I Took My Time Machine to the Mechanic, Part Two

When I last left you in this two-part series, I had just taken my Omega Seamaster, model 2301.21, to Russell Korman for a repair estimate.

The shop is in North Austin and shares a parking lot with a block of other shops.  When you walk in, you see an armed guard behind a counter.  Kind of intimidating, but comforting at the same time.   You'll see the usual glass cases full of glistening stones and shiny baubles and gleaming timepieces.  Among those watches are the Rolex and Omega brands, a rare sight in a retail store in Austin.  A few years ago, Omega pulled out of Ben Bridge stores and Bailey Banks & Biddle stopped selling watches altogether.  So, Russell Korman is like a candy store for a watch nut, especially one who owns/enjoys Omegas.

When I dropped my Seamaster off for a quote, I was told I would receive a call with the price and necessary repairs and parts within a week or two, if I remember correctly.  I was thinking they would get back to me with a figure higher than the amount I paid for the watch itself.  When the call finally came, I was told my baby would need a "Clean, Oil and Adjust" (of course) as well as a new mainspring, reverser wheel and bearing; the original bearing had worn down to a malfunctioning shape.  I asked if I could keep the parts they replaced and my contact at Russell Korman gave the in-house watch repairman a note to set them aside for me.  I also requested, as part of the estimate, the cost of replacing a missing link pin and tube which had been replaced by the previous owner with what I could only guess was part of a paperclip.

I was pleased to learn that all those repairs, including the new link pin and tube, would cost about half of what I had expected they would, partly because they would give me a discount for having the repairs performed and the link pieces installed at the same time.  The Omega-authorized technician would adjust my watch to run within COSC chronometer specs (-4 seconds/+6 seconds a day) and the shop would provide a one-year warranty for the work performed.  Also, if the watch ended up not keeping time to my satisfaction, I could take it back in to have it tuned to my individual wearing habits.

I put down the necessary 25 percent deposit over the phone and Russell Korman set about ordering the required parts.  I was told to expect a call in four or five weeks telling me to pick up my revived timepiece.  

The day after I received that long-awaited call, I made the trek up north.  When the sales person brought out my watch, I noticed something about it looked a little different from when I had brought it in.  Could it be?  Yes.  Yes, they had refinished the case, bezel and bracelet!  The best part?  There was no charge for it.  That saved me about 150 dollars and transformed my watch into like-new condition.  It's never looked better.  Hopefully, I won't need to have it mechanically serviced for another five to eight years.

At one point, I had given up on ever owning this watch.  At another point, I had resigned myself to never having it work again.  Now, it's back, working perfectly and looking as if it just came from Switzerland. 

Please forgive the borders - I took these pictures from my Instagram page.

Back and better than ever.

My old gaskets and what I assume is my watch's original reverser wheel.

Big thanks to Russell Korman Jewelry.  If you're in the Austin area and want to see some beautiful watches or have yours worked on, give them a visit.

If you're reading this, which watch brands do you like?  Which brands do you own?  

I Took My Time Machine to the Mechanic, Part One

     In 2008, I got my first "big boy" job out of college.  I was making the most money I'd ever made in my life, so I decided it was time to buy the watch I'd been lusting after for the past eight years: the Omega Seamaster Professional chronometer, model 2531.80, aka "The James Bond Watch."  I did my research to make sure I got an authentic specimen on eBay, and I've been enjoying it ever since.

Omega Seamaster Professional, model 2531.80.  Cue the James Bond theme music.

     Flash forward to 2009.  I'm still at my big boy job, trapped in a mind-numbing tax code training class. My fellow inmate, Paul, notices the Bond watch on my wrist.  He says that he, too, owns an Omega and that he'll wear it the following Monday.  Monday comes and we both try on each other's watch.  His is an older model Seamaster, a cross between a De Ville and a Seamaster.  The white face and two-tone gold-and-stainless-steel construction make it dressy, but the metal Seamaster bracelet and the wave pattern on the dial keep it somewhat sporty.  I instantly start wondering if Paul would consider selling his timepiece of the last 10 years.  However, given my lack of cash at the time, I do not give voice to my curiosity.

     To my pleasant surprise, Paul approaches me a few weeks later, giving me first dibs on purchasing his watch.  I make a cash offer he rejects as too low.  He proceeds to list the Seamaster on eBay and I resign myself to buying that model Seamaster a few years later.  Flying out to visit my buddy Jacob in California takes my mind off the near-miss.

     The day after I returned from California, I received a voicemail from Paul.  In a fit of sentimentality, he decided to return the money to the winning eBay bidder and hold on to the watch that he loved.  However, he ended up contacting me because he was hard-up for money and absolutely needed to sell the watch.

     I met Paul and his young daughter over lunch the next day.  Paul honored my original offer (which was less than what he would've received from his eBay buyer) and I went home with a time-telling trophy.

Omega Seamaster, model 2301.21.

I still thought it was beautiful, scratches and all.

     

     I enjoyed my second Seamaster for several months and one night...it all ended.  I heard something pop when I was winding the watch and from that point forward, the watch wouldn't wind or keep time at all.

     Thinking it would cost more to fix the watch then the amount I spent on it, I never looked into getting it fixed.  I would pretend it worked when I wore it...to sleep.  

     Earlier this year, my mom convinced me to take it into the Russell Korman jewelry store for a free repair quote, just to see if it would cost as much as I thought it would.  And that is where Part Two of this tale picks up.  Look for it soon...

Trying On the Cartier Calibre aka Never Meet Your Heroes

     Ever since I discovered the Cartier Calibre (check it out here) earlier this year, I had been drawn to it, especially the pink gold/steel model with two-tone metal bracelet and white dial.  I even wrote an earlier blog post about my attraction to it (read that post here).  I had resigned myself to the idea that I would have to go to Houston or Dallas just to try it on.  That all changed with a casual visit to the Sak's Fifth Avenue store up in north Austin.  They sell Cartiers!  It was a shock to be in a store that sells high-end watches as well as handbags and shoes.  However, this pleasant discovery soon became tempered by disappointment after I tried the Calibre on. 

I'll make it simple: it looks way too damn big!  It's a good looking watch, but its white dial and the way its bezel flows into the crystal add up to make a 42 mm diameter watch look absolutely massive.  It's like Eva Mendes' face atop the body of an NFL player.

However, it was not all bad news at Sak's.  I got to try on a beautiful Cartier that I had forgotten all about.  Keep scrolling down to find out which one it was (hint: both President Clinton and Usher have one).

                      This watch looks like a wrist wrecking monster on my 7-1/4" wrist.  Way too butch.  Makes me think I should have no neck, a fake tan and a tendency to call everyone "bro" just to wear it.

                      Even the sapphire set into the crown is too big.  Makes me think of how American cars are designed - every element is oversized.

                      This is a nice color combo.

 

                      The black dial helps disguise some of the enormity of the dial and looks good with the stainless steel case.

     Despite the disappointingly hulking appearance of the Calibre, I was pleasantly surprised by the Ballon Bleu in stainless steel and yellow gold (Ref.: W69009Z3).  This, too, is a 42 mm watch, but its proportions are much more visually subdued and tasteful than those of the Calibre.  It is a very round watch (ballon meaning ball or balloon in French), but its attractive two-tone bracelet, large Roman numerals, contained and fluted crown and opaline dial with guilloche finish are more than enough to distract me from that.  This watch has a charming, old-fashioned appearance that makes it look like an heirloom piece already. 

Notice the subtle "C" shape formed by the indentation of the date window.  It makes for a pleasant-looking assymetry.

 

                      I could get used to seeing that.

                      The Ballon Bleu even appears round when viewed from the side, thanks to its curved synthetic sapphire crystal and rounded caseback.  I don't think I've ever seen a watch that looks like this one.  I like it, even if it does look a little thick (13 mm).

     If you are as smitten with the Cartier Ballon Bleu as I am, you can click here to learn more about it.

On My "Watch" List (Literally!)

Hello, again!  I know it's been a while, but now I'm back with a watch-related post.  I've loved watches since I was a little kid and in recent years my tastes have leaned towards Omega and Rolex, partly for their designs and partly for their (relative) accessibility (especially on the secondary market.)  Lately, my horizons have been broadening and I've been developing a knowledge of and interest in brands like Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Universal Geneve, Zenith, Audemars Piguet, Bulgari, Girard-Perregaux, Frederique Constant, and Vulcain, among others.  Below are two watches from 2 other brands that have caught my eye.  Let me know if they strike your fancy as strongly as they struck mine. 

 

Cartier Calibre de Cartier (Reference: W7100036)

I've always thought of Cartier as a jeweler, first and foremost, but more and more these days, I find myself being attracted to their watch designs.  Their Santos 100 XL is already on my Wish List and this is the next entry.  I'm a sucker for gold and stainless two-tone watches with white dials and gold bezels as it is and this piece gives me even more to love.  The separate seconds dial at 6 o'clock and the 1-in-3 date window at 3 o'clock give this watch some character and keep it from looking too symmetrical.  The sapphire spinel planted in the middle of the crown is a nice touch, too.  One thing that really stands out to me is the way the flange-like bezel recedes into the crystal.  I don't really see that a lot.  The case is interestingly shaped, as well.  The lugs appear to curve down more dramatically than they do on any other watch I've seen.  Inside the unusual case is the in-house, 27-jewel, 1904 MC movement with a 48 hour power reserve.  Given how attractive this piece is and its in-house movement, it's hard to believe that this is an "entry-level" Cartier watch.  The Cartier Calibre is available in pink gold, stainless steel, or pink gold/stainless steel with either a leather strap or metal bracelet.  The watch pictured above goes for about $12,000.  (Check out the entire Cartier Calibre line on their website.)  

Ralph Lauren Stirrup (Reference: RLR0021700)

I'm usually not one for buying certain goods from manufacturers not known for making them.  For instance,  I would never buy a vacuum cleaner from Ford or a pair of shoes from Microsoft.  So it would make sense that I would be reluctant to accept a watch by Ralph Lauren.  However, to say this is a true Ralph Lauren watch is misleading.  In 2007, the fashion house decided to add a line of high-end watches to its product portfolio and partnered with Richemont, the corporate umbrella under which Jaeger-LeCoultre and other illustrious watchmakers such as Baume et Mercier and IWC reside.  I think that's a great idea and one that should give comfort to hard-core Ralph Lauren customers who want a well-made timepiece that matches their style and watch collectors who value original, attractive design as much as watchmaking pedigree.  The example above houses the manual-wind, 22-jewel RL701 movement made by Jaeger-LeCoultre specially for Ralph Lauren.  I typically don't like gold-on-black, but this combination of a rose gold case with a black alligator leather strap pops in an attractive way.  Leave it to Ralph Lauren to make a watch the same shape as a horse stirrup.  I wonder if any owners will actually wear this watch when they play polo.  If they decide to leave it at home, it will stay wound for about 70 hours.  But if I had a $16,000 watch like this one, I would want to wear it all the time.  The Ralph Lauren Stirrup Collection is available in 3 different sizes in stainless steel, rose gold, white gold, and platinum and almost every model comes on a leather strap.  Chronograph functionality and diamond-set bezels for certain models are also available options.  (If you would like to learn more about this watch line on the Ralph Lauren Watch and Jewelry Co. website, click here.) 

Welcome to Watches, Whips, and Wardrobe!

Hello, everyone!  Welcome to my new blog on 3 of my favorite things (aside from acting): timepieces, cars, and menswear!

I've been interested in them since childhood.  I can remember collecting little cheapo watches (among other things, like Ninja Turtles and basketball cards) in elementary school and my dad taking me with him to pick up old Detroit iron, like a '56 Chevy BelAir or an old '50s GMC truck.  My mother is responsible for engendering a love for dress clothes in me.  Every time we would go to the symphony in elementary school, I would dress to the nines, complete with clip-on tie, just the way my mom showed me.  (I would like to think my taste in fashion has come a long way since then.  I still love to dress up, though.)

My vision for this blog consists of posting pictures and little blurbs about things on my wishlist and reviewing the things that I currently own, as well as reviewing my experiences at various stores and establishments (with occasional shout-outs to helpful staff and good stores thrown in.)

With that said, let's get into it.  I must admit, when it comes to things I like, a lot of times I've just found my "flavor of the week."  Some things catch my eye and then lose it, but some catch my eye and then my money.  At this point, I don't know which category the following fall into, but I'll share them with you, anyway.

WISHLIST

Watches:                                                      

Rolex Sky-Dweller
Probably not the prettiest or even most original looking watch or Rolex out there, but it is still handsome and full of trick features in a stream-lined design.  I can just imagine being on a plane, in first-class, flying out the West Coast and setting this bad boy up to keep track of Central Standard Time and Pacific Standard Time.  It's the most complicated movement Rolex has produced in quite a while, which I think is cool.  The fact that they packed a GMT function, a date wheel, a concealed Ring Command bezel mechanism (which allows you to select which function to adjust), and an annual calendar into a handsome design while keeping the face simple and legible is even cooler.
(Check it out here.)
 

Cartier Santos 100 XL

This one kind of sneaked up on me.  I used to be a fan of the Cartier Tank Francoise and then forgot about it.  A few months ago, I came across this lovely creation and haven't been able to forget it since.  I'm a sucker for gold-bezeled, white-faced watches.  And I've always had a latent attraction to tank watches.  The blued hands and roman numerals are a nice touch.  This watch is visually interesting but not loud about it (which is how I think all interesting things/people should be.)  I can see myself wearing this with a cream/brown plaid suit and some matching brown monk straps and even passing it on to my children (if I ever have any.)
 (I discovered this watch on Bernard Watch Company's website: http://www.bernardwatch.com/)

Whips:

1966-77 Ford Bronco
Don't get me wrong - I like big, bad, hairy-chested SUVs like the last gen Bronco and Mercedes G Wagons, but the fact that this first gen Bronco is relatively small and not all ate up with differential and knobby mudding tires makes it rather charming.  It's a cute rig and is blessed with old school American good looks (like old Jeeps.)  It looks like something out of a Tommy Hilfiger ad and I'm OK with that.
(Check out the Ford Bronco Wikipedia page.)

2009 Cadillac XLR-V 

I love curvaceous cars like the Lamborghini Miura and Maserati GranTurismo, but this car is very different and I love it for that.  It's pretty much a C6 Corvette rebodied with rulers and powered by a supercharged, 443 hp Northstar V8.  What I don't understand is why Cadillac chose not to use the 556 hp LSA motor from the Cadillac CTS-V or the 638 hp mill from the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 for the flagship model from GM's flagship brand.  (Take a look at Cadillac's website.)

1966-1970 Buick Riviera
It's hard for me to think of an ugly Riviera from the '60s or early '70s.  They all look good in their own way.  The '63-'65 models have that early '60s Detroit Iron cool to them and the early '70s models have the novel boat tails.  The '66-'70 Rivieras are kind of a cross between those 2 generations - restrained like the previous generation, but  provocative like the next generation.  I'd love to cruise around in one of these and feel the vinyl seats under me and smell the gas and oil being devoured.  (Check out the new Buicks at http://www.buick.com/.)

Wardrobe:

Johnston and Murphy Dolby Saddle shoes
I do not own a pair of wingtips.  My black dress shoes are monk straps and my brown dress shoes are cap toes.  For some reason, I find traditional wingtips to be boring.  However, these, while lacking the brogue detailing at the toe, do have a wingtip design and I love them.  Their spectator look only adds to their appeal.  I'd love to wear these with some summer-weight pants, a short sleeve button-up, and some Wayfarers.  (You can buy a pair, here.)

Florsheim Gaffney boots
I love my Johnston and Murphy Runnell chukka boots (in brown and grey), but they're suede and have a crepe rubber sole, so they're not what I'd call "dressy" boots.  These Florsheims do have a lug rubber sole, but the wingtip and brogue detailing dress them up sufficiently.  I'd have no hesitation in wearing these with a suit, but I could still wear them with jeans.  (You can buy a pair of your own, here.)