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It’s On eBay

Timex Camper Watch

A couple people have Tumbl-complained, so let it be said that this watch can be found elsewhere for five or ten bucks less, so look around before you buy.

$34.95 with Free Shipping

mostexerent:

balance & proportion well executed..

Another vote here for the Junghans Max Bill.

A very nice basic watch from Archimede reviewed on Hodinkee.

novh:

[you_have_broken_the_internet]: Inspiration

Astrodome chic.

(via da-i-net)

I’m guessing Arnold had three or four normal watches melted down to make this one?  Also possible: he just had a strap added to a wall clock.

(via Hodinkee)

A Graduation Gift: The Stowa Flieger

My younger brother John graduated from college this Spring, and I wanted to buy him a gift.  I love the little guy (OK, not so little, he’s 6’4”) a lot, I’m proud of him, and I wanted him to get a gift that he could use for the rest of his life.  The natural idea was a watch.

I’m not made of money (to say the least), but I decided I could spend hundreds of dollars on this special gift.  I’d saved a bit, and my brother’s worth it.  I wanted something he could wear whether he became a successful businessman or, as he’s been thinking about lately, a priest.  I also wanted something he could wear now, which is tricky because he’s only 21 and is a very casual dresser, generally.

I considered buying him something vintage, like a mid-century Omega, or even a 70s Omega sports watch.  Both are beautiful, and can be had for around five hundred bucks, but I wasn’t 100% sure that he would be comfortable wearing either one on a day to day basis.  Finally, I settled on getting him a black-faced pilot’s watch.  I figured that if he went into business, this would be just formal enough to last him until he could afford a more formal watch, and that it was informal enough that he could wear it with a t-shirt and not feel like a goofus, even at 21.

I wanted something authentic, with an automatic movement, and finally settled on the Stowa Flieger (Airman).  Stowa has been in continuous operation in Germany since the 1930s, and the Flieger is based up on the B-Uhr, the mid-century German pilot’s watch.  (This does mean that it was one of the watches worn by German Nazi pilots, but it was and is worn by German pilots of other political affiliations before and since.  Like, say, Volkswagen, it has some Nazi roots, being German and born in the 30s, but it is by no means a Nazi-affiliated product.)  Stowa makes only a few models, all of which have classic roots.

The price of the watch depends in part on the movement - I chose an automatic movement (since it’s an everyday watch), but not the finest movement offered.  Some of the watches are branded, and some not - I chose a piece without branding, which I thought better fit the aesthetic.  The watch I purchased cost about $600, which was just above my original budget, but well below the cost of comparable watches from other brands.  This is because Stowa sells only direct to the consumer these days - a not insignificant part of the cost of a fine watch is retail and branding-cost markup.

Stowa essentially makes the watches to order, with a small staff in Germany.  My brother’s watch took about three months to arrive (they didn’t charge me until it was ready to ship), but the wait was worth it.  I think he’ll be proud to wear this watch, and it will last him a lifetime with proper maintenance.

It’s On eBay

Junghans Manual Watch by Max Bill

This is my favorite watch, and it’s a steal at $250.  Mine is on a leather band, but this ribbon is quite lovely, too.

Buy It Now, $250

If you’re looking for a high-quality automatic watch at a very reasonable price, you could do much worse than the Seiko 5.  The movement is well-regarded by watch enthusiasts, and the styling is very simple and attractive.  A real watch at the price of quartz.  The divers aren’t bad, either.

Even bettter: there are a number of models on overstock.com at the moment, and Bing is offering significant Overstock cash back (30%, I’m told, though I’m in Canada and can’t check).  Go to bing, search for overstock, click on the sponsor link with the cash back offer, and then search Seiko 5.

It’s On eBay

Stowa Automatic Watch, Circa 1970s

I’m a big fan of a distinctive watch for more casual wear.  I often wear an Omega Dynamic, which has a similarly space-age aesthetic.

Bidding starts at $199, or Buy It Now for $225

Q and Answer: The Formality of a Rubber Watch Band

James asks: I’ve been concerned recently about the occasions on which it is appropriate to wear my current wristwatch. The watch is a handsome and somewhat expensive Swiss Army Chronometer in a very nice burgundy. Color matching is no issue, but the problem is the black rubber wristwatch band. The band seems a fairly inelegant piece. I’ve considered replacing the band, but I can’t find one that seems appropriate, so I’m fairly committed to the band I have. Does this choice mean that I cannot wear this wristwatch in semi-formal or formal occasions?

Your instincts are right on.  A watch with a rubber band is strictly for casual or sporting wear.  A metal band is generally for casual wear, and a leather band is suitable for any purpose.  When you think of the formality of a watch remember that watches are made for purposes.  A chronometer is made for sport, usually styled for sport, and generally should be worn for sport (or at least in a casual situation where you can pretend sport might break out at any time).  Certainly there are exceptions, but with a rubber band and a colored face, your watch isn’t one.  With watches, simple means formal.  A plain white face, without complications, and a black leather band is as formal as it gets.

If you like this watch, hang on to it, and wear it casually.  Enjoy it.  Consider investing in something more formal for more formal occasions.  You can probably buy a lovely, good-quality precious metal manual-wind watch from the middle of the 20th century - say a Longines or a Bulova - for a couple hundred dollars that will do you well for the rest of your life.  Buy something you can afford, that appeals to you, with a real movement (no quartz), and buy something made by a company that makes watches, not clothes or even (sorry) pocket knives.