Today I'm wearing this Bulova quartz from 1980. It's another of my quartz watches that I don't currently have a power cell for. Wouldn't it be nice if there were, say, 5 sizes of watch power cells? In reality, there are probably 50 or more sizes. So while I have a large selection, and I try to buy extras whenever I replace any, there are some sizes that I simply don't have. I did manage to find a cell that almost fit, and the watch started and ran, but it was too tall to get the back on. Knowing that the watch works, I'm inclined to find the right cell size since I think it's pretty good looking. For some reason I don't see too many watches with gold (-plated) cases and gold (-tone) faces, but it's a nice look. It's on a genuine water buffalo strap which is also nice, but maybe a little too rustic for a dressier watch like this.
Today I have my Waltham Model 1892 pocket watch. This came from my grandfather who I think got it from his father, although it may have originally been owned by an uncle. I believe the original owner worked on a railroad, hence the very basic appearance of this watch. I believe the case material is called Silveroid, which is a mix "of 45% nickel, 54% copper and 1% manganese." I'm also under the assumption the dial is porcelain over metal. There's a small chip at the edge that reveals the layers, but otherwise the dial is in very good condition. The serial number dates this to 1907 or 1908, and as far as I know the leather lanyard is just as old. I actually carried this around and used it for a while when I was in high school (around 17 years ago) but I realized recently that it is no longer working. I will probably take it to my watchmaker to service soon. I've always been amazed at the decoration on the movement in this watch compared to the very plain exterior. I don't know much about pocket watches, far less than I know about wristwatches, so this site was very helpful. The movement on this is marked "Appleton, Tracy & Co." but I'm still unsure what that means, or who Appleton, Tracy & Co. were. This watch is very interesting to me as a piece of American history as well as a family heirloom.
Today I'm wearing my only other Russian watch, a Raketa calendar watch. Raketa is the accepted western-style spelling of "Paketa" as seen on the dial. I've actually seen it on dials spelled either way, with Raketa being used for export models. I bought this in the late 80s or very early 90s at my local Macy's. I remember being drawn to its complicated dial and large size (40mm) and also that it was from the USSR (as this was made prior to its dissolution.) I believe their initial price was $100, but they apparently didn't sell very well and I got it for much less. It came in a nice bright red cardboard box with "Paketa" embossed in gold, very Soviet-looking to a westerner, but I've never seen a Raketa in similar packaging since, so I'm almost positive it was just for the export market. I wore this watch for many years in conditions that I probably should not have, like high humidity. It has no seals to speak of and while the movement still operates well, I can see some corrosion on the crowns and case, and I'm sure it's prematurely in need of a good cleaning and lubrication. I don't wear this much anymore, and I apologize for the rather unbecoming strap it's attached to right now. I haven't had a strap on it in a while and that is the least offensive 18mm strap I own right now. I believe it was on a heavy black leather strap initially, but that wore out long ago. I might try notching a 20mm or 22mm strap to fit the covered lugs as I think 18mm is too narrow for this large a watch. Here's a review or a similar model to explain how the calendar works (mine only goes up to 2000.) I think the dial on mine is much more attractive, and I think the color scheme makes it look like a medical instrument of some sort. Here are some interesting Raketa links including some older speculation about the legitimacy of recent new-looking Raketas bearing the "CCCP" markings. I actually bought a more recent Raketa a couple years back (it was one of their 24-hour models, apparently quite popular in Russia) but it didn't interest me like this one did so I sold it. I don't think I'll ever sell this one as it's a reminder of my earlier days of watch interest before I knew I'd ever become a collector.
Today I'm wearing my Vostok Komandirskie (Commander's) watch. These were designed originally for the Soviet military. This is the paratrooper version, hence the planes and parachute on the dial. If you're not familiar with Vostok, here's some good information. I've found that many watch collectors, even if they're not "into" Russian watches, have had one or more Vostoks (or Raketas, the other popular Russian brand.) I bought this one close to 20 years ago, when the USSR still existed. Even so, it's obvious this watch was made for export from its "Made in USSR" engraving on the back. This was definitely my first watch to have a screw-down crown. I don't recall what color strap this originally came on, but I believe it was brown leather. It's long gone so I fitted a red leather strap which coordinates well with the red dial and bezel details. This used to have a more green or teal dial, but it has faded over the years to this brown, olive drab-ish color. It's a neat watch and has held up over time pretty well. The stainless case is much more durable than the chrome plated brass cases of some other Russian watches. Similar watches are still available and can be found with many different dial designs. It's nice to see an item that has been in production since 1965, through the Cold War, Glasnost and the fall of the Soviet Union, and is still being made today.
(No, I didn't forget, there was no post on Friday as I was out of the office all day.) Today I'm wearing this Timex from the early 1980s. It was my grandfather's, and I'm almost positive I was with him when he bought it at a local discount store (I'm also almost positive the store was called "Nickel's" but I'm not sure how it was spelled. It was in Mt. Penn, near Reading, PA.) I know I've mentioned my grandfather a lot and I recall looking through his dresser drawer full of watches that either stopped working, had broken bracelets or straps, or were possibly too nice for everyday wear. I'm not sure what prompted the purchase of this one, but I'm almost positive it was cheap, something like $15. Probably because the strap or bracelet on one of his other watches got broken and it was cheaper to just replace the watch with this. I don't know when Timex stopped making watches with mechanical movements, but I doubt they made them much later than this (more recent watches notwithstanding.) Amazingly, it's still running fine and kept excellent time the last 24 hours. The last couple times I've wound it and picked it up it always seemed to run in fits and starts. I really didn't expect it to keep running all day, but I guess the movement of wearing it freed up some sticking gears or something. It's a pretty good looking watch, it looks like the watch you'd get if you handed a kid a box of crayons and said "Draw a gold watch" (and the kid was born in the 1970s, I suppose. These days you'd get a drawing of a digital, or a cell phone.) I'm sure it has no collector value, which is good for me because I would never want to consider selling it.
Today I'm wearing this Bulova quartz from 1980. It's another of my quartz watches that I don't currently have a power cell for. Wouldn't it be nice if there were, say, 5 sizes of watch power cells? In reality, there are probably 50 or more sizes. So while I have a large selection, and I try to buy extras whenever I replace any, there are some sizes that I simply don't have. I did manage to find a cell that almost fit, and the watch started and ran, but it was too tall to get the back on. Knowing that the watch works, I'm inclined to find the right cell size since I think it's pretty good looking. For some reason I don't see too many watches with gold (-plated) cases and gold (-tone) faces, but it's a nice look. It's on a genuine water buffalo strap which is also nice, but maybe a little too rustic for a dressier watch like this.
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