com/Phorum/read.php?82,31405,31405#msg-31405For some reason there aren't many pics from this day. I set out to capture the Chrysler Building in the morning sun. According to Chris, there was a great vantage point just north-east of this skyscraper.

Unfortunately I didn't remember the exact location so I ended up at the wrong avenue. This shot came out pretty nice though.

And here I just happen to catch the solar reflection off the spire. The Chrysler Building was one of the protagonists in the Skyscraper Race of the late 1920s. As I wanted to capture its rival at the time, I needed to go to Lower Manhattan. I was not in a hurry, so I took a bus from Second Avenue to City Hall and enjoyed the view along the way .

Here is the Woolworth building, which became the tallest skyscraper in the world when it was completed in 1913.


Two photos of NYC's City Hall.

With 952 foot (290 m), the American International Building at 70 Pearl Street is currently the tallest building in Lower Manhattan. Construction was completed in 1932.

South Street Seaport houses a couple of historical sailing ships. Unfortunately, I never got around to visit that place .

This is the Trump Building at 40 Wall Street. Originally known as the Bank of Manhattan Trust Building, this was the other protagonist in the Skyscraper Race that started in the late 1920s. At the same time, Walter Chrysler decided he wanted his headquarters to be housed in the tallest building of the world and the construction of the Chrysler Building began. When the architects of the Bank of Manhattan Trust Building learned of the plans for the Chrysler Building, they secretly added a couple of feet to ensure their building would be the tallest upon completion. When 40 Wall Street was completed, it was indeed the tallest skyscraper in the world with a height of 927 feet (282.0 m), 2 feet taller than the Chrysler Building.
But in complete secret, Chrysler's architect, Van Alen, got permits to add a 185 ft spire to his building and had that constructed hidden within the building. When the spire was hoisted to its final place, the Chrysler Building became the tallest in the world when completed in 1929. Including spire, the building measures 1,047 feet (318.9 m). However this proved again to be short-lived, as the (revised) designs for the Empire State Building were already completed. The Empire State Building soared to 1,250 feet (381 m, not including the 222 ft (67.6 m) antenna) and became the world's tallest building in 1931 and remained that for the next 41 years.

A different look at the Statue of Liberty .

Pop Quizz: Which fictional secret organization has its headquarters under this building?

Ellis Island was the first stop for every immigrant entering the United States from Europe between 1892 and 1954.

Walking on Washington Street. I went on to Rector street to take the 1 train to 14th Street.

Crossing the entrance of the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel en route to Rector Street.

As a Jazz music fan I really wanted to visit a Jazz club and the Village Vanguard is one of the most famous of them.

Thanks to Chris I was able to attend tomorrow's show


That night I met up with Chris and Adam. After dinner, we went to explore the watch shops in the area around Times Square. I didn't saw any interesting watches, but managed to get these 2 night shots.
Thanks for reading,
Bas]]> Bas Watch Meeting ReportsSat, 12 Aug 2006 13:51:33 -0400