What watch are you wearing today?

Wow! Many, many beautiful watches.

Seems to me that it is the fashion aesthetic right now; watches should look and feel "big."

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login





Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Thank you. The Patek doesn’t necessarily wear bigger, just different…round vs tonneau. Both feel the same as far as size, but the RM is lighter. The things you’re talking about doing….i’d think they might wear bigger, depending on how big the case would actually have to be based on the movement size. A pilot style, like the 5524 Patek, will definitely wear bigger, especially if it’s a thin bezel case. You’d need some guidance for sure from a watchmaker.

 

I agree with RL. The 5524 appears big on pictures but very proportional on the wrist even with the outsize pushers. The watch is 42mm and just under 11mm thick, movement is 31mm and about 5mm thick. I think the IWC watches would be a better comparison in terms of what your pocket to wrist watch would look like.

Here's two pics from different angles. I do own the white gold version which wears/looks even smaller than the rose gold for some reason. I take crappy pics so.. .

Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Thank you to both!

I looked up the IWC 'Big Pilot Watch' is actually bigger - the two bigger sizes are 43mm and 46mm - I think it would be what a 12 size would look like. It's a nice looking watch. The 46mm is designed to fit over gloves/jacket and, to me, looks out of scale on a bare wrist.

I've done a bit of searching, focusing on the 10 size Hamiltons of the 1930s and 1940s for the moment. There are conversion 'kits' available. Apparently, these are almost exactly the same dimensions as a Unitas/ETA 6497 or 6498. The movements are 1.5" (38.1mm) diameter and 4.6mm thick. The RGM in-house conversions have overall dimensions of 41mm diameter (1 mm smaller than the Patek) and 12mm thick. I think the RGM is boxy because the movement goes to the edge of the case, prohibiting a taper, like the Patek. The thing that has me scratching my head is the thickness. Do the hands + front and back crystals need 7.4mm?

I'm talking about the idea with someone, I think if the thickness + boxy cross section can be overcome, it could result in a nice watch.

What's funny is that I appreciate the smaller pocket watches but prefer wearing the big tanks (16S - 18S) when wearing a pocket watch. However, I've never had a desire for anything like a Panerai, thinking they're just too big on the wrist.

My pocket watch of the day is a 16 Size, 23J Waltham Vanguard with up/down indicator from 1931 (I posted pics previously). It looks great in hand but I couldn't imagine a conversion of it weighing down my wrist.

Regards,

Art S.

 

Personally be more concerned about the thickness than width size, there are plenty of older watches with big movements but have slim profiles that wear smaller on the wrist but a thick watch even at say 39-40mm looks bigger on the wrist, for example, the Sea-Dweller wears more like a 46 than its 43mm size. The thickness can be paired down by using slimmer hour, minute hands, and crystal but that's not going to move the needle much, so it comes down to movement thickness. Some thing to think about also, maybe use a top-hat crystal to create the illusion of a smaller watch, your eyes are drawn to the crystal, boxy yes, but distracts from the overall size of the watch on the wrist.

 

nice!!!

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I've been 50/50 on pulling the trigger on LF, how you do compare it your Patek and Lange? Beauty in simplicity.

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Changed to my IWC Portguieser Perpetual # 221 of 250.

Joe Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I would say almost a three way tie. The hands on the dial and the movement beauty and finish, are a hair above the other two for me.

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Today's carry was a 16 size, 23J model 104 Hampden Watch Co. (made in Canton, Ohio). The damascening on this one, with the shimmering wavelets is really cool!
Image Unavailable, Please Login

The fun thing is 'Grand Feu' Enamel Dials are coming back in style. Back then, they were the norm! This one follows the Montgomery design, listing all 60 minutes and putting a 6 in the middle of the seconds sub-dial.

Image Unavailable, Please Login

These American watch companies are all sort of linked, Greg Frauenhoff of the NAWCC detailed the following:

Hamilton's first superintendent and model maker was Henry Cain. He was also one of the investors who purchased the defunct Aurora Watch Co. in 1890 along with Charles Rood. Both Cain and Rood were involved with the Hampden Watch Co. until about 1888 or so when they left and purchased both the defunct Aurora and Keystone/Lancaster Watch Companies. They combined these two into what became the Hamilton Watch Co.

While Cain was superintendent of the reorganized Aurora Watch Co. he designed an 18s movement that never went into production as an Aurora but that is a step on the way to the 18s Hamilton movements.​

Interestingly, the Hampden Watch Company failed in 1927 and the Soviet Union (USSR-Russia) bought the whole thing, machinery, incomplete watches and all! So, this American watch is also an ancestor of most of the Russian/eastern bloc watches.

Regards,

Art S.

 

Very interesting

 

Quite the collection !

Casual yesterday …. We were celebrating


Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

New piece for the wife Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

On my wrist for a minute.
But i decided to take the Speedmaster professional white dial.

Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Friendly lizard in Kona. Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login