Sunday Support Group: Watch Watch

Mike Disfarmer, East Faust

Another Chance: My old friend Kim K. has posted an accessible mix at Mixcloud. Called "2nd Chance," it includes The Grateful Dead, XTC, Gomez, Bob Dylan, Another Sunny Day, and more. I've always loved the opening Dead song, and check out that zany harmonica on this version of "Desolation Row." Funky and funny. Typically, I liked the song that turned out to be Nick Lowe. (I like Nick. Jesus of Cool was an album I liked in the days of the old New Wave.) And check out that "cover" photograph: oddly touching, isn't it? The missing part graced a heart-shaped locket maybe. And I wonder what became of the locket? Surely the lover and the beloved are gone now, but what treasure the memento must have been to each other in their time. The more you can honor the one you love and the love you share, the happier both of you will be. By the bye, I use the Shazam app to identify the cuts—it can peg most of them, although Kim regularly stumps it. 2nd Chance is a nice listen for this cloudy Sunday.

Moose demos: TOP reader Moose posted a comment yesterday that linked to a couple of wonderful graphics—by hovering your mouse over several labels, you can compare and contrast various processing applications for phone pictures.

Sunset, Alameda Lagoon

Salad, Barley & Hops Pub, Occidental, CA

Quite a difference! I've never done much in the way of processing of phone snaps, but Moose has explored it thoroughly. Don't miss this. It only takes a few minutes to check it out and it's pretty eye-opening. Thanks, Moose.

Watch watch: Almost four weeks ago I did a post called "My New Watch," and I started a watch collection. I'm collecting only quartz watches, mostly in the "affordable" category. You might think affordable is a euphemism for "cheap," but it's actually one level above cheap, because cheap watches are really cheap*. I wanted to start out with a small group as a core, so I've had eight watches pass through my hands, and three of them have made it into the collection. Here's a fourth I'm considering now:

You can see the tag is still on it. I haven't decided if I'll keep it yet. For a guy who doesn't like color much, I find I really like touches of color in watch designs. You can see some of the little green accents in this one. Very pretty. Goes with my green shirt. On the other hand, I really don't like watches with advertisements printed on the dial like this one has. I had to buy this from the Netherlands for an inflated price...Casio doesn't bring its better Oceanus watches to the U.S., and the Edifice line is hard to find here too (although you can get the chronograph version of this one from Amazon.) This set me back $120 and change, which is higher than it was when you could buy it here, yet it's still high value: it's got a sapphire crystal, for one thing, which is rare at this price.

I call myself a "quartz snob." It's a joke, because watch people don't like quartz. Quartz watches have so many disadvantages: they require much less tending, you don't get to pay for regular servicing, they're less expensive to begin with, and they're far more accurate. No fun at all, in other words. I'm timing out that little Seiko I bought back on June 22nd, and after nearly a month, it is slow—but by about half a second. What a terrible watch—you hardly ever get to reset it!  :-)

Annals of the legal profession: Do you remember Mike Disfarmer? He was the Vivian Maier of the 1970s, a local "find" by a man named Peter Miller who rescued and publicized the work. By now the subject of many books whose prints sell for high prices, Disfarmer has joined Maier in that his archive is in legal dispute. A group of about 60 distant relatives are fighting for control of the valuable estate. It's the subject of a new article in The New Yorker called "Who Owns Mike Disfarmer's Photographs?" written by Eren Orbey. I haven't actually read it yet, but I'm a-gonna.

Mike

*In fact, I doubt any other single class of product has a wider range of prices on Amazon. At the high end, there's a Breguet Double Tourbillon in rose gold listed for $299,999.00, and at the low end there seem to be numerous Chinese watches listed for 1¢...apparently they make it up in the $10+ shipping charges.

Product o' the Week:

Ringlight for Zoom, Facetime, vlogging, streaming, video recording, remote working or remote learning. Holds a phone, or you can set it behind and above a desktop computer with a built-in camera. The following image is also a link: 

Original contents copyright 2021 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Joe Holmes: "That Mike Disfarmer article in The New Yorker originated with Ron Slattery, who is mentioned in the article. I'm an old online buddy of Slattery, and he contacted me a few months ago to ask if I knew any magazine that might be interested in writing up this crazy tale. My wife Sara Bennett had worked with Eren Orbey at one point...

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/photo-booth/life-after-prison-for-women-who-served-decades-behind-bars 

...so I put Orbey and Slattery together and the result you can now read at The New Yorker. I told each of them that I feel like the guy at the wedding who had introduced the bride and groom way back when."

Comments

[Richard Tugwell]

I like wrist watches. I'm not a collector, but I used to live in Switzerland and I know a LOT of people who know more about watches than is healthy. I have my father's Omega from the 1960's which I treasure, and which keeps excellent time, with the occasional service.

Mostly though, I appreciate the ability to find out what the time is just by a quarter turn of my wrist. If you walk around with your mobile phone in front of your face - fine.

I've always used pubic transport a lot, and where it is reliable (like Switzerland) timing your meeting with the next arrival is a fine art - aided by the wristwatch

[Bill Tyler]

I remember Disfarmer. He made some very fine work. A pox on all greedy relatives.

[Jack Mac]

Regarding quartz watches: all but one of my watches are old quartz. From thirty years ago when thin watches that were accurate were valued. When exactly did that become an embarrassment? The one mechanical watch is also old but a Rolex. It was a gift. I do not wear it. Last time to make it work it cost $600 in adjustments. So I am a quartz snob with you.
Want to have more inexpensive fun? Start collecting cheap watch bands.

[darlene]

Thanks Moose!

[P@L]

I do understand that this is above your pre-stated price range of interest, but ... Longines has a very reasonable line of HEQ watches - notably Conquest V.H.P. that was resurrected a few years back from extinction. These are high spec quartz watches that rival in many aspects offerings from GS Seiko at a lower price point (stated 5 sec/year accuracy, independently moving hands, 5 year battery life etc.). Highly recommended - especially white dial models that have blackened hands - these beat just about anything for ease of reading at a glance even for people with eyesight shortcomings

https://www.longines.com/watches/sport/performance/conquest-v-h-p

[robert e]

This video of Nick Lowe and his son Roy performing at home last year made the pandemic a little more bearable:

https://youtu.be/-tP5GsNIOqQ

[Ø Hansen]

One of my grail quartz watches, the Grand Seiko SBGV245, is actually somewhat of an appreciating asset at the moment. For some reason supplies have dried up, and the watches are trading at inflated prices (and it was never cheap to begin with). The other colorways of the same watch are depreciating though, less desirable i guess.

I am mentioning it as it has some of the same vibes as that Edifice and the Oceanus T200 (flat brushed bezel, angular case, handset). Sadly, the screws ruin the Edifice for me.

[Richard Alan Fox]

Do you have any recommendations of minimalist quartz watches without the date.
A watch that does not need adjustment five times a year.
Three handed time only.
With a bracelet click open and close.
Thanks.

[You didn't mention budget, but I would check out Vaer at vaerwatches.com. Note that they sell bracelets separately so you could just select the one you want. Note that there's a 15% off box at the lower left.

A different solution to the problem at a higher price point is something like the Longines Conquest VHP which has a perpetual date--you don't need to reset it until 2100. It even keeps track of leap years.

(UPDATE: Very sorry! I originally provided the wrong link. Here's a correct one:

https://amzn.to/2Uu5UzA

Look for the initials "VHP" on the dial—there's an older version of the Conquest that's cheaper and more ordinary. Sorry for the error. /update)

Also, it will continue to keep the correct time for a short while after the battery fails, allowing you to install a new battery without losing the time or date. It also has a HAQ (high accuracy quartz) movement accurate to within a few seconds a year. Quite an amazing watch. --Mike]

[Daniel]

On the watches. With the state of things you may soon be unable to get batteries for many of them because of shortages - as have hit the Auto industry. Our old wind up watches don't have this problem.

[stan]

I was especially impressed by the Halide app's ability to cleanly remove the fork from the salad plate!

[Bear.]

Just had my wife's reasonably high-end quartz watch (about 15 years old) serviced - don't tell me they don't need servicing or can't be serviced (!), as I've learned the whole quartz mechanism including fixing the vibration rate, etc. can be overhauled and rebuilt - it's jut a question of cost vs value. It definitely would have been better for me to have bought her a mechanical version (even at 4 x the price) in the first place, as a fully service watch would have kept it's original value (or gone up allowing for inflation), where as the quartz watch (a) was dubious value then and (b) is of less value now - but it does keep the time accurately and looks very nice thank you.

[Kye Wood]

Quartz watches are fine. But having a non recharging battery in them is shite. No offence intended brother.

[Okay, so you've got me curious. Why is that? --Mike]

[P@L]

"A different solution to the problem at a higher price point is something like the Longines Conquest VHP which has a perpetual date--you don't need to reset it until 2100. It even keeps track of leap years.

https://amzn.to/3z6ikMO

Also, it will continue to keep the correct time for a short while after the battery fails, allowing you to install a new battery without losing the time or date. It also has a HAQ (high accuracy quartz) movement accurate to within a few seconds a year. Quite an amazing watch. --Mike]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Sorry to interrupt slightly ... but this is not factually correct ... the link above on Amazon is showing a much older Longines Conquest
https://www.longines.com/en-gb/watch-conquest-l3-759-4-76-6 (still available on some markets apparently) that is furnished with a very standard quartz movement instead ... caliber L157 based on ETA 255.112 with just low battery indicator EOL - and as such it lacks all VHP sophistication implied including perpetual calendar function.

See below for details

https://www.longines.com/uploads/customerservice/detail/cs-use-technical/pdf/longines-technical-information-vhp-en.pdf

[Oh, drat. I *am* sorry. I grabbed the wrong link. Here's a correct link (of course there are others, to different colors):

https://amzn.to/2Uu5UzA

I'll go fix the original reply. Thanks. --Mike]

[P@L]

Posted by: Richard Alan Fox
Do you have any recommendations of minimalist quartz watches without the date. A watch that does not need adjustment five times a year. Three handed time only.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I find these new releases from Tissot quite intriguing ... but it is a matter of taste I guess ... LOL

two tone model first https://www.tissotwatches.com/en-us/t1344102701100.html

and all black model to follow https://www.tissotwatches.com/en-us/t1344103705100.html

[Kenneth Tanaka]

Re: The legal disputes over Disfarmer’s works, yes I read that New Yorker piece recently and shook my head. The good news is that it’s late, unlike the Vivian Maier suits, so his works have already been somewhat disseminated. (We have a handful at the Art Institute of Chicago.). But it will freeze future museum acquisitions immediately. That’s the biggest reason that you see almost no Maier works in major museum collections today. Not necessarily a bad thing today, as the value of art museum blessings as value certifications is shrinking like the world’s ice caps. But still a shame that so many of the works will not be publicly accessible.

[Dave]

Mike,

That's a good deal for a sapphire crystal and the 100 meter water resistance rating.

I had to pay ~$170 plus tax to get the Seiko SUR311 with sapphire crystal and 100 meter water resistance.

(https://seikousa.com/collections/mens/products/sur311)

The SNE039 I got by mistake, but decided to keep since it was also marked down and would make a good watch for work, was the same price as the Casio Edifice you're contemplating. (It has neither the more expensive crystal nor the increased water resistance.)

The only things I don't care for are the exposed screws on the bezel of the Edifice. Most watches with 100 meter water resistance have a screw-on bezel. The screws just make this watch look like a rugged "G-shock" type of watch. (Not that extreme, but more than I would expect on a dressy sports watch.)

BTW, the reduced maintenance of a quartz watch is a real money saver. My old Seiko Quartz Chronograph (7A28-7039) has only had battery changes -- no "servicing". It probably needs new gaskets, especially under the side push buttons. Still keeps accurate time after all these years. Plus, unbeknownst to me at the time of purchase, it was the world's first analog quartz chronograph. (Article: https://wornandwound.com/seiko-7a28-pt-2-quiet-beauty/)
(Photo: https://wornandwound.com/library/uploads/2014/02/SEIKO_7a28-2.jpg)

Also, unlike the newer Seiko chronographs, my old one has a third button for split/lap times!

[The SUR311 is a classic Seiko to the manner born. Also, the screws on the bezel of the Edifice are fake! They're just there as decor. --Mike]

[Franz Amador]

Does Moose have a web site where he explains his processing? https://www.moosemystic.net/ is just a directory with no web pages.

[Moose]

"Moose demos: TOP reader Moose posted a comment yesterday . . . Thanks, Moose."

And Thanks, Mike!

One thing that may not be clear is that this processing depends on using the Halide app to take the pix in the first place, and working with its DNG output file.

Darlene: Thanks.

Stan: Oops, forgot I did that - in PS.

[David]

The Amazon listing for the Breuget is shown - as is Amazon's wont - with products presumably related to the Breuget watch. They range in price from $165-$390. Maybe Amazon's algorithm couldn't comprehend a watch priced at $299,999! The reviews are pretty hilarious.

[Califlefty]

I just had to replace my old "every day wear" Pulsar quartz watch, it gave up the ghost after 35 years. It had Seiko guts. After researching I went with the Citizen Promaster World Time - their GMT version. The entire Promaster line is solar charged and are built like tanks. The bracelet is as good as my high end mechanical watches. A solar charge is good for 6 months. For price, around $250, highly recommended.

[Howard]

If you're collecting, then watch (no pun intended) this guy on YouTube. Most of his reviews are for "affordable" watches, both mechanical and quartz, most less than $200.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzllztCuniR_83Fwuz70xcg