Tudor 7016 update

Well the owner has decide that he will sell me the watch. So today we took a little trip to RSC (Rolex Service Center) to have the watch check out. I have posted the watch on a number of Rolex Forum and have gotten positive inputs on the watch. 

At RSC, Rolex confirm that the watch is indeed all original. The serial number, the movement caliber, ETA 2483, the twin lock crown, the dial, the hands, basically everything is as it should be.

That is the good news. The not so good? Well, they can't confirm the matching. In that they mean the snowflake dial and hands to the serial number. The reference 7016 started life with a non snowflake dial and Mercedes hands. Only in later batches, in early 70s, was the Snowflake introduced. For this, RSC have to contact Rolex Swiss to check and confirm. This will take a month. 

The owner was OK with this and still would like to sell me the watch, once everything is confirmed. I agreed and so we wait. 

The technician at RSC told me that there is no more parts for the watch and it should not be my daily wear watch. He even suggested I get the new Tudor Pelagos. Funny. So I guess this would be my second and perhaps final vintage watch. The first being the Rolex reference 1675, GMT Master. I would like to add to the collection a Rolex reference 5513 Submariner, but we will have to see how this develops. I do like to be able to wear my watches, so perhaps the reference 14060 or 14060M may be a better option. 

The 7016/0.

Cheergiant

I have wanted to visit this place for sometime now but never seem to make it there. Perhaps it was the distance; it is about an hour away from where I am. It did not help when one of a member of a forum came over and showed me one of their products. The place I am talking about is the strap maker Cheergiant located in the city of Taoyuan, Taiwan (where the international airport is located).

Cheergiant is a family-run business and the person 'heading' it seems to be Mr. George Lan. I met him today and he is pretty cool, old school but cool. They are into leather products, as you can see from the shop. It is only natural that they venture into strap making. The leather that they use is pretty limited, mostly crocodile/ alligator and calf leather. You would not find exotic leathers like stingray, vintage ammo, Swiss Ammo, painted leather etc. They do have crazy horse, shark and even Horoween (limited amount and colour, black and maroon). I am considering having one strap made for the Tudor Submariner (if I get it).

I like the place and the people there. They are very open about their stuff and they have been doing this for over 27 years. The place is also very rustic, typical of old business in Taiwan.

Some of their products.

This leather piece will end up as a laptop cover. The artisan is working on the leather to the picture given.

A phone pouch. Lots of love went into making these.

George’s working table. You can see that I have blanked out the receipts and documentation. The interesting thing is that they get people sending them leather (like vintage ammo pouches) to have straps made. I was fortunate to get to see an actual vintage ammo pouch that they just got and was going to cut into straps. This is a first for me. How cool is that.

Some of the straps you see on the table are sample straps provided by their customer asking George to replicate them using the provided raw leather.

The display cabinet showing their straps and other leather products.

And this is the reason why I went there, to check out the straps for the Bell & Ross. I also checked out their range of Panerai straps. I have to stop buying ......

I will certainly go back for another visit, and this time I will bring a better camera.

Their website (told you they were old school):

Cheergiant Straps

Straps

Been very busy lately, house hunting, medical check up, car hunting, etc. So busy that I did not even follow what was happening in Basel 2012. Well, now that everything has 'calm' down a tad, we can focus a bit more on watches. 

Anyway, I had a surprise when I got back today. There was a package from Canada. Could it be? The straps from Combat Straps? My first custom made straps. I was very excited. 

Rip apart the package and lo and behold a red pouch. The strap I ordered for the Bell & Ross must be inside. Yes it was and along with it a couple of surprises. 

The strap. WWII vintage leather. Nice colour and very very soft. I like it. I like my straps rough and tough.

Signature on the back across the two ends. The founders initials as well.

Look out for the review very very soon. Also on the surprises. 

For more information:

Combat straps

I wish I may I wish I might.....

Tudor reference 7016/0 Snowflake......

Rolex Basel 2012 Novelties...

Rolex has updated their website with the Basel 2012 novelties. I have to say that it is interesting. 

Rolex

Some of the new releases.....

Finally the Submariner has been updated. Wish it was 42 mm, not really into the fat lugs.

The Sky Dweller. New movement and a novel way of adjusting the time.

Yacht Master update. Love the blue dial version.

Photographs: Rolex.

Do check out the website for other watches released.

Basel 2012 comes early for Tudor

Tudor has updated their website with the Basel 2012 novelties. 

Tudor

I like this watch, the Tudor Pelagos. This, I guess is what the Snowflake Gen 2 will look like.

The basic specifications:

Reference 25500TN

Case: Titanium 42 mm

Movement: ETA 2824

Crystal: sapphire

Water resistant: 50 ATM with helium escape valve

What is important is what the watch looks like and here it is.

I just love the luminous bezel insert.

Photographs: Tudor

Looks like something I will consider getting. However there is this 7016 Snowflake calling....

Do check out the Tudor Heritage Black Bay as well. It is a tribute to the Tudor reference 7922 that came out between 1950 to 1958.

Photograph: Tudor

Seiko SBGE005 Pictorial Review

I had an opportunity to handle this beautiful watch from Seiko sometime back. Here is a pictorial review of the watch. I have to say that I do like that watch and it is well made and built to last. It is a very comfortable watch.

The Seiko SBGE005 Grand Seiko GMT watch. It is powered by Seiko's Spring Drive 9R66A movement. 

Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date, power reserve, GMT (true GMT)

The beautiful bracelet. 

Brushed, polished, brushed, polished, brushed.

The clasp with 2 push pins. Nice GS logo on the clasp.

The adjustment pieces are held by screws. Nice. The ends are beautifully polished. 

The steel 3 part case with polished sides and brushed top. The case features a display back with sapphire crystal front and back. The case is 11 mm thick, 39 mm diameter and has a 20 mm lug width.

  

I like watches with drilled lugs. Looks the the bevel on the lugs. Lovely.

Beautiful and well finished. 

The case back where you will find the serial number, movement number 9r66-OACO and other legends like: Water Resistant 10 bars, stainless steel, Made in Japan j and a strange logo like an inverted U.

The crown, which is of the screw down design. Note the GS logo. 

The beautiful and well finished silver dial. There is no luminous material on dial or hands. I like the polished dauphin hour and minute hands and the GMT arrow tip hand is in blue. The GMT 24 markers is on rehaut. The power reserve display is at the 7 o'clock position while the date display is at 3 o'clock.

The dial is signed SEIKO at the 12 o'clock position and above the 6 o'clock marker you find the GS logo. Just below it, Grand Seiko, Spring Drive and GMT. The GMT is in blue.

I like the fact that the minute hand extends all the way to the minute markers. 

On the dial, you will find other legends like at 6 o'clock position you will find the standard Seiko reference: Japan 9R66-OACO T2.

The movement: Seiko 9R66A Spring Drive movement with 30 jewels. The rotor engraved GS, Grand Seiko in blue. You find, in the bridge (engraved), Seiko Time Corp 2 and the movement reference 9R66A rendered in gold.