ALS are incredible; I dare say they are better than Patek in quality.
But the GS is amazing for the relative price; the polish details on the hands & indices beat so many watches twice as expensive.
I think my next watch will be a GS.
Been loving my 42mm Hamilton Khaki Field watch from Justin at Gem by Carati. I think I bought it about a month ago (I bought it with the steel bracelet in case I'm feeling fancy, but I usually wear it on one of a few NATOs I have).
Spoiler!
Just noticed on the Gem by Carati sub-forum that the Khaki Field will see a price increase on February 1 from $650 retail to $880 retail. If you're thinking about getting one, you've got like a week to make it happen before the price goes up.
Just noticed on the Gem by Carati sub-forum that the Khaki Field will see a price increase on February 1 from $650 retail to $880 retail. If you're thinking about getting one, you've got like a week to make it happen before the price goes up.
That one is actually the mechanical version where you have to manually wind it.
The one I was referring to is the automatic.
It would also be worth talking to Justin about price because I've bought a few watches from him (couple for me and couple for employee gifts) and he's always been more than fair on price.
Weird question... How can I figure out if a Hamilton watch is authentic?
I'm looking at an open box Hamilton H64715885 Khaki Pilot from Amazon. It claims to be the 2023 version. The crown is a spiky H crown vs a square H crown. All pics of this watch is a square H crown even on the Amazon website. The hamilton website shows only the face of the watch. No pics of the watch with a crown, 360 etc. The only mention of a spiky H crown on the hamilton website is from 2020 and lists the jazz master and the Khaki Pilot Schott as having them. Other 2022 and 2023 Khaki Pilot watches of other models (not 5885) show a spiky H crown. I saw 2023 versions of the H64715885 on chrono24 everything else is identical but with a square H on the crown. The H64715535 on the website (supposed to be same but diff strap) is a square H crown.
Replica sites show a version with a different case back than the one I have in hand. The replicas all seem like they have the old case back design and square H movement and crown. I don't think it is caught up with the new design yet. The pics on the bay website are the old case back vs Amazon showing the new case back.
I've done so much searching on this and I've found nothing conclusive. I've poked around many sites looking for pics of a redesign and none. Checked watch forums for such mismatch concepts and there were a few reports that Hamilton occasionally makes changes without reporting them.
So what is going on? The watch doesn't set off alarms that it is fake, but it seems bizarre as well since I can't figure out a way to verify that it is a genuine watch and whether there's been some kind of redesign. The spiky H crown Werth shiny H movement combo looks better than the mismatch logos. If this is fake, I'll argue with Amazon. But... No one would fake/replica a watch this way... Right?
I was going to buy a Hamilton as my first new Swiss but ultimately, I realized that their font and overall design feels like 2000s and doesn't fit the aesthetic I like.
I recently have been diving into vintage automatics. Many are still affordable and they have some really amazing designs from when the industry was creative and robust. I picked up this 1975 Citizen Automatic with a double-domed, faceted crystal. Faceted crystals seemed to be a trend in mid-70s autos that was really unique. The actual faceting is on the underside of the crystal which leaves the face a smooth dome. It creates really beautiful light reflections inside. There's some scratches and dings but just makes me think about what this watch has been through in the last 48 years.
The only issue with these is that because they are inexpensive, it makes servicing the movements not cost-effective as a service might cost more than the watch. It currently runs +30/sec a day and I have not time graphed it yet. The best I might be able to do is a minor regulation.
Last edited by Hack&Lube; 02-17-2023 at 10:12 AM.
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Anybody bought anything cool lately? Maybe have you're eye on something?
I still haven't bought anything new, but I sure enjoy looking at them and watching reviews. This has been a great time developing an interest in watches and for some reason I'm not super compelled to just buy stuff for the hell of it, but I'm always open to something catching my eye and grabbing it.
Really have a good time looking at Seikos just because so many retailers have them and they have such a broad range of relatively affordable really cool watches.
I tried on an Omega Sea Master Aqua Terra a couple weeks ago. White face with black rubber strap. Seems really nice and would work as a daily for me since I don't operate in formal circles at work or in private. Only problem is it's like 10x the price of my Hamiltons and I definitely didn't like it 10x more, so I passed on it.
I picked this Movado Bold up a couple months ago. Always wanted the black museum watch back in the day so when I saw this on sale, kind of an impulse buy.
I also got my Breitling back after a full service, new face and band. Looks like brand new (cost almost as much!) No more watches for a while. haha
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Anybody bought anything cool lately? Maybe have you're eye on something?
I still haven't bought anything new, but I sure enjoy looking at them and watching reviews. This has been a great time developing an interest in watches and for some reason I'm not super compelled to just buy stuff for the hell of it, but I'm always open to something catching my eye and grabbing it.
Really have a good time looking at Seikos just because so many retailers have them and they have such a broad range of relatively affordable really cool watches.
I need to figure out a decent image hosting site and I'll finally catch up and post a few from the last few years. I'll use imgur for relaying stuff online that isn't my own, but I want to control stuff I upload that's my own. Any suggestions?
Seiko, Citizen, Orient and Bulova always has great stuff to peruse for less than $200.
I bought the spiky H crown Khaki Pilot from Amazon that I mentioned in Feb. It's a ####ing beast. I love it. 46mm without being excessively bangle level clunky.
I love how huge it is and the spiky crown H is majorly under the radar fantastic. I've gone to try on the black strap Khaki Pilots at other stores to compare the square H vs spiky H. Hands down the spiky H looks better. I've never considered watch modding, but if a newer Hamilton watch has mismatching spiky H symbols on the back and a square H on the crown, it's a worthwhile mod to the watch. I'm still slightly worried there is a low chance the watch isn't completely legit, but I've been super happy with it so far.
I also really like the font on the Khaki Pilot and the fact that the indicators on the face of the watch aren't solid allows for some really nice light reflections inside for a watch that isn't a domed crystal. If it's a style that catches your eye, it has a special handsomeness that is not appropriately described in pictures.
I agree with H&L that I've previously never been a huge fan of Hamilton due to the font. Longines is another that I don't like the font. But the Khaki Pilot somehow caught my eye and I like it enough to dislodge the Apple watch from every day use.
My wife originally criticized that that the Khaki Pilot looked too similar to stuff I had, but once she looked closer, she realized and appreciated the differences. I'm also thinking I should consider a steel bracelet for this thing and add a weight lifting facet to this daily driver of mine.
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Anybody bought anything cool lately? Maybe have you're eye on something?
I buy something new every 6 months or so. Mostly into vintage at the moment. I picked up this 1991 Seiko Datejust with a 7009 movement.
I want to say that it's a Seiko SNXj92 but all the 2000s era ones I've seen use a chunky 7S26 movement with a fatter case and bezel. This is amazingly thin and sleek.
Prices for those are going up obviously because it's a Datejust homage and it's been discontinued for several years. It has a cool function where the day of the week changes when you press the crown like a button.
I've regulated it down to +/- 0 seconds a day but it probably won't be stable without a cleaning and lubrication of jewels which is beyond my current abilities.
Last edited by Hack&Lube; 04-16-2023 at 02:06 PM.
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I buy something new every 6 months or so. Mostly into vintage at the moment. I picked up this 1991 Seiko Datejust with a 7009 movement.
I want to say that it's a Seiko SNXj92 but all the 2000s era ones I've seen use a chunky 7S26 movement with a fatter case and bezel. This is amazingly thin and sleek.
Prices for those are going up obviously because it's a Datejust homage and it's been discontinued for several years. It has a cool function where the day of the week changes when you press the crown like a button.
I've regulated it down to +/- 0 seconds a day but it probably won't be stable without a cleaning and lubrication of jewels which is beyond my current abilities.
Fun fact! These are the watches worn in American Psycho because the props department didn't want to buy a bunch of Rolexes and Rolex didn't want to be associated with a serial killer.
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Fun fact! These are the watches worn in American Psycho because the props department didn't want to buy a bunch of Rolexes and Rolex didn't want to be associated with a serial killer.
There's also a strong correlation between homage watch consumers & psycho killers
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Hey, so is it 100% safe to buy from chrono24? I found an Omega on there - brand new, never worn, and from a dealer with positive feedback. I'd be saving about 30% versus buying in Calgary. The dealer is in the USA. I've tried it on in town, so I know it fits right. I'd be looking at this as my last watch purchase to give me my perfect four-watch collection. After this, I'd unsub to all watch YouTube videos, unsub from all the Reddit watch subs, etc. That is to say, it'd be my big (and last) one, so I don't want to #### this up.
I've purchased off Chrono24 twice now (Speedy Pro from NYC, Breitling SOH 38 from Barcelona) and I had good experiences both times. The Speedy Pro randomly stopped and required a service, so I was given an extra $200 back from the seller. Breitling was a steal of a deal, just had it serviced after five years of ownership and it's a beauty.
So for my two purchases, I've been happy.
__________________
-James
GO FLAMES GO.
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Hey, so is it 100% safe to buy from chrono24? I found an Omega on there - brand new, never worn, and from a dealer with positive feedback. I'd be saving about 30% versus buying in Calgary. The dealer is in the USA. I've tried it on in town, so I know it fits right. I'd be looking at this as my last watch purchase to give me my perfect four-watch collection. After this, I'd unsub to all watch YouTube videos, unsub from all the Reddit watch subs, etc. That is to say, it'd be my big (and last) one, so I don't want to #### this up.
Chrono24 is 100% safe.
In my experience, Chrono24 listings are generally about 10-15% higher than most other online dealers, so you should consider shopping around. Or...
You mention saving 30% over buying in Calgary, but have you tried negotiating with the locals? I only say this because some people don't realize, but you can - and should - haggle the #### out of a watch purchase. As a local business owner yourself, I'm sure you can appreciate the concept of at least giving the local bricks and mortar a shot... I'd be completely open, even show them the listing(s) online and give them an opportunity. Don't forget that there will be duty and taxes on an Omega purchased from a US dealer.
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Hey, so is it 100% safe to buy from chrono24? I found an Omega on there - brand new, never worn, and from a dealer with positive feedback. I'd be saving about 30% versus buying in Calgary. The dealer is in the USA. I've tried it on in town, so I know it fits right. I'd be looking at this as my last watch purchase to give me my perfect four-watch collection. After this, I'd unsub to all watch YouTube videos, unsub from all the Reddit watch subs, etc. That is to say, it'd be my big (and last) one, so I don't want to #### this up.
I would be concerned about customs/duties, which might eat up a lot of that 30%.
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I've purchased off Chrono24 twice now (Speedy Pro from NYC, Breitling SOH 38 from Barcelona) and I had good experiences both times. The Speedy Pro randomly stopped and required a service, so I was given an extra $200 back from the seller. Breitling was a steal of a deal, just had it serviced after five years of ownership and it's a beauty.
So for my two purchases, I've been happy.
Were there any customs issues/fees? Did you have to pay GST when it was delivered?
46mm without being excessively bangle level clunky. 
