Re: [Leica] Re: Forbes article on mechanical wristwatches

[Krechtz@aol.com]

In a message dated 9/13/00 5:50:43 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
khmiska@umich.edu writes:

<< Jim,
 Thanks for your comments. In addition to my analog cameras and 28 Märklin
 locomotives, I am also enamored of analog electronic instruments. While my
 digital multimeter has features not found on analog multimeters, there's 
nothing
 like the swing of a fine pointer over a mirrored scale. May not be as 
accurate
 but it sure is classic.
 Kurt
 Ann Arbor
 
 Jim Brick wrote:
 
 > At 08:38 AM 9/13/00 -0400, khmiska wrote:
 > >Jeff,
 > >I agree wholeheartedly. I have one of the original Omega Speedmasters 
which
 > >I bought in '69 or thereabouts. In the late 80s it stopped working. 
Recently
 > >I paid about $140 to have it repaired. I understand the original ones are
 > >worth nearly $2K now. I wear it almost every day, this wonderful throwback
 > >to analog devices. Long live analog watches. Long live analog Leicas and
 > >Rolleiflexes. By the way, my Märklin trains are all analog also.
 > >Regards
 > >Kurt
 > >Ann Arbor
 >
 > After having a mechanical watch (Croton Chronograph Dive Master) for 20
 > years, then when it started getting funny, I bought a Sieko digital watch.
 > It was a good watch, accurate as hell, but electronic and digital. Ugh!
 >
 > I wore this watch for fifteen years, yearning for a "real" watch but the
 > cost seemed prohibitive. So in September of 1998, while in Switzerland, I
 > bought a new Omega Speedmaster from a very fine Jeweler in Interlaken (Hans
 > Fiechter,) who made arrangements for me to pick it up at the factory in
 > Biel (a great experience,) and I paid only a little over half of what the
 > same watch costs here in the US . I priced this watch in Germany and
 > Holland and it was the equivalent of the US price.
 >
 > I now have a "real" mechanical watch to go with my real mechanical M6's.
 >
 > Jim
 
  >>

I used to collect mechanical wrist and pocket watches.  They have become very 
difficult to find at reasonable cost.  If you have one, get it serviced now, 
because qualified watchmakers are becoming fewer and fewer.  For those 
looking for something which reflects the height of development of mechanical 
devices, I would point to the American railroad pocket watch and the Swiss 
wrist watch.  In order to be certified by the railroads for service, a watch 
had to be accurate in 5 different positions, to within +- 30 seconds a week.  
Many of the finer watches easily exceeded this requirement.
In wrist watches, my personal favorite is International Watch Co., also known 
by the name of its place of manufacture, Schaffhausen, or just IWC.  Anyone 
interested in this area can reach me via e-mail.  If you are in need of 
information, I may be able to assist.

Joe Sobel