SOTC - rkovars January 2021

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rkovars
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SOTC - rkovars January 2021

Post by rkovars »

So, Andrew (jkbarnes) putting up his collection inspired me to go ahead and jump in the pool as it were.

A little about my collecting.... I don't really have a strict set of collecting rules (once you see the collection that will be evident!). I usually buy what catches my eye and has a good story either on its own or one that is unique to me. I mentioned in jkbarnes's thread that he has a box of memories and my collection reflects that sentiment as well. Most of my pieces are there because they are housing memories that are personal to me even if the original piece is long gone and they are replacements. I hope that makes sense.

These are in no particular order. I pretty much just went with the order of the photos I had in my SOTC folder. So here goes.........


Orvis Field Chronometer - There is really nothing special physically about this watch. It has a Miyota quartz movement in it. It is a good size (20mm lug) and fits well on the wrist though. It is in the collection because I bought it on the first long weekend away with my girlfriend (now wife) around 2001. It keeps pretty good time and is a great grab n go piece with some sentimental memories attached.
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Lorus Mickey - This is technically my first watch. My parents bought me this watch when we were taking a plane trip as a family (sometime around 1976 so a plane trip was a big deal) and my job was to make sure we made our gates on time. I know now it was just busy work but it felt important at the time. Unfortunately, that original watch went through the washer and the hands fell off. I found this one NOS in the box. I could never wear it now so I think that this might make it to a niece of mine.
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Tag Heuer Professional 1000 - This watch was a gift from my parents when I was in high school. It was the first 'nice' watch that I ever owned. I still have the box and manual. It was on my wrist for many years and served as my backup/beater watch for a long time. Still gets some wrist time today. It is small by today's standards but can still hold its own. The second pic is the exact watch on my wrist in Operation Desert Storm. I was wearing it in that photo because I had gone splashing in the Red Sea with my GMT Master and it leaked so it was on its way back to Rolex for a service. :oops: Back then, I had no idea the 1675 was only rated for 50 meters :oops:
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Seiko 5 6309 - This watch dates back to sometime in the 70s. I found it in a memory box that belonged to my grandfather. I don't ever remember him wearing it but he must have at some point. I think that it looks pretty sharp on the CWL cordovan deployant strap!
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HKED Seagull Chronograph - This watch doesn't have a real story per se but fits into the damn fun category. I love the vintage vibe, the exhibition case back and the short money for a mechanical chrono. Not much more to say.
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C65 Trident GMT - This was my first CW. I had never heard of the brand before this point. This thing hit all of the vintage styling buttons that live deep down. I am also a sucker for a good GMT.
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C65 Dartmouth - My second CW. This ticked the same boxes as the GMT. It also soothed my need for a vintage Seamaster. I find myself reaching for this one on a regular basis.
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Rolex GMT Master 1675 - I bought this watch second hand in 1991. I had wanted a GMT Master for a few years at that point and was able to save up a couple of months of pay and some gift money (I paid in the neighborhood of what you would pay for a current CW). At the time the purchase price was less than half of a new one at retail. The good old days! I still remember walking into the AD to buy it. The AD is still there. I recently spoke to the manager that sold me the watch back in 91. He just retired in August 2020. Small world. Anyway, this watch was my daily driver for the better part of 25 years. It was on my wrist through a couple of wars/conflicts, when I got married and some amazing trips (it was on my wrist for a climbing trip to the Alaska Range back in 2001 for instance). I could never part with this one.
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Casio 358AMW-320C - This watch was made famous by Schwarzenegger (Kindergarten Cop) and Joe Pesci (Home Alone) in the late 80's early 90's. I had one sometime in the early to mid 80's. Again, unfortunately, the original is long gone. There are some dedicated collectors of these out there today. I picked this one up for short money. It is an earlier version. These things were worn to death and most of the ones you find are pretty beat. This one is in pretty decent shape.
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Jaques Du Manoir - I picked up this pocket watch while on business in Zurich Switzerland (sometime around 1999 or 2000). I was able to do a fair amount of hiking while I was there and the case stood out to me as a mental nudge to get the memories flowing. Looking back at it now I wish I would have splurged and picked up a couple of Subs as well! EDIT***- I should note that this one has Swiss Made on the dial. I am guessing it is a Ronda module but I am not certain. I'll have to make a note during the next battery change.
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Steinhart Ocean One Blue LE - Picked this up last year because I was curious about Steinhart. They are very divisive in the watch collecting community and I wanted to see what they were all about. I went with this 'Sub Style' watch because I like the look of the Sub but I grabbed a colorway that Rolex would never do. The watch is great. ETA movement running at about +6 sec per day. My only suggestion to Steinhart would be to add about $100 to the price and finish it to a higher standard. I can't deny, though, that it is a workhorse watch for very short money.
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Bulova Lunar Pilot - I worked in aviation and space for a large portion of my professional career. I always wanted a Speedmaster but for one reason or another it never seemed the right time. I saw these Bulovas and picked one up. They did a great job. For me, it definitely scratches that itch. The high performance quartz in it is fantastic. Basically 0 sec/ month. I would have to adjust the time by 1 sec every 3-4 months if I bothered. It is a beast and won't work for everyone. They can be found for $250-$300 pretty easily. A great buy.
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C60 Trident Ombre LE - I have always liked the look of the Sea-Dweller better than the Submariner. Markers around the entire bezel, no cyclops, just an overall cleaner look. The C60 Ombre hit those boxes for me. It is a ton of watch for what you pay. The Ombre appealed to me for the uniqueness. I like that the dials are hand done so no two are identical. The Ombre process makes the twin flags at 12 stand out on the dial. The matte bezel with seconds marks all of the way around the bezel just looks great. And the lume is crazy good.
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Seiko Flightmaster SNA411 - Believe it or not, I found this one a few years ago in the put and take at the local dump. Box had broken written on it. I figured what the heck. Maybe I could use it as a project or get it fixed. Didn't even know it was a Flightmaster at first. My jaw dropped when I opened the box at home. The watch didn't even look like it had been worn but it wasn't working. Opened the back and sure enough, the battery was in backwards (and the wrong type too). Swapped it out and bingo. I kind of look at this one as my budget Navitimer.
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Casio CA53W-1 - This is another one that I owned in grade school (I must have been hard on watches because none of them survived!). I have a picture somewhere of me in 3rd or 4th grade in class with this watch prominently on my wrist. I dressed up as Marty McFly a few years ago at Halloween and picked this up on Amazon for the costume. You could do a whole lot worse for $15!
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Marvel Agents of SHIELD - I listened to a discussion a while ago where a person was talking about guilty pleasure watches. This one falls into that category for me. I love it. My wife got it for me as a gift because I love to read comics (Marvel in particular). At the time we were watching the show together and she was enjoying it. Its big, its cheap and I don't care. It actually has a Miyota quartz movement in it and it keeps great time. It helps to remind me not to take myself or this hobby too seriously. It is supposed to be fun.
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Berticci C1-T - Another gift from my wife. I had been looking at Titanium Field watches and she picked this one up for me. It is a really good watch. Super light. Interesting look. The seconds hand hits all of the markers. I usually grab this one if we are going into the city for dinner or something. Looks good dressed up and the time is always right. Hard to imagine a titanium watch at $150-200 but there you have it.
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C65 Super Compressor (Blue) - Finally my latest watch. The C65 Super Compressor. My wife surprised me with this for a milestone birthday in 2020. I can't remember getting a better gift. The blue reminds me of flying over the islands in the Caribbean. The black sand would be a close second. Reminds me of a tropic aged dial and volcanic beaches. I think CW knocked this one out of the park. For me, it hits all of the vintage buttons. As kid, I was a big fan of the old Cousteau documentaries and would watch them whenever they were on television. I can see Cousteau sitting on the deck of the Calypso final checking his gear for the second dive of the day somewhere near Tahiti with the SC on his wrist. I can hear the voice over in my head (spoken with a heavy French accent) "Once again we dive into the deep dark blue." :lol: Pretty fun if you ask me!
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Well there it is, the good, the bad and the ugly.
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Re: SOTC - rkovars January 2021

Post by jtc »

What a fantastic and varied collection. Love it! Thanks for sharing.

Now I need more aviation and space stories....
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Re: SOTC - rkovars January 2021

Post by H0rati0 »

A good read - many thanks!
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Re: SOTC - rkovars January 2021

Post by strapline »

Really enjoyed the back story to those. A very personal collection, different to anyone else's. Like you, I really like the C60 Ombre, it's a striking dive watch. You're clearly not afraid to showcase quartz and/or Japanese movements....and why should you be! I remember watching Cousteau as a boy, growing up in the 70s, along with the exotic diving sequences from the early Bond films. I'm sure they played their part in me becoming a PADI diving instructor; that and having family in Bermuda where my own personal diving odyssey began. Thanks for taking the time to put that together.

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Re: SOTC - rkovars January 2021

Post by rkovars »

jtc wrote: Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:59 pm What a fantastic and varied collection. Love it! Thanks for sharing.

Now I need more aviation and space stories....
Thanks! Not much of a story but the GMT was on my wrist in this shot.
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H0rati0 wrote: Thu Jan 14, 2021 7:13 pm A good read - many thanks!
Thanks for reading!
strapline wrote: Thu Jan 14, 2021 7:55 pm Really enjoyed the back story to those. A very personal collection, different to anyone else's. Like you, I really like the C60 Ombre, it's a striking dive watch. You're clearly not afraid to showcase quartz and/or Japanese movements....and why should you be! I remember watching Cousteau as a boy, growing up in the 70s, along with the exotic diving sequences from the early Bond films. I'm sure they played their part in me becoming a PADI diving instructor; that and having family in Bermuda where my own personal diving odyssey began. Thanks for taking the time to put that together.

Des
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Re: SOTC - rkovars January 2021

Post by Thegreyman »

What a fine collection you have, aside of those great current model CW's, the Tag and of course the Rolex Pepsi are fantastic 8)

Great back story and photos too :thumbup:
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Re: SOTC - rkovars January 2021

Post by Amor Vincit Omnia »

I think we can call that a truly eclectic collection, Rich. Excellent! :thumbup:
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Re: SOTC - rkovars January 2021

Post by iain »

Great read, thanks for taking the time to tell the stories. There are some nice watches in there but the one I like the best is the Casio calculator watch, for no other reason than I had one around the time I started secondary school. That’s about 11 years old, not sure how that translates to the American grade system though.
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Re: SOTC - rkovars January 2021

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iain wrote: Thu Jan 14, 2021 8:33 pm Great read, thanks for taking the time to tell the stories. There are some nice watches in there but the one I like the best is the Casio calculator watch, for no other reason than I had one around the time I started secondary school. That’s about 11 years old, not sure how that translates to the American grade system though.
Thanks! I would have been 9 or 10 so in the same ballpark!
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Re: SOTC - rkovars January 2021

Post by rkovars »

Thegreyman wrote: Thu Jan 14, 2021 8:11 pm What a fine collection you have, aside of those great current model CW's, the Tag and of course the Rolex Pepsi are fantastic 8)

Great back story and photos too :thumbup:
Amor Vincit Omnia wrote: Thu Jan 14, 2021 8:17 pm I think we can call that a truly eclectic collection, Rich. Excellent! :thumbup:
Thanks guys! Thegreyman, I really enjoyed your SOTC last year as well.
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Re: SOTC - rkovars January 2021

Post by nbg »

I have to say that I enjoyed reading that, more than any SOTC thread I have seen on here! :thumbup:

I think I have seen Orvis watches for sale in one of their local shops, but hadn’t realised they were selling them back as far as 2001. I am now wondering whether your first weekend away with your now wife involved a fishing trip, or as an angler you couldn’t walk past a fishing shop without going in?

Taking a Rolex GMT on operations? :) Many nowadays only wear their Rolex for best. :shock: How times change and not always for the best.

I am also strangely drawn to the SHIELD watch. 8)

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Re: SOTC - rkovars January 2021

Post by jkbarnes »

That’s a wonderful collection made all the more so by the backstories to each watch. I feel like your collection and the backstories give us insight into you on a personal level more so than any other SOTC post!

Thanks for sharing!
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Re: SOTC - rkovars January 2021

Post by rkovars »

nbg wrote: Thu Jan 14, 2021 8:51 pm I have to say that I enjoyed reading that, more than any SOTC thread I have seen on here! :thumbup:

I think I have seen Orvis watches for sale in one of their local shops, but hadn’t realised they were selling them back as far as 2001. I am now wondering whether your first weekend away with your now wife involved a fishing trip, or as an angler you couldn’t walk past a fishing shop without going in?

Taking a Rolex GMT on operations? :) Many nowadays only wear their Rolex for best. :shock: How times change and not always for the best.

I am also strangely drawn to the SHIELD watch. 8)

Neil

Thank you so much for the very kind words! Back then I didn't think twice about it. I would reach up into the equipment racks without taking it off. It has the scars as proof. :oops: There is a big nick on the inside of the bottom left lug that is visible in the photo. I would never do it today because of the shear value of the thing.

We did do some fly fishing on that trip. Sadly before I bought the watch or I would have worn it on the stream that weekend. :thumbup: I can't ever pass up a fly shop. If you ever get a chance, a tour of the Orvis Rod Shop in Manchester, VT is a must see. :thumbup:
jkbarnes wrote: Thu Jan 14, 2021 9:09 pm That’s a wonderful collection made all the more so by the backstories to each watch. I feel like your collection and the backstories give us insight into you on a personal level more so than any other SOTC post!

Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much! I hope that is a good thing!
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Re: SOTC - rkovars January 2021

Post by jkbarnes »

rkovars wrote: Thu Jan 14, 2021 9:10 pm Thank you so much for the very kind words! Back then I didn't think twice about it. I would reach up into the equipment racks without taking it off. It has the scars as proof. :oops: There is a big nick on the inside of the bottom left lug that is visible in the photo. I would never do it today because of the shear value of the thing.
As it should be used! I understand however, being careful now, given it’s current value.

rkovars wrote: Thu Jan 14, 2021 9:10 pm Thanks so much! I hope that is a good thing!
It is! I’m enjoying the forum so much more as I feel like I’m getting to know people better.
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Re: SOTC - rkovars January 2021

Post by StrapMeister »

I would just like to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading your back stories and looking at your collection - which I think is terrific 8)
Thanks for taking the time to put it together and posting it :thumbup:
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