Keeping "A Watch" ... On Time...

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With NO Cell Phones Back in the 1990's, we all had to carry Pagers and also relied upon wearing Reliable Wrist Watches. I rocked either a Seiko Two-Tone S/S & Gold Watch with a Quartz Movement and my other favorite was an unobtrusive, Genuine Stainless Steel Swiss Army Military Issue Quartz Analog Watch.

Both of these were handsome and useful time pieces and were never taken for granted as they seem to be today. But back then... THE Watch that I ALWAYS wanted to wear was being advertised on TV Sports and Auto Racing Networks at well over $1,000.00 and that was a price just a little too dear for the likes of MY Wallet. Yet, THIS unforgettable Time Piece was indeed... A Work of Art:

The TAG Heuer 4000 Professional:

In any case, I'm pretty sure that in the 30 or so years that have passed since I've actually NEEDED to wear a Watch for work and family demands, I haven't given that Tag Heuer 4000 Professional Watch a "Second" thought... until I "Watched" THIS Video today...

...and then found THIS Identical Watch being offered for sale on eBay over in Fukuoka (...or Nagoya?), Japan at a "Bucket List" price I was now willing to pay. Besides resurrecting this same time piece in more ways than one, the SVOP (Second Video Original Poster) is just Drop Dead Funny in ALL of his other Watch Repair Videos and well worth killing some time "Watching" him as he works his Magic Skill Set upon THIS Identical Watch and many other "Very Bling" Time Pieces.

FWIW... eBay still has quite a few of these being offered for sale right now; some at very low prices considering the TAG Heuer Pedigree of these Wrist Watches:

TAG Heuer 4000 for sale | eBay

Get the best deals for TAG Heuer 4000 at eBay.com. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items!

www.ebay.com

 

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Well... It's "Time" for Part 2 of this Saga...

After receiving the TAG Heuer 4000 Diver's Watch and wanting to "Re-LUME" the Dial Chapters & Hands, I did a LOT of Research Watching a LOT of YouTube Videos while trying to Dope Out all of the Tools, Parts, Pieces & Gear available on eBay and Amazon that might come in handy once I Burglarize The Watch Case and get into doing this Job.

The 'Thing' of it is, I had NO Idea How Much STUFF actually goes into Working on Watches for ANY Reasons; even just to Clean, Time & Oil Them UP. Yup... They all occasionally require a 'Tiny Drop of Special Oil(s)' here and there; even inside TAG Heuer Quartz Watches with their (7) Ruby Jewel Bearing Movements. Anyways, I gradually acquired at least one or more of everything I saw "The Pros" were using as shown below from either Amazon or eBay:



And THAT is when I stumbled across THIS Three Part Series on How to Re-Lume 'The Big Daddy' of All the series od TAG Heuer Gentleman's Dive Watches:

The Top-O'-The-Line TAG Heuer Stainless Steel Model 6000 WH-1111:

Part 1:

Part2:

Part 3:

Long Story Shorter, I went back to that same Japanese Collector over in Nagoya, Japan I used before and he had One EXACTLY like the One featured in those Three Videos... but IT would come with the $600.00 OEM S/S Bracelet installed (and NOT the usual leather flavor band).

Even so, the S/S Bracelet Band is a little bit TOO Small for my Wrist at present, so I had to seek out and try to get (5) additional Complex S/S Band Segments from other eBay Watch Vendors ...and this involved a lot more expense than I'd care to admit to anyone 'at this very moment'. :>(

Now even though some of these Luxury TAG Time Pieces start at around $1,200.00 and can go for as much as $2,000.00 in the S/S WH-1111 Design and upwards of around $30,000.00 for the Solid 18k Gold Versions and even though their Last Date of Manufacture was in the Year 2002... These 20 Year Old Classic TAGs are STILL bringing in Premium Prices to Collectors and Watch Enthusiasts alike. And No Wonder... IT'S A PERFECT MAN'S WATCH IN EVERY POSSIBLE WAY!

Sure enough... We soon settled on THIS One... (shown below alongside the TAG Heuer 4000 with the Anthracite Dial Face on the Left) at a very reasonable price of only $400.00. I know... It seems like 'An Awful Lot of Bread' for something I had only just recently bought in that earlier 4000 Series. But... Dammit ... I want to make sure that my Son AND my Grandson can EACH have their own TAG Heuer Watch after I'm gone. And perhaps 'in Time' ...They'll take a 'moment or two' to Think about this Old Man ..."From Time to Time" :>)



Take Note... The Rare TAG Heuer 6000 Man's Watch Bracelet has almost 250-300 sub-pieces in its full assembly. So with something THIS incredibly intricate, when I install those (5) Extra Links...(Two are still enroute from Nippon) I'm going to be VERY Careful with them:



Here... In THIS YouTube 360 Degree "Glamour" Video, these views give a MUCH better impression of what All this *Stainless Steel Beauty, Complexity and Functionality* actually looks like... :>)

 

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They say that "The Third 'TIME' is The Charm..," and for this 3rd and Last Segment of this Thread, the same thing applies where getting the Last of these Three TAG Heuer Watches in this story is concerned.

I thought I was 'sated' with this matter from my previous two excellent buying experiences ... that is until I saw THIS TAG Heuer 6000 "Navy Blue" Dial Model# WH-1115 that is ordinarily only available in Men's Sizes in Good Condition starting at around $600.00 and ending up at $1,850.00 in a Box Set featuring a S/S Watch Head with18 Kt Gold Inlays and the matching 18 Kt Gold Watchband segments. The Solid Gold TAG Heuer 6000 Chronograph Models run anywhere from $18,000.00 to $30,000.00:



Anyhow, I could not justify spending THAT much Bread on yet One More Watch and so after poking around on eBay, I found JUST the TAG Heuer 6000 Model# WH-1115 Navy Blue Dial Watch Head I wanted in Near Perfect Condition for only $285.00 with Thirty Bucks for S&H.

My thinking back then was that I'd "Just GET That Watch" and worry about getting a S/S Band Bracelet like the one I have on my other Ivory Dial 6000 Model# WH-1111 version a bit later. But Oh Boy.... Later on... I really started to regret taking this 'Penny Wise and Pound Foolish' approach.

This is because JUST getting the necessary S/S Band alone after that would run me an additional $600.00 if I decided to Pull The Pin and Make The Buy. I was very "Sticker-Shock-Stunned" and 'Buy-Shy" for quite a while after that.

So my alternative course of action was to consider getting the TAG Heuer "Stainless Steel Delivery Clasp" and then get a decent pair of High Quality Animal Leather Band Segments to sort things out. However THAT proved to be another Devilish and potentially Costly Eye Opener too, as the OEM Blue Calf Skin Leather Band Segments depicted below from the TAG Heuer OEM Selections shown here (without the $100.00 S/S Delivery Clasp included) Costs $700.00.... WTF!


But without understanding WHY this was apparently so, I'd forgotten to consider that the TAG Heuer 6000 Series Men's Watches really are among "The Collectibles" now in The Watch World. Uniquely, they also require an additional Rare Set of (4) Tiny S/S Screws needed to secure both ends of each Eyelet(s) on the S/S Tangs of either ends of the Two Leather Segments that attach to the underside of the Watch Base.They Do NOT Attach using conventional, ubiquitous "Push-Pin" Style S/S Retainers.

It follows on that I did some more digging and discovered a company over in England called "WATCHSTRAP WORLD UK" that was selling OEM High Quality Natural Leather Replacement Bands for only $60.00 that WOULD suit very nicely as Replacement Leather Bands designed JUST for the unique Delivery Clasps made exclusively for the TAG Heuer 6000 Series of Watches:


The only problem that evolved after ordering the Black Alligator version featured in those images was that they did NOT come with a Full Set of the Tiny Metric Screws necessary for the Band Attachments. So... once again, I dug around some more and tried to get some Used OEM Fasteners from eBay (BUT... No Soap) Then I went right back to order Two Sets of these (4) Screws in the Phillips Head (Cross-Cut) Design from "WATCHSTRAP WORLD UK".

Note that these TAG Heuer OEM versions sport Tiny, Straight Slot Cap Screws:


Over a month came and went after that until finally, I dropped the OEM eBay Seller an inquiry message. They came back with a Great Response and after a Quick Check on their end, they decided the Tiny Screws they'd sent along 'Must Have Gotten Lost Somewhere in the English Postal System'. "NP..." Said I, and they instantly Shipped me Two New Sets of S/S Screws; Free of Charge or for any S&H. These just arrived today on Saturday, 06/18/2022... So... YAY!

But what is Especially Cool about it is THIS: LOOK CLOSELY AT THE RECEIPT... They included Documenting the TAG Heuer Full Machining Specs for these Rare Fasteners so if I require any more of them in the future, I can probably get them State-Side using THESE Dimensions:

TAG Heuer 6000 Model Watch Band Screws
Part Number: TH-6000-SCR-4
Head Diameter: 1.6 mm
Size and Thread Count: M1.2 X 2.1

Look inside these Tiny Zip Lock Baggies...


Now it just remains for me to Put All of These Items Together and then after having waited several months, I'll finally get the chance to try on and wear THIS PERFECT TAG Heuer"Navy Blue" Dial Quartz Watch and "I'll Be Styling in Black-N-Green 'Gator..." :>)






I saved the Best Part For Last about this Strange Time Keeping Tale. HERE is How the Pros Across The Pond at WATCHSTRAP WORLD UK Perform this Task:

 

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Even though I am Head Over Heels in LOVE with all of my TAG Heuer Watches.... I stumbled across THIS Horological Oddity that WILL Impress and Interest MOST of us engaged with using Stainless Steel in Time Pieces married to Technology that was just emerging out of "Silicon Valley" back in 1987 that literally DESTROYED The Chronometer (Mechanical Mechanisms) Market for quite a while as soon as Quartz Watch Technology came into being.

Of course, I'm speaking in this case of the Timex "Q" Model Dual Digital Analog Watch. This unit had a unique rectangular Casement back then in Base Metal with an equally striking, thin Stainless Steel Band.

Well... For some reason... Timex decided back in 2020 to Revitalize its Watch Selections by re-creating this Incredibly COOL Watch ...with some major improvements in the Movement, the Mineral Glass , the Lithium Battery, and by using ALL Stainless Steel in designing this as a New Creation.

As soon as I saw this being offered in Limited Numbers back then for $150.00 and lately, after I spied it on Amazon for around $127.00... I KNEW I'd have to get a Factory Fresh BINB Version on my wrist.

By any standards... THIS watch might have seemed a bit ostentatious for anyone NOT carrying 'Pocket Pen Protectors and a Few Slide Rules' around in their Valise' because of its large size and spacious LCD Digital Screen. This area is large enough in fact to comfortably support the following features:

(1) LCD Analog (Hands) and Digital Time Keeping via Hours, Minutes and Seconds.

(2) Daily Alarm Clock and Hourly *Chimes* Feature.

(3) 24 Hours Stop Watch with Split Time

(4) 60 Minute Countdown Timer

(5) Dual Time (Second - Dual Time Zone)

(6) A "Night Light" Button for Viewing in Darkness

(7) A Clear Legend Line for Menu Choices

And all of this is arrayed in such an attractive Layout as to make THIS Time Piece a worthwhile consideration for either a Dress Watch or for Daily Use of a "Non-Submersible" life style even though the watch is said to be good down to about 30 Meters. I still would NOT use this as a Dive Watch.

In addition... it sports a Diamond Cut, Rolled Plate Design Watch Band that has MORE than enough 'Extra Segment Adjustable Length' to suit all but the MOST Massive Wrists around.

AND.... even though the edges seemed to be Quite Sharp... when I Put this Watch On... I forgot all about any chance to get snagged arm hairs or of getting *nicked* by it. It is so EXTREMELY Thin, Lightweight and Comfortable that you will forget you're wearing it within just a matter of minutes!

Take a look at the images... and Keep THIS Time Piece in Mind for an addition to your own Men's Watch Collection:




Amazon Dropped the Price on the Gold Version of this Watch down to $102.00... So IT will also be added to my collection of Retro-LCD Watches:

 

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Just when you think that a "Story Worth Watching" just cannot get any Better... Oh Man... :>)

So I wake up at in the Wee Hours of The Morning (Having to WEE ...and having to UN-FUBAR a Very Bad Feeling on my Left Wrist because of my Retro-Timex... Literally .."Pulling My HAIR Out..."). So naturally... I dealt with the most immediate of these Two Issues first ...and then immediately ventured over to Amazon seeking "An Entirely Different Watch Band".

So...I'm NOT Kidding... The VERY FIRST ONE That Pops Up... Turns out to be "THE BAND of ALL THE BANDS" Around AND Absolutely Solved ALL of these Must Have Issues:

(1) It HAD to be CHEAP (YES! Twenty One Bucks & Change).
(2) It HAD to be 20mm Wide at the Lug (IT'S EXACTLY 20mm).
(3) It HAD to be LARGE in Length (IT IS At LEAST 7.5" to 8").
(4) It HAD to have a Double Locking, Cantilever Latch. (YES!)
(5) It HAD to have a Similar Shape & Motif to the Watch.(YES!)
(6) It HAD to arrive Soonest (Came Same Day- 6 Hours Later!).
(7) It HAD to be Well Made & Tight (Yes! HQ Workmanship!).
(8) It HAD to Have a More MUSCULAR In Design vs. the OEM.
(9) It HAD to Fit and Feel PERFECTLY on my Wrist (IT DOES!).
(10) It HAD to Come Complete w/a Segment Tool Kit (It DID!).

See For Yourselves...



So Guys... If you are getting THIS Particular TIMEX "Q" Retro-Dual Digital-Analog LCD Man's Watch in the Stainless Steel Version (NOT the Yellow Gold Version) ... Then get THIS 20mm @The Lug Watch Band at the Very Same Time... Too!

I don't know who makes it... I only know that THEY are PLUGGED IN to the Horological Forces in the Universe that DEMAND SYMMETRY AND ORDER... !!!

I Love how the Individual Band Links Plane out in the Exact same Relative Size, Bevel Angle, Color Match and Segment Shape as that of the S/S Timex Watch Case... They move into a Chessboard-Like Image whenever the Light glides over it!

So... Magnus Carlsen... EAT YOUR HEART OUT, BROTHER!

'Farvell... Jeg Har Litten Tide...'
(Farewell... I Have Little TIME...)




"We're Putting 'The Band" Back Together..."
Jake Blues (RIP John Belushi) to his Brother, Elmore (Dan Akroyd)
...from John Landis' "The Blues Brothers

 

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Another thing worth mentioning about 'Powering Up' these Unique Watches...

When you think of the expression, "Watch Batteries", one imagines the Bad Experience of momentarily looking away when swapping out a Watch Battery in your Wife's Time Keeper... and dropping or LOSING the Battery (... usually one about the size of a Deer Tick) as it Falls Out of the Watch and disappears forever into the plush carpet. 'OH, NO ...DAMMIT!'

But NOT in this case... THESE Babies are about the Size of "Tea Biscuits". This Big, Thin Battery occupies nearly the ENTIRE inner, under-inside compartment of these Timex "Q" LCD Watches:



In this instance, once you can get the Back of the Case pried loose from that One, Single Notch located in only one corner of the Watch Case... there is a Large Rectangular White Plastic Insulator just inside that separates and guards the inside of the Case Cover from making direct contact with the Old Battery Anode inside.

There is Black Writing on that Plastic White Card that Warns the Watch-maker to "Remember to Short the Gold Contact Wire to the Inside Back of the Battery in Order to Re-Set the Electronics". Just Touch the Tip of that Gold Wire against the Battery ...and then slip that Wire right back through the 1/16" Hole in the White Plastic Rectangle.

That Wire appears as a Thin, Coil of Gold Wire, Wound Like a Spring and emanating from once edge of the Green Logic Board LCD Unit. It angles outwards, ending up with its 3/4" long Gold Tip poking through that hole in the Plastic Wafer. Ultimately, it is supposed to make sole contact with the inside of the Back Stainless Steel Case Cover to complete an Electrical Circuit once everything gets "Buttoned Up"..

This is important...

Next, get the Old Battery released by carefully prying it loose from BOTH of its Green Plastic Holding Points. Then after inserting the Brand New Panasonic 3 Volt DC Battery, you'll have to "Get the Hang" of 'Juggling' the LCD-Green Logic Board evened up with the White Plastic Insulator and align them both inside of the hollow of the Watch Casement.

But before doing this and before inserting the Back Cover down inside the edge of the Watch Casement... Make Damned Certain to have that Thin, Square Rubber "O" Ring inserted firmly and deeply into the perimeter groove around the edges of the Back Case Cover.

Do NOT Over-Stretch it... This delicate "O" Ring will NOT stay in place if this happens. Using the Tip of a Pen Knife to urge its cooperation before trying to 'Clam Shell' all of these pieces back together will help get this part done right.

Then, insert one entire edge of the Case Back into the Watch Casement Slot and VERY CAREFULLY Press down uniformly around the Case Back Perimeter ...just hard enough to allow the "O" Ring to settle into place.

Then SQUEEZE uniformly upon the Case Back... back and forth while holding all these components in between the Thumbs and Fore-Fingers until you can feel and hear a Distinct *POP*. Once the Case Back is finally installed, Flip the Watch Over to perform the Time and Date Re-Sets and then... You're DONE. :>)

 

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*Whew....* I thought these Last Two Watch Bands would NEVER Get Here... But ...As it happens...THESE are Both Inexpensive, Very Light Weight...TOTALLY ARM HAIR SNAG FREE AND SATINY SMOOTH...and at 20mm in width for their Full Length... IT LOOKS AND FEELS EXCELLENT.

Because I LIKE the "Chess Board" Design Watch S/S Band I focused on and installed on the Pure (Plain?) Stainless Steel Timex "Q" LCD Watch mentioned in prior Posts... I only installed the Rose Gold, Fine Mesh Stainless Steel Watch Band on this Yellow (ish) Metal version, just to get a feel for how it might look:



I suppose "The Purists" will wonder why I did NOT select the Yellow Gold version also available from BANDINI instead. My answer would be that I 'just wanted to see' how that Rose Gold Version plays off, color wise. But for only costing $24.00... I may still order one of those Yellow Gold Bands as well:

 

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Well... The "Watch Bug" has bitten me once again... and THIS Time...it Bit Me Real Hard and for a Good Cause, too... because I just cannot think of a Better "Father-N-Son" Set of Gifts than having THESE Watches as a Paired Set. Now, I know that most folks associate TimeX with relatively ubiquitous, inexpensive Wrist Watches we used to pick up for under Ten Bucks at the Local Five & Dime Soda Shops back in 1950s and 1960s, WAY Back... in The Day... :>) But if you *Watch* these two Videos and examine the features of THIS TimeX Expedition North Field Post Quartz Solid Stainless Steel Watch... you'll see that it has many additional features usually only found in watches costing 2-3 Xs as much as what I paid for each of these.

Check THIS Out:

This a a VERY Ruggedly Designed, Handsome Time Piece, with a Satin Smooth Finish from Top to Bottom and it has nothing on it to snag arm hairs or misbehave by catching clothing. The Watch Glass is made of SAPPHIRE instead of the usual 'Hard Mineral Glass' (a poor substitute by comparison for REAL Hardness and Scratch Free Quality of "Lab Grown" Crystal Sapphire) and it features a 100 Meter (330 Feet) Depth Water Resistance because it has a Screw-Down Back AND a Screw-IN North Field Signed Motif Thickly Knurled Stem fitted with Silicone "O" Rings embedded to keep out the Weather and the Water. The other feature is that the Fancy, High Quality Japanese Inner Quartz Movement that requires NO BATTERY as it is Solar Powered and can be charged up for around 4 Months via Direct Sunlight or when using strong In-Door Lighting when left on a shelf in close proximity.

The Watch Face is GORGEOUS with a Crisp Sweep Second Hand and Hour Minute markings and the Tope colored Lume on the Dial face is subtle and perfectly adorns the Black Face of the watch. I had to use an inexpensive "Watch Repair Kit" in order to size down the Lengthy 8" Watch Band and note that it has Arrow Guided Directional Push Pins in between links of Both Sides that must be removed and replaced with care in order to re-seat them. I defy anyone to find a watch selling for under $200.00 that is as attractive, durable and as fully featured as THIS particular Timex Expedition Field Time Piece.

It has been well over two years since we have ventured up country to my (our) son, our DIL and of course... our grandchildren. And... since my son has had a recent birthday... I could not think of a better way to tell him that I love him and that I do miss him. We Norwegians are always pragmatic Folk and we have a very realistic expression,

"Jeg Har Litten Tide" (...I Have Little Time...)

And if I manage to make it to my next Birthday and perhaps beyond ... that will make 75 years for me of knocking around on this "Good Old Earth". So, I wanted to be able to share something with My Boy that will eventually be added to HIS Watch Collection that he'll enjoy giving to my Grand Son one day. I am recommending THIS idea to anyone who wants something "Timely and Memorable" to give and share as mutual gifts with your family members.

Thanks and Thank Goodness for Amazon!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B771KL1M/?tag=gmtnation-20

 

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" No Good Deed... Goes Unpunished..."

So when it comes to owning any Solar Cell Powered Watches... having an Alternative Power Source can be helpful at the initial charging point (and for further upkeep of the Photo-Electric Cell) when Direct Sunlight Charging is either unavailable, inconvenient to get access to, or impossible due to Weather Conditions and Time Of Day. The solution here is found in using this fairly inexpensive USB LED Solar Watch Charging Station available FOR $30.00 (with 9% OFF) from Amazon and should be added whenever deciding upon getting any of the various Solar Watches available on the Market:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZOWJI7A/?tag=gmtnation-20

 

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First... A Delightful Story Video from *The Nekkid Watchmaker* that is a "DBOM" (Dead Balls On Match) and Spot On for THIS Latest Chapter Installment about my TAG Heuer Watches:

"We Have The RIGHT ...To REPAIR!"

In the SCI-FI Movie "The Thing from Another World" two expressions come to mind after the group of Scientists stumble upon a Flying Saucer buried in the Arctic Ice near the Magnetic North Pole when the AAF Flight Mechanic "Bob" exhorts the men standing in a large circle around the ice by saying..."We Finally GOT One!"...and the other one is when Prof. Voorhees stood nearby what looks like a Vertical Stabilizer sticking out of the Ice and he mentions to Dr, Carrington, "This isn't any Metal I know... Must be Some Kind of New Alloy..."

These impressions came to my mind when I FINALLY located a TAG Heuer "Kirium" Man's FULL Size Watch identical to the one worn by Brad Pitt in the movie "MoneyBall" ...poignant in the scene where he was sitting around the Conference Table with his ostensible Expert Baseball Scouting Team, but he suddenly points at his New "Bean Counter" Assistant Manager-cum-Statistician with that watch on his wrist and asks..."Why Do We Like HIM...?" and his man replied... "Because HE GETS ON BASE". THAT Scene caught my attention because Brad Pitt was wearing THIS very Watch:

I finally found one offered by a Domestic Collector who dug this 25 Year Old TAG out of Moth Balls in PERFECT Condition (including ALL of the Dots on the Tritium Luminous Dial) and offered it at price over on eBay that Could NOT be Beat.

HISTORY: TAG Heuer Kirium (1997-2007)

The TAG Heuer Kirium was introduced in 1997 and essentially replaced the 4000 Series. The model is often thought of as a '90s' watch but f...

tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com

I was looking for something nice for Christmas for my Son that would be a TAG Heuer "Kirium" Legacy 25 Year Old Luxury Time Piece of Heirloom Quality and Fully Functional that I know my Grandson will eventually be able to inherit and wear it and it will STILL be just as useful as well as being "The BEST Looking Sports Watch ...In The WORLD" based upon its Attractive "Liquid Metal" Stainless Steel Beauty and STILL be accurate to within 1-2 Seconds in a 24 Hours Day. -=THIS=- Watch is -=THAT=- Very Watch.


PS.... I love this "Pun Intended" when I close out this segment by repeating what Mr. Scott the News Reporter ended the "The Thing From Another World" over via Short Wave Radio Announcement by saying...

"Watch The Skies...Everywhere ... Keep Looking... Keep Watching The Skies...."

PSS.... My wrist is large at 7 7/8" so I had to order in a Brand New Link with a Pin & Tube Replacement Set and a fairly inexpensive "Threaded Bracelet Pin Pusher" Tool Kit to avoid the use of a Hammer during disassembly and later used a Brass Hammer to send the New Pin home. The Watch fits PERFECTLY now on my wrist...and tomorrow...it will be on my Son's Arm (YAY!)

...and for the ill-informed "Doubters"...

 

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My Son was absolutely thrilled upon receipt of his TAG Heuer "Kirium" on Christmas Day .... and I'll have another TAG Heuer Surprise arriving (just for yours truly) right before the New Year.

But in the mean "TIME" I wanted to drop some Horological ASMR down below that describes another remarkable S/S Man's Sports Watch that shook up the World of Yacht Racing Set way back in 1993 called "The Aquemars Piquet Royal Oak Off Shore" Sports Watch:




The ASMR part begins with THIS Restoration Video on one of these Classic S/S Watches that has had -=The Living Sh*t Beat Out of It=- over many decades of Hard Use... and Yet... Well... Remember The Story of Lazarus ...coming back from The Dead? You'll enjoy every aspect of what follows:

Audemars Piquet Royal Oak “OffShore” Man’s Sports Watch Restoration:

And The History of Worn Time Pieces is just as fascinating:

https://monochrome-watches.com/hist...93-beast-luxury-sports-watch-in-depth-review/

… and regarding the Sales Price on this Unique Luxury Watch...(If You Have to ASK… You Can’t Afford IT…) AND ...Since I am always looking for ways to "Test The Private AI's Knowledge Base Corpus of GPT4ALL...", So I -=DID=- ask my locally installed Nomic’s *GPT4ALL* Off-Line (NO INTERNET CONNECTION) AI What this Watch Cost starting back in 1993 and THIS was *IT*'s Astonishing Reply:




So... by way of a Quick Check on Youtube for the Luxury Sales available on these Very Expensive Baubles... There are THESE Videos:

And here is the $300,000.00 - $500,000.00 Audemars Piquet Royal Oak "Skeletonized" Model in Rose Gold and Stainless Steel being assembled:

AKA... "The Brick"

More to Follow!

 

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As promised... Using the same Domestic eBay Vendor to source a rare Blue Dial TAG Heuer "Kirium" Chronograph... and finding One in GREAT CONDITION at a GREAT PRICE, I Punched the Buy Ticket and it finally arrived yesterday afternoon.

It Looks -=GORGEOUS=- ...It RUNS -=PERFECT=- and with the addition of a Brand New Bracelet Link I purchased separately,
...it -=FITS=- my 7 7/8" Wrist to a "T". I am also thrilled that this *Thing* arrived here... Just In *Time* ...before the New Year.

Here are the images...with one extra that shows what these Used TAGs might cost anyone too impetuous to scour the eBay Horological Vendors for these watches at a FRACTION of what THIS one will Cost:






And again... "The Nekkid Watchmaker" holds court on the R&R and Tear Down of this Watch's 27 Jewel - Quartz Electronic Innards to show what makes it SO Special:

Happy New Year to ALL Who Dwell at GMT Nation...


"May You Live In Interesting *Times*..." Ancient Chinese Saying

 

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As much as I enjoy wearing and using the TAG-Heuer *Kirium* nearly every day... I have always been keeping my eyes alert for any useful, utility-work watches of a very high end nature, as long as "The Price is RIGHT"... especially with my Son's Birthday coming up and with the desire of his Dad to add to his already Fine Watch Collection... with a 47% Off Sale Price that also makes all of this... so very Affordable!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09X1B8XG5/?tag=gmtnation-20

Recently, I stumbled across an excellent and Very High Quality Diver's Watch over on Amazon that is much more than a Mere Mooncast Shadow of what a -=TRUE=- Diver's Watch should look like...and prove its performance in the Dive World ...down to a depth of about 20 ATM well beyond being an imitation of same:

CITIZEN Promaster Dive Eco-Drive Watch, 3-Hand Date, ISO Certified, Luminous Hands and Markers, Rotating Bezel




And as it it has happened in the past... Anything that I get for him that also catches MY Fancy... I will eventually yield to the urge to get one for myself... and so I DID. The "Main Attractions" of this time piece are its superb, masculine S/S design, layout, Eco-Drive durability, 6 Month "Any Light WILL Charge It" it Inner Power Cell Durability and its Awesome Bright Lume(s).

Yup... as in having a Rich Aqua-Marine Blue Lume for the Hours, Mins, Seconds Hands and 12,3,6,9 Markings. ..AND... a Deeper Green Color Bezel Dot Lume along with a 60 *Click* rotating "Pepsi Can" Blue & Red Styled Bezel and an Ocean Blue Dial Watch Face. This is probably the easiest watch to READ I have EVER worn to view at with just a glance, whether in Daylight... Or Darkness and the Charged-Up Lume after being exposed to a flashlight beam for a few seconds remains readable for around 4 Hours afterward.

"Ted" explains WHY to consider THIS watch as being very worthy among a few other sterling rare examples of proper Dive Watches worth owning and wearing from around 16:25 along in this YT Video:

The ONLY beef I had after buying both of these Pro Diver's Watches was the Blue Synthetic Watch Band that I found useful for REAL Divers... but clumsy, unattractive and hard to strap on and take off without quite a bit of wrangling.

What I REALLY wanted... was to replace these Blue Bands with Two *BRANDED* Citizen Multi-Adjustable Stainless Steel Dive Watch Bracelets... and THAT search took me almost a month to finally locate 2 Identical S/S Bands made -=EXCLUSIVELY=- for THIS style Citizen Eco-Drive Professional Dive Watch.

After spending under $20.00 per Cheap S/S Band and waiting for the REAL Ones to arrive... I found these Two Brand New Branded Bracelets over on eBay and then paid a Pretty Penny for them (including S&H) as they are the only full-featured S/S Band that should EVER be used on this time piece!

Very Well Worth all the trouble, the patience, and *The Elusive Spondulex* required to obtain them as they blend in PERFECTLY with the shape and contours of this Handsome Watch... and are so much more comfortable and micro-adjustable... right on the wrist... via the multi-hasp settings within easy reach: