Horological Meandering

Hello Purists,

I haven't done a census of the collection for about 15 months. The last time, people sent me lots of private messages, telling me how happy they were that I showed all my watches arrayed on the table. This enabled them to point to me as the watch lunatic and defend their own rationality to their significant others ...

Today it's a little different theme. We have had workmen in all week, replacing some windows, so we had to move furniture, pull back rugs, put away watches, etc. Yesterday they finished, just in time for the weather to worsen. We woke to a torrential rainstorm and I decided it was a good opportunity to put the watches back in their case. But then I imagined how nice it would be to wind them, set the dates correctly, moonphases, check the other complications, etc. A bit of a mistaken idea, really. But then having such a nice space on the floor it became a photo opportunity too.

Rules evolved - I must wind and set it myself (wife was reading paper and not to be disturbed), must set the date to the proper setting (and the am/pm must be right), if a power reserve was on the watch, must wind it to at least 1/2 way, if a GMT no particular setting was required for the second zone, if a kinetic just shake it until running well, set the watch and shake again for a moment.

If the battery was dead or the watch wouldn't run, set it aside. I now know I have 10 that need batteries or mechanical attention. Groan.

Pardon me for doing the camera work freehand but the camera in the bedroom ceiling is out of order (just kidding!). I took a photo roughly every 5 minutes in between trying to remember how this watch's date was set, or where that watch's pushers were.

Cazalea

Here we go, starting at 9 am, Feb 26.

I intended to use my Seiko Marine Clock as the centerpiece but it was raining too hard to run over to the office and get it. So I decided on the Muhle Glashutte Marine Chronometer instead, which was a handy reference for setting all the watches. First one - a Breitling that belongs to a friend but I've had it nearly a year as we both keep forgetting to swap it.

A few more. These are coming out of the safe transport bag from the top - there was no other reason for the sequence.

I put a few hand-wind time-only watches up on the edge (dangerous)

Twenty minutes into the job and I am praying for quartz watches as my fingertips hurt from setting the MIH, which I hadn't worn since Thanksgiving (so it told me; these calendar watches, I swear)

I'm starting to think I need a bit more order in this arrangement. My wife suggests radiating out from the center with all the straps on points of the compass.
Go back to your paper - do the crossword!

So I try a new arrangement while still adding watches.

I decide I can indeed sort them into categories as I go. I happen to set off the alarm watch and scare myself

In case the arrangement isn't obvious, here's what I settled on. It proves to be adequate for even photo distribution

 
More and more coming out of the bag

Forty-five minutes and my fingers are getting sore again. I'm swinging automatics around instead of winding them

There's the PuristsPro ABR on the left

I decided early on that I would open up deployants and try to display all the faces. This doesn't work for about a half-dozen because I don't want to use a tool or wreck the straps

Okay, now we are one hour into the project and we have a lot of watches to go. I'm saying things like "the UN 1846 is time and date, why is it here?"

 I move it. I see the power reserve complication. I move it back.

My wife's watches are starting to emerge. Most are quartz so they go on the top left. Most are running, on time, and on date. I keep hers better than my own.

The Silberstein one-handed Pikto Smile Day nearly kills me with its triangular, sharp-edged crown. The Sinn stopped. The Swatch Chrono won't stay running. Arrghh.

It's now 10:10 (perfect watch display time) and I am just getting into the specialty watches - pocket, locket, cuff link, stop watches, etc.

It takes time for a lever-set pocket watch, you have to remove the front of the case, move the lever, set the time, then screw it back together.  At least they are big.

More PWs - irritatingly I have about 5-6 Seiko pocket watches with dates, and no quick-set feature and one of them is on the 31. I can't turn it 27 days. I give up on it.

Ten thirty - 90 minutes into the project and I run out of watches. Whew!  This is an epic endeavor. Maybe we could make a movie out of it?

 
A picture of the "photo set"

This message has been edited by cazalea on 2011-02-26 12:04:26

If my wife saw these pictures, she would forbid me from ever consulting PuristSPros again. Figuring thaty I might catch the bug (but that is already the case).

The problem with your pictures is that all the watches come out kind of small and I have a hard time determing what is what. A few of course are easy to guess.

Anyways, neat project for a rainy afternoon.

Thanks for sharing.

Regards,

George

Thanks! I pondered doing a larger version of each shot, but that irritates people when the photos bump into/over/under the ads on the right side of the screen.
Anyway, it was the experience. My fingertips hurt just typing now!

Cazalea

That is why I appreciate  you so much.

You're nut, totally, completely, absolutely nut.

Impressive get yourself together, my friend.

Best,

Nicolas.

Now you should post a list with a full descreption on every single watch ... .

Filip

Hats off......90mins well spent though!!

Best,

Horo

I had make the post, convert the movie up to YouTube, clean all the glass in the cabinet, pick up all the watches and put them away.
Then take the dead ones down to the watch factory and get new batteries.
I have managed to use up the whole day! Yay!

There are mirrors in this case, so don't think there are a million watches!

Thumbs up....a most worthwhile day spent. Very impressive mate.

Inspired by you, I am determined to do something similar! And "document" the process.

Best,

Horo

A fine project and a fine narrative (and certainly many fine watches).

1. I AM NOrMaL!

2. Over here we the SOTC in a more deliberate and tedious manner compare to other watch fora.



cen@jkt

Who's there?

U.da

U.da who?

Uda man!!!



You the man Cazalea! Great post. And a lego watch. Fantastic.

Regards,
Richard.

of 30 minutes per watch must be conducted now that you have everything wound and running. Wow! Amazing collection. I have to say you had me with the Muhle Glashutte Marine chronometer. If you just showed that, it would be enough for me. Congrats! (hope your renovation is running well).

I opened it to take a watch out, and I was stunned by the volume with nearly 100 watches (including the pocket watches) tic-tocking away.

I'd never had them all running, so didn't recognize the fantastic sound that would come echoing off the glass and mirror surfaces.

Cheers

Cazalea

Fantastic post, truly amazing - thanks for taking the time and sharing with us all. I can't wait to show my wife, just to show her that I am not the craziest (it won't help change her opinion, but then she is probably right anyway.

Any chance that we can all hear the ticking sound?

--Sancerre

I put the camera into the watch cabinet, closed the door - took a video, then discarded it.
Tried again about 5 more times and finally we have a keeper.
They were all vying to get their faces and backsides into the film!

There is a stop-watch still running too, and the pocket watches.

Here are the little crickets!


Fun idea, thanks!

Cazalea

This message has been edited by cazalea on 2011-02-27 09:09:48

In a way it reminded me of a crazy GTG we had last night but instead of one person doing it all, there were about a dozen doing the arranging & rearranging for the table shot etc.

I remember showing your previous collection pics. to my wife. She doesn't think I have too many watches now. Thank you again!

cheers

fernando

but what an enjoyable way to spend 90 minutes for a WIS..

LOVE it!

amazing collection...and I too have to keep the wife away from this thread...

I don't have that many but it has given me an idea when the clocks go forward to set all mine....at the moment the battery ones are half winter time and half summer time and as they don't all keep perfect time they could all do with resetting.

Thanks for the idea and inspiration.

Yours,

Andy.

I really enjoyed tht post and also the ticking and tocking on the video soundtrack - a true treat! Clearly you go it bad - I find that inspirational.

thanks

Andreas

...and see if they get above the roof of your house! or lay them across the wall say and take a pic, that'll be interesting. Saw a few Grand Seikos, IWC, Breitling, an ORIS, Jacqut Droz, and many more. Nice.

Thank you for this great display of watches!

 

You have a great collection!

 

 

Thank you for sharing with us!

 

 

Best

 

Blomman

It looks like you really enjoyed that, I can totally understand why

How are you enjoying the Ochs&J - I'm really interested in them

Thanks for posting
Best

Christian

I am always entertained by your SOTC posts!  It's such a treat to see all those watches at once!

Cheers,
Daos

. . . if Cazalea's effort is rewarded by a stint at the Masthead position? . . .

No message body

of course i know you are proud of it. one for every occasion, every day of the week for about 4 months.

as Horo said, time well spent.

best

Graham

... only if I had such a wide floor, so many watches to check periodically, and understanding (or not) wife, on a rainy Sunday.  Boy, I am with you.  Where is the Hublot?  Just kidding

Nice job!

Ken

Great post. Love the clock. How about some close ups of the groups
Zoloft has some effect for OCD.