resting place
Friday, September 16, 2011
PREVIEW - STEINHAUSEN LEONARDO TW783G SKELETON GENTS WRISTWATCH
AUTHENTIC JAEGER LE COULTER WRISTALARM (EALIER MEMOVOX) GENTS WRISTWATCH
BRAND/JENAMA: AUTHENTIC VINTAGE 10K GOLD FILLED LECOULTRE WRISTALARM (EALIER MEMOVOX) GENTS WRISTWATCH
MADE IN/BUATAN: SWISS
CIRCA/TAHUN: 1960's
MODEL: POWER RESERVED
CRYSTAL/CERMIN: ACRYLIC
MOVEMENT/ENJIN: LECOULTRE 17 JEWELS MANUAL MOVEMENT CAL.411
DIAL COLOR: CHAMPAGNE
FUNCTION/FUNGSI: HOUR, MINUTE, SECOND AND ALARM DISC
HANDS/JARUM: GOLD TONE
MARKERS/TANDA WAKTU: GOLD TONE STICKS AND ARABIC MARKERS
CASING : 10K GOLD FILLED
LUGS: 16mm UNUSUAL LOGS LUGS
MEASUREMENT/UKURAN: 34mm DIAMETER INCLUDING CROWN and 37mm LUG TO LUG
BEZEL: 10K GOLD FILLED BEZEL
DITANDA/ENGARVED BACK CASING: -
CROWN: UNSIGNED ORIGINAL CROWN
STRAP/TALI: 10K GOLD FILLED SPIEDEL BAND
SIZE STRAP/SAIZ TALI: 9.5" FULL LENGHT
DISCONTINUED LECOULTRE MODEL... RARE BUMPER MODEL!
EXCELLENT CONDITION, KEEPING GOODTIME AND ALARM BUZZING LOUDLY
PRICE/HARGA: RM2,500 (NEGOTIABLE)
A BRIEF HISTORY OF LE COULTRE WATCHES
A brilliant inventor and self-taught watchmaker, Antoine-LeCoultre founded his first workshop in 1833, following the invention of a machine to produce watchmaking pinions. Ever since, the Manufacture Jaeger-Lecoultre has developed constantly around the founder's original workshops.
Surprisingly enough, it was neither a physicist nor an engineer who first measured the micron; it was Antoine LeCoultre, in 1844. He had created watch components that were so perfect no tool could actually detect their degree of inaccuracy. He followed that up by inventing the world's most accurate instrument: the Millionometer, which served as a benchmark for over half a century.
In 1847, LeCoultre created a revolutionary system that was to do away with the need for keys to rewind and set watches. His simple and brilliant solution was a pushbutton that activated a lever to switch from one function to another. It was the first keyless winding mechanism, and the first reliable system that eliminated the need for keys to wind or set a watch.
In 1866, when Swiss watchmaking was still structured around small home-run workshops, Antoine LeCoultre and his son Elie decided to bring together under one rood the many skills involved in making watches, and installed a steam-driven machine to operate their new tools. LeCoultre & Cie thus became the first Manufacture in the Vallée de Joux.
It was in 1903 when the Parisian Edmond Jaeger set Swiss watchmakers the challenge of producing ultra-thin calibres. It would lead to the Calibre 145, the world's thinnest mechanical movement, measuring no more than 1.38 mm, and the friendship of Antoine LeCoultre's grandson, Jacques-Devid LeCoultre. These two men would give a rise to a range of horological wonders, and eventually the birth of the Jaeger-LeCoultre brand in 1937.
In the year 1908, the Manufacture created its first rectangular-shaped calibre in response to the challenge created to miniaturize watches to wear on the wrist. By the "Roaring 20s" (1920s), very small ladies' wristwatches were all the rage, but extreme miniaturization always led to a loss of reliability and precision. The Duoplan brilliantly solved this problem by arranging its parts on split levels. It would lead to the world's smallest movement, Calibre 101. Outdoing the Calibre 145, Jaeger-Lecoultre miniaturized the Duoplan caliber to the extreme, weighing in at barely one gram and comprising of 74 parts. Its record is still unmatched to this date.
Since its founding, the Manufacture has created and produced over 1,000 different calibres in many varieties. Over 200 patented inventions have contributed to the progress of Swiss watchmaking in the field of movements, as well as that of cases, bracelets, dials, and watch functions.
Monday, September 12, 2011
AUTHENTIC MARVIN AUTOMATIC BUMPER GENTS WRISTWATCH
Friday, September 2, 2011
RARE COLLECTORS' ITEM: SEIKO TUNA CAN 600M 6159-7010 PROFESSIONAL DIVER WATCH
This is my second classic 6159-7010 shrouded diver that was made between 1975 and 1978. Some say that its sheer rarity puts its desirability, the 6159-7010 was one of the best JDM Seiko Diver ever produced, using 6159A automatic movement that mostly equipped the Grand Seiko watches.
The 6159 line are the highly collectible, 6159-7001 Professional 300m sold in the late 1960s and the movement was later chosen to equipped 6159-7010.
Seiko designed the 6159-7010 Professional 600m as the most advanced in diving watch technology for professional diver in 1960'sMOVEMENT | ORIGINAL AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT, Cal. 6159A, Seventeen(17) Jewels With Hacking Mechanism. Professionally serviced just recently and is running well. |
METAL | Solid Titanium Case and Case back. |
CASE 'n SIZE | ORIGINAL FACTORY CASE WITH ORIGINAL . . Width: 52 mm excluding crown; length: 55mm from lug to lug. Thick: 18mm with bezel. |
DIAL/MINUTE CHAPTER RING/HANDS | ORIGINAL SEIKO 6159-7010 DIAL AND HANDS |
STEM/CROWN | ORIGINAL STEM (male/female type) engages hands, day and date wheel as it should. ORIGINAL CROWN it screws down securely at 3x180 degrees turn. It Comes With English/Japanese Day Wheel. |
CRYSTAL/Retainer RING | Original Hardlex Crystal with minor scratches Crystal is attached with crack-free ORIGINAL CRYSTAL-RETAINING RING NOT glued. |
Rotating BEZEL 'n INSERT | ORIGINAL BEZEL RING rotates in bidirectional rotation with clicks. ORIGINAL BEZEL INSERT. |
BRACELET/STRAP | It comes with green Nato Strap. FAT SPRING BARS are used in this watch as Seiko diver should come on fat spring bars. |
SERIAL NUMBER | 501457 which dates production back on January 1975. She is 36years old. |
WATER RESISTANCE | Water Proof 600 Meters |
Thursday, September 1, 2011
COLLECTORS 'ITEM - MY PERSONAL COLLECTION HEUER AUCTAVIA AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH CAL.12 GENTS WRISTWATCH
The TAG Heuer company has its roots in 1860 when Edouard Heuer founded Uhrenmanufaktur Heuer AG in St-Imier, Switzerland, patenting his first chronograph in 1882. In 1887 Heuer patented an 'oscillating pinion' still used by major watchmakers for mechanical chronographs.
Early 20th century
In 1911, Heuer received a patent for the "Time of Trip", the first dashboard chronograph. Designed for use in automobiles and aircraft, two large hands mounted from the center pinion indicate the time of day, as on a traditional clock. A small pair of hands, mounted at the top of the dial (12 o'clock position) indicates the duration of the trip (up to 12 hours). A top-mounted crown allows the user to set the time; a button mounted in that crown operates the start / stop / reset functions of the "duration of trip" counter.
Heuer introduced its first wrist chronograph in 1914. The crown was at the 12 o'clock position, as these first wrist chronographs were adapted from pocket chronographs. In 1916, Heuer introduced the "Micrograph", the first stopwatch accurate to 1/100 of a second. This model was soon followed by the "Semikrograph", a stopwatch that offered 1/50 of a second timing, as well as a split-second function (which allows the user to determine the interval between two contestants or events).
Timepieces of the 1930s and 1940s
In 1933, Heuer introduced the "Autavia", a dashboard timer used for automobiles and aviation (whence its name, from "AUTos" and "AVIAtion"). The companion "Hervue" was a clock that could run for eight days without being wound. Over the period from 1935 through the early 1940s, Heuer manufactured chronographs for pilots in the German Air Force, known as "Flieger" (pilots) chronographs. The earlier version featured a hinged-back case and one pusher (for start / stop / reset); the later version had a snap-back case and added a second pusher (for time-in and time-out). All these Flieger chronographs had two-registers, with a capacity of 30 minutes.
In the mid-1940s, Heuer expanded its line of chronographs to include both two- and three-register models, as well as a three-register chronograph that included a full calendar function (day / date / month). As the highest development of Heuer's chronographs, these "triple calendar" chronographs were offered in stainless steel, 14 carat gold 18 and 22 carat gold cases. Dial colors were white, black or copper.
1950s chronographs
In the early 1950s, Heuer produced watches for the American retailer Abercrombies & Fitch. The "Seafarer" and "Auto-Graph" were unique chronographs produced by Heuer to be sold by Abercrombie & Fitch. The "Seafarers" had special dials—with blue, green and yellow patterns—that showed the high and low tides. This dial could also be used to track the phases of the moon. Heuer produced a version of the "Seafarer" for sale under the Heuer name, with this model called the "Mareographe". The "Auto-Graph" was produced in 1953 and 1954, and featured a tachymeter scale on the dial and a hand that could be preset to a specific point on the scale. This allowed a rally driver or navigator to determine whether the car was achieving the desired pace, over a measured mile. Advertisements and literature also pointed out that this hand could be rotated to count golf scores or other events.
Late 1950s – new series of dashboard timers
From 1911, Heuer manufactured timepieces to be mounted on the dashboards of automobiles, aircraft and boats. These clocks and timers included a variety of models, designed to address specific needs of racers and rallyists. In 1958, Heuer introduced a new line of dashboard timepieces, which included the Master Time (8-day clock), the Monte Carlo (12-hour stopwatch), the Super Autavia (full chronograph), Sebring (60-minute, split-second timer) and Auto-Rallye (60-minute stopwatch). Heuer continued to manufacture these dashboard timepieces into the 1980s, at which time they were discontinued. Heuer also introduced timing devices for ski and motor racing events, including Formula One.
1960s chronographs
From the 1950s to the 1970s, Heuers were popular watches among automobile racers, both professionals and amateurs. Heuer was a leading producer of stopwatches and timing equipment, based on the volume of its sales, so it was only natural that racers, their crews and event sponsors began to wear Heuer's chronographs. Special versions of Heuer chronographs were produced with logos of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as well as the names or logos of racing teams or sponsors (for example, Shelby Cobra, MG and Champion Sparkplugs.
The Autavia chronograph was introduced in 1962 and featured a rotating bezel, marked in either hours, minutes, decimal minutes (1/100th minute increments) or with a tachymeter scale. All manual-wind Autavias from the 1960s had a black dial, with white registers. Early cases had a screw-back and later models (from and after 1968) had snap-backs. The "Autavia" name had previously been used on Heuer's dashboard timers (described above).
Heuer acquired the "Leonidas" brand in the early 1960s, with the combined company marketing watches under the "Heuer-Leonidas" name. One of the designs that Heuer acquired from Leonidas was the "Bundeswehr" chronograph, used by the German air force. These "BWs" feature a 'fly-back' mechanism, so that when the chronograph is reset to zero, it immediately begins running again, to time the next segment or event.
World's first automatic chronographs
Commencing in the mid-1960s, Heuer was part of a partnership (with Breitling and Hamilton) that sought to introduce the world's first automatic chronograph. Seiko (a Japanese watch manufacturer) and Zenith (a Swiss watch manufacturer) were also seeking to be the first to offer these chronographs. These projects were conducted in secret, as none of the competitors wanted the other companies to be aware of their efforts. Most agree that the Heuer-Breitling venture was first to introduce their new line of automatic chronographs to the world wide market, with Heuer-Breitling-Hamilton holding lavish press conferences in Geneva and New York, on 3 March 1969, to show their new lines of chronograph line-height: 10px;">s.
Heuer's first automatic chronographs were the Autavia, Carrera and Monaco. These were powered by the Cal 11 and Cal 12 movements (12-hour chronograph); Cal 14 movement (12-hour chronograph and additional hand for GMT / second time-zone) and the Cal 15 movement (30-minute chronograph). Unusually, the winding crown was on the left, with the pushers for the chronograph on the right. The earliest of Heuer's Cal 11 chronographs (from 1969) were named "Chrono-Matic". In the early 1970s, Heuer expanded its line of automatic chronographs to include the Daytona, Montreal, Silverstone, Calculator, Monza and Jarama models, all of them powered by the Caliber 11 movement.
Several of the automatic Heuer chronographs powered by the Caliber 11 series of movements are associated with automobile racing and specific drivers. Steve McQueen wore a blue Monaco in the 1971 movie Le Mans(with this model now referred to as the "McQueen Monaco") and Swiss Formula One star Jo Siffert customarily wore a white-dialed Autavia with black registers. In 1974, Heuer produced a special version of the black-dialed Autavia that was offered by the Viceroy cigarette company, in a special promotion for $88. The Viceroy advertisements for this promotion featured race Parnelli Jones, this version of the Autavia got to be called the "Viceroy".
Chronographs of the 1970s and 1980s
In 1975, Heuer introduced the Chronosplit, a digital chronograph with dual LED and LCD displays. Later versions featured two LCD displays.
Heuer began using the Valjoux 7750 movement in its automatic chronographs, with the Kentucky and Pasadena models (both introduced in 1977). The Valjoux 7750 movement was a three-register chronograph (with seconds, minutes and hours), that also offered day / date windows.
In the mid-1970s, Heuer introduced a series of chronographs powered by the Lemania 5100 movement. The Lemania 5100 movements have the minute hand for the chronograph on the center pinion (rather than on a smaller register), greatly improving legibility. The Lemania 5100 movement is considered very rugged and has been used in a variety of chronographs issued to military pilots. There are ten models of Heuer chronographs powered by the Lemania 5100—Reference 510.500 (stainless steel), 510.501 (black coated), 510.502 (olive drab coated), 510.503 (pewter coated), 510.511 (Carrera dialed acrylic crystal PVD finish), 510.523 (Carrera dialed acrylic crystal stainless steel), as well as models with the names Silverstone (steel case with black dial) and Cortina (steel case with blue dial); the Reference 510.543 was made for the A.M.I. (Italian Air Force) and a special edition (with no reference number marked on the case) was made for AudiSport.
Formation
TAG Heuer was formed in 1985 when TAG (Techniques d'Avant Garde), manufacturers of high-tech items such as ceramic turbochargers for Formula One cars, acquired Heuer.
On 13 September 1999 TAG Heuer accepted a bid from LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton S.A. of SwFr1.15 billion (£452.15 million) (US$739 million) contingent upon a transfer of 50.1% of stocks.
COLLECTORS' ITEM ~ SEIKO 6306-7001 GENTS WRISTWATCH
In 1976, Seiko introduced its third model of diver's watch. This third model came in calibers 6309 and 6306 -the twin brothers conceived in 1975 and theircommercialization started in 1976. Seiko put 6309 and 6306 in production in 1976 but the 6306s came first.
The 6306s were intended for Japan domestic market only while 6309s for anywhere in the world. Production of these watches started from 1976 in Suwa Seikosha Japan but in 1981 Seiko discontinued 6306s and allowed production runs for 6309s to continue until 1988.
Both 6306 and 6309 diver's watch share the same basic specifications, except that 6306 is 21-jeweled, second-hand hackable and came with Kanji/English day wheel. Its brother 6309 came with 17 jewels and does not hack. Both run at 21,600 beats per hour (bph) with quick set day/date calendar mechanism and were originally rated to 150m WR.
The 6306s and 6309s originally came with "SUWA" dial variant with "JAPAN A"-signed back case
cover, except those 6309s produced in the latter of 1981 at Seiko Plant in Hong Kong.
The Seiko's third model of diver's watches (6306/6309) have proven their worth. For over 3 decades they have withstood the test of time. One can say with conviction that a 30-year-old of this model when overhauled, cleaned, oiled and regulated will live for another decades again. They are indeed the "workhorse" movements as described by their users/collectors around the world.
MOVEMENT | ORIGINAL AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT, Cal. 6306A, Seventeen (17) Jewels With Hacking Mechanism. Professionally serviced just recently and is running well. |
METAL | Solid Stainless Steel Case and Case back. |
CASE 'n SIZE | ORIGINAL CASE. Professionally refinished to its original factory finish as close as possible. Width: 44 mm excluding crown; length: 45mm from lug to lug. Thick: 13mm with bezel. |
DIAL/MINUTE CHAPTER RING/HANDS | NEW AFTERMARKET SEIKO 6306-7001DIAL NEW aftermarket Hands. |
STEM/CROWN | ORIGINAL STEM (male/female type) engages hands, day and date wheel as it should. ORIGINAL CROWN it screws down securely at 3x180 degrees turn. It Comes With English/Japanese Day Wheel. |
CRYSTAL/Retainer RING | Brand New Aftermarket Hardlex Crystal Very Closer To Original. Crystal is attached with crack-free ORIGINAL CRYSTAL-RETAINING RING NOT glued. |
Rotating BEZEL 'n INSERT | ORIGINAL BEZEL RING rotates in bidirectional rotation with clicks. NEW MODIFIED INSERT. |
BRACELET/STRAP | It comes on a Brand New Original Seiko Rubber Strap Z22. FAT SPRING BARS are used in this watch as Seiko diver should come on fat spring bars. |
SERIAL NUMBER | , which dates production back on December 1977. She is 34 years old. |
WATER RESISTANCE | Water Proof Tested At 50 Meters For 10 Hours. |