Timekeeping rant

[altivo]

Tell me, why is it that you can't get a decent watch any more? We used to buy a Timex for $29 and it would last forever, all you had to do was wind it. If you bought a more expensive watch, like an Elgin or a Bulova, it was guaranteed for life and if it failed for reasons other than the obvious (you put it through the washing machine or ran over it with your tractor, say, or maybe dropped it in a pot of boiling soup) you could send it back to the factory for repair and it only cost you the postage.

Gary prefers a pocket watch, because he bangs his wrist into stuff all the time. I've bought him several, he has bought himself several, and they never last more than a year or so. The first one I got him was a few years ago, from Dakota Watches, and was a Christmas gift from the horses. It has a nice gold plated case with two horses putting their heads out a dutch door, and he was delighted. It's electric, which we both find is a pain because the batteries are hard to replace. The battery died, of course, and the watch wouldn't restart when the battery was replaced. It was still in warranty, so we sent it back. Cost, $7.50 service charge. It was returned with the works completely replaced for that price. Ran until the battery died again, same problem. This time they said they could not repair it because they no longer have replacement works to fit that case. Two years, and the watch can't be repaired. I think he still has it because the case is so pretty.

He was going to Canada with our friend and farrier John to deliver a mare to a buyer. We went to KMart, knowing the watches would be junky, and bought him two for $10 each. Both were digital. The wrist watch worked and lasted him for about two months before it quit running. The pocket watch never worked. We couldn't even get it set to the right time. It had instructions, but they referred to buttons that the watch didn't even have, and were obviously written for some other watch and in that queer kind of English that you get when it's written by someone for whom Korean or Japanese is the native tongue. That one got thrown away, $10 wasted.

I checked into Bulova pocket watches, but they seemed to start at $250, had only a year warranty, and were all electric. No one makes spring wound watches any more, I guess. It's all electric, can't repair it, can't adjust it, throw it away and buy another trash.

I got him two inexpensive fob watches from Levenger that are still running, but they haven't needed batteries yet. When that day comes, it will probably be the end of them too.

He needed a watch he could use with his Civil War costume when he performs as a musician in costumed environments. He bought a pocket watch at the drug store. It was electric, but it looked period on the outside and would do. It ran until the battery died. We couldn't figure out how to get the battery out to replace it, so we took it to a jeweler. He could replace the battery, but it would not run. He said he didn't charge for bad news, so it cost nothing. Fortunately my wrist watch needed new batteries and he did those for me and I could pay him for that.

We went five different places and found another watch just like the one that died. He bought it and when we got out to the car I said "Check now and make sure it runs." It didn't. Took it back into the store, and they changed it for another, checking to make sure it ran. It ran, but they didn't set it. I tried to set it, and the hour hand was stuck. It wouldn't move. The clerk played with it and said it was working now. I took it and turned it through twelve hours. The hour hand stuck again in the same spot, 4:30. They traded for another with a different case design, but that one didn't work either. So he got his money back and no watch.

I know many railroad personnel still carry pocket watches. Surely they must get decent watches somewhere, and I doubt they pay $400 for them. How about it, quickcasey? Any suggestions?

Oh, and in a separate rant, I ordered rubber floor mats and doorsill scuff plates for my new car from Ford. They arrived via Federal Express, who delivered them a day late and with the boxes crushed and torn. The floor mats are the wrong color, black instead of gray as specified on the order and confirmed via e-mail. The scuff plates are for the wrong model year, 2003, even though the printed order confirmation clearly says 2007. This is simple stuff, not rocket science, but I guess shipping and warehouse employees aren't even required to be able to read any more.

Comments

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

You can still get fantastic watches :D
However the trend is definitely away from mechanical, and mechanical ones can be expensive.

Casio basic digitals are very reliable, Mine lasted almost 10 years on a 5 year battery, granted it could only tell the time and date. The band however wasn't replaceable and the rubber disintigrated after about 7 years.

I had a citizen shock sensor that I'd still be wearing but I took it to a cheap battery replacement place and he stripped a screw and lost two small springs which operated the shock sensor >.< it's still working, I have it attached to my noticeboard.

I bought a citizen ecodrive titanium watch, just time and date but no battery required, however I don't wear it much as i'm scared it'll get damaged so it sits on my bookshelf in the shadows and hence needs charging up by leaving it under a lamp or just somewhere where it can get some filtered sunlight. $80 off ebay bargin :D ex display stock for a $250 watch I wear it on special occasions.

Dad bought me a casio digital illuminator watch which I used to wear everyday, it still works but I missed all the functions on my old citizen. So on ebay I purchased a brand new Casio G-shock digital for $40 rrp $150
It has vibration alarm, dual display, world time (which I do use) 3 different alarms, timer, stop watch and telememo plus the casio version of "indiglo" back lighting and yes I do use all that. It runs for 3 years on battery and is a tough watch as all G-shock watches are known for (shock resist) It's been knocked about and doesn't show any scratches on the plastic or face.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I have a digital Seiko that my former boyfriend bought me. Considering that I've been with Gary for 24 years, that tells you how old the Seiko is. It still runs if I replace the battery, but it used an expensive silver battery that is hard to get now. And it has the other problem that I have with digital watches. My sweat or skin oils corrode metals other than gold or silver. Nickel literally dissolves after a couple of years, and even stainless steel gets pitted. The back of the Seiko is pitted badly. The little buttons for setting time and functions no longer work at all, and you can only set the time by opening the back and using a screwdriver to press the microswitches. My current Dakota wrist watch is about ten years old and is developing the same problem. It runs, and has both analog and digital watches in one. The analog can still be set normally. The digital buttons don't work, so you have to open back to set it. See above...

I'm old fashioned. I don't really like digital watches. I like a sweep second hand and an analog dial, preferably with hands that glow in the dark. I have my father's gold Omega that he received as a 25 year anniversary gift from his employer. It doesn't run reliably any more, though. Possibly just cleaning would fix it, but it's hard to find anyone now who knows what to do with the inside of a mechanical watch. I'm afraid they'll wreck it if they touch it. The old guy we go to for batteries must be over 70 now. He has Parkinson's or something like it that makes his hands shake badly. He can still put on his loupe and do stuff, but I know he sends serious repair work out somewhere. I'm sure he will either die or retire, and there will be no one to take his place.

[brunbera.livejournal.com]

I carry an antique pocket watch - my recommendation? Go to a reputable used jewelry store and buy one. They generally can be had for less than $100, they work well, can be fixed, and have nice, soothing mechanical mechanisms. Sweep seconds hands rock - no digital watch can match that.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

If I knew where to find such a jewelry store and a repair person who still knew how to handle a mechanical watch, I'd do exactly that. I suspect that out east you still have a better selection of such places available than we do here. Jewelers here are focused on selling diamonds, mostly engagement rings and expensive anniversary presents. Many do not handle watches at all any more. Those who handle "antiques" ask exhorbitant prices.

Gary has a gold Elgin pocket watch that belonged to his uncle. It won't run any more. The spring is not broken, but is wound up tight. Someone who knows mechanical watches could no doubt get that running, but we know of no such person to whom we could take it.

[vakkotaur.livejournal.com]

Good luck with finding a tolerable timepiece. The cheap pocket watch I bought from Shopko was nice while the cell lasted and I did change it once - and decided after that that it wasn't worth the effort. I only used it for renfaires (kept it in a pouch) and now I have the cellphone which also goes in a pouch and has clock as a 'screensaver' so I just use that instead. I use it more as a clock than a phone, really.

My housemate has had some issues with Ford.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

We haven't tried Shopko, I suppose that's worth checking. There is one in Belvidere. I have a cheap mechanical pocket watch (Timex) that belonged to my own grandfather. I think my older brother originally gave it to him as a Christmas gift. It probably cost $10 back then. Anyway, it doesn't run but could probably be restarted if it were cleaned and oiled. I may risk that if I can find someone to take it to.

I've had three mechanical pocket watches of my own. None of them run any more. One got put through the washer by the former boyfriend, so I can't blame the maker for that. He made up for it by giving me one of his own (Timex I think) that ran for a couple of years before it quit. I bought another that did much the same, about two years. Now you can't even find them.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Ah but the Ford he got is based on what was originally the Mazda Tribute :)

[quickcasey.livejournal.com]

I have my uncle's gold Elgin pocket watch he got from the B&O. It was recently overhauled, and works wonderfully. That aside, I had good luck with an eletric Callibri, and has gone through several batteries, as has my father's Swiss Army electic pocket watch.
I agree with brunbera, buy one from a jeweler. I know a reputable one on the North side of Chicago. And I do have a sorce for good mechanical watches. Just I can't think of it right now. Give me a bit to find the info. I'll get back to you.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Who did the overhaul on your Elgin and how recently? We might consider sending Gary's Elgin to them. Gary is on the North Side about once a week, so if you'll pass us your jeweler's name and address, he can check there.

And yes, please do pass any information you can find about mechanical watches. I know when I ride Metra I still see trainmen carrying those pocket watches in the little leather cases. Do they get those new from some source, or are they all hand-me-down antiques?

[fandt4.livejournal.com]

I think your best bet is to just scour a place like eBay for an actual period pocket watch. A rather common Elgin or Hamilton wouldn't run you nearly $400, and even if it didn't run, the technology and ease of repair makes it worth buying a broken one even.

I've found that if I play with my 1919 Elgin for a while it will run remarkably smooth and keep excellent time... for about an hour. It needs to be professionally cleaned, I'm sure, and would probably run another 87 years, or, at least as long as anyone wanted to use it.

Nothing beats an original.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Nothing beats an original.

I agree with this. But unfortunately, the original watch repair guy from 1928 who could fix that original is long gone, along with his tools and supply of parts. Out here in the hinterlands, we can't find anyone who even works on mechanical watches any more, much less one who can do actual reliable repairs on an antique. All they do is send them away somehwere (they won't say where, of course) and the repairs are not guaranteed but cost far more than the value of the watch. Only worth doing for your grandfather's engraved gold watch that he got on his wedding day or something.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

They also have these rather funky looking russian pocket watches :D on ebay.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Russian. It figures. Might be worth a laugh for $20, but if they sell for more than $50 I wouldn't risk it. No chance of getting repairs over here.

The Russians were famous for half a century for manufacturing things that didn't run even when they came out of the assembly line. Refrigerators and automobiles were notorious. I suppose their new capitalism has forced some kind of improvements in areas like that, but I doubt they are ready for even my non-professional demands. ;p

Read Whats that?????

[bladehorse.livejournal.com]

As far as pocket watches go, check clock workers. I got my Waltharm 17 jewel from a clock repairer local to me.(well sorta) Tower Watch and clock. The guy is really good, and is affordable. I bought mine at a home show, for 150$ and found at work that the crystal wasnt, it was plastic. I called him up, and found that he was more than willinmg to replace the plastic one with a glass, tho it took him a month to find one to fit. Watch worked over 4 years till I mistakingly left it at work. The crystal was smashed, and at least 1 jewel busted. Escapement wheel is flopping around. So I need to one day head down there again to get it fixed. Nothing quite compares to the workmanship of a good watch. oh btw, RailRoads required 23 jewels to be certified time accurate. But Clock shops are the place to go! Whinnys

Re: Read Whats that?????

[altivo.livejournal.com]

We know a good clock shop near here, and they have sold us some good clocks and repaired one for me so that it runs well again. Unfortunately, they do only clocks, no watches at all. Watch sellers are hard to find here, most have gone out of business or retired. That's why we have to look at drug stores and discount stores for watches, which is a problem all right.

[lobowolf.livejournal.com]

My vintage 1985 Casio that my aunt gave me when I was a senior in high school is still happily keeping good time. After 21 years, I'm on the second or third battery (it's a lithium button battery), and on my 15th wristband. It's kind of ugly and dated, but considering it wasn't an expensive watch, I'm impressed. It's outlived many other watches, including a Timex that lasted about a year.

I broke down and bought a watch from L.L. Bean this spring. For some reason, I'm leaning back toward analog watches. This one is nothing fancy, but it's Swiss made with a stainless case and a leather band. L.L. Bean will repair or replace anything even if you've had it for 20 years, so I figure if it dies an early death, I'll send it back and get it repaired or replaced.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Go the casio :D

[captpackrat.livejournal.com]

You actually CAN buy mechanical pocket watches still, though they are very hard to find. I saw a mechanical pocket watch at Wal*Mart sometime in the past year. I bought 3 in the mid-90's, ranging from $15 to $60. The $15 one is still running (though the chain broke and I had to make a new one); the $60 one died before I ever had a chance to use it.

You might try an antique store, they're bound to have some pocket watches.

Personally, I'm kind of a stickler for accurate time keeping, so for the past 4 years or so, I've been wearing a Casio wrist watch with a WWVB receiver. Every night it checks with the atomic clock in Fort Collins, Colorado to reset itself. I've replaced the battery once, and the watch is pretty well beat up (I forget to take it off while working inside computer cases), but it's still working perfectly.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

You've been living in good locations for the WWVB signal, though. We have two clocks in the house that sync to that, but they only manage to get a clear signal once a week or so. It's enough usually to keep them accurate, but not all that reliable.

[doco.livejournal.com]

What is this "watch" thing you speak of, crazy old man?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

It tells you the time so that you don't miss your train or your appointments.

[chakawolf.livejournal.com]

I hope you have read 'My Watch' by Sam Clements.

http://wiretap.area.com/Gopher/Library/Classic/watch.mt

This wisdom still applies -- maybe moreso than it did in 1870.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'm very familiar with that story. Guess why I'm reluctant to let just anyone who calls themself a watchmaker touch an antique watch, even one that isn't running at all?

[kakoukorakos.livejournal.com]

I have an old hunter-case pocketwatch, it was the last watch I carried (I just use the clock on my mobile phone now, glorified pocketwatch). It's a pretty old Hamilton works in an unusually-sized case, it took the watchmaker friend of my dad's a while to score one that worked. I like the smaller sizes the most I guess. Lost the original works when I accidentally laundered it, think that was a Hampden. After having to deal with needing the watch degaussed every few months, I finally decided to quit wearing it. But if I were to go back to wearing a watch, I'd probably seek out an early quartz works and procure one of the more traditional railroader type cases (the covers on hunt cases offer a lot more protection to the crystal, but they're a hassle to open and close). I actually have my first pocketwatch around here somewhere, it was something my folks bought me at a department store called LaBelle's in the early 80s. It was relatively inexpensive, kept good time, and was sturdy. I'm sure it would start working again if I rounded up a battery for it, I think the watch was made by Majestic or something. EBay would be a good source for that sort of thing, while I'd be hesitant to buy a mechanical watch off there except for the case or REALLY cheap (with the assumption I'm going to spend out the wazoo to get the works cleaned and calibrated), quartz watches are generally either "works" or "dead".

Though to get an older watch rehabilitated, I'd place a call to one of your local jewelry stores, the sorts that deal in precision mechanical watches. They almost certainly have a shop they refer customers to for repairs and tune-ups, if they don't have a watchmaker on staff.

[kakoukorakos.livejournal.com]

Oh! You can also find some *purportedly* Soviet military surplus pocketwatches, they used to be all over the place (like Sportsman's Guide). Most anything military grade is going to last, though the skeptic in me is pretty sure they were made recently in China and never have seen Mother Russia. If they are genuine Soviet Union Navy-issue, though, you can be pretty sure you'd never have to buy another pocketwatch for a long time...

[avon-deer.livejournal.com]

Like everything else they are made to a cost. Companies will always try to get the most out of you for the least they can get away with giving you.

If you want MY advice, buy Russian. I am not kidding you. Soviet era watches are of amazingly good quality. The problem is finding one. My sire managed to get hold of one as our old home was in Goole. Goole being the premier docking site for the Russian Timber vessels back in the 80s. Consiquently, trade with Soviet sailors was common (despite the fact the cold war was still very much on).

He managed to get himself a good quality Zenit camera as well. The watch still keeps perfect time.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

See reply above. I didn't know about the Russian watches or that they were readily available. I may try one, though I'm not sure they would work for Gary because of the obvious case styling.

[wolfgrowl.livejournal.com]

You go to MFF. I'm sure there are some great watch repair places on the million dollar mile in Chicago at the very least! I used to take my watches to La swiss in Toronto.
My watch is doing fine and has for a number of years but I upgraded my Timex triathalon to a Rolex Submariner about 8 years ago. I don't like digital at all. Time is conceptual and 8:55 doesn't sound right whereas you can "see" 5 minutes to nine!
(I gave my grandfather's pocketwatch to my nephew. He gets sentimental about heirlooms. My grandfather had overwound it and broke the mainspring. I got it replaced and the watch, despite being his graduation present from law school in 1918 still runs like a charm.)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

There are undoubtedly some on Jeweler's Row in downtown Chicago. When we both worked in the Loop, it would have been practical to get there. Now it's really a major trip. We have that possibility in mind as a last resort though.

As for Rolex, well, I'm sure that's good quality but I could buy a horse for the price of your watch. Unfortunately, we can't afford that. :)

Totally off topic

[vimsig.livejournal.com]

- I throw this flist comment over to you :

http://green-knight.livejournal.com/190989.html?mode=reply&style=mine

Re: Totally off topic

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I can't see those video clips everyone keeps passing around, so I don't know what this is about, other than the mention of dressage which is outside my field of expertise.

Me Two Pence

[pioneer11.livejournal.com]

I have a nice solid, inexpensive, timex I got on 9/12/2001

My "I'll save the American Economy by buying something" watch.

Its still running well, its a hell of a good watch.

Problem is the wristbands.

I simply can't wear cloth, or leather. It has to be metal.

I work with my hands too much.

For the moment, the watch is right here, right now, by my 'puter
since I...doh! Broke the /metal/ band while climbing over rocks.

Oddly enough my old digicam survived the adventure better.

*facepaws*

Re: Me Two Pence

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I get the best lifespan out of watchbands made of rubber, the kind they use on "diving" watches. Leather literally corrodes in contact with my skin. Some metals make me itch, others dissolve and pit. Chrome or nickel plating peels. It's very bizarre.