How to Buy a Watch
By The Dial Lum Light
Watch dials glow at night, markers bright with the sweet haze of lum. All watch lovers respect the night glow of a fine watch. It is probably the most useful property a watch can contain, but what makes it happen? Most watches currently use a substance called superluminova. This grade B substance was the second choice to the previous tritium (radioactive) substance used for years. Watch makers applying tritium basically started getting cancer of the mouth from holding brushes there over long periods of time. Superluminova does a nice job, but will not hold the charge tritium does, still it is safe. Watches I have witnessed with tritium never really impressed me much, SL is fine, check a Omega Seamaster for the best lum of any watch, all SL. Ball watches and a few others still use tritium encased in tubes, they just don’t light it up like a nice SL dial, too many safety standards ruined tritium forever. Just cup your hand and be the judge!
Consume Or Collect?
So you just picked up a new watch, wore it for about 2 weeks and then…..”Flipper Phobia”. The sudden urge to trade a watch just shortly after receiving it! The American consumer is a machine programmed to purchase and purge what it seeks. I have had short battles with this bug, always coming to my senses. Learn to enjoy the watches you have, because the next Phobia to strike will be, why did I let it go! Be a collector not a consumer! KTTB
“The Willy Loman Watch”
Richemont group owns and operates some of the best watch and luxury goods companies on earth! Then, came Mont Blanc! The well known pen company said about 10 years ago, hey let’s make watches and so the under-appreciated brand of watches began. Pens, being their forte, they still produce watches, whether people buy them or not they still get assembled and with hope they will sell…. The sad part is, they are nice, real nice. Beautiful designs, the nicest bracelets you have ever seen. If you search for a real bargain, Mont Blanc is the watch! Take the above shot, 7750 movement, all stainless steel, black coal dial with hints of red that contrast perfect. Tons of money and effort and they still don’t take off in America? Get one why you can, I hope they hang on, maybe celebrity spokespeople, oh it’s been done? KTTB
Titanium Big Boys
So you want to sport the big dog watch 40 plus MM’s, but you can’t stand the weight of the watch on your wrist for long periods? Titanium is the natural solution, it is tough (they make golf clubs out of it), light and has a tough dark metal appearance that many love. Just be careful who works on your watch a miss-thread on pushers or back can ruin it totally, aside from that sport it. KTTB
Automatic Retro Sheek
Alright, you have been biten by the watch bug but you are new to automatic watches. You know that the higher end watches seem to be auto is there a reason why?
Yes and no, quartz watches keep much better time, they are cheap and pratical and for the everyday guy and gal they are perfect. Why would I buy an automatic/perpetual watch? The question has been laid down to me a million times.
An automatic Swiss or German made watch is a small totally functioning machine, that requires no battery, very little servicing (5-7 year intervals) and is a piece of working functional art. It can be appreciated or not from that very statement.
