Jack Forster[Elite User]
4381
I agree about the having fun part. . .
Jan 15, 2007,08:04 AM
. . .at least the part of your post that actually got posted :-) . I mean I do think there is such a thing as an appropriate power to weight ratio when it comes to watch critiquing.
I happen to think it's really neat to be able to make a column wheel chronograph, or a lever and cam chronograph a la the less expensive Poljot chronos, or a tourbillon for that matter at an affordable price point (though in an absolute sense it never hurts for us to remember that the close to 1K usd you pay for one of the low end tourbillons represents a. a lot of money to ninety nine per cent of the humans on the planet, increasing numbers of whom divide their day between wondering where to get clean drinking water and field stripping their AK-47's and b. that a grand buys a hell of a lot if you're looking at vintage and an INSANE amount of quality and interest if you're looking at pocketwatches) but at the same time the interest starts to fall off once you get past the experience of being impressed by the fact that the thing can be done inexpensively. I personally don't own any tourbillons nor am I ever likely to unless I get insanely lucky at a flea market b/c a watch to me is interesting insofar as it does what it does well.
Usually. I have to admit though that I'm not immune to the charm of a watch that cheekily accomplishes something inexpensively that you usually have to pay a lot of money for. I have in my collection an erotic complication which is based on an inexpensive, Chinese made (I surmise) movement with the relevantly mobile (to put it euphemistically) part of the gentleman's anatomy animated by virtue of being directly attached to the escape wheel. A worse place to put such an appurtenance in the power train would be hard to imagine but it seems to maintain quite decent amplitude in all positions and in its tonneau shaped stainless steel case, it's rather a lot of fun to wear. I've had it for two years and I wear it disturbingly often ;-) .
Best regards,
Jack
Comments:
view entire thread
Best chronograph one can buy?
By: loujo : January 13th, 2007-02:16
Well actually for the money I think one can't get any better than this. Here is my Vacheron Constantin Malt Chrono... uh.. Wanna-be. It is actually yet another Chinese made Venus 175 chronograph cased in a copy of VC Chrono. The case is 40mm so quite wear...
Well...
By: PeterCDE : January 13th, 2007-03:01
G'day, to each his own and not trying to put on anyone´s toes, but to me it´s a fake even if there´s no "big brand" name on the dial. Each component is making use on the efforts of others; be it the case/dial design (VC) or the movement (Venus). I fail to...
Hi Peter
By: loujo : January 13th, 2007-03:30
First of all, it is my understanding that the movement is either manufactured under license or Venus sold the IP to Chinese manufacturer while it was in financial trouble in the 80's or 90's. If this is true, then the movement can not be considered a fake...
They own the design of the movement?
By: J_Warden : January 13th, 2007-10:08
"First of all, it is my understanding that the movement is either manufactured under license or Venus sold the IP to Chinese manufacturer while it was in financial trouble in the 80's or 90's. " This sounds highly unlikely to me. First of all, licensing t...
I don't know the manufacturer of the movement
By: loujo : January 13th, 2007-11:01
and I doubt "Samson" is a name of a company, but just a brand someone put on the dial of the watch. But I am almost certain the movement is not "stolen" but legit. Maybe someone in the know can help answer this? Anyway, I am not here to start a debate on ...
Ok.
By: J_Warden : January 13th, 2007-11:43
Hmmm- that's a rather more serious problem. . .
By: Jack Forster : January 15th, 2007-08:09
. . . if in fact the movements are being manufactured without regard for ownership of the designs or international norms in terms of protection of those designs then we go from 'possibly harmless' to 'morally culpable' I'm afraid. But then what about the ...
That's a Sea-Gull St-19 from Tianjin.
By: Watch Carefully : January 16th, 2007-12:16
I've got one of those in a Sea-Gull case and it's a remarkably nice watch for the $125 it cost me. Mine is a sort of Chinese Air Force model, though not the exact replica of the one they call the 1963. I've also read many places (including the Chinese Wat...
It's an interesting problem. . .
By: Jack Forster : January 13th, 2007-15:38
. . .I find myself very much thinking of Thomas' post over on Watchrap on intention. My own reactions to the watch are pretty complicated- at least they seem that way to me: -Oh, a fake Vacheron. . . gives way to -well, it's an affordable column wheel chr...
Hi Jack
By: loujo : January 14th, 2007-23:21
You are a true gentleman and great diplomat :) I think we also ought to be able to have some fun with our hobby sometimes. It is after all a
Let's not blame the Chinese for everything... :-) (more)
By: gg2004 : January 14th, 2007-22:52
... particularly because both this pseudo-Lemania chronograph movement and the notorious carrousel tourbillon used in many "replicas" are apparently the output of the Japanese "Mac-Ai project" (www.mac-ai.com/). Perhaps some Japanese-speaking Purist can h...
Mac-Ai watches (photos) >>
By: MTF : January 15th, 2007-07:54
We first met the Japanese PuristS when we held the MJLC-PuristS dinner in Tokyo in 2004. Click for report and photos: watchprosite.com About the same time, at the first dinner date of the PuristS in Japan with US and UK members, we first heard of the Mac-...
The movement itself is fully legit ...
By: Marcus Hanke : January 15th, 2007-10:20
... it is an own design of the Million Smart Company. The funny thing, though, is that this company for a long time disputed to be the origin of the movement. That is strange, since in Europe, or in the US, a company able to mass-produce a tourbillon (eve...